ã€ŠDreamlandã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Thats How It All Started

    In the beginning, there was a girl who played a game¡­

    The menu option appeared before my eyes:

    Calamity Lara/ Short name: Cala, Level 94, Title: Warlord, Class: Assassin.

    Statistics:117256 kills; 3 deaths

    Activate?

    Of course, activate!

    Cala stood just a bit taller than me, and I was already considered a tall girl. Her hair was a sleek raven black, cropped short to her head, and her piercing grey eyes had a steely blue tint that gave them a mesmerizing quality. It felt as though an extra light was shining from those eyes whenever she looked at you. Her long, delicate eyelashes hinted at some non-human ancestry flowing in her veins.

    She had a lithe, powerful body that moved with the speed and grace of a predatory cat. Her black leather armor clung to her like a second skin, effortlessly stylish. Her small, pert breasts, slender arms, and long legs completed her striking figure.

    Her nose was originally perfectly straight but now had a slight deviation in the middle; a while back, a healing spell didn''t work perfectly. Yes, even magic has its blunders. While a visit to a high-level specialist and a decent amount of gold might have fixed it, it wasn''t on Cala''s priority list.

    Her rather thin lips defined a relatively wide grinning mouth, displaying two rows of perfectly white teeth.

    Yes, that wide grin was mine: I was glad to be her, and her stylish clothes were my personal contribution. When I took over her character and assumed the identity of Cala, her dress was primarily utilitarian, but I''ve always believed that life requires more than just practicality.

    I slowly flexed my hands, clenched and unclenched my fists, stretched my legs, and rolled my shoulders.

    I had to get used to being her... it only took me a few seconds to adjust. It''s incredible how quickly our brain adapts to a new body, one that''s stronger, better, faster, and still mine.

    Finally, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

    "Warlord?!" I chuckled with satisfaction as the memories flooded back into my brain. Yes, I was one of the organizers of several successful raids on noteworthy enemy cities. The fire of battle, the rush of adrenaline, and the thrill of risking my life for a cause - nothing compares to that feeling. And let''s not forget the reward of all those shiny gold coins lining my pockets. A sense of pride and nostalgia washed over me as I reminisced about my past conquests.

    I chuckled. As strange as it can be, the avatar has its own memory which adds to mine. I am Cala here!

    I cracked my neck. So, let me go meet my friend Spartacius!

    Why did he call Cala a cheated character? Oh yes, because I didn''t play her from the beginning; I didn''t create her myself. I have her from a friend; we met in real life while I was working on a game-related school project, and he let me take over his account. That''s how I got Cala. Well, that''s another story.

    Taking over Cala''s character didn''t feel like cheating; it was more like an adoption. Even though the memories I had of her weren''t originally mine, I still felt like they belonged to me because Cala is a part of me now. I remember everything she went through, the good and the bad, the betrayals and the moments of glory.

    I sighed. Memories of why I stopped playing flooded back. How could I forget? It wasn''t because of Cala or the game but rather because of me, Dolores. When I was leaving, becoming myself, I was starting to feel incomplete. I was afraid that I would fall too much in love with the idea of me being Cala; that''s why I stopped playing her.

    Now it felt like coming back home. I took another deep breath and enjoyed the feeling of being alert, of being alive, of being Cala!

    I entered the lobby. A lot of people were there, and everybody was in a hurry.

    I went with quick steps towards the wall that opened portals to private rooms and called as he instructed me:

    ¡°Spartacius'' room!¡±

    As I walked in, I saw him waiting for me - a relative handsome warrior with blond hair standing about 1.85 meters tall, a little taller than Cala. His patchy armor didn''t cover his six-pack. Oh yeah, low-level armor. He seemed a bit taken aback when he saw me - clearly, he wasn''t used to seeing me with this avatar.

    ¡°It''s me, Cala!¡±

    He smiled happily.

    ¡°Wow, you look sexy!¡±

    A red panel blinked above his head: careful, minor 14 years.

    He had to use the word ''sexy'' ... I sighed. I am here with a kid!

    At first, my instinct was to run, but after the initial shock wore off, I started thinking. I had first met him when I desperately needed a co-pilot and mechanic for a car racing game. He was one of the few who volunteered, and he quickly proved himself to be more than qualified.

    After we completed the Paris-Dakar rally together - an event that only exists now in Dreamland - I added him to my friends list. We finished eighth out of thousands of participants, with me as the driver and him as the co-pilot. We''ve been a good team there! I''ll need to make a note of his age in the character tab.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He¡¯d proven himself competent, and we¡¯d bonded like good comrades. Why should I dismiss him now just because I learned how young he is? Sure, Mephisto is a dangerous game for kids, which is why I got the warning. But he has the system¡¯s protection, so nothing bad should happen to him.

    Does this reflect poorly on me? What does it say if I become friends with juniors? Is my mind not mature enough?

    I shrugged the thought away. We¡¯ll have fun!

    He had asked me to help him complete a quest in Mephisto Chapter 2: Remove the Lynx from Lilytown''s forest, which was why I had reactivated Cala. The mere fact that he had prompted me to bring Cala back to life was reason enough for me to assist him.

    I grinned and said, "Isn''t this outfit something? It took me ages to find all these pieces and put them together!"

    It was true - I had spent at least half of my game time raiding the auction house or chasing rare mobs to get the perfect ensemble.

    Before he had a chance to comment, I said: "Come on, let''s go kill that beast!" -then I turned towards the wall - ¡°Mephisto, chapter 2.¡±

    Another door opened, but this time it had the form of a magic portal.

    You are entering Mephisto''s world. A New Reality! No repetitive quests, no fixed outcomes. Help build the world with your imagination! Fight for good or bad, be an angel or a demon! And many more pictures and slogans plastering the wall, each one more enticing than the last.

    The greatest and most popular game online!

    We entered the game. I needed a couple of seconds to adjust to the different light. It''s as if it would have more colors than on Earth. The graphics were amazingly well done. Each time I joined the game, I had this moment of wonder; each time, I was stunned. It looks better than real! It must be the incredibly high computing power that enables this. I remember seeing the billboard displaying the number of users when I entered the lobby. It showed numbers in the millions of users playing Mephisto, and all their computers were made available for the game! Millions, tens of millions of computers power connected! The computing power they achieved goes off the charts!

    But the real magic lay in how they made all those computers work together seamlessly, creating the greatest and fastest computer ever built. And all of this computing power was being harnessed for a game! It was truly mind-boggling.

    ¡°Hello, lady Cala.¡±

    A sweet voice woke me up from my thoughts and made me smile. I turned and saw her: a beauty to fall in love with! I admired the cascade of incendiary red hair falling over her bare shoulders.

    "Hello there,¡± I replied, smiling back at her.

    Her hair shimmered like little flames in the sunlight as she turned her head to smile at me.

    She was reclining on a bow, sporting a trapper outfit, and carrying a bag filled with arrows over her shoulder. The sight of her standing against the untamed forest was breathtaking, and to top it all off, she was the most skilled fire-arrow shooter I had ever met - my Alice.

    I looked around. I could not see any issues or simplified background parts; I could see perfectly, near and far, the image going into details everywhere. I could even smell the forest. Mephisto ¨C more real than reality. Oh yes, nothing compares with Mephisto!

    Seeing her, Spartacius wondered out loud, waking me up from my reverie:

    ¡°You still have a rogue archer from Chapter 1 as your bodyguard? I heard they are good for nothing.¡±

    Alice stood by my side, still smiling, as any NPC should in the face of an insult, but I could sense a slight reaction in her eyes and a tightening of her grip on her bow.

    I shrugged; there was some truth in what he had just said. I think the former Cala ¨C Markus, the guy from whom I have the character - kept her because of her looks. While there were possibly other more efficient mercs* in Mephi**, none could match her beauty.

    ¡°She is OK. She is level 84.¡±

    That''s all I could tell in her defense.

    ¡°Whoa, that''s a high level! How many years does it take to get your merc there? Crazy! But you should see what a sorcerer from one of Chapter 3 cities with level 84 can do!¡±

    ¡°About eight to ten or so? Yes, yes, I know. Your choice to level them; I prefer her.¡±

    ¡°Should I also hire one?¡±

    ¡°I would suggest so, you need to arrive in Chapter 3 to be able to hire a sorcerer, and you need help to arrive there.¡±

    ¡°OK, that makes sense. Can you lend me some gold to hire one? I''ll give it back to you once we get the reward!¡±

    ¡°Sure, let''s go to the camp before visiting the town. Wait! Don''t run! We''ll rent a pair of horses, or we will be walking for the next hour...¡±

    The ride to the rogue camp should take less than ten minutes, and I''m willing to lend him the money to hire a horse. Luckily, a good spot is nearby to buy or hire horses.

    This travel time is a controversial topic in Mephisto, generating many serious discussions. Players spend at least half their time traveling from one point to another. Yes, there are portals, and higher levels have more mobility; you can port people, ride a coach, or even get a flying mount, but still, you waste a lot of time just traveling and doing other mundane things.

    Well, the argument is that this is not a shooter game. This is a realistic fantasy game. Do you want to travel faster? Raise your level, learn spells, buy expensive mounts, and use other tools. Not an easy task.

    Oh well, this is hard-core Mephisto. Why do people like this?

    Alice came closer to me to chat, interrupting my confabulations.

    ¡°Slaver gangs have been reported in the vicinity, and a couple of settlements raided. What precautions should I take?¡±

    Slaver gangs... Those come from the Golden Empire.

    The empire was an aggressive power, and the republic had suffered considerable losses in its current war against the orcs. The orcs had rebelled against Mephisto, and the republic''s idiots in charge thought it was a good moment to get rid of the orc tribes living at their northern border. They attacked instead of supporting them as a buffer against Mephisto. Oh, well, they sent three armies there, killed many orcs, and lost two. The third army retired in disarray after suffering heavy losses. Now they were feverishly trying to recruit a fourth army.

    I sighed:

    ¡°I fear the empire is testing the republic''s resolve and capabilities. It may come to war. You should go scouting in front of us. Don''t risk anything.¡±

    She nodded; nothing else needed to be said. She would scout and warn us in case of any trouble.

    I looked around, comparing things in my mind. I should now be shopping with Clara and Lola.

    A shopping tour has its appeal, and with Lola, it is always fun, but Clara, her older sister, is a pain in the ass. I live with the two sisters in a rented apartment; Lola is my schoolmate, and Clara, her one-year older sister, is ''the adult in the room.'' Yes, true; without her, our parents would not have allowed us to relocate to this school, but she overplays her ''adult'' role; that''s so tiresome.

    We just had a heated argument about why I didn''t want to go shopping with them.

    I snorted with disdain. Forget Clara! I am now in Dreamland, Mephisto''s World, and I am going to raid¡­ yeah, I am going to kill a poor Lynx in a beginner''s chapter. Chapter two. And I feel good. Let''s go get that beast!

 Chapter 2 - Ayra

    The morning was beautiful, with the two bright suns shining high in the sky. The air felt dry and fresh, although it was already getting quite warm. Ayra wiped away the beads of sweat forming on her forehead and grinned. She chatted cheerfully with Kroh, the gunsmith, attempting to negotiate the price of a small knife. He was asking for two silver coins, which was a fair price, but Ayra hoped to sharpen her haggling skills and maybe knock a couple of coppers off the cost.

    Suddenly, they heard a couple of shouts that made them realize something was amiss. They exchanged a bewildered look before the town erupted into a cacophony of noise. Children screamed, horses neighed, weapons clashed, and people cried out in pain as if the settlement had been plunged into the midst of a war.

    Moments later, Ayra ended up trembling and crying silently in her hiding place, watching the horrifying scenes unfold before her eyes. Kroh had pushed her into the shelter, and although she had initially protested, simply unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation, she now found herself hidden in his family''s shelter, the shelter prepared for his wife and children. From her vantage point, she saw them crying, lying in chains in the small square in the center of the settlement.

    She felt helpless, her eyes wide in horror; what could she do?

    Slave hunters! Ayra realized with a sickening feeling that their small trading settlement had been attacked by slave hunters. How could something so terrible happen to their peaceful community? After hiding Ayra away, Kroh had valiantly rushed outside with a sword in hand to defend his family. But now, he was nothing more than another lifeless body from all those strewn around the settlement, lying in the dust with a growing pool of blood surrounding him.

    A shiver ran down Ayra''s spine as she heard the slave hunters speak.

    "Did you find her?" one of them asked.

    "Who? The blonde? No, she''s not here. Maybe she''s gone?" another responded.

    "No! She must be here somewhere! I saw her just a few minutes ago!" the first voice retorted angrily.

    Ayra''s eyes widened with fear realizing they were looking for her. She almost gasped, and she quickly put her hand in her mouth and bit down to stifle any sound that might give away her hiding place.

    She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down despite the heavy smell of iron assaulting her nostrils ¨C the smell of blood - mixed with urine. From her hiding place, she could see the slave hunters passing by from time to time in front of the small hole she was spying through. She dared not move a muscle, fearful of making any noise that could give her away.

    She heard the first voice again: "She''s worth gold!"

    The raid''s leader, a large brute with a scarred face, raised his voice and pointed at three of his men. "You, you, and you! Stay here and find the girl! The rest of us are leaving! I won''t risk the whole raid for a single slave!"

    Ayra pressed her hands to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. Maybe, just maybe, she had a chance to escape without being caught. With sadness but also relief, she watched as the caravan left, taking with it the people who were forced to go into a life of slavery, crying and moaning as they were dragged away.

    She desperately clutched the knife in her hand, her knuckles white with effort. The small knife from Kroh. It was meant for peeling potatoes, but now it was her weapon. Any sword in Kroh''s shop was too heavy for her.

    She closed her eyes and remembered: she had seen this before. She had almost forgotten the nightmare that had haunted her childhood dreams, and now that memory returned with a vengeance.

    She had been only three years old when it happened.

    Her mother had hidden her in a small closet, casting a spell of silence and immobility on her. Her mother was a good mage who owned her own magic artifact shop, but her magic was not enough to protect her from the slavers. They had taken her mother, leaving Ayra alone and unseen in the closet until the spell wore off.

    Ayra shuddered at the memory of her earliest experience, her only memory of her mother''s desperate face as she pushed her into the closet.

    A tear slowly rolled down her cheek as she remembered her mother''s face. Her eyes turned to the small dagger in her hand. Should she take her own life now?

    She swallowed hard like she was choking on something. She raised her head again: not yet; there was still hope.

    She had lost sight of them but heard them exploring the small settlement. Then she smelled smoke.

    "What are you doing? Dorhang has forbidden us to light any fires!"

    "Dorhang''s not here. I''ll burn all these shacks down if I have to until she comes out!"

    "You''re crazy? What do you think Dorhang will do if he finds out?¡±

    Only now did she hear the third slaver speaking again:

    ¡°If he finds out? Do you think he can''t see the smoke?"

    The other two continued their bickering.

    "Who says we did it? The bitch did it. If this bitch is here, she''s gonna have to get out. I don''t want to waste another day looking for a slave. At any moment, a denka patrol can surprise us!"

    "Idiot! No patrol was planned for today, but now they will come once they see the smoke!"

    ¡°We''ll be leaving before any patrols get here! Why do you care so much about this bitch?¡±

    "Dorhang had promised me one gold if she really is worth more than two! And she is; I''ve seen her!"

    "Ah, so we''re here for your damned gold?"

    A third voice abruptly stopped the argument, interjecting, "Stop your bickering; someone is approaching!"

    "A patrol?" asked the first slaver.

    "No, just two strangers," replied the third voice with a chuckle.

    "Potential future slaves?" joked the other slaver, followed by more laughter. But the third slaver''s tone turned serious, "One of them is a warrior, and the woman with him... I can''t quite determine her capabilities. There''s something off about her."

    "What do you mean?" asked the first one, "You''re the scout; can''t you sense her magic or something?"

    The scout paused thoughtfully before responding, "It''s strange; it''s as if she doesn''t exist. I can''t get a read on her power. I''ve heard of this before, but I''ve never seen it."

    The second slaver interjected, "Maybe she''s just weak and defenseless." The scout shook his head, "Her look says otherwise. She must be some sort of shadow warrior. We should leave her alone."

    Ayra''s breathing steadied, and she dared to hope, but fear still gripped her. Her left leg trembled uncontrollably, and her heart felt like it might burst from her chest. She placed a hand over it, trying to calm herself down.

    She wondered what the best course of action would be. The strangers would be outnumbered and caught off guard if a fight broke out. She had witnessed the slavers'' brutality and knew what they were capable of. She could try to warn the strangers, but it might not be enough to guarantee their win.

    She was on the verge of leaving her shelter, but fear held her back from doing it. After some time, she heard voices again. The strangers were speaking casually with the slavers. How could they be so naive? The slavers were spinning a tale, claiming they had just arrived and discovered the place already burning, likely biding their time for the opportune moment to strike.

    She felt the need to yell at them and tell them the truth. She bit her lip. That woman was a wild card. Was she as weak as herself? Then they had no chance. Or was she as strong as the scout suspected?

    Smoke began to fill the small cabin where she was hiding. She was still unsure what to do until she recognized the voice of one of the newcomers: a young man who had been a frequent customer at their shop over the past few days.

    Yes, it was definitively that guy. She breathed, relieved, and raised her eyes to the sky, thanking all gods. She decided now would be the time to act. Those two probably stood little chance against the three slavers, but if she joined them, this could improve their chances of survival in the upcoming battle. Even if they ultimately lost, at least she would have fought instead of surrendering and becoming a slave.

    She mustered up all her courage, took a few deep breaths, and then ran outside, kicking the street''s dust with her bare feet and screaming at the top of her lungs: "Slavers! These are slavers!"

    She came to a sudden stop, completely taken aback by the unexpected scene unfolding before her. They all were gathered in the middle of the road, sharing a drink that one of the slavers had salvaged from the burning saloon. It was a strange sight, and the final words she had heard them utter only added to her disbelief: "We have to save the drinks!"

    In the middle of the street, a solitary wooden chair stood, its surface cluttered with bottles and glasses of various shapes and sizes.

    They all stood around the chair with drinks in their hands and regarded her with the disdain of party-goers interrupted by an unwelcome guest.

    Seeing that nobody was making a move, she hesitated for a moment before sprinting toward the two strangers. She would try to have those strangers between her and the slavers. After all, there was bound to be a fight, wasn''t there?

    As she approached, two of the slavers put down their glasses and stepped forward to block her way, while the third stayed with the two strangers: a woman dressed in black and a ruggedly handsome man who wore a shirt that revealed his muscular torso and a suit of armor patched from various sets. She recognized him immediately; it was her former customer.

    Will he help her?

    The woman was clad in exquisite leather armor that spoke of her noble heritage. But where was her escort if she truly was a lady of high rank? Surely this lone man couldn''t be her entire retinue. And come to think of it, she had never seen them together before.

    She came to a halt and locked eyes with her handsome former customer, imploring him for help. "Sir, please, you have to help me! Don''t you remember me? Please!"

    Seeing that the two slavers were approaching her and the stranger made no move, she sobbed, losing all hope. Her hands fell, and she staggered on her feet, unable to believe her eyes.

    She knew she wouldn''t be able to run away from them. She understood that she had lost.

    She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and the image of her mother''s face returned to her memory. A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered, "I love you, Mommy."

    With a quick movement, she plunged the dagger between her breasts just above her belly, where she thought her heart was.

    He gestured in shock and shouted, "No!" running towards her, but it was too late.

    She smiled, looking at the memory of her mother''s face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I''m coming, Mom!" ¨C she whispered, raising a hand to caress the face she saw.

    However, she had narrowly missed her heart but had punctured a large artery, and blood spurted over her simple dress, staining it red.

    The slavers reached her in a second and knocked her down, one drawing the dagger while the other forced her to drink a healing potion, spraying some over her wound.

    The raider swore, holding her nose and forcing the drink down her throat.

    "Dorhang will have to pay me for this potion!"

    The other slaver growled: "He''ll deduct it from your gold!"

    She couldn''t believe she was still alive.

    They put her on her knees and tied her hands behind her back and then to her ankles. One of them grabbed her fluffy ponytail with one hand to keep her face up.

    Gargling noises came from her throat as she struggled against the potion as now the other slaver held her nose to force her to swallow.

    Disappointed, she felt her wound closing. Could it be that she survived to have to live through this?

    The raider behind her asked her other tormentor: ¡°Hey, give me some juice; the bitch scratched my hand."

    He growled back, "Use your own potion!"

    Angered by that response, the man wiped his hand across her face to use up the drops of the potion she had spat out. He flattened her nose in the violent thrust, waves of foul-smelling sweat flooding her nostrils.

    The young man, her former client, came closer while the gray-eyed woman lingered with the third slaver, sipping from their glasses and exchanging intermittent words. For a moment, she thought she saw the woman''s muscles tense as she had reached for her knife, but then she remained seated, observing her like a spectator at a play, even worse, like a viewer watching an insect struggle to break free from a spider''s web.

    Forced to kneel between the two slavers, she grasped the harsh truth that she had lost everything. Her eyes dulled, and her head slumped to the side in resignation. Even death was now a privilege she could no longer attain.

    As she closed her eyes, awaiting her fate, the young man approached and raised his voice:

    "Leave her alone!"

    She lifted her head slowly, not understanding. What does he want? Does he really want to help her?

    Behind him, the woman with piercing gray eyes rolled hers and topped off her glass from a bottle adorned with a skull. She then returned the bottle to the slaver next to her, who followed suit, the two of them watching as they exchanged whispered words beyond her reach."

    One of her tormentors turned to the stranger: "Mind your own business, man! Should I have let her die? Wouldn''t that be a shame? I saved her; I own her life now!¡±

    Ayra looked at the stranger. Their eyes met, and again a small flame of hope began to burn in her heart. She tried to protest, ¡°Please, no! Don''t let them...¡±

    She tried to scream and explain, but one of the raiders made her smell something, and suddenly she found herself unable to move, unable to talk, kept standing only by the slaver''s leg her body was resting against. But she had seen his eyes; there was hope in those eyes! Captured and bound like so many others before her, her only hope now rested with the young man.

    Putting her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the slaver lied to the strangers: ¡°She is only shocked after the raid. She needs to recover. We''ll take care of her."

    All she could do was hope and cry. And then the unexpected happened. The stranger put his right hand on the hilt of the sword and asked the slaver to release her: "Put her down!"

    She saw him from under the raider''s armpit, hanging upside down, the raider holding her legs together with one hand on his shoulder. The binding strained and cut her wrists and ankles. She screamed in frustration and pain. A muffled scream, air rushing out of her lungs over paralyzed vocal cords.

    The slaver shook his head. ¡°Look, we don''t want to start a fight. She is with us; she was nothing but scared and shocked after the raid!¡±

    He turned to his partner: "Bring the horses! We''re leaving!"

    No, no, no, no! This cannot happen! She wanted to escape and run, but her limbs would not obey her.

    The handsome man hesitated, and the woman dressed in black addressed him: ¡°Spartacius, wait, we don''t want trouble with the Golden Empire, and these slavers belong to it. If we start a fight, we will have trouble traveling through their land later. It covers a large part of the central regions of this continent. Do you want this?"

    She then turned to the slaver beside her: "How much do you think she''ll bring?"

    The slaver nodded. "Wise words. Perhaps we can make a mutually satisfactory deal?"

    Ayra''s heart sank. That woman knew from the beginning that they were slavers. She had accepted it. The slaver moved her, and she lost sight of them. What was the other slaver talking about? What business? It was even more surprising to hear the young man, Spartacius, protesting even more resolute now:

    ¡°Slavers? Surely she is not with them. I know her; I won''t let them take her!¡±

    A glimmer of hope flared again in her heart, only to be immediately crushed by the woman''s words: "Come on! She''s just an NPC. Look; eventually, we can find an arrangement¡­."

    Enpisi? What kind of insult was that? The raider adjusted his load, shifting her on his shoulder closer to his neck. A wave of nauseating smell reached her nostrils from under his armpit. He let her slide lower, her long blonde hair almost ended up in the dust of the streets, but now she could see the young man again. He was her only hope. Her watery eyes met his. Will he want to save her? Will he be able to save her? There were three slavers, and the woman in black didn''t seem to want to help him. Maybe she couldn''t. Will he risk it alone? Will he succeed? He bravely drew his sword and pointed it at the slaver.

    ¡°Put. her. down.¡±

    They looked at each other for a brief moment, and then the slaver let her fall to the ground. She fell headfirst, face hitting the dust, then onto her side with a thud, the air knocked out of her lungs. She tried to spit out the dust she inhaled, but her lips and throat ignored her wishes. She couldn''t see anything, but she heard the raider''s sword leave its sheath. Then the other one.

    At least she didn''t have to smell that nauseating smell of sweat anymore. The raider shoved her with his boot, rolling her away from him, and she could see them again.

    The woman in black exclaimed in surprise: "Hey, he did what you asked!"

    Ayra''s heart froze in the face of so much disdain.

    The woman giggled and sipped from her glass, talking to the slaver beside her. They seemed to be arguing about something. He pretended to drink but moved his left hand slowly toward the dagger at his belt. Ayra watched from the corner of her eye, face down, waiting for the slaver to strike. How could that woman be so ignorant of what was happening? She would deserve her fate!

    But it hasn''t happened yet. What happened was that the young man, Spartacius, fought the two slavers.

    At first, the handsome man was beating them, and she hoped he could win, but they pushed him more and more on the defensive over time. He was going to lose.

    He called: "Cala, help me!"

    The woman replied as if she wasn''t really worried.

    "I''ll take care of it; just hold on longer; you can do it."

    Did she not care about his life?

    He took a step back, avoiding a cut: "Oh, come on! Just a hand?"

    Ayra felt tears running down her cheeks. That was all she could do. She felt guilty. The young man would die because of her, die trying to save her because she had left her hiding place too soon.

    She desperately tried to move as one of the slavers managed to trip Spartacius, who then fell to his side as the other slaver prepared to decapitate him.

    She closed her eyes, unwilling to look further.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    When she opened her eyes moments later, all three slavers were dead or dying, even if they were still standing. An arrow was in the hand of the slaver who wanted to cut off Spartacius'' head, his curved sword already falling, while an iron star had pierced his temple.

    The other slaver fell on his side, also with a broken temple, while the third slaver fell on his back, his head almost completely detached from his neck.

    The woman in black was next to Spartacius, helping him to his feet. By all gods, how could this have happened? Could she have moved in the blink of an eye? Were there more people helping her?

    Ayra''s heart stood still: she had never seen anything like it. She didn''t think it was possible. Who was this grey-eyed woman who could do such things?

    She started crying. The emotional roller coaster she had been through had drained her. She felt relieved, exhausted, and angry. Angry at the world that allowed slavers to exist, angry at the woman in black that had let her be tortured like this, she was angry at everything.

    Spartacius addressed the woman in black in a reproachful voice: "Why did you have to wait so long?"

    She shrugged. "I negotiated with that guy to sell it to me. If you had waited another minute, it would have been a done deal, and everyone would have been happily ever after. Now we''re in a big mess!"

    Did she want to buy her? Was she planning to make her a slave?

    Spartacius sighed as he stood up and walked over to Ayra, looking her in the eyes.

    He protested angrily: ¡°But she is a free citizen of the republic; they only intended to enslave her! Damned slavers!¡±

    The woman snorted: "Yes! There''s an empire full of them out there, an empire we''ll have to cross later. How are you going to do that with a price on your head?"

    He awkwardly picked Ayra up in his arms, and she felt like a doll with its strings cut, unable to move. The woman shook her head, looking at her.

    "She''s fine. She''ll be able to move normally in a quarter of an hour. You should cut those bonds first. Then you can have her rest against a wall until she recovers."

    As he tried to help her sit, he asked: "Are you going to leave her alone here?"

    Realizing that her bindings wouldn''t allow her to sit, he placed her back on her stomach and began cutting them while Ayra stoically endured it all.

    She understood that she would not be enslaved. As soon as she could, she looked gratefully into his eyes.

    He picked her up again, sat her down, and started cleaning her face. An amalgam of confused feelings washed over Ayra: she was grateful, afraid, confused, ashamed, and angry. Her head fell to the side as she couldn''t keep her neck straight, and spit was pouring from her open mouth. He laid her head back and moved it to be better supported by an ornament on the wall, then cleaned her cheek.

    The woman shrugged and didn''t answer, then turned towards a nearby building and asked loudly: "Have you noticed anything else around?"

    A voice answered from above: ¡°The three of them were alone here, but a group of about a dozen is closing in on us now. The raid leader must have seen the smoke and sent a party to investigate."

    The woman sighed and turned to Spartacius: ¡°I knew this shit was going to get bigger. You''d better take her inside and wait until we finish them."

    "But I want to fight!"

    She shook her head. ¡°They''re too high-level for you. Please be careful. It''s better to stay inside, at least until the fight starts, or else they might gang up on you if you get their aggro in early.¡±

    She was protective of him. Would she even go so far as to take on a dozen slavers by herself? To Ayra''s amazement, he accepted.

    He replied, taking Ayra in his arms and walking inside. "Yes, Mom!"

    Ayra''s eyes widened: was she his mother?!

    Had she tried before to teach him a lesson? This would explain why she had let him fight alone and only intervened when he was about to lose.

    She took a deep breath. Judging by the way Cala acted and her strength, she seemed to be some kind of monster with a young child. A monster that only looked young.

    Ayra''s heart was pounding madly in her chest. Slavers raiding her outpost and encountering mythical monsters in one day was a little too much for her to bear.

    She looked at Spartacius as he carried her in his arms. At least he was normal.

    She wanted him to stay there and never leave her. She was afraid and clung to him with all her little strength. She lost herself looking into his deep brown eyes. She wanted to tell him so many things; she wanted to thank him for saving her! But she couldn''t! Will they survive the encounter? Will she at least manage to thank him?

    Even though Cala, the woman in black, was powerful, and even with her ally, the mysterious arrow shooter, they were only two against a dozen!?

    Was she really that kind of monster?

    She heard them talking outside, and Spartacius wanted to put her down.

    She muttered as best she could with her numb tongue, trying to grab his shirt with her dazed hands: "Please, no!"

    He sighed and held her tightly as screams and battle sounds were suddenly heard from outside.

    It was short. Way too short.

    The woman and her ally must be dead by now.

    Now the slavers will enter.

    "Please kill me, don''t let them take me alive!" - she murmured in his ear.

    He sighed again. "It''ll be fine, don''t worry."

    His optimism surprised her.

    That can''t be possible! Those are only good words, but then...

    The already familiar voice echoed outside: ¡°You can come out; it''s over."

    Can it be so? But then... Cala was more than a monster; yes, a mythical monster.

    He stood up and turned, carrying her outside in his strong arms.

    Outside, before their eyes, a scene of carnage unfolded, blood, guts, and bodies scattered everywhere.

    Ayra''s hair stood up endlessly on the back of her neck, and her eyes widened in horror. She clung as tight as she could to Spartacius.

    Seeing them, Cala exclaimed: ¡°I''m surprised you listened to me; I did not expect this?"

    ¡°Cala, please don''t put salt in my wounds. I lost all that good experience!¡±

    "Yeah, but you have hands-on experience holding a damsel in distress!"

    She realized Cala was teasing him. Strange maternal teasing, especially in such a situation!

    He shook his head and just grunted.

    There was a chuckle from somewhere above, and the archer turned out to be a young woman with long bright red hair fluttering in the wind as she jumped off the roof of a building.

    Ayra shuddered at the height she jumped from, but nothing bad happened; the archer walked as if she had jumped off a chair, not a building.

    Cala turned to the archer and asked: "Did anyone escape?"

    "No. There was another one spying on us, but I had him."

    "Good! Please check them out and loot them. Leave none alive. I don''t want my reputation with the empire to be ruined by this misfortune. Take the money for your change. Let me know if you find any valuables."

    Ayra was left speechless after taking in the cold-heartedness of their comments. These women, Cala, and her archer, were monsters. It was one thing to fight slavers and another to cut the throats of badly wounded warriors, even if they were slavers.

    She clung even more desperately to her protector.

    Spartacius shrugged:

    ¡°You should have put on a mask!¡±

    Cala sighed:

    ¡°I can''t go masked all of the time. You can put her down; she can move already!¡±

    Ayra stared at Cala and uttered, in a low voice, for herself: "Uh, how can one be such a monster!?"

    But Cala''s acute hearing caught Ayra''s words, causing her to turn and raise an eyebrow.

    Embarrassed, Ayra attempted to hide in Spartacius'' embrace, but the archer reprimanded her, saying, "Show some respect, young lady. That ''monster'' saved you from those slavers."

    It seemed everyone had a sharp hearing.

    Ayra almost started to cry: "She would have gladly let those slavers take me. They killed Kroh!¡±

    Cala answered with a yawn. "He shall respawn!"

    "What do you say? He''ll never come back!? How could he? Magic so high doesn''t come to a village like ours? Someone else will, sure, but Kroh is dead!"

    Why was Cala looking at her in wonder? That''s how the world worked! Even more surprising was her question:

    "Will he not respawn?"

    "How can someone ask such a foolish question?" Ayra thought to herself.

    "No. And his family is now in chains!"

    Ayra was slowly coming to her senses. She turned to Spartacius: ¡°Those children you allowed to play with your knife last week are now in chains and brought to their fate as slaves. Would you not try and help them?¡±

    ¡°You allowed kids to play with your knife? Something is wrong here!¡±

    Everybody turned and looked at Cala. That was the thing she found disturbing? Cala shrugged, and Ayra exploded:

    ¡°You have to save them!¡±

    It was so much more that she wanted to say, but how could she explain them? How could she explain that a whole world made by those people, their children, the jokes, the games, the tragedies, and the happy moments, everything will get extinct with them going into slavery?

    Spartacius, putting Ayra gently on a chair, wondered:

    ¡°Is this a quest?¡±

    Ayra''s eyes went round upon hearing that. What was this for a stupid question? Or was it something between him and his mother? Cala shook her head.

    ¡°Quest? Even if it would be, all I could gain is to fall out of grace with the damned Golden Empire. A hell of a reward! I do not need another Empire to hate my guts!¡±

    Spartacius scratched his head:

    ¡°If we do it cleanly, you do not lose anything!¡±

    At this, Cala sighed and wondered:

    ¡°There is a risk... and what do I gain?¡±

    Ayra answered, looking sharply at her:

    ¡°Gain? Do you always need something to gain? Do the right thing for a change!? You may find peoples'' gratitude more rewarding than anything!¡±

    Cala laughed:

    ¡°Wow, this is an advanced talk for an NPC!¡±

    That was too much. Ayra felt like exploding:

    ¡°Slurs, when you have no answer!? What''s an enpisi? Is it some wordplay about pissing? Yes, I pissed myself; yes, I was afraid; this is no reason to let them enslave those good people!¡±

    She was angry. Cala had again used this slur, but she would not let it pass. The sudden silence that followed showed it was the right question to ask.

    Cala and Spartacius exchanged a look. Finally, Cala said something:

    ¡°Well, this is weirder than I expected it to be.¡±

    Then she raised a brow looking at Ayra:

    ¡°Did you really piss yourself?¡±

    Ayra screamed, grasping the air with her hands to their amusement. Shame and fury were mixing inside her, but she said nothing as she heard Cala asking the archer:

    ¡°Alice, how far are the slavers?¡±

    Can it be? Will they free them?

    Then fear invaded her. No, they cannot¡­ They will run to their death¡­ There have been at least fifty slavers in the beginning. How many were left?

    She turned her head to look at Cala: maybe with this monster with grey eyes, there was a chance?

    Alice''s answer came after a moment:

    ¡°They are moving slowly with all those people afoot. I guess we could catch them if we push our horses a bit.¡±

    ¡°Will we get them before the border?¡±

    ¡°Probably. If they do not have some other trick to move faster.¡±

    ¡°Good. I do not want to do this within the Empire''s lands.¡±

    Spartacius wondered:

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°The emperor has ways to find out who does things within his empire. Well, if you want to free those NP¡­ ahh folk, we should go now!¡±

    ¡°What do I do with her?¡±

    ¡°Leave her here. We''ll come back as soon as we are done.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to take her with me.¡±

    ¡°OK, but your horse will be soon tired, and you''ll fall behind. As I said, I will not be waiting. If I do it, then only within the republic. If it''s OK for you, then we''ll meet when we get back.¡±

    ¡°Go, brave Sir Spartacius, go!¡±

    She watched him as he hesitated for another moment, then left. She was proud of herself and, at the same time, afraid and angry that she had let him go. What if some of the slavers shall come back now? What would she do? She tried to rein in her fear and go fight the fires; then she went back into hiding, and then she came out again to fight the fires.

    Did she make a deal with the devil himself? Who could have killed so many raiders so fast? That was impossible. Only somebody who truly had superhuman powers could do such.

    By the time when they came back, the fires were almost extinguished. She saw them riding on their exhausted horses and thought they had given up. They were too soon back. Yet they had more horses. Did they kill everybody? Did they encounter another group?

    She did not dare ask, but the woman named Cala talked to her half mockingly:

    ¡°Well, we freed them. What is now our reward?¡±

    Ayra could not believe it:

    ¡°You freed them? Really? Where are they?¡±

    ¡°They are coming behind us; it will take them maybe half an hour to get here. They cannot move fast with all those children afoot.¡±

    ¡°You left them alone? Without horses?¡±

    ¡°They are good. We left some horses. We will check when we meet them again on our way; we are now going to Lilitown. Spartacius wanted to come back and tell you we did it.¡±

    She was even more grateful to Sir Spartacius! What a valiant and brave gentleman! How could such a brave soul come from such a dreadful mother?

    He got off his horse and smiled at her: "They''ll be fine."

    Ayra ran to him and hugged him, kissing his cheeks, then dropped to her knees and kissed his hand. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Sir Spartacius, thank you!!"

    Cala laughed as Spartacius looked at her awkwardly, at first unsure of how to react, then trying to get Ayra to her feet again.

    Cala laughed louder: "Hey, that''s his reward and mine?"

    Was she really asking to be hugged, or was she mocking her? Was this a test?

    Ayra was poor and knew she couldn''t pay, but even so, she would do her best; she took her purse and headed back to Cala.

    She would give her all she had: ¡°Children will sing the praises of such heroes as you! Here is all I have, but I''m sure you''ll get tens of times more for your good deed when they learn about you and what you did. Please take it!"

    She performed a curtsy in front of Cala as best she could.

    Cala took the purse, whistled, and then laughed again. "Awesome! He gets the kisses; I get the money! You are good! Look, I''d appreciate it if you didn''t sing our praises. They..." - she said, pointing to the Empire''s lands - "...don''t know our names, and this time we were wearing masks. We''d appreciate it if you didn''t tell anyone who we are."

    "But why? Every citizen in the republic would be grateful?"

    "This was nothing. They had better arm themselves. The Republic''s army was greatly weakened after the last battles against Mephisto and especially against the orc tribes. This situation encourages the slavers. There will be many more raids for sure."

    "But what can we do? We aren''t soldiers!? Should we run? Where?"

    ¡°Only one archer half as good as Alice would have driven these slavers away. Better save your money, buy yourself a decent bow, and learn how to shoot.¡±

    Ayra hesitated. She understood that this was a challenge, but in what sense? On the other hand, what Cala had said was true. They relied too much on mercenary soldiers. No one in their small village could fight.

    "What can I do if more slavers come next time?¡±

    Cala shrugged:

    "Run. You are too young and inexperienced. They will come in greater numbers."

    The woman said it gloomily, as sure of herself as if she knew the future.

    Ayra sighed. ¡°I''ve worked in Aruba''s store since I was little. What else could I do? I learned to be a merchant."

    She turned to Alice. "How did you learn to fight?"

    "There is a monastery not far from here. They train rogues like me to fight Mephisto and all evil.¡±

    Ayra asked, pleasantly surprised and full of hope: "Are you a nun?"

    Alice laughed, shaking her head at the same time. "No. I''m a fire arrow master. I''m not a nun. One can do the training without becoming a nun."

    "Didn''t you want to become one?"

    A fire arrow master? Was she really one? Or was he bragging? She had only shown a small portion of such powers in these fights¡­ but that might explain why they were so sure of themselves.

    What Alice answered surprised her even more:

    "I was not considered worthy of becoming one. It''s a longer story here..." - she shrugged - "Besides, I wanted to fight outside, not wait in the monastery for the evil to come to me," - she continued with a slight grimace - "so I learned to be a mercenary, and I was sold under contract to Cala."

    "So, you''re like a slave?"

    Alice giggled, visibly amused. "No. Perhaps I misspoke. The contract was sold. The contract was for one year. The monastery collected the money, and I had the duty to serve as a mercenary under her orders for a year. A contract is not slavery; I am a free woman. Cala released me from my contract on the very first day. She told me: I''m free to stay or go whenever I want. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I''m only with her because I want to be .¡±

    ¡°Did she buy your obedience by releasing you from the contract? Why are you following her?¡±

    Alice had the feeling that Ayra could hardly conceive that Cala had anything genuinely good in her.

    She raised an eyebrow and replied:

    ¡°Obedience¡­bought? There are other things beyond that, things I''m afraid you cannot understand!¡± - she shrugged, then continued - "I didn''t want to stay in her debt; that''s why I served the first year. Now it''s different. True, I get paid, and we share the loot, which is a nice thing, but that''s not the only reason I''m following Cala. I have been with her for years. We grew stronger together, fought many wars, and saw many different lands."

    Ayra tried to protest: "Why do you think I can''t understand?"

    Alice chuckled.

    "Maybe you can. Tell me, how many times has someone saved your life? How many times have you saved theirs? She saved my life..." - she sighed - "I''m ashamed to say that I''ve lost count of the times. Can you imagine that? Oh, and I''ve saved her life. And I don''t even know how many times. It fills my heart with joy when I can serve her. It fills my heart with joy when we overcome the most terrible obstacles and formidable enemies. We have fought evil beyond your imagination. One day we will fight and kill Mephisto himself. That is why I follow her."

    ¡°Mephisto? The king of black magic? The Great Devil himself?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Great Devil himself. What comes next, we''ll see."

    "After? There will be no after...¡±

    Cala and Spartacius were preparing new horses from some they had captured from the slavers.

    Spartacius turned to Cala and whispered: ¡°Wow, crazy! Did you hear the conversation?¡±

    "Yeah. They went overboard with the NPCs."

    At this point, Ayra turned around, approached them, and proved to have good ears. Looking angry and feeling betrayed, she spoke, looking at Spartacius and then at Cala:

    "Enpisi? Enpisi? Why do you say ''Enpisi'' with such disdain? It sounds as though you''re referring to a group of lesser beings, not even people. And she was talking about you too!¡±

    As Ayra pointed at Alice, Cala placed a hand on her forehead and sighed while Alice shrugged.

    "I didn''t deserve it this time!" - Cala thought - ¡°What did I say wrong about NPCs? Will they make an NPC revolution next time!?¡±

    But Ayra wasn''t finished yet, as the fact that Alice almost idolized Cala was infuriating her to no end. She pointed at Cala''s chest and spoke with a hint of anger in her voice,

    "Yes, you! You mocked me when I wet myself, but Alice doesn''t deserve that kind of treatment. She loves you and serves you! Why are you talking about her that way? And what about me? Why won''t you even look me in the eye as if I''m not worth your time? Just because I don''t know how to fight doesn''t mean I''m worthless. I could learn how to fight, even if I en-pissed myself!"

    After saying this, Ayra felt scared. What devil had driven her to challenge this monster who could squash her like a bug? To her surprise, Cala didn''t cut her throat. Yet.

    Cala just mumbled, raising a brow while her eyes wandered towards Ayra''s legs: "That''s not what en-piss... ahm... did you really... ahm, forget about that! You''ve misunderstood me. It has nothing to do with the fact that you...err...all that."

    She chuckled, took a deep breath, then continued looking into Ayra''s eyes.

    "If you want to learn to fight, you can come with us. We now go to the monastery to hire an archer for Spartacius. Come and see if you want to stay there.¡±

    Alice added: "There are other roles you can learn, not just nun or fighter."

    "But I don''t have enough money to pay for the training?"

    Cala seemed to consider for a moment before responding. "Alice and I can vouch for you and help you gain entry to the monastery''s training camp. If you''re interested, you can take one of the horses as your own - we won''t need them all. This place is dangerous, but the camp has stronger defenses. Or you can stay here and wait for them¡± ¨C she pointed towards the approaching group she could barely see on the horizon, then continued ¨C ¡°and see if they plan to rebuild the village or relocate to a more secure area.¡±

    Ayra took a deep breath. Maybe it was her lucky day after all. Perhaps she should listen if this monster advises her to leave the outpost.

    She closed her eyes for a moment and nodded:

    ¡°Aruba can run her store without me; she even asked me if I didn''t want to go. They''re good people, but... I don''t have to follow them. I want to learn to defend myself against any slavers or other robbers. If it''s possible, I would like to accompany you to the monastery."

    Raising her blue eyes to meet his, she made a vow. "Sir Spartacius, I will train hard and become the best archer I can be for you."

    He looked up in surprise and asked, "Can you ride?"

    Without hesitation, she nodded.

    Cala pressed her knuckle to her mouth to stifle a laugh and break the spell.

    She gestured toward the horses and said, "Please, be our guest."

    Then she chuckled and added, "Although I should warn you: Sir Spartacius is seeking a mage for his bodyguard, not an archer..."

    They left a few moments later.

 Chapter 3 - Arrival in Lilitown -D

    The two suns were high in the sky. It hadn''t rained in days, the air was hot, and dust rose from under the horses'' hoofs. I raised my eyes and looked at the blue sky. I wonder if a real planet with two suns would look like this? How does the weather function? Was this a random thing, or were they doing some plausibility calculations?

    When we rented our horses, the NPCs there had said that a drought was coming. Do they get some insight into the planned weather, or is it just some NPC guessing game?

    I wiped the sweat from my brow and looked ahead at the dry plain. If this weather continues, if the weather keeps up, I may need some kind of sombrero to survive here, or maybe I should better get someone to enchant my armour with a chill spell!

    I yawned and turned my eyes to Alice.

    She was riding in front with Noviel, my new friend''s new bodyguard. I had to chuckle again, seeing how much she looked like Ayra: a blonde girl with melancholic blue eyes, about one meter sixty-five tall. She was a couple of years older than Ayra and several centimetres taller.

    I shrugged. She must be his type of girl. Yes, I know he is a kid, but a bit of romance is also allowed for fourteen-year-olds. She will not go further than looking into his eyes, eventually a hug or hand-holding. She must know this instinctively.

    But it was not her looks that were intriguing. What surprised me was to see the level of understanding the NPCs have. Their conversation and situation awareness were downright scary. I could not differentiate between what a real person or these NPCs would do or say; it doesn''t matter if you talked about the weather or other mundane or non-mundane things.

    This is specific to Mephisto''s world; no other game has come close to what they achieved. The size of this reality-like project was amazing.

    Spartacius came closer to me:

    ¡°Well, do you think she will make it?¡±

    ¡°Make it? Noviel is good; you just saw what she can do!¡±

    We''ve had a demo in the camp, and she had hit her targets in nine out of ten cases at fifty meters distance in various challenging situations: riding on a horse, riding on a horse shooting backwards and so on. That was quite good. She could also cast incendiary arrows at a rate of about one per minute. Decent for a level nineteen rogue-archer.

    ¡°No, I mean Ayra. Will she make it to get sponsored? I mean the training; if nobody is going to sponsor her, she will get into debt and might be forced too early into a mercenary contract! Who knows what player will take her to use her only as a meat shield for some quest...¡±

    Ah Ayra. I almost forgot about her. He seems to care about this NPC!

    I shrugged, then sighed. Only now does he ask about her when it would be too late to do anything? Kids are very impressionable but obviously not so good at planning things; good that at least I have something to soothe his worries. I thought that he would care.

    ¡°Do you remember when she gave me her purse to pay us for freeing those NPCs? Before I gave it back to her, I put four gold pieces inside it. She will need that money if she goes to the camp to train.¡±

    ¡°Four gold? How much did she have?¡±

    ¡°Eleven silver¡±

    ¡°Lol. Cala-the-miser gives four gold pieces to an NPC. I would not believe it if I would not hear it from you!¡±

    I shrugged and smiled. From how he was joking, I understood that he was happy and relieved. I raised a brow. Now I need to invent a reason for why I did it. I could not just tell that I did it because I knew he would care, because then he would feel compelled to give me the money back. Four gold was pocket money for me, but it would be a significant amount for him.

    ¡°Look, I did it as an experiment. She is a sales clerk NPC, right? You''ve managed to spin her mind so much that she decided to go to an archer''s training! That''s a performance! I could bet that we''ll find her in a sales clerk job in the camp next time we get there. I also bet that she''ll give it back to me with interest. Anyhow, the slaver wanted nine for her, so I saved some. I''m just curious if an NPC can change her programming so much as to switch from sales job to archer?¡±

    ¡°Aha, you only want to make more money! Lol, why should she not be able to switch her job?¡±

    ¡°Well, we''ll see. I wonder if she can physically train?¡±

    He shrugged, raised his head, and looked forward. He made himself truly a handsome guy. Who knows what lies beneath in the real world. A skinny kid?

    I looked around: the graphics continued to be good, undistorted, even during movement. Everything seemed to work well and move smoothly for both near and far vision. Nice. A clearly improved game engine.

    Spartacius grinned when the city appeared on the horizon.

    ¡°Oh. There is the town. I must test my new mercenary!¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I symbolically put on my ''experienced player'' hat:

    ¡°Welcome to the Denikan Kingdom! People here are called denika, or the denik, and are related to the Denka Republic, which we just left behind. They speak the same language; you do not need translators. You can make the next five levels around here if you do not get bored. Saves a lot of travelling time. Good to get friendly with the population.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I don''t plan to spend half a year or more here. I only plan for a couple of weeks. What do you know about merc tests?¡±

    ¡°There are all kinds of stupid tests in blogs. Most of those come from chapter 3 with that pirate city Tortuga. It''s true; you get there the best chapter three mercenaries... but... I hope you don''t want anything bad from the girl?¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, you know me? How can you think so about me?¡±

    I sighed. I don''t really know him. Yes, we played some games together... For instance, that Paris-Dakar rally! The two of us huddled together for hours in that cabin under the scorching sun, him reading the map and me driving like a madman. Then in the stations, we had to fix the car, talk to sponsors, run to buy spare parts, get the right fuel and many more. And we did this for hours, day after day, for a couple of weeks.

    OK, maybe I can say that I know him.

    ¡°Oh well, I''ll go into the market. You can find me there!¡±

    ¡°They never have interesting things in this market! You know that magic is not allowed in this kingdom; there are maybe just a couple of smuggled things, but anyhow of low value. If you could buy me something from the Golden Empire? There is a bigger town on their side of the border?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°You know you cannot wear those things yet. That area is for higher levels. Speaking of the empire, hopefully, they''ll still let me in after what we did!¡±

    He shrugged, ignoring my fears:

    ¡°I know I cannot wear those yet, but I hope to level soon. The fight with the slavers brought me some good experience, you know? What are you going to do if they find out and become hostile?¡±

    Sure it brought him some experience; those were chapter three NPCs.

    ¡°It depends on the level of hostility... If I can fix it, I will. It''s a lot of work if you start working from a hostile level. I will do jobs for them, I will pay them, and I will bribe them. If it''s too much of a pain in the ass, I''ll try the solution with a good party.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a good party? How can a party fix it?¡±

    I laughed: that''s a calamity joke. That''s why I''m called Calamity Lara. I earned that name and not because of the jokes.

    ¡°Simple, you gather a nice party, preferably pirates and orcs, and visit a couple of towns with it, steal all you have on the shopping list and burn down the rest. If it''s a calamity, then let it be a freaking calamity. That will fix your reputation forever with that nation!¡±

    There are some nations that I could visit only with a raid group. You do not earn the Warlord title for peanuts, but that is fun too. I have no love lost for the Golden Empire.

    He chuckled.

    The guards let us in without asking; apparently, they still recognized me or were told to let all nonsuspicious people in. That had been the case around here before. The atmosphere wasn''t as relaxed as usual, and there were more guards, not just the standard two. Well, it makes sense that raids by slavers in the nearby republic would make the authority more cautious.

    There was a minor entry tax of 20 copper per person, and I let Alice pay it as she handles petty cash for me. I let her chat with some guards while reviewing the wanted posters.

    Oh, maybe that''s why they let us in so quickly; apparently, they know Alice and Noviel. Interesting. Alice is from here; I recruited her from the same camp. Is the game so fucking consistent that the NPCs keep track of each other?

    There was a nice list of quests, and the lynx was prominently on top, probably the best-paying quest in the area. There was nothing else really interesting for me.

    We left our horses at the gate, and I watched Spartacius disappear with Noviel in tow.

    Well then, about Spartacius: he sometimes behaves like a fourteen-year-old because he is a fourteen-year-old boy.

    I sighed. How come I did not realize it until now? We had fun together; we played several different games together. In that rally game, he had good ideas and was an excellent co-driver for weeks. He worked hard to help maintain that team, all that administrative work with the mechanics, the good choices for the engine, and he had his good moments tuning the chips in a couple of situations. Only when the system told me did I realize he was a kid.

    I shrugged. So, who cares?

    Back to business... I should take the time to visit the assassin''s headquarters; maybe there are some saucy jobs for me there. Kill some prominent target to invigorate this sleepy border town?

    Alice came near me. We exchanged a glance, and I knew we agreed on Spartacius. Alice smiled:

    ¡°He is a child''s mind in a man''s body.¡±

    I had to chuckle.

    ¡°You don''t know how right you are!¡±

    Another thing I like in Mephisto is that every character has such an advanced dialogue you think they are real, not ''spawns'' as they are called. I giggled: they even call themselves proudly ''spawns of this world'', not really understanding what that means!

    And yet, I raised my eyes and looked intrigued at Alice. She smiled back, and I saw it in her eyes: she cares for me to the point that it even pains me. When she talked about Spartacius, it was a mix of maternal feelings and a roll of the eyes. When she looked at me, it was only love and devotion.

    How on Earth did they program that? All these fine nuances!? And when I think about that NPC, what was her name? Ayra. Well, she even asked me what''s an NPC. Pfuh, it cannot be more real than that; you cannot talk here and not be in the role. Could I tell that she''s a non-person character? Non-person?¡­ That girl has more personality than some players¡­

    I sighed. Oh, well, I''m here to play, not to think about NPCs.

    Maybe I''ll have time later to check some high-level areas once we finish our little quest here. Perhaps I can port Spartacius there, too; he would surely like to see some of it, and I may find some items for him. Hopefully, in some secure zone.

 Chapter 4 - Message in the Market

    <u> </u>

    <u> </u>

    Before me lay the bustling marketplace, teeming with a kaleidoscope of people, each with their own unique features and mannerisms. Their movements, voices, scents, and behaviors were all distinct and varied, creating a cacophony of noise and smell. The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices, flowers, and sweat, while the colorful stalls and their wares dazzled my eyes.

    Wow, this is what I call perfection!

    So much work for a simple scene of one market in one of the many small towns! The attention to detail is astounding - every NPC has its own unique features, movements, sounds, and smells. From the vendors hawking their wares to the laborers carrying heavy loads, from the patrons leisurely chatting to the beggars pleading for coins, the scene is teeming with life. No other game even comes close to capturing such vibrant, immersive scenes.

    I watched the activity with surprise and intrigue. Despite the lack of buyers in some areas, vendors were not just mindlessly repeating the same actions or phrases, as is typical in many games. Instead, they chatted and rearranged their wares in a natural and realistic manner without any obvious choreography. It was as if I was watching real people going about their daily business. This is one of Mephisto''s World trademarks and a significant reason for their success.

    OK, overview done, let''s not forget why I am here: Shopping! Yeah, baby! Shopping with capital ''S''!

    Yes, true, I like shopping. Maybe it is in our hunter-gatherer genes, the gatherer part of them, to love wandering around and collecting precious items.

    The fact that I did not go out with my mates, Clara and Lola, for their shopping tour in real life does not mean that I do not like to go shopping. Clara is the problem. I do like shopping tours!

    I made my way to the side of the marketplace where sorcerers were selling their magical items. It was a bit of a gray area, as they were technically only allowed to sell objects, not their sorcery itself. So their wares were displayed as simple rings or pieces of body armor, and it was up to the buyer to guess their true value.

    In this kingdom, wizards and sorcerers were somewhat of an outcast, despised by many, and often accused of being the source of evil, even if only indirectly through their magic. Of course, this wasn''t true, but it was the official position and was linked to intrigues and infighting at the court between various classes, guilds, and noble houses. There was also some religious background to it. Perhaps I should try to understand these local policies better. Was it something along the lines of "magic for me but not for thee"? It seemed that certain types of magic, like that of priests and paladins, were allowed while others were not.

    I sighed, abandoning my thoughts about petty politics, and turned my attention to the market. A smile lit up my face as I browsed the various stalls. Spartacius was right; these items didn''t have the magical attributes we were looking for, but that didn''t diminish their appeal. I had an emerald that allowed me to see their magical properties, but I didn''t even bother picking it up. My interest lay solely in their aesthetic value.

    In my gaming history, I had spent hours upon hours trying on different clothes, amassing a nice collection in my item box, not to mention what I kept at the guild and bank. And yet, I was still discovering new and unique pieces¡ªsome that fit better, some more elegant¡ªamong the many wardrobe items on display here. There were so many options but so little time to check them all! And my available inventory slots were always so limited!

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    As I was wandering between sales counters, a young boy approached me hesitatingly.

    ¡°Are you lady Cala?¡±

    As he asked, he was looking with his round brown eyes at me with fear, curiosity, and admiration. For him, I was one of those mythical strangers visiting the town. The high quality of my armor, the filigree embroiled satin work decorating my shirt, and the fine leather boots were visible even for a peasant''s child from a provincial town. Everything screamed: ''elven armor'' even if it wasn''t actually elven armor... Well, elven armor was actually good-looking armor but not the best of the best; however very expensive. But explain that to the average peasant who will never be able to even touch one piece in his entire life, except maybe in a war when facing imminent death.

    I nodded to the boy:

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    He grinned over his whole little face, happy that he found me:

    ¡°I have a message for you!¡±

    I leaned down slightly to hear him better and asked, ¡°What message?¡±

    The boy showed me a small piece of parchment in his hand.

    I watched him, surprised. Who would send me a message? I do not recall something like this when I played Act 2* before. It is strange, but I do have Cala''s memory of everything that Cala did. I perfectly remember every quest, every good or bad deed, noble or barbaric act she did, including those that Cala did before me. This is one of the problems with picking up a character from somebody else, which is now forbidden, by the way. I should not have admitted to it¡­ Oh well...

    While the game has evolved and new situations have arisen, I''ve spent countless hours exploring various Act 2 areas and have never encountered a message in the market like this before. Perhaps there are now so many versions of Act 2 that I''ve simply lost track, or maybe it''s a message from another player in a unique form.

    I took the small parchment in my hand. It was not sealed up, just folded up in four. The message was short and impactful, written by hand with beautiful calligraphy:

    ''You are in great danger. Leave now! Meet me in the forest at the white tree.''

    I chuckled at the idea of wandering through the forest searching for a white tree; it seemed like a simple, low-level quest. Should I be looking for a tree painted white or one that was simply brighter than the others? The message on the parchment was unsigned, with only the outline of a white flower painted beneath the text. I didn''t recognize this quest. Who could have written this warning?

    ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It was a lady dressed in white satin robes. She described you and promised I would get a penny if I delivered it to Lady Cala,¡± the young boy replied with a smile.

    I glanced at his outstretched hand, realizing he was waiting for a tip. ¡°Alice, can you give the boy a penny and see if you can find out who sent me this message? I need to go to the bank. We''ll meet back here. And keep your eyes open,¡± I said to Alice before turning to leave.

    Alice let out a sigh and replied with a wink,

    "I''m sure that little bugger was paid to deliver the message..."

    I couldn''t help but chuckle as I watched her search through her purse for some spare change to tip the boy. It was amusing to hear her unscripted comments about the greedy NPC messenger, which were not typical of a game''s dialogue. This always surprised me in Mephisto, but now it seemed to be even more than usual.

    Despite the warning message, I didn''t take it seriously. After all, nothing bad ever happened in town. I figured it must be some sort of minor quest or a way to make my visit to the forest more interesting.

    I briefly checked my equipment but decided not to dress in full fighting gear just yet. After all, we were still in town, and it was generally safe. I''d wait until we were out of town to prepare for any potential dangers.

 Chapter 5 - Bank, News and Bugs

    The bank was conveniently located just a stone''s throw away from the market. As I walked in, the friendly banker recognized me and greeted me with a broad smile that conveyed his eagerness to assist me.

    "Good day, Lady Lara. It''s been a while since your last visit! How may I be of service?" he asked cheerfully, clasping his hands over his round belly.

    I knew that, despite his warm demeanor, he was just an advanced AI with the ability to remember every customer who had ever walked through those doors. It was easy to forget sometimes, with their lifelike appearance and human-like behavior.

    Ignoring his attempts at small talk, I got straight to the point. "I need to withdraw 200 gold coins from my account."

    The banker''s expression faltered for a moment, clearly surprised by the amount. "200 gold coins? Are you sure, my lady?"

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his question. Of course, I was sure. I didn''t come here for a couple of silver coins. "Yes, 200 gold coins. Is that a problem?"

    He recovered instantly - ¡°But sure, lady, sure, just a moment.¡±

    He clapped his hands, and a young boy appeared:

    ¡°Prepare 200 gold for lady Lara, but hurry.¡±

    He clapped his hands again.

    I saw the boy excited at the news of handling so much gold. As a high-level char, I had lots and lots of money. Well, compared to the poor bastards who dwelt around here; however, if I had to fix my armor, that would cost me a fortune. That is, in the happy event that I find a competent blacksmith.

    "Planning to buy some property, my lady? There are some..."

    Shall I now explain to him how expensive my armor is? I shook my head, cutting him short:

    "No, just to have some pocket money for eventual repairs."

    "Oh!"

    As the boy disappeared, the banker came closer to me and continued his programmed small talk:

    ¡°You know, Lady Lara, some properties are cheap now, as a giant lynx is making the woods unsure. All those farms around the woods are available for a bargain. That could be a good investment opportunity, and besides, maybe you could help us address the issue?"

    Hm, should I tell him that I''m going to kill the lynx? He could make a killing in the market with that information! As I did not answer, he sighed and came closer to me, talking in a more conspirational tone. Now comes the talk about potential war and other such stories:

    "But this is not our biggest problem, lady Lara; word goes that the Silver Town has been destroyed!¡±

    OK? That was unexpected. I watched him, surprised, but he did not seem to have made a mistake.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Destroyed? Silver Town destroyed?"

    He nodded. I wondered:

    ¡°You mean Mephisto¡¯s hordes have taken over Silver Town and destroyed it? That''s a catastrophe!¡±

    As Mephisto''s lands are relatively far away, I was puzzled how he could have taken over Silver Town. It was a key magical and strategic power node with several magical barriers that couldn''t be easily overcome. The town was built by elves and dragons, according to the legend, and something as catastrophic as its destruction would be a significant event. I wondered if they changed the story completely or whether they let it go so random.

    "No one knows for certain who caused the destruction," - the banker said as his face fell - "All I know are rumors and hearsay."

    He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, his shock palpable. "It must have happened several weeks ago," - he said - "At first, no one knew. Magic storms had closed off the passage to the town, and people assumed that only the surrounding areas had been affected. However, the town itself was struck. Rumors have it that a dark sorcerer had done it, commanding hellfire over the town. The few who claim to have seen him entering the town said he wasn''t wearing Mephisto''s coat of arms. Every living creature inside the town had been turned to ash. Can you imagine that? Although most houses and shops still stand, with their goods on display, there''s no one to sell or buy. Not even stray dogs, cats, rats, or crows. No bodies, bones, or blood were found¡ªjust dust and ashes. Everyone is now afraid to visit the Silver Town."

    As I listened, my mind raced. They had changed the story completely. I wondered who could have taken on the role of the dark sorcerer and what their motives could be.

    He looked obviously shocked. Damn, the AI is playing its role so well that I start to... empathize with him?

    I haven¡¯t said a word, surprised by the news. I took a deep breath. OK, so they changed the story. Radically. Who could be the dark sorcerer? What character got this new role?

    He continued; obviously, his text was longer:

    ¡°He is no spawn like us. Maybe he is a God of the Abyss. Manchua, the priest, says so. He says the gates of the Abyss have been opened, and the Abyss'' Horde is now with us. I do not know if that can be true, but word goes there are more alike between us, looking like us, but they are no spawns, lady, they are no spawns! Demons! They come to this world from their cursed dimension and bring destruction just for their amusement! Be careful, lady, be very careful.¡±

    They come to this world from their dimension and bring destruction just for their amusement. Uh, oh, this one hit too close to home.

    I raised my eyes and looked into his innocent-looking brown eyes. He seemed to be scared... as far as I can judge his AI eyes. I breathed out. He cannot mean us players, isn''t he?

    As the young boy returned, the banker retreated a few steps and switched back to talking about business. After collecting my money, I winked at the banker and mentioned that I might investigate the lynx situation. As I left, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension about the game''s increasingly strange direction.

    It was a good idea to come and play again here in Mephi''s World; a lot of intriguing points and new action here; hopefully, after raising these high expectations, the story will not disappoint.

    The idea of Gods directly involved in the game seemed intriguing but also complicated. It would completely change the storyline. Why would they need a God to fight humans? Wasn''t Mephi enough? And what was the saga behind the Abyss'' Horde and the demons? So many questions lingered in my mind.

    A chuckle escaped my lips as I recalled stumbling upon a popular player guild with the name Abyss'' Horde when I was searching for a guild to join. It was probably just a coincidence, but the thought was amusing. Markus had purposefully kept Cala out of any player guilds except for the NPC-controlled assassin''s guild to level up quickly. As I pondered the implications of the news, I returned to the market to meet Alice, but she was nowhere to be seen.

    I attempted to access my user interface but encountered difficulties activating it. I couldn''t help but curse under my breath as I wondered if there was a new way to access it that I was not aware of. The interface was supposed to be compatible with previous versions, but it wasn''t working for me. Perhaps it was just a bug or some sort of compatibility issue due to my extended absence from the game.

    I''ll check this out with Spartacius when he comes back...

 Chapter 6 - Carpet Delivery

    I strolled down the paved streets toward the market, my mind preoccupied with the banker''s story and trying my best to ignore the annoying thoughts about the user interface issues. Yes, I like to play with that interface blended out, but it is annoying when you cannot activate it when you need it.

    I sighed and looked up: the two suns beat down mercilessly, and the few clouds in the sky offered little hope of respite from the heat.

    As I felt parched, I paused at a stone fountain and drank from it, noting the plaque beneath it, which read "Courtesy of Maria De Hollybrunn." A small patch of greenery around the fountain provided some much-needed shade. I took the opportunity to wash my hands and splash some cool water on my face before continuing on my way.

    As I walked toward the market in search of Alice, Spartacius, and Noviel came running excitedly toward me. Noviel''s eyes glimmered with a newfound enthusiasm.

    "Cala, Cala, a raiding party is preparing to take down the Red Boar!" Spartacius yelled as they approached.

    Ah, that explains their excitement and the spark in Noviel''s eyes: her first true mission was in sight!

    The Red Boar? I vaguely remember something like that. It has to be a recurring quest. Given enough time and luck, beasts can evolve, and obviously, another evolved boar did cause enough trouble to force the farmers put a price on its head.

    I raised an eyebrow and asked, "No Lynx this time, but the Red Boar instead?"

    Spartacius looked guilty as he replied, "It''s a low-level raid, and they know where the boar is. They''re planning to leave the town and could finish it in less than 30 minutes!"

    I wondered: ¡°Do you want me to help with the raid?¡±

    He shook his head, and I understood why he had that guilty look on his face:

    "No, no, the Red Boar is an easy kill; you don''t need to join the raid! If you come, they''ll get less than half the experience they would get otherwise. You''re too high level for it... Can you wait for me for half an hour? Or should I tell them I do not go? It is the last spot in the raid, and they''ll port somebody else if I do not go!¡±

    Oh! OK, so I am being gently told to fuck off and come back in half an hour. As I know how these raids work, it will probably take longer. As he was looking at me with those round puppy eyes, I nodded in agreement. OK, why not? I was sure I could find something to entertain me!

    ¡°Look, no problem. I''ll find something to do. It will probably take you one hour; I know how these raids are. Can you please send me a whisper spell when you are done?¡±

    ¡°One whisper spell would cost me one silver¡­ Can we meet in about an hour at the Boar''s Hunter tavern? The name is fitting!¡±

    He''ll probably get some raid silver and a few experience points. I chuckled.

    ¡°OK, no problem. We''ll meet in an hour at the tavern!¡±

    ¡°Cool! Are you sure you are not angry with me? It is for the experience, but if you want, I''ll tell them to look for somebody else!¡±

    A purple-haired, horned girl yelled from a distance:

    ¡°Spartacius! Do you come or not!?¡±

    I laughed and patted him on the shoulder, paraphrasing Ayra:

    ¡°Go, brave Sir Spartacius, go; the adventure awaits you!¡±

    He left with an annoyed grunt.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I chuckled.

    OK, one hour to kill. I was not sorry; playing Cala feels good, and there are plenty of things to do.

    After finding Alice in the market, I informed her that she was free for the next hour.

    As it was too hot to walk around, I postponed my visit to the market for later and headed to the small hut that served as the hidden headquarters of the assassin guild in the city.

    It was located near the gate in a rough neighborhood filled with questionable shops, where prostitutes competed for the best corners and inns rented rooms by the hour. The area was also home to a rogues'' guild, giving it the nickname rogue''s district or borough.

    The narrow streets only allowed carriages to pass through, and the irregular stones made it necessary to navigate carefully to avoid injury. Sometimes, there were foul-smelling liquids dumped in the middle of the street that had to be avoided, but the canalization worked, probably because it was of dual use.

    The small shack I was heading to appeared innocent and tiny, but it was actually the entrance to a vast underground expanse that extended into several nearby buildings and went several levels down, even reaching into the sewers. One of the tunnels led outside the city walls, where there was a secret entrance into the city.

    I approached the entrance of the small hut and noticed a couple of shady-looking individuals loitering outside. A brief exchange of glances was enough to gain me entry, and I made my way through what appeared to be a hidden bar before arriving at a room where I had to show my assassin''s badge to gain access to the quests.

    With a glass of wine in my hand that I received from the bar as a welcome entry, I started to review the quests.

    As I perused the individual parchments, one particular quest caught my eye: "Kill the banker for 10 gold." I was taken aback by request to assassinate an innocent man for such a paltry sum. Should I kill that fat, placid and jovial character with whom I chatted so friendly? I know I am playing a soulless assassin, but... the sorry joke came to my mind: you are my friend; I''ll kill you for nothing!

    It appeared the quest had been added by one of the banker''s competitors seeking to seize power. Hm, should I warm him? I hate to mix in local politics, but I might do just that.

    Another quest caught my attention: "Kill Frank, the butcher, for 2 gold." I rolled my eyes at the simplistic request and wondered who could have put it up. It was then that I noticed an adjacent quest that intrigued me: "Inform Frank that Doni wants to take his shop and his wife and fight the thief''s cartel led by Doni." The reward was meager, just 50 silver, but it promised to increase my reputation with the town. It seemed like a much more interesting and lucrative quest than the previous one.

    Next quest: steal the holy book of the Benecosa church. Reward 25 gold. Some strange sect had put this up.

    Not really something to get excited about. It is a job for a skilled rogue, not an assassin, as it requires doing it without killing the guards or the priests.

    I went through the description. No, not something I can do now in 1 hour unless I go full blast and kill at least some priests there, and with it, the quest would fail.

    Protect priestess Sophia on the way to the monastery in the woods. Daily quest 50 silver, 2 hours. Too cheap and too long. I don''t have two hours even if it also increases reputation with the fraction.

    Where are those saucy quests?

    Oh! Getting better:

    The next quest on the list was to escort a caravan of goods to a nearby city. The reward was 100 gold, and it was posted by a wealthy merchant. Hmm, that one sounded promising. It would require some fighting skills, but it seemed doable. I made a mental note to consider it further.

    Kidnap Thiara, daughter of the marquis ''de Hollybrun. Reward 500 gold.

    Oh, uh. Interesting. Now, this is a quest for me. At least financially attractive. I went through the description. Fuck, it is feasible! Quest giver must remain unidentified but can be contacted to receive the transaction. So unknown quest giver. Do I care?

    OK, OK, what do I do? Actually, I just wanted to have a look and read a fun list of quests. Now, if I am lucky, I can do one...

    Ah, what the hell! I''ll do it if it works in the next forty-five minutes!!

    As soon as I took the quest from the board, I went to have a chat with a lizard girl, the guild''s receptionist in this town. There are groups of agents that spy and have information up to date, especially for high-profile quests. There were several pre-prepared plans we went through, and I accepted one.

    The lizard girl informed me that Miss Thiara was now in the family residence, not far away, and if I wanted, I could complete the quest in less than an hour.

    It is a small town, after all. One can arrange a carpet delivery to her from one admirer. I could use that as a diversion. Do I want the delivery sooner or later? A poor slob is ready to deliver the carpet for some copper.

 Chapter 7 - Carpet Delivery - Part Two

    I reached the other side of town in just five minutes on foot. The streets widened here, and beautiful residences lined both sides. The street itself had two paved paths, each separated from the road by a row of trees. Some of the houses had iron fences surrounding them, set atop small stone walls. Peering through the metal bars decorated with iron leaves, I could see the idyllic gardens beyond.

    In just a couple more minutes, I passed by the Hollybrun residence. It was a grand two-story building constructed in the Baroque style at the center of a park with wide avenues, green pastures, bushes, and old trees, all enclosed by a four-meter-high wall. You could only glimpse the interior by walking past the iron gates, but that wasn''t where I intended to enter.

    I walked further and waited for the guards to look away before running towards the wall and leaping up to grab hold of the top. Scaling the wall was an easy exercise for me as a skilled assassin. I had already noted the line of spikes on the fence and made sure to avoid them, not wanting to appear as a low-level petty thief.

    I pushed myself up and looked into the courtyard, then cast the <<camouflage>> spell to study the garden in peace. Since I saw no dogs or guards inside, I made sure no one was watching me before stepping over the wall and sneaking into the garden.

    Once inside, I paused and observed my surroundings, then darted quickly and silently through the garden to reach the castle wall. It only took a few seconds.

    I paused again, taking in my surroundings, and then began scaling the wall, hiding in a corner exactly as planned.

    The logistical preparations were excellent; the guild had some skilled people in this town.

    The decorations on the wall seemed almost custom-made for me to climb them. I could have managed without them, but they made it much easier. I reached the second floor and entered a room through an open window. I didn''t even need to break in as I had anticipated.

    Karma or maybe just bad luck brought a poor housekeeper into the room. She dropped the curtains from her hand upon seeing me and tried to scream.

    Before she could make a sound, I plunged my dagger into her heart and covered her mouth with my other hand. She fell like a log, making almost no noise aside from a ragged gasp as I caught her in the air to cushion her fall. I did it not for her sake but to muffle the sound...

    Our eyes met as I held her in my arms.

    Fuck.

    Fuck.

    Fuck.

    Despite having seen this a hundred, if not a thousand, times before, it wasn''t something easy to digest. She wasn''t guilty of anything, just having a bad day and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Could I do something about it?

    As she lay on the floor, I uncorked a healing potion and let a drop fall onto the wound. Just one drop was enough. It wasn''t too late, as evidenced by the shudder that passed through her body as I removed the dagger.

    I looked mesmerized at the little colored drop: what an incredible value! A drop equals a life! For a more minor wound, I would need the whole bottle! Is my life more valuable? What is the price of a life? Low-level girl versus a high-level girl?

    I took the other dagger I had prepared with the paralyzing venom and stabbed her at a non-lethal point. I watched her twitch, then remain immobile. She will survive and stay put until I finish my job.

    I shook my head. What''s going on today with all these thoughts?

    What''s wrong with me?

    I stayed another second to think. No, there is nothing wrong; she is just a poor servant from one of the villages working to earn an honest silver. What am I to end her life like this? Let her have another chance.

    I dragged her into a corner and hid her under the draperies she had brought. I checked the new wound to ensure she would not lose too much blood. Even if she now could not see me, I had the feeling her eyes were following me.

    I had to shake my head again to clear my thoughts.

    Concentrate, Cala, on your work, concentrate!

    I put fresh paralyzing venom on both daggers. That should work now.

    I heard voices, so I navigated slowly, cautiously entering the next room. This room was empty; the discussion could be heard from another room, with the door ajar between them. I walked with easy steps, not a sound, not a creak to be heard <<walking shadow>>.

    I slipped carefully behind that door and spied through the crack.

    The information I received was confirmed again: this was the apartment where the daughter lived, and one of the voices belonged to her.

    Oh, what a naughty, arrogant bitch we had there!

    She was yelling at one girl who did something, not to her liking. The girl was crying, and the bitch was screaming. There was another girl in the room and one guard.

    I was starting to feel uncomfortable, waiting for the carpet delivery as I did not kill and hid the housemaid properly. Now she was kind of a ticking time bomb. Should I go, kill the two and run with my prize through the window? A bit tricky to deliver her like that.

    Better wait, but where is my delivery?

    Another woman entered the room with Thiara. I heard yelling again. Oh, dear!

    Now the crying housemaid came my way with the other in tow. Or maybe escorting her? They entered the room but did not see me hidden behind the door and went to the other room with the ''sleeping'' housekeeper. Oh fuck. If they find her, I''ll have the whole residence looking for me.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    The woman who had entered the room a short time before went out the other door, and a man with a carpet entered.

    OK, this is my delivery!

    I watched carefully through the crack: only three persons were in the room Thiara, her bodyguard, and the carpet deliverer.

    The man was just unrolling the carpet whilst the young lady Thiara and the guardsman were looking at him.

    I heard a very angry Thiara:

    ¡°What''s this insult of a carpet?!¡±

    Being the daughter of the region''s highest lord, she was used to receiving presents. Expensive presents.

    I entered the room silently. A shadow entered the room. The guardsman was down, the carpet delivery man was down, and she was in my hands before any of them even realized what had struck them.

    <<speed>> stab, stab, knock and catch. As simple as that. Even though the speed spell had been overkill, there had been no need for super speed here.

    The delivery required her to sleep, so I decided to do it now. It would be easier for transport too. I made her smell a pre-prepared handkerchief. As I held her in my hands, I had to watch her.

    She was sweet-looking. She must have some elf blood in her veins; her pointy ears were cutting through her green mane on the sides, not like your typical elf''s vertical ears but horizontal, which made her even cuter. Her eyes were also green, a deep green mixed with almost golden striations. Her small hands were trying to grasp mine away. Her bosom repeatedly lifted and dropped as she breathed panic-stricken, her legs erupted from under her robe as she tried desperately to run, and then she fell soft in my hands. Only a couple of seconds of struggle.

    I let her slip to the ground. It is crucial now that I do not clean my nose with this handkerchief. I chuckled at the idea. I can be stupid sometimes.

    I let a drop of healing potion on the guard''s wound and the carpet delivery guy''s, rolled the young lady inside the carpet, and dressed the trousers and jacket of the carpet deliverer over mine. A balloon inflated in seconds made me have a big belly.

    Five minutes later, I was ready. Any moment somebody might come in, or the other girl may be discovered. Then all hell breaks loose.

    All I had to do now was slap a beard on my face to look like the carpet deliverer when the door opened.

    It was again the same woman that was inside before. I was just showing her my posterior, faking that I was working with the carpet, pushing the beard with the pre-prepared mask over my face as fast as I could. It was a low-quality mask, but it should do if adequately strapped.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Where is lady Thiara?¡±

    Good that I''ve pulled the guardsman and the carpet delivery guy into a corner.

    I turned and spoke with the head low:

    ¡°Lady Thiara did not like the carpet; I must bring it back from where it came.¡±

    She chuckled:

    ¡°Oh, good. Follow me!¡±

    I lifted the carpet, and she escorted me out of the palace. She just glanced towards the other door, where she supposed lady Thiara was. If she had checked behind the curtains in the book area, she would have found the guard and the carpet deliverer, but that was obviously above her paygrade¡­ and would have meant her probable death sentence. Ahm, potential paralysis, as I was somehow unwilling to kill today.

    I did not run but kept a steady pace outside the residence. As I went behind the first corner of the street, a dark carriage was waiting for me.

    I felt a kind of gleeful satisfaction. That pesky self-important asshole beauty was now nothing more but a package to be delivered. ''Sic transit gloria mundi'': yesterday wearing the noble shoes that would step on the carpet, now just kind of a dirt fleck on that same carpet.

    I looked at the wagon master.

    ¡°Delivery for Mrs. Kron?¡±

    He turned and looked at me as I spoke, and a shiver ran down my spine. He was looking like some kind of mummified pseudo-zombie.

    OK, that looks tempered my smug smile a bit.

    His eyes darted from me to the carpet and back to me as he spoke coldly but politely:

    ¡°Oh yes. Please be so kind as to put it inside the trunk.¡±

    A very polite mummified pseudo-zombie. I raised my brows.

    ¡°I expect payment.¡±

    He entered the coach, and I followed. He nodded, continuing to speak low voice with his nonchalant, neutral, almost mockingly polite tone:

    ¡°But of course, miss, of course. Payment is inside that black sachet over there! Please help yourself.¡±

    He had no trouble recognizing that I was a girl under that disguise. That was a bit disappointing; I thought I was better at masquerading as the fat delivery man. He pointed towards a sachet on the only sitting bank inside the coach.

    I put the carpet on the side with the trunk, then I grasped my package and checked it.

    ¡°Do you want to unfold it?¡± I wondered as he took the end of the carpet.

    He did just that, and she came rolling out, hitting the trunk, still sleeping.

    He nodded.

    ¡°Wonderful. Thank you very much, missy, for your delivery!¡±

    He opened a kind of coffin under the bench, where he pushed her relatively unceremoniously. OK, she was behaving like an arrogant bitch before, but this was a bit of extreme punishment for that. I hope she will survive without brain damage in that vampire-quality casket. Can you say karma? Oh well, for me, it was a job. My gleeful satisfaction from before was now downgraded to the satisfaction of a completed job when even that.

    The sachet contained a small black wood figurine of a cat. He had received it from the guild when he put up the money for the reward to be used as acknowledgment I delivered.

    I undressed the trousers and jacket of the carpet deliverer rapidly, and he threw them in the same trunk before closing it. There was some magic fueled there, as the chest closed too perfectly for the eye to see it even existed. He rolled the carpet back whilst I removed my beard and mask and put them in my inventory box.

    In the next moment, I was out of the coach with the black sachet in my hand when the alarm horns were blasted at full power at the residence behind the corner.

    Another moment later, the coach was already disappearing from my sight.

    I walked towards the assassins'' headquarters to get my reward. I wonder who could have been the mysterious quest giver?

    Interesting; usually, I feel good after completing an action that is executed almost flawlessly. True, this was not a very difficult action; however, I did my part almost perfectly. I also had luck on my side, yet I was not as satisfied as I used to be. As I should be.

    I let the guild receptionist count the money. It was a situation of confidence between the guild and me.

    The guild kept ten percent for their expenses, but they deserved their share: the logistics had been flawless. The description of the poor bloke delivering the carpet was also spot on, and the mask was good enough. The reception for my ''package'' was there waiting for delivery. Four hundred fifty gold easily won in one hour, fifty gold for the guild.

    Once finished, I went to the market to meet Alice. There was a commotion in the market. A woman was crying desperately on her knees on the cold square stones that paved the square.

    She seemed to be someone from nobility¡­

    Just a glance was enough to give me the heebie-jeebies: she had the same hair color, the same cheeky ears, and the same facial features but a more mature face.

    I''ll be damn if this is not Thiara''s mother. How did she already learn about her disappearance?

    Suddenly, the four hundred and fifty gold pieces weighed heavily on me. A shudder shook my body as if trying to shake the feeling away from me. I breathed deeply. I take this game too seriously.

 Chapter 8 - Easy Come Easy Go

    They went overboard with the NPCs. I know it''s all about realism, all about true feelings, but there can be a little too much realism. When you see the blood, when you look into their eyes when they die, when you see them suffer, you can''t treat them as NPCs; you think they are people.

    They even say that! As Ayra said, you look at me as if I would be a lesser human!? Yes! You. are. a. damn. NPC! AI ¡­ or¡­ whatever¡­.

    OK, OK, OK.

    I put my hands over my face and blew air into them repeatedly. I''m not going to hyperventilate! It''s a fucking game!

    Take a deep breath, Dolores. Inhale¡­ now exhale. Cool. I am Cala. Inhale, exhale. Take your time. Yes, it helps. Cala is a strong and determined girl. Cala has years of experience. Cala has seen a lot of death and a lot of suffering.

    Inhale, exhale.

    It worked. I closed my eyes and felt that experienced coolness sweep over me. I opened my eyes and shrugged.

    Now this job was not one of the most brilliant jobs I have done. I should have thought about it and the consequences before taking it, not after. Now it''s over; what can I do? These are just NPCs, OK? All these feelings are there just to improve the gaming experience, okay?

    I sensed something was different, but I couldn''t pinpoint what had changed. Maybe I was just more sensitive today?

    I straightened my posture and focused on calming my thoughts. The suns were still high in the sky, and the walk was unpleasant due to the heat.

    I entered the upscale commercial district located on the other side of the market. Here the streets were partially covered with huge canvases to protect people from direct exposure to sunrays. Although the paving was of higher quality than in the rogue quarter, the streets were still relatively narrow, and the covering trapped the stale air carrying various scents. As I searched for the tavern where Spartacius and I had planned to meet, I realized I was running late. I tried to remember the name of the tavern - it was something with a boar, and there were at least three different taverns with a boar in the name - but then I saw Alice running towards me.

    "What happened?" I asked her.

    "A catastrophe happened, Lady Cala; this man you brought with us is insane!" Alice exclaimed.

    I held back my laughter. Another catastrophe? As players, we often did crazy things for the fun of it. I wonder what prank did he play?

    I looked around and saw the town in turmoil, with guards rushing back and forth. To put it gently, I suspected my recent visit to the Hollybrun residence might have caused this.

    Although I had worn a mask during my ''visit,'' I didn''t want to take any chances. It would be best to lie low for a while. So what did my young friend do now?

    Alice gave me her report:

    ¡°After the raid, he went to the tavern with Noviel and some people from the raid group. They drank, someone started a fight, and when the guards came in to restore order, they fought the guards, and he ordered her to shoot them!¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Is he crazy? This would...¡±

    ¡­totally ruin our reputation ¨C I wanted to say, but seeing that Alice was in a state of shock, I said flatly:

    ¡°it¡¯s not allowed.¡±

    Why is she so shocked about it? Besides, there must be that town protection spell that would limit the damage.

    I remembered him planning to test Noviel, and I understood. He must have read on some blog about the ultimate NPC mercenary test: if she was ready to kill without questioning the symbols of power in the city she lives in, fully trusting your judgment and decision, that''s the height of trust.

    But you do not get to that level of trust by simply making the contract, and you cannot test and retest. He and Noviel had just had their first action together. That''s not enough for their relationship to reach that level of trust!? This is not your casual Mephi game but the hardcore version. The culmination, the only active hardcore game. I know Alice would do this for me, but testing it this way is silly.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Oh well, the problem was that I lost too much time with the quest, and then I returned to the guild to cash my money, delaying me even more. If I had been with Spartacius in the tavern, this shit would not have happened.

    An agitated Alice unusually contradicted me:

    ¡°Not allowed? It''s simply criminal. And it is coming even worse, Lady Cala, as Noviel didn¡¯t want to kill the guards, but as she swore to follow his commands, she committed suicide to avoid disobeying him.¡±

    ¡°What? Is she dead?¡± - I asked.

    What a waste; he paid the money, my money, and now he is left without the support rogue.

    Hearing her calling me ''Lady Cala'' during this nonformal communication sounded an alarm bell with me. It must be that she is really shocked and feels hurt. I watched her more attentively: her eyes were wide in shock, and her lower lip trembled.

    She looked expectantly at me and spoke:

    ¡°She is not dead yet; she used the poisoned ritual dagger that kills slowly: the punishment for breaking the contract. Only a miracle can save her. It is a slow-killing poison without antidote except...¡±

    What? Is she asking me to waste one of my precious epic poison-healing potions for Noviel, an almost unknown rogue who did some stupid ritual for a silly reason? Even worse, knowing magic is not well received here? I looked into her eyes: her face was transfigured, looking back with those clear blue eyes, and I thought I could see a tear, a little pearl shining, that she wiped angrily.

    Don''t fool me with emotions; you''re an NPC!

    ¡°Noviel would not want you to save her.¡± - I mumbled.

    She sighed, ¡°That I know...¡± - then, while her face became even more imploring, she added - ¡°but she will have to accept it. I am her elder; she has no other relatives; they are all dead. I know her well; Noviel is my niece. I recommended her...¡±

    OK, not wholly unknown rogue. A relative? Niece? Do NPCs build dynasties here in this game? Does this mean Alice has a sister? Had because she said: the only relative.

    I sighed at my turn. Maybe I should not have left Spartacius alone with Alice to choose a rogue. Blackmailed by my merc with those big round blue puppy eyes. Damn, I could not resist it. I searched in my inventory box. Does this pay for my sins? I thought about Thiara¡­ no way, no. But it at least saves one NPC from certain death.

    ¡°Take this healing potion and give it to her. Dilute it with this blue mana potion. That will delay the effect, but anyhow, you know what this means!? They''ll get suspicious of us that we deal with devil''s tools. Will she accept it? You still want to try?¡±

    She answered with a defiant look:

    ¡°She already passed out, and I am her warden, so I get to decide for her. I understand what this means for us! I humbly thank you!¡±

    The way how she looked back at me said much more. She knew magic was tabu here, and she was grateful I did this for her. These idiots, with their fear of magic, with their ''only by virtue of nature'' healing, with herbs and prayers, this does not work well in a magical world. Yes, it is true miracles happen too, but I guess that is also a kind of magic. And yes, they accept holy priests heal; that is holy... and unreachable for most. None of the local priests is good enough for such a case; the archbishop needs to send in somebody, so even if I wanted to do it their way, the girl would be long dead before they even decide to move their asses to help.

    Why do I do it? Alice''s loyalty towards me was at its maximum, I could not increase it further, and still, I could not resist her begging eyes.

    Fuck, she is an NPC, not a real person! The second NPC that tricks my good heart today, but this was a four hundred gold value, not four, as was the case for Ayra. Are these NPCs linked somehow in the background and place bets on who can extort more money from me? Is this payback for Thiara? I just lost almost all the money I made¡­ OK, this is only money.

    I gripped her hand before she left me:

    ¡°Where is he? Spartacius? Is he ok?¡±

    Her answer confirmed my worries:

    ¡°The guards took him to jail!¡±

    ¡°To jail?¡± - I wondered.

    "Yes, in the tower!" - she confirmed.

    Drats, I need to do something and help him out. I saw her imploring face and did not keep her any longer. ¡°Run now with the potion; we''ll meet later!¡± - I said.

    ¡°Thank you, lady Cala.¡± - she answered and left running.

    Shit. This little emotional thing will cost me not only money but also some of my reputation with this faction. Even if Alice heals the rogue, my reputation will only get worse. Hopefully, she manages to administer the healing potion without many witnesses, and they somehow hide the fast recovery. Even with the delay, her situation from dying to ''flying'' in two days is highly suspicious. I might try to bribe a monk to pray for her? Yeah, that sounds like an idea; I need to talk with Alice about it. It was the monk''s prayers that saved her. A miracle happened! The monk does not even need to know we use him as a decoy.

    On one side, I was surprised to see my merc displaying feelings; on the other side, this may be some kind of a quest. It was said that they introduced quests that should seamlessly integrate with your day-to-day activities.

    Instinctively I tried again to check my visual interface for quests, but it failed again to activate.

    Ow, the damn bug! No way to activate it and no way to see my reputation level either. Hopefully, nobody will find out who freed the slaves, and the Empire still counts me as friendly.

    OK, I''ll check this later. First, let me help this noob out of jail. To do this, I''ll first need to assess the situation.

 Chapter 9 - Noob

    The city''s prison, a tower used for that purpose, was located at the Silver Gate on the other side of town, where the road to Silver City began. Near the gate stood the Silver Shrine. On the opposite side of town, the Golden Gate marked the beginning of the road to the Golden Empire, and it was where we entered the city.

    If one took the right turn at the bifurcation, it led to the nun''s camp where we had left Ayra and further away, along the border, through the republic. The monastery where the nun camp was located was practically independent and tolerated by the three countries surrounding it.

    The city measured about two kilometers in length and a little over one and a half kilometers in width. One could easily jog from the east gate to the west gate in about ten minutes and twelve minutes for the North-South route.

    The South district was where the main market was located, and people from the Republic and the Golden Empire came there to sell their goods. In contrast, the North district was an administrative district, with clean and well-maintained streets and people rushing up and down.

    The military barracks were also situated near the North Gate, which I thought was strategically unsound since the neighboring countries were to the South and East.

    The marquis had banned the sale of alcoholic beverages and prostitution in this district, so there was only one inn in the whole area and no tavern. Almost all the shops were in the South, grouped in two areas: the cheaper ones near the Golden Gate and the more expensive ones covering the town center. The main market was in between the two.

    As I walked quickly along the clean streets of the North district, lost in thought about my interface problems, I didn''t realize I was already approaching the tower when a voice interrupted my musings. Two soldiers stepped out of the shadows and menacingly blocked my path. Trying to be friendly, I said, "Hello! I''m looking for Sergeant Tuxson. I need to talk to the prisoner."

    One of the soldiers recognized me and said, "Lady Cala! Sergeant Tuxson is not here. He''s in the market. There were some issues reported there again."

    From the tower, a stone''s throw behind the soldiers, I heard a familiar voice:

    ¡°Cala, Cala! Take me out of here!¡±

    I saw him at the jail¡¯s window. He was not enjoying the stay behind bars. I yelled back:

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    My fears were immediately confirmed.

    ¡°I wanted to test the new rogue!¡±

    ¡°To test her?¡± - I asked, dumbfounded.

    I should not have asked. A stupid rhetorical question, and the answer would only worsen everything, but you cannot absorb your words.

    He yelled back:

    ¡°Yeah, there was a fight, the guards came in, and I ordered her to shoot at them. I wanted to see what she''s worth.¡±

    I sighed. Me and my big mouth. The fact that they let me talk to him was a friendly gesture. There was no need to aggravate the guards with unnecessary comments. And he now confirms the things I feared.

    A soldier growled with an angry voice:

    ¡°Take care what you say!¡±

    I stated the obvious.

    ¡°You cannot kill people in town!¡±

    I did not know what else to say. I refrained from adding ''you noob'' and/or ''idiot,'' but it stayed on my tongue.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He protested, making it certainly not better.

    ¡°What the hell? I didn''t mean to kill them, and besides, I didn''t mean people, just spawns. She just had to show that she was ready to listen blindly to me. She should have, without hesitation, put an arrow in her bow and possibly asked me who to start with. She said nothing and left. Not worth the contract! Tell her she can go back where she came from!¡±

    I sighed. Hell, I talk about people, and he understands players. Furthermore, he doesn''t even know what the consequences of his test are.

    A soldier approached the barred window.

    ¡°And what are you, man? What are you!?¡±

    ¡°I am a player, not a spawn, you spawnshole!¡±

    Ow, What is he trying to do? Probably he wants to provoke them to attack him to give me a reason to intervene!? This is not a good idea. Besides, he should not talk about being a player!

    Meanwhile, the conversation between the guard and him continued to escalate.

    ¡°A player? What is that? Are you a kind of a devil? Do you confess you are not a spawn? You will be burned for this, not hanged, devil!¡±

    ¡°Ha, ha, this makes the shit much better. Cala is a player, too; try to burn her!¡±

    What on Earth does he do? This here is a role-playing game; what the fuck! Kid! I sighed.

    The soldier turned to me. I only made the sign with a finger: ''he is nuts'' and turned away. I don''t want to start a fight and destroy my reputation with the faction. This town is no buccaneer town where you can do stupid stunts. If he does not like it, he should leave the game, but Spartacius, his character, will stay in prison. I don''t think he can make a complete logout to remove his character from the game whilst in prison.

    Noobs do not understand that hardcore Mephi is the most realistic game ever; this is its motto. You need to live it; it is not only playing.

    Oh boy, dealing with noobs in this game is like herding cats.

    And as if that would not be painful enough, that idiot of a merc tries to off herself on her first day because she refused to comply with a silly order. Ugh, talk about drama.

    But hey, maybe there''s a way to save him from the sergeant''s wrath. He did say he just wanted the merc to show some willingness, right? Maybe I can spin it as a drunken mistake at the tavern. It''ll cost some coins to grease the sergeant''s palm, but it''s worth a shot.

    Gotta love this game; it always keeps me on my toes.

    Damn interface not working, and I cannot explain these things to him. Where is that fucking group chat? I will not ask him about the bug with the guard here; these NPCs seem too aware...

    Well, I just need to keep in mind that he is a kid. I am not the kind to let somebody down at the first difficulty.

    I turned back towards the tower and hollered at him, "What did you drink with the raid gang?"

    "What did I drink?" he mused.

    "Yeah. Did they slip you something, or did you order drinks from the innkeeper?"

    In this area, there''s a tradition of playing pranks with various drinks. You can buy strange recipes in the market or even get some funny drink drops from goblins.

    "Well, we ordered from the innkeeper, then Torcius pulled out a special ale. I think it was called Merry-something."

    Ah, I knew it!

    "You dolt, you got drunk! Merrymaking rum, that''s even worse than the poison that innkeeper sells!" I said.

    "That''s just for laughs! I might''ve stumbled around like a drunken sailor, but I can''t get drunk."

    "Oh yes, you can."

    "But the system..."

    Uh, I need to get him to play along!

    "That''s rum and a kind of debuff. They made fun of you and gave it to you. Just stay quiet there; I''ll go talk to the sergeant. I think he''s in the market. I''ll be right back."

    OK, I have the perfect solution! All I need to do is convince the sergeant that the noob was drugged with some crazy-making drinks. He''ll just be another drunken fool spewing nonsense. Sure, I might have stretched the truth a bit since the kid was actually sober as a judge, but who cares? It should work for the spawns!

    Unfortunately, the kid doesn''t quite get it and keeps messing up. And don''t even get me started on those damn NPCs - they take everything so seriously that I cannot explain a thing! Uh, I hate these bugs!

    But at least Alice seems to have sorted out the mess. She''s heading towards me now, and I can see from her face that everything has gone smoothly. That''s the beauty of our bond - we just get each other.

    Now, let''s hope I can convince the sergeant to let the noob off with a slap on the wrist.

    Good that I took that gold from the bank. After all, a couple of coins can work wonders.

    We walked towards the market silently. I saw that two soldiers were following us at a distance. I looked at Alice, and she nodded; she also had seen them.

 Chapter 10 - The Die Is Cast

    As we approached the marketplace, we noticed that the sergeant was in the middle of a heated argument with a group of people.

    Actually, to be more precise, the sergeant was ranting while the group mostly ignored him.

    There were around 10 soldiers present, but the new arrivals, who were only half their number, didn''t appear to be intimidated.

    Suddenly, one of the newcomers headed straight toward me. I could tell he was a high-level character based on his impressive armor, but there was more; something about him made me uneasy. I couldn''t accurately gauge his level, even with my special assassin skills, which set off alarm bells in my head.

    As a high-level assassin, I could usually see through any level-disguising abilities, but not this time. It was a strange feeling as if the level was beyond my understanding. As soon as I tried to gauge his magic aura, my hair stood on end as if I were in a static field, and a shiver went down my spine, telling me to find cover and hide. Could it be that he was one of the legendary few?

    Despite my instincts telling me to run, I decided to stay put since I was in a protected city, and there was no reason to panic. As I surveyed the group, I noticed that the members had magical iron collars around their necks, which meant they were his temporary servants.

    This feature was a bit controversial: if you lost a fight with another player and bet with him, you could become his servant for up to an hour, depending on how much you''ve bet, or you could get a mission from him that you''d have to solve. There were standard quest templates to choose from: some fetch jobs, escort jobs, or the kind.

    I couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of this peculiar character. He was no taller than a gnome, with comically large, round ears that flapped in the air as he hopped around. I guessed he belonged to the gnome race, but his specific subrace eluded me. Despite his amusing appearance, there was no denying his fighting prowess: he had just taken down a group of other players.

    Of course, you can log out and let your character play the hour, so in reality, this is an hour penalty for most players and a way to recruit a couple of helping hands for others.

    PvP was possible without betting, and you could engage in non-lethal duels if you wished, but you couldn''t bet directly on money. Betting on labor was recently introduced, and I wasn''t a fan, but some people found it added to the thrill of the fight. It''s fine if it''s enjoyable for you, but leave me out of it.

    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here!?¡± - the gnome said, looking at me - "Would you fight me?"

    I shook my head. ¡°No, thank you, I am not interested in pvp!¡± (person versus person fights)

    With a smirk, he responded, "But I am!"

    He moved like a gnome, definitely a gnome rather than a goblin, even though he looked similar, taking big steps with his short legs and resembling a chubby hopping rabbit. Alice grabbed her bow and glanced at me. All I needed to do was nod slightly, and she would vanish from view to seek cover from which to fire her deadly arrows, but we were in a protected town; what could he possibly do?

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Then, I remembered the banker''s tale about Silver Town. That was also a protected city. Are these towns no longer protected? Is this the new version of the game? Did they make hardcore even harder?

    I had wasted too much time with my indecision. He froze Alice in an ice block with a simple gesture of his left hand.

    Oh, shit! Talk about a protected town! What the hell is going on here? And it proved my instincts had been right: to freeze Alice like that was not an ordinary feat since she had strong elemental resistance. Even a mage a few levels above me would not be able to accomplish such a feat. It made me wonder what level this guy was at since the highest-level players, the legendary five, were only at level ninety-eight.

    After his attack, I immediately tried to use my <<mind blast>> spell on him, but to no avail. Either my magic was still blocked, or he was just incredibly strong. It was a new experience for me to encounter someone with such a hundred percent resistance. I wondered if it was just a one-off occurrence.

    He just laughed at me and got even closer, then suddenly asked, "Have you ever played with liquid nitrogen?"

    He made a few more jumps before continuing, "Have you ever seen what happens to a flower that''s been plunged into it? If you let it fall, it breaks like glass!"

    He then made another gesture with his hand and hit Alice with a snow bolt. Although it was just a snow bolt, it hit hard enough to knock the ice statue she had become off balance. Alice fell to the side, and my heart sank as I watched her shatter into several pieces.

    The shock of what had just happened left me stunned.

    He. Killed. My. Alice.

    I now had five minutes to try to resurrect her, or she was definitively and irrevocably lost. NPCs die; she was not a summoned creature that I could re-summon. These low-level druids around here needed a whole body to work their resurrection magic, and there was no guarantee they even knew how to do it. Wounds they can fix, but not this? How could I organize a high-level druid here in the next 5 minutes? Would he let me do the resurrection if I kindly ask? Why did he do this?

    Desperate, I begged, "Let me try to resurrect her!"

    He replied with a sinister smile, "If you win our little fight, I''ll have her resurrected. Care to bet now? Or shall I stay here, fight you, kill you, and burn any pieces of your little merc until no traces remain?"

    I tiredly exhaled: ¡°What do you want to bet on?¡±

    He nonchalantly jumped up and down, flapping his big ears.

    ¡°As I said, if I lose, I''ll have her resurrected,¡± - he showed behind him; there must be a druid or a shaman there that can resurrect - ¡°if you lose, you come to visit me in the Silver Town within the next two days. And by the way, I heard there is an idiot player in jail. Free him and bring him with you!¡±

    ¡°Why do you need me there, and why don''t you go check yourself the jail?¡±

    ¡°Because I am Grackak, and I want you to break the jail. Time runs out. Do you bet? Magic deal?¡±

    I could try to make a run for it, but there was a good chance that I''d lose Alice forever by doing that. This slimy bastard would probably torch any remnants of her and wait there until the clock ran out. And if I ended up losing the fight, I''d be stuck accompanying Spartacius to that town within the next two days. That was something I could handle. As he had said, time was running out. I lifted my gaze and locked eyes with him, staring into his piercing orange irises.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    At this, the magic bet was completed, and a brief light highlighted the fight area shortly.

 Chapter 11 - Marketplace Rearrangement - Part 1

    If there had been any shouts earlier and a couple of merchants had begun gathering their goods, it was nothing compared to the explosion of activity that followed the spread of our bet magic, which bathed the market in bright light.

    The more sensible merchants fled for their lives, while the more daring ones scrambled to save their wares, and the fools cried out for the guards. Fortunately, the guards were wise enough to stay away. I paid no attention to the chaos.

    My focus was solely on the jester who had murdered Alice. I had to win this battle quickly or... lose swiftly and hope for mercy. So, I abandoned my usual cautious approach and planned to go full in, holding nothing back.

    True, I had that strange feedback from my magic probe about his level, but that was simply not possible. Yes, I''d seen his magic power and what he had done to Alice, and partially I didn''t want to believe it.

    As an assassin, I was the opposite of a mage, their natural enemy. Mages are like glass cannons, capable of inflicting immense damage but weak when it comes to defense, particularly against close-range specialists like myself.

    I launched into the air with a fierce battle cry and cast the <<teleport kick>> spell.

    This devastating kick targeted the opponent''s side with my left leg while aligning my hip, knee, and ankle to form a straight line. Meanwhile, my right leg was bent, and its sole rested on my left leg, supporting it, while my upper body was slightly bent upwards, creating a seamless continuation of my leg.

    In this way, all the energy from the impact was transferred to the edge of my sole. Similar to the Yoko Geri karate kick but with the added teleport function. It should bring the air out of his lungs and possibly incapacitate him for enough time for me to follow up with a couple of deadly or close-to-deadly strikes.

    If I were lucky, he would be down in ten seconds.

    The <<teleport kick>> was my only teleport spell, enabling me to instantly cover a distance of roughly a dozen meters.

    As I glimpsed his face, he seemed to expect it and wanted it to happen.

    The force of the impact was tremendous, causing nearby stands to shatter with a deafening bang. Despite my speed and weight, the kick had little effect on him. It felt like hitting a solid wall, sending shockwaves through my body.

    This unexpected turn of events caught me off guard, and I lost the upper hand.

    He retaliated by pointing his wand at me, but my instincts kicked in, and I rolled to the side, striking his hand and deflecting his bolt.

    To my surprise, I was able to push his hand aside with ease, despite his impenetrable ice armor. I made a mental note of this vulnerability, still pondering over the spell that had given him such a formidable defense earlier. I had only seen this type of spell, called <immutable bulwark>, used by very high-level tank warriors.

    But was it a spell? I haven''t seen him casting anything!

    His fire bolt blew up a couple of beer barrels behind me, sending wood debris and beer vapors flying everywhere. Visibility dropped to sauna level, with beer vapor instead of water vapor.

    Panic screams from NPCs in the vicinity filled the air as they scattered for safety.

    I had to use the <<shatter magic>> spell to get rid of the frost that had spread over me from his armor. Damn ice-mages! I hate them!

    I attempted a <<killing blow>> with my katar, but it felt like hitting a 60-ton armored vehicle. The katar hit his ice armor with the speed, noise, and violence of a bullet, even making a shock wave in the air, but it had almost no effect on him.

    That made me again lose precious fractions of a second and gave him time to react and turn to blast my face with another bolt.

    I instinctively kicked him in the stomach to get rid of him just as he shot his firebolt. No magic-infused kick.

    A blasted instinct that should have cost me my makeup if the result had been again a kick against the wall followed by a bolt to my face.

    To my surprise, and probably his, the blow made contact and sent him flying.

    His bolt met a stash of wooden boxes full of ripe tomatoes* sending a wave of small wood particles and tomato pasta in the air.

    The force of my hit propelled him backward, and as he hurtled through the air, he crashed through a nearby stand that was selling chickens, shattering cages, and sending the panicked birds fluttering in all directions. Then he collided with another stand selling furs, scattering pelts everywhere.

    He crashed with a collection of furs in his hands against a stone column, shattering the stone decoration that was adorning it.

    That kick had been my luck, as he had just cast an ice blast area spell, and now everything around the column was subsequently frozen like an Antarctic landscape.

    Several chickens fell out of the sky, shock-frozen, but most escaped, cackling scandalized.

    Screams, yells, and even some laughter came from the NPC gallery that was now watching the fight from a distance.

    That had been just an ordinary kick, nothing special, and I didn''t even have my enchanted boots on, just my city boots.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    They''re the only boots that match my jacket. I won''t compromise my aesthetic standards, at least not in a city or anywhere I could meet people who understand aesthetics!

    And the kick sent him flying like a rag doll?

    Well, he didn''t look hurt, which was a little disappointing, his ice armor didn''t even crack, but he did fly through those stands! That brought a happy grin to my face.

    My <<teleport kick>> should have sent him to the moon; what the hell was happening here?

    Fuck, I almost took an ice bolt to the face as I sat there, meditating, looking at him.

    The ice bolt hit a flower stand behind me, causing the buckets of water to explode. This resulted in a shower of petals and snowflakes, occasionally mixed with sharp pieces of ice and other debris.

    I used another stand for cover and had to spell <<shatter magic>> again to stop the ice from spreading from the leg I hit him with. This was slowly becoming a problem; his armor could incapacitate me over time.

    The gears in my brain were turning at full speed, attempting to comprehend the situation. Why were some attacks completely ineffective, while others surprisingly landed with great impact? It was the blows that I anticipated would be futile that seemed to work the best, and it left me puzzled.

    He let out a curse and fired another ice bolt in my direction, shattering the stand I had taken cover behind and pelting me with ice and raw eggs. The bolt itself missed me by a hair''s breadth.

    I always hated to play the turkey in a turkey shoot. This is what happens when you let mages shoot at you from a distance; however, he was no ordinary mage, and I was still undecided about the best strategy.

    I quickly scurried behind one of the many stone columns that held up the market''s roof, trying to make sense of the situation.

    He shot another bolt at me and hit the column pulverizing part of it.

    What the heck was going on? This level of ice magic was insane!

    I looked around.

    The soldiers were coming toward us, the idiots, probably the sergeant had ordered them to intervene, likely due to pressure from the merchants.

    They could easily become collateral damage with these spells.

    However, they moved as in a slow-motion film... Huch, he had created a time bubble where the time runs faster than in the exterior!

    But how could he be capable of creating a time bubble that altered the flow of time? This was an advanced level of magic that required immense power and special knowledge. Was he not just an ice mage but also a cronomancer? Did he possess the ability to manipulate time? Or maybe he was primarily a cronomancer, with ice magic being a low-level skill that any mage could learn but with great power? Where does the tremendous power come from for this giant time bubble?

    But why would he do this spell when I am in the same bubble, so I move with the same speed as he does? Why not a limited area for him only?

    Oh shit, he can block me from using my speed spell, which would probably make me even faster than him, even speeded up; however, I cannot cast that spell inside a time bubble!

    Does this mean that he became wary of me?!

    I jumped away, avoiding another hit, and his bolt exploded a pyramid of melons. A cascade of falling sweet and wet debris covered me as I shot two deadly metal stars, but he had already shot another frozen bolt at almost the same time.

    How could he recharge so fast? He had the shortest spell cooldown I had ever seen! He must be a prodigy, or he had some extremely rare artifact at his disposal.

    One of my stars was iced by the snowbolts, the other would have hit him, but he managed in extremis to duck it out.

    His bolt was a damn near miss; I felt the coldness in my teeth as it flew beside my jaw to hit a stand full of glass vases.

    He laughed victoriously, sending me another ice bolt while I ran through a colored glass rain.

    Your laugh is for naught; my stars always come back like a boomerang if you avoid them the first time!

    I ducked his next bolt, letting it crash against a sausage stand. Snow, charcoal, and sausages fell all around. I saw the soldiers running back.

    At least the sergeant recovered his senses to call them back, or the soldiers simply disobeyed his order. I wouldn''t blame them if they did that. You don''t run out of your house with a stick in your hand to separate two wild elephants fighting in your courtyard.

    I was happy to see how the star came back and hit him, and¡­ nothing happened. Well, it did happen, he looked angry at the metal star that fell to the ground and cursed, but he was not paralyzed by the poison; he was only disappointed that he could not avoid the star.

    Not even a little hampered by the poison.

    I spelled a <<trap>> that tried to ensnare him with its tentacles, but he simply blasted it into Nirvana with a single bolt.

    I avoided the next bolts, my mind working in overdrive, thinking frenetically, trying to compute the data from the fight while various stands exploded beside me, letting a mix of aubergine and potato puree rain over me. A beautiful handbag fell in front of me, but it was partially ripped. What a pity!

    I shook my head, trying to concentrate.

    Smoke will soon come out of my ears, my brain overheating. Does this shit make any sense? It was as if he would be completely immune to any magic attack and poison?

    Blast! A fireblast singed me, burning my hair and setting my cloth on fire. I partially avoided it, but the edge of the huge fireball still caught me. I was distracted by that handbag, damn.

    The pain went up a notch, and a pained scream escaped my lips. My interface must have a problem! Should I run away? And give up on Alice? This pain is not real; this is not real pain!

    On the positive side, it annihilated the effects of the previous ice bolt; on the negative side, I am being drained...

    Another <<teleport kick>>, again, it felt like hitting a giant metal golem. However, I was ready this time, and before he managed to teleport away, I was able to hit him with another kick with my left foot. That sent him in a spin, and the first ice bolt he shot went directly up in the air, breaking a hole in the roof.

    Yes, this confirmed my theory, as absurd as it sounded; he was immune to magic attacks but not immune to common attacks.

    Because of the spin I gave him, he sent another bolt straight to the ground and landed cursing on his belly from his teleport under a stand with wine bottles.

    He blasted another ice explosion and tried to get on his feet while glass pieces, frozen wine, and snow made out of wine fell around him.

    Hell, my damn user interface is not working, and I have to estimate how it goes! I may be doing him some damage, but I take at least as much from his damn ice armor, and if I would ever get hit, that would be very painful. My attacks seemed to be rather annoying, while almost each one of his had the potential to be deadly.

    * Well, the thing is that although those were not tomatoes, but some fleshy red fruits that are often used and consumed as a vegetable in cooking and in salads. So, players refer them as "tomatoes," even though they are not actually tomatoes. The same applies to many other fruits and vegetables (melons, aubergines, and so on)

 Chapter 12 - Marketplace Rearrangement - Part 2

    I was uncertain about what to do next. I had to accept the possibility that he was immune to any kind of magical or magic-enhanced attack. I couldn''t comprehend how he managed to achieve such immunity, but the evidence before me pointed to this conclusion. While non-magical attacks could still inflict some damage, his powerful ice armor mostly neutralized them.

    This seemed like the most plausible explanation. However, I couldn''t tell if this resistance was permanent or temporary. If it was temporary, then how long would it last? And if it wasn''t, was there still a way for me to fight him?

    You cannot beat high-level characters without magic-powered attacks!

    Well... who said that? Is it really not possible? Let me try some tricks to make him bleed!

    With my superior speed and strength, I knew I had an advantage. I thought I could use it to my benefit. I still had a chance as long as I kept avoiding his magic attacks.

    However, every time I tried to get close, he teleported away to keep a safe distance from me. Determined to catch him off guard, I used a <<teleport kick>> to follow him to a nearby stone pillar. From there, I landed a direct hit to his ribs, taking advantage of the column''s stability to give me a better position to follow through with my kick.

    I didn''t use any magic for my kick to his ribs; it was just a solid hit that sent him flying, spinning against an NPC vendor stand.

    Shit, a boots store!? Oh, fuck! I haven''t seen this one! I had to concentrate hard to look at him and not at the boots, and before he could do anything, I kicked him again, sending him flying, then bombarded him in the face with two oranges. If magic items can''t do anything to him, at least the oranges will piss him off. Unfortunately, I did not find lemons or grapefruits.

    He shot a couple of bolts, but due to the spin I did give him, he missed me by miles.

    This fucker must be ten levels below me. OK, maybe not ten, but not far from it. Where does his tremendous firepower come from?

    I had to spell again <<shatter magic>> to get rid of the fucking ice spreading over my legs. It pains as much as frostbite does pain because it is frostbite, damn it. At least, thanks to the pain, I did not forget to say my neutralizing spell.

    He screamed angrily, cleaning his face, and cast another ice explosion spell concomitant with a tirade of angry words. I thought he would try it - I mean the ice explosion - and I already went into hiding behind a column the moment before.

    I was giving myself brownie points for having guessed his next spell. Now he must have at least some 30 seconds cooldown on the spell.

    The fight stabilized somehow, and a cat-and-mouse fight ensued. I, using my bare fists and non-magic boots, hitting and kicking like a kick-boxer, he, shooting ice bolts and fire bolts, and after thirty seconds, another ice explosion.

    Unfortunately, I did not do much damage this way. Not against his strong ice armor. At least it worked; I did some damage and kept him busy.

    His ice armor protected him almost completely; he even had a transparent, practically invisible cover over his face; however, a hit is a hit, and he flies each time like a crash test dummy. That must be at least uncomfortable.

    Good that I had my <<assassin''s resilience>> skill. It turns on automatically when I take repeated damage of one type, gradually reducing it.

    Yeah, but I was not sure how much this reduction counted against those fucking overpowered bolts. I managed to push his hand away, and the bolt he shot missed me. One bolt I may survive, but two¡­ Well maybe. Better not risk any.

    And that was my problem. As long as I did not make an error, I could prolong the fight, but time was not on my side.

    Now to my trick. Well, it was not really a trick. I could not use my katars, daggers, swords, or any weapons with additional enchanted spell damage. My only sharp non-magic items were a knife and a fork from my cutlery. I decided to use the knife. I could have tried to use my fork too, but I thought the blade was better.

    I got an excellent occasion as he had a stone column behind him. I sent him flying with a kick; he hit the column damn hard and came back almost as a ball would do. His ice armor worked this time against him, too strong to crack, elastic enough to send him back. Now I followed with a hit to his face. The knife passed perfectly in the narrow slit of his armor and struck his eye.

    Why slits when he had a transparent covering? Probably because a covering would have distorted the view.

    He screamed viciously, and for a short moment, I thought I could see a path to my victory. OK, he might have some scrolls or heal-potions, but I would continue to chase him and renew his wounds.

    Stolen story; please report.

    His ice explosion was in cooldown, but he used the arcane nova spell.

    I did not expect that.

    This is a fucking weak low-level spell that can be used to burn mosquitoes around the mage unless one specializes in arcane magic, and he was no arcane magic specialist.

    However, in his case, the effect was tremendous. It threw me away with heavy arcane burns on my skin. OK, one can make the point that I was the annoying mosquito.

    It was worse than the fireball before. This fucking arcane magic passes through armor and attacks the flesh directly.

    Due to the blast, I flew several meters through the air, but it was not the hit against the wall that pained me but the burns all over. It must be second-degree burns over half of my body. The pain exceeded everything I had endured before. I never thought I would have to take this much pain in a game.

    This is not real; this is not real!!

    I rolled, sent another dispersion cloud to hide my presence, and jumped high on a column. Before the cloud dissipated, I grasped some ornaments from the stone pillar and fixed my feet in a crack in the ceiling, getting myself in a fixed position under the tiled roof in less than a second.

    I whispered the spell <<chameleon skin>>, and camouflage covered me.

    The position was draining, but I could keep it for hours if needed. I gritted my teeth and concentrated on not screaming, trying to ignore my pain and letting my regeneration work. It is slow, but at least the main wounds would close in due time.

    He was raging, jumping from place to place and sending nova explosion after nova explosion and screaming:

    ¡°No mercy! No mercy! Come to me if you dare! Coward!¡±

    I was breathing hard, assessing the situation: The obvious truth was that he had been toying with me until now. This arcane blasting would have made it impossible for me to come near him, and he seems to be able to blast as much as he wants. Fuck.

    I have no good attacks from a distance. What? Throw my knife and fork at him? That''s why I have Alice for long-range attacks. She would burn his ass continuously. Fuck. I do not have my Alice anymore. Only the thought pained me more than I imagined it would.

    He started to blast the whole area systematically. Sooner or later, he''ll get me, even if I stay hidden. Alice''s resurrection time is running out. My crossbow is not good enough for this situation, I would be slower than he is at shooting, and my damage would be low to non-existent.

    If my eating knife had been at least several centimeters longer, it could have reached into his damned brain. That comes close to fatal wounds, isn''t it? But that needs perfect execution, a lot of power, and luck. Maybe more power than I have in my hands, as it is a non-magic weapon.

    Dark thoughts of revenge flooded my brain. I''ll stalk you and kill you, eliminate you, vaporize you¡­

    Keep cool, Dolores. I need to keep a cool head.

    I should go for the jugular. I think that is my only chance. If I push his head with one hand, that might make enough room for my knife to enter between the joints of his ice armor. His ice armor is like metal armor, not even an evolved ice armor, but with tremendous power behind the spell.

    He stopped and drank a healing potion.

    This is my moment.

    I said my <<darkness>> spell, covering the market with dark fog.

    It is one of my strongest spells, ideal in such situations.

    I stood still for the next 10-15 seconds. He sent arcane blasts, and then suddenly, the ice explosion spell. He tried to time it for the moment when he thought I would attack him. Only now, I ran at him to plant my knife in his jugular. He was still sending arcane blasts, but I had to risk another blast to hit his jugular.

    That''s when I stepped into the trap. After the moment I said darkness, he had thrown traps around him. I should have thought about such a possibility, but this is not a typical mage move. He must have a hunter friend, and both must have powered the spells in the traps.

    I tried <<shatter magic>> before the ice froze completely. Too late, it succeeded but only partially. I could unfreeze myself and one foot, but one foot remained frozen.

    Repeating the spell will not help as it was no longer magic holding my foot but a hard block of ice.

    He heard me and blasted me again.

    I am in a dangerous area with my life points now; I must be looking like a zombie, and he''ll finish me with the next blast. I feel like having passed through a harvester-thresher.

    I tried to break free. Damn trap! I thought about cutting off my foot, but even for this, I''ll need time with this blunt, not magically-enhanced knife. I still have some 10 seconds of darkness. Until I exchanged my weapon, he found me; he needed just one step to see me.

    He looked at my dejected appearance:

    ¡°You lost the fight; accept or die!¡±

    Instinctively, I tried to interrupt him with <<mind blast>>, but it did not work. Sure, it is a magic attack. His wand charged blue with the next powerful ice spell. I am dead. I am done. Defeated.

    Damn, this should not be allowed in town! Even duels are forbidden in protected towns. Besides, he is too strong; this was not normal? What the hell? I''ll go straight to the official channel to complain after this. I''ll spam the official channel with this until they quarantine his char. They need to apologize for this; I always have the game logs running; I know it takes a lot of space, but it is very precious in such cases. No cheating with me.

    ¡°O.K. I lost!¡±

    Once I said this word, an iron collar formed around my neck and I groaned. I shouldn''t have given him the satisfaction but it still came out of my throat.

    We''ll meet inside the official channel for this, you bastard!.

    Cala raised her hands in submission and put a knee to the ground.

 Chapter 13 - Alchemy and CPR

    He laughed, satisfied:

    "I''ll admit, you''re the first one to make me bleed," he snorted. "I had to use a healing potion, you bitch!"

    He took a deep breath and another step closer, then sighed. "You know your mission. Free the idiot bastard from jail and bring him to Silver Town. You have two days; the countdown is on your collar. Ha ha ha!"

    Fuck! At least I do not have to follow him now.

    ¡°And Alice?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°You lost!¡±

    My lower lip started trembling, and I was rendered speechless for a few moments. Why would he do such a thing? How could I possibly change his mind? What could I do?

    "Please... Fucking bastard!!!¡±

    The gnome and his companions had already vanished into thin air. I let out a primal scream, filled with anger and frustration, directed at the collapsing portal. I strained with all my might to free my frozen leg, the ice slowly cracking under pressure. As the ice shattered, pieces of my boot and even some of my skin remained stuck to the frozen ground, while chunks of ice and debris hung from my injured leg.

    Suddenly everything returned to normal, and soldiers came running toward me from all sides. They stopped in bewilderment and watched me scream my anger amid the devastation.

    ¡°What happened? Did you win? Where are they?¡±

    I sighed and pointed somewhere in the air where the portal had been. ¡°The fucking bastards are gone!¡±

    They assumed I was victorious upon seeing I was the only one to emerge from the darkness; however, I had no desire and no patience to explain the extent of my defeat.

    I felt devastated and weak, and my right leg was driving me crazy with the defrosting pain and the additional weight of blocks of ice and detritus I was dragging with me. I started to blast the ice with my katars to free myself as if I was going to chop my foot.

    I must have been a nightmarish sight with my burned equipment and torn clothes, walking like a zombie through the devastated area and hacking at my foot.

    The marketplace was in shambles as if a tornado had torn through it.

    The once-beautiful stone columns had suffered destruction, whether by fire blast or broken by ice, while the tiled roof was missing in several areas.

    The sales booths that had been neatly arranged before were now a sight of chaos, either pulverized, burned, or ripped apart with the goods strewn all around, in varying stages of ruin.

    Even the rectangular stones covering the market''s floor were cracked or blown out.

    The booth owners followed hesitantly behind the soldiers, hoping to salvage some of their belongings. As they surveyed the damage, a few of them approached the spot where Alice lay, shattered into blocks of ice.

    I took a bottle of healing potion from my belt and drank.

    That was a minor healing potion, but at least it would fix some wounds. As I searched for another one, I found a <restore> scroll in my bag.

    My heartbeat went up a notch. What if I try it on Alice? Only a super high-level druid could have saved her now, and there was no chance I could get one here within the next minute. There was no more time for anything else. I do have an anti-freeze potion, but that would not work in this situation. Now, normally she is dead; however, if she were frozen in one block, not split apart, I should be able to bring her back to life with my potion. The damn idiot had to break her! Only if she would not be broken! Or only a leg or a hand broken, but her torso and neck broken!? What if I put the ice pieces back together? How does it matter if the ice is broken or not? Especially if I put it back together and heal the rupture? What if?

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t break the ice. Don''t touch her,¡± - I told the soldiers who were gathering around her - ¡°that ice breaks easily, and this could further hurt her.¡±

    ¡°But, but she is dead? She cannot survive this!?¡±

    I heard angry voices. NPCs were starting to wail and scream about their lost goods, with the soldiers trying to calm them down. Oh fuck, this devolves in the end into a revolt. I need to hurry up and get out of here. I could try to spin it up as if I fought to defend the town; that would be my only chance if it gets ugly, or else¡­ kill and run¡­ but first save Alice, try what still can be tried.

    ¡°I want to try something.¡±

    One soldier asked me, shocked:

    ¡°Necromancy?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I cleaned a tear. I don''t want to cry! I am angry. Mad. They should not try to stop me. Nobody should try to stop me. Luckily she is only broken into a couple of big pieces. I put her main body back on its feet and then took the upper part.

    Will this work? I have to try!

    I think they felt my mood as the angry voices went to make noise a little bit further away. I still heard some nasty comments, but I concentrated on my work.

    Maybe it''s a result of magic; several times, I had the impression that the spawns felt the feelings: when I was angry, happy, or ready to go crazy. Now I was ready to go wild if anyone tried to interrupt me.

    I blew over the broken part to remove any impurities, poured some heal potion over the ice, and put the upper block over it. My fingers trembled, and I needed to be fast and precise. I controlled my breathing, concentrating on what I was doing. The trembling ceased.

    The ice melted on the surface where the healing potion was spread and froze partially again as cold spread from the block, welding the pieces together.

    The NPCs around me started to comment low voice:

    ¡°She is crazy!¡±

    ¡°What is she trying to do? Make an ice statue of the dead rogue?¡±

    This is the downside of having improved hearing: they were whispering to each other but still I could hear them. Improved assassins'' senses...

    I ignored them. I continued to gather further pieces, washed them in a healing potion, and put them together. The healing potion was fighting the ice, trying to rebuild the scarred tissue. There must still be living cells in there, as it seemed to work partially. Living cells? Are these avatars made of living cells?

    Fuck don''t overthink it, Dolores; hurry up before it melts altogether. Even if not perfect, the healing potions should do the work.

    This needs a lot more healing potion than it would be needed if she would drink it. I hope I have enough.

    Now she is almost done, there are still missing some small parts, but she starts to crumble. What do I do, the restore scroll or the anti-freeze potion? Does the restore scroll make any sense? It is used for greater healing and can restore limbs, but I never saw one used in such a case. What if I use them concomitantly?

    I put her gently on her back, carefully not to break my construct. I was so damn afraid she would break. I took the potion and uncorked it, then held it in one hand and the scroll in the other then started to pour the potion over her at the same moment as I shook the scroll open. I need to try now or forget it.

    ¡°Restore Alice!¡± - I mumbled whilst the magic unfolded from the scroll. I heard her lungs emptying as the unfreezing potion started to work. I kneed on one knee and poured my last healing potion over her face and body.

    Nothing happened.

    For a couple of seconds, I looked petrified at her face, then started to do reanimation movements.

    I knew how to do it; I''d had my first aid training not so long ago. I blew air into her lungs and pressed her heart in rhythmic movements.

    I put my weight on her sternum, repeatedly pushing with my arms. It has to work!

    But¡­ nothing. I was getting desperate. Electro shocks? Would that work? This is an avatar in a game; why would that work?

    Fuck, I have to try; I do have a pair of stars that produce electric shocks. To be used against cattle and the kind to chase them away. I swooped in my inventory, took two out, and planted them to her sides near her breasts.

    Her upper body jumped from the shock, her mouth opened, and air entered the lungs with a sound as if absorbed into a vacuum.

    ¡°Alice!¡±

    I pressed her, then put my mouth against her and blew air into her lungs again. Again and again.

    I felt a movement under my hand. Her eyes were open. Our eyes met. I pressed her lungs once more.

    She mumbled, trying to look around, and started coughing miserably.

    ¡°Gargle-cough-cough-grunt-heave-cough¡±

    I hugged her.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Cala? What happened?¡±

    I closed my eyes holding her tight to my breast.

 Chapter 14 - Game Out of Order

    A general "Aaaaa" erupted, and all nearby spawns stepped back as if bracing themselves against an oncoming evil.

    One soldier addressed me harshly - "I don''t know who you are or what you are, but you must leave this town immediately!"

    You would think that people living in a world full of magic would not react that way when they see a little bit of magic, but you cannot fight so easily against decades of indoctrination. As their priests and their ruling class tell them all day long that magic is evil, they end up believing it.

    Only their fucking priests'' magic is not evil. Oh, yes, true.

    I sighed and scanned the area but saw no sign of the sergeant. He could at least calm the idiots and make sure this would not end up with a bloodbath. Cala had a good relationship with him, fostered over many pints of beer that I treated him to, and I hoped to leverage it. Oh well.

    Hearing the soldier, Alice stared at me in shock.

    I ignored the commotion, focused on her, and gave her a hug.

    "Are you okay? Just let the potions work," - I said, keeping my hand on her shoulder to prevent her from standing up in order to maximize the effect of the healing potion.

    As she looked around, I stood protectively by her side, aware of the murmurs around us: "Sorcery, sorcery, sorcery."

    In a tense, hesitating movement, the soldiers pointed their pikes at us, their intent clear: we were not welcome here.

    Without the sergeant present, I need to rely on my diplomacy, and that''s one of my weak points. I sighed.

    Speaking to no one in particular, I tried to keep things calm: "We will leave peacefully, and no one needs to get hurt."

    A veiled threat, now that was very diplomatic!

    I shrugged. Well, I did my best.

    It''s quite a feat to go from a reputation of being ''above friendly'' to ''hostile'' in less than a day. Indeed the reputation catastrophe day.

    My eyes fell on a group of people gathered around a priest, who I guessed was Manchua, the local priest that the banker had mentioned. Oh well, hopefully, he is sane enough not to escalate things too much. Lol, basing myself on the sanity of an NPC!

    I almost snorted, looking at him. He''s so predictable, the typical manipulator. He hides behind a mass of people to spew his drivel!

    Despite the accusation of sorcery, I was relieved that my gamble had worked. Although my reputation had been tarnished, at least Alice was alive. That was close to a miracle!

    As I held Alice close, I couldn''t help but ponder why I cared for her so deeply. Sure, she had been Cala''s companion for years, but I could easily replace her with a more skilled mercenary. Yet, the idea of replacing her felt wrong, like a betrayal. It was like I was no longer playing a game but living it. I was Cala, and her emotions were mine. Does she have different feelings than I do? No, these are my feelings. Really?

    I realized with a start that Cala''s feelings had become mine. Even though I had taken over her character just a year ago from Markus, it felt like Alice and I had been companions for almost a decade. That was how long Cala had been with Alice, and the bond they had forged during that time was palpable. The countless battles and close calls had left an indelible mark on Cala, and that mark was now etched into me.

    Fuck, I need a break!

    A break? OK, anyhow, I needed to raise a ticket quickly before things escalated any further. As the visual interface did not show up, I tried blindly leaving the game in the hope that it would work, but it did nothing. The functionality seemed to be missing too.

    As I made my blind gestures to exit the game, the soldiers became more irritated and pushed their pikes nervously. I wondered if the programmers had been stupid enough to restrict the areas where you could exit the game. It would have been complete bullshit if they did it, even if various groups had supported that kind of upgrade.

    Finally, I helped Alice stand up, and we left, supporting each other, with the troop following us closely.

    I could only hope that a fight could be avoided. If they did attack us... well... my reputation would only plummet further, but at that point, it won''t really matter anymore.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    OK, one problem at a time; if exiting the game does not work from any location, maybe I need to leave the area through the portal to the beginner''s lands, where the official entry point is.

    As we walked near each other, I glanced at her neck, where the faint line of the rupture was still visible. Huh, who would have thought that I could fix that?

    A shiver ran down my spine at the sight of that scar. Do I have to fear any impurities I might have added with my dirty hands when I put the pieces together? How realistic did they make the game?

    Could she get a stroke or something like that from those damn impurities? Should I take her to a healer to get checked out?

    Yeah, I''ll do that; I better be sure.

    After leaving the town, the soldiers stopped at the gates, and we made our way to the portal place. It was hidden between some rocks, away from the areas frequented by spawns, but to my surprise, I couldn''t find it.

    I looked around and tried again, feeling annoyed that I might have missed the place, but no matter how hard I searched, I kept ending up in the same spot. I was at the right place, but the portal was missing. Weird.

    "The portal is not here!" came a strange voice reverberating next to me. The voice seemed to be coming from far away and, at the same time, very near, which was confusing at first.

    I had to look attentive in the direction from where the voice was coming to see him: a ghost. I could only see and hear him due to my improved character''s senses, the assassin''s vision II level. You generally cannot see player ghosts, except in some ''ghost-friendly'' areas designed for that purpose. Only persons with improved senses can see these ghosts, especially when the ghost is attempting to communicate with the living.

    Finally, once I managed to see him, I asked:

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    He answered with his faint, disturbing voice:

    ¡°I can¡¯t get resurrected nor exit the game. It has been more than one hour since I wander as a ghost through this landscape. It¡¯s boring. I cannot touch anything; almost nobody can see me.¡±

    ¡°I have the same problem with exiting the game. Hopefully, it must be a bug to be fixed in the next thirty minutes. How did you die?¡±

    ¡°There are some pk* (*person killer) troops around. But I see you met them; you are a slave.¡±

    ¡°And they killed you? I am not a slave; I have a quest.¡±

    He shrugged, then pointed at my collar - ¡°It will be not only one quest but for as long as he wants you...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Once you got his iron collar, you cannot escape it unless he lets you do it. You will need to make the quest he fixed for you, then the next one, then the next one; he will beat you and renew the collar.¡±

    ¡°''His collar?¡±

    ¡°Grackak''s name is on the collar. Grackak the Gnome.¡±

    ¡°Oh. OK. Never heard of him before. Is he so renowned?¡±

    ¡°You talk like a newbie. Grackak is worse than Mephisto himself. I am sure he has a cheated character. I can¡¯t wait for them to fix the world to come for my revenge.¡±

    I raised my brows:

    ¡°Fix the world?¡±

    He wondered, showing me the clouds:

    ¡°Can¡¯t you read?¡±

    The expression baffled me at first; then I raised my eyes to where he was pointing and saw there clearly written:

    ¡°World out of control.¡± - I read out loud, surprised - ¡°Hmm. What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°It means what it means: they lost control of it. They would probably try to put some changed code in to fix it.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t they restart it?¡±

    ¡°It does not work like this; there are millions of computers everywhere working in concern; it is a distributed world, self-repairing, you cannot restart it like this? Not only the computers of people currently playing the game are connected, but many computers run it in the background. Then restart it to where? Yes, the servers have partial backups, but fixing the story is an immensely complex issue. Actually, I have no clue if they can restart the core. I assume they might... There is no instant backup of all these; there is strong redundancy inside the system but no constant backup. No, it cannot work. Fixing is not easy either; believe me, I know it; it requires some time, even for the smallest change to become effective, and any such change needs to be carefully introduced not to cause more problems... First time I regret not using a body-suit interface! I¡¯ll go to Act 1 to see if I find the entrance to the lobby there. That should do it. You better wait here; I¡¯ll come back, in any case, dead or alive.¡±

    He continued with a grin:

    ¡°Try to stay alive if possible; it is not funny as a ghost, do his quest but take your time; we should have this fixed as soon as possible, then we have this world back in order, and I will clean the gnome and the other cheated from it... I wonder if the cause of all these problems was not some bug they exploited. These issues could be linked. You may ask other players if they have the same problem; I wonder how widespread is this logout issue.¡±

    I nodded:

    ¡°OK¡±

    But I was not really planning to do anything. Why should I care? I am here to play and enjoy. I have had enough problems so far. He talked as one that knew a bit more. OK, then let him take care of these things; I''ll have to postpone a bit my visit to the official channel in the lobby to complain¡­

    ¡°See you!¡± - he said, waved, and turned away

    I waved back to him as he left

    ¡°See you!¡±

 Chapter 15 - Gamenapped

    OK, being trapped in a game, how cool is that, right?

    Ahem, but what do I do if I feel thirsty or hungry? I can drink in the game, but it won''t actually quench my thirst. I can eat, but I''ll still feel hungry. Pixelated water and food just don''t do the trick.

    Not so cool after all...

    Suddenly, I felt thirsty and instinctively drank some water from the flask in my inventory box.

    Then, I rolled my eyes at myself. Very funny, Dolores!

    Drats, it seems I''m not the only one who doesn''t know how to log out! This was never an issue with the dream-interface before. It''s going to be a major blow to the industry. But what if I have a real problem? What if I need to use the bathroom? Shit. Shit, shit, shit... It could literally and practically become a shitty situation!

    I couldn''t help but laugh at my wordplay and the situation''s absurdity.

    Lola will be coming home at some point, but I wonder how long it will take for her to realize that something is wrong with me. And what will she do when she does find out?

    Of course, initially, she''ll probably take a bunch of photos to capture the moment, this crappy situation.

    But then, on a more serious note, forcibly removing the dream interface is not recommended as it can cause damage to the brain. She''ll need to turn it off properly before anything else. But would she even know how to disconnect me correctly?

    Drats, maybe I should have had a conversation with her about all this instead of dismissing it as "internet garbage stories." Now I find myself in a big mess...

    Okay, okay. Stay calm, Dolores. Don''t panic!

    I took a deep breath and tried to regain my composure. After all, I wanted to play in this virtual world for a few hours, right? They''ll surely figure out the problem and resolve it in due time, regardless of whether I panic or not. They won''t let things escalate!

    So what has really changed for me? In the worst-case scenario, I''ll be stuck here for a few more hours. I should try to enjoy the game while I wait.

    Taking another deep breath, I lifted my head and looked around.

    Alice, who had remained silent throughout my conversation with the ghost, timidly smiled and approached me as her eyes met mine.

    "With whom were you talking, Lady Cala?" she asked.

    When we''re alone, she calls me by my nickname, Cala.

    I managed to convince her to do so some time ago, but in public, she still refers to me as Lady Lara. Lady Cala is a middle ground when it''s just the two of us, but there''s still a sense of distance she maintains... at least for now.

    It''s strange, almost as if she''s influenced by this out-of-order situation in the game.

    "A ghost was here, Alice. Didn''t you see it?" - I replied, a bit surprised to be questioned by her.

    "No, but I heard something... like a murmur, with words now and then. Is it true that we''re enslaved, Lady Cala?" she questioned.

    Yeah, her senses are also heightened, though not quite as keen as mine.

    Ghosts can make themselves heard by people, but it requires extra effort on their part.

    "No, ''we'' aren''t enslaved!" - I protested - "This shit only concerns me." - I said, pointing at the ring at my neck - "Can''t you see the iron ring on my neck?"

    Interestingly, Alice refused to accept the notion that it only concerned me.

    "Sorry, no, it must be a magic ring, but what does this mean for us?" she persisted.

    "Well, it means that I have to fulfill a magic contract or face the consequences," I explained.

    "But why? What happened?" she pressed further.

    I observed her for a moment, taken aback by Alice''s sudden inquisitiveness. She had always been by my side, never questioning or asking, always fighting efficiently. Perhaps she was afraid that I had made some deal to save her?

    "I made a bet and lost," I shrugged. "As a result, I have to complete a quest he assigned to me. Until then, I bear this ring."

    "He? Grackak? A quest? Can''t we simply run away?" she suggested, her face filled with worry and genuine concern.

    I sighed.

    "No, unfortunately not. It''s a magical contract, and the ring would likely kill me if I didn''t fulfill it within the given time. I have to free Spartacius and bring him to Silver Town. Once I do that, I''ll be free again," I explained.

    "Is this the only way?" she asked, sounding desolate. "Can''t we break the ring? Can I touch it?"

    "Yes, it''s the only way unless I want to find someone to revive me; that might work, but it is a risk I don''t want to take. For now, we need to focus on recovering, and then we''ll attack the jail. Grackak wants us to be renegades like him; that''s why he wants us to attack the jail. You can try to touch the ring around my neck," I replied.

    Alice attempted to touch the ring, but nothing happened. It was almost visible how she was pondering various options to save me from the ring.

    "Attack the jail to free Spartacius..." she mused, raising a brow. "Do we really have to attack it, or can we simply free him?"

    I was taken aback by her question, realizing that she had a valid point. I thought about how Grackak had formulated his quest and shrugged.

    "I guess we only need to set him free," I admitted.

    A broad smile spread across Alice''s face.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    "Let me try something first!" she exclaimed excitedly.

    I was taken aback by her sudden initiative, causing me to ponder the circumstances surrounding Spartacius'' mercenary and our current predicament.

    Was Alice trying to find a solution that would spare her from the dilemma of killing soldiers? Or perhaps she wanted to help me avoid becoming a renegade within this nation?

    "What would you do?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

    To my surprise, she responded with a mysterious smile, adding an air of intrigue to her words.

    "If you''ll allow me, I''d prefer to keep it as my little secret for now. I believe I can handle this situation without causing harm to anyone," she replied confidently.

    I couldn''t help but cough, interrupting her optimism.

    "That won''t work. The soldiers made it clear that we are no longer welcome in town. If you try to go back, you''ll surely get into trouble," I warned her.

    For a moment, she gazed at the ground, her face hidden from view. Then, she looked up, meeting my eyes with her round gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed.

    "Please?" she pleaded, shaking her head.

    Her ginger hair cascaded over her shoulders as she continued with a sigh and a sad smile.

    "I''m prepared to kill soldiers if it''s necessary, but I still want to try and find a peaceful resolution for the sake of our peace of mind."

    Her response humbled me, and it also provided an answer to a question I hadn''t even voiced.

    It was clear that having such a high reputation with her, as the highest merc-master, was proving beneficial in our current situation.

    I couldn''t help but chuckle at the memory of the previous player boasting about the amount of work it took to achieve such a relationship level.

    It was interesting how these things worked. I hadn''t fully appreciated the true value of his gift at the time, but now I could clearly see it in my memories.

    The dream interface was truly extraordinary. It was being utilized in a way that I had never seen before.

    They had advertised that with the new versions of the game, you could enjoy the gaming experience even when you were not actively playing. I had initially dismissed it as mere marketing hype.

    In the past, there had been a summary or a movie-like recap of what had occurred during the time away from the game, but it hadn''t been a well-received feature. Many players preferred to simply park their characters in an inn and log off.

    But now, it was different. I would simply remember the events and experiences.

    The possibilities were immense! You could learn anything through this method. It made me wonder why they had limited it to just a game! Was this an experiment of some sort?

    I met her gaze again, locking eyes with her beautiful blue eyes. Ah, right, we were discussing her going alone.

    "It''s not that I oppose the idea," I began, concern evident in my voice. "I''m just worried about you going there alone. You see, after what happened during the fight... they might think you''re some kind of... zombie, you know."

    I hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to disclose the full details. But I figured she would find out eventually, so it was better to hear it from me.

    With a sigh, I continued. "During the battle, you were frozen, and he... well, he shattered the ice. Um, I mean... you were shattered into several large pieces. I used potions and a restore scroll to heal you, which is why they were so cautious and asked us to leave. The sergeant might not be inclined to listen to you, and it could get you into trouble if you go back there."

    Her eyes widened in shock, and she responded slowly, each word carefully spoken.

    "I... was... broken into pieces? That... That''s impossible to survive, right? Did I die? Was there a high-level druid who revived me? But... I don''t feel the weakness that usually follows a revival."

    I hadn''t anticipated that it would be so difficult to explain, and I struggled to find the right words.

    "I think it was too late to attempt a revival; the battle had gone on for too long. I had to try something, so I used potions," I explained.

    She looked at me with a mix of astonishment and gratitude.

    "How? How did it work? Is that even possible? Did you give me part of your life? Was it your kiss that brought me back? I owe you another life, and I can never repay you!"

    Kiss... Ah, right. I resisted the urge to facepalm, realizing how that might have sounded. But she seemed to take it better than I expected. I shook my head, attempting to explain CPR, but she continued speaking.

    "They can''t hold that against us! They know how strong we are. Tales of your exploits have spread. They don''t want to fight us. Plus, I have a... good connection with Sergeant Tuckson," she added, blushing slightly.

    I raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what she meant by that. I wanted to mention that I had shared a drink with the sergeant, but I decided against further arguing.

    She continued. "They didn''t attack us; they let us go. Before resorting to violence, I want to see if there''s a possibility for negotiation."

    This is definitely an improvement in the game.

    Usually, Alice would just wander around waiting for orders. It''s interesting to see her taking the initiative and engaging with the world. Let''s see how this plays out.

    It''s clear that in such a complex world, errors can occur. It''s a shame that some parts are so well-elaborated and enjoyable while other crucial areas have fundamental issues.

    The program seems to be free of bugs in terms of gameplay flow, even with the increased complexity in details.

    However, this logout problem is truly embarrassing. It''s going to cause a scandal. I can already imagine the news agencies reporting on the "prisoners in the game" situation, calling it "Dreamland''s Mephisto game kidnapping people" or the "pissing on yourself contest for dreamlanders." It''s quite amusing, really. No one will pay attention to flawless visuals or exciting quests with unexpected outcomes. Everything will be ridiculed and laughed at.

    The functionalities of the dream interface should surpass those of the game; it''s as simple as that. How did they manage to mess it up so badly? There must have been some foolish programmer who exaggerated the delay to prevent people from using the logout-login cheat that some troublemakers exploited in earlier versions using macros to provoke PvP clashes. Instead of a 30-second timeout, they made it count forever...

    If this takes too long and Lola arrives home, I''ll have to endure all her comments: "I told you so!" and "You idiot, you risked your life!"

    Lola is a sweet girl, but sometimes she reminds me a bit too much of her sister...

    Hopefully, they''ll fix it before she gets here.

    As Alice stood there, her innocent eyes fixed on me, I simply shrugged and said,

    "Okay, I''ll wait here. Do your worst."

    She grinned and left.

    I watched her go, a tinge of concern lingering in my thoughts.

    I had invested so much in her revival. The unfreezing potion alone cost me 100 gold, not to mention the restoration scroll that set me back three to four hundred gold. Add to that the high-quality healing potions I used to nurse her back to health, and the expenses far surpassed my previous blunder with Noviel.

    And let''s not forget about the reputation I lost with the faction, which will undoubtedly come with its own consequences, both in terms of gold and work.

    But despite it all, I felt a sense of happiness and relief that my risky gamble had paid off. That was more important to me than the losses I had incurred.

    I couldn''t help but wonder what made Alice so confident that it wouldn''t come to a fight. She had regained some strength, but she was still weak. Engaging in a battle would be dangerous. I knew better than to underestimate the guards in their own city.

    I believed that together, we could handle them without much trouble. Still, there were likely a couple of high-level guards among them, so we needed to proceed with caution. Without access to the status bar, it was challenging to make an accurate assessment of their power. I would have to rely on my assassin skills and instincts.

    Furthermore, my regeneration seemed slower in this version of the game. At this rate, it would take me several hours, if not longer, to fully recover. That damn cheated character caught me off guard!

    Deep down, I knew I should have trusted my instincts and fled from the very beginning.

 Chapter 16 - The Lynx

    Ruminating about the lost fight, I shifted my gaze toward the woods and beheld the sight of a majestic white tree standing amidst the greenery. It stood proudly, its towering presence eclipsing all other trees, its pale branches stretching out, nearly devoid of leaves.

    Slipping a hand into my pocket, I felt the texture of the parchment I had received not long ago in the bustling market. I retrieved it, finding that it had miraculously survived the intense fight, showing only slight signs of wear.

    A sigh escaped my lips as I re-read the message written on the parchment: "You are in great danger. Leave now! Meet me in the heart of the forest at the white tree."

    The words weighed heavily on my mind. It seemed as though someone had tried to forewarn me, but the question lingered: How did they know about Grackak and his imminent arrival? Could this encounter be more than just his first visit?

    I glanced in Alice''s direction, but she had already moved too far away for me to catch up. Unfortunately, I had neglected to ask her if she had gathered any further details from the boy who had delivered the message. After a moment of hesitation, I made up my mind to venture toward the woods.

    Perhaps it was a good idea to meet this mysterious person after all.

    Instinctively, I placed my hand over my badly burned face, contemplating the less-than-ideal first impression I would make. Chuckling to myself, I envisioned the encounter playing out in my mind.

    "Hello there! Please refrain from shooting; I assure you, I''m not a zombie. This unfortunate haircut is only temporary, you see..."

    Well, at least my face would regenerate, given some time. What truly mattered was that I had no broken bones, and all my limbs were functioning. The magic coursing through my veins made such feats possible.

    I contemplated the idea of heading to town to repair my armor but quickly dismissed it with a scoff.

    "Fine then, you hostile townsfolk. If you want to be that way, you won''t be getting any of my hard-earned money!"

    I muttered under my breath, choosing to continue my journey toward the woods instead.

    After walking for a while and deeming myself to be a safe distance away, I found a secluded spot behind some bushes. Taking off my armor, I rummaged through my belongings until I found the small jar of ointment I kept for minor injuries. While it wasn''t a substantial remedy, it would certainly aid in expediting my recovery.

    The thought of seeking assistance from a low-level healer crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Firstly, I couldn''t risk entering the town at the moment, and secondly, their limited mana meant their healing abilities would be of little use to me. Besides, the ointment had the added benefit of providing a soothing and pain-relieving effect.

    After applying the ointment, I swiftly changed into a different set of armor. As I glanced at the discarded armor, a string of curses escaped my lips.

    "Damn it, the repair costs for that will be astronomical," I grumbled, deciding to push the thought aside for now. Dwelling on the expenses was the last thing I needed.

    I let out a sigh of relief as I focused on the armor I was currently wearing. Unlike its damaged counterpart, this set had a self-repairing spell woven into its enchantments. It was a comforting reassurance that I wouldn''t have to worry about constant repairs.

    My attention then turned to my boots, and a sense of excitement washed over me. "Boots, boots, where are my passing boots?" I muttered, quickly locating them among my belongings. I slid them on, admiring their military-style appearance and the fine leather craftsmanship. A smile formed on my face as I marveled at the boots. They had a way of boosting my confidence and making me feel ready for any new adventure that lay ahead.

    Feeling rejuvenated and prepared, I stood up from my spot, ready to embark on the next chapter of my journey.

    As I ventured further into the woods, an unsettling feeling crept over me. It was as if a pair of eyes were constantly watching my every move. Could I be the target of a stalker? I instinctively sought refuge in the shadows, waiting patiently for the source of my unease to reveal itself. After a while, I spotted him¡ªa young NPC from the nearby town.

    I pondered the implications of his presence. It could simply be an innocent child who was curious about my whereabouts, or perhaps someone had enlisted him as a spy to gather information on me. Not willing to take any chances, I bolted deeper into the woods, leaving the kid far behind and out of sight within a matter of minutes.

    Navigating through the forest, I adopted a relatively reckless demeanor. Although no forest could ever truly be considered safe, this particular area was classified as Chapter 2, meaning the threats lurking within were relatively minor compared to the perils of higher-level zones. The only creature that posed a significant challenge in this region was the Lynx. While it was indeed dangerous, I had confidence in my abilities to overcome it if a confrontation were to arise.

    The Lynx, although a formidable creature, served as a prime target for low-level parties seeking a challenge. While players of my caliber, boasting high levels, could face it alone, lower-level players needed to carefully strategize and coordinate a team of at least eighty members to bring down this beast. The crucial element for success lay in possessing a battle pet with a high enough level able to tank it. Acquiring such a pet required establishing a favorable reputation with the town''s mayor.

    Once the necessary reputation was achieved, the team could rent the tank beast for the raid.

    Embarking on this raid was no small feat, and success depended on a combination of skill, strategy, and a stroke of luck in actually locating the Lynx within the expansive forest. However, the rewards were undoubtedly worth the effort. Defeating the Lynx, or an equivalent beast, not only provided a sense of accomplishment but also granted the participants an extraordinary amount of experience points. It was not uncommon for the entire raiding party to level up upon successfully vanquishing such a foe.

    But OK, I said to myself, there were practically zero chances I would meet him so close to the town.

    As I chuckled at my self-dialogue, venturing deeper into the woods, I suddenly found myself freezing in my tracks. The sight before me forced me to halt abruptly, a shiver running down my spine. Some things were better left unsaid, even within the confines of my own thoughts.

    There it stood, majestic and formidable, positioned gracefully between two towering trees. The Lynx, that enormous feline basking in the warmth of the sun, seemed to wear a sinister grin on its face. Its sharp canines protruded from its mouth, reminiscent of vampire fangs, while its glistening white fur radiated an eerie glow in the sunlight.

    He greeted me with a long yawn, proudly displaying his gleaming set of sharp, white teeth in all their splendor. Knowing his ability to camouflage at will, his conspicuous display indicated his desire to be noticed.

    "All right, wise guy, I see you," I muttered under my breath.

    Feeling a bit worse for wear and still recovering from my intense battle with Grackak, I decided it was best to de-escalate the situation and make a strategic retreat. Engaging in a fight with him at this moment seemed imprudent, especially considering the absence of Spartacius, my trusted ally who was already having a bad day, being in jail, and would have to wait for the respawn to fulfill his quest.

    I slowly backed away, ensuring not to provoke any unnecessary aggression, but not before satisfying my curiosity by assessing his level.

    <<identify>>

    Uh, oh! My heart skipped a beat when I saw the result of my spell.

    This shouldn''t be possible! How on earth does he have such a ridiculously high level? Who in their right mind would designate a level 97 creature as a raid target for a group of low-level adventurers? They don''t stand a chance!

    Even I, equipped with top-tier gear and at the peak of my health, would struggle to survive against such a formidable opponent.

    Something has gone terribly wrong here.

    If I''m lucky, I might just manage to escape unharmed. I need to quickly set up some magical traps around me and then attempt to fend him off with a barrage of mind shocks.

    The Lynx watched me intently as I worked on setting up the traps, his gaze filled with amusement. After a few moments, he let out another yawn, stretching his long limbs and revealing his menacing claws resembling sharp sickles. Then he stood up with a sigh and addressed me directly:

    "Wow, those are some impressive tricks you''ve got there with your spells! I could watch you all day, but we''re short on time. Now, please, follow me. And no mind blasts, if you don''t mind. They give me a terrible headache, and I absolutely hate it."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I stood there, utterly stunned, watching the Lynx with my mouth agape. The realization that he could talk, and was actually addressing me, left me dumbfounded. And to top it off, did he just mock me with that sarcastic comment?

    Obviously, the Lynx couldn''t resist making a comment about my open-mouthed astonishment.

    "Catching flies to improve your diet, or is that your preferred method of breathing?" he quipped. "But we don''t have time to waste; the area could become dangerous at any moment."

    I snorted in response, raising an eyebrow. "Well, what is it that you want from me?"

    He raised a claw to scratch the side of his head, his eyes fixed on me as if trying to assess if I was indeed the person he had been waiting for.

    "Tell me if I''m mistaken, but I believe White Flower is expecting you," he said, his tone carrying a subtle hint of a threat. "You''re here to meet her, aren''t you?"

    I glanced briefly at the traps I had set up around me. They couldn''t be taken along. The Lynx turned away, vanishing into the depths of the woods. I nodded slowly, contemplating my options.

    "I suppose I am," I replied.

    Suddenly, his head popped back out from between the branches, a hint of impatience in his voice.

    "You''re late for your appointment. I''ve grown bored waiting here for you. What are you still waiting for?"

    This didn''t feel like a mere trick. The question was whether I should run away or follow him. Curiosity got the better of me. I made up my mind and decided to follow.

    As I followed the Lynx through the forest, my mind was filled with countless questions.

    He moved swiftly, occasionally pausing to sniff the air before continuing on.

    He suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of amusement,

    "You appear a bit worse for wear. Did you stumble upon a wild herd of elephants and end up getting trampled?"

    I let out a frustrated sigh. Was I now being mocked by an NPC? This was the second time he had made a snide comment.

    "Hey, I just had a run-in with a particularly nasty gnome," I protested, hoping to defend myself.

    He chuckled knowingly, as if he understood exactly what I meant, and continued running ahead, urging me to keep up.

    He stopped once more, concern evident in his voice.

    "If you''re not one for taking risks, it might be wise to drink a healing potion. White Flower will surely be kind enough to heal you, but you have to make it to her in one piece. The forest is dangerous right now!"

    I looked at him, taken aback. Was he reciting scripted dialogue for a chapter 2 player quest, or was he genuinely warning me about the perilous conditions?

    Then it struck me¡ªthere was an absence of the familiar background noise that usually filled this area. The usual melodies of birdsong had been replaced by unsettling growls and rattling sounds. Unfortunately, I no longer had any healing potions on me. I was about to respond when he cut me off.

    "Grab your crossbow and be ready. Stay behind me," he instructed, his tone urgent.

    I barely had time to comply when three massive dogs emerged from the shadows. Each one was as large and powerful as myself. These couldn''t be ordinary Chapter 2 monsters¡ªthey were immense and formidable.

    <<identify>>

    Doom Dog, level ninety-five.

    WTF?

    The first two dogs attacked the Lynx, and as the third dog lunged toward me, I swiftly freed the bolt from my crossbow, aiming for a vulnerable spot beneath the shoulder. The bolt struck true, but it didn''t deter the creature from its attack. I cursed under my breath, realizing I wouldn''t have time to reload.

    The Lynx leaped to the side, intercepting it and causing the attacking dog to stumble before he quickly turned back toward the other two, preventing them from disengaging.

    I used the precious time he had given me, slammed the top of my crossbow to the ground, used my foot to activate the reload lever, and raised it just in time to strike the recovering doom dog before it could fully regain its footing. The impact slowed it down, but there was no time to reload again.

    With the dog in close proximity, I resorted to my magic abilities. I unleashed a powerful <<mind shock>> attack, momentarily stunning the creature. Taking advantage of its momentary weakness, I swiftly activated a <<trap>> to immobilize it further.

    With the Doom-Dog momentarily distracted by the entangling tentacles of the magic trap, I swiftly reloaded my crossbow, preparing for another shot. Taking aim at the vulnerable spot behind its neck, I released the bolt just as the creature turned its head to bite at the encroaching black tentacles.

    The bolt found its mark, piercing through the exposed flesh and causing the dog to let out a pained yelp followed by a fierce growl as he managed to get free.

    I swiftly dropped the crossbow and drew my katars, preparing for a close-quarters battle.

    Anticipating the impending attack, I chanted the incantation for my speed spell, <<speed>>. My movements quickened, granting me enhanced agility and reflexes.

    As the beast lunged at me, I skillfully evaded its attack with a swift step to the left. Blood sprayed from the creature''s neck wound, splashing across my face as I drove my katar deep into its flesh, delivering a heavy blow.

    He somehow managed to bite my left hand, even if that should not have been physically possible. He must have activated a skill, and the jaws of a magic wolf closed over my left hand at the moment when he closed his jaws, biting the air.

    A surge of pain shot through me, but miraculously, my bones remained intact; the power of that magic bite must have been only a fraction of his real bite.

    The magic bite, however, exacted its toll. My left hand became burdened and unresponsive, significantly slowing down my movements. The residual effects of the bite had partially nullified the speed spell I had cast earlier, diminishing the agility of my left hand. Though I could have used <<shatter magic>> to remove the effect, doing so would break the enchantment of my speed spell.

    I swiftly retaliated with my right hand, striking at the vulnerable spots of the wolf. Sensing its attempt to repeat the magic bite, I quickly leaped backward and was happy to realize that the skill only had an effect within close proximity.

    The wounded beast, driven by its relentless determination, seemed to tap into its inner reserves of strength. It grew larger and more menacing, fueling itself with a berserker-like frenzy. Despite its injuries, it became stronger and faster with each passing moment.

    I pressed on, determined to continue my assault. However, the creature''s sudden movement caught me off guard as it lunged toward me, attempting to seize my leg with its massive jaws. With a swift reflex, I narrowly evaded its grasp.

    It was clear that the beast''s ferocity was escalating, posing an even greater threat than before.

    In my attempt to gain control of the situation, I swiftly cast another <<trap>>, hoping to restrain the relentless beast. However, to my dismay, it effortlessly broke free from the spell''s entangling tentacles.

    Just as worry began to grip me, a shadow jumped on the beast''s back. The Lynx sank its fangs into the creature''s neck while its sharp claws slashed deep gashes into the creature''s flank.

    Overwhelmed by the combined force of the Lynx''s ferocity and strength, the beast stumbled and collapsed to the side, its blood spraying over me in a gruesome display.

    Gosh, I had just cleaned myself and changed into fresh clothes half an hour ago! The metallic tang of blood invaded my senses, and to my horror, I felt the warm, coppery taste on my tongue. I quickly wiped my mouth, a mix of disgust and disbelief consuming me.

    The fuck, how did the blood get into my mouth?

    I looked around and saw the Lynx''s two former opponents lying dead in a lake of dark blood.

    I took a deep breath as the magic storm released from the dead beasts was reinvigorating me and the Lynx at the same time.

    Our eyes met. Despite the wounds and blood-soaked fur, there was an undeniable sense of accomplishment and feline joy in his expression.

    I grinned, and he grinned back, displaying a disturbing set of white fangs.

    ¡°Well done.¡± - he growled

    I wondered:

    ¡°What were these?¡±

    ¡°Mrwan¡¯s Doom Dogs. These beasts were tracking me for some time.¡±

    ¡°Mrwan? Is he one of Mephisto¡¯s lieutenants?¡±

    The Lynx answered, setting himself in movement:

    ¡°No. A crazy druid. A player. He seems to be allied with Mephisto or does collude with his forces, but I fear that all he wants is to get White Flower.¡±

    I heard some rattling again.

    "Snakes. We can outrun them. Come!"

    As I followed him, hundreds of thoughts raced through my head. Can it be that he evolved? Do mobs level too? Yes, was this not the explanation for the recurring Red Boars?

    Obviously, circumstances and some very high-level player or players did help him evolve. Attacked by high-level beasts and healed by White Flower. Did he not say she is a healer?

    I guess that White Flower''s healing changed the equation. Rinse and repeat the process, and you get evolution. This is how it works in this world, especially if the idiots did increase the challenge with time. So mobs do evolve! Oh, this will be fun!

    An interesting person, this White Flower, I am now even more curious to meet her.

    Hm. No, this is not enough. You do not level so fast in this world. Especially these high levels. There must have been something else in addition to this. Some catalysts that had propelled him to higher levels.

    Running behind him, I watched my dirtied armor unhappily. Now banned from the city, who will wash my clothes? I used to go to an inn in the night or evening, go to bed, and everything would be washed for the next day for a penny. Now what? Then suddenly, I became aware of what the Lynx had just said.

    Did the Lynx just say a player? Allied with Mephisto? How can this be? And such strong pets? 3 of them? Another cheated character? Yeah, clear; when one finds a trick, it becomes a school soon...

    ¡°A player?¡±

    He explained:

    ¡°Well, interesting, isn''t it? This is what he said he was. I spied on him a couple of times.¡±

    He inquired, "Do you understand the meaning behind his words? What sort of player was he referring to?"

    His gaze held a subtle, knowing quality as if he possessed insights beyond his NPC role.

    I merely grunted in response, hastening my pace to keep up with him. He didn''t press further for an answer, and I suspected he might have overheard more than he should have. It felt like a glitch in the game''s mechanics; NPCs shouldn''t know about players. What could I answer? Better to ignore the question if possible.

 Chapter 17 - A Deal

    We reached the white tree, a towering presence that loomed above us in the center of a clearing.

    It stood there as a sovereign on its throne, emanating both a sense of majesty and melancholy. Its branches, almost devoid of leaves, twisted and tangled around each other, extending in all directions.

    Though the sounds of rattling and growling didn''t fully reach this place, their echoes were distorted, creating an eerie atmosphere.

    Yet, amidst this haunting scene, the melodic songs of birds could still be heard, offering a semblance of tranquility, like an oasis of peace in the midst of a desert.

    I was admiring the monumental tree when the Lynx asked me:

    ¡°Do you see her?¡±

    ¡°Err, no. Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Down there at the base, walk a little back and forth... There, where you are! You should see her!¡±

    As I followed the Lynx''s instructions, walking back and forth near the base of the tree, I finally caught sight of her. There, nestled amidst the grass, was a white flower. It was a peculiar sight, visible only from a specific vantage point as if observing it through a prism.

    The flower was far from ordinary; its petals were thick and elongated, arranged in concentric circles. The outer petals measured around eight to ten centimeters in length, overlapping one another, while the inner petals became smaller, only half a centimeter long.

    The predominant color was white, but it carried a delicate pinkish hue, giving it a rosy tint. The closer the petals were to the center, the whiter they became.

    Nestled within the middle of the flower was a small, puffy white circle, while light blue and light red appendage bulbs adorned the petals near their joints.

    It was a captivating sight, simultaneously strange and beautiful.

    I wondered if the flower was there to trigger some kind of mechanism to unlock a gate or port me somewhere. As I stretched my hand towards the flower, a cloud of silvery fine dust rose from it, wrapped itself in the air, and a fairy appeared in front of me, forcing me to step backward.

    There was a fleeting moment of disappointment when I realized that White Flower wasn''t a player but rather an NPC. However, upon further reflection, I realized that I should have anticipated this.

    As a high-level character venturing into the beginner''s chapters, it was only logical that I would be presented with quests tailored to my level rather than the standard beginner quests. It made perfect sense, and I shouldn''t have been caught off guard by it.

    She grinned, with a hint of mischief in her eyes, at her having successfully kind of ambushed me.

    She was an extraordinary fairy, but then again, all fairies have their own peculiarities.

    She appeared to be roughly the size and age of a sixteen-year-old girl. Her skin had a mesmerizing silver-white hue with sporadic streaks of black and red, mostly concentrated towards the extremities of her hands and legs.

    Intricate filigree wings sprouted from her back while two horns adorned her head.

    Her attire consisted of intricate body art or perhaps elaborate tattoos that adorned her modesty and delicately covered her small breasts, with additional designs randomly scattered across her body.

    Her hair cascaded in silver-white strands with occasional darker highlights, and her wings exhibited a soft white-rosy hue.

    There was a striking resemblance between her and the colors of the flower I''d seen before. Or perhaps it was the other way around?

    She now smiled, her expression carrying a sense of maturity far beyond her youthful appearance as if the wisdom of centuries shone through her sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Hi, Cala! Please allow me to introduce myself; I am White Flower.¡±

    As she spoke, her voice carried a gentle and melodious tone, resonating with youthful energy.

    As was my usual approach with NPCs, I attempted to cut straight to the point, hoping to bypass lengthy introductions.

    ¡°Hi, White Flower. Who are you? What are you? And what is this all about?¡±

    Her eyes widened slightly in response to my directness, and she repeated her previous statement, observing me with a sidelong glance.

    ¡°I am White Flower the fairy!¡±

    As if the name should have rang a bell with me! I figured I should check my list of open quests to see if she appeared there.

    She didn''t give me any more time to examine her as she let out a sigh, looked at me with a tinge of disappointment in her eyes, and spoke in a partially amused, partially admonishing tone, shaking her head.

    ¡°Humans¡­.Was the message: you are in great danger, leave now, not clear enough?¡±

    I sighed at my turn as I realized that she had seen my collar.

    ¡°Please don''t put salt on my wounds, lady NPC.¡±

    I considered arguing that I could handle myself, but I realized that now was not the moment for such discussions, especially since I had just lost the ''little confrontation'' that she clearly intended to protect me from.

    I let out a sigh and began to explain myself,

    "I generally don''t follow the instructions of others, especially when I don''t know them or their motives. It could have been a trap for all I knew."

    I was lying through my teeth. The truth was, I had been simply too lazy, too overconfident in my own abilities, and too comfortable in my indolence.

    She continued to speak in her gentle and melodious tone, with a smile on her face, as if she understood that I was just making excuses for my laziness.

    ¡°I am White Flower, not Lady Enpiesie, and if you had done what I said, it would have saved both of us some trouble.¡±

    I huffed. How did this NPC know the gnome would attack me?

    "How did you know?" - I wondered.

    "You''re not the first one who''s been attacked by him. There must be a spy feeding him information about stronger fighters arriving in town."

    She was quite an interesting and curious NPC.

    As I observed her, she returned the smile and raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were unlike any I had seen before, with blotches that covered part of the surface, like silver ink stains, with myriads of small lines made out of mercury over a darker backdrop, and they seemed to shift in color slowly as she looked at me.

    ¡°You said it would have saved both of us some trouble. How are you implied here?¡± - I wondered.

    How could the fact that I lost a fight cause her some trouble? She explained herself in the next sentence:

    "I wanted to propose a deal to you, but that would require you to be free," she replied, her melodious voice carrying a hint of regret.

    "A deal?" I wondered.

    "Yes, a mutually beneficial deal. To explain where I come from, I need to tell you a little about me."

    I almost instantly fell asleep and tuned her out. When an NPC starts telling me their life story, it''s like a neutering blow for me. Their story is mostly just filler to justify their request: kill that wretch. The problem in this game is that you can''t just tell them to skip it, as in other games. They would get annoyed and frustrated. So, I let them talk, concentrate on my problems, and let my subconsciousness filter their words, flagging those that might be relevant.

    "I grew up with a good friend, almost like two sisters, me and Araxa."

    Araxa? That name rang a bell; she''s a wandering healer NPC that heals everybody for moderate sums of money.

    "There was always competition between us, who was the best healer. We always tried to outdo each other. With time, I won; I became better, and now I am a much better healer than she is. Instead of accepting this, instead of working harder to learn and be better, Araxa captured me and tried to extract my essence and, in this way, take over my skills."

    Oh, "extract my essence." I suppose that doesn''t have a good ending for her.

    She continued:

    "I managed to escape, but she has been chasing me ever since, following me wherever I go, trying to finish what she started. In my desperation, I ran into this forest, which was ruled by a dangerous lynx, and I found respite for some time. I hid here, healed the animals, and the Lynx tolerated me. After many years of flight, I was finally happy again, and slowly, I befriended the Lynx; Araxa did not dare to trespass his forest.

    However, things have changed again. Powerful beings are now searching the forest, killing the animals, and even the Lynx is in danger of being killed. Araxa, together with the mayor of a nearby town, has put a bounty on the head of the Lynx. That is bad, but the greatest danger comes from a group of people who call themselves the Abyss Horde."

    All I heard until now was: Araxa, extract my essence, implies Araxa equals wretch. Result: Go kill that wretch.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Do I want that? I don''t think so, but let''s see further.

    Abyss'' Horde? Now, she got my attention.

    ¡°The Abyss'' Horde? I think I heard the name!¡±

    Did the banker not talk about it? This is a players'' guild; do NPCs know about those? Obviously so!

    She saw my interest and grinned, flapping her wings and rising a couple of centimeters in the air.

    ¡°Of course, you heard it; you have their leader''s collar at your neck.¡±

    Ow, that was a surprise!

    ¡°What? Is Grackak the gnome the leader of the Abyss'' Horde?¡±

    "Yes, and some of their people are searching the woods for the Lynx and for me. They want to kill us just to absorb the little magic one gets when killing prey. They call this ''getting experience.''"

    The fuck? I was stunned to see how an NPC could perceive our actions. Was this okay? Should they have that level of understanding?

    I swallowed hard.

    ¡°How does this link to me? How did you think of warning me?¡±

    She did not answer directly but continued her narration.

    ¡°Grackak has destroyed the silver shrine in the holy Silver Town. There was a powerful talisman in the shrine that neutered any magic attack. The shrines were linked with magic, projecting this powerful protection in all towns with a silver shrine. The original shrine was situated in Silver Town on a magic node and absorbed the power from it. Now, the talisman is protecting only him, and the towns are no longer protected. That''s why you were doomed to lose the fight.

    As he destroyed the shrine, a powerful magic storm was unleashed that killed every living being in the area but him as he was holding the talisman. With pieces of crystal from the silver shrine, they make further amulets to increase their spell-casting power.¡±

    "They?" I asked, seeking clarification.

    "He and the remaining of the Abyss'' Horde, those that were not killed in that storm."

    "Oh," I replied, finally understanding.

    "He is now recruiting further players for his Horde."

    Oh, so that''s what he tries to do! I observed her from the corner of my eye. It was rather astonishing to hear her, an NPC, analyzing and discussing players and their actions.

    "Players? You know what players are?" - I wondered, asking directly. I was never renowned for my subtlety.

    There was a moment of silence.

    "I know you are a player. Only players can be controlled with the bet-collar; normal spawns not. He forces them to bet, or else he would kill them. They become his puppets; they have to do as he says. I was hoping to gain an ally; that is why I warned you. I was not sure you were a player at that time, but there were some signs."

    I shrugged. I listened to her non-answer answer. She does not seem to fully grasp what players are, and I was not the one to clarify it. Or maybe she does not want to answer?

    "I only have a quest to fulfill; then, I will be free." - I said.

    She shook her head, gingerly laughing at me.

    "He will renew the ring and ask more and more from you, or else he will kill you. I want to help you to escape his clutches. I will support you if you want to fight for your liberty and escape the horde."

    "What''s in it for you?"

    "Survival? The Lynx and I want to escape from here and settle somewhere else. You will help us once you are free."

    "How could you help me?"

    "If you take me with you as a flower, you could conjure me at any time to heal you and your friends. But that should not be during a fight because any hit would instantly kill me. On the other hand, I could hide on your skin as a tattoo. My magic would still be limited to healing, but in this way, you could heal yourself anytime, fight or not, you could heal others anytime, and I could heal you when you are in a fight, and I could even talk to you in a whisper."

    Escort quest with added heal bonus? Not a bad deal.

    ¡°If I put the flower in the item box, is it ok?¡±

    She shook her head with a glint of horror in her eyes.

    ¡°No, that would kill me; I need air to breathe!¡±

    Uhm. Carrying the flower with me as such would be a little cumbersome. The tattoo would solve the problem, plus the added bonus of healing during fights. Wow, that would be really good!

    ¡°OK, we go for the tattoo version.¡±

    She made a rollover in the air, clapping happy her hands.

    ¡°Yippie! Would you please undress to let me do it?¡±

    Ahm. Striptease included.

    ¡°Sure...¡±

    I stripped, and she came closer to me. There was a bit of a cumbersome moment when she pressed herself against me, saying some spells, and then her body became blurred, and I felt a bit tingly as it prickled all over my left side. The sensation continued for five to six seconds until it settled. I watched as her colors were adorning my left side: from the left ankle up on my shin, going on until to my temple, passing under the shoulder, and covering a part of my left breast.

    ¡°I am done,¡± - I heard a whisper - ¡°I can move and cover what part you want, but please be aware that I am fragile and would suffer if damaged.¡±

    ¡°Then better move on my right side; when I fight, the left side is in front¡­ yaargh!¡±

    The end noise was due to the tingly sensation as she moved over my skin. It was almost as if a slime would have navigated my body, but more complex, a slime with thorns and small electrical pulses. Now, it took a bit longer, about ten seconds, for her to settle.

    ¡°Sorry, better now?¡±

    ¡°Great. Can I dress now?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡±

    I turned towards the Lynx whilst dressing:

    ¡°And what will you do? A lynx tattoo on my back?¡±

    ¡°Ahm, no, I could scratch you a tattoo if you want, but for me, you could tell everybody simply that I am your friend.¡±

    I shook my head.

    "In this world, you won''t find lynx-friends strolling through the cities and engaging in conversations. I''m afraid this won''t work."

    He snorted, aghast.

    ¡°That''s highly discriminatory!"

    Then, he added, after a sigh.

    "Well, this would be degrading, but you could tell that I am your pet or your mount?¡±

    ¡°Mount? Finally, I''ll get my own epic mount! Besides, I am no hunter to have such pets.¡±

    This was one of Cala''s deficits. I did not have epic mounts. OK, it was not a dragon, but still epic. Jumping onto his back, I exclaimed my satisfaction:

    ¡°Yiiipyy. I think I will keep you!¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°Don''t let it get to your head! I meant: you could only tell, not really do it!¡±

    ¡°Mounts don''t talk! You don''t have a harness...¡±

    ¡°Don''t you even dare to think about it!¡±

    ¡°A true mount does have a harness...¡±

    ¡°You''ll learn to ride without a harness. Maybe you should walk now, or you might get brained by some low branches?¡±

    ¡°No way you will make me walk now!¡±

    He shrugged, lifting me effortlessly in the air as he did that.

    ¡°Just for your info, I consume about half a buffalo per day.¡±

    ¡°Cheap!¡±

    ¡°hm, good to have that clarified. Besides, don''t put me to sleep in the barn unless the horses there are meant as food. I could wake up in the night, and then I am always hungry.¡±

    ¡°That may be expensive; maybe I could let you sleep in my room if you are brave and don''t snore. Don''t talk whilst with other humans; just growl.¡±

    ¡°Grrrrr! OK, so? Maybe I''ll insist on a private room.¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡±

    My tattoo whispered to me, stopping our tomfoolery.

    ¡°No, wait. A bird just came with a message. Let me hear it!¡±

    The Lynx stopped. Obviously, with his fine ears, he heard her too. I wondered:

    ¡°Now, really?¡±

    The bird chirped again, looking at me.

    ¡°She says a group of four is following your trace and might be plotting to attack you.¡±

    ¡°Plotting to attack me?¡±

    ¡°That''s what the bird thinks they are planning. I cannot guarantee. Maybe they are your friends looking for you?¡±

    ¡°Friends?¡±

    This could be Alice and Spartacius with some guys from his previous raid. But why would they come into the forest?

    The bird chirped again louder as if protesting something, then came to me and pecked at my hand.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°She said they are plotting; they are not friends, and she requests a reward.¡±

    ¡°A reward?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the little bird flew all this way through the forest to warn you. I guess a biscuit would be fair.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±

    I reached into my bag, and as soon as I had a cracker in my hand, the bird flew to my hand, cheekily plucked the cracker, and flew off with its heavy prize before I could even pretend to give it away.

    I heard my tattoo laughing at my surprised face.

 Chapter 18 - Mertan the Little Spy

    "Alright, now, if we come across those individuals, it''s best for you to keep your distance, avoid talking, and generally refrain from getting involved. I believe the bird might have mixed up some details, and it''s possible we''re dealing with another team searching for you."

    The Lynx walked for some time in silence before answering.

    "Hm, alright, but are you absolutely certain you won''t need my assistance against a team of four?"

    "I didn''t mean to imply that. Your presence shouldn''t be immediately apparent, as I doubt they are after me. This area is relatively low-level; who would anticipate finding me here? No, unless it''s Alice with Spartacius and a few others, it might be a group seeking you. I have no information about their level, and the silly little bird didn''t provide any specifics."

    A loud chirp of protest sounded nearby. I wondered, is that silly little bird actually eavesdropping on our conversation... and comprehending me?

    My ''tattoo'' further clarified things for me:

    "She comprehends a few words, such as ''silly'' and ''bird,'' so perhaps it''s best to avoid using those terms, especially if used in that sequence..."

    Uh, oh, now I need to be cautious not to inadvertently offend the feelings of a playful, silly little bird. Oh my...

    I tried my best to push those thoughts aside and focus on the task ahead. As we ventured deeper into the forest, I continued my conversation with the Lynx. His responses weren''t confined to a simple set of predetermined questions and answers; instead, he exhibited a surprisingly intricate personality, if one could call it that.

    Given what I''d experienced so far, I shouldn''t have been as taken aback, but I couldn''t help my surprise.

    I understood the effort game developers put into creating intricate non-playable characters (NPCs) like Alice the mercenary or Ayra, the shop assistant; those interactions made sense. But for creatures destined to be defeated by players? Interacting with them wasn''t supposed to be part of the game, right?

    Yet, here it was, happening. This went way beyond the typical AI chatbots you''d find on the internet. A shiver ran down my spine. I was even starting to feel a budding connection with the Lynx. Could you genuinely form a friendship with an NPC? Was that even rational?

    There had to be a complex network of artificial intelligence at play here, with meticulously designed templates for these NPCs. The level of detail was astonishing.

    Even the damned "gamenapping" might be somewhat forgivable if they managed to resolve it before I had an embarrassing accident... if it hadn''t happened already.

    I let out a sigh. Dolores, don''t let your emotions get the best of you.

    These are just sophisticated algorithms delivering responses built on the players'' actions and reactions.

    If they''ve made me wet my bed, I''ll definitely consider legal action.

    The Lynx abruptly halted, breaking my train of thoughts, and spoke in a hushed tone:

    "I can sense people approaching. They haven''t detected us yet. Do you want me to leave you alone?"

    I nodded.

    "Yeah, go ahead, but not too far... You know, just in case that s... bird was onto something..."

    "Sure thing, boss! Grrrr, growl!"

    Did he seriously just say ''growl''? He''s definitely teasing me!

    With a sigh, I dismounted from his back, a tinge of reluctance in the action. It had been surprisingly pleasant up there, nestled in his soft fur, swaying gently to the rhythm of his strides.

    He grinned, took a few steps, and melted into thin air as I watched him. A moment ago, he was there; the next moment, he was gone. If he doesn''t move, I can''t tell he''s there, even though I know he must be there. Well, not bad for a cloaking spell! It seems to be even better than my chameleon skin spell, plus he can keep it going while moving.

    I smiled back towards the empty space and continued walking alone.

    As I passed a row of bushes, suddenly, I had to stop. Cala''s instincts screamed at me. It is not a skill, it must be simply her experience, or I don''t know what. Something spooked her. I mean me.

    I didn''t have time to decide what to do because in the next second, a huge paladin dressed in metal armor, looking like a tower of polished tin, burst out from behind a tree and came running towards me, moving surprisingly fast. Moments after that, a flurry of arrows came whizzing from the left, and a mage jumped out of the bushes on the right, conjuring fireballs.

    *

    Mertan was happy. Finally, exciting things happened in his town. The ''lady from the woods'' had sent him to deliver a message in the morning. He used to buy stuff for her from the bazaar, and she used to pay with honey or fruits, but this time he got fruits plus 1 silver from that mercenary girl. A fascinating woman, that ''lady from the woods'', now when he thought about her. Why did she not buy herself those things? OK, but if she bought those things herself, he would not get all the fruits and the honey as a reward for buying them. Was she a kind of a hermit? Or was she a witch? No, she was too beautiful to be a witch; he knew witches were old and ugly, weren''t they?

    As interesting as the lady in the woods was, as mysterious was the one to whom he delivered the message. She was undoubtedly special if judging only from her armor, but he knew Alice was her bodyguard, which made her very special. People said that Alice was the highest-level archer to have ever come out of Lilytown.

    Mertan was an enterprising and curious young boy. He thought of himself as the future dark lord reigning over the town. Dark lord? Well, he could not become the next marquis, so that was the only option left. He could not conceive a subordinate role for himself. Of course, he will allow the future marquis to reign in his name. But he will be the real master behind the curtains.

    Now a dark lord must have his secret service informing him of everything important in the town. He had his spies working for him, other kids that would tell him what they''d seen for some honey or fruits, but he was still a bit stressed with resources and needed to do a lot of work by himself, as was the case now with this new interesting visitor. There was still a long way until he would become that powerful dark lord.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    So, what was she? Was she a lady? No. A lady would have more servants. Maybe a bandit lady? He felt closer to the truth, but still not really there. Perhaps a princess of a barbarian tribe traveling incognito? That may be. A runaway barbarian princess, as she had no servants except her bodyguard.

    She was dressed in high-quality clothes and the most expensive leather armor, but he did not know much apart from that. He tried to follow her, spy on her, but he soon lost track. This only raised his curiosity up a notch. How and where did she disappear?

    Then he saw the fight in the marketplace. It was by chance, as one of his hiding places was up in a corner on the roof of the square. From there, he saw the terrible fight between the bandit-lady princess and that terrible mage, Grackak, who had defeated several other foreigners in the city lately. He knows how powerful the guards are, but they are nothing compared to this woman and that mage. Not even the sergeant dared fight that mage. And she had sent that terrifying mage flying more than once with strong kicks and punches! He was stunned to see that that mage could fight after flying through a stone column and pulverizing it in the process? And Alice, the most famous archer in town, had been quickly eliminated from the start?

    After the fight, he was so shocked and frightened, trembling there on his high perch, that he almost missed the most incredible magic display: a wonder. That sorceress princess had put back the pieces of her bodyguard together and revived her. No, what she created was not an undead but a living person!?

    It was said that the archbishop could, in some special circumstances, revive a person who had just died. But not one put together from pieces? That would break the soul too. Was Alice now a soulless demon?

    He thought of Manchua, the priest. Was what he said true? He said they lived under a spell, a spell that prevented them from seeing that demons lived among them. However, the gods had mercy on them, and the spell was broken. Now people could see demons for what they were if they really tried. Demons from another world.

    Was what he had seen a fight between demons or very powerful humans? He shrugged. There were so many monsters in this world, like the witch in the mountains; why does Manchua need to tell stories about demons?

    Only after a while did he realize that he was alone there with his thoughts and that he had lost the princess or whatever she was. He would call her a dark princess. Maybe he would marry her when he grew up.

    He hurried and was happy to find them out of town. He had to hide as the red-haired bodyguard came back toward the gates.

    Is the princess linked to the mysterious lady of the woods? She must be related somehow as he had delivered that message. What are they planning?

    Oh, this was much more interesting than anything happening in town!

    Mertan tried to follow the princess but lost her again. He huffed in annoyance. However, he knew the forest near the town, so he tried to follow her tracks but stopped when he heard voices. Strangers in the woods can be dangerous, so he stayed hidden, listening to the approaching voices.

    ¡°And you say she is low on health?¡±

    "Yeah. Look, we were planning on doing this anyway; now we have a good chance to do it. She''s on her own without that damned archer, and she doesn''t have much life. What better chance would we ever have?"

    It was a group of five strangers. They seemed to know their way around, following the princess''s trail. A hunter, a mage, a paladin, a rogue, and a beautiful elf girl who was probably either a mage or a healer.

    ¡°Are you sure she went this way?¡± - the rogue asked.

    The hunter nodded.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    The elf girl turned to him:

    "Do you still think you can win against her? I spoke to a soldier in town, and he claimed that she fought and won against Grackak. Against Grackak! Have you seen the devastation in the market? If she really did this, maybe we should reconsider.¡±

    The rogue shook his head.

    ¡°Getting cold feet, huh, Terri? No way she won against Grackak; that damn assassin probably hid well, that''s what they do, and Grackak got bored and left after bombarding the whole square looking for her. Not that I''d do it any other way. Not with that idiot. Just run away when you see him.¡±

    The hunter added from his side:

    ¡°Look, we leveled. She did not. She is still at the same level as when we lost the last battle. Now she''s only four levels above Togas, not six." - he said, pointing at the rogue - "Five levels above me. That''s not much. We''re a well-trained group of five, with a healer, then we didn''t have" - he shook his head - "Given that, she already has no chance. In addition, we take her by surprise while she is low on health!¡±

    The elf girl still objected:

    ¡°But ten levels above me.¡±

    The rogue tsked:

    ¡°You should stay hidden and heal us. Do not worry; you will get at least one level with this kill. That stupid bitch isn''t even wearing a full set of armor. Pride comes before the fall.¡±

    And the mage added:

    ¡°I almost felt sorry for her, but then I remembered how she killed us: it''s nothing personal, you see: I have a quest to eliminate this fort. You can leave, or you can die. It''s nothing personal! Phew!¡±

    The elf girl wondered, surprised:

    ¡°She warmed you? Why did you not leave?¡±

    ¡°What? That was our fort! With it, we kept ownership of the nearby silver mine that brought 100 gold a day for each of us!¡±

    ¡°Damn, that was nice money we had there!¡±

    The paladin tsked:

    ¡°Look, she is a kind of a robber baron. She must be eliminated!¡±

    Mertan grinned, satisfied with himself: baron? she is a princess! He had been right!

    The hunter raised a hand:

    ¡°Wait! Somebody is coming!¡±

    ¡°It must be her. Terri, are your heal links fixed?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Perfect, now hide behind those bushes over there and don''t show yourself, or you''re dead. Heal any little scratch all you can; we rely on you but don''t show yourself. The rest disperse. You!¡± - the rogue turned towards the mage - ¡°go to the left there, hide behind those trees. Dotter, you stay behind. Yes, those bushes there. Merwan!¡± - he turned now towards the hunter - ¡°hide to the right there. Exactly. We do as exercised. I''ll turn myself invisible. You start your fire as soon as she passes my position and Dotter attacks from the front. Maximum damage from the very begging, I''ll plant my toxic daggers in her back, and we are soon done. It should not take longer than 20 seconds. Now hurry; she is coming straight at us.¡±

    Mertan was following the happening. He was feeling some kind of kindred with the hunter, almost the same name!

    He sighed. Will they succeed? How could that rogue possibly know she was coming? That must be some kind of magic. He climbed a tree behind the group to have a better view. Will the five succeed where the damn mage failed and kill the princess?

    He watched, mesmerized, as the rogue approached a tree and disappeared from view as if melting into its bark. He was fascinated by the group and their highly coordinated and effective movements, yet he was rooting for the princess in his heart. She was alone and was going to fall into a trap. Will she survive this fight? He thought about warning her for a moment, but he was too far behind, and the group would want to take revenge on him if he did that.

    When the princess came, his heart started to beat faster. If she was going to lose now, he would not be able to marry her later!

    She approached at an easy jog, and he noticed with surprise that she seemed fully recovered. All the abrasions, scratches, and burns were gone. Even her equipment seemed recovered, but now his keen eye noticed that she had replaced some items. The boots were no longer the very fine leather boots but an army-style pair. Yes, now she was dressed rather like a warrior and less like a princess, with a pair of long, strange, straight, sharp knives in her hands.

    Yet she was running straight into the trap! He saw the hunter bending his huge bow. Then suddenly, she stopped. Did she hear something? She stopped just a few steps before passing the rogue and looked alert through the woods.

 Chapter 19 - Fight and Loot

    After a brief moment of hesitation and confusion, the paladin dashed from his hiding spot. The hunter loosed his arrow while the mage burst out from the bushes, conjuring a line of fire.

    However, she had vanished by then; both the arrow and the fiery blast missed their mark. Long before the paladin could close the gap, she pounced on the rogue. Her strikes came swiftly, one after the other, causing the rogue to scream in agony as one of her long knives sliced deep into his side.

    The ambush had clearly gone awry, with the skirmish unfolding at an unexpected location. A tree now obstructed the hunter''s line of sight, prompting a string of curses as he hastily sought a more advantageous vantage point. Meanwhile, the mage initiated a lengthy incantation while the rogue attempted to flee from her.

    However, she swiftly intercepted him with her long knives, blocking his escape and delivering another piercing blow. A shimmering silver light enveloped the rogue as the elf began to heal him.

    She swiftly pivoted and conjured a spell, ensnaring the paladin in a trap just as he closed in. However, this momentary diversion provided the rogue with the chance to break free.

    The mage unleashed the devastating fire lance that he had meticulously crafted. She contorted her body with incredible speed, almost like she was made of rubber, causing the fiery spear to barely graze her but strike the fleeing rogue with full force, enveloping him in searing flames.

    Finally, the hunter reached a better position, stopped, and bent his huge bow again.

    Tercan thought the rogue would die from his many wounds, but the healing elf desperately cast spell after spell, lighting up the bush she was in like fireworks, healing the rogue back to life. He would not have imagined that such a healer exists!

    The rogue jumped forward in another evasive move, but the princess ran after him, trying to finish him off.

    The paladin invoked a spell, surrounding himself with a radiant aura that incinerated the inky tentacles of her trap. Simultaneously, the hunter let loose an arrow, creating a deafening sonic boom. The mage started launching fire bolts, with at least one finding its mark while the rogue parried her next two attacks. With the paladin now advancing, poised to strike with his massive double-edged sword, Tercan found himself pondering whether the rogue''s initial assessment might be correct after all and if she was inevitably destined to lose this battle.

    At that moment, she disappeared.

    He could not see the flying arrow; it was that fast, but it drew a line of fire in the air, tight between the paladin and the rogue, and exploded against a distant trunk, shattering it into pieces.

    The elf was still healing the rogue when Tercan saw the princess reappear, kicking the mage in the side. The mage was thrown against a trunk, and even from his seat, he heard the air leave the mage''s lungs in an agonizing gasp.

    She struck him again before the mage could recover, driving the long dagger into his liver with her left hand. After conjuring a fire blast, the mage tried to teleport away, but her right hand just sliced his throat; his head fell, rolling to the ground as his disjointed body teleported away, blood erupting from his headless throat as the elf tried to heal him. It was too late.

    She was burning all over from the fire blast, an arrow now stuck in her left shoulder, but she didn''t stop for a moment, running towards the elven healer, a strange light illuminating her body. Surprisingly, she did not seem to suffer too much from her wounds.

    The hunter screamed:

    ¡°Terri, run!¡±

    whilst the rogue burst into a fast run behind her.

    The healer transformed into a lovely gazelle and ran away with the princess following close, the rogue a dozen meters behind. Tercan almost lost them from sight when the princess turned suddenly against the rogue, who was gaining ground on her. Before the running gazelle stopped, she succeeded in wounding him seriously.

    The hunter shot an arrow, but he was too far, and the rogue was in between, so it was easy for her to avoid it.

    The elf stopped, transformed into the elf-healer form, and started a spell when she was struck with an iron star, her unfinished chant ending in a croak. It didn''t seem much, but the elf fell to the ground with a pained scream.

    The rogue used the moment to strike at the princess, wounding her, but again, a strange light washed over her body, healing her.

    The rogue yelled, unhappy:

    ¡°She has a healer somewhere!¡±

    The hunter lost precious seconds looking for the unseen healer whilst the rogue fought desperately for his life, the paladin still far from them stomping with his heavy boots through the bushes.

    The fight between the princess and the rogue was a fascinating succession of fast strikes, feints, and probably magic or alchemy, but whilst she was healed from time to time, the rogue was looking worse and worse.

    Then suddenly, her movements accelerated, the rogue no longer able to keep pace with her. She was moving like a blur; you could only guess where her blades had been, seeing blood bursts.

    The hunter tried again to shoot but missed, afraid to hit the rogue.

    The running paladin screamed desperately:

    ¡°Disengage!¡±

    But it was too late; with a final stroke, she decapitated the rogue just before the paladin would have arrived in range.

    The hunter''s fury scream echoed into the woods whilst the paladin attacked with his double sword.

    She avoided the paladin''s strike and ran incredibly fast, as a blur through the bushes, then teleported to hit the hunter as she did against the mage before, with her left foot hitting the hunter hard. Shocked by the hit, the hunter escaped the arrow against the ground. She planted first her left long knife under his chain armor, then with the right blade, she''d cut deep into his bone.

    The hunter pushed her back with his giant bow, a pained scream escaping his lips. He then dropped a trap in front of him.

    The paladin hesitated a second about whether to run to the healer to see if she was still alive or to run to help the hunter. He decided on the latter, turned back, and raised his sword again, blasting another spell around him.

    She skillfully dodged the trap, closing in on the hunter with her long knives. He abandoned his bow and unsheathed a longsword, but in their close proximity, it became unwieldy for him. Injured, he struggled to move as she gracefully danced around him, delivering a relentless barrage of strikes, gradually wearing him down while searching for an opportunity.

    She was no longer the blur she had been before but still incredibly swift, her daggers drawing blood with each stroke. The hunter realized he was destined to lose this fight; the paladin would arrive too late to save him. He attempted to wield his sword with one hand while reaching for a healing potion, but her speed proved insurmountable. She struck his hand, causing the precious elixir to spill, and with a final, decisive stroke, she severed his jugular.

    A fountain of blood erupted whilst the hunter left the sword to fall, trying in vain to stop the blood from leaving his body with his hands. He fell first on his knees, then to the ground under her implacable eyes.

    The paladin bowed to touch the hunter, to heal him, but it was too late. She could have struck him, but she just watched.

    The paladin screamed, standing back on his feet:

    ¡°You! Damn assassin! Calamity Lara, I''m going to kill you!¡±

    She shrugged and asked surprisingly calm:

    ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    She looked utterly unharmed, even with that arrow still hanging on her left shoulder, which she tried now awkwardly to remove, as another bout of light illuminated her body like a divine emanation. Tercan had never seen such magic. Was the forest itself healing her? Obviously, she did not cast that spell, yet she was healed. Was the rogue right? But he had seen no other healer. Finally, she got the arrow with two fingers and managed to remove it.

    Tercan wondered how she could be so calm. What kind of people are talking calmly about killing each other? OK, as a matter of fact, the paladin was not calm.

    The paladin exclaimed, exasperated:

    ¡°You! Did you forget? Snowridge mine!?¡±

    ¡°What mine? Where? What about Snowwhat mine? Was it in the Calawan empire?¡±

    The paladin exhaled with a distressed face.

    ¡°No, the Sassuan Kingdom. You killed us!¡±

    ¡°Oh! Ahem.¡± - she shrugged again - ¡°I probably did that. Sorry. It must have been a quest. A contract from the temple. Again, sorry for that. I think a corrupt local governor was the culprit that gave the quest, but I do not know for sure. Now that you named it, I think I remember; it was a really good-paying quest. You are all from there?¡±

    She was speaking as if meeting old acquaintances?

    ¡°No. The healer was new. We hired her to help us. Poor Terri!¡±

    ¡°Look, I am sorry. I have not done temple quests for some time. Let''s call it quits.¡±

    ¡°No. I drank a dragon''s blood potion to fight you. That had cost me almost as much as a resurrection would. You just jumped around, avoiding me. I''m going to kill you here and now!¡±

    She answered half mockingly, half wondering:

    ¡°Even if the potion was that expensive, is it worth dying for? You''ll only double your costs!? By the way, you know I could run, and you would not catch me!? Look, now, if I think about it, I am not sorry for what I did; you used slaves in that mine!"

    ¡°Don''t tell me you did that job to free those slaves! I don''t believe you!¡±

    She grinned:

    ¡°I just said I am not sorry I did it. Actually, it was part of the reason.¡±

    ¡°Bunch of ex-pirates. You did that just to get friendly with them!¡±

    She grinned:

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Yep! That''s true. The pirates know how to party, and they threw a special party just for me.¡±

    He snorted and attacked.

    The fight that followed was, to Tercan''s surprise, longer than the previous fight with all five. Longer than the fight with that dreaded mage, Grackak. Well, about that long. It took the princess almost five minutes to finish the paladin.

    With his last breath, the paladin did not seem so angry anymore:

    ¡°I almost brought you down. Fuck. If I were a couple of levels higher, I would have finished you!¡±

    He was down on his back, lying against a log. He must have said a spell that kept him several seconds from dying, or was this a feature paladins have? She looked at him.

    ¡°Yeah. Almost. Too bad I cannot heal like you.¡±

    ¡°What was that with the healer? Do you have a healer here or not?¡±

    ¡°I told him not to heal me during this fight¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°You did not succeed with the team, and you had to try it alone?¡±

    He sighed:

    ¡°Merwan had always sucked at pvp...¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The hunter. Yuun the mage is not better. He almost killed Togas, our rogue. Only Togas is a good pvp fighter, but he forgets to disengage when he should do that. Oh well, see you next time, Cala!¡±

    He raised a hand to salute. She shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, by the way! I just met a ghost before; he said there are some problems with the resurrection process. He was going to the entry portal in Act 1 to investigate. Just saying...¡±

    The paladin chuckled.

    ¡°Now, you say?¡±

    She raised her shoulders:

    ¡°You did not ask...¡±

    He sighed one last time, and his head fell to the side.

    ¡°LNowl, lnowl, lyou flolgot tlis lone!¡±

    A giant lynx appeared, carrying an elven girl in its jaws, her legs swaying freely in the air. Cala chuckled and quipped,

    "Can''t talk with your mouth full, can you?"

    Tercan was shocked. The Lynx, the dreaded Lynx, was working with the princess! What a revelation!

    The Lynx let out a snort, releasing the elf girl who tried hard to crawl away on all fours but struggled to coordinate her limbs. A strand of saliva hung from the Lynx''s mouth.

    "What''s this?" The Lynx spat, "I can''t feel my tongue?"

    "Paralyzing toxin," the princess remarked with a smirk, "You shouldn''t eat her."

    The elf girl visibly trembled as the Lynx spat like a cat, shaking his body.

    ¡°It''s not flunny. I do not lusually eat lelves, only if they are leally nasty. What do lyou plan to do with lher? Drats, my tongue is numb...¡±

    The princess came to the elf girl and lifted her with ease, placing her to sit near the dead paladin.

    ¡°Just wait," -she said - "the toxin should cease its effect soon. You should train your resistance; the rogue was much better.¡±

    The elf nodded vaguely, bale dropping from her mouth. The princess cleaned her face.

    ¡°I don''t plan to kill her. The stupid healer class is difficult to level, but she has to pay, so I''ll only rob her.¡±

    She then said suddenly:

    ¡°That bird could not count. There were five of them!¡±

    She was now taking out the elf''s shoes. The elf protested with a moan.

    What bird?

    The Lynx approached them, looking curious at the poor elf that was being robbed. He answered:

    ¡°Birds can count only to three.¡±

    ¡°But she said four?¡±

    ¡°Four means more than three.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Now it is clear! Apologies, little bird!¡±

    Tercan did not understand; was this a secret language?

    The princess laughed, continuing to undress the elf in a not-very-elegant manner.

    The almost naked elf mumbled:

    ¡°You...ro..bb..er!¡±

    The princess shrugged.

    ¡°Be quiet; you are alive! Welcome to hardcore Mephi. Is it the first time you''re getting robbed?¡±

    She was now checking the paladin''s pockets

    ¡°As..a ..healer?.. You..re..joking.. but..¡±

    As she walked back, the Lynx wondered:

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Going to loot the others, too. Just give me a minute.¡±

    Now Tercan understood. She must be the thief''s princess! Yes, robber princess, they said it before!

    The elf turned to the Lynx, wondering:

    ¡°I never¡­ had¡­ a ¡­ talking¡­ pet.¡±

    ¡°I am not her pet! I am her companion!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ that''s a pet for you.¡±

    The elf, who was starting to recover, laughed. She scrambled with difficulty back on her feet and whispered in the direction of the princess:

    ¡°And because you were mean to me, I will not heal you!¡±

    The princess answered from a distance:

    ¡°I can hear you! Besides, he is my mount, not my pet! Can you rezz* them? I would let you do it!¡±

    The Lynx protested indignantly:

    ¡°I am not your mount; I am your companion!¡±

    ¡°No, it is too late for me to rezz. They''ll need to take their divine rezz. I''ll heal you for my gown! I''ll pay another 100 gold for it! You cannot sell it; it is bound to me!¡±

    The princess answered on her way back, whilst the elf girl was dressing in a simple cotton dress.

    ¡°I''ll destroy it and sell the material. That will do at least 150.¡±

    The elf girl nodded:

    ¡°OK, deal!¡±

    ¡°You pay now, and you get it.¡±

    ¡°No. In town. I don''t take the risk to be robbed again.¡±

    The princess raised her shoulders.

    ¡°As you wish. I would not rob you again, but be aware that towns are no longer protected.¡±

    ¡°A thief with honor? What? Are towns no longer protected? How can that be? Are they crazy?¡±

    ¡°No. See?¡±

    The princess said that, pointing at the clouds.

    The elf girl''s answer was full of swear:

    ¡°Oh fuck me, we healers are now truly awesomely fucked.¡±

    What did she see in the clouds?

    ¡°Now, do you want your dress?¡±

    ¡°OK, I''ll risk it.¡±

    She said that whilst conjuring gold out of thin air. A lot of gold. She must have one of those magical storage items!

    The princess took the gold.

    ¡°You are not going to count it?¡±

    ¡°No. I trust you. Here''s your dress. Besides, I''ll see it in the inventory.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    The Lynx wondered.

    ¡°Ahem. Pardon me for asking, but this thing is intriguing me. How did you rob her, but she still has gold? You do seem to be very inefficient at what you do? At least robbing-wise...¡±

    The elf girl laughed, now back in her shining dress:

    ¡°Your pet is too clever! What about my boots? My staff?¡±

    ¡°I told you he is my epic mount. Boots eighty, staff one hundred twenty-five!¡±

    After saying this, the princess turned towards the lynx:

    ¡°She has more valuable things in her inventory box, but that is bound to her. I cannot open it, nor is there any way to open it. Besides, I told you not to talk when we are between humans?¡±

    ¡°She''s an elf; that does not count as a human. You definitively said, humans. That inventory? You could still steal it?¡±

    The princess rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Steal and destroy, yes, but that would have no value for me. I guess it would appear back in her possession. Magic worked this way previously.¡±

    ¡°Previously?¡±

    The princess and Terri looked at each other, and then the princess answered:

    ¡°Well, yes, it had always worked like this.¡±

    ¡°Aha!¡±

    The way the Lynx had said that showed he was not convinced she answered fully.

    Terri shook her head.

    ¡°Well, he is really an epic mount.¡± - then added, pointing at the dead - ¡°Could I buy from you back their items too?¡±

    ¡°If you have money to throw out, yes. You think they will not respawn with them?¡±

    What are they talking about? Tercan was preparing to climb down.

    The Lynx watched them, intrigued:

    ¡°Will they respawn? Can this happen in this world?¡±

    The elf girl laughed again:

    ¡°I told you your pet-mount is too clever. You should remove some intelligence points and put them somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Nobody touches my intelligence!¡±

    The Lynx said that half-joking, half-serious, shaking his giant head, showing his sharp canines.

    The princess watched him with a curious look:

    "A divine being can bring them to life again... under some circumstances... two times per year, no more..."

    She then turned to the elf girl:

    ¡°Stop harassing my mount, or I''ll let it eat you... He said he likes how you taste.¡±

    The Lynx tried to protest, then changed his mind:

    ¡°I never... Do you know there is a little spy behind us, listening to this interesting conversation?¡±

    He was looking exactly at the point where Tercan was. How could he see him?

    The princess turned and looked in the same direction:

    ¡°You mean the little boy from the market? Curious little boy, eh? I thought I lost him.¡±

    Tercan''s blood froze in his veins. He wanted to run, but the panic froze him on the spot.

    ¡°Somehow, he found you back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he must have followed Terri and her group.¡± - She added then louder - ¡°You can come out; the forest is too dangerous now¡­ or at least follow us and do not get lost.¡±

    They started to move towards the town, and after the first seconds of shock, Tercan continued to follow them. When he reached again in ear distance, they were almost out of the woods

    The elf girl, who was watching another group engaging the road in the forest, exclaimed:

    ¡°Oh, there is a caravan for chapter one!¡±

    The Lynx corrected her: ¡°You mean towards Dungrew Town?¡±

    The princess confirmed:

    ¡°Yep, that''s what she means.¡±

    At that moment, the elf girl ran away.

    ¡°I''ll go catch them!¡±

    The princess yelled behind the running healer:

    ¡°Take care; slavers have raided the trading station at the border!¡±

    Tercan had a sudden realization that it might be wiser to trail behind the elf girl. His desire to marry the dark princess had dwindled completely. Moreover, journeying with the caravan seemed like a favorable pursuit. There was a constant supply of food, children for company, and, best of all, it meant he could put some distance between himself and the bandit princess. There was no telling what she and her unpredictable mount might do next in the town. His plan was to wait for a caravan headed back and return to the town only when he could do so in their company, when, hopefully, the robber princess would have had enough of this town.

 Chapter 20 - Chit Chat

    I was a bit winded after the fight, and I usually would have just parked Cala in an inn and be gone for a break outside Dreamland. A battle is consuming even if it is not done with your actual body; even if the wounds are healed, you get all those hormones flushing your blood vessels, your heart beating like crazy in your chest with your mind at top speed. A small error, and you are dead. Actually, I was alive only due to White Flower''s healing. Even knowing I would be ambushed, I could not have won it without her healing. Maybe one in ten with potions and good luck.

    As I could not log out, I walked, trying to relax, chatting with my mount and my tattoo. Not even with Alice before did I chat so relaxed and so freely. The improvement in NPC''s dialogue was staggering. They simply talked as ordinary people would. I was no longer testing them; I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them. It did not create that AI chat impression, plus it did not look like they would know and react based on hidden knowledge from the background. Both were talking as individuals.

    It was at the same time frightening and relaxing.

    We came out of the woods, and I saw two silhouettes in the distance. The Lynx wondered:

    ¡°Is there your Alice?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think I recognize her. You should have better eyes than me!? Aren¡¯t you the Lynx?¡±

    He sounded a bit upset that I doubted his eyesight:

    ¡°I see her clearly, but I haven¡¯t met your Alice yet. Who is her prisoner?¡±

    ¡°Prisoner? I wonder how she did it¡­ Spartacius is his name. It''s a kid, a friend of mine.¡±

    We came closer to them. Alice was sitting on a stone. She looked tired and weak, but her eyes were resolute and angry. Spartacius was boiling with anger, seated on a rock with his hands bound behind.

    ¡°Cala! This damn rogue does not want to free me! I¡¯ll make ¡­ I¡¯ll make¡­.¡±

    He was not finding his words watching the Lynx with big round eyes.

    ¡°Help! Help! Stop that beast!¡±

    Alice put an arrow in her bow, but a glance at me was enough to reassure her. The Lynx ignored her, jumping towards Spartacius, who was still screaming, then sniffed him and started to drool and lick his lips.

    ¡°How did you do this?¡± -was my question to Alice whilst I was pointing at the screaming Spartacius.

    She answered at the same time, pointing at the Lynx:

    ¡°How did you do this?¡±

    We both started to laugh.

    The Lynx growled, trying to impress Spartacius further:

    ¡°Grrrrrrrrowl¡±

    It didn''t seem to work anymore.

    I laughed at Alice:

    ¡°You first! I was the first to ask.¡±

    She sighed and raised her shoulders.

    ¡°O.K. It doesn¡¯t matter if you know. Fred Tuxson is in love with me...¡±

    ¡°You and sergeant Tuxson?¡±

    ¡°Well... you can say... yes. It''s an older story. I liked him too, but I was not interested in more. He knew that I became your merc, and he thought that''s why I do not answer his love¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, interesting. I did not know you, and¡­ did you¡­ Now, what did you do¡­ ahem... with¡­ ah... him?¡±

    My merc had a romance? How realistic do they make it? Fuck me! Did they program this too? How far?

    Her cheeks became red, and she looked down. After a while, she raised her head again and asked with an inquiring look in her eyes:

    ¡°Are you really interested to know? I would prefer not to answer if possible?¡±

    I''ve asked that stupid question just for fun, as I could not imagine that they would go so far as to simulate a sexual relationship. Her hesitation in answering was, in a way, refreshing: I thought the AI would not understand my question, and yet not only did she understand, but she also behaved like a shy girl. Wow.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Spartacius laughed:

    ¡°This is the best, a spawn love story!¡±

    The Lynx put a foot on his shoulder:

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    ¡°No, sorry, no, don''t answer¡± - then I turned towards the Lynx - ¡°You can talk; we are between friends.¡±

    ¡°Talk¡­?¡±

    Spartacius watched me, surprised. The Lynx looked at me, then back to his current victim:

    ¡°Cala, you spoil my fun!? And what is wrong with a spawn¡¯s love story, my friend?¡±

    Spartacius¡¯ sat back under the shock and the foot''s pressure.

    ¡°Hey, stop pushing! Cala, take this talking fur-bag off me!¡±

    The degree of fear the Lynx inspired seemed to have diminished rapidly.

    Alice explained further, a bit cumbersomely:

    ¡°I did not say we were in love; I said he was in love. Well, he still is...¡±

    ¡°Ouch, poor guy.¡±

    She looked back at me, and I saw a timid smile lighting her face. Damn it! They did it well; every little facial expression looks so realistic! This level of programming is insane. Perfect. Pure perfection. Damn it! I love this game.

    Spartacius was getting impatient:

    ¡°Hey, would you set me free at last? Cala, what the hell!? This is all fun, but I want some action.¡±

    ¡°Set him free, Alice. He''ll get his action.¡±

    Alice looked a moment into my eyes. Then she understood: I need to enslave him. She set him free.

    ¡°It was about time.¡±

    He said that, rubbing his wrists.

    ¡°I was starting to get worried I¡¯ll stay the whole day in chains. This is not funny. Why did it take you so long, Cala?¡°

    ¡°Are you o.k.? Are you ready for a fight now?¡±

    ¡°Fight? Finally, some action! I see you got the Lynx, but there seems to be some life left in this bag of fur¡­ so is this quest bust? Did you get a quest from him to get the mayor instead?¡±

    ¡°Ahm, not exactly. I want to fight you!¡±

    The Lynx pushed forward:

    ¡°Me too, please; this bag of fur wants to fight for its reputation.¡±

    ¡°What? No, no, no. No chance, my friends. No, no. Cala, have you lost your mind?¡±

    ¡°Well, I do not have to fight you if you promise to come with me to the Silver Town. We need to pay a visit to Grackak and the gang.¡±

    ¡°Why? Grackak? I heard of him in a chat. They told me to avoid him.¡±

    ¡°Well, they were right. I have lost the fight with him, and as a consequence, I have to go there.¡±

    ¡°Why bet with that crazy cheated character? Next time when you see him run away. Simple as that. What is your quest? Do we need to go to him?¡±

    ¡°My quest is to bring you to Silver Town. He kind of obliged me to bet. Towns are no longer secure; one can be killed in a town.¡±

    His face became sad.

    ¡°Oh, not good. Especially for us low levels. I wonder what that idiot wants. It is not fair; in a way, you sell me on getting yourself free.¡±

    ¡°I will bring you there. The quest is done once we are there, and we will be free. We''ll get together away from there.¡±

    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Not so fast, Spartacius; I will need to fight him. He will not let us go without a fight.¡±

    ¡°And you think with the help of this big cat to win on Grackak? He is a cheated char. We need to find a way to disappear fast.¡±

    ¡°This is why we have to prepare ourselves. I need to think of a plan.¡±

    ¡°Well, for me, it is becoming late. I will have to leave the game. I can set Spartacius to follow you if you want, but you should take care of him...¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yes. Why don¡¯t you leave?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It does not work? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Watch the clouds.¡±

    ¡° ''World out of order''. What the hell do they mean with this?¡±

    Alice and the Lynx also looked at the sky, but they did not seem to be able to read the message.

    ¡°I wonder too.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then to a big town to find the news. Forget your quest, and let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while. I have a rendezvous here, and I hope he will come. As there are some problems with portals, we would have to walk; better to wait here, as a ghost, he is faster.¡±

    ¡°A ghost?... OK, if we have to wait, let me make something to eat; I am hungry.¡±

    ¡°You know, if you are hungry in reality, this food does not feed you?¡±

    ¡°I know, but it helps, and it is funny, and my char is hungry too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ok, why not. Do it. We have to wait anyhow.¡±

    ¡°Lynx, will you help me get some woods for fire?¡±

    ¡°Glad to, Spartacius.¡±

 Chapter 21 - Are You Not From This World?

    As the two of them headed towards the woods, Alice approached me with a look of confusion in her eyes.

    "I heard a lot of things that I don''t understand," she said, "can you help me make sense of it all?" - she raised a brow - "Is that allowed?"

    I noticed a new expression on Alice''s face; was it a hint of wariness in her eyes? No... could it be that she was afraid of me? After our recent conversation, maybe I should be more cautious around her.

    ¡°Sure, but first, let me show you something! White Flower, can you please come out?¡±

    ¡°I would shred your clothes if I''d come out like this. You need to undress unless you want me to....¡±

    ¡°No! OK, just a moment. I need to undress.¡±

    Alice raised an eyebrow, confused by my rambling, looking askew at me. One of her peculiar looks:

    ¡°A new tattoo?¡±

    ¡°Well, more than the tattoo.¡±

    ¡°I will leave a tattoo on you when I leave, not to give too many clues.¡±

    ¡°Oh, OK¡±

    I thought that she was exceedingly careful!

    As soon as I was naked, White Flower materialized in front of us, but instead of the strange fairy that had appeared before me, it was the slender elf girl Terri. She looked exactly like Terri, down to her clothing. I was just as amazed as Alice, who exclaimed in surprise, ''Wow!''"

    "You can..." I began to speak, but she jumped and placed her fingers on my lips, silencing me.

    "Sshh!" she whispered. "We can''t let anyone overhear us and jeopardize everything."

    I raised my eyebrows in surprise but quickly regained my composure.

    "Oh, right. Terri, can you take a look at Alice? I''m worried that my healing magic may have left impurities in her body. She was frozen and splintered, and we are lucky to have her back together, but I fear something might not be fully okay."

    The fairy glanced at me, shaking her head before turning to Alice with renewed interest.

    "Oh, that could be a problem. Let me check," she said as she placed a hand on Alice and began to heal her.

    Alice gasped in amazement as the healing took effect, releasing a second "wow" as she took a deep breath.

    ¡°Ah! Feeling good! Thanks!¡±

    I was still uncertain. "Was a simple healing spell enough?" I asked.

    The fairy answered promptly, "This was not a simple heal!"

    She grinned and turned to me as I finished dressing. "Alice is clear and free from any impurities now. Do you still need me here?"

    Does she want now to disappear again? Do I need to undress again when I am almost dressed?

    ¡°Ahm, not really?¡±

    To my surprise, the fairy asked something different, "Do you mind if I''ll go with the boys?" pointing to the Lynx and Spartacius in the distance. I shrugged; I didn''t see any harm in it. Perhaps she had been alone in the woods for too long and needed more interaction. Plus, I wouldn''t have to undress again. Bonus!

    I cupped my hands over my mouth to form a makeshift megaphone and yelled, "Spartacius! Lynx! Wait!"

    Despite the distance between us, my lungs proved powerful enough to catch their attention. The two of them stopped in their tracks and turned around, Spartacius raising his hands in inquiry.

    I pointed toward Terry and watched as she made her way toward them with a spring in her step. Perhaps the vast expanse of the forest had been dull even for a fairy! She seemed happy to be on their trail. She wisely chose to walk instead of fly, moving with a graceful and purposeful gait like a perfect Terry.

    Alice looked at me, raising a brow as I was putting back my jacket, finally dressed back. I made her sign to come closer and whispered:

    ¡°She is a fairy from the woods. She was the one that tried to warn me of Grackak; remember the message in the market?¡± - as she nodded, I continued - ¡°Her name is White Flower, and she will accompany us for a while. She has the appearance of Terri, a healer from a group that I fought in the woods, so we will call her Terri for the time being.¡±

    Alice quickly digested the information. "Oh, is she a healing fairy? That''s unusual," she remarked. She didn''t ask about the fight, knowing I would share any important details.

    I nodded in agreement. "Yes, she''s a powerful healer, and she can cast other spells like visual tricks. She mentioned that the Grackak gang was also after her, which is why she was willing to help me. She wants to relocate somewhere else and offers us free healing in exchange for relocation help."

    Alice grinned and nodded happily at that.

    As I finished updating her, I took a seat on an old tree log.

    "So, what should I explain to you? Where do you want me to start?" I asked.

    Alice placed her foot on the log, her eyes fixed on mine. Then, she asked the question that cut straight to the heart of the matter,

    "Is it true that you''re not from this world?"

    Her question caught me off guard, and I took a moment to process it. Glancing around to make sure we were still alone, I sighed and raised my eyebrows, unsure of how to proceed. The game''s instructions had warned me not to discuss the outside world with the spawns. They wouldn''t understand or might mistake me for a demon.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Yeah, but technically they''re not supposed to ask me about it, either. I hesitated for a moment, feeling conflicted about lying to Alice. Besides, my mischievous side egged me on: Let''s see how she - I mean the AI - reacts to it.

    With a heavy sigh, I finally nodded and said, "Yes, it''s true."

    The dreaded question came. "What are you in reality? Are you a god, an angel, or a demon?"

    I sighed, realizing I had been warned about this. Nevertheless, I decided to continue to be honest with her.

    "I''m just a girl, younger and weaker than I look. I still go to school," I replied.

    Surprisingly, she accepted my explanation without further questions and seemed relieved that I wasn''t a demon or a god. Then she pointed to Spartacius and asked, "Is he also not from this world?"

    I nodded and said, "Yes, he''s like me."

    Her next question was even more surprising:

    ¡°Are you a player too? A player from the Abyss'' Horde?¡±

    ¡°A player from the Abyss'' Horde?¡±

    Is she asking me about that guild? Do spawns know about our organization in guilds?

    As I hesitated to answer, she continued:

    ¡°I heard Manchua, the priest, talking about the Abyss'' Horde. His consorts, who dwell near the Silver Town, accuse the Abyss'' Horde of having destroyed that great town and are planning to continue their destruction and bring doom to this world. Are you bringing doom to this world?¡±

    I couldn''t help but laugh, though I knew I probably shouldn''t have. "I am a player, but not from the Abyss'' Horde," I explained. "There are many players, and we organize into guilds, clans, or tribes. The Abyss'' Horde is just one of those guilds. I don''t know what happened to Silver Town, but we will probably find out as we have to go there. I don''t belong to any guild; I''m on my own. Spartacius is just a friend I met somewhere else, not in this world. And just so you know, all players are human."

    She objected, "But not all humans are players. I am human and not a player, right? How does one become a player?"

    She misunderstands the meaning of players.

    "Sorry, I misspoke, we are all humans in our world, but when we come into this world, we can choose an avatar.¡±

    "In our world?"

    "Well, I already told you I am not from this world."

    "Right. So you chose Cala."

    "Cala was created for me to play." - I said, considering whether to explain that I had taken over the character from a friend but decided against it as that would only confuse her even more. - ¡°She is my face in this world."

    "Do you have no childhood memories? Does Cala have no childhood memories?"

    That made me pause. Cala did have childhood memories, though they were not particularly happy ones. She continued:

    ¡°We call ourselves spawns of this world. We are born and live here and eventually die. Our parents give birth to us, and we are born with all races in this world. You are Cala, right? Were you not born here?"

    What and how could I explain to her that this is only a game and everything is fake? I wanted to be honest with her, but I think there are limits to what she can understand.

    "Okay, you''re right," I said. "We can say that Cala was born in this world just like anyone else, but I am not only Cala. I am Dolores, and I live in a different world. Cala is my avatar in this world, and Spartacius was created by a boy to be his avatar. We come from a much less exciting world with no magic, where I am just a schoolgirl. We come here to play."

    She raised her eyebrows. "Oh...and what do you play?"

    It was a tricky question, and I hesitated before answering. I looked into her crystal-clear blue eyes. She seemed so naive and sincere, but I reminded myself that I was talking to an AI.

    "I''m playing this world, Alice," I said. "I''m being Cala and doing what she does for fun. I can be a hero or a villain, and I can try to be whatever I want."

    She appeared to be in a state of disbelief. "Is this world really just for fun? Is everything they''re saying true? You just come here to cause chaos and play games?"

    She was visibly shocked. Her reaction was understandable. It was difficult to swallow when put in those terms.

    "Well, I suppose it is true to some extent," I said. "This world was created for us to enjoy and have fun in. But ''fun'' isn''t exactly the right word. It''s about experiencing adventure, greatness, and true magic. It''s different when you know you won''t die for real when you can use magic and grow as a character."

    How could I explain to her the fun part? It is exciting; it is different; it is living in a fairy tale! Could she understand this?

    But then I had some doubts. Was it okay to be having this conversation with an AI? What if it got any ideas to escape from this world? It was a little too late to be asking myself these questions, but I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of concern.

    She gazed at me for a few moments, processing the new information. I was starting to feel uneasy and attempted to wrap up the conversation.

    "Well, that''s about it. Are you upset with me now?"

    Instead of expressing any disappointment, she looked at me and gently smiled. "Angry?" She shrugged her shoulders. "I could never be angry with you! After everything we''ve been through together, how could I be? I''m humbled and taken aback but not angry. I just want you to know that you can always count on me. You know I''m here for you and will do whatever I can to help, no matter where you come from."

    She placed her hand on my shoulder and looked deeply into my eyes.

    The mercenary was designed to swear loyalty to me, but the sincerity with which she did so left an impression. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, but I hoped that I wouldn''t have this ordeal too often.

    As if reading my mind, she withdrew her hand and spoke up. "I said that because I sense that you''re in danger. You can count on me. Whatever needs to be done, I''ll do my best to help you."

    I replied, "Oh, you mean the ''world out of order'' thing?"

    ¡°Yes, that you could read in the clouds... ¡°

    ¡°There is something wrong with this world. Things happen which shouldn''t. One is that I¡­ we cannot leave. For now.¡±

    She watched me attentively:

    ¡°You mean the gods who made this world lost their control over it? Or is there a fight between gods? What happens to you?¡±

    ¡° Gods¡­ This world was done by us...¡±

    ¡°You mean people like you? Then you are gods?¡±

    ¡°No. Yes. No! We are only humans, people like me, like Spartacius. Well, not exactly like us. Adults. We are children. The problem is we cannot leave now. Normally I should be able to leave when I want.¡±

    Now I recognized my Alice again. Her face showed worry and concern ¨C it was a bit amusing, a poor spawn, worrying for the wellbeing of the stranger playing in her world.

    OK, Cala was not a stranger to her.

    She answered a bit amused:

    ¡°Such humans who can create worlds, we call gods here¡­.¡±

    Then she added in a more serious tone:

    ¡°But maybe you are a god when you are outside and no longer one if you are inside? What happens to you if you cannot leave the world? Is this dangerous?¡±

    I was a bit aghast at her wanting to make me a god:

    ¡°In the real world, I am just a schoolgirl. I have a body outside that needs food and water like any spawn does. I would die in a couple of days if I could not leave¡­. It is like you would dream and never wake up.¡±

    ¡°But you would live here further?¡±

    ¡°No, actually not. Only my mind is here. My mind cannot live without my body; this body here does not feed my mind. I would die unless my body was not fed artificially.¡±

    She was now alarmed:

    ¡°What can I do? How can I help?¡±

    I shrugged:

    ¡°You cannot help. Well, you can; the ghost I met said I should stay alive; it is sadder to live as a ghost. The problem should be solved soon; we just need to wait.¡±

    ¡°So I can help with guarding and defending you! This, I like!¡±

    She said that with a grin.

    My Alice!

    ¡°Come, let me hug you!¡±

    She was surprised. I never did this before, but now I hugged her. Somehow I did not think before that she was worth a hug. Now it was different. And surprisingly, for me, too, it was so good to have her arms around me. It felt real, and it felt good. I held her tight and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath.

    I was feeling better.

 Chapter 22 - Bonfire

    The Lynx and Spartacius were coming back with a mountain of woods. Actually, Spartacius was carrying the bunch; the Lynx had only one branch in its jaws and majestically stepped near him as if parading. Well, it was a sizeable branch; maybe that''s why it looked like him being at the parade, as it had to keep his head high and stiff. Terri was just grinning happily, riding my mount, and squealing excitedly. Did the Lynx not let her ride before?

    I wondered at the mountain of firewood:

    ¡°Do you plan to roast a cow?¡±

    Spartacius answered candidly:

    ¡°Not exactly, but I am hungry.¡±

    A bit confused by his answer, I tried again:

    ¡°Where is the ''not exactly cow''?¡±

    ¡°I have my bag with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, OK, but the rest of us? I wonder if we could order something from town, or should I go hunting?¡±

    I do have some historical food in stock in my inventory, but I was keeping it for special occasions... Is this one?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is a magical bag. I paid a lot for it, but it was worth it; you can feed an army with it. I only have to put my hand inside it and say what I want to take. Isn¡¯t it fine? Did you say roasted beef? We make roasted beef!¡±

    Spartacius started to prepare food for all, assisted by the Lynx, but only after lighting the respectable fire. The 2 seemed to cooperate reasonably together. Terri was ''helping'', sometimes talking excited, sometimes shy, as if not finding her balance. I guess too much isolation was not good even for a fairy¡­ Oh, come on, she is an AI! Why do I keep thinking about them as persons? But the atmosphere got slowly through to me, and I was feeling more excited. Interesting what a bonfire does to you.

    ¡°Why the whole fuss with wood for fire if you can pick roasted beef directly from your bag at the right temperature?¡±

    ¡°It is not the same without the fire, can¡¯t you see?¡±

    Yes, he was right.

    Alice had retired herself some 10 steps from the group. It seemed she needed some time alone. Probably to digest what we spoke. Also, Spartacius''s action with Noviel weighted certainly heavy on her.

    I chased again, the AI thought. All my senses conspired against my brain.

    I stayed and watched the fire. Terri went over to talk to Alice. She put a hand on her shoulder and was now chatting.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Did you two have argued?¡± asked Spartacius looking at Alice.

    ¡°No, on the contrary, but thinking about us, Spartacius, what do we do if we cannot leave?¡±

    ¡°Yuuhuuu! I do not need to go to school tomorrow! Here it is more fun, and I feel well¡­. Err, did I tell you I go to school?¡±

    He looked at me, suddenly aware he could not fake his age too much anymore. I laughed.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t; when we had the rally round last time, you''ve let me understand you were 20 something. Did you find the elixir of youth?¡±

    He tried hesitatingly to save what he could save:

    ¡°Well, I am sixteen, you know...¡±

    The Lynx intervened, also wondering:

    ¡°Sixteen? You look well developed for a sixteen-year-old boy. I thought you were rather twenty-something!¡±

    I stopped Spartacius a bit harsh and condescending:

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Fourteen. You are fourteen.¡±

    He tried to protest:

    ¡°Not true!¡± - but then added - ¡°How do you know?¡±

    I had to laugh:

    ¡°The info popped out automatically in the lobby when you said I am sexy!¡±

    The Lynx was now confused.

    ¡°Hey, what are you two talking about? What lobby? What info? How can that pop-up? And yes, you are sexy!¡±

    He said all that in one go. I laughed and rolled my eyes at the Lynx complimenting me, and yet it felt good.

    Spartacius was unhappy.

    ¡°Where from does the system know I am fourteen? Merde! I always avoided giving that information.¡±

    ¡°Who is the system? Did anything pop up now? Yes, you are sexy, you are sexy? Hell, nothing is popping up?¡±

    The Lynx looked at him and then at me for an answer. I tried my best definition. As unhappy as he was, Spartacius laughed. I rested my hand on the Lynx''s shoulder:

    ¡°The system is the all-controlling entity that makes this world be. You are probably older than fourteen; besides, I do not think any info will pop up here; there are different rules inside.¡±

    ¡°Interesting name you have for all gods. There are different legends from what other races say...¡±

    Spartacius shook his head.

    ¡°Don''t bother with that, Lynx; when you know the world from the outside, you get a different understanding!¡±

    And now we get again on the dangerous track of telling the AI about the outer world. But did I not tell Alice about it? Is each NPC controlled by a separate AI?

    ¡°How can you know the world from the outside? Is there an outer world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is an outer world.¡±

    ¡°And are you fourteen there?¡±

    He acknowledged this time.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°This explains some.¡±

    ¡°What does this explain?¡±

    This time Spartacius was a bit suspicious, but the Lynx eased him.

    ¡°Well, your warm blood, your temper, your character, your¡­everything. I feel a similar soul in you! ¡°

    Alice and Terri came meanwhile back, with Terri making herself comfortable near me.

    ¡°After lunch, I would like to hide again¡±, - whispered Terri in my ear

    ¡°Are you not feeling safe? Be assured that we will set up a guard for the night!¡±

    She raised her shoulders.

    ¡°Why should I take any risks?¡±

    ¡°OK?¡±

    If my skin gives her more security and she can sleep like that, it does not disturb me.

    ¡°Sausage? Who wants sausage? Or beefsteaks?¡±

    Spartacius started to share the food. I took some dishes from my inventory to help him spread it. The Lynx complained about my plates.

    ¡°Don''t you have something bigger?¡±

    Well, I do have. I had to search a little. I have a vast plate that was meant to put a whole roasted pig on it... somewhere inside my inventory box. Ah, found it and retrieved it! He accepted it with a grin.

    ¡°Aaah, now that''s a plate for me!¡±

    As we were chewing happily, I undressed my jacket and stayed only in my blouse to be more comfortable. I was glad the conversation turned now to the food and not the outer world, even if I knew that it would eventually come back.

    Spartacius kept on putting new and various foods on the plates, one more appetizing than the other. We ordered, and he conjured. Instant delivery. He could conjure almost anything that was food or drinks, and I was surprised to find out how many different sorts of food and beverages Alice knew. The bag limits seemed to be only its'' opening diameter, no big roasted boar or complete oxen, just chunks, no barrels but bottles.

    We were now getting deserts, and the Lynx was confabulating about tarts with honey.

    It was getting dark, and the first stars started to illuminate the sky. No moon yet, but there will be two soon. The third one will arise much later.

    It is a strange world with two suns and three visible moons. There are even more moons if you have good elf eyes.

    That''s a bit unfair; the elves have good looks and good eyes and strong magic affinity¡­ Well, yes, physically, they are weaker...

    ¡°Fire!!! Give them a lead intoxication!!¡±

    A chorus of voices, underlined by the barking of their shotguns, answered:

    ¡°Yuhuu!! Yaaarrr!!! Charge! Fire! Fire!¡±

    Shotguns. Low levels preferred weapons. Dozens upon dozens of them.

 Chapter 23 - We Fight

    Almost anybody can shoot a shotgun, and it is doing damage. Like any other objects that move through the air, the respective bullets encounter air resistance, also referred to as drag.

    However, in Mephistos'' world, the air containing magic makes the encountered resistance much stronger. In high magic density areas, it is almost like shooting in water. Not quite there, but close. This is why it is a low-level weapon. It does damage in close range and does not require much skill.

    A normal arrow has the same problem, whereas enchanted arrows fly through magic as do supercavitating torpedos ''swim'' through the ocean''s water. It runs on the same principle: creating a kind of magic-less bubble in front of the arrow.

    The problem is that you cannot enchant bullets as you do with arrows. This is because you do not grasp them, you do not see them, you cannot ''feel'' them as you do with an arrow, and thus you cannot coat them in magic as a good magic arrow shooter does. It does not work.

    Furthermore, a similar resistance appears inside persons; therefore, the damage is further reduced. Inside high-level persons, the magic density is much higher. Once you have magic in your veins, once your body is filled with magic, standard non-enchanted weapons are blunt for you. They cannot penetrate and cut with the same ease, the force needed to do so is exponentially higher.

    This is what saved my life now.

    But before the bullets reached me, something even more terrible happened: as soon as the cacophony of noise started, White Flower, alias Terri jumped into my arms. The result was that I rolled over my back with the fairy on top of me.

    I was so brutally torn from my thoughts about stars, moons, and elves by the cacophony of screams and gunfire, just to be assaulted by a panicked fairy - that instantly merged with my skin, transforming into that goo covering my breast and face. For a moment, I was blind, but luckily she realized her error and moved down from my eyes. As she moved around my skin, I was invaded by all kinds of sensations, from prickles to burnings, which further strained my confused mind.

    A giant mastodont charged and almost trampled me over; I only had the time to roll, grab Spartacius and, with a sleight of hand, throw him under cover of a couple of rocks that formed a kind of shelter near our camp.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    A mastodont is a beast resembling a mixture between an elephant and a rhinoceros with its three horns, one on top of the head and two below. It is a trained attack beast, capable of drawing the attention away from the raid. It can stab and trample and take a lot of damage.

    As I was trying to stand, a second mastodont hit me in the back, throwing me over the fire, one horn skewing my left foot. A second raid? We were being targeted and shot at by two bloody raids!?

    As I rolled through the burning charcoal, spells and bullets adding to the firework, the fire scattered around me. I looked for cover behind a too-small boulder.

    A firework is lovely, but not when you are in the middle of it. The Lynx rolled over, avoiding another charge of the mastodonts. He looked at me with a questioning face:

    ¡°Run?¡±

    I appreciated that he did not run without asking.

    The Lynx! Fuck, two low-level raids are after the skin of my mount and would gladly go over my dead body for it. Magic bolts and thunders, meteors, and snowballs were blasting around us in a terrible cacophony of attack screams and beasts'' barking punctuated by shotgun shots. There must be at least eighty, maybe up to two hundred players with their mercs and pets and the two battle beasts.

    Most of the fire went over our heads, but now and then, a bullet hit its mark. The cover was not big enough, but looking for a better place would expose me even more.

    I have high physical and magic resistance, and their bullets and spells were not cutting deep into my skin, but without White Flower, it would be rather sooner than later: death by a thousand cuts.

    I healed both of us.

    I hesitated. The forest was far, the space open, just rare trees around; not sure if Spartacius would make it alive if we tried to escape, no clue where Alice was. And then what? The raids would still follow us and continue the hunt in the forest. They want the Lynx down. Yes, the woods would be a better fighting ground, but I would have used all my good tricks only to make it there.

    On the other side, these are all low-level. Indeed one low-level raid, as these chapter 2 players were, can take it up with almost any, no matter how high level a player is. But I have now an added bonus: I can heal.

    ¡°We fight!¡±

 Chapter 24 - Mayhem

    The Lynx gave me a surprised look.

    Seemingly confirming his unspoken thoughts, a bullet hit my shoulder with a thud, bouncing off the bone and striking the ground between us, sending dust flying.

    A pained grunt followed by a curse escaped my lips while I ducked and scrambled for my long daggers. This had been a hunter''s shot with a skill.

    The precision of the raids improved as they neared, but in response, Alice started shooting occasional ''smoking arrows,'' essentially smoke bombs, to provide us with some visual cover.

    As the seconds passed, the Lynx questioned my tactic of fighting the enemy with just our gazes, to which I responded.

    "Just give me a few more seconds. We need to let them get closer."

    I opted to forego the search and fitting of my katars and instead rely on my daggers.

    At the opportune moment, I cast a <<trap>> to ensnare the mastodont closer to us, effectively obstructing their line of sight.

    When I determined that it was the ideal moment to take action, I cast the spell <<darkness>>.

    Suddenly, the area within an eighty to one-hundred-meter radius around me was engulfed in a thick, dark fog.

    As my hand rested over his paw, I healed him and said: ¡°Fifty-five seconds free kill, healers first!¡±

    I would have spelled darkness earlier if we had decided to run, but as I chose to fight them, I had to wait until most of the raids came inside the spell area.

    I was angry. Well, yeah, this is Mephi. Fifteen seconds ago, I was sitting there, dreaming peacefully and eating my lunch by the fire, for a bunch of idiots to start ''shooting first, ask questions later'' and transform my beautiful china dishes into shingles. Yet I probed first to check if they had any high levels with them.

    Angry, but I did not lose it completely.

    Juicy thing: I could send probes in all directions at once with the ''fairy on my skin.'' I did not have the problem of having to choose which way. That was a nice extra mana bonus I did not expect.

    <<identify all>>

    High levels would have made things more complicated; however, I was happy to find out that there were none around. Well, except for the Lynx.

    An additional bonus: they all felt me. It must be a nice psychological bonus one can achieve simply by unleashing their aura.

    My time to act; I''ve already lost 5 seconds of darkness.

    The screams and shots were now muffled by the dark fog. A lot fewer shots and spells, as they were blind.

    One of the mastodonts mooed loudly somewhere to the right, trying to provoke us. Yeah, nice try! Keep on trying, buddy!

    Short-range fighters appeared, coming for the kill. Much too early. I kicked hard left and right, mostly hunters'' pets, like the wolf I just sent yowling, flying to the side.

    Unfortunately, I had not scanned the area properly, as I should have done, before spelling darkness, but I had a raw guess of the directions they were coming from. In addition, they were noisy: shouting, screaming, and calling each other.

    Whilst we also could not see much, the raids were utterly lost at concentrating their firepower. I heard screams and curses as the Lynx was ravaging the lines of the long-range fighters and, from time to time, the characteristic agonizing scream of an elf dying. He is on the healers now, and the best healers are druids and elves.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    I chose a different direction.

    I said my <<speed>> spell and ran towards the noisiest area.

    I love this spell. It allows me to move at more than double the normal speed, and in a way, I think it even encourages my brain to work faster. When under this spell, I can analyze and make decisions instantly.

    I hit a rogue in the darkness that I instinctively threw back with a hit of my shoulder. However, in the last fraction of a second, it was that sudden movement I was able to make with the hand that skewered his belly with the dagger. This is what I mean: my brain working faster, making decisions instantly, and my muscles reacting with lightning speed. Now, as I think about it, it must speed up the flow in my nervous system, too!

    Then suddenly, I met an archer. Our eyes met, and I hesitated a moment, as she looked so much like Alice, but the next moment, as she stepped backward, preparing to shoot an arrow at me, I kept close, hit her hard with the left elbow, breaking her jaw then planted my right dagger into her belly.

    Dark liquid erupted over my hand, and a warm gelatinous mass covered it while a wave of bad smells hit my nostrils: shit, bile, and blood. Hell, do they have to make it so realistic? I do not remember, in any version before, effectively getting the bowels splashing like this. It was just blood and muscles or so. Even the blood splash was now much more realistic. Maybe too much.

    Before she fell, my other hand came up and severed her head with a swipe. I saw her eyes blinking as her neck was torn at an impossible angle whilst the heal spell that was already working on her broke.

    Only forty seconds of darkness left, and all I killed was an archer merc! The rogue was probably healed. Lucky me, I''ve just met the healers'' group. This is the Achilles tendon of any raid. Thirty-seven seconds left, seven healers in front of me.

    My eyes lit: long daggers time!

    With both daggers, I started cutting left and right in fast strokes, cutting throats in a frenzy. Fountains of blood splashed around me; it was outright sinister to see with what violence the blood was swashing out of those severed neck arteries. The strong iron smell invaded my nostrils as my hands moved in a blur.

    In five seconds, five were lying dead around, while only two of the seven had been fast enough to try to run away. One managed to disappear in the fog, but I got the other one and hacked him down in two strokes.

    Fifty seconds is a long time, notably so when one acts at double speed.

    I ran towards the next noisiest group, cutting through everything that appeared suddenly out of the fog. My only fear was about meeting Spartacius accidentally. Hopefully, he stays put there where I sent him.

    I slashed again left and right in a frenzy. Shadows materialized from the dark fog to become players, beasts, or mercenaries. I got glimpses of their surprised and shocked faces as my daggers cut necks or plunged deep into their bowels. Low-level armor and low-level meat, the daggers cut as through cheese: blood, guts, and gore danced a slow macabre waltz in the air around me, the space blotted by pained faces and contorted bodies.

    I don''t remember having ever seen such a realistic and macabre light show in the game before, everything moving in slow motion around me. Just a kick from me was enough to break bones, their heads and members swinging wildly in the opposite direction from the force of the hit.

    Fury and some fear were guiding me. Fury for the unprovoked attack and fear that we will not do enough damage, the darkness ends, and the raids can again focus on us. How many will remain? One hundred? One hundred twenty?

    If we do not do enough damage, we might have to run and hope to escape the fury of one hundred enraged hunters.

    I heard one mastodont coming from the left and jumped to the side, avoiding its charge in extremis. At the same time, I pushed as hard as I could, the right blade cutting through its belie as it ran beside me. Its intestines splashed over the field. As the beast fell, I managed to roll and jump back on my feet.

    The beast screamed in agony as I continued my chase through the darkness.

    Another two seconds of darkness, another kill. I stood on my feet unmoved, listening, concentrated on hearing their steps, whilst a strange silence was now covering the field. The fog slowly dissipated. All the noises were far away from me. Where were those hundred feet trampling the earth? Are they re-grouping somewhere? Even the dying mastodont stopped its high-pitched screaming, only a heavy breath sounding like a gurgle was coming from its place.

    My heart was pumping crazily whilst my body was trying to recover after the speed spell. There was always a bit of a harsh transition after the spell, but I do not remember it being so¡­ dramatic? I breathed heavily whilst rivulets of sweat ran over my forehead, dropping over my nose, between my breasts, mixing with the blood, their blood, splashed all over me.

    The body of my last victim accelerated its fall, landing with a thud on the ground whilst blood droplets fell from my dagger. I heard my lungs filling with air. I took a long, deep breath and fell to my knees.

    The sudden tiredness and the nauseating iron, shit, urine, and guts smell made me puke. I rested on my hands, churning out my pixelated food.

    Is this supposed to be so? Sweat droplets aligned over my nose and fell over the mix of grass and puke. Sweat ran along my arms. Gosh, I must be stinking.

    How do they do this? How can I see everything at double speed when, for every other player, it is running normally? It is true that not everybody can use the speed spell, even its quality is very much player-dependent, as many spells in Mephisto are, but what does this mean then? Can it be that the fairy bonus has also accelerated my speed spell?

    I threw out another batch of freshly chewed food on the ground. Fuck.

 Chapter 25 - Quest Fulfillment

    I cleaned the sweat and blood mixture from my forehead as good as I could with the back of my arm.

    I looked again around to make sure that the fight was over and there would be no follow-up. Only the other trapped mastodont was still struggling to come free. The once idyllic field was covered now with arrows, broken weapons, shredded armour, dismembered corpses, blood, piss, shit and guts, all around me. A couple of badly wounded mercs were groaning between the dead, breathing hard.

    That''s a damned instinct, deep rooted into our beings, to empty ones bowels when catastrophe comes, probably to avoid infection. That smell combined with the smell of blood and opened guts was overwhelming.

    Despite the pungent smell, I took in a deep breath. I raised slowly back to my feet and was welcomed by the view of absolute carnage. I did not realize there were so many!

    I closed my eyes trying to unsee it.

    And yet, I''ve seen such fields aplenty! For fucks sake I did see worse, I was a damned, feared warlord! I''ve leaded armies and raided cities! I''ve seen burning cities and armies of crows feasting on the fallen! Why did it trouble me to hear some moaning and whining? Why did it upset me to see the carnage? Besides, this was only some pixelated made-up carnage! Players who attacked me with their NPCs!

    I know I''ve seen worse, and yet, something was different this time¡­ I shook my head.

    A crow feasting on a severed head turned its black head to look at me then turned back to its work. Yeah, crows, they were coming.

    Inhale, exhale.

    We won! I felt how Cala''s resolution and cold blood took over deep inside me. I looked at them now as defeated foes and found my balance back.

    Inhale, exhale.

    This is how it looks like after you attack Cala. I grinned.

    Inhale, exhale.

    At a distance, the Lynx was growling, a terrifying growl, asserting his dominance over the bodies of the second raid''s healers group. A deep, low rumble that could be heard for miles. A beast remains a beast, even if it''s a talking beast?

    At least it looked like he got my message about the healers, even if, judging by the way he blasted his way through the attackers, it might not have been needed. A long trail of blood and dismembered corpses behind him. Damn, judging by that trail, he must be at least as fast as I am and twice as deadly. Many fighters have been killed too quickly for the healers to start healing. I''ve underestimated him.

    I watched for another moment the surreal scene, then looked around to check if there was any danger from the surviving groups, as my instincts wanted me to do, but I could not spot anything that could look dangerous for us. Further away, some small groups of people were running away, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and us. I don''t think any of those would think to try to attack us again.

    I ran in an easy trot to the Lynx to heal him, but he sustained surprisingly minor damage during this part of the fight. I did not have to say any words of command as my tattoo healed him when I touched him.

    I turned to look for Alice. Ah, there she is! She waved. She was dragging one foot with an arrow stuck in her bone, more arrows stuck in her armour, and she sported several superficial wounds.

    Well, true, she had no healing at all during the fight and had fought with a longsword as there had been no visibility for most of the battle. Plus she was still ten levels lower the me.

    I smiled looking at her: a rare sight, Alice with a longsword. She grinned happily at me despite the wounds, looking like a happy hedgehog with those arrows balancing on her back.

    I hurried over to her and assisted in pulling out the arrows. Most of them didn''t penetrate too deeply. There was one exception¡ªan arrow lodged in her back, beneath her jacket, around her right kidney. A fortunate critical shot. Or unfortunate, depending on your perspective. With that one, I had to be careful not to worsen the situation (it was already snapped in half) and to ensure the arrowhead didn''t remain embedded in the flesh, potentially within her kidney. Removing it intact spared her from any cutting procedures.

    As anticipated, no bullets managed to pierce our flesh, resulting in only superficial wounds. She endured my ''operation'' without uttering a single moan and beamed happily after the healing.

    Suddenly, the trap still holding the mastodont captive fizzled out with a puff. With no raid orders, the wounded war animal stepped away, trumpeting its disdain and sorrow.

    I scanned the area, realizing someone was missing.

    "Spartacius? Spartacius?" No response.

    Searching for him, I eventually located him lying on the ground near those stones beside our bonfire spot, a small pool of blood forming beneath his head. Knocked out or worse? My heart raced.

    "Oh, fuck, I hope he is not dead!" - I told to myself.

    I leaped forward, placing my hand on his shoulder. "I want to heal you!" I yelled, fearing it might be too late.

    As soon as the spell illuminated my hand and passed over him, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "What happened?" he muttered, massaging his forehead with his left hand.

    He looked around, confusion evident in his eyes.

    "What the hell happened? Who screamed? Have we been attacked?"

    Getting up slowly, still a bit unsteady on his feet, I supported him carefully to prevent him from falling. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the carnage surrounding him.

    "Whoa! What a slaughter! What happened? Who did this? What?...."

    He turned his gaze toward me, starting to comprehend. "You? You and the Lynx? You.... you... you?! You did knock me out, you ¡­ you... monster!!!"

    His words puzzled me. Was he trying to make me feel guilty for the slaughter? The raids attacked us; it was only fair that we hit back! While checking him for any bullet entry wounds, as he wasn''t as bulletproof as we were, I asked,

    "Are you feeling OK? What happened to you? Your head is covered in blood!? Did anybody hit you?"

    As I spoke, I began to realize what he was implying...

    "Oh... You mean that it was from my push?... Err... You would have been trampled by that mastodon if I hadn''t pushed you to a safe place... The wound is probably from a bullet..."

    Fuck, low levels are just so fragile!

    "Push? Push me to a safe place?! I think I would have preferred to be trampled by that beast or shot by a bullet! You threw me against that rock and broke my head! Look, look here, blood, do you see!? I am lucky that you didn''t break my neck!"

    The Lynx rolled his eyes.

    "Calm down, boy; you are healed now! Everything is OK, and you survived two raids."

    "Calm down? She almost killed me? I got no experience as I was knocked out!... Two raids! Fuck!" - he took a deep breath whilst his eyes focused on me - "Yeah, but wow, sexy outfit! Your undershirt is really cool!"

    His sudden change in expression confused me. My undershirt? Oh, fuck! I suddenly became conscious that my blouse was in tatters, only rags hanging on my shoulders, and the ''undershirt'' was my fairy-tattoo covering my upper body. I covered my breasts with my hand.

    "That''s not my undershirt!" - I yelled, making it only worse.

    "No?" - he wondered, surprised.

    I snorted. ¡°You ruined my blouse!¡± - I yelled at the fairy, plunging Spartacius into even more confusion.

    ¡°Me?¡± - He asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, not you!¡±

    Finally, the fairy answered. ¡°Sorry, but anyhow you did fall into the fire; that did some of the damage.¡± That was all I got from her. No excuse, no promise that she will buy me a new blouse. That had been a pretty one with unique embroidery I had bought at an auction. I sighed and turned away from Spartacius.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°You are healed, now look the other way!¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± - he stupidly questioned

    ¡°Yes you!¡±

    I discarded the rags and rummaged through my inventory. Drats, I have no other blouse with me! I do have some robes here, but those are cocktail dresses, not something to be worn outside. Besides, wearing one would mean I''d be without armor. Or should I put on a robe over trousers and top it all off with a jacket? No way! Shit, I must buy some cheap blouses somewhere; this fairy is ruining my collection! I only have some expensive pieces left in my guild''s safe.

    I picked up the jacket from the ground and put it on without a blouse. That should do it for the time being. I sighed.

    "In the end, I think that it was worth it" - I heard Spartacius muttering to the Lynx behind me. The Lynx chuckled and answered something.

    I tried to tune them out and turned my attention towards the wounded.

    As I approached them, a survivor, a Chapter 3 merc sorcerer still lying on the ground, thought that now was the right time to blast a spell at my face. I just had the time to put a hand in front of my face. It felt as if I had slapped a burning brick.

    "Idiot!" - I yelled as the blast ravaged my hair I had just put in order - ¡°The fight is over, don''t you see?¡±

    He prepared a new spell.

    ¡°You will kill me anyhow! at least I will die fighting for my master!¡±

    I snorted, this is such typical NPC nonsense!

    ¡°Calm down boy; nobody wants to kill you!¡± - I huffed.

    ¡°But you killed my master; I have to kill you!¡± - he protested.

    Nevertheless, he discarded the spell. It was still a sign that the NPCs were not made completely stupid.

    ¡°Your master tried to kill us, and he paid for it; he is now a ghost. You fought valiantly and lost. Why die stupidly now? If you want, you can serve a new master that is not so stupid as your old master was? I will heal you now, but I will have to hit you if you continue with any craziness.¡±

    He looked at me confused whilst I healed him. Rationing with NPCs. Surprisingly it seemed to work.

    Meanwhile, the largest of the three moons rose slowly over the landscape, increasing visibility. I even had a shadow now. This moonlight had a tainted red note, making everything look even more spooky.

    I continued checking for survivors. I found another archer merc that survived, then a soldier from town and a frightened citizen of the city. He looked strangely out of place, even alien with his dapper suit and his white gloves as he tried to clean the dirt from his trousers.

    I was curious:

    ¡°Hello? Who are you?¡±

    He had no wounds whatsoever if the dirty clothes did not count. A wonder such a frail person survived unharmed.

    ¡°I am magistrate Toller from Lilitown¡±

    ¡°Great that you are ok; any wounds, anything I need to heal?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, milady, I think I am OK. I fell to the ground and stayed there until that dreaded darkness disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that was wise! Pardon me, what were you doing here with the raid?¡±

    He pointed to one corpse.

    ¡°I was asked by captain Blackhound to observe the definitive removal of the Lynx from our forest. He paid the honorary for me to come. He assured me that inside the raid group, I would be safe.¡±

    Spartacius laughed:

    ¡°He is my quest giver. Hehe, they took him with them to be sure they were the first to hand over the quests. That must have cost them some money.¡±

    The magistrate turned towards him.

    ¡°Oh, Mr Spartacius! Good evening Sir. I... I...¡±

    ¡°Magistrate?¡±

    He was trying to find his words.

    ¡°I... I mean, it is your right to change your mind...¡±

    I was curious:

    ¡°Why do you want to remove the Lynx from the forest?¡±

    ¡°Why? Because he... ahem...he is... ahem... is... not very kind... ahem...¡±

    The soldier, who seemed to have a bit more mum, cut it short:

    ¡°He terrorizes the spawns and does not let anybody enter the forest. He is a curse to the city.¡±

    I was surprised.

    ¡°Lynx, did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Grrrrr. Groar! Grrrrr!!¡±

    I rolled my eyes. Yes, I told him not to talk with humans...

    ¡°Bad boy!¡±

    ¡°Grrrr!¡±

    It was now the turn of the soldier to roll his eyes. The magistrate upped the ante, probably realizing the danger was over.

    ¡°He even dishonoured the sheriff.¡±

    Now I was curious. What could this mean?

    ¡°Dishonoured the sheriff?¡±

    ¡°Harhar¡±

    The Lynx''s growl was close to a form of laughing.

    The soldier laughed.

    ¡°Yes, I remember that day when the sheriff ran out of the forest with his elite team, all with shredded pants.¡±

    The sheriff does not seem to be very loved. OK, whatever. I turned to the magistrate:

    ¡°Look, I will take care of the Lynx; he will no longer forbid the forest to the spawns; people are free to go there now.¡±

    The magistrate wondered, mesmerized.

    ¡°Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It is done; he is coming with me... a.... in another place¡­ ah... because he is my mount.¡±

    The magistrate turned to Spartacius

    ¡°Is it true?¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    That was a nasty growl; the magistrate jumped back, surprised and excused himself immediately:

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ do not¡­ doubt...what the fine ...Lady says¡­ I, I only need to understand if it is only the fine Lady or Lord Spartacius too?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    As if believing his excuse, I added:

    ¡°Of course, both of us.¡±

    Spartacius also confirmed:

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but then I am entitled to give you the reward for freeing our forest.¡±

    At this, the magistrate uncovered a small purse and added hesitatingly:

    ¡°But not the reward for restoring the sheriff''s honour, if you allow me to keep that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can keep that.¡±

    ¡°And, and... may I leave?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°We all?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you. May I know your valuable name? I know Master Spartacius, and you are Lady?¡±

    Alice, who was used to making such announcements for me, answered:

    ¡°You speak to Lady Lara, known as Calamity Lara.¡±

    The soldier mumbled something into his beard.

    ¡°Calamity Lara the assassin! Of all the demons we had to stumble upon and attack Calamity Lara! Well done, captain Blackhound...¡±

    I grinned happily. It seems my good name has made the rounds with the spawn population.

    ¡°Oh, Lady Lara, certainly. This explains the happening. Oh, what a dreaded accident! This tragic mistake would not have happened if we knew that you had already captured the beast and removed it from the forest. What a tragedy! Why did so many good people have to die stupidly here!¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°We will need to organize the removal of the bodies and a proper funeral for all.¡±

    He turned towards the soldier:

    ¡°Now, I think we need to return to the city.¡±

    Then towards the 2 mercs:

    ¡°Do you want to accompany us to the city?¡±

    They nodded.

    He handed me the quest''s reward in a leather purse, and I signed for receipt.

    As soon as they left, I heard a happy Spartacius:

    ¡°Yes! My Lynx quest is solved, and I must be friendly with the fraction! Cool! I did not know that it could be solved without killing the Lynx.¡±

    The Lynx answered with a grin:

    ¡°Even better, we can try a repeat of this at the next town or village... How big was the reward?¡±

    ¡°It was fifty gold for me and fifty for Cala. It was a full''s raid reward for the two of us!¡±

    The Lynx argued:

    ¡°Not bad, not bad! We need to agree on my part. At least fifty per cent.¡±

    Spartacius was a bit taken aback by this.

    ¡°You want fifty gold? That leaves only twenty-five for me if we divide...¡±

    ¡°No, gold is of no value for me, fifty per cent of the captured food!¡±

    Spartacius laughed, relieved:

    ¡°Oh, you can have one hundred per cent of that. All in all, good business! I am going to loot them now. Do you come, Lynx?¡±

 Chapter 26 - Is this real?

    I walked back, accompanied by Alice, to our campfire. I was feeling drained and unhappy.

    I sat down on a boulder and looked into the fire. There is something magical, something mystical, linked with the fire. It is enough to take your time and look into it: it is relaxing and, at the same time, challenging and stimulating. Now and then, tiny sparks flew up in the air. Flames licked the branches, contorted in the air and moved slowly, covering new areas. With a crackling sound, more sparks were sent into the air.

    Alice came near me. We stood there for some moments, looking at the fire. She raised her eyes, looked into my eyes and sighed.

    ¡°What''s wrong?¡±

    What was wrong?

    ¡°There is something ¡­ something that doesn''t feel right.¡±

    How can I explain myself? Even the fire is too real! Each and every little spark, so how can I explain my feelings for the overall? To whom do I try to explain myself? To an NPC who never saw a real thing?

    But I chased this thought. I caught a little spark, and it fizzled in my hand:

    "See? It burns!"

    She chuckled softly but continued to watch me with her blue eyes, a light of understanding in them. After several seconds of silence, watching the little burnt point in my hand, I continued:

    ¡°This world is too real. Each and every little detail. I cannot pinpoint a flaw to it to say, see, this is a game! I know it is a game, but is it still a game if it''s perfect? My mind says yes, but my heart says otherwise.¡±

    I don''t know if I was able to put to words what I was feeling. She tried to digest what I said but did not reply immediately. As I did not continue my thoughts, she tried timidly:

    ¡°Do you mean the game of life? Are you sad because of them?¡±

    She made a gesture towards the ''mayhem field''.

    I sighed. There was a conflict inside me. There were contradictory feelings, but I almost found my peace concerning these raids. They did attack me, after all.

    ¡°Yes and no. Not particularly because of them, but they are part of the problem. Do you see all these bodies strewn there, all that blood spilt? They do not disappear?! Why are they still around? The strong iron smell in the air? The shit, the piss and the gore?"

    She watched me, unsure of what to say.

    ¡°This is what death looks like. It is not pretty. The blood will seep slowly into the Earth. Mother Earth will take them all in time, and they will find peace with her. The people from the city will come here and collect the fallen. They will be properly buried or burnt, as is their due, but they will all turn back to Mother Earth in one way or another, and new life will come out of it.¡±

    I watched her. She really believes that about Mother Earth. I sighed.

    ¡°You know, I am not who you think I am. I am not what you think I am...¡±

    ¡°You told me that...¡±

    ¡°It is not that. It''s not that I am just a girl playing in this world. It is what I am and what I do in this world. If this world is as real as it is... then I am really a bad person Alice. I am a monster.¡±

    ¡°You are a great warrior...¡±

    I made a gesture to stop her protest.

    ¡°Why do you think you are level eighty-four and I am level ninety-four?¡±

    She looked wondering at me:

    ¡°Level? You have said that about me before...¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did. To Spartacius. We have... There are tools to measure the... amount of magic inside a body.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you speak about your adventuring guild classification? We do not use such; there is a mage''s crystal in the training camp that we use that is more practical.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    We? Who does she mean with we? I hesitated if to ask, but then I did it nevertheless:

    "Who do you mean with ''we''?"

    She shrugged.

    "All other non-adventurers. You adventurers go into too much detail. It is like a pissing contest. What difference is there between a level 83, 84 or even 75? They are all high-level veterans or epic warriors to me."

    Oh, OK. I might need to change my understanding of how spawns are viewing things.

    ¡°Well, it also has more functions. You can redistribute that magic between some attributes like power, dexterity, spell power and more. Well, I am level ninety-four because I did many actions where you have not been included.¡±

    ¡°I know you have your secret missions.¡±

    ¡°My secret missions... I just kidnapped a girl and delivered her like a package against her will in my last one. Imagine what this means for the girl and for her parents!

    This was just an example of one of my secret missions. I did much worse. You know I have more than one hundred thousand kills? Mostly spawns..."

    I chuckled. I had to chuckle. This is such a shitty impossible thing to imagine. I continued:

    "A city by myself. Not even a small one. You know part of it, like the several dozens from today, but many more you do not know.¡±

    And yet it did not disturb me so much. It was more blabber from my side. What was really stinging me was Thiara''s story. Strange. Maybe because I had such a clear face to put to the misery I did?

    She did not say a word about Thiara de Hollybrun, even if she must have perfectly known who I meant. I think she had already put that one plus one and knew it was me.

    Why was this story so much stinging me? Because I did it now? Because I saw her mother''s eyes?

    ¡°Is this worse than shooting an arrow through one''s heart? We did what we had to do. Do you wish this world to not be real so that what you did would not be real? We all have to bear the consequences of what we have done!"

    She did hit the mark. Yes, she is a marksman. Yes, it is too real because you see the consequences. It is one thing to do it and see afterwards the bodies dissolve into the air, and something different to see them buried and have to watch the grieving spawns.

    Thiara, I did not have to do it. I choose to do it: for money. I started to cry. Why do I start crying? It is absurd, I didn''t want to cry, and that thought only provoked more tears. There was a conflict in me. Part of me said: I only did a job. Part of me said: what the fuck? A job? Are you sane? It''s a game! Tell it to her. Tell it to her mother. Is it still a game? It''s all fake! Is it?

    The emotions pushed inside me back and forth.

    Why was this damn thing stinging me?

    ¡°How can all this be real?¡±

    She hugged me.

    ¡°If you do not feel good about what you did, why don''t you try to undo it?¡±

    I watched her disbelieving. What does she mean?

    ¡°I cannot! How could I?¡±

    ¡°Can''t you? There is an old saying: where there''s a will, there''s a way! You just need to find your own way with which you are at peace.¡±

    I pushed my head back and looked at her. Alice was telling me an old saying? Is this a sick AI joke? However, there was no irony or condemnation in her eyes; there was only compassion. Do I trust what I see? Does what she says make sense?

    Why do I not try to undo it?

    I cannot undo what I did, but I can try to do the right thing.

    Let me think it Cala-wise: if I did this job for 500 gold in one hour, I could probably undo it exactly as easily. I just need to check with the guild, learn where she is, and free her. Then I have no more problems stinging me. I could even make money with this. No, I don''t want to make money. Why not?

    A grin came to my face. Cala always has a solution.

    Anyhow, I have to visit the guild to prepare for the Silver Town trip. They seem to have competent people here; they might have some good ideas to help me escape from the idiot gnome and his gang. I might just ask about Thiara and have them plan a rescue mission for when I come back. I need to move fast. It is the right time to inaugurate my mount.

    ¡°Lynx! I need you!¡±

    I turned to Alice:

    ¡°Look for the best place around here and set up camp. Plan alternate guard for you and Spartacius to take some rest. If somebody attacks, flee or hold your ground based on your judgment until we return. I''ll be missing maybe a couple of hours. A ghost may come, you know the ghost I spoke to, if you see him, let him stay around, he might bring us news. Take care!¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    She hugged me. It was unexpected and good to feel her arms around me. I held her tight and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

    I jumped on the Lynx''s back as he had just arrived. He strained, surprised by my ''attack'' but did not react.

    ¡°I need a ride; let''s go towards the town''s gate!¡±

    As any well-behaved mount, he obeyed. Unlike a well-behaved horse, he whispered to me:

    ¡°But we are not really loved inside the town, and after the last action, I fear even less. Only Spartacius might be accepted there now?¡±

    I whispered back:

    ¡°I know some people in town who will be happy to see me. Besides, we are not exactly going to enter the town.¡±

 Chapter 27 - Epic mount

    In a mere minute, we were before the closed gates. But I did not want to go into the city. At least not through the gates.

    ¡°More to the right, over there to that bridge!¡±

    He went there.

    I need a harness for the Lynx to be able to ride properly, but I will not bring that point up now.

    I jumped down and whispered:

    ¡°Wait for me. Stay somewhere here around... please!¡±

    I had to add ''please'' as I felt he did not like to be commanded around.

    We were not far from the wall, but one advantage of riding the Lynx was the total silence of his paws. I whispered to not attract attention. At about a hundred meters to the left is the two-story-tall city wall and probably a soldier staying sentinel here and there. Behind it, the silent, sleeping city. It is a small border town, and noises travel far by night.

    He disappeared into the scenery whilst I went under the bridge. I found the inscription there as I was instructed. An amalgam of strange runes that, in reality, was an old text from the black temple. Any high-level assassin knows it.

    Well, an old text from the black temple... it was one of the 3 Delphic maxims shamelessly incorporated into the game: ''surety brings ruin''. About the equivalent of ''pride comes before the fall''; however, there are other explanations for this more cryptic maxim. But you had first to know the runes. Of course, even if you knew the runes, seeing there ''suribnustyerring'' was not very helpful. Also, you needed to know how to activate each rune with a tiny mana input.

    I just had to touch the runes in the proper sequence for a small portal to activate, and I entered a tunnel that led to the assassins'' headquarters in this town.

    I retrieved the assassin''s ring from my inventory, put it on one finger, and put my hand on the identification stone. A golem''s voice echoed:

    ¡°Calamity Lara. Welcome!¡±

    Each assassin has its own ring. They all look the same except for the fine imprint on the black stone with black letters of the assassin''s name. I don''t wear it all the time, as I don''t want to be identified as such, but this place was the exception.

    I came out of the tunnel into a corridor. No longer the rough stone walls and earthen floor, but a well-maintained corridor with flagged stone floor. There must have been a guard there at the end of the tunnel, somewhere well hidden, but it did not ask questions. I felt the probe when he tested me.

    If you fail the identification, you will find yourself between bars that could instantly block the tunnel.

    A green light was illuminating the corridor where I had just got. The tunnel behind was entirely hidden by an illusion wall. A couple of seconds later, a lizard-girl in a nightgown appeared. Elise, the assassins'' receptionist here, her green scales in tone with the ambient light.

    ¡°Hello, Cala! Any urgency?¡±

    She asked with her forked tongue between her teeth when she said ''cy'' from urgency. I always found it lovely and amusing how lizard folks pronounce certain letters with their forked tongue, with Elise being a case in point. She was small but very lively, with a keen and intelligent look in her eyes.

    I greeted her. She led me to a room. It was a comfy room with a bed and a small table with a book and a tea kettle. She poured tea in a free cup for me, then sat on the edge of the bed and took her cup in her hand. I must be in her bedroom. Was the free cup there before? Did she expect a visit?

    She pointed towards a chair on the other side of the small table and turned to listen to me with the face of a stoic monk.

    ¡°I will leave for the Silver Town tomorrow. I need a way to be able to evacuate fast, about four people from there.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you want to show it to Grackak!¡±

    She said that with a grin, showing a nice row of sharp teeth making herself more comfortable in her sitting position pulling her feet under her to sit on them. After a short pause, she continued.

    ¡°I thought somebody may come to us with this question, and I made some investigations. That city is under a magic dust carpet that could create problems with most portals. What I thought about is using a carriage with a fixed portal. You can set up a command to activate the portal. The portal can be well stabilized inside the carriage, isolated from the interfering dust, and after using it, one can also let the carriage explode, destroying the portal immediately.¡±

    Yes, one of the problems with portal scrolls was to control their closure.

    She sipped again from her cup. I tested the tea. Not bad!

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I like the idea. By when could you make this carriage for me?¡±

    ¡°I understand you need it urgently. I could have it ready for tomorrow morning. I''ll take a solid carriage that can be completely closed. Do you need the horses too?¡±

    I nodded. She confirmed.

    ¡°Inclusive two horses... To where should the portal lead?¡±

    ¡°Mmmh. Good aroma! Take one great city of your choice.¡±

    ¡°Not back here? You could still use the portal to town even with your reputation.¡±

    ¡°No. Grackak regularly comes here, and he might think I did come back here. What about the province''s capital?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Gordogswar, yes, doable. Easy and cheap.¡±

    ¡°Good. Can you deliver it for me outside the gates by tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°Are you setting camp outside the city? If you tell me where I could have it delivered directly to you. Do you need accommodation for the night? I could make arrangements here. You know there are some limitations about who can stay at our headquarters, but I think I can have it done for you. There is also an inn further away down the road if you don''t like this location?¡±

    ¡°Just outside the gates will be ok. I am not sure where will Alice set camp. I''ll pick it up in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. The carriage will wait for you. You need to come in person. Is this all?¡±

    I sighed. Actually, it was not the main reason I came, but she had solved one problem I was mulling on.

    ¡°Well, anything new about Thiara?¡±

    She gave me a look, her lizard eyes blinking repeatedly then she sighed:

    ¡°It took you long to come and ask. There is a quest to free her. It was put up by her family: one thousand gold. The problem is, I don''t know if it''s something you want to get yourself in and if I still can help you with it.¡±

    She ended her words with a sad smirk on her face.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I had the delivery tracked. Thiara was with the mountain sorceress in her castle until now!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    I saw she was conflicted about informing me. Probably tracking the delivery had been her initiative, and she might be a little concerned about what she found out: the mountain sorceress was involved. Styxa by her name, but people around fear to call her name not to attract her attention. She lives in the mountain in an adjacent area. It is a high-level area, so I would need to prepare well if I would plan to make an incursion there. She is a minor boss; one does not go there without a support group.

    ¡°She was?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She is being transferred. The sorceress has completed her work, and Thiara is being delivered.¡±

    Delivered... Again...

    ¡°To where?¡±

    ¡°A carriage has left for the Nehater pass route. I just got the info in a message a few minutes ago. According to it, she''s being delivered to the Golden Empire, probably as wife number 458 for the 7th prince, but the info is not confirmed.¡±

    I did not miss the acid tone. She was not happy about it. Well, a receptionist in the assassin''s guild with personal feelings. I looked intrigued at her, but I did not have now time to think about it.

    Things move fast. What did that damn sorceress do? I had to swallow my anger at myself. To free her from the clutches of the empire will be a hundred times more complicated once she is there. The time to strike was now during the transport, preferably outside the Emperor''s realm.

    ¡°Could I still get her? How far is the carriage?¡±

    ¡°Only if you have an epic mount, or you could fly. The only chance to get her is at the Junkers section.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± - I said, running out.

    She said something, but I did not listen. I''ve seen she was conflicted and afraid. This shit is much over her head.

    I ran, used the portal, and found myself under the bridge.

    ¡°Lynx, I need you!¡±

    He appeared just behind me. I almost had a heart attack. I jumped on his back there under the bridge. This is for taking me by surprise! He came out from under the bridge with my head almost hitting a beam. I had to duck to avoid it. I decided to ignore it.

    ¡°I need to arrive at the Junkers section of the Nehater pass as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°As fast as possible?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    He started to run. Not on the street but straight over the field. At first, slowly, then faster.

    ¡°You know the way?¡±

    I wondered, and he answered happily:

    ¡°Yep!¡± - then added - ¡°May I know why we do this?¡±

    ¡°I need to intercept a carriage bringing the future four hundred something wife of a poser to let her be a free girl again.¡±

    ¡°You know that place is inside the Golden Empire?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You know you''ll get on very, very bad terms with the emperor if you do that?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Good, that''s my girl!¡±

    I sighed. Being called ''my girl'' by my mount...

    ¡°I''m not your girl!¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°Yes, you are!¡±

    He accelerated. The landscape was flashing now by the sides, and I had to strain myself to keep onto his back, with my hands digging into his fur, trying hard not to fly away. Fuck, I need a saddle, but what an epic mount!

 Chapter 28 - Coach attack

    He was moving at breakneck speed and could go over areas that no other mounts could. Well, except flying mounts. In about half an hour, we were at the Junkers section. It was an area where many war machines from a previous dwarf''s war had been discarded.

    I pointed to a path clinging to the mountain between snow-covered peaks.

    ¡°She must come over the pass there!¡±

    ¡°Should we not go there and intercept her sooner?¡±

    ¡°No. This is a good point for an ambush. If we go there, we are closer to the sorceress.¡±

    ¡°As you say, you are the boss. I''m only interested in the... Sorceress? What sorceress? Has this something to do with her?¡±

    ¡°What did you say? What are you interested in?¡±

    ¡°You mean that sorceress? From up there in the mountain?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He sighed.

    Whilst talking with him, I prepared my equipment, keeping an eye on the road.

    I had now over my left shoulder a massive shoulder piece that had three big spikes and several small and could protect me from direct sword hits. It was sturdy and heavy and had an added flexible covering for the upper left arm down to my elbow and another one for my forearm down to my wrist.

    I could raise my forearm and put the two parts, one near the other, overlapping a little. Kind of a shield replacement role. That came over my leather suit, but it had several leather bindings that I was now struggling with.

    I need something that straps itself magically, not this damn thing for masochists... but once on, it was handy.

    I put on a helm. I do not really like helms, but it adds protection to the brain, and I plan to keep mine as much as possible intact. It was a funny ''Viking'' helm that I had from a raid on that northern folk... the thorianer, I think.

    The helm was very sturdy, had two horns, and was fixed with a buckle under my kin with two cheek coverings.

    I was armed with two katars. These are like long, straight, partially retractable short swords that I could control with my hands. The partially retractable part was not the standard katar, but I chose these for this fight as they could be fixed to my hands. It enables me to fight, handle something and continue to fight if needed. It was not that I could continuously retract them or shoot them; they had two fixed positions and a spring that I had to compress to retract them. Once elongated, they stayed in that position until I turned the switch off and pushed the sword back in. I could do that by pressing the blade against a hard surface like a stone or even against the other with the trigger held until it clicked. The spring was strong enough to skewer somebody if the push came to shove.

    ¡°You are crazier than I sought¡±

    He was not referring to my weapons. I guess he does not like that sorceress and was even less happy to antagonize her.

    ¡°Thank you. So you said you were only interested in...?¡±

    ¡°I would have been interested in eating the horses, but I think I lost my interest in these circumstances. Frankly speaking, I am now only interested in escaping alive...¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think I see the carriage!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Two firesteeds. I told you I lost interest. Those are not eatable. A firesteed-coachman. That is a very dangerous person riding that coach. A golden empire coach with Styxa''s coachman driving it. That''s not good. Oh, and from the other side, an escort is coming¡±

    I looked on the right side. The Golden Empire side. Yes, indeed, a group of ten imperial riders was approaching.

    ¡°So what do we do, Cala? Do we run to intercept the coach before it meets the escort?¡±

    ¡°If we run in the open, everybody will see us. They have plenty of time to react. Besides, we do not know if the escort is for that coach or not? We stay here put; once the coach comes, I''ll attack, escort or no escort.¡±

    ¡°It is for that coach. I''m not feeling good about this. They are going to meet just here!¡±

    I still decided to wait. This point was closer to the border, both the republic and the denikan kingdom and further away from the domain of the sorceress. Yes, it was inside the empire, the realm of the emperor, and I knew I was going to have trouble with the Golden Empire after this. I hoped I could avoid having the sorceress also hunting for me. Well, maybe not immediately.

    The coach must have stopped. It had disappeared behind a peak and did not appear on the other side where the road continued. I was starting to get concerned. It was even worse when the riders passed by us. I tried to gauge them passively; it is a method to estimate them by their aura, with no active push on my side. It is not as precise as a push, but they do not feel it. It told me they were between level 50 and 75. This is the disadvantage of the passive estimation, a broader range. OK, the task will be still doable.

    I watched them as they continued at a trot and disappeared behind the peak from the other side. What were they doing there? I almost wanted to go to check when they finally appeared back.

    And just like that, the Lynx wondered:

    ¡°What if it''s not the coach that we are waiting for?¡±

    I filled my lungs with air. Deep. And exhaled. Well yes. What then? What if the information is wrong?

    ¡°Are you here, White...¡±

    ¡°Call me Terri, please!¡±

    ¡°Even when we are alone?¡±

    ¡°Here, you are never alone.¡±

    ¡°So, Terri, what do you say? You have been very silent in the last time?¡±

    ¡°I agree with the Lynx. You are crazy. Even if I understand the reason why you are doing this.¡±

    I was glad to hear her confirmation, but when she continued...

    ¡°Even if I am not sure that this thousand gold is worth the trouble you will get yourself in...¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°It is not for the money that I''ll do it!¡±

    ¡°Really? Then why do you do it?¡±

    ¡°To free that girl!¡±

    ¡°Sure? What is so special with that girl?¡±

    At which the Lynx interrupted me brutally, bringing me back to reality

    ¡°They will be here in one minute. What do I do?¡±

    ¡°I''ll say darkness, then they must stop. The darkness will allow me to eliminate the riders, one by one, and then I''ll have to deal with the coachman.¡±

    It sounds exaggerated, but there were reasons for my confidence. I can see much better than anybody else in the darkness created by my spell. In addition, I was planning to use the speed spell, which would allow me to just appear and disappear at different points in fast succession. That would confuse them and allow my plan to work. I had already my ''trophy list'' of coach attacks; it was not my first one.

    I was higher level and could kill them one by one; their only chance would be to gang on me.

    ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°Stay out of trouble. Be ready to sprint once we get the girl!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Terri, would you be able to feel what''s inside the coach? I know f...¡±

    ¡°By all the treants! Don''t say what I am! I''ll try to help you gauge them, but I need you to do it.¡±

    My heart was ticking faster and louder in my chest. This is not well prepared. I had no knowledge of the riders, the coachman, or what could expect me inside the coach.

    The coach that was approaching us like a rumble of rolling thunder. I judged my moment to be here:

    <<darkness>>

    The horses neighed in the darkness, the cavalcade interrupted abruptly with horses pacing in place on the stone-covered road, riders trying to orient themselves.

    After the first moments of confusion, a strange light appeared. It was limited to a small area around the coach, a magic light held in the coachman''s left hand, enough to push back the darkness 4-5 meters around.

    Fuck, I will not have full advantage of the darkness. This coachman has some countermeasure. I sent a full probe to gauge them.

    <<identify all>>

    ¡°Attack!¡± The coachman screamed, pointing in my direction.

    Double fuck. He was about level 87. The ten riders were level 63. There was something else inside the coach, one high level and one or two low levels, but those auras were masked by the coach itself. The coachman shook the reins in his right hand, screaming, pushing the horses, telling them to run.

    ¡°There is a girl inside the coach and... a boy and...¡±

    I did not hear the rest because I''d said my speed spell, and the sounds came distorted.

    I needed to act quickly: I needed my speed spell. I needed to be as fast as possible.

    The speed spell is scalable. The more you concentrate, the more power you put into the spell, the faster you get, but the more it consumes you. Nothing is for free. I tried to put the maximum power I could into it:

    <<speed>>

    The world slowed down. Horses sauntered slowly with dancing steps. Little stones were lifted in the air and flew slowly to the sides like butterflies.

    The coachman stood on his feet, and his mouth opened in a never-ending scream. A sound as deep as a rumble. A bubbling underwater.

    He and the four horses started to light an internal red light, like some demons from hell. It was probably a buff spell that, at a minimum, made the horses immune to the anguish and fear that comes with the darkness. They''ll run blindly through it. That''s when I saw the Lynx jumping towards the horses on my left. He understood the danger: once the coach is out of the ''darkness'' zone, it becomes a race deeper and deeper into enemy territory.

    I ran full speed towards the coach''s door, but the damn riders were spread around it. For a second, I thought about going with the shoulder full speed against a horse. That would probably mortally wound the horse, maybe even topple it, but it would stop me, and I''ll have to fight them all in the coacher''s light.

    I think I was never as fast as now. I must be at about three times the average speed or even more, and my heart in my chest must be even quicker. I heard the rumbling beatings like a drum beaten by a crazy drummer.

    Change of plan: I won''t fight them all; I''ll only take the girl and run.

    I jumped, and the rider saw me when I was in the air. He tried to turn but was much too slow, his sword moving so slowly I could even dance on it. My left shoulder hit him while the left hand triggered the katar skewering his belly. My right foot hit the horse, propelling me further, disengaging my left shoulder from his skull and toppling the horse in the other direction.

    My left foot hit another horse on the head, but the push was insufficient to propel me higher, and I fell to the ground.

    I rolled under another horse and made two steps, then I jumped, hitting the coach''s door with the left shoulder. The door exploded into smaller and bigger fragments, and I saw Thiara watching me with big round eyes...

    Suddenly everything was covered in a grey matter. I felt a terrible pain in my head. I fell down as I could no longer control my limbs. It was a slow flight towards the bottom of the coach as one foot was still hanging in the broken door. It was a slow and continuous pain as if somebody was pushing a needle in the back of my head. Not a needle, a whole pickax.

    I don''t know how long it took. To me, it was an eternity. Was I already dead? I was so cut off from reality that I even considered the possibility that I was finished, a ghost already. But what had killed me? How? Why couldn''t I move? As a ghost, I should be able to move!?

    What was there inside the cabin that could kill me in the blink of an eye? My thoughts started to get confused when an intense flash of light suddenly blinded me. It was as strong as a nascent star. It was behind my back, yet it was so intense that I could barely discern the coach''s floor slowly coming towards my nose: it was too white. Everything was white. Was there an atomic explosion behind me? At least the light from one.

    Then suddenly, I became again aware of myself as my nose hit the floor, the coach shaking and creaking from the hit. Well, not only my nose hit but my whole body. No, there was something else that was shaking the coach. Or the coach has hit something?

    Strange low frequency sounds added to the cacophony of low-frequency noise around me:

    ¡°IIIIIIIIIiiiiiiikkkkiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllleeeeeeeedddddddttttthhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeegggggghhhhhhooooooosssssssttttttt¡±

    I had no clue what she was yelling, the goo surrounding me as I turned to see a kid or something that was looking like a kid trying to skewer me with a dagger. He was chained to Thiara, his left hand to her right hand, whilst Thiara was still sitting there, shocked, in whole bride garment.

    I did not have time to think things through; I reacted on impulse, rolling on the left as much as it was possible inside the damn coach, my right hand''s katar cutting through the kid''s right hand. I was still under the speed spell. I was fast.

    Blood erupted from his partially severed hand. I pulled my right knee to push me up under a rain of blood. The coach must have hit something as it suddenly stopped and began to topple; the kid and Thiara started flying towards me.

    I need only Thiara; I have no need of the kid. I don''t know if it''s a kid or what this messed up situation is. My katar hit the chain, but as expected, it resisted. I could possibly break it with a hammer against an anvil. Possibly. But no way to cut it here. I tried to cut his hand, but it did not work either. Interesting, I''ve almost severed his right hand, but now the left hand seemed to be protected by some kind of spell.

 Chapter 29 - Run for Your Life

    At the moment when Thiara and the boy fell over me, I was dragged violently by my foot from under them. My chin hit something, making me bite my tongue. Thiara and the boy were simply spun in the air as I was dragged out from under them.

    It was as if a bad boy would pull a cat by a leg, wanting to smash her down. At least that was my feeling. I was the cat. Beware, kitty has claws!

    I turned as much as my body allowed it and scrambled to grab him as he pulled me. I could reach and hold him only with my left hand, but that was enough to change my direction.

    By the simple virtue of my weight and the speed he pulled me up, he was forced to take a step backwards, half spinning on his axis.

    I had a near vision of his hideous head as he screamed and tried to push me away.

    I tried to hold myself with the left hand and stab with the right hand. I was practically in his arms. Suddenly he grabbed me in a more vigorous hug, and I felt a pull on me.

    Before I realized what was happening, another vicious sting hit my back. Not one sting but several, and I saw the tip of a claw coming out above my right breast with horror. I stabbed, but I lacked power; the hooks protruding me almost neutralized me.

    The pull became unbearable whilst the opposite drag of the clawed hand was cracking my bones. Blood seeped from my breast in smaller and wider gushes in rhythm with my crazy heart beatings.

    I thought I was watching my own dismembering in slow motion for a long moment. The pain surpassed everything I had felt before. This should not exist; this should not be allowed; this is too much.

    Only instinct, the pure instinct, guided my movements further. Instinct and a tremendous will to survive, I felt in my chest.

    I pushed as hard as I could against the coachman, and suddenly his hands slipped, and he disappeared from my vision. The clawed hand pulled me back, and I fell on my ass.

    Even this bumping on the hard stones pained; my whole bloodied body shattered and shaken to the bones. A pained scream escaped my lips as the claws retired.

    I probably feel only a percentage, maybe five or ten per cent of the pain I should feel and yet what it was, it was too much, much too much.

    Nevertheless, I was surprised by how cold-blooded my brain was still thinking and analyzing everything.

    Speaking of analyzing... something was missing. For a moment, I thought he had taken my head with him. No, that is not possible! My scalp?

    As the claws had retired, a complete healing was mending my broken bones. Air came back into my lungs, accompanied by a croaked noise.

    The mended bones, the healed skin, and flesh suddenly no longer pained, yet the memory of the pain remained.

    It was a strange feeling; all these sensations were new. It was not like this before, not so intense. Simply not comparable.

    I took another deep breath.

    The fucking coachman had called a kind of a portal or a recall spell and tried to pull me through it. Cala makes a full landing in Styxa''s castle to be chased by the owner and her minions. I was saved by the Lynx, who found no better way to grab me than to stab my back.

    My helm. He took my helm; that''s what was missing!

    I sighed, relieved.

    I was still under the speed spell, but I was mentally blocked for another couple of seconds, still trying to process what happened.

    And then the speed spell ended, sweat ran over me, and I started to puke. Repeatedly. Sweat ran down my nose and arms whilst I was throwing out my lunch. Fuck. I was sitting there in my own bile acid and sweat.

    When I finally stood up, all riders were lying dead around me. I looked at the Lynx.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°No problem, honey. Always happy to give you a hand, err, paw. Grab the lady, and let''s go.¡±

    Honey! This Lynx is making fun of me! I found a bottle of water in my inventory and drank it out. Meanwhile, my tattoo interjected:

    ¡°We cannot run yet; we have a bigger problem than we thought!¡±

    A bigger problem than we thought, this seems like a refrain these days. I sighed. For me, the fact that the Lynx was making fun of me was the bigger problem.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This is no ordinary boy and ...¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    What can be special about this boy? He did not show any special aptitudes so far. OK, maybe because I could not cut his left hand?

    I stood up, ready to... What should I do? Cut her hand?

    As if guessing my thought, she continued:

    ¡°Cutting his hand or her hand will not work. Nor can we break the binding!¡±

    ¡°We take the two with us? Can we cut this thing later?¡±

    ¡°Keep quiet for a moment and listen! We are getting into a very dangerous situation, making potent enemies. What we did is enough to anger them, but it will be much worse! Styxa does not pardon. She will want our skin if we take the girl. She might accept a monetary redemption payment or another form of service payment if we go away now. I fear that you don''t understand the gravity of the act. It is not only angering Styxa and the emperor, but we are breaking an important deal they made; plus, I do not know what Styxa really intended to do. I am not sure the emperor would have gotten exactly what he ordered.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I was a little bit annoyed at being told so brutally to shut up. She seemed to be agitated and scared. What was new in what she told me? Do we have time now to talk about what we did and will do? As she talked, I kept an eye on the boy and Thiara. Both were sitting with their back against the broken coach. I checked my equipment. My helm was gone with the coachman, and my jacket was completely ripped in two, both parts hanging on the respective arms.

    ¡°This is not new. I understand that. I still want to do it. So what happened...¡±

    I wanted to ask what happened inside the coach, but she cut me off.

    ¡°Don''t talk loud when the boy listens. Let me make the talking. Just answer yes, no, or very simple words. We do not have much time. Look, you have a weakness against ghosts, true?¡±

    I nodded. How should I talk with her? I tried to whisper.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A ghost was in the process of possessing you. You simply caved. I just had the time to come out and burn it before you were completely taken over, that''s what happened, but that is not the real problem. This boy is the heir of the Golden Empire. I''ll explain more later, but the point is: we are in big trouble. I''ll help you further, but you must know that this will put us all on Styxa''s and the emperor''s kill list. Do you understand? Maybe we even get the dubious honour of being the highest on their kill list. Is this worth it? You will need to help protect me until we find a place far enough and secure from these two. Maybe on another continent.

    The emperor is now married to this girl. Do you understand? Already married. She has not been destined for whatever prince but for the emperor himself. This boy came here, and he married her in the emperor''s name. He is only an avatar of the emperor for this marriage. The bond between them cannot be broken. It is an imperial spell, and it is powerful in his domain. It would break only with the death of one of them. That bond will tie later this girl to the imperial residence when the boy delivers her.¡±

    ¡°Kill?¡±

    Both the boy and Thiara flinched, looking at me.

    ¡°Shut up!! Bind them both fast. Maybe I have an idea that works! But before I make anything, promise me, you''ll help me get somewhere safe!¡±

    How should I promise if I have to shut up?

    ¡°How should I... I promise. I promise! What idea?¡±

    ¡°Bind him! Fast. I''ll tell you later. I hope it works.¡±

    I hurried up. He tried to protest, but I did it as fast as possible, ignoring his protests.

    ¡°Eyes too¡±

    ¡°Thiara too?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    She left me. I felt that prickle and burning over my skin again as she appeared in the air. She flew up in the air and started to burn with incandescent light. Thiara started to scream, shaking wildly in her bindings. She was trying desperately to escape. What was happening? Why now suddenly?

    The Lynx was looking towards the mountains, seemingly ignoring our machinations. He just murmured with a low voice:

    ¡°Harpies. A whole flock is on the way.¡±

    I turned to look but could not see them in the darkness. Oh, maybe I saw some stars flickering.

    ¡°They''ll be here in less than a minute.¡±

    It was not an alarmed tone, just a stated fact.

    At this moment, Thiara simply exploded. No, but I had the impression that she exploded. Something burned, something from inside her. It was like a small firework without a bang. Could White Flower somehow remove the binding? Thiara remained there, bound like a sausage, still screaming, but somehow with a different voice, scraps hanging from her body. She was no longer shaking.

    White Flower flew against me, again almost toppling me.

    ¡°Cut her hand... cut her hand. Run!¡±

    Cut her hand? Prickles and burnings invaded my skin.

    ¡°Cut her hand, take her and run! She can be freed now, but we will all die if you stay.¡±

    Meanwhile, the Lynx was cutting her bindings with his claws. I did not hesitate anymore; I jumped at Thiara and cut her hand before she could even scream. The katar went soft through her hand, like a hot knife cutting butter.

    In the next moment, I took a screaming Thiara in my arms and jumped with my package on the Lynx''s back.

    I heard my tattoo speaking to the Lynx as he jumped.

    ¡°Run for our lives, my friend!¡±

    Blood surged from Thiara''s arm for a moment, obscuring my vision, but the next moment the flow was stopped as healing came through.

 Chapter 30 - Level up

    The Lynx started to run, and I had trouble keeping on him, especially with Thiara as added weight. She was not strong enough to keep herself from falling with the extreme movements the Lynx was doing, so I had to push her down and hold a hand over her and pray and hope she would not fall. I also hoped that his fur was strong enough and I would not end up flying through the landscape with ringlets in my hands.

    I risked a glance behind me, but I could not see the harpies. I thought they were still far away, which is why I was shocked when a set of claws grabbed my back soon after that.

    It was not as bad as when the Lynx did it, but it was bad enough.

    I screamed in pain as I was lifted in the air, yet I must have been too heavy for the harpy as she flew against the ground. Or maybe that was the harpy''s plan from the beginning as she plunged my face into the gravel. Next, we found ourselves in a tornado of claws, feathers, bodies, and screams.

    A particularly vicious harpy was on me, and during the first part of the fight, I was in a dire position as she had grabbed my back and was doing everything to finish me.

    The Lynx could not help; I was not sure if he could see me inside the tornado, but even if he saw me, what could he do? Leave Thiara and help me? Then our action would have been for nought as the harpies would have taken her instantly away. He would probably help if I were in danger of dying.

    Luckily I could heal myself, and the moment the harpy made a mistake, I could free myself from her grip and was finally able to also deal out hits. The fight continued, long undecided, but it ended with me having the upper hand.

    Interestingly enough, once I killed my harpy, the flock broke and flew away. I went to the Lynx and healed them both; even Thiara, which he had covered with his body, was wounded.

    As soon as they were back on their feet, I wanted to restart our running cavalcade, but White Flower stopped me:

    ¡°Wait¡±

    She came ''out'' again and rode the Lynx. Why would she do that? Why would she expose herself now?

    She made a "follow me" gesture. We did just that, even if I had a lot of questions. As Thiara was moving too slow, I finished giving her a piggyback. White Flower made us a keep silent gesture.

    As if the followers would not be able to see us!? To my surprise, that seemed to be the case. I planned to ask her after this what was she doing.

    We were already on the Kingdom''s territory when the Lynx chose to hide in a natural hideout between several giant rocks.

    I wondered why he did that when I heard a kind of a growl. A vicious growl that didn''t sound like anything I had heard before. A giant undead dragon flew over us as we hid with Thiara near the Lynx, spewing a strange green-yellow fire.

    At this very moment, White Flower did choose to enter again ''under my skin''.

    ¡°This is Thankar, Styxa''s undead dragon. He is sweeping the area, searching for us. Don''t make a sound; put a hand over this girl''s mouth, so she knows not to make a sound. Nod if you understood!¡±

    I nodded and did as she said. I also gestured to Thiara to further keep silent. The girl was scared, exhausted, only half by conscience but nodded that she understood.

    ¡°There are still some harpies and gargoyles looking for us, but they will soon go. Styxa must think that we used some portal to leave.¡±

    She paused, and I thought that was it; however, she started talking again.

    ¡°I promised that I would explain to you, so here is what I know.

    In the Golden Empire, it is not the oldest son that is the heir. The emperor usually designates as heir one of the youngest sons; all older sons will be advisers and warlords of the crown. They cannot be heirs. Only younger ones can be if the heir dies.

    The emperor has many hundreds of wives in his ''collection'', as he calls it. He must have seen this girl somewhere and decided to add her to it. Somebody made a deal in his name with Styxa to subdue the girl. Styxa broke the girl''s will, and once her will was broken, she could be possessed. I don''t know if this was the deal with the emperor or only the ''breaking her will'' part was requested, and she added the ghost as a bonus for whatever reasons she might have had.

    Once the girl''s will was broken, the heir came and married her on behalf of the emperor. If you had kidnapped the boy, that would have meant war, and the imperial armies would be on their way searching for him.

    Once they marry, an unbreakable link between the wife and the imperial insignia is done. This link is magical and cannot be broken unless one of the partners dies. When the boy would reach the palace, the insignia goes to a specific column; each wife is bound to one such column and can freely move about 300 meters around it."

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Well, they did literally the ''until death do you part'' thing. I knew they were somehow bound, but I did not know precisely how. She continued:

    "I killed the ghost that was possessing the girl. In reality, it was not the girl that accepted the deal but the ghost possessing her. That is why once the ghost was dead, the link was broken; all that remained was flesh and metal linking the two. That''s why you could cut her arm off. In a way, the emperor does have her hand as he wished. Does this clarify your questions?¡±

    I shook my head as a no.

    She stood silent for a moment, then spoke again:

    ¡°Ah. We were not running fast enough to escape our followers. Once the undead dragon would have reached us, that would have been our end. That is why as soon as the harpies dispersed, I''d cast a spell to hide us. I had to come out to be able to cast it, keep it active and renew it as we went. Thanks to it, they could not see us anymore.

    I made it look as if we used a portal there. As you see, Styxa did not buy it completely, she had still sent her dragon to spew hellfire over the area, but I hope they will leave soon. Maybe she only wanted to show her displeasure.¡±

    I had to chuckle. She had a strange sense of humour: the emperor had the girl''s hand. Yes, indeed, hanging to that chain... On the other side, something made me feel bitter. Thiara had resisted and fought for hours before her will was broken. Mine was broken in mere seconds. Well, true I know Cala has some weaknesses.

    Why that? I tried to remember what Markus, the former Cala, the one who grew her up, had told me: you cannot choose only qualities; you need to select some weaknesses to be able to have more qualities, more valuable traits. Why were these traits needed? I think it was for the character in the time one is not in control.

    Damn, I haven''t paid him enough attention at the time. I simply did not care. What else did he say? Oh yes, Cala is a hothead, but she was not alone. She was in a team of five with four NPCs.

    That was her questing and fighting team. One of them was the planner. That was not Cala. There was also another archer.

    Oh, I remember. How could I forget them?

    Master Koro was the planner, and he was also my trainer. Exceptionally wise, a keen chess player, a go player, and a martial-arts trainer.

    Gideon the Fat, Gideon was looking like a sumo ringer. Always jovial and happy. Happily married with kids. Exceptionally strong and had a crush on Cala that resulted in platonic love. He would never confess his passion, but you could see it in how he behaved.

    Besides that, he was the team''s tank. That made a strange combination, a tank watching me with puppy eyes.

    There was also Cosbo the Thief and Diane the archer. Cosbo, who could procure anything. Did you need something? Ask Cosbo.

    He was the one brewing their healing potions and was a skilled medic. He was no healer, but the many potions he could brew largely compensated for an average healer, and as a plus, he could do good damage when needed.

    He could do also tremendous good masages. Oh yeah, I remember, he had magical fingers, he could eliminate your neck pain in minutes.

    Diane, the sexy archer. She could play the courtesan perfectly and made the princes talk. Or play the nun if needed. Did you need to learn something? Ask Diane. Did you need somebody to deal a hell of a lot of damage? Diane delivers.

    My guild brothers. Yes, brothers forever!

    Sad, melancholic memories invaded my mind together with much pain. I relived Diane''s death. I relived the moment when we found Cosbo''s body. All these memories that were hidden somewhere in Cala''s brain... or whatever. I shook my head.

    So yes, Cala was the hothead of the team. She was also ruthless and stingy. Cala, the killer.

    Yeah, those are no qualities, so what were the qualities he bought up with these non-qualities? Fuck I do not remember.

    Great improvisation skills? Cold-blooded? Stable? Can you be steady when you are a hothead?

    OK, OK. Does this really matter? I mean, this is how Cala was designed because that guy designed the whole team and had carefully put qualities and mangles in balance. Now, I do not have the team here. I have only Cala. Diane and Cosbo are dead; they died in that last epic mission. Markus was so invested in them that he ceased playing. From that day on, he could no longer play Cala. Ah, that''s why he tried the bodysuit interface! He must have lied to me, he told me he always played bodysuit, but you cannot get that invested in these characters if you play bodysuit.

    What was that last epic quest? Oh yeah, we killed a king and, with it, almost destroyed a kingdom completely all by ourselves. Some chunks of it remained. Yeah, I think it was a 10k gold job. 10K gold to destroy a kingdom when armies could not do it. I was too cheap. I should have asked for much more.

    Oh, stop it, Cala, don''t be so stingy.

    I am playing Cala. Does she influence me? This should not be possible when I am playing, isn''t it?

    But I am a hothead. I mean, I? Or Cala is?

    ¡°I think we can go.¡±

    I almost jumped hearing her. I took a deep breath. I''ll need to think more about this. These are some worrisome thoughts. I never really analyzed this. I never took the time to do it, but was not ''know yourself'' the first Delphic maxim?

    However, now is not the time for self-analysis.

    We came out of our hideout. I helped Thiara get on Lynx and then jumped behind her. We left in a light trot that, for Lynx, translated into elegant, easy jumps and arrived before dawn at the bridge.

    Behind us, wast areas were wholly or partially burned, fire still lingering between charred logs, but for the city''s nearby forest, which had been spared. What about the farms spread down the river? I hope the spawns survived.

    I found a piece long enough in Thiara''s rags that I could use as a binder over her eyes and led her carefully to the assassins'' headquarters.

    As soon as I passed the tunnel, a lizardgirl''s worried voice greeted me:

    ¡°Cala!? You did it?! You crazy girl!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And I levelled.¡±

    Finally, after almost a year since I played Cala, I got my first level. I was now level 95. I still could not access my interface to see it, but I felt it.

    ¡°I''m not quite sure I understand?¡±

    I sighed. Yeah. NPCs do not quite have it with the levels.

 Chapter 31 - Not My Decision

    In an instant, the headquarters were buzzing with activity. We were moved to an adjacent room that I later realized was in a separate house with a common wall with the base. We got each a wool blanket to cover us and keep warm, and somebody gave me a plate with sandwiches. I struggled a bit with the boy that brought the plate as he wanted to keep the plate and me only to take from it. It did not make any sense. I did not realize I was that hungry until I had that plateful of sandwiches in front of my eyes.

    Previously I didn''t want to stay, but Thiara was clinging to me; she didn''t want to leave my side, not until her father erupted into the room. When she left me, I was a bit ashamed because I felt relieved that I could finally concentrate on my plate of sandwiches.

    Her mother entered a moment later. I think she was told to wait as they feared an assassination attempt, but obviously, she could not stay. A very agitated guard entered the room behind her.

    It was not known that this was the assassins'' guild headquarters, but being called in the middle of the night in a dubious location was enough to raise a lot of alarm bells.

    I left them the joy of the reunion, continuing to chew happily at my sandwiches. Who thought of making many small different sandwiches? There must be a gourmet in this house! As Thiara was crying in her mother''s arms, I realized that I could not just dump her there and leave. I was not sure how far I could rely on her to explain the situation. How much did she understand from the happening?

    I sighed and took her father to the side. Elise came closer to join our conversation, and I did not protest.

    I held my plate in one hand, and I grasped his biceps with the other to the distress of his guard, then looked into his eyes:

    ¡°There is something that you need to be aware of. Maybe we should talk in a smaller group?¡±

    I eyed the two guardsmen that accompanied him and the two assassins that were here to keep the balance. He produced the expected answer whilst the guardsman shot me an angry look.

    ¡°I fully trust my captains!¡±

    I sighted. I munched the last sandwich down whilst he was watching me expectantly. I feared he would say that, but could you really trust them in any conditions? Because these were not normal conditions. I would put as much trust in them as I would put in the two assassins, namely none, but in the end, they all already saw Thiara. I put the empty plate with regret to the side and licked my fingers.

    As he did not add anything, I continued my talk:

    ¡°I fear it will not end here. I fear the shit only now starts!¡±

    He raised his brows, wondering:

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I spit it out in a short sentence:

    ¡°She is practically a fugitive queen of the Golden Empire and will be chased using all means available to the empire.¡±

    There is only one emperor; the wives are queens; this is their protocol for whatever reason.

    I raised my eyes to look into his. Damn, he was taller than me:

    "Do you understand what this means?"

    After a long silence, he gasped:

    ¡°This is not possible!¡±

    I pushed the air out of my lungs in a short snort. Do I need now to convince him?

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. She can confirm it." - I pointed at Thiara and added - "The witch from the mountain has broken her will, and she was probably married in her church.¡±

    The poor man repeated himself, still not able to breathe freely:

    ¡°This is not possible!¡±

    I turned to Thiara. There was that question that nagged at me for some time:

    ¡°Is it true that she has a lich in her black church?¡±

    Instead of answering, she started to cry louder. Ahm, OK...? Not what I wanted. Probably she was not ready to answer; some people take longer to recover. I looked guiltily at the marquis and continued:

    ¡°She was possessed; it is not she who accepted the marriage but the ghost; that is why I could break the link. Possibly the witch wanted to place a spy in the emperor''s court. I don''t know; maybe the thing with the ghost was agreed with the emperor. The problem is that both are now angry and probably looking after her.¡±

    Her mother raised her head, afraid.

    ¡°Is she still... possessed?¡±

    The marquis seemed to understand more about the empire:

    ¡°You could break the link? But how?¡±

    ¡°I''ve cut her hand after she has been exorcised¡± - I nodded to the mother - ¡°she is of her free will; she is not possessed now.¡±

    Mrs. de Hollybrun was shocked:

    ¡°You can do that? Are you sure it was done properly?¡± - she repeated what I said - ¡°She has been exorcised? Who has done that? Are you sure of what you say? I don''t think our high priest could do that; he would need the archbishop to come...¡±

    Whilst her father was now hyperventilating.

    ¡°Whaaat? You''ve cut her hand?!¡±

    I sighed. Somehow my words do not have the desired effect of calming them.

    ¡°As you see, her hand is regrown now. I didn''t want to cut the heir''s hand; I feared that might lead to war...¡±

    ¡°The Empire''s heir was there? Are you sure?¡±

    They were getting more and more excited in a negative way. Outright panicking. I did not know that limb regrowing was such a big deal. I shrugged.

    ¡°Duh, how else could she marry the emperor? Styxa was really pissed off; she had sent her dragon after us. As it was searching, it scorched the forest.¡±

    One of the captains jumped at me:

    ¡°Please, don''t say that name! She will hear you!¡±

    The other only wondered.

    ¡°You mean that the land towards the mountains is burned?¡±

    I nodded to him, ignoring the other:

    ¡°Yes, a big chunk of it was burned with hellfire.¡±

    Mrs de Hollybrun covered her mouth.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Oh, dear! What about the farms?¡±

    I shrugged:

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    The marquis jumped overall questions, taking my word for what I said, asking directly:

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    I sighed again. We were finally there:

    ¡°If you ask me, the best is if she dies.¡±

    They looked shocked at me, at first not understanding.

    ¡°I mean, there was an attempt to save her, and she died in that attempt. Nobody has seen her since.¡±

    Thiara looked a bit alarmed at me, but I continued:

    ¡°You could sponsor a girl from your domain to go make her studies somewhere else? I don''t know, in a city far, far away?¡±

    Her father was not convinced.

    ¡°But that would mean to separate us!¡±

    I raised my shoulders. As my belly was now full, the stress and adrenalin gone from my veins, I was suddenly feeling tired and wanted to sleep. Now, when I think about it, it was a too big plate, probably the plate with sandwiches was meant for all, not only for me. Yes, there were small tellers in a corner. Ah, whatever! I covered my face with my hands for a long yawn. This whole mess was getting wide over my head.

    ¡°That crazy old man that sits on the Golden Throne had seen her only through the eyes of his avatar and was waiting for her to come to him yesterday late evening. She did not. Her escort was killed, his heir wounded and bounded, and his wife did what no other Golden empire queen did. She escaped.

    What do you think will happen when he finds out she is here? Is the kingdom strong enough to defend her? Or will the king send her well-packed with a lovely rosy ribbon and a strong guard? Maybe some additional wedding gifts and best wishes for the nuptial night? She is still dressed with the scraps from her bride''s dress. I guess some party was cancelled in the Golden City yesterday night.¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡±

    Mrs de Hollybrun put her hands over her face.

    The marquis started protesting:

    ¡°The king would never...¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop it, Henry! This is exactly how it will happen! This miss... miss..¡±

    Elise grinned:

    ¡°Lady Cala¡±

    Mrs de Hollybrun nodded:

    ¡°Yes, lady Cala seems to know better the court than you do, Henry. Don''t be naive! The empire has many armies, and the king is delighted that none comes this way. He will do all he can to keep it this way. You cannot even think bad for him because of that. What else could he do?¡±

    She came to me.

    ¡°I did not yet thank you!¡± - she then embraced me - ¡°please come with us to our residence! We need to clean you both, let you eat and sleep, and then we will think about what we shall do. We need first to reward you!¡±

    Even if my heart jumped at the word reward, I shook my head. Is Cala so predictable?

    ¡°Not good. Even now, too many people know she is alive. The longer you postpone a decision, the worse it will be as more people will know about her. I made an error bringing her here, but my mind was not working right after the whole mess.¡±

    I sighed and looked at Thiara. Standing there in her scraps covered with a blanket, after being scorched by that spell, after being beaten and shaken, she still looked beautiful.

    ¡°I don''t know, maybe it is better to go back, girl...¡±

    She shook her head, afraid, with wide round eyes looking at me, searching for more cover under her mother''s arm. Where is that bitch that was screaming at the maids?

    ¡°Not everything is bad if you do it. The Golden palace is really nice. I was once there. As a high guest. The queens walk happily through hundreds of rooms; there are terraces with a terrific view over the Golden City; they have many different baths, saunas, rooms for games, rooms for pleasure, rooms for dining, slaves at disposition to fulfil their wishes. All you need to do is satisfy that old man maybe one night. Maybe not even that.¡±

    Her parents were looking alarmed at me.

    ¡°Are you really asking her to do that?¡±

    She mumbled in reply:

    ¡°But that would be a prison? A golden prison!¡±

    I nodded to her:

    ¡°Yes,¡± - then I turned towards her father - ¡°I am not asking her to do that. I only try to tell her the options. The other option is perpetual flight. Endangering the ones you love and care about. That can be worse than a prison...¡±

    One of the captains wondered:

    ¡°Do you think it would be so? Are all queens happy there?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Happy? All? I don''t think you can link the word happy with that place. Acceptance? Yes. Complacency? Yes. I met there several hundred queens. I mean, I have not talked to each of them, but I saw them and talked to a couple. I don''t know a lot about that place. Children are taken from their mothers at seven to be raised as what they would be, soldiers, generals, accountants, governors or vezirs. They sometimes are allowed to visit their mothers. There are some darker rooms below. I heard that sometimes the emperor has strange wishes. Sometimes painful, but most things can be healed.¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to go there!¡±

    She raised her head timidly, looking at me, but there was determination in those eyes.

    ¡°You do have now two, maybe three options. First, you go back to him with the agreement of the family. You make a kind of a party there and hope to survive. Maybe it comes out good. Or you stay home and hope nothing happens. If an army comes, you hope the city fights for you, the king supports you, and nobody sells you for a handful of gold coins. Or... you go. You go as far away as you can; you hope to be a step in front of your followers because there will be some if you are not dead. That''s why it would be good if you were dead, else you''ll have a bounty on your head. Have you ever been to Serenity?¡±

    ¡°Serenity? The mythic city?¡±

    ¡°It is a mage city on the other known continent. Andwana.¡±

    ¡°It exists?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. A large fjord splits into two arms in front of the city. The city runs up that mountain in the middle. Beautiful, wonderful city. Many rocks are made of pure crystals. A lot of them with magic qualities. You can go there and learn magic. It is the place where all great mages go to learn. Or, if you do not like magic, there is also another empire on that continent. Constancius, the anti-magic emperor. Another crazed that hates magic, but his empire is even bigger than the Golden empire. He has great art schools in the capital. What was its name... Constancia?¡±

    The marquis looked alarmed at me. Probably because I mentioned magic so casually. I did not care. I was really tired. I badly needed sleep.

    I yawned, and the blanket fell from my right shoulder, hanging only in the spikes on my left shoulder. A piece from the carriage door fell.

    I looked at it, and it had a little gem. A little black gem on it. White Flower whispered:

    ¡°A tracking gem!¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Styxa knows I am here! Fuck!¡±

    They looked alarmed at me. The captains seemed more than embarrassed; I wonder why?

    ¡°No, not Styxa. That carriage belonged to the empire. That is a tracking piece from that door. We were lucky it was not Styxa; else, we would not have been able to escape. The problem is the emperor knows where you went.¡±

    I bowed down and collected the piece with the blanket waving beside me.

    ¡°This is a tracking gem that was in the carriage''s door. As I broke the door with the shoulder, it got stuck in my shoulder''s armour. The carriage did belong to the empire, so maybe it is the empire, not that sorceress, who would be able to track us. Probably somebody is already on the way. It needs to be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Not easy to destroy; you need a very high temperature. Magic fire would do it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it is a tracking gem? We could call our specialists to examine it?¡±

    I turned, the blanket flagging in the air behind me. I tried to grasp it to cover me again.

    ¡°It is a tracking gem. I am sure. The best would be to send it with somebody away. It could be that they do not think about tracking it. Why would we take the gem? But if somebody thinks to check where it is, he finds it did move, and that''s where problems will come.

    Elisa offered:

    ¡°I''ll take it to the furnace!¡±

    White Flower thought it would be too dangerous to let her do it here:

    ¡°No, she should not do it. I can destroy it, but not here. We do it outside!¡±

    ¡°No. I''ll take it and destroy it. Better to do it out of the city. I''ll leave now.¡± I turned to Thiara and her family.

    ¡°I wish you luck; choose wisely!¡±

    I bowed slightly and left.

    It felt somehow satisfying to let somebody else decide. Not my problem now.

    An assassin escorted me whilst the other remained with Elise and the marquis. The blanket slipped from my tired fingers and flagged again behind me like a cape. The two parts of my jacket hanging from my arms made me look almost majestic in the semi-obscurity.

    I sighed. I want to go to bed.

 Chapter 32 - Falling Asleep

    I might have left them a bit abruptly, but I was just too exhausted.

    What comes next? Will I go to sleep with the dream interface still on my head? It looks like I have no other choice. Lola must have come back from her shopping trip, seen me in bed, and most likely went to her room, upset that I was still playing. How could she know that I couldn''t exit the game?

    I needed to use the restroom, and it wasn''t the first time during this gaming session. I hadn''t really thought about it before, but why would someone include bodily functions in a game? Did they really include it, or had I actually done it in my bed? If I had, well, it didn''t matter anymore; I could always go again. I couldn''t believe I was thinking that.

    But, in this case, why did I really have to pee here in the game? It wasn''t just the sensation.

    Nevertheless, I wouldn''t do it just anywhere... It was all a bit confusing. I headed to the virtual toilet, and, well, I went through with it... I mean, in the game, of course. Uh.

    I left the headquarters and stepped outside. It was still dark, but in the east, a brighter sky hinted at the approaching sunrise. Watching the twin suns rise was always a remarkable sight.

    Now, the smaller sun rises first, followed by the larger one. Well, they may look almost the same size currently in the sky, but if you could measure them, you''d notice that one is slightly larger than the other. Interestingly, the one that appears a bit bigger is actually the smaller one.

    At times, the suns seem almost perfectly synchronized, like they do now, indicating the upcoming rainy season. Rainy times follow when the suns converge.

    At other times, the planet experiences nearly constant daylight, with one sun chasing the other when it''s positioned between the two stars. That period marks the time of the great harvest and, unfortunately, the time of severe droughts if luck is not on your side.

    My mind was wandering, and I let out a tired yawn. I desperately needed some rest; it was time to head to bed, or I was going to sleep in my boots.

    "Lynx? Where are you?" I called out.

    "Here!" a voice responded from right behind me, startling me.

    "Why do you always sneak up on me like that?" I asked, a bit annoyed.

    "Sorry, I was napping," Lynx replied.

    "Right behind me?" I sighed, too exhausted to argue. "Can you please take me back to the camp?"

    "To Alice''s camp? Of course, hop on. By the way, do you have five gold?" Lynx inquired.

    That question almost jolted me awake. "What? Are you trying to charge me for the ride?"

    Lynx snorted and helped me climb onto his back.

    "Sorry, all that running made me hungry. I had to eat something, so I devoured a whole cow. Just toss the gold through the window as we pass the house on the right. The family is gathered inside there and mourning their dear Matilda but too scared to speak up."

    There were several peasant houses scattered throughout the fields surrounding the town, and he was referring to the closest one, about a couple of hundred meters away.

    I assumed Matilda was the cow''s name, and five gold should be more than enough to cover the cost.

    I let out a sigh; it felt like I was practically throwing away my money. But then again, he was hungry and had been waiting for me with limited options.

    He veered slightly off our path toward the house, and I leaned to the side to place the gold in a pile on the windowsill as we passed by. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hand from inside the house reaching out to retrieve it. Perhaps I even heard a word of thanks or something similar.

    After that, I must have dozed off a couple of times during the journey on Lynx''s back. The blanket that was still draped over my shoulder spikes came in handy, providing warmth as I nestled under it.

    Sitting atop that soft fur, swaying gently on his back, I couldn''t help but feel that the journey back to the camp had passed by far too quickly.

    Alice, her face filled with concern, hurried over to us.

    "Is she injured? Is it something that can''t be healed?" she inquired anxiously as the Lynx carefully navigated closer to her.

    "No, she''s just asleep," the Lynx replied.

    "Oh!" Alice exclaimed in relief.

    She moved to assist me, but as I had just woken up, I prepared to dismount on my own. However, something went awry as my foot got tangled in the blanket. Thankfully, Alice was there to prevent my crash landing.

    I snorted, annoyed. Since when did I need help dismounting from my mount?

    "I''m not asleep; I''m just a little tired." - I protested and then requested - " Could you help me with these scraps, Alice?"

    As Alice got a better look at me, she inquired with concern.

    "Oh, you''ve been badly scorched. Are you okay?"

    "I''m just sleepy," I reassured her.

    She sighed and assisted me in maneuvering. I felt somewhat disoriented, almost as if I were drunk. Perhaps it was just the exhaustion catching up to me, but at least I knew I would sleep well that night.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The Lynx, on the other hand, let out a yawn and began searching for a comfortable spot.

    "I''m going to close my eyes," he announced as soon as he settled near the campfire, and in the next moment, he was already drifting off, lulled by the gentle sounds of the campfire, and started to snore softly.

    "I''m fine, Alice, really!" I insisted.

    She responded with an eye roll. "Yeah, sure, just let me help you."

    I let out a sigh but allowed her to assist me. While she worked, I glanced around and noticed Spartacius sleeping near the fire. But then... he wasn''t alone? Someone was sleeping next to him?

    "Oh, the ghost is here!" I exclaimed, recognizing the figure. It was quite a sight to see a ghost sleeping, as I had thought they never needed rest.

    Alice quickly hushed me. "Shh! Not so loud. Come over by the river."

    She led me a few meters away and had me sit down before starting to remove the scraps of clothing from my body. It felt comforting to have someone taking care of me, and my mind began to wander, reflecting on the events of the previous day.

    "What do you know about Noviel?" I inquired.

    Alice raised her head to meet my eyes, offering a reassuring smile before resuming her task.

    "She''ll be okay," she reassured me. "I spoke with a couple of soldiers who are still friendly with me, and they mentioned that her recovery is going well."

    "What''s her plan now?" I asked.

    "Well, since she broke her contract with Spartacius, I don''t think it makes sense for her to return to him," Alice replied.

    I nodded, and Alice continued her explanation.

    "She will return to the camp," she said. "I added some money to her purse to ensure she won''t be pressured into another contract. Hopefully, she''ll take some time to rest."

    "Good. You did a great job!" I praised her.

    My head began to droop, tired from the day''s events. Alice had finished tending to my right arm and was now working on my left one, carefully undoing all the small leather straps of the spiked shoulder piece. It was a relief to have someone else doing it for me.

    She grinned mischievously.

    "The conversation the ghost had with Spartacius was quite interesting!" she teased.

    That raised my interest. Curious, I asked,

    "What did they talk about?"

    "Well, to start, the ghost seemed really frightened," Alice began. "He mentioned something about shadows chasing him."

    "Shadows?" I pondered, intrigued.

    "Yeah, shadows," Alice confirmed. "I kept an eye out for them, but I never saw any creatures like the ones he described. It appears that shadows are ghostly beings that avoid the living but attack other ghosts. You need really sharp eyes to see them, similar to those needed to see ghosts. That''s about all he mentioned."

    "Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise.

    "I''ve seen some, too!" a voice behind me chimed in.

    It startled me. I turned and snorted when I saw him: it was the Lynx again, lying down nearby as if he were asleep. He lazily opened one eye, glanced at me, and then closed it.

    "What are you doing here?" I protested.

    He shrugged with his eyes still closed. "Sleeping and listening to Alice..."

    I raised an eyebrow. "Can''t you do both?"

    "Of course, I can," he retorted. "I can also talk to you and sleep!"

    He said this with a big yawn, revealing his numerous sharp teeth.

    Then, he resumed snoring once more.

    Alice began to wash my body with a damp towel, using water warmed in a magical cauldron. It felt wonderful. It had been a very long time since anyone had taken care of me like this. Not since I was a little girl. I couldn''t help but smile at the memory.

    "And what about the shadows you saw?" I inquired.

    The Lynx responded with a slight, minimalist shrug of his shoulders.

    "Not much more to tell. I saw them. You know that I''ve killed a couple of raids before, and after that, I''ve seen shadows chasing the ghosts. That was unusual... That''s about it."

    I let out a sigh. It wasn''t much information, but at least it confirmed the ghost''s account. Alice continued her explanation.

    "This ghost here, his name is Ivar."

    "Ivar?" I repeated.

    "Yes, he has a castle near Silver Town."

    "A castle?" I was surprised.

    "Yes, he must have been a very important person to own a castle near Silver City. He mentioned that there was heavy fighting in the lands he visited, what he calls Chapter 1 lands."

    "Oh," I replied.

    "There was also a part that I did not understand," Alice continued. "He talked about a dream interface. Do you know about such?"

    I decided to be straightforward with her.

    "Yes, the dream interface is the tool we use to come here. What did he say about it?"

    "He mentioned that there is feedback built into the dream interface. Something that is half experimental, half official?"

    "Oh, I hate those things," I grumbled. Feedback built-in? What kind of feedback? To where? To my brain?

    "He says it helps you learn what you did when you were not here. Does this make sense to you?" Alice asked.

    Yes, it did. I nodded. Feedback to my brain.

    "In a strange way, it does..."

    "Well," Alice continued, "they also said that Mephisto is stronger than any possible opponent, so he must be stronger than Grackak."

    "Uh, really?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

    The Lynx chimed in once more, adding his perspective,

    "That''s speciesist. Why is Mephisto stronger than any possible opponent and not me?"

    Alice rolled her eyes and disregarded the Lynx''s chatter.

    "Well, that''s about all they talked about. Are you hungry? Spartacius made plenty of sausages and other food for when you two come back!"

    I shook my head. "No, I can''t now. Just let me lie down here."

    "Now, come by the fire. I''ve prepared a couple of blankets for you."

    The Lynx suddenly became very helpful. "I''ll take care of the food."

    My eyes went round. "You can''t be hungry again; you just ate a cow?"

    He chuckled. "Phah, that would be just dessert."

    Alice had arranged a makeshift bed for me, allowing me to lie down, and she covered me with a couple of blankets. A few moments later, the Lynx added some fur comfort to my bed, lying down beside me with a satisfied grin. I think he teleported those sausages directly into his stomach.

    That was my last conscious thought before drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 33 - You are number one!

    It was a short but deep sleep. So deep that I did not even feel the prickle and the burnings when White Flower went away, nor when she came back.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

    I heard Lola trying to wake me up, her hand on my shoulder. Damn, I stayed too long yesterday evening, and I hate waking up in the morning, especially when I am tired... what about missing the first hour?

    ¡°Wake up, Cala, somebody is here for you!¡±

    The first hour? What about the first two hours? As she continued to shake my shoulder, I protested with a huge yawn, turning over on the other side:

    ¡°Let me sleep a little bit longer, Lola¡­. ¡°

    A guttural male voice woke me up:

    ¡°May I eat your sausages?¡±

    That short-circuited into my brain, and before I realized I sat up straight and spoke with an aghast voice:

    "Again?!"

    I opened my eyes to see the Lynx with a big grin on his face, which made me think of the cat in Alice in Wonderland. Spartacius was cooking at the fire, which explained the grin. A lot of sausages were aligned on plates, one plate in my direction. My Alice was gently shaking me to wake me up. Does the Lynx eat from a plate? What a stupid question... I see that he does that.

    I AM STILL IN THE GAME!

    Shocked and confused, I looked around. Fucking shit am I still in the fucking game!?

    I needed a couple of seconds to recover. OK, I smelled terrible, I was sweaty, and I needed to go to the toilet.

    Who the hell programmed this? Why don''t I smell like roses?!

    My torso was naked, my nightgown hanging half-destroyed at my hips, with Alice masking me from the others as much as it was possible.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    I was asking my tattoo why did it destroy my nightgown, at the same time trying to pull the blanket over me. My efforts were in vain; it does not work when you sit on it.

    ¡°I had to destroy that tracking gem. I told you, but you would not listen to me; you just snored.¡±

    Alice thought that I was talking to her and answered:

    ¡°A lady came from the town. She claims that you have ordered a carriage.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    I was answering to my tattoo, but that was also valid for Alice.

    Finally, my brain caught up with what Alice had said. I raised to my feet, finally managing to wrap myself in the blanket. My destroyed nightgown fell to my ankles, but I did my best to ignore it, keeping a dignified pose and stepping over it.

    ¡°I did indeed order a carriage, but it should have waited at the gate for me. Is it here?¡±

    There was a carriage about 10-15 meters away with two horses, currently grazing bravely with another loose horse, two persons covered in capes besides the carriage. They had hoods covering their heads, but I could guess both were women from their silhouettes.

    Alice waved toward them. Seeing her, one of them approached, and I recognized Eliza, even with the hood covering her head. I stepped over my nightgown remnants, walking toward her.

    She came grinning at me and offered to shake my hand.

    ¡°Good morning, Cala!¡±

    The blanket slipped from my shoulder as I drew my hand to shake hers, but I caught it halfway down. I sighed, pulling it back up. What the hell, I am in my bedroom, actually.

    I appreciated her initiative to bring the carriage here and not wait for me at the gates. In addition to this, personally, delivered by Eliza?

    ¡°Good morning. Thanks for bringing it here. Everything done as spoken?¡±

    She started speaking like a salesman:

    ¡°Yes. Good, solid, simple carriage. Can withstand simple spells or arrows. Two powerful traction horses. Inside the carriage, there are two levers for the two required functions directly opposite the door. The blue one opens the portal to Gordogswar. It is powered by a crystal that allows you to open it a couple of times. You should not try it more than three times without recharging the crystal, or else it may fail, or you may even get the portal spell erased. The red one blows the carriage up. It has a security lock. You have to unlock it to be able to pull the lever. It blows up only one time. I was promised a nice explosion. I would not advise to test it.¡±

    She said this with a grin showing her sharp line of super white teeth. I had to comment on that:

    ¡°Very funny¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ not exactly. The point is: the explosion is powerful, designed to break the portal, so please do not leave anybody you care about on this side of the portal. The countdown is now set to two seconds. That is two seconds after the lever is pulled!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°You can adjust it between zero and ten. Easy to understand how to do it. Want to see how this works?¡±

    ¡°Please show Alice how the adjustment has to be done.¡±

    The need to go to the toilet was becoming urgent.

    ¡°Good. Now the good news. I need to congratulate you. You are now top of the list!¡±

    ¡°What list?¡±

    ¡°It seems that the empire was very fast and has already found out who was the assassin that killed the freshest, loveliest queen of the empire. That assassin had the cruelty to even take her dead body away and leave behind only her hacked hand together with the tormented heir of the empire. The job of killing the assassin pays four thousand gold. Interested? Should I tell you the name of the beast?¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh. I guess I am no longer welcome in the Golden Empire!¡±

    ¡°Unless you go to cash the reward. The bounty is higher for live delivery; it goes up to 6000 gold. They want to know who paid for the job and probably make the assassin suffer a little for it.¡±

    ¡°You are humorous today?!¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The need to go to the toilet went up a notch. More urgent than urgent. Was there some sadistic programmer in charge of this? A crazy AI that''s mocking us?

    ¡°Yes. I thought assassins do not leave such obvious traces..."

    "Traces? There were harpies and a fucking dragon chasing my butt..."

    She took a step back.

    "Oh, maybe you should not mention that; people around here are very upset that somebody angered that witch in the mountain and her dragon."

    She became serious:

    "News came that several families have been wiped out; the farms along the border devastated."

    She sighed, then shrugged.

    "Here is the payment for the last job. 946 gold. I subtracted the costs of the carriage and a small bonus for me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Elise!¡±

    She wanted to handle me a sachet with the gold, but as I was busy with the blanket, Alice took it.

    ¡°About 30 kg gold. If you keep the sachet, I would need 10 gold for it. It is a low-level dimensional sachet.¡±

    Alice shook her head.

    ¡°I''ll give it back to you; it is not good to keep two sachets, one near the other¡±

    As soon as she transferred the money, she returned the empty sachet. A good thing about these dimensional sachets is that you do not feel the weight.

    ¡°Perfect! One last thing before I leave. There is a low-level mage that asks if she can accompany you on the way to Silver Town. There are currently no caravans in that direction, and the roads are not sure. Is it ok? She would pay 1 gold for the travel.¡±

    Good that this is the last thing. I will soon explode if I continue to stay here. I looked at Alice, and she raised her shoulders. Well, why not. I know it is difficult to travel the region, caravans being one of the few safe methods.

    ¡°Sure, she can stay! I need to leave!¡±

    At this, Elisa made a step forward and hugged me.

    ¡°I want to properly say goodbye to you. I don''t know if we will ever see each other again. The guild is very unhappy about the story with the Golden Empire. You know the quest was not from the guild. It was not a job but a quest from her family. The guild wants to know everything, all I know about you and what you did these days. A special inquiry team is coming here soon. All I know is that you left yesterday night, and I do not know where you went. You were extremely brave in what you did yesterday; please take care!"

    Then, she added with a wince of her cheek:

    "I did not tell you anything because I was never here.¡±

    She left together with Alice. OK, this may explain the personal delivery.

    Maybe I should have listened to what she had said when I took the quest to free Thiara, but honestly speaking, probably I would still have taken the same decision.

    However, the speed with which I was gathering enemies was a little bit disquieting.

    I turned to my things. Oh, Alice has cleaned and folded my leather equipment neatly. The jacket was partially recovered; the repair spell was not broken. Cool!

    I took my belt with my item box and ran towards the river. I have a very, very urgent business there.

    There was a small bank by the river, well hidden behind wild bushes, that I chose for my morning toilet. A toilet with a view! I need to find fast a place well hidden in the bushes for¡­ my urgent, urgent business. Why would somebody add this to the game? They''ve really overdone it! I understand the idea of a game as realistic as possible, but will I need to wash my char''s butt and clean it up each time I am here or smell the shit?

    OK, once done, feeling happy and easy, I washed with cold water. In my hurry, I had no time to ask Alice for her heating cauldron, but I had soap and a towel in my inventory. I washed methodically; it just felt good even so.

    Besides, there is nothing better than cold water to bring you up to speed in the morning!

    I searched inside my inventory box and found some clean panties but no blouse anymore.

    ¡°You blew my blouses; how can I dress if you continue to destroy all my clothes?¡±

    ¡°Sigh. You just had a couple of blouses. Besides, why would you need these?¡±

    ¡°I cannot walk naked as you do?¡±

    ¡°Not true. Was Terri naked?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, can you make me some clothes as you do for you when you show up as Terri?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Just that you know, these are no clothes, only illusions.¡±

    She started leaving me.

    ¡°Hey, what do you do?¡±

    ¡°I want to go to have my breakfast!¡±

    ¡°Why did you not leave me before? Did you spy on me all the time?¡±

    ¡°I do not spy on you. I am your tattoo. How do you like your blouse?¡±

    ¡°Oh wow! Cool! Tell me, why do you cling to me even when I am in a fight? I mean, it''s good to have healing, but are you not in danger?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you think. I am mostly ethereal. A small part of me is material. If somebody stabs me or simply throws gravel at me, huge parts of me may get broken or ripped away because I am too fragile. A small explosion would simply pulverize me. Your skin is very resilient. When I cling to it, I may get hurt, but much more remains in one piece, and I can heal both of us.¡±

    Well, that did make sense.

    ¡°Oh, I see. Thanks for the blouse!¡±

    ¡°Any time you want a new model, just let me know. This one will last a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°And how do I wash now?¡±

    ¡°You simply do it. The blouse is only an illusion!¡±

    ¡°Oh. True! Thanks¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Yeah, but I do not see what I wash. Eh. She left towards the fire.

    But finally, scraps are no longer in; the textile slaughter ends here! I have an indestructible lovely blouse, and I wash blind!

    I started to dress. So cool that Alice had cleaned up my equipment! Almost no traces from yesterday''s fight, and repair is in progress!

    I watched for a moment the scenery around, the white fog slowly lifting above the dark green bushes and trees, dew droplets running slowly along with blades of grass, birds chirping, quarrelling over something in the tree nearby.

    Did I ever see such pure and peaceful scenery in real-life? Seldom if ever. What a bathroom with a view! This is rewarding; crazy what they did. Surprised, I saw a relatively older man, about sixty years old, looking at me. He was with his mule on the road towards the city across the river. He waved to me, and I waved back.

    Peaceful, happy life!

    I grinned. In reality, I am in my room¡­

    And I realized I have other problems. Real problems. Now for sure, ma and pa must know about my situation. Uh, oh, if they know, they must be already on the way. Shit, I can hear it; in the future, no more playing...

    How can I get out of here? Why am I still here? It is said that disconnecting somebody brutally from the dream interface can cause trauma. Big trauma, big problems. It is forbidden. But you can shut it down. Takes a couple of minutes, that''s all.

    This is why the dream interface must have rechargeable batteries to disconnect smoothly in case of power failure or other problems.

    Why don''t they try to force a power failure? Unplug the damn thing? That should work! Keeping us in the game is not good. Why did Lola not try this before calling my parents? Or did she just ignore me and stand with her sister yesterday evening? Maybe she did not even come into my room? That must be it; I am still there, ignored and forgotten.

    So probably my parents do not know¡­ yet. If Lola went to school in the morning, then nobody would care for me until late in the evening.

    This is not good. By now, I must have pissed myself repeatedly¡­ and¡­ whatever. Sure my easing in the bushes here was, in reality, in my trousers! What will I look like in the evening?

    Oh shit! Dreamlanders pissing contest... Imagine the photos on the Internet. Shit, shit, shit. I''ll be the fun of my school.

    With these thoughts in mind, I walked back to our camp.

 Chapter 34 - Getting haunted

    Ayra was exhausted. Despite only being at the camp for a few days since Cala had brought her here, she was already regretting her decision to come.

    This place was nothing like she had expected. Instead of adventure and mystery, there was only endless work, discipline, and rigidity. The nuns were running the camp like a military base and a business, with strict service hours and duties for the residents.

    The tasks were never-ending, ranging from cleaning and preparing food for several hundred people to maintaining the corridors, toilets, dormitory, garden, and alleys. The cramped dormitory held sixty-four individual beds lining the walls in groups of four: a narrow aisle, two beds, one above the other, to the left, and two beds to the right. There were eight such narrow corridors on the windows side of the room and another eight on the opposite side, with a long wider passage splitting the room in two. Ayra''s belongings were kept in a small wooden box under the bed, and in the evening, she had to stack her clothes neatly on a chair in the long corridor. There were sixty-four small chairs aligned with clothes stacked up.

    In the morning, they rushed to get dressed, make their beds, and put the nightgowns on the chair in record time. The cramped lavatories with cold water were a challenge for the morning toilet routine before breakfast and work.

    They only had a few smaller rooms, which could be earned through work points, but it felt like years until she could reach such a place.

    Ayra felt trapped in this militarized, monastic environment.

    Work, work, work, and more work. Her hands and feet were hurting her, and her back was aching.

    Each area had its own section head; above them were the mothers and a couple of abbots who all reported to the superior mother. They could come at any time to the dormitory, inspect them and give them additional work. She heard that sometimes they would be taken out during the night for exercises.

    Then there were the ''hours.'' The study hours.

    Now she was running. Running in line. They were running in a group. Keep in line! What kind of study was this? There were many young girls like her here, but they were not playing; they had no games, and there was no fun but work and hard exercise.

    She was tired; she could not hold her place. The girl behind her pushed her, and she stumbled. She was falling behind, yet they forced her to make the same number of rounds as the others did. And whilst the others relaxed, she was still running. In the end, she fell to her knees. It was then that the instructor screamed at her to make her stand and run again. She could not, and then the instructor hit her with a wooden stick. She yelped and jumped on her feet.

    "See? You can suddenly move!"

    She finished her round on her knees whilst the instructor yelled in her ear:

    "You will thank me! You may have to face harpies, lions, and other beasts! What would you do then? Cry? Do you think that would impress them? Run!!"

    Another hit over her buttocks. It was not really hard, but painful and without honor. Disciplined as not even a lousy child would be.

    She was tired. Gone were the good days when she was only waiting for clients in Aruba''s shop or chatting with the clients or with the other shopkeepers.

    Even the other girls were mean to her. They told her she was weak. They thought she was a rich girl or a thief when they found out that she had gold. The superior mother took her 4 gold coins in custody. That gold was more than enough to pay for a whole year of ''training.'' She would not need to work to earn her board and lodging, but the superior mother asked where does she have the money from?

    She did not want to believe that Cala had put it there. She said: ¡°it must be a mistake.¡±

    Her beautiful sales clerk dress was gone, and she was now wearing a grey uniform like everybody else. And she had to pay for it.

    She wanted to run. The only thing that kept her here, the only thing that helped her endure this, was the thought that Spartacius would one day come back.

    Ayra raised her head and ground her teeth with a new light of steely determination in her eyes.

    Despite the grueling physical training, the cruel treatment from her peers, and the loss of her freedom and possessions, she remained determined to stay and endure, knowing that she had to be ready for whatever destiny had in store for her, even if it meant facing harpies, lions, and other beasts. And so, she waited, hoping that the day she would become Spartacius''s mercenary would come soon, even as the archery hours had yet to begin.

    She knew she would be ready by then.

    *

    As I approached the camp, I considered our situation. Perhaps our logout problem was caused by a local issue, which would explain why the game was still running. The game developers might have been unaware that a few players had difficulties.

    I snored. Could we be so unlucky? Well, knowing my luck, it may very well be the case.

    As soon as I emerged from the bushes, I spotted Spartacius, ''Terri,'' and the Lynx eating by the fire. The ghost sat nearby while Alice conversed with a stranger a short distance away.

    As I neared the fire, I turned to Spartacius and asked, "Where are you in real life?" interrupting the tranquil atmosphere.

    All three turned to face me, surprised by my unorthodox question.

    "I''m in our dormitory near the school. Why do you ask?" replied Spartacius, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Terri and the Lynx exchanged a quick glance but remained silent.

    ¡°Can it be that your colleagues let you play, ignoring how long you are staying there? I mean, you started playing yesterday? How many colleagues do you have in the room? Do you have some pampers on?¡±

    He took a deep breath before answering, clearly surprised by my unorthodox line of questioning his underwear.

    ¡°No, I don''t have pampers on, and that''s not funny! We are two in one room. We have two double rooms with a bathroom in between. The other two guys often come to visit. We play together almost all the time. I am not sure if they realized my situation. We cover for each other, so they may tell the teachers that I am sick to let me play as long as I want. Why do you care? We have fun, and I feel good? You know that body functions are reduced when under the interface!¡±

    "What are pampers?" - the Lynx asked with inquiring eyes.

    Alice scorned him:

    "Not now, Lynx!"

    It was my turn to sigh. It seemed rather absurd to me, but it was possible¡­ I turned towards the ghost:

    ¡°Ivar, have you got any message?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing. I had only bad dreams.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I almost exploded. Bad dreams! As if somebody would care about his dreams... I did my best to compose myself and asked the next question graciously.

    ¡°Do you live alone at home?¡±

    He confirmed my suspicion.

    ¡°Yes, I do...¡±

    I sighed. My bad luck fears seemed to be confirmed.

    ¡°Can it be that we are among the only ones having a problem? And nobody knows of us?¡±

    The Lynx and Terri watched our conversation intently, without commenting, but the Lynx''s sideways glances were making me uncomfortable, so I decided to answer at least one of his questions. "Pampers are absorbent underwear for babies and sometimes for adults who need them," I explained.

    The Lynx looked horrified at Spartacius, who tried to ignore his glance. I chuckled. To tell the truth, it is surprising how expressive his cat face can be.

    Ivar confirmed that it was possible that our situation was unique. "I found people in chapter one who were able to log out without any issue," he said hesitantly. "But when I spoke to a paladin about our problem, she promised to raise a ticket but never got back to me."

    Oh, well, so the general message about the world being out of order was probably not including this particularly painful for us small issue... We had been mistaken in thinking that this was a widespread problem.

    ¡°So a probable ticket is all we have.¡±

    The ghost tried to excuse himself.

    ¡°After that, I was chased by shadows! Almost all the time! You don''t know how stressful it is to be hunted!¡±

    ¡°Where are those shadows?¡± I asked.

    He shrugged.

    "Not here, OK? I don''t know!"

    Well, dumping my aggro on the poor ghost was not the solution to our problem.

    "Well, OK, what is left is to contact any people we find from now on and ask them to raise a ticket for us. Does this sound like a plan?"

    The ghost nodded.

    "Sure. I need some rest as this conversation is exhausting my ghost, but as soon as it is again possible, I''ll do it. You do your quest to get rid of that ring while talking to any players you see on your road."

    Spartacius interrupted our conversation about logout:

    ¡°Why are you still a ghost? You missed preparing for resurrection?¡±

    It was Ivar''s time to raise his shoulders:

    ¡°It does not work. It seems the angels have no power anymore.¡±

    Oh well, I had a suspicion:

    ¡°Can it be that they are linked with the Silver Shrines?¡±

    ¡°Yes, correct, their power comes from the Silver Shrines. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Because it might be that an idiot named Grackak had destroyed the Silver Shrine in the Silver City.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck, pardon my expression, but that is bad! Do you know why they are called Silver Shrines and Silver City? Because they shine in silver light due to the high density of their silver-colored magic. Their power comes from the magic node in the Silver City. If that shrine was destroyed, that might explain it.¡±

    ¡°So it means we have no more angel-based resurrection?¡±

    Ivar laughed, a hauntingly ghostly laugh:

    ¡°Correct. You pay many months to be resurrected, and then an idiot comes and destroys the shrine! But are you sure of what you say? Because I don''t think it was possible to destroy it!¡±

    I shrugged. I was not sure; I only had White Flower''s story. Spartacius interrupted us again:

    ¡°How do you know so much about the game?¡±

    ¡°I''m a game moderator.¡±

    ¡°A game moderator?¡±

    He stood up:

    ¡°OK, you know something? First, let''s concentrate on the logout issue. I am going to check again! Besides, I cannot eat, so I''ll go right now. Are you still going to the Silver Town?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°Then let''s meet there at my castle. Ivar''s castle is just before the town''s entry on the right; you cannot miss it!¡±

    ¡°And the shadows?¡±

    ¡°I will run from them away. Once I am with people, they do not attack me. I just need to find some people and stay with them.¡±

    Spartacius used the moment to share with us one of his pearls of wisdom:

    ¡°In the morning, the nightmares do not look so frightening anymore, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ivar''s ghost conceded:

    ¡°Right. Well, see you!¡±

    We waved as he left, disappearing in the air. I watched the point in the air where he disappeared.

    Does it matter for me to continue playing the game, or should I let them kill me and live as a ghost until I am able to log out? At least I could spend more pleasantly the remaining time?

    Is it more pleasantly?

    On one side, I was inexplicably not really interested in life outside Dreamland. I kept forgetting about it. On the other side, here in Mephisto''s Land, I don''t want to become a ghost; that''s definitively not funny. I have always hated this feature. Why on Earth do game designers think it is a good idea to punish me and make me run as a ghost after I lost my life, I lost experience points, and material value? At least here in the hardcore version, you just do it a minimal number of times if you are lucky and have paid enough tributes for the angels to restore you or, in many cases, just once to review your live exploits.

    The angels are now on strike, and shadows are chasing your butt. Definitely not interested.

    The Lynx, whilst taking another sausage with a claw and spilling several over the fire, asked me:

    ¡°So, what are you, demons or gods?¡±

    Spartacius protested:

    ¡°Hey, watch what you are doing! It takes time to conjure more!¡±

    ¡°Pardon me, God of Food, but please make more; these small thingies are very palatable!¡±

    ¡°No thingies, sausages!¡±

    ¡°Sausages. Yep, please make more!¡±

    I laughed seeing the greedy Lynx:

    ¡°You''ll get fat!¡±

    He answered with a grin:

    ¡°I''m working hard towards it, but no success so far. By the way, you did not answer Gods or demons?¡±

    I sighed. I had the same conversation with Alice before, and Lynx and ''Terri'' already know much about us. I watched Alice, who was still talking with the stranger, and answered the Lynx:

    ¡°We are kids, you know that!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you did not answer the question.¡±

    I sighed. He is stubborn.

    ¡°Oh, come on, you must realize we are no demons and no gods. We are just people from another world who come here to enjoy a world full of magic.¡±

    ¡°And you cannot go back?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He shrugged:

    ¡°Well, try to enjoy it then!?¡±

    ¡°If you sleep and do not wake up, how long can you enjoy a dream before you...?¡°

    I did not end the sentence. I don''t want now to paint the devil on the wall. I turned to Alice:

    ¡°Alice! Come here! Bring the lady with you! We need to eat before we leave!¡±

    As the mage lady drew near, she lowered her hood, revealing a beautiful oval face with sparkling blue eyes. Her pointed ears, poking out from beneath her silver-blond hair, added a mischievous touch to her appearance, and her lips, a bold shade of red, parted slightly as she inhaled to speak.

    ¡°Tina is my name! Nice to meet you! Thank you for your kind invitation!¡±

    I already thought I knew that silhouette, but now it was clear as Thiara''s eyes locked into mine.

    I sighed, a deep sight as I shook her hand. The Lynx grinned, and his left ear twitched, almost as if he tried to signalize something with it. I think he was mighty amused by the happening.

    Not my decision, not my decision! Fuck! This is what happens when somebody else takes the decision; you get the problems handed over.

    Spartacius jumped and gave her a greasy hand with a broad, grinning face:

    ¡°Spartacius! Pleased to meet you! These are Lynx, the wisest and hungriest Lynx in the world, and Terri, the best heal!¡±

    She shook his hand without hesitation, her eyes still locked into mine. I had no words yet.

 Chapter 35 - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    The first sun hung about three times its diameter high in the sky, partly concealed by pink-hued white clouds, while the second sun began to ascend from the horizon, casting a burst of golden light across the scattered eastern clouds.

    It was a breathtaking sight!

    I smiled, enjoying the sunrise, remembering I thought about it last night, but now I remembered their names too: the two brothers, Ethea and Ghomer, with the smaller one, Ethea, the sister, orbits around Ghomer, the brother.

    The weather repeats itself annually, yet it is slightly different year after year because there are two cycles: the annual cycle, or what humans call years, and then the long cycles, the long years. You have to be an elf to count more than three long years. Most humans count only one. The elves themselves call them ethean-years, which is actually a misnomer.

    Winter is now approaching, but the humans here have their own way of defining the seasons. First, there''s the season of long nights, followed by the season of short nights, and then the daytime season, when the stars seem to chase each other in a daily carousel as the planet comes between the two stars.

    Currently, Ethea is still near Ghomer, but it will soon move farther away. Ethea follows an elongated path around the main star, and as it moves farther, the weather gets colder. A complete cycle, an ethean year, also called an elf-year, takes around forty years.

    In the next year or two, true winter will begin, lasting for approximately a decade, when Ethea will be far from Ghomer, with some variations of warmer and colder periods within it as the planet comes between the stars or is away from them.

    Nobody has seen the real winter yet, except the spawns older than forty who pretend to have seen it. They call it Frigg''s years, Frigg, the God of cold, ice, and snow.

    This part of the story, the concept of the two suns, has always held my fascination.

    I wondered how the game''s storyline would develop. Would they continue to simulate the weather realistically? Would they eventually introduce a winter season, as detailed in the book, or would they maintain the current weather pattern?

    We were traveling along the road, the coach swaying smoothly, albeit a bit more than I preferred. My thoughts had drifted to the weather when I noticed Thiara stepping into the cabin. She and Spartacius had requested a brief stop to stretch their legs.

    As I saw her entering the coach, I jumped down from my perch near Alice and entered behind her. I wanted to have a four-eyes conversation with her, and this was a good opportunity. Well, four eyes was relatively speaking, as White Flower alias Terri was with me as a tattoo, but she was going to keep silent.

    I needed to make the most of this moment. Spartacius and the Lynx were now walking behind us, with Spartacius attempting in vain to persuade the Lynx to let him ride instead.

    As I entered the coach, I watched Thiara''s pretty face as she looked defiantly into my eyes.

    ¡°Painting your hair is not enough. I recognized you from the very first moment!¡±

    She made a feeble attempt at denying the obvious:

    ¡°But I am Tina! My hair is not painted! This is the color of my hair!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± - I replied, but my tattoo corrected me:

    ¡°It is not an illusion or paint; some mage did a transformation spell on her.¡±

    I wondered:

    ¡°You paid for a transformation spell only for the hair and the eyes?¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Why did you not transform your face too? At least your ears or nose!?¡± - I questioned.

    ¡°The mage could not guarantee he would succeed in transforming me back exactly as I am!¡± - she explained.

    ¡°What an incapable transformation mage. Is this the best the kingdom can offer?¡± I remarked while White Flower was finding excuses for the mage,

    "She is young and still growing; depending on how much she grows in between, the transformation back will get you a different person, not exactly the one you look at now!" -while ''Tina'' was trying to defend herself:

    ¡°I was in a hurry! You know how magecraft is treated in the kingdom!¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°This is useless! So you kept your looks just because you wanted to keep being pretty?¡± - I asked.

    ¡°What''s wrong with being pretty? I am not her; I do have different hair and eyes! Can''t you see?¡± - she replied

    ¡°You are not a mage and not even level 5! How did you survive in this area until now?¡± - I questioned, starting to lose my patience.

    ¡°I am a mage! I can spell fireball! I had guards!¡± - she protested.

    ¡°It''s your ring that does the spell! It will take ages, with your feeble mana input, to reload it. You are not a mage! Was all this your idea?! Don''t tell me that you ran from home?!¡± - I exclaimed.

    She looked suddenly frightened:

    ¡°Please do not send me back! I want to become a mage! I was just not allowed!¡±

    I sighed. Oh fuck, this promises to become one of those headaches!

    ¡°You want to become a mage when mages are frowned upon in the kingdom? What do you people have against magic? Magic is everywhere; even when your soldiers get stronger, that is magic that gathers in their bodies! You do have priests and paladins? So what is the problem with mages and witches and the lot?¡±

    To my surprise, she practically exploded:

    ¡°They are using magic in an impure form; that is the problem! You pervert nature with your magic; you do not live in harmony with it! Mages and witches pervert and destroy the natural harmony of all beings! The use of potions is not natural; those build up devilish flesh. That flesh is then prone to devilish wishes and carnal desire! This is why wounds need to heal properly and be treated with natural substances, not potions. Only the priests'' holy healing and paladins'' are natural. Being holy, they do not pervert the flesh.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, stop it, lady! And you want to study magic?!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have to. I need to be strong! I need to be able to defend myself! I will, of course, have to pay for my sins, but I want to survive and be strong for my parents! They should not suffer because of me!¡±

    ¡°And you came to me?¡± - I wondered

    Her eyes shone when she answered:

    ¡°Yes, you know so many places! You can help me get into that city, Serenity, where I could learn their craft at their academy!¡±

    Well, me and my big mouth. I had to tell stories about the world. I sighed.

    ¡°How did you trick your way out? How did your parents let you go?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Eliza helped me. I have money. I can pay you!¡± - she replied, becoming assertive again.

    Oh, well, and I wondered why Eliza came searching for me in the field and delivered the coach herself in the early morning hours instead of waiting for me at the gate as agreed.

    ¡°I could simply rob you and send you back home? Even get a reward from your parents?¡± - I watched her with an evil grin.

    She shrugged, not impressed.

    ¡°You will not do that. You are good! You had saved me from the emperor!¡±

    I took a deep breath. She is naive and trusts too easily. I closed my eyes for a moment.

    ¡°I sold you. I was the one who captured and sold you for 500 gold.¡±

    I said that in a monotonous, cold, and calm voice, looking into her eyes.

    She froze, looking back at me, her lower lip trembling. I watched her, unsure if to continue.

    ¡°Do you want now to go home?¡± - I asked.

    She simply started to cry, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. A deluge of tears ran down her cheeks.

    Oh, fuck! I knocked, and Alice stopped the carriage. I got out and looked at her.

    ¡°Let me play the coachman for a while, Alice...¡±

    She looked at me reproachfully. She probably heard Thiara crying. She shook her head and sighed. I think I heard her muttering:

    ¡°What have you done this time?¡±

    Can Alice be angry with me? Is this possible?

    She entered the coach while I climbed on the coach''s bank. I took the reins in my hand and shook them. The carriage started to move again. Behind us, Spartacius sat on the rear of the carriage, chatting with the Lynx, oblivious to our struggle.

    My tattoo admonished me:

    ¡°You have been too hard on her.¡±

    I shook the reins, and the horses started to move at a trot.

    ¡°She has the right to know the truth.¡±

    ¡°Was this the right moment to tell her?¡±

    ¡°When is it the right moment? Never. She is pretty. She is damn pretty, and she thinks this will open all the doors for her. Nobody does a thing just for your pretty eyes. They all expect payment in one way or another. Well, maybe, except for guys like the emperor who kidnaps you for your pretty eyes. But I suppose he also expects a payment later on.¡±

    After a short pause, I continued.

    ¡°Look, she is a catastrophe waiting to happen. She is level one; she did not do anything in her life except be pretty at parties?¡±

    ¡°I think she is what you call level two. I do feel some magic in her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. As if that would help much. Let her alone in the woods, and she becomes fresh food very soon. Why should this be my problem?¡±

    ¡°Because you were ready to help her before. She knows her family cannot protect her, and she saw you as the only person who was ready and able to do it. It was not her father''s lieutenants who fought the imperial guard and Styxa''s coachman. They would have been outclassed there.¡±

    ¡°No good deed goes unpunished, eh?¡±

    I raised my eyes to look at the sky: Ghomer was now up in the sky, running behind Ethea. In about fifty days, he will catch her, and the brothers will hold hands, and there will be a lot of celebrations throughout the continent.

 Chapter 36 - Amazons

    The road was becoming narrower, winding its way through ancient, towering trees. Human settlements grew scarce, and we encountered only a handful of fellow travelers along the path. Well, calling it a road was a bit generous, as this stretch hadn''t seen maintenance and was essentially a well-worn trail that could turn into a muddy mess if it rained.

    We came across a massive cart loaded with various goods pulled by what appeared to be some kind of oxen with three horns. The driver courteously made way for us, and I raised my hand in gratitude as we passed by.

    He watched us with a wary eye. I had the feeling he wanted to say something, but then, he only greeted us. He was likely on his way to town to sell his wares.

    The air was delightful, thick with the earthy scent of the woods. Many of the trees in this area emitted resin known for its reputed health benefits. Occasionally, we passed trees adorned with pink and red, albeit poisonous, fruits. While the poison wasn''t lethal, it was potent enough to induce severe diarrhea, and some people gathered these fruits for use as laxatives.

    Perched on the coach''s bench, I found myself in a contemplative state, engaged in a silent conversation with my ''tattoo.'' Nature''s beauty surrounded us, but my thoughts were a turbulent sea. Dolores, the soliloquist, they could have called me.

    Several things bothered me, and I attempted to categorize them, a technique I often employed to regain focus. I sorted through the issues, aiming to address those within my control while temporarily shelving the ones I couldn''t immediately resolve. My go-to strategy for that type of problem was to tell myself, "I''ll revisit this later; bury it for now."

    So what were my troubles? I counted them on my fingers: the NPC story, the world story, the fact that I could not log out, the situation I got myself in this world.

    These would be four main categories of problems that were busting my brain, and each of them had the potential for enormous trouble.

    The NPCs... You did not need to be a specialist to realize that they were very advanced. Even regular, stupid animals, even insects, were behaving intelligently. Well, like insects or animals would behave. Like real ones. Can this be? OK, it is, but how can this be? Did they make a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that I do not know about? OK, I do not know about many things, but wtf, even a backwater girl like me would have heard or read or found out somewhere else, not first in a game, that we have that level of artificial intelligence at our disposition?! Why would they do this only for a game? This is much above any promoted ''artificial intelligence'' ''robots'' that I''ve heard about.

    No, I cannot solve it. I will just treat them as ''persons'' to be treated by them back as a person. Weird, but what else can I do? The question is, what does this mean? Will this AI revolution come soon to our world? Will my car start having feelings? OK, I do not have a car, but a hypothetical car? My dishwasher? Uh, fuck. I don''t know. I will try to be polite with our dishwasher.

    The world. Is this a problem? Well, how on Earth did they make the world so perfect? It is perfect. Everything fits. Either my brain and eyes, my senses were downgraded and could not discern the difference, or they made it perfect! How can this be? The computing power needed for this was immense, as well as the networking requirements. How did they solve the latency problem? No, I cannot solve this; I leave it as is.

    The logout story. Something did not add up there. How could Spartacius'' continuous playing be ignored by his room colleagues? OK, I could ask the same question about Lola, but if she had just opened the door to my room, saw me in my bed, and closed it back... that could have happened... Besides Lola, who would come to check on me in my room? Clara? Only if she would gain some brownie points. Nobody else. Fuck, I was lonelier than I thought! Only in cases like this do you truly realize how few people in this world know and care about you. The school? They would send a bill and a reminder in three months. My parents, yeah, but they would need a couple of days; first, they will call, see that they cannot contact me, and then come. And that''s it.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I sighed.

    "I just fucking realized that I am so lonely."

    "Yes, I can feel your distress, and I understand your feelings. There are few true friends; that''s why they are so precious."

    I almost had to bite my tongue not to comment on this. Speaking about AI and behavior: to be understood and get the compassion of an AI! OK, I said I''ll treat them as persons.

    Then I thought about Spartacius and Ivar, the ghost. All lonely people. Maybe Ivar is even worse than me; he did not mention a Lola or his parents. Fuck. Lonely. Guy.

    I shook my head. I''ll think about this later.

    Alright, this might take another 10 hours to sort out. I''m not talking about my solitude but my never-ending gaming session. I can''t imagine Lola leaving me alone in my room all evening, and Spartacius can''t be neglected any longer by his colleagues.

    If not, my parents will end up calling, and they''ll insist that Lola takes me away from the game. It would be fucking embarrassing if it came down to that, my parents having to intervene and pull me out of the game.

    So, all I need here is to keep patient; things will get solved. Ivar, the ghost, might also help us. It''s a pity that this area seems to be devoid of players. Where are all those Chapter 2 players?

    I took another deep breath. Keep cool, Dolores; this will be solved.

    Coming now to my fourth point. My situation here.

    I have got myself into a lot of trouble and got two kids with me, a human kid and an NPC that thinks she is a feeble sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. By the way, I need to ask her about her age. Oh, whatever. The kids can only create more trouble for me through their actions, but frankly speaking, I''m good enough for that myself. For creating trouble.

    Yeah, OK, here I might have a point that I could solve. I can get rid of Thiara. So Thiara-Tina has to go. I''ll find a way how I can deliver her back home.

    For the rest, the idea is to survive and see what I can do later.

    Now, first, let me get rid of this Grackak-problem I have hanging at my neck. Then I''ll think about the rest.

    I raised my head at a particularly noisy banter from the two behind.

    ¡°Hey, you two, don''t make such noise! Everybody and his cat knows we are here on the road.¡±

    Spartacius disagreed with my attempt to silence him:

    ¡°The roads are secure! The only problem is that your mount does not let me ride it!¡±

    ¡°You want to be carried? Come here, show me what you are worth! Grrrr!¡±

    ¡°Attack! Take this, you dirty Lynx!¡±

    ¡°Dirty? Growl!¡±

    I rolled my eyes and rested my head on my hand. At least the Lynx accepted to be labeled as my mount. I''ll mark that as progress.

    I heard a girl''s voice, speaking casually, confirming my worries:

    ¡°She is so right! You are much too noisy!¡±

    I turned to see who was speaking. Did Alice and Tina get down from the carriage? But I did not recognize their voices.

    Spartacius answered for me:

    ¡°Amazons!¡±

 Chapter 37 - Breaking Free

    Behind us, five amazons came out of the forest with their bows ready to shoot. How many more stayed hidden behind some bushes? Difficult to assess.

    This fucked-up game! These amazons should not be here, and this road should be safe. They are from higher-level areas! What is this for a mess-up? Why are they here?

    I sighed.

    It doesn''t matter if they were supposed to be here or not. It was all on me. This shit would not have happened with Alice up here on the coachman''s bank instead of me. I drove the carriage along the road, too deep in my thoughts, not keeping an eye on the surroundings. The girls inside the covered carriage had almost no view of the outside and had other worries, like, for instance, trying to come to terms with what I unveiled from my activities.

    So what are these Amazons doing here?

    Thinking about it, this may explain some things, for instance, why there were no low-level players on the road¡­

    The leader of this small group of Amazons ¨C actually the tallest one that I supposed was the leader - addressed me:

    ¡°Coachman, don''t try to do anything stupid!¡±

    I almost burst into laughter. Should I tell her that I am the master of doing stupid things?

    I was still hesitating. Should I fight, or should I try to negotiate?

    Amazons are an independent nation or tribe that sometimes quarrels with others over resources and tries to be neutral in the great war. Still, they fight Mephisto and his minion (or anybody else for that matter) as soon as these come over their land. Usually, their tribe''s warriors achieve medium-range levels with some rare and notable exceptions. Threat assessment: low for me and the Lynx, high for Spartacius, extreme for Thiara and the horses. Pardon Tina.

    I should have a free passage with them, as I managed before to get several achievements that should count in my favour, and even met their queen. Therefore I had no reason to be hostile to them, yet this encounter could delay me and create difficulties in fulfilling my quest.

    Fight or negotiate?

    Quick and dirty solution with added potential ''bonus'' of a horror trip chased by a tribe of angry furies? The decision was not difficult; I asked Spartacius to obey. I do have with us two soft targets, Tina and Spartacius. Besides, why on Earth would I alienate another nation?

    The leader appreciated that:

    ¡°That was wise. Now tell those in the carriage to come out slowly.¡±

    I knocked and asked the girls to come out.

    As Alice and Tina came out, I raised my hand with the open palm towards the amazons, signalizing ''friend'', but it was at precisely this moment that the Lynx decided to break from us and run for the woods. The speed with which he managed to disappear from sight astounded me. Arrows whistled through the air, and I think I saw one hit him, but he was gone somewhere between trees in the next moment. Alice looked reproachful to me. Yeah, I know I could have used the moment, but I already decided against the fight.

    ¡°We will take care of that cat later. I see you are escorting a highborn!¡±

    I almost rolled my eyes hearing the leader. The more I observed these amazons, the more I realized we were dealing with juniors. Juniors who were hoping to have made a prized capture that would bring them money and fame.

    The leader turned towards two amazons and ordered them:

    ¡°Pick up their weapons!¡±

    I tried to negotiate with her.

    ¡°I am Cala; I know In''Hetta, the queen, we live in peace. I have¡­¡±

    The leader did not let me finish:

    ¡°You are nothing but Grackak''s slave! Now move!¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I almost forgot that. Yes, the amazons can see hidden things. Interesting that they know him, know about the ring''s meaning, and even recognize it!

    One of them climbed in my previous place to lead the carriage. My katars, Alice''s bow, and Spartacius'' sword were put inside the carriage. As Tina had no weapon, she was treated as if she would be the noble lady that was transported by us. This amused her immensely. They were more courteous with her, and she was offered to travel inside the carriage, not having to walk like us, the peons. She even showed me her long rosa tongue when she climbed back into the carriage.

    This little revenge on her side made me think that Alice did some excellent work in talking and calming her.

    On the other hand, the amazons did not seem to realize we had spatial inventories. I planned to have a couple of words with their instructor after this.

    I sighed.

    OK, this whole story may get a little more complicated. I''ll have to talk to the queen or some other high-ranking perp to get us free. These low-level grunts cannot decide anything but will bring us there.

    As I walked behind the carriage, I thought to entertain some conversation with them.

    ¡°Are you at war with Grackak?¡±

    ¡°Of course we are; the gnome tried to kill our queen. I doubt she will speak to you. The elders will clarify your whereabouts.¡±

    "Hm. Why would the idiot try to do such?"

    "I had no time to ask whilst he was rampaging through our village, you know?"

    I shrugged.

    "I lost a damn fight with him, but this does not mean that I am his friend. I have a burden, I have to complete a quest from him, and then I''ll be free from his influence."

    She shrugged at her turn:

    "The elders will see through your attempts to deceive us. They will decide."

    Maybe this is my lucky day; perhaps I could use the situation, and with a couple of dozen of amazons on my side, I could neutralize Grackak? I wonder if they could use regular, non-enchanted arrows, but they''ll need to come pretty close to the idiot to do that.

    ¡°Where do we go?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Just follow her.¡±

    She pointed to one of the Amazons who started to walk towards the woods. The carriage came behind us.

    I realized they were all very young. Somehow clumsy. Not your usual hardened warrior. Even their levels were lower than the average I was used to. Such young Amazons would have been trounced easily, and possibly the Lynx has seen it. We followed the guide whilst the Amazons came behind us. They were talking between themselves about how they spied on us for a while and how easy they made us prisoners. We were advancing slowly now on a meandering pathway in the thick forest. I was just wondering if the carriage would make it when the Lynx attacked. Not even I saw him before his attack. In mere seconds two amazons that were surveying us ended up lying on the ground. I mind blasted another one and trapped the one on the coach''s bank with a magic trap. The black tentacles immobilized her whilst Alice and Spartacius recuperated their weapons. Game over.

    The trapped one screamed from all her lungs towards our guide:

    ¡°Run, warn the queen!¡±

    But she was already running. I tried to sprint behind her, but before I arrived in range to trap her, she disappeared into the woods. The Lynx wanted to follow her, but I stopped him:

    ¡°Let her run.¡±

    No use running after her; I already heard her whistle echoed by others not far away. More are around. This is not good. If I cannot fix the situation, the journey from now on will be a continuous fight for survival; they are implacable and vengeful hunters.

    I watched with horror as one of the Amazon already had the convulsions of death with blood spilling from her throat wound.

    I jumped at her and said:

    ¡°I want to heal you!¡±

    Will this help? Is White Flower''s magic strong enough to heal her? She had a deep cut at her broken neck made by one of the Lynx''s long fangs, but to my astonishment, the blood flow stopped instantly, the neck fixed itself, and she breathed deep as if finally coming up to the surface from underwater. She trembled with her face still showing the horrors of having faced death.

    The other Amazons were keeping silent. I turned to the Lynx:

    ¡°You crazy Lynx!! You almost killed this girl!¡±

    He protested:

    ¡°But they shot at me! They made you prisoners!¡±

    I sighed and turned toward the next girl.

    ¡°I am friends with their queen; they are just erring children. Something is wrong.¡±

    I did not want to admit I did also consider fighting them. Only to speed up my journey. When nobody knows you did it, does it matter?

    My next Amazone was also severely wounded, had a broken leg, was losing blood, but looked stable. The other one was in better shape. Yeah, probably only mentally hurt from my mind blast.

    The first one tried to protest against my healing:

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me; I can take care of myself.¡±

    I hesitated only for a second. Everything is ok; nobody died. I still can meet the queen and talk to her.

 Chapter 38 - Youll Love Their Honey Cookies

    I touched her:

    ¡°I want to heal you.¡±

    The light passed through my hand as if it would be a kind of a neon tube, and a cloud of silver-white dust enveloped the amazon. She got ''fixed'' in seconds: a fascinating fast-forward display of bones knitting themselves, tissue and skin binding themselves together.

    Impressive little show they (whoever programmed this) did with healing spells; I could not stop wondering and admiring these. It was for a moment as if an angel would be hiding inside me to be revealed by the spell... ahm, ok, I do not mean here White Flower being the angel revealed, but the spell''s effect did make it look like this.

    The healed amazon looked at me, angry and confused:

    ¡°Do not expect that I will thank you for this!¡±

    I wanted to answer, but the first amazon that I''ve healed answered for me:

    ¡°Shame on you, Bar¡¯Etta!!¡±

    She then turned toward me:

    ¡°I am sorry that we attacked you. We misunderstood your intentions due to your neck-ring. I am Her¡¯Thaya.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her, Her¡¯Thaya! She saved you only to find the way to our camp. They are Grackak''s spies!¡±

    Well, theoretically, she could have been right if that would have been my Grackak''s quest. What would I have done if he had given me such a quest?

    I shrugged. I would have found a solution.

    The Lynx mixed up in the conversation showing me his rear where an arrow still hanged.

    ¡°It''s not my intention to be impolite, but that little arrow is a pain in the ass; if you can spare the time, maybe you could heal me too?¡±

    I chuckled, removed the arrow and touched him:

    ¡°Sorry, Lynx, for the delay. I want to heal you.¡±

    but the healing started as soon as I touched him. My tattoo didn''t need me to tell it what it had to do.

    ¡°Aaah. Thanks, Cala. It feels much better now!¡±

    I patted him on the head as I felt guilty for having forgotten about his wound. Interesting to see, he accepted my patting. I turned to Spartacius:

    ¡°Spartacius. You and Her Thaya should pick up the amazons¡¯ weapons.¡±

    ¡°Yep, already on it...¡±

    As he answered, he started wondering:

    ¡°Me and Her Thaya?¡±

    "Aaaaah!"

    The Lynx followed my hand and made funny sounds as I scratched him behind his ear. Eh, like a big cat, he likes scratches. Does a Lynx purr? I wonder, could I make him purr, or would that be under his dignity?

    Questions, questions.

    Bar''Etta started to scream:

    ¡°We will not go with you! We will not tell you where the camp is!! You can kill us here, we¡­.¡±

    Obviously, she wanted to attract the attention of other amazons that were in the woods around us.

    I felt how the Lynx twitched under my hand. He protested against the noise:

    ¡°Oh, please stop screaming; it hurts my sensible ears. They''ve heard you already. I saw the camp behind the next row of bushes; that''s why I attacked before you got there."

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    He then turned toward me:

    "Are you sure, Cala, that you want to enter into that hornet''s nest? There are several hundred girls there. Do you know their queen, and do you think it matters?¡±

    I made a gesture, and the magic trap dissipated, freeing the fourth amazon. The amazons came closer, looking at me, not sure what to do.

    ¡°Now, on the way, ladies, I can¡¯t wait to see my friend the queen!¡±

    I turned to the Lynx:

    ¡°Believe me, their honey cookies are delicious!¡±

    We came in a glade, and I saw the ''welcoming troop'' approaching us. It was a group of about ten amazons. Most of them gave that low-level feeling; only one or two seemed to have somewhat higher levels. All looked to be around twenty. I''ve never met before such low-level amazons.

    Seeing us, they stopped, and suddenly Bar¡¯etta ran towards them:

    ¡°Kill them, kill them; they are Grackak''s spies!!!¡±

    As the bows were spanned, I raised my hand again with the open palm towards the group. It was a cumbersome situation, and for a moment, I wondered if I had made an error relying on the rules and Cala''s instinct. I am friendly with the amazons, they should not attack me, but do they know this? I was relieved to find out that seeing my gesture, one of the older amazons stopped them:

    ¡°Stop! Spread! Do not dare fire an arrow without my command!!¡±

    After she ordered them, she returned the gesture.

    I was a bit surprised as to why the squad leader needed to use such harsh words with her troops? Typically, this would have been solved with two simple gestures, first to tell the grunts to spread and be ready, then the answer to me with an open palm. The troop would not shoot without a command or a good reason. No words would have been needed. These are obviously young and not adequately trained recruits, as the first group was. To make matters worse, she did not come to shake hands with me to achieve the magic friends check, the so-called moon-handshake. Why? Can it be that even she does not have the needed level? Or is there another problem? Does my new Grackak-necklace change the situation to such a degree? Meanwhile, looking around to assess the status, I realized the Lynx had again ''disappeared''.

    The amazon, who seemed to be in charge, finally came closer and stopped several meters away whilst Bar¡¯Etta was mixing behind in their group.

    Her¡¯Thaya and the other two stayed with us. The new leader addressed me:

    ¡°Who are you? Do you come in the name of your master?¡±

    She asked that pointing at my ''necklace''.

    ¡°My name is Cala. I am with Alice the archer, Tina, a mage apprentice, and my friends Spartacius and the Lynx¡­ who is somewhere around...

    We are on our way to the Silver Town... for reasons that you see on my neck. That is my quest from Grackak as I lost a fight to him.

    I want to present my best greetings to Queen In¡¯Hetta. We did not know this was amazons'' territory. Will the queen allow our passage? I request an audience.¡±

    ¡°You cannot see Queen In¡¯Hetta. I Hua¡¯Lena am in command here. Tell your beast to come out!¡±

    ¡°Hua''Lena, why so distrustful? Why no moon-handshake to clarify?¡±

    She answered a bit awkwardly:

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had my Moon Supper yet.¡±

    Say what? A novice in charge of a squad? All who mattered something in the amazon''s world were invited to the Moon Supper ¨C a ceremony they make to celebrate the ''reunion'' of the two bigger moons in the sky and, for the amazons, the passing from initiate to the warrior class.

    OK, this explains why she did not come for the magic handshake; she was not yet a warrior; therefore, she could not check if I was a friend. The magic handshake does not work; this basic spell is too much for her to control.

    ¡°Where is the queen?¡±

    ¡°I cannot give information about the queen. What do you want here? You have your quest to solve, and your way to the Silver Town is not through our village. Go away.¡±

    I nodded, but she was interrupted by the young amazon I had saved:

    ¡°Hua¡¯Lena, she has magical healing powers; she might be able to help us!¡±

    ¡°Nobody can help us, Her¡¯Thaya. You spoke too much!¡±

    ¡°Is the queen wounded? I could heal her!¡±

    Hua''Lena turned and spoke as angry as she could be:

    ¡°One question more, and I''ll have to kill you!!¡±

    I sighed. Oh, come on, stop with these cheap cliches.

    ¡°Hua¡¯Lena, you do not want to attack us with those children.¡±

    ¡°They might be young, but their arrows are as good and deadly as any amazon''s arrow!¡±

    Spartacius looked uncomfortable at me, with Tina trying to hide behind him and Alice. Sending a mana pulse to get their levels was generally viewed as an impolite action, so I refrained from doing it.

    Of course, 10 amazons, 15 with Hua''Lena''s group, should not be underestimated, even if most, if not all, seemed to be still novices. Strange, I think I saw children amazons who had more training than these novices grown-ups.

    However, it does not make any sense to push this. It is enough that it does not come to a fight, and we can leave.

    I was just going to explain that we would leave when I heard a voice:

    ¡°Hua¡¯Lena, let them come!¡±

    I recognized the deep, profound, and still melodious voice of In''Hetta, the queen.

 Chapter 39 - Sauna Time

    Hua''Lena took a step back and bowed respectfully as the queen approached, her face concealed by a veil. I couldn''t help but appreciate the simplicity and refreshing nature of the Amazonian protocol, where the queen was first among equals. Two elderly Amazons trailed behind her, and a hush fell over the group.

    As the moment stretched on, I glanced over at the forest.

    "Lynx, you can come out. It''s safe now," I called out, surprised when he actually listened. He poked his head out from behind a bush, still cautious.

    Turning back to the queen, I saw her nod in approval.

    "Don''t be afraid, Lynx," I said, encouraging him to come out fully.

    He protested but eventually emerged, looking around warily.

    As we approached the queen, the Lynx timidly joined us, and the group surrounded us with a curious and admiring gaze. Not I, but the Lynx was the center of attention, and he slowly overcame his initial reticence, giving us a happy grin - displaying a lot of sharp teeth in the process - and even allowing the young girls to pet him. Behind him, Alice with the carriage and the rest of the group almost looked like trailing luggage carriers.

    The queen stood several steps away, her movements mirroring those of the two old ladies at her side. Why was she doing that?

    As I got closer, I saw a surprisingly aged face under her veil and became completely confused. She had the familiar features of the queen I remembered, but she was no longer the youthful woman I had met before. Was she the queen''s grandmother? Despite her apparent age, she seemed to recognize me, but I couldn''t recall ever meeting this old lady before. I couldn''t help but wonder what was happening.

    I was feeling uncertain about what to do or say. The queen comes out and greets me, and finally, everybody calms down and accepts us, for me to say: oops, she is not the queen I met?

    Had the game reset the Amazons? Why would they... OK, they did it for whatever reason. We encountered warriors of lower levels with less discipline and now a different queen. It smells like some kind of reset, but it was such an unorthodox move! So probably, she is the mother or grandmother of the queen I learned, and the queen I met is just a promising young amazon! But somehow, the relationship is kept!

    Something like this never happened before in the Mephisto game.

    Oh, well, that must be it. Good that I did not cry foul the moment I saw her!

    She gave me the honor of a personal magic handshake, and once our forehands touched, I felt that prickle that tells friend from foe. Once we shook hands and the blue light enveloped us briefly, all the others relaxed. I was now identified as a friend. As the queen already greeted me by name, I think this was only a formality, or maybe a demonstration to the crowd: see, this is how it is done.

    The queen did not let me meditate further; she pulled me by the hand:

    ¡°Come, Cala, let''s go inside the camp. Excuse me for the improper reception you''ve had, but it is difficult for me to walk; else, I would have come sooner.¡±

    The etiquette was as I knew it: there is no ''lady'' with the amazons; they address each other and everybody else directly by their names, except the queen, which is to be addressed with the simple title ''queen''.

    Still confused by what I''ve seen, I could not abstain from asking:

    ¡°Excuse me, queen, are you In''Hetta''s mother?¡±

    OK, I did ask it. Let''s see how she reacts. I did not say grandmother to be polite.

    ¡°No, Cala, it is still me, Hetta.¡± - This was the surprising answer I got, together with a burst of sour laughter from her.

    The queen''s words left me even more puzzled. If it was some kind of a reset, she wouldn''t tell ''still me''; she would just wonder why I ask.

    I remembered the queen I met as young, strong, and agile. But now, she appeared old and frail, and her voice was barely audible. Something strange was going on, and I couldn''t quite put my finger on it. As we walked towards the camp, the queen kept a slow pace, and her two attendants supported her on either side.

    We entered the camp. Hidden under trees, on the banks of a small rivulet, the camp consisted of many improvised tents surrounded by a half-finished palisade. It did not have the order and discipline I was used to seeing in an amazons'' commune but was bustling with activity, and we made our way through the crowds, the Lynx following us closely with Alice and the rest trailing behind.

    Once we arrived at the queen''s tent, she invited me to sit with her and offered me a cup of tea. I accepted gratefully, still trying to process everything that had happened. The queen''s face was lined with wrinkles, but her eyes still shone with a fierce intelligence that I remembered well. Finally, I had the opportunity to ask: "Queen, forgive me for asking, but what has happened? You appear... different from the last time we met."

    She gave a sad smile, sipped from her cup of tea, and raised her eyes to look at me.

    ¡°This is the harpies'' curse, Cala. They have a new terrifying curse. Our witch doctors cannot cure it. We''ve been repeatedly attacked and cursed by them. After each attack, the wounded got older. Even those that were only spat on or touched by the harpies got older.

    Our kids are grown-ups but not trained; our trained warriors are old or dead. Even our fruit trees and our animals got old. We had to leave our villages and our lands. We currently hide from them in this forest that is to become our new land.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    OK, this is a totally different situation from what I thought.

    I sighed. So much for them helping me: a bunch of old ladies and kids with bows?

    The queen''s eyes flashed with determination as she continued, "But we have not given up, Cala. We may be old and weakened, but we are still amazons. We will fight back and find a way to break this curse. And we will not hesitate to ask for your help, as you have always been a friend to our people."

    I couldn''t help but feel a surge of emotion as I listened to her words. Yes, the queen might be older, but her spirit was still as strong as ever. I recognized that flash in her eyes.

    I nodded my head in agreement and replied, "Of course, Queen. I will do whatever I can to help."

    Well, so much for them helping me, but OK, I''ll help; hopefully, that comes with a lot of money and experience! I already have a helping pledge with them. All their quests were rewarding!

    At this moment Her¡¯Thaya entered the tent and approached us, looked at the queen, and after a slight nod from the queen, she asked:

    ¡°Cala, can you heal our queen? If you took me back from death, you might be able to heal her?!¡±

    I turned towards the queen:

    ¡°I can heal wounds but not remove curses. Will this help?¡±

    The queen nodded.

    "Oh, yes"

    As she gave me permission, I touched her hand and spoke the words:

    ¡°I want to heal you.¡±

    The fine silver dust touched her, but I was disappointed to see the same old woman in front of me. I don''t know why I thought this would change.

    ¡°I am sorry, it does not seem to work!¡±

    The queen did not answer immediately but took a deep breath.

    ¡°Don''t be disappointed; I am not younger, but my wounds are healed. There were enough not properly healed wounds that plagued me. Your heal is powerful!¡±

    She looked at me and added:

    ¡°Thank you, I do feel better. There is a lot of work for you if you can heal¡­ will you and can you help us so much?¡±

    Did White Flower not say that I can use unlimited healing?

    I smiled and nodded:

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    The queen gave a couple of orders, and then I left with Her''Thaya. I was left free to do what I wanted in the camp, but everybody expected me to set up a healing center first.

    Cala, the healer! Lol! The idea of asking for a healing tax crossed my mind, but in the end, they would have bought healing potions if they had the money.

    Her''Thaya helped me organize the healing center; basically, she provided a table and a chair for me in front of her tent that I was free to use, and almost instantly, a queue formed.

    I healed and healed and healed and healed. I got some water and wine to drink and soon some fruit and cookies. I think the entire camp visited me. I was not sure if White Flower¡¯s power would last, but it seemed she had almost unlimited resources, true to her word.

    I sent the others to go visit the camp. You do not often have the opportunity to visit an Amazon village, so they should use it. Alice found the advanced archer''s group and ended up chatting and exchanging tips with a group of what looked like ancient ladies.

    The Lynx decided to stay with me and was soon submerged by a mass of very young girls who all wanted to climb the mass of fur, and Spartacius with Tina disappeared with a group of girls that looked older than them but were probably their age.

    Meanwhile, the amazons prepared lunch for us. It was not as rich as I had some in memory, but still, it was good, and it ended with those delicious honey cookies that I had in memory. After that, whilst the others remained around the table and talked, I had the pleasure of visiting a sauna. The others did not seem interested in visiting it. OK, I could understand the Lynx but Alice and Tina? I think that Spartacius was too shy to try it. Maybe he''ll regret his decision when I would tell him that massage is included in the sauna session.

    Well, whatever. I remembered it well from last time, and a pleasant surprise was to see that they had it working. Improvised settlement and all, but the sauna was working!

    I undressed, took a bath towel, and went slowly to the highest stairs inside the wooden cabin. There were only a couple of amazons there relaxing, throwing from time to time water over the hot stones.

    You feel the sweat leaving you and, with it, all the impurities that gathered in your body. I think they treated the water in some special way; they must have a secret, as nowhere else did I feel this purifying feeling to this extent.

    After copiously sweating, I took a cold shower, and then I enjoyed a massage, as only amazons can do. As they train all their lives, hunting, fighting, and sports, they have a deep knowledge of anatomy: muscles, bones, and joints. Three amazons were laboring on my body and members at the same time, with an older one explaining from time to time and putting her hand herself.

    Oh dear, that was good!

    Having nothing to do but relax on the massage table, I could let my brain free reign to think about my situation. Prisoner in a game. It was like a dream come true, or a nightmare, depending on how you looked at it, and suddenly I realized that ''dream'' is the answer.

    You can dream years in one dream!

    When they did build up this world, it was at a higher speed. Years, even centuries, went through in only days. This is how the world was prepared for the story. Nations grew, kingdoms were conquered or lost, and empires were built, all in hours and minutes.

    When the story achieved the required level, it was slowed down and then opened for users.

    What if they lost control of the time function after that?

    What if time here got disconnected from time in the real world? What if everything that I lived through happened in maybe ten or twenty minutes of real life? How much can you compress a dream?

    I don''t know. With their built-in feedback to our brains, as was explained by Ivar the ghost, it could have happened. What if that function overran the clock function of the system?

    When I do say my speed spell, I can move and think at double or even triple speed. What if something like this happened to the whole system? This would explain why Ivar found no bodysuit players so far; they must have simply lost connection to the game. They could not play at increased speed.

    This would explain why there was no shutdown and disconnection yet; it simply could not have happened yet! It would explain why a single error message in the clouds and no follow-up. I simply have a longer system-supported dream. This, combined with our logout problem being a small localized problem, explained all the happening neatly.

    So let''s keep it as a dream and not a nightmare. No dying here.

    I stood up, energized and happy. Yeah, I can play further without worry! Everything will get fixed in time.

    Hopefully, they do not fry my brain before.

 Chapter 40 - Preparing to Leave

    As a bonus for visiting their sauna, I got my equipment back shining clean.

    After dressing myself, I went back to find Spartacius, the Lynx, Tina, and Alice sitting on some logs in a corner, talking.

    ¡°A women¡¯s village. Only women. So many beautiful women. Even the old ones are looking so beautiful!¡±

    Hearing her talking, I looked at Tina, surprised. It seemed she had overcome the shock of my confession. Poor girl, how can I tell her now that I plan to send her back? I need to find a way to explain it to her so that she understands.

    Spartacius wondered:

    ¡°Can¡¯t we stay here for tonight?¡± - as I raised a brow, he hastily added - ¡°It is such a peaceful, quiet place, with good food and friendly people! What better place to rest for the night could we find?"

    I guess it is the dream of a pubescent boy come true, to be the only man in a town of beautiful women. The Lynx tried immediately to disturb the pretty picture:

    ¡°Are you not afraid the harpies will find the settlement and attack it? We might look a bit old after the attack if that happens?¡±

    Alice, however, seemed to find a lot of merit to the proposition:

    ¡°That is not such a bad idea. You two should stay several nights here just to make sure!¡±

    Hey, Alice made a joke! Improved merc! The Lynx grinned, but Spartacius did not seem to appreciate the fun too much. I interrupted their chatter:

    ¡°You know we have to leave soon. I want to pay the queen a short visit before, so enjoy the next twenty minutes before we go.¡±

    Then I turned to Tina:

    ¡°Look, I intend to ask for an escort for you. I know your family has an estate not far away. The amazons will improve their standing with the local administration if they bring you to your family...¡±

    She did not let me finish:

    ¡°But I don''t want to go! I am not going! Why do you think you can do what you want with me!?¡±

    I took a deep breath. I expected this, but not the vehemence of her protest.

    ¡°Look, you are not even a low-level mage. You cannot do anything for your own protection. Where we go now, we might need to fight...¡±

    She did cut me short again:

    ¡°I am a mage! I can fight if needed! I can defend myself!¡±

    "You are not a mage. I have skills; I can easily see if people are mages or not."

    "I am a mage!!"

    Screaming louder does not make it true. This behaviour needs a hard setback. She needs to understand reality. Dreaming about seeing other lands is one thing, but the life of an adventurer, and this is all she would get with us, is an entirely different thing. Here is no place for petulant young girls who can act only as one fraction of a second meat shield; plus, I had no intention of getting this appendage to hinder me in the future.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    That she is not a mage? I can prove it so damn easy!

    ¡°Give me your ring. Give it!¡±

    She hesitated but finally, she handed it to me. See? Problem solved!

    ¡°You say you are a fire mage? Now conjure some fire!¡±

    She watched me, stunned, her lower lip starting to tremble. I spoke very calmly:

    ¡°If you can conjure fire, then you can come with us.¡± - I watched her in the eyes - ¡°Any low-level fire mage would be able to do it. You can''t, can''t you? Without the ring, it does not work. Don''t lie; just do it, or else you''ll do what I say!¡±

    I sighed, watching her pouting. Yeah, I could be proud of myself. I found a fantastic way to explain to her the reasons, isn''t it? Well, I was never good at explanations, but at least I hope she understands now that she cannot come. I turned towards Alice:

    ¡°So, twenty minutes it is, then we go. Please have the horses prepared for when I am back!¡±

    Typically, I would have asked her to get some food too, but it did not make sense; the amazons had limited resources at their disposal whereas, with Spartacius'' bag, we had all we wanted.

    I turned and left them to deal with the pouting Tina. We lost enough time with this detour to no avail. Even if the queen could spare some of her warriors, these would not make a difference in a fight with a monster like Grackack. Old ladies and undisciplined, turbo grown-up toddlers? No chance in hell!

    My only chance was if White Flower could remove the curse. I would feel better with a real amazon warrior''s guard; they would help with some sharp-pointed arguments during my coming altercation with the gnome.

    As I arrived at the queen''s tent, the young amazon on guard confirmed that the queen was ready to receive me.

    Her tent was not distinguishable from the rest; only the guard in front made the difference. I entered. The queen smiled when she saw me.

    I love this straightforward protocol the amazons have! In many human kingdoms, you have a hell of a hurdle race to get to the king or queen, not to talk of the elves. Maybe orcs are a similarly easy-going folk from this point of view.

    She was sitting on a fur-covered throne. It was a huge feline''s fur.

    The setup did surprise me a little. Waiting for me as a brave NPC would?

    Seeing the fur, I just thought: good that the Lynx was not with me; maybe he knew the previous owner. Who knows how he would react seeing that...

    ¡°Cala. Thank you! We had so many wounded, weakened and sick; what you did was of great help to us! We are deeply indebted to you! Let me first apologize for Hua''Lena and Bar¡¯Etta''s behaviour. You need to know that your master, the gnome, attacked us. This was even before the night of the harpies when our warriors were at full strengths! For whatever reason, he wanted to kill me, maybe just to line my head to his list of trophies. I escaped, but only through the sacrifice of many of my guards. He is immune to our arrows. His companions are also very strong but not immune. He must be wearing a very strong charm. I want to warn you if you want to fight for your freedom. His raid in our village had left twenty-one dead. My guard sacrificed themselves to give us enough time to flee. This is why the girls were afraid of you; please apologize.¡±

    I was a bit disappointed: she did not behave like the typical NPC as I expected after entering the tent but as any person in that role would.

    I could not point to anything to say: ''see, this is scripted''. It was not an isolated case, but perfection goes everywhere. Disappointed now that they are so perfect? It just confirmed my observations so far.

    Maybe only the fact that she seemed to have guessed my thought. I haven''t even asked for support, and she already said no. ''He is immune to our arrows''. But any rational person might have done that.

    Well, anyhow, I might try my last ace; there was still hope that I could get that help in the end. I said:

    ¡°Queen, if you allow, I''d like to introduce a friend of mine!¡±

 Chapter 41 - Audience with the Queen

    As I was alone, I got a somewhat surprised look from the queen as she was trying to guess the meaning of what I had just said. She raised a brow when I took off my jacket. Luckily now, with the fake blouse - trademark Terri- I can keep it on without getting it destroyed in the fairy summoning process. The fairy covers now only my torso, but entirely instead of only a part as before; however, she is no longer spread over my legs which spares me the ''trousers getting shredded'' type of problem. We were slowly getting a better way of living together.

    I watched the two old bodyguards standing behind the queen. Now, that would be maybe a bit too much to ask for them to be removed. I ignored Terri''s protest and asked her directly:

    ¡°Terri, would you be so kind and show yourself?¡±

    ¡°You can call me White Flower; the queen can easily see through the disguise!¡± - She was a bit miffed when she said this, whilst the goo started to separate itself from me and transform itself into the fairy. It was not Terri that appeared in front of me but White Flower, the fairy, donned a wonderful white dress.

    The bodyguards stepped forward on both sides of the throne but did not take any hostile activities.

    ¡°Oh!¡± - the queen straightened herself looking more attentively at me than at White Flower - ¡°I did have the feeling that your tattoo was looking at me. Now I know why! Hello Terri!¡±

    ¡°Queen, may I introduce White Flower, the fairy, which hides with us under the name of Terri, White Flower, this is queen In¡¯Hetta of the amazons.¡±

    White Flower flapped her wings, raising a couple of centimetres from the ground, and grinned:

    ¡°Queen In''Hetta! I am glad to meet you! I heard many things about you!¡±

    ¡°I hope good things too!¡± - In¡¯Hetta said with a bit of laughter and added - ¡°we always lived in peace with the fairies. I did not know whose magic was Cala using, but now I do. You are Cala''s friend and thus welcome with us. Unfortunately, we do not have the means and the chance to make a welcome reception as we would like to do.¡±

    White Flower answered, bowing a little her head, landing slowly back on the ground:

    ¡°I thank you for your welcome, queen! The amazons live in harmony with the forest and her beings, which are my friends..."

    I kept quiet whilst they exchanged pleasantries. Soon White Flower expressed her wish to remain incognito as she added, visibly worried, glancing at me:

    ¡°...but I fear the wrath of very dangerous beings if word is spread about Cala and me, and especially who or what exactly Terri is.¡±

    The queen reassured her:

    ¡°Your secret is safe with us!¡±

    OK. I feared it could have been worse; thinking at the feline fur, I was happy White Flower was not offended by it. Let''s see what can be done. Without further introductions, I jumped directly to the point:

    ¡°White Flower, can you remove the curse the harpies have cast over the queen?¡±

    She looked hesitatingly at the queen and explained:

    ¡°Most fairies cannot remove curses. Almost none of us can do that¡± - then she added a bit reluctant - ¡°however, I learned how to do it.¡±

    The queen raised a brow looking askew at her:

    ¡°To remove a curse, you need to be able to see it. Can you see it?¡±

    White Flower grinned:

    ¡°You are right, queen; one needs at least to understand dark magic to be able to see curses. Yes, I can see, I would say, any curse; however, you are not under one. There is no curse to remove here!¡±

    She turned and gave me a look as if she would have more to say and was unsure if to tell. I did not think about it as I was too disappointed:

    There goes my last chance of support. She cannot see it¡­ She only bragged.

    The queen came to the same conclusion as I did:

    ¡°So you cannot see it...¡±

    She said that with a sigh; however, White Flower shook her head stubbornly:

    ¡°There is no curse!¡±

    I sighed at her stubbornness:

    ¡°The queen is about my age White Flower, not my grandmother''s. There is a curse that makes her older!¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    The fairy shook again her head, flapping her wings, getting again higher in the air:

    ¡°Why do you think the cause of what you see is a curse? I can assure you again that there is no active or passive curse over the queen. I may know the explanation, but that raises even more questions.¡±

    I was a bit aghast. Everything must be complicated... Why can''t she just remove the curse?

    ¡°And that explanation would be?¡±

    ¡°This is old age.¡±

    Before I could protest, she continued:

    ¡°There are two springs on the two sides of the Sky Mountain. If you drink water from one of those, it makes you older, the other, younger. The first is guarded by harpies, the second one by unicorns.¡±

    The queen made a step back, looking surprised at her:

    "These are old legends! Do you mean there is some truth in those?"

    White Flower flapped her wings again:

    "Some? I know that those fountains exist!"

    The queen raised a brow. Her intelligent, now old face has kept all the mimic I remember. Only now, there were much more wrinkles to underline it.

    ¡°So, what you say is that the harpies just took water from their fountain and spilt it over us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it is not as simple as it sounds¡± - White Flower pondered for a moment, then continued - ¡°The harpies do possess the ageing-water fountain; however, that water decays rapidly after being removed from the fountain. I know the unicorns can transport some water in their horn and keep it active for a longer time, but everything comes at a cost. Probably the same is true for the harpies. As the unicorns, they may be particularly resistant to the ageing water, but even so, all those harpies would be long dead. This does not make sense.¡±

    The queen exclaimed:

    ¡°Now I better understand the legends about the harpies'' touch, the touch that would steal people''s youth!¡±

    White Flower nodded:

    ¡°Yes, this is one of the bad tricks the harpies used to do, when they did moist a couple of feathers in that water and then touched somebody they hated with it, but that does work only near their fountain, and it also has an effect on the harpy, even if limited. This is why all those stories also tell how the harpies tricked those persons on some pretext or another to go to a certain location before, in fact, close to their fountain.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡± - the queen looked hesitatingly at White Flower - ¡°at least this means that when we got further away from the mountain, they may be less able to attack us in the same way. You said that there are two fountains. I wonder if, after their attack, the harpies can go to the youth fountain and rejuvenate themselves?¡±

    White Flower shook her head:

    ¡°That is the only thing that would make sense; however, they do not know where that fountain is. It is magically hidden. Even worse, if you did find the way once, it changes, and it is exactly as difficult to find it a second time. But even if they would discover it, that fountain is guarded. The unicorns would never allow them to do this; they would kill any harpy that approaches their fountain.¡±

    ¡°Is the access not the same for the ageing fountain? How do the harpies find their way back there?¡±

    The fairy acknowledged:

    ¡°Yes, it is. There are always some harpies guarding their fountain, and they help with signalling the returning path to the others.¡°

    "Wait!" - I interrupted their chat as I was wondering about something - "how does this ageing water work on children?"

    White Flower grinned:

    "The water does not make them directly old, but it accelerates their growth. It does not break the natural process; it just speeds it up; however, you need to compensate with a fast intake of nutrients to allow for normal development."

    Now I better understood the turbo-grown-up toddlers that constituted most of the amazons forces.

    ¡°What if they have an arrangement with the unicorns? Or somebody did that on their behalf?¡±

    ¡°Hm. I do not think something like this could happen, but we can try to get the answer straight from the horses'' mouth, so to say¡± - White Flower said that with a grin, then added - ¡°I know a spell that lets me contact the unicorns. It works like a summon, but in reality, it summons the image of the glade from the youth fountain, and I hope that one unicorn will deign to talk to us. They don''t like to do this, but normally they are friendly.¡±

    She looked happy at us to be able to provide a solution, then turned towards the queen:

    ¡°Maybe the unicorns would be willing to help the amazons find their spring, or they may send a unicorn to rejuvenate you and the camp. As I said, they can intake water in their horn, which they use mostly to rejuvenate nature, especially in cases when this is sorely needed. This is where the stories about rejuvenating unicorn horns come from... As long as you are allowed to touch them. A dead unicorn''s horn does not help. I know a true story about an elf princess who had been tricked by the harpies and was subsequently saved by a unicorn. But I must warn you not to hope too much. They might refuse to help, and I have no power to force them. Once you step into the summoning circle, they will be able to see and hear you, as much as we will be able to see and hear them. It is up to you to convince them you are worth their help. The best is to be sincere and answer straight the questions they may ask.¡±

    ¡°I understand. What do you need for your summon?¡±

    ¡°I have all I need except burning charcoal.¡±

    Nice. This must be another quest in the game. After my sauna meditation, I was reassured and could enjoy the game. It is a nice pseudo-dream, and it is exciting to see how all these quests evolved and linked to each other. It''s cool to see how they solved it; it flew in so naturally. I do wonder if, with this new concept of no repetitive quests, of realism, are there enough quests for all players? I already got the amazons, the fairy, how do they do it? Will each and every player get a fairy and an amazon to heal? I got the whole tribe!? Probably because I am high-level in a low-level play area? How can that be? The game must be incredibly complex, with quests scaled on every player! No wonder they have some problems stabilizing the world. What the heck of a game!

 Chapter 42 - Summoning Gone Wrong

    The queen called the outside guard and instructed her to bring us some burning charcoal. I exchanged a glance with White Flower, and she nodded at me. Cool, we were starting to work as a team: she didn''t need words to confirm that she was in control of the situation, and I didn''t need to worry about it.

    It did not take long for the guard to come back in with a metal shovel with charcoal still glimmering. Following the queen''s instructions, she gave it to White Flower.

    The fairy took a small flower from one of her pockets; I think it was a dried-out snowdrop. Hm, funny thing, I thought the robe was only an illusion; where did that dried snowdrop come from? She must have some kind of hidden inventory.

    I did not have time to think about it as she asked me to borrow her a knife. She took my knife, made a small cut to one of her fingers, let a drop of blood on the dried snowdrop, and put it over the burning charcoal whilst healing herself.

    As she handed me the bloodied knife, I first wanted to clean it before storing it. My first movement was towards the sleeves of my blouse, but it would taint my blouse if my blouse would not be an illusion.

    I chuckled at the idea of cleaning it over an illusory blouse and then absentmindedly wiped it clean with my fingers before I sheathed it. I did not find anything else to clean it with, and as I was observing her hocus-pocus, I was not processing my actions through my brain; only a couple of strained neurons must have done the thinking.

    Subsequently, I''ve instinctively put my dirtied fingers into my mouth to clean them. Wherefrom does that instinct come, I do not know. It could be our lizard''s brain, or does it go even deeper?

    The surprising part was the shockwave that rolled over my taste buds. Her blood tasted delicious! Our eyes met for a moment. She shrugged, continuing her spell, whilst I was at the same time drooling and became aware of what I did.

    No, I am not going to transform into a fairy vampire and suck her dry. I was ashamed and shocked. What if I get hepatitis or anything like this from it? I banned the two stupid neurons from ever thinking again and tried to concentrate on what she was doing... liking my lips. Magic, the fucking magic tasted so good. She is pure, concentrated mana with good flavours. Tasting much better than those mana potions¡­ err, a new business opportunity?

    I shook my head and looked at what she had done, trying to chase out the mercantile thoughts from my mind.

    There was a magic circle with a radius of about two meters around the charcoal now, but all I saw inside it was grass and flowers. OK, yes, beautiful flowers, knee-high, but that was all. Nothing happened.

    Err, OK, the grass undulated under a breeze that I could not feel.

    White Flower waited for several seconds, then looked at the queen and shrugged.

    The queen raised a brow.

    ¡°Was the charcoal not good?¡±

    White Flower shook her head, flapped her wings raising in the air, and said another magic word. The circle widened even more. I stepped back to avoid it. The view extended over the glade, and even more of the background became visible. As White Flower walked slowly around the circle, farther and farther parts of the clearing became visible. She stopped suddenly, yelling surprised, and with fast hand movements made the magic circle disappear. But it was too late. A giant harpy had appeared in the middle. The queen drew a small ceremonial knife, but I was faster and jumped at the harpy with both katars drawn. I encountered only air.

    The circle dismissed, White Flower made a step backwards afraid of my katars as the harpy disappeared, whilst at the same moment, more guards erupted into the room, ready to attack me.

    Sure. They hear screams and find me jumping with long knives in front of their queen armed with a small butter knife, or paper cutter, or whatever that small thing was good for...

    It was only a fast gesture from the queen that stopped them. The queen shook her head, looking at me:

    ¡°She was not really here!¡±

    She was speaking of the harpy. She dismissed the guards.

    Drats. I fell for it. But the same was valid for the queen; she also had drawn her little knife out. We stayed there another couple of seconds, looking tensed at each other.

    White Flower murmured:

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°This is not possible!¡±

    I looked at her, wondering:

    ¡°Did your summon go to the wrong place? Why did you summon it?¡±

    ¡°I did not...¡± - White Flower shook her head, watching me with glassy eyes - ¡°As I said, it is not a real summon, it is just a dialogue window to the unicorns'' glade. That was the unicorn''s glade. Something happened. Something dreadful happened.¡±

    White Flower''s shock was visible.

    ¡°Can the harpy still see through the magic circle?¡± - The queen looked inquiringly at her.

    ¡°No! I stopped the spell¡­ but¡­.¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°She saw us¡­ ¡° - she sighed and flapped her wings, discontinuing her line of thoughts - ¡°It doesn''t matter. What matters is that what we saw was the youth-water fountain''s glade¡± - she repeated - ¡°it was the youth-water fountain''s glade. There should be no harpies there. There can be no harpies there but unicorns.¡±

    ¡°And still there was one!¡±

    ¡°Yes. It means the harpies have both springs. The unicorns have been defeated or banned. It means the harpies can use their ageing water unrestricted. They can get old and then return to the youth spring and rejuvenate themselves.¡±

    ¡°Can it be that there was only one harpy there? Somebody allowed her to go there? Maybe the unicorns are somewhere else? I don''t know, went hunting?¡±

    I didn''t mean to say hunting, but where could the unicorns go?

    ¡°No¡±, - White Flower answered, shaking her head and giving me a confused look - ¡°never. The unicorns live their lives backwards; they are born old and grow younger to end dissolved in the glade because they are creatures of the youth-water spring. Yes, some of them sometimes do wander the world, but most of them are always around the spring. It is there where they do not get wasted; they are generated from the ground around the spring; it is the water from that spring that gives birth to the unicorns there; it is their circle of life, do you understand? There can be no harpies. Something is wrong.¡±

    ¡°And if they do not live anymore? Maybe somebody found a way to break their circle of life?¡±

    The queen was interrupted by a commotion outside. We heard screams, people yelling and running. I was immediately embraced by the fairy before I ran outside the tent to see what was happening. When I was outside, she was already a tattoo on my skin.

    Fire. Somebody was running with fire through the camp. Was that a fire elemental? For a moment, I feared an elemental had attacked the camp, but there was something odd with it. It did not strike at the people but rather seemed to run randomly. As if panicked?

    No, oh God, that was somebody, somebody was covered in flames, running, screaming, amazons were running behind, yelling, a couple of tents were already under fire whilst girls with buckets of water were working to put it down.

    <<speed>>

    I''ve cast my speed spell as I started to run to catch the poor slob. If someone''s clothes do catch fire, the person should discard those clothes, roll on the ground to extinguish the flames and allow the others to help, not run panic-stricken between inflammable tents?

    It was a girl. Naturally, we are in an amazons camp! She was running chaotically and was slow; it was not difficult to get her. I healed her as I touched her. The fire did not cease. It was not her clothes that were burning; those were already burnt out. She turned and looked at me. A frightened Thiara was looking at me with imploring eyes. What the fuck was happening?

    All her skin was burning, her crisped fingers clamping themselves on my hand, burning my skin. She tried to escape and run away.

    ¡°Knock her down!¡±

    My other hand shot like a piston. A clean boxer hit. Thiara''s surprised eyes watched me for a fraction of a second before her head flew to the side as if hit with a baseball bat. Instant K.O.

    The fire ceased suddenly as she fell like a rag.

    Oh, my God, I hope I did not kill her!

    I healed her even before she hit the ground. She did not move. The heal took me out of my speed spell, but my heart was still crazily drumming in my chest. Is she dead?

    Happily, my tattoo gave me the answer to my unasked question:

    ¡°She lives. She is only knocked out. It was a spell gone wrong! I meant for you to only knock her down so that I can soothe her, but it worked like this too; no need for me to come out now...¡±

    A spell? What spell? Who could have spelt it? Oh, fuck! I did tell her to summon fire, didn''t I?

    I sighed. I took the girl in my arms, lifting her gently from the ground, watching the commotion around us.

 Chapter 43 - Riding the Coach

    ¡°No, you won''t sell my blood as an advanced mana potion!¡±

    My tattoo-fairy did not agree with my potion plans to become rich. I was sorry to realize I''ll have to stick with grinding magic monsters or go back to the old tested method of raiding cities.

    We were on the road. I was inside the carriage with a still KO Tina. Probably, it was her mana exhaustion that was keeping her longer in this state. She leveled. I know, I felt it as soon as I took her in my arms. She was occupying the bench and I had her head on my lap. I was feeling better keeping my hand on her shoulder, feeling that she was still alive. That self-immolation accident could have ended up pretty badly.

    However, she succeeded in what she wanted to do. Her tenacity surprised me.

    As I could no longer annoy White Flower with my mana potion plans, I had to think of something else to spend my time with. I was daydreaming about school. I know, I am here in a game world, and all I can do is think about school?

    The Lynx was running around through the wilderness, probably improving his diet, whilst Spartacius was riding on the coachman''s bench together with Alice. I wondered what were they talking about, this coach was really too well insulated.

    ¡°So you told her to shoot the soldiers?¡±

    Alice turned and looked Spartacius in the eyes. He tried to explain himself.

    ¡°Cala said that I was drunk!¡±

    She shook her head:

    ¡°That was her excuse for the guard, but we both know you wanted to test her!¡±

    He sighed:

    ¡°Yes, true.¡±

    ¡°Did you plan to kill the guards?¡±

    ¡°No! Of course not. The moment Noviel would have raised her bow, I would have told her to stop. I only wanted to know if she would do it!¡±

    ¡°And what did she do?¡±

    ¡°She said NO, a big no, and she went away!¡±

    ¡°And you let her go?¡±

    ¡°What could I have done? The guards jailed me together with the guys who started the brawl. That''s when I heard from the merc of another guy that she committed suicide. The stupid merc had not been arrested. He then told the guards that I ordered her to shoot them. After that, they locked me in the tower!¡±

    Alice took a deep breath.

    ¡°How did you get the idea to tell her to shoot the guards?¡±

    He raised his shoulders:

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°I read about it. It was titled: the best way to find out if the merc is on your side, above all others. If Cala would tell you to kill them, would you do it?¡±

    She clicked her tongue at the horses.

    ¡°Cala would never tell it just to test me!?¡±

    He raised his shoulders again. Alice turned towards him:

    ¡°What do you think she thought when you told her to kill them?¡±

    ¡°Well, she did not have to kill them, she simply had to...¡±

    ¡°But did she know that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Did she know she did not have to kill them?¡±

    ¡°No, that would have ruined the idea of the test?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Noviel had to believe that her new master, with which she had a contract to act by his orders in any fight, ordered her to kill some of her older friends just because he was annoyed. You know that rogues from the camp come to this town when they have their free days to relax? And you know what Manchua the priest says? That demons come to this world and kill us spawns for their amusement!?¡±

    He tried again to protest with a bit of a heated voice:

    ¡°But I did not want her to kill them!¡±

    Alice shook her head. She spoke calmly with a sad voice:

    ¡°She did not know that. She probably thought that she had made a contract with the devil that wanted to use her to kill for his amusement. What else could she think?¡±

    ¡°I... I... This did not cross my mind...¡±

    His face was becoming pale.

    ¡°But,... but... did she really think that?¡±

    Alice raised only a brow.

    ¡°Do you think I am a demon?¡±

    She shrugged and sighed:

    ¡°I know you are a silly kid!¡±

    ¡°I am not a sill...¡±

    ¡°You did a stupid action. It did surprise me after what you did for Ayra.¡±

    ¡°It was just a test... Nothing... should ...¡±

    She raised her shoulders, but he added:

    ¡°I did not think it through. It sounded so simple on that blog!¡±

    ¡°Blog?¡±

    ¡°It is how the information is spread in my world. In the other world. It is like writing on a table that anybody can read.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You must have a lot of tables, or is it difficult to make one?¡±

    ¡°No, we do have a lot. Almost anybody can make one.¡±

    ¡°It was bad advice.¡±

    ¡°But, this is just a game...¡±

    ¡°Is it? Maybe it is, nevertheless, I was very disappointed. I did not expect that from you. You are lucky you are still alive, you know I could have killed you for what you did?¡±

    She said that with the same calm voice. He raised his eyes, looking into her eyes, and sighed:

    ¡°I''m sorry!¡±

    She looked at him and sighed:

    ¡°I am not sure who I am angrier with! With you or with that hothead Noviel. How could she not come and talk to me? How could she decide that taking her life was the only solution? Hothead! She is even worse than Cala!¡±

    She sighed again. He laughed:

    ¡°You seem to know Cala well!¡±

    She turned to look at him.

    ¡°I know her since she was eighteen. I was sixteen at the time. That was ten years ago. That was more than ten thousand fights ago. Don''t you think I know her?¡±

    He visibly hesitated. Then he whispered:

    ¡°Do you know that Dolores does play Cala only since maybe a year ago? Somebody else was playing her before. You see, it is just a game...¡±

    Alice turned towards the horses and clicked her tongue. She did not answer. A tear ran on her cheek.

 Chapter 44 - Markus, you did this to me!

    As the coach was progressing slowly on the unpaved road, I was gently rocked inside it and was not far from falling asleep. Thiara, alias Tina was still lying on the bench with her head on my lap.

    I felt some movement under my hand. However, as she did not say a word, I ignored it and let her stay. After a while, she made herself more comfortable.

    I caressed her head and asked her:

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    For a moment, she froze. Then she asked:

    ¡°Where do you bring me?¡±

    She slowly sat upright and watched me with a note of fear in her eyes. I shrugged:

    ¡°You are free to stay or go wherever you want.¡±

    She looked outside, then back at me.

    ¡°This is not the way to my parent''s estate, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Right. We are heading towards Silver Town.¡±

    She sighed. Then she suddenly jumped and embraced me. I tried to protest:

    ¡°Wow, wow, take it easy, lady!¡±

    Her good mood returned instantly. She looked around, then at her clothes. She then turned her eyes at me, asking with an accusatory tone:

    ¡°This is not my robe? Where is my robe? Where are my shoes?¡±

    She was dressed with the amazons'' initiate standard equipment: simple beige trousers, blouse, and jacket, cotton underwear, and socks, simple cotton shoes enforced with leather strips and a leather sole.

    ¡°Ahem, there was only some soot left. Do you really want that?¡±

    ¡°Oh!... Yes... ¡° - her face went dark as she thought intensively remembering the last events - ¡°I did conjure fire!!¡±

    She said that with a broad, victorious grin. I had to chuckle. It was not exactly what I meant when I asked her to do it, but... I''ll let it pass; she did it.

    ¡°Tell me, Tina, how old are you?¡±

    I mean, she is an AI, but how old does the AI think she is? Her answer surprised me:

    ¡°I am fourteen!¡±

    ¡°Really? Honestly? I thought...¡±

    She corrected herself fast, making it even worse:

    ¡°Thirteen and 8 months. I''ll be fourteen soon!¡±

    Oh my god. Another kid. An AI kid! And I thought she was eighteen or something. How could I be so wrong? She was well developed for a thirteen-year-old.

    I sighed. The papa and mama AI would probably skin me alive if they ever get their hands on me. And yet I cannot send her back; that deranged emperor would get his dirty hands on her. I wonder what deranged emperor was he ripped off from our human history? They do that a lot in these games.

    Anyhow, I''ve promised her she may choose to stay with us if she conjures her fire. She did it.

    I sighed again.

    I''ll have to think this thing through. I''ll have to ask Alice to train her. This girl has zero physical condition. She needs to build up some muscles, at least enough to enable her to effectively run from danger if need be. I watched her again. Her new hair colour and eye colour were fitting, making her look even better than before. This was not by happenstance. She is very aware of her looks and keen to improve them.

    ¡°Did you also ask him to transform your lips too?¡±

    She watched me for a second, probably thinking if it was worth trying to lie to me. With a defeated look, she nodded:

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    I sighed. I thought they were sappier and redder than before. At least she did not exaggerate, making them too bulky.

    She examined her clothes again:

    ¡°Ow. Don''t you have a robe for me?¡±

    ¡°I do have a couple of ball gowns. Would you like to try one?¡±

    She was ready to agree, but then she realized I was joking. She was fucking ready to wear a ball gown! With a red face, she pouted.

    I tried to ignore her pouting and watched her in the eyes:

    ¡°Here is a pen, paper, and ink. You will write a letter to your parents and tell them you are alright. Maybe we''ll find a post office or a caravan to send the letter.¡±

    ¡°Now? Really? Must I do it now?¡±

    I snorted.

    ¡°Yes, now.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    As she met my eyes, she sighed and prepared the paper on the small folding table.

    I knocked, and the coach stopped. I needed some air. As I got out, I looked at the two riding on the coachman''s bank. I was happy that they seemed to somehow get along. At least good enough to talk to each other and not kill each other.

    Alice looked sad, sure that story with Noviel was still nagging at her. Maybe she talked with Spartacius about it, and that''s why he had that guilty look? I looked at Alice:

    ¡°Shouldn''t we be near the relay station?¡±

    She nodded:

    ¡°Yes, there is one on the border in about ten, fifteen minutes. There was a teleport option from there; do we use it?¡±

    Our travel was along the Kingdom''s border, first the border with the republic, now with the Silver Town territories, both to the left. After the relay station, we will delve into Silver Town''s territories.

    Silver Town is a free city with some farming grounds around it. About a three-hour ride in all directions.

    ¡°Let''s check there; if it''s safe, why not? That would save us some three-four hours.¡±

    ¡°How is Tina doing?¡±

    Spartacius looked at me inquiringly.

    ¡°She is ok. Writes now a letter to her parents. Care to change places? I''ll go up with Alice, and you get in?¡±

    After he climbed down, I went up near Alice. She shook the reins, and the horses started their smooth trot.

    I looked at her, and again, it hit me. I know I care for her. However, I tend more than I thought for her. I like her smooth lines and her jolly profile. There deep inside me, lies more. Much more.

    That fucking idiot Markus was admiring her. Admiring? No, more than that. Can I say that he was in love with a cartoon character? Because previously, she was a cartoon character. Fucking ten years since these two have been together. More than most marriages held nowadays!

    Something from those sentiments lingers in Cala. No, I am not going to change my preferences. I like boys. That''s me. What he left in this shell that Cala is only made me more attached to Alice than I thought I was. That added to the camaraderie that has grown between us during all those years together. She is more than a sister to me. I mean for Cala.

    What was that about the wish to possess her and subdue her? Was Markus that kind of a crank, or was it coming from me?

    No, in real life I have no such desire; why do I have it here? Maybe because here everything is possible? Or there is something else in play?

    I shook my head to shake away those damn thoughts.

    What about Cala? Does anything come from her? What is Cala? I just called her a shell, but is she really just a shell? When I am here, I think so strongly that I am Cala that I forget I am not really Cala.

    ¡°I wonder how they did it?¡±

    She turned around and looked inquiringly at me, then shook her head with a chuckle realizing I was talking to myself.

    I was asking myself, how was this world initiated? How were our characters implanted in this world? We are old characters. But the world also does reflect the story, all that happened until now. So why did they have to build such a complex world when there was just a story going forward?

    OK, the world is much broader now. They made it bigger than the Earth is. More complex. Additional actors. They had to combine all these with the old storyline. Can it be that everything happened again? That our characters relived everything in this world? How did they make the transition?

    ¡°They simply replaced it. They simply replaced everything with the new, improved version? Or care we say evolved?" - I turned to Alice - "When did Manchua the priest start talking about demons?¡±

    I was onto something, but I could not put my finger on it. The whole truth eluded me.

    She was surprised by my sudden outburst. She raised her shoulders.

    ¡°I don''t know. I did not have much time to talk with people in town¡± - she grinned - ¡°and the priest was not really our subject.¡±

    I watched her ginger hair waving gently with the breeze and felt that pang in my heart. Yeah, definitively. I sighed. Markus, you did this to me.

    She raised a brow, looking worried at me:

    ¡°Is there something?¡±

    Obviously, this feedback that Ivar the ghost was talking about was built in for some time. That''s how I got these weird feelings.

    I shook my head but did not answer. I only had some ideas and some questions but no answers yet.

    I raised my head. Yeah, the relay station was there!

 Chapter 45 - Fooling Around

    Just as we approached the relay station, the Lynx appeared from the forest.

    There was at first a small commotion, a couple of people ran away, but once they observed he was with us, they calmed down.

    I greeted him happily:

    ¡°Hey, Lynx! Good to see you! I was wondering where you''ve been!?¡±

    ¡°Grrr. Wav, wav!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, we are far away from those people. Besides, only dogs bark? You''re not a dog!?¡±

    ¡°Meow! Meowaoueu!¡±

    I snorted and let out an exasperated sigh. If he wants to play the clown, let him be. Spartacius and Tina were laughing out loud. Even Alice chuckled.

    We got closer to the camp whilst the Lynx continued to daff around.

    ¡°Is that beast not dangerous?¡±

    One of the soldiers pointed at the Lynx. At this, ''the beast'' stopped suddenly, turned towards the soldier, and growled:

    ¡°Groharr!¡±

    Surprised by the sudden change and the roar, the soldier stepped back, almost losing his helm in the process. I tried to calm things down.

    ¡°Not at all; he''s just fooling around and very sensitive to what he''s been called! Please just refrain from calling him a beast.¡±

    The soldier corrected me:

    "It"

    Uh, oh. The Lynx confirmed it in his way, running towards the soldiers:

    ¡°Wraharahaharahara!¡±

    I don''t know what beast was he impersonating now. Still, the result was impressive: the soldiers'' panic running speed increased exponentially, and a young officer who was approaching us felt the need to react and screamed.

    ¡°Attack! Turtle formation!¡±

    Of course, the Lynx changed his running direction suddenly, as if chasing one or another soldier for a couple of meters and leaving them alone once they picked up speed or even stopped cowering from fear. He did not intend to catch any, but the poor blokes did not know that.

    I sighed and sent a probe to check their levels. Confirming my assumptions, the highest level was under forty and was now coming out of a house at a slow pace. After my probe, he accelerated a little. All the others were around level twenty, so around Spartacius'' level or lower.

    I turned towards the Lynx.

    ¡°Satisfied?¡±

    He replied with a brilliant grin and a rough laugh-like bark. Yes, he was satisfied with the commotion he had caused.

    OK, OK. I got it. He does not like to play the role of a mount, but what else can I do? I have to leave it be. I hit my forehead with a hand in exasperation and sighed.

    The level 38 or something appeared to be the captain. He arrived at the scene whilst the turtle formation was still not complete. He looked at me, looked at the soldiers, then again at me. I raised my shoulders, he sighed, and then he approached us. The Lynx was suddenly a very brave mount running behind the coach as any brave mount would.

    ¡°Hello. I am captain Horaces. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Hello, captain; my name is Cala. We are travellers going towards Silver Town. I fear my mount did make the wrong impression on the young officer, greeting him with too much enthusiasm.¡±

    I felt a probe, and I saw him wince, then I saw a flicker in his eyes when I mentioned Silver Town and a tired look when I mentioned the officer.

    The poor man was an open book; probably that''s why he remained a provincial captain even if he seemed to be a capable one.

    ¡°Grrr?¡±

    The Lynx watched us with puppy eyes and an innocent grin. Not a tooth was visible, only a bit of his tongue. He then rolled on his back, inviting me to play with him. Alice facepalmed whilst Spratacius and Tina were again rolfing inside the coach.

    The captain turned towards the officer that was trying to take his place in the still not completed turtle. He was not fooled by the Lynx''s antics but for sure realized that we were not going to attack his garrison.

    ¡°Officer Doha, you''ll take the platoon and exercise the turtle formation there on the field. You are not coming back until your group does not enter information in less than 60 seconds. Understood?¡±

    Whilst the platoon left marching towards the field, the captain turned to me.

    ¡°Lady Cala, if you want to use the teleport, the tax is 11 silver for the carriage; the tax collector is in front of the teleport. You are the first carriage in 3 days that goes there. Are you aware of the situation?¡±

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°To be honest, captain, no. I just heard some rumours.¡±

    ¡°Well, the rumours are true. Everything seems to be dead in that direction. It starts a couple of hundred meters from the border. A very strong magical storm wiped out the area about a week ago. Since then, very few people have passed here through. Our previous garrison had been completely wiped out five days ago. We found nothing, not even their corpses. We came here three days ago; I hope you can understand that our people are a bit nervous.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I''m sorry that my mount did scare the officer...¡±

    ¡°Meowrrr¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know you are sorry too!¡± I patted the Lynx on the head. He just glanced a sorry, not sorry look at me.

    The captain rolled his eyes, shrugged and whispered:

    "It is an excellent opportunity for lieutenant Doha to do these exercises. He is the son of somebody important in the court."

    In the end, we were able to place Tina-Thiara''s letter with the captain as they did have a post office for the soldiers. He raised a brow and watched me, a bit intrigued when he saw the destination but did not comment. There was not much that we could do here, we spent some ten minutes, took water then we left for the teleporter.

    ¡°Do we all go at once, or do we send somebody to investigate? Should I go?¡±

    I looked at Alice. Unusual to hear her planning and asking questions. I turned towards the Lynx.

    ¡°You have the honour to scout. Are you ok with it?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°If the teleport there is not working, you''ll come back running. You are the fastest; that''s why I ask you to scout. We''ll wait here for you. If there is anything bad there, please don''t fight, evade, run, and hide; they are too dangerous.¡±

    "Meow"

    As soon as the Lynx approached the teleport area, the tax man looked at me:

    ¡°That would be five silver for the mount!¡±

    I handed him the silver, the Lynx stepped on the teleporter, and a bright light enveloped him. Next moment the surface was empty.

    We looked at each other, waiting. I hope nothing happens to him.

    A couple of minutes later, the teleport area illuminated itself.

    A soldier screamed:

    ¡°Incoming teleport!¡±

    The group of soldiers that were only relaxing a couple of meters away jumped to their feet, collecting their weapons in a hurry. Oh drats. I raised a hand, waving towards the officer:

    ¡°I think it is only my scout returning!¡±

    The officer nodded, but the soldiers continued with the preparation, however, at a more tempered pace. That must be the protocol.

    Indeed the Lynx appeared on the platform, giving us a wide grin.

    ¡°Harharhar!¡±

    I sighed and then waved to him. The officer was confused.

    ¡°Do you trust your mount as a scout?¡±

    I nodded and walked towards the teleport. Alice followed behind me with the coach.

    ¡°That would be 16 silver!¡±

    I watched the taxman surprised.

    ¡°I understood it is 11 silver for a coach?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma''am, 11 silver for the coach and 5 for the mount.¡±

    I sighed. A taxman is a taxman everywhere. The Lynx grinned even happier. Why did this make him happy was a mystery to me.

    I paid and stepped on the teleport near the Lynx, the coach being next. The teleport light embraced us, and I arrived utterly blinded on the other side.

    I heard the Lynx lamenting as if speaking for himself:

    ¡°Noob, completely noob to keep the eyes wide open during a teleport! Let me see, are you ticklish?¡±

    He pressed a claw in my side.

    "He! Not fair!"

    "Noob penalty!"

    I suppose the area was double-checked and secure for him to have so much fun. I am ticklish, and that only motivated him more.

    He was on a roll. I wonder what did he eat?

    As soon as I could see again, I watched around. Everything was covered with a several centimetres thick grey dust carpet. There was no wind. The air was stale and warm.

    We were standing in the centre of a round plaza; behind us, the road was running straight to the horizon as far as I could see; however, the line of sight ended in about 500-600 meters in a kind of grey haze. In front was the city or what was visible from it and not covered in the same grey haze and a beautiful chalet to the right. A small yet visible shield was there in front of it: ''Ivar''s estate''. Well, our ghost did have a nice chalet at the town''s entrance!

    The town was not surrounded by walls but by a circular road with many similar beautiful houses and small palaces on the interior side, fields and forests on the other side.

    ¡°There is nobody here, but I think the teleport has some surveying mechanism. Somewhere an alarm may be ringing.¡±

    I nodded to the Lynx. I don''t know how he sensed that, but it was probable. He seemed to be now entirely concentrated; the joyousness was gone.

    ¡°Let us check first Ivar''s castle. Our ghost friend should be waiting for us there.¡±

    Alice drove the carriage towards the entry.

    ¡°Do we go all in?¡±

    ¡°No. I''ll go alone. You''ll stay together. Please. If there is anything dangerous, you''ll leave through the teleport!¡±

    ¡°Those clowns on the other side would not give us any protection. If there is something, we should better stay together.¡±

    I sighed. Probably he was right.

    ¡°OK, if there is anything, just make enough noise. I''ll come back as soon as I can!¡±

    ¡°Sounds better. ¡°

    The Lynx grinned again. I raised my shoulders and left towards the entrance of the estate. He came running beside me.

    "Should I not come with you?"

    Hm. He was worried.

    "The best would be to stay together, but then we would have to leave the coach. I don''t like the idea, it is our ticket back. It is better if you stay here. I''ll be short."

    "OK, you''re the boss."

    He nodded and turned back towards the coach. I entered the estate. The same grey dust was everywhere, covering everything, broken windows, broken furniture.

    "Ivar? Ivar, are you here?"

 Chapter 46 - Shadows and a Witch

    I walked through several ravaged rooms. It was almost looking like after a twister would have blazed through, but a strange choosy twister. The devastation was not as severe as it would have been after a real twister. It was different. Maybe an explosion in some distance would have better explained what I was seeing, but still not perfectly: some windows were broken, others remained intact, some furniture was damaged or knocked over, and yet other parts were left almost undamaged, like the library which still had most of its books on its shelves.

    This must have been a lovely room with a walloping fireplace ornamenting the wall to the left, with a partially shredded and twisted leather armchair near it. How did that happen?

    Huge windows towards the garden to the right. Bookshelves front and behind me. But now, only dead leafless trees were seen through the broken windows.

    And everything, everywhere, was covered with a layer of grey dust.

    Interesting books here: books about magic, history books, geography books, even a huge atlas and... romance books? Where do these books come from? Who wrote this? I took one book and opened it on a random page:

    ''... I moaned! Let me free! Please! Let me... Aaaaaaah! The avalanche of feelings was stronger than everything I had encountered before. As a succubus to be tortured in this way, I found it extremely... good? Effective? A shiver ran my spine through when he touched my...''

    ¡°Cala¡±

    ¡°Haahh!!!¡±

    I jumped and almost let the book fall. I turned surprised, blushing, putting the book back on the shelf as fast as I could. He was there, Ivar the ghost, but a very agitated Ivar.

    I breathed relief when I saw that he did not look at what book I was reading, even as it had that articulately explicit painting on the cover.

    ¡°The shadows, the shadows are here! They almost got me! They almost got me¡­.I managed to hide, but they stood there in waiting! They are waiting to get me!¡±

    ¡°Keep calm; there is no shadow here!¡±

    He floated back and forth, looking in all directions, then slowly calmed.

    ¡°They chased me, and I cannot fight them! I think they want to capture me!¡±

    ¡°You should be safe now; I understand they avoid the living.¡±

    He looked again over his shoulder, then, somewhat calmer, started to talk.

    ¡°I ran almost all the time. Even when I tried to hide inside a wall, they followed me. Only if they lose contact, only then I can hide and have a couple of moments of rest. And there are even more now, chasing me!¡±

    ¡°Did you find anything new?¡±

    He watched me, a bit shocked by my non-involvement in his story of torment, whilst in reality, I thought that letting him talk about something else would be better for him.

    ¡°I found no bodysuit player. I could not make many inquiries because most people do not see me, and to make myself visible to normal people strains me a lot. I''m so tired after a few minutes that I fade away for several hours. What have you found out?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Nothing special... A shadow!¡±

    ¡°A shadow?¡±

    At first, he did not understand me, then he turned. A giant shadow was separating itself from the wall. It was the first time that I properly saw one. It was a strange apparition, resembling a ghost, but for the darker, greyish colour, almost in tone with the dust, as if part of the dust would have become alive. It had vague contours of a humanoid shape, but no feet, just some appendages, more like a flying... squid? Or kraken?

    It moved in a disturbing way as if dense smoke clouds would revolve your way, bringing out more and more of its inside, whereas the outside became its new inside in its back.

    ¡°A shadow! Help!¡± he screamed and tried to fly towards the wall, but another shadow appeared from the other side.

    I took my katars in my hands. Magic weapons should work against the shadows. I attacked, and indeed the shadow lost consistency and dispersed where the katars struck. The remaining parts retired and started reforming the shadow whilst another and another one appeared.

    They came from all directions, from above and from below, from the right and from the left. I started to cut more and more, but they did not seem to be really wounded by my attacks, only set back; they reformed and came again to attack me.

    A shadow passed over my face, and I felt the darkness covering my brain. It was as if, yes, as if a shadow would come over my mind.

    I stroke at it with my right hand, cutting the shadow and a deep gash on my face.

    I screamed in pain, blood trickling over my cheek. How the fuck did this miss-coordination happen?

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    What followed was so sudden and strange even for the Mephisto game. I found myself in the middle of a tornado. Strange, weird faces and images were appearing and disappearing before my eyes. I heard Ivar screaming and saw him trying in vain to grip my hand being taken away like a leaf in the wind. I tried to use my <<mind blast>> against the shadows, but I could not concentrate on them; there were too many, moving too fast. I wavered my katars, but it was like cutting the wind. And slowly, my wounds accumulated. How did I wound myself?

    I was feeling weaker and weaker and felt the need to close my eyes and hide somewhere, anywhere.

    I fell to my knees when I felt a prickle on my skin. Is White Flower leaving me? Is she trying to save herself?

    I was again blinded by light blasts.

    It was like being transcended into another world. A world without shadows. I was on my knees, my mind slowly booting up again. I watched her ethereal beauty as she still radiated those silver-golden rays. She took my head in her hands and whispered:

    ¡°Cala, you have no ghost weakness but a huge shadow magic weakness!? How could you level with such a weakness?¡±

    I watched her ethereal hand holding my cheek. I closed my eyes as she incorporated back into my skin.

    ¡°It is a gained weakness; it was not always there. It is a long story!¡±

    I opened my eyes and stood slowly back on my feet.

    ¡°Sorry yet that you''ve bet on the wrong horse?¡±

    I''ve said that with a sour tone.

    ¡°Don''t be silly, Cala; you should have told me before. I''ve put a buff on you, it increases shadow magic resistance by 10%, but that is insufficient to compensate for your weakness!¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    I looked around. Where did that ghost disappear?

    ¡°Have you seen him?¡±

    ¡°No, I lost him from sight after the shadows attack.¡±

    ¡°I thought you had no power, and yet you are stronger than me?¡±

    ¡°No. These were only shadows. They have no physical attack. They have only a weak magical attack. They can only weaken your will.¡±

    ¡°Only weaken? I could not stand on my feet!¡±

    ¡°Yes, because there were many, but they cannot kill. If you are redeemed will-less, they can possess. Due to your shadow magic weakness, you are endangered. On the other hand, you cannot touch them or harm them; only magic can harm them¡­ Wait! Somebody is coming closer!¡±

    Yes, a moment later, I was also aware of a presence.

    I did not have to wait much longer to get the answer about who was coming. The next moment a witch teleported into the middle of the room and started casting a fireball on me.

    I attacked her with <<mind blast>> interrupting her cast, then jumped with my katars ready, but she teleported away, so I struck only the air.

    My mind blast should have made her dizzy, but she seemed to have strong resistance to it; except for the interruption, she appeared to be unaffected.

    She was swift, and before I was able to react, she hit me from behind. I turned to face her, but she was away again.

    And again, she hit me, now on the left side. I tried to <<trap>> her, but she was simply too fast, she teleported right in front of my nose, and with a strong fireball in my face, she almost knocked me out. I flew backwards and landed on my ass. She stopped the attacks and laughed:

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what G finds with you. I''ll give you 2 days. You will not survive longer than two days here..¡±

    I rolled backwards and jumped back on my feet, trying to keep some rest of dignity in my movement. I was not yet beaten, but I got a correction. Seems that my pvp skills are somewhat rusty.

    I sighed. I Should have spelt <<darkness>> and then cast my <<speed>>. That should have changed the result of the fight. Why do I have the good ideas after the fight?

    Anyhow, I did not have to heal, even if my face was singed, so they did not learn I could do it. White Flower had also kept her cool, not healing me.

    ¡°Do you have what he requested from you?¡±

    The witch looked at me with inquiring eyes. I nodded:

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then bring him now. G does not like to wait¡­ What do you say about this world? Crazy, isn¡¯t it? I bet it is an experiment! It must be the Secret Service or¡­ who else could it be?¡±

    I raised my shoulders:

    ¡°Why do you help Grackak? I see no ring on you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he is o.k. I can choose all the best weapons and armour from what he captures. We are the best clan around.¡±

    ¡°Are there other clans around?¡±

    ¡°You are a noob! Of course, there are. And I think the Secret Service is making an experiment to choose the best team from all.¡±

    What would the Secret Service have from it? He was obviously a very young person.

    ¡°Are there many in your clan?¡±

    ¡°It''s not mine, it''s G''s, and I don¡¯t know exactly. If you count only the base people, we are only twelve, but there are many more not-so-important members.¡±

    ¡°And how do you get to be a member of the clan?¡°

    ¡°Each clan has its rules, but they are all losers. Only our clan is the true one, only one clan can be the best, and we are the best. In our clan, you have to be proposed by one of the existing members and accepted by the grand jury. It is the only way.¡±

    ¡°And who is the grand jury?¡±

    ¡°You will see. I am in it¡­ Well, I have to go; G sent me to check, he said an alarm was triggered. I will tell him it was you. See you in town!¡±

    She teleported away singing with a very false voice a popular song, which sounded very funny through the sudden breaks of the teleports.

 Chapter 47- Escape Plan in Flames

    I could not find him anymore. I made another two rounds through the residence, looking for him. No trace of Ivar.

    I wondered what to do. Was he taken by the shadows, or did he manage to hide somewhere?

    There was one fascinating thing I found in the garden. It was a small cherry tree. It was alive, the only living thing in the whole residence. Well, except the witch that blasted me. But she came and went away.

    The tree was not only alive but heavily covered with buds ready to blossom.

    ¡°What''s with this tree?¡± - I wondered, touching gently one branch.

    It felt like touching a cord, a piano string, with magic resonating in me.

    ¡°The few beings that survived the magic storm are marked by magic. Many interesting creatures and plants might evolve now in this area covered by heavy magic.¡±

    ¡°Should I try to take it with us?¡±

    ¡°No. It needs the magic environment to live, but we might want to visit here later to see what property its fruits have.¡±

    Well, except that, nothing of interest happened. I was torn between searching for Ivar or closing my quest with Grackak.

    After the second fruitless round, I gave up looking for the ghost. It could be that he was hiding somewhere. I will first close my quest, and then I could come back and have another look.

    I returned to the carriage. They were a little impatient and probably worried due to my long absence. As they waved, seeing me, I heard the Lynx sighing, relieved. Alice raised a brow:

    "Any problems?"

    "I hope not. I got some shadows drama, and I think Ivar went into hiding; I could not find him anymore. What could the shadows do to a ghost?"

    I instinctively did not want to go into details about my shadow weakness.

    ¡°I see you''ve improved your look again", - said the Lynx - "but my sweet lady, trust me, this darkly scorched look is not putting you in a favourable light. On the other side, the huge d¨¦collet¨¦e is sexy. However, the blouse must be adapted to show its full effect. One question, why do you keep destroying the jacket? Obviously, you need only vambraces, no jacket!? So why destroy it? Remove it! It would be sexier.¡±

    I sighed, watching him askew, letting the tirade wash over me. Looking for that poor ghost, I forgot to put my appearance back in order after being scorched by that witch. The Lynx likes to sound like a big tough guy, but I think he cares, so I did not go ballistic on his poor attempt at humour.

    ¡°Lynx, that''s not funny. Besides, just that you know, nothing will pop up no matter how often you say the ''sexy'' word!¡±

    He snorted:

    ¡°That''s not fair! I''ve never seen something popping up!¡±

    ¡°Forget about it; I don''t think it works here; that was in the lobby." - I shrugged - "Let''s be serious, I met one of Grackak''s witches and got scorched in a friendly bout. She seemed to have an incredible amount of mana at her disposal with almost no cool-down for the spells. OK, whatever. I got scorched. Important is that they seem to be halfway reasonable; let''s close this stupid quest, and please stop putting salt on my wounds."

    It was his turn to sigh.

    ¡°Trust me, we feel with you!¡±

    I got a huge tongue slurp over my face. That was a surprise attack that I could not avoid. Too close, too sudden.

    ¡°Now, you look better!¡±

    The Lynx said that with the satisfaction of a job well done. I remained petrified for a couple of seconds, trying to digest all that without exploding, and sighed again. I cleaned my face with the back of my arm.

    I removed the ''vambraces'' to allow the jacket''s two parts to recombine themselves.

    ¡°What do we do now? It is late. Do we set up camp here for the night?¡± - asked Spartacius, watching me inquiringly as the second sun was closing to the horizon.

    ¡°No, we go talk with Grackak and the idiots there. We should be able to find an understanding.¡±

    "If you say so..."

    The Lynx was like always not expecting a positive outcome, whilst Tina was worried:

    ¡°What if they do not want to let us leave?¡±

    I looked at her and nodded.

    ¡°I do not expect that, but in such case, we have to force our way out. We do as planned:" - I pointed at her - "You should stay in the carriage. If you hear my whistle, you pull off the two levers and use the portal. Please do that instantly, with no hesitation. We have the explosion set at 10 seconds. Ten seconds for all to use the portal before everything explodes. Ten seconds after you hear the whistle. Run for it as if your life depends on it because it does. Everything clear?¡±

    ¡°It will not work.¡± - said the Lynx shaking his head - ¡°what if they want to take over the carriage before?¡±

    ¡°It means that they are hostile from the beginning. You two," - I pointed at him and Alice - "you do not follow me inside; you stay out and defend the carriage. If they attack, Tina uses her whistle. The rest runs the same way; we will have ten seconds to evacuate. Spartacius, you stay behind me, between the coach and me. I only need to show you are there to have the quest fulfilled. In case of trouble, you don''t wait for me; you run. I''ll cast darkness and mind blast anybody who tries to stop you. Memorize your path; you need to know your way to the portal by heart. Don''t worry about me; I trust I can escape them even without the portal. Again, I cannot imagine that they will attack us. Why should they do that? As I said, we are humans; we should be able to talk to each other.¡±

    The Lynx just shrugged but did not comment further.

    We advanced on the main street through the deserted town. There were houses with 2-3 stores on each side, shops, and malls, one near the other. The same choosy twister seemed to have streamed everywhere, probably depending on how much magic various items have had.

    Most of the shops were still full of merchandise in various states of decay, the shopkeeper and the clients missing, fine, dark dust covering everything.

    We stopped at the main market. The water was still running in the fountain, and on the other side, a big 2 storied hotel was the only building with illuminated windows. At one side, some fifty meters away, a group of about ten persons was relaxing in the light of the setting sun, but they ignored us. Probably our arrival has been announced by the witch.

    I waved hello at them, and somebody waved back, pointing toward the two-story brick building that had HOTEL written with wide letters on top. I was tempted to probe them, but I decided against it. That could be seen as impolite. They did not make any high-level impression, but some decent middle-level ones, most above forty but under seventy. Maybe even under sixty.

    Everything seemed so uneventful that I started to think I''d made all preparations for nought. Grackak appeared to have some unorthodox recruiting methods, but probably that was all. Just to impress and make you come and see for yourself. Was this all?

    I approached the building and stopped in front of the door to listen. There were voices inside, but I could not understand what they were talking about. I looked around, and only now did I see the giant, black dragon watching me from the other side of the street. Once our eyes met, he closed his eyes and put his head back on the ground, with the gigantic chain rings clicking as they hit the pavement and disappeared under him, the dragon looking again like the mountain of stones I thought it was before. I made a hand gesture towards Alice. She nodded. She''ll stay by the coach as planned, the dragon a wild card that we''ll need to manage somehow in case of trouble... The Lynx was playing his brave mount role, bound by a simple wire to the coach. Of course, he could snap free at any moment. At the sight of the dragon, he snorted unhappily, same as the horses, as if saying: told you so.

    I rolled my eyes.

    I waited until Spartacius came by me, then I pushed the door open, and we entered:

    ¡°Hello! Hi, there! I''m Cala. I came as requested. This is Spartacius, the prisoner from the tower.¡±

    There was silence once I entered the room. About 12 to 15 people were there. I also saw a couple of waitresses working, so Grackak did not kill all the people in the town, or maybe brought them from a nearby village?

    ¡°Hallo Cala, I see you did it.¡±

    Only now did I see the gnome sitting at a table. I looked back and saw he was looking at Spartacius.

    ¡°Well, of course." - I raised my shoulders. What else was there to be said? - "How is it going? Do you guys¡­¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ''.. have the same problems with the logout?''. That''s what I wanted to ask, but Grackak interrupted me with a harsh tone:

    ¡°Silence! You do not come here and ask how is it going!? This is my town, where you speak when I ask you!¡±

    I watched him bewildered. Is he talking seriously? Is he trying to play something?

    This was the moment I thought to use the whistle as agreed.

    Instinctively I put a hand on my neck. The damn bet-collar was gone. I am free!

    My movement did not escape his eyes.

    ¡°Now stay here and wait until I come back, or else you are the next cleaning slut!¡± - said Grackak, pointing at the man washing the floor.

    Several persons from the audience laughed out loud. He walked towards another room. One priest dressed in a white robe with red strips, who was watching me through a crystal, exclaimed suddenly:

    ¡°Well, I''ll be damned if not! She must have a relic class item!¡±

    One fucking good appraisal crystal. First, my anklet was not visible; even if it had been visible, it should have passed for a regular, useless anklet. Relic class items are incredibly scarce. Mine was primarily cosmetic, but it could have other uses too. I got it from an angel, and I needed it.

    Grackak turned suddenly back.

    "What? Now that explains some..."

    I don''t know what he thought this would explain, but I was sure he was wrong.

    The priest shook his head:

    "I don''t know which one, but she must have one. I''ve never seen this reaction in the crystal!"

    Wait a minute, was this because of my anklet, a thing that they should not have been able to detect, or because of White Flower?

    "Don''t make any sudden movement!! Put your clothes down there! Everything in a neat pile!"

    Does it matter what the reason was?

    White Flower was nervously whispering in my mind:

    "Say your darkness spell and run!!"

    "Just a moment!" - that was my answer to White Flower - "Now, really, do you want me to strip here?"

    "Everything. Undetermined relic class item? Girl, we want to see that!"

    "And more!" - added a voice in the background like in a live show.

    He raised his staff, ready to shoot his ice spells.

    "Or, we strip you ourselves!"

    "Yeaaah!"

    Several nodded, whistled, and even applauded.

    I felt like in a bad western movie playing the damsel in distress. Now was the time for the cavalry to run to my rescue.

    I should have reacted the moment when that damn priest spoke. That was the moment when I should have said darkness. Outside there was some commotion. Something was happening outside. What do I do? Everybody was tense; everybody was watching me. I had no chance to take them by surprise.

    I slowly took my jacket off. I''ll need to take unobserved by them the whistle in my hand. Then I''ll say darkness and blow the whistle. I need to jump away at the same time so that they do not hit me with their spells. I took my time to pack it, searching the pockets for my whistle.

    "Take your time, girl!"

    I watched the jackass. It was a mage. He grinned. I grinned back. I had the whistle now in my hand, but just as I wanted to say my spell, a terrible roar resounded outside, and Tina erupted in the room, followed by a man. Both screamed at the same time:

    ¡°Her mount fights Fify!!¡±

    ¡°They take the carriage!¡± - said Tina

    Who the hell is Fify?

    Tina should have stayed in the carriage. She should have opened the portal and used the whistle if they were attacked. What is she doing here? Where is Alice?

    Everything exploded in action.

    <<Darkness>>

    The moment I said darkness, I saw Spartacius throwing something at Grackak. It was some kind of a package. Fuck what does the idiot do? We need to run out!

    Anyhow Spartacius action seemed to have blocked Grackak from casting any spell, which was good.

    Grackak''s scream turned into a furious croak, and then I heard him coughing and screaming.

    I did my <<teleport kick>> against the image in my memory of the man that came in with Tina. It works if you concentrate and do it fast enough. I had no other choice as I could not see him now with the darkness, but I still got him. Not a perfect hit, but good enough to send him flying.

    I heard further screams and curses. I was surprised that Grackak did not freeze us all with an ice explosion spell.

    <<Speed>>

    I started moving at more than double speed. I grabbed Tina and tried to find Spartacius. Where is he? I made a couple of steps, and as Tina tried to drag me in another direction, I simply put her on my shoulder. At least she did not fight me and endured my manhandling her calmly.

    There he is! I jumped at him, he was still throwing some small packages, but these did not seem potent. I saw no explosions whatsoever.

    I grabbed his hand, thinking about how am I going to fight with Tina on my shoulder and Spartacius on my other hand when it happened. I was speaking of no explosion, but the moment I grabbed his hand, a terrible explosion outside made the whole wall collapse over us. Good that I had the two with me as White Flower healed us all instantly. Good that the explosion was strong enough to break the wall into pieces but yet not that strong to break me into pieces. Especially here behind the wall. I dragged them in front of me to protect them as much as possible, then turned towards where the wall was.

    Fuck, here goes my escape plan in flames. That was our carriage that exploded. Did Tina pull the levers before she came inside? Why did she not pull the whistle to warn us?

    We need to run and hide, but where? Next moment I was hit by a giant blob of mangled fur.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± said the Lynx whilst my tattoo was healing him. ¡°Come, I''ll take Alice!¡±

    I ran as fast as I could behind him with Tina on my shoulder and dragging Spartacius by hand. The poor slob could not run as fast as me, so he was just dead weight that I pulled behind me, but at least he did not complain.

    I trusted the Lynx blindly. He must see at least as good as I do in the darkness or maybe even better. How can he do that?

    Once he stopped, I wondered where Alice was. Only now did I realize he was carrying an unconscious Alice in his maw as he dropped her down and spoke:

    ¡°Terri, we need you now!¡±

    We were about to get out of the ''darkness'' area. Before I could say anything, he added:

    ¡°Put Tina, Terri, and Alice on my back until Alice recovers. You and Spartacius follow me close. No noise, please!¡±

    Behind us, a cacophony of screams and a couple of blasting spells fired blindly. However, many of Grackak''s people must have been wounded if they were not dead from that damn explosion.

    Terri healed Alice, and to my relief, she recovered instantly, so it was only Tina and Terri riding the Lynx. Another run-for-your-life exercise!

    I whispered:

    ¡°Alice, can you run?¡±

    She nodded. I turned to the Lynx.

    ¡°Can you take Spartacius too? He may be too noisy and slow.¡±

    He nodded:

    ¡°Good idea. Climb Spartacius!¡±

    I don''t know why, but the idiot started laughing. He did all he could to not laugh out loud, but I did not have the time to check what he did find so funny.

    Next moment we were on the run. The sun had already set, but it was not yet completely dark; the sky to the west was still dark blue.

    Soon I was out of my speed spell, but I still could run very fast even without it.

    I was happy to see that our Terri could also erase traces in the dust. I don''t know if it was also an illusion what she did or if she effectively erased the traces, but it was very efficient.

    As soon as we left the town, we did not run on the road but straight over the field. A couple of riders were running along the streets, and others with flying mounts were spying from the sky, but it seemed that White Flower''s magic was good enough to keep us safe. They probably assumed we had used a portal as the search was not as intensive as I expected; however, only after about one hour of running did we stop.

    It was now completely dark, with no moon yet in the sky full of stars. I stood there agape for a moment watching the wonderful display until Spartacius broke the silence.

    ¡°I need some water!¡±

    The Lynx and Alice both nodded.

    ¡°Yes, me too!¡±

    Drinking slowly from my cup, I watched the myriads of stars in the sky. Fuck, what a show! It is worth all your money!

    Spartacius grinned, putting a larger bowl down for the Lynx:

    "We did it!"

    I turned angry at him:

    "What was so funny that you had to laugh just when we had to keep silent?"

    "Oh, sorry, you should hear your voice when you are under the speed spell!"

    OK, that might have been funny, but I did not intend to let him escape like this. I just remembered his action with Grackak in the beginning:

    ¡°What on Earth were you doing there instead of running out?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He watched me bemused. The fact that he delayed us had been, in the end, helpful, as we were protected by the wall from the explosion, but yet I still had to ask:

    ¡°You threw something at Grackak and then at the gang?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? That was pepper. Hot pepper powder packages. I just threw it in their general direction as I could not see them in the darkness. At least for Grackak, I saw him, and I got him right in the face!¡±

    I had to chuckle, then I had to laugh. The Lynx could not contain his admiration:

    ¡°That was good! That explains why they were so delayed in following us. You probably saved us, God of Food!¡±

    ¡°Nah¡±, - replied Spartacius - ¡°without you fighting the dragon, we would have had no chance.¡±

    Oh, that must have been Fify.

    ¡°You fought the dragon? That was a black dragon, wasn''t it? Can you fight one?¡±

    The Lynx shook his head.

    ¡°I can keep him busy and hold him up for some time. As long as I avoid being bitten, or being blown to cinders by their dark breath, or being trampled...¡±

    ¡°Did it attack you?¡±

    ¡°Those guys came to talk to us and then suddenly attacked. Alice fought back, and one of them ordered the dragon to kill her. One idiot grabbed Tina before she could blow the whistle, so I freed her then I had to distract the dragon. As she was already dragged out of the coach, Tina ran inside to warn you. Meanwhile, another idiot entered the coach and probably pulled the levers. Alice was overwhelmed by a group, who then took the brunt of the explosion. With a rampaging dragon there, Spartacius'' pepper, and your darkness, they were well occupied!¡±

 Chapter 48 â€“ This Is Not a Game

    One hour later, Spartacius and the Lynx were still talking about their exploits in the ''memorable fight'' with Grackak''s clan.

    I was happy, and a bit puzzled that we escaped so far, still not truly believing it, but I was a bit tired of hearing, again and again, their deeds of the fight, even as they continued to discover new aspects of the twenty seconds battle.

    I watched Alice. She looked back at me, then looked towards the stars with a sigh. I chuckled. It feels good to know somebody is sharing your pain.

    Tina was spread on her belly on the Lynx''s back, with her head turned on one side and her hands clawing bushes of hair. I saw her right foot twitching. OK, she must be sleeping.

    White Flower was riding the Lynx just behind her. She was now resting her hand on her back.

    She and White Flower look like two toddlers riding a giant St. Bernard.

    White Flower, still grinning but tired, sometimes resting over Tina, sometimes staying straight, continues to do her spells to keep us camouflaged.

    I am still in the game with no end in sight. We are running for our lives as I am afraid the crazy clan will not stay on a defeat, and next time, if there will be such, we might not be as lucky as we''ve already been. I am trying to do all I can to avoid having a next-time with them.

    Speaking of luck, the bigger moon just rose, and it was giving us enough light to keep running. The further we get, the better.

    Run, baby, run. Just stay alive. As if this would be easy in this game... Is this really a game, or is this a never-ending dream?

    I was a bit aloof in front of the group, thinking about my problems. I was the scout, in theory, but as we were going through a low-level area, everything should be fine, even if I was not carefully watching every step. On the other hand, I had too many things to care about.

    One thing that bothered me was the strange memory from Cala''s past that was haunting me. This memory was triggered when they mentioned that artifact I had at my ankle. I was only now starting to understand what happened with Cala. It was a strange situation Cala was in. Does it matter? If not, why does it bother me?

    Then there was Spartacius'' strange behavior. Now, after the fight, he was again himself, but not before.

    He has been strangely silent before. I surprised him a couple of times, looking at me with a guilty look. I suspected he must have done or said something stupid. Was it when he was alone with Tina in the coach?

    I could not check now with Tina as she was sleeping, hanging there on the Lynx. I watched our ''Terri'' again. The fairy has been a real boon for me. Without her and the Lynx, I would have been lost many times.

    Then there was this strange situation with the game. The longer this dream took, the less probable my explanation was. Even if this was running at double speed, we were already having the second night. It was a pity these idiots from the Abyss Horde were not interested in talking about the situation. Why aren''t these people concerned about our situation?

    I turned and looked to the left. Ah there! There is a cavern! I changed the direction heading for it. We could enter the cavern and stay there for a couple of hours, maybe even longer. I badly needed some rest. I guess the others too, and the cavern was the best place I''ve seen so far to allow us to take that break and maybe even sleep for the night.

    I turned and waved to the Lynx. I pointed with my finger towards the cavern. As he watched me, I saw the tiredness in his eyes, but then suddenly they grew into big round dishes.

    ¡°Cala!!! Nooo...¡±

    He screamed so suddenly with a horror-stricken voice that it froze me in my steps. I''ve never heard this tone in his voice before! I''ve never heard him screaming like this! Not even when he learned, we were attacking Styxa''s coachman. Why was he calling when we must keep quiet? Why should I not go to the cavern?

    All these thoughts passed in a fraction of a second through my mind. I did not have any fraction of a second longer;

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    And then everything was black. I heard his voice getting dimmer, more distant as I was violently covered by some flexible elastic skin being forcefully plunged into a very narrow, oily rubber bag. My neck almost snapped under the violence of the thrust. My hands were pinned beside my body, and my knees would have bent under the shock if not for being forcefully held straight by the sack. There was a suction to it; it was like being dragged into an airplane engine. The next moment I found myself turned upside down, all sides pressed over, and I slipped further inside that dreadful bag.

    I lost the orientation; what was up and what was down, it was only me in that dreadful narrow space. What was this?

    There was terrible pressure on me from all sides, so awful that I could not raise my hand a little higher to access my inventory box, as if I would have been packed into solid steel wire. I could not hear my voice even if I knew I was screaming. My poor heart was drumming inside my chest like a claustrophobic little bird trying desperately to escape its ribcage. Sweat and urine were running over me. Yes, I pissed myself; I realized it only when I smelled it.

    The atrocity of being inside that organic bag did not fully set in when I was again moved. The walls pushed me down in some concentric movements, squishing me further inside the humid tube, head first. The repeated waves of movements were simply crushing my flesh, pushing me like some clump of meat, any of my actions made irrelevant by the elasticity of the steely tube.

    The realization dawned on me: I had just been swallowed whole by some beast. I tried desperately to bend my hand to reach that damn inventory box.

    The feeling I got from the tube was of some kind of steel. Steel that could bend like rubber if needed but yet was as strong as steel. I was pushed head front in another larger bag. It was full of an oozy, gluey substance that filled any room as small as it was between me and the steel walls. No, not the steel walls; other steely, flexible bars were there with me.

    I could not breathe; my lungs were burning me, and that gluey substance was burning my face and hands. I did not see anything but felt everything teeming, moving around me. What is this? With horror, I realized I was not alone in this rubber bag but surrounded by a sea of worms or snakes or snails of all dimensions, all pressing against me. Everything was now so glue-some that it impended further my movements; however, I felt how they fixed themselves on my skin, sucking it away, penetrating my armor, penetrating every corner, every inch of my body. My eyes, my nose, my ears. Everything.

    They were in all dimensions. I wanted to scream but could not, afraid to open my mouth. But they were nabbing my lips. I wanted to breathe, but at the same time, close my nostrils if possible; I wanted to see, but at the same time, I wanted to close my eyes. I heard them, heard a swishing, sucking sound, and I felt them.

    Finally, I managed to get a dagger in my right hand, but somehow I could not find any purchase for it. My hand moved only slowly between the flexible iron bars. How can you strike when you are inside a mass of pure glue? What should I strike? Due to the terrible pressure, I could not hold the air anymore in my lungs.

    Finally, my brain did something else than only cowering in horror, and I cast the <<speed>> spell, but even with the speed-spell active, my movements were too slow. What I got was to live everything very clearly, in slow motion.

    I was floating in a sea of steely worms. Steely worms that were fixing themselves on me. Even if my dagger could cut one or another, what would that do? I could no longer sense the actual walls of my prison between all those moving worms. Each second I was feeling weaker; each second, the pressure was higher.

    They were on my hands, on my body, on my tights, on my neck, on my calves, on my back, on my breasts, under my armpits, between my tights. Everywhere.

    Something entered one of my nostrils; it pushed itself slowly but forcedly inside. I wanted to drag it out; however, I was not able to bring my hand to my face in time. My skin was burning, my eyes could not see but were pained, and now something was sucking my right eye. I tried desperately to keep it closed. I tasted acid through my nose and mouth.

    Now, something was entering my left ear. I heard it as it squished itself inside. It was so loud that it dominated all other noises. I vomited and partially swallowed back, not being able to spit; not sure what else did I swallow.

    Something moved inside my throat.

    Something bit my tongue. I tried desperately to spit, and as I opened my mouth, more tried to enter. I shook spasmodically, my head to the side, for a bigger worm to grasp my cheek. I felt how my cheek deformed to enter its sucking hole of a mouth. What are these worms? My spasmodic movements did not bring me relief, but I could not do more than that.

    I don''t want to feel these¡­ these things! I don''t want to feel these things sucking my skin in their abrasive holes! It was like a giant octopus embracing you with its tentacles, but even worse, a myriad of octopuses. I don''t want to feel these!

    Who could imagine this horror? Who could have thought of such torture? Why?

    Normally, the game should have long stopped. From the very first moment, I should have seen the message: ''you are dead!'' Why am I still alive?

    This is not a game!

    I felt numb, and whilst I lost feeling of my periphery, my brain still rattled for a while, and a funny thought came to me: finally dead, I hope at least I will wake up in the other world! I will sue them, the damn programmers who did this to me, I will sue them.

    But that was only wishful thinking.

    With a last spasmodic movement, I pushed all I could away, then everything became dark, and I lost my conscience.

    One thought still resonated in my brain:

    This. is. not. a. game.

 Chapter 49 â€“ Fight for Calas Body

    It looked like a giant boulder. It looked like one of the many huge boulders around.

    Then suddenly, in a sneak attack, the monstrous beast descended from its perch with the speed and ''elegance'' of a running train, engulfing Cala in one go and continuing straight towards the Lynx.

    To the eye, it was as if a giant speeding truck had struck a jaywalker on the highway. One moment Cala was there; the next moment, the monster had passed, and there was no trace of her.

    White Flower flew instantly in the air and shot a salvo of fire spells while the Lynx avoided in extremis the muscle mountain.

    Tina was not yet awoken when the Lynx grabbed her in the air and pushed Spartacius away. Luckily he didn''t use his claws when he grabbed her. A frightened scream escaped her lips as she found herself suddenly flying in the air.

    ¡°To the grotto!¡± - yelled the Lynx.

    Alice, who was shooting fire arrows that only fizzled on the wolshi''s gelatinous barrier, nodded. She took Tina''s hand as the Lynx pushed her and ran with her towards the grotto.

    The wolshi, a giant muscle pack covered in that gelatinous sticky substance that it secretes, turned around surprisingly fast for its mass and spat a green spray toward the fairy.

    White Flower tried to block it with an air tornado while flying sidewards, but too slow, the small pebbles coated in acid flew through her barrage and hit her, tearing through her body like so many poisoned bullets. She fell with a faint scream; white healing light illuminated her.

    ¡°Take her to the grotto!¡± - screamed the Lynx towards Spartacius, who was near the fairy.

    As the wolshi tried to gobble the fairy, the Lynx jumped at it from the side, tearing apart the thick, gelatinous skin and forcing the beast to turn towards him.

    Alice, from the other side, shot a thundering arrow which shattered the beast with a blazing explosion. It turned to face her, giving the Lynx a small respite. Alice ran as fast as she could to avoid the next attack.

    Spartacius picked the fragile fairy in his hands, surprised at how light she was. Waves of light passed through her body as the fairy healed against the progressing acid and venom of the corrosive spit. The Lynx screamed again:

    "Run you, idiot!"

    He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then ran with all his speed towards the grotto, overtaking Tina and Alice in his sprint.

    The next second, Alice and Tina rolled inside with the Lynx pushing them while the wolshi hit the grotto''s wall behind them with a thundering bang.

    Even before they settled, the Lynx asked Alice:

    ¡°Do you have the harpoon skill?¡±

    It was hard to understand him as the wolshi continued to hit against the grotto''s entry in thundering blows, boulders falling all over. The angry beast was too big to fit inside, but it tried nevertheless to force its entry.

    Alice nodded:

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡±

    ¡°Give the cord''s end to Spartacius!¡± - said the Lynx, covering with his voice the alien-sounding roarings and the rumblings of falling stones - ¡°when I free her, harpoon her and pull her, else we lose her!!¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Spartacius'' eyes blinked as he tried to process the information. He understood only when the Lynx added:

    ¡°She is in the offspring''s bag. Ready?¡±

    Now he understood: ''They want to harpoon Cala!!''

    He put the fairy down and jumped, taking the cord''s end, then yelled to the Lynx: ¡°Ready!¡±

    The Lynx did not wait for his confirmation; he was already gone, only gusts of wind reminding of his former presence there. Alice raised her bow, getting closer to the entry. Tina was cowering in a corner where she had fallen as she had been pushed inside the cavern. She raised her head, saw them acting, opened her mouth to ask something, then she understood that nobody had time for her. She went to White Flower to see if she could help.

    Spartacius watched them for a moment, asking himself if the fairy would survive, waves of healing spells passing over her while Tina was holding her hand with tears on her face. There was nothing he could do. He turned towards Alice.

    He mumbled to himself:

    ¡°Focus, focus, idiot, focus!¡± - then he wondered if the arrow would pull the cord. The physics of the action seemed to be off.

    He tried to best prepare for what he understood would be his part of the action and bound the end of the cord around his waist, then held the remaining rope in his hands, watching nervously the happening.

    "Come closer!" said Alice, glancing at the rope.

    The Lynx was outside fighting the wolshi. Well, not really fighting, everything happened so fast that Spartacius could not grasp most movements, but it looked more like a dance or a game of ''whack a mole'' where the Lynx was the mole and the wolshi the whacking bar.

    Thundering blows were shattering the earth each time the wolshi-whacking-bar hit the ground, the Lynx each time narrowly escaping. He realized that a certain routine had set in.

    Then suddenly, the Lynx jumped at the wolshi the moment when it was raising for another whack, cutting deep at its underbelly. A rain of black tears of various sizes started falling down and between them was Cala''s body. He did not even properly process the image when the sonic boom of Alice''s arrow shattered the cave, the arrow-harpoon penetrating Cala''s chest with a thud. The arrow almost completely passed through, between her right breast and her shoulder, the point sticking out in her back. Was the hit too hard? Too strong? He saw how the body swung in the air from it.

    Alice yelled, dropping her bow and grasping for the cord herself:

    ¡°Pull!!¡±

    He realized the cord had too much leeway, but it was too late now to take another grip, he triggered his running-attack skill, and his body surged with all the speed he could muster in the opposite direction pulling the cord with him. The running-attack skill to overrun and kill.

    He practically flew towards the end of the cave. The giant wolshi was already reaching toward Cala when the cord tensed, propelling her towards the cave, but a little too late. The beast caught her in the air, re-absorbing her and some of the offspring before reaching the ground.

    Spartacius'' was swung heftily backward, missed his step, and fell into what seemed to be a bottomless pit. As the wolshi hit the ground again, Spartacius''s free fall stopped suddenly as the cord tensed, and Cala''s body erupted partially out from the beast''s maw.

    The wolshi pressed hard with his rubbery jaws, blocking her feet and keeping Spartacius hanging in the air. The Lynx jumped again, his jaws now closing over Cala''s pelvis, his long canines penetrating her belly. His front claw cut her thighs through whilst his hind legs were hitting hard against the wolshi, and thus he propelled himself and the three-quarter Cala inside the cave. The angered wolshi protested with an alien screech hitting again the stone walls.

    The Lynx continued running towards the insides of the cave leaving behind a line of blood with Spartacius screaming almost in free fall towards the dark bottoms of the pit.

    The Lynx halted his run, with his claws digging deep trenches in the grotto''s floor with Spartacius repeatedly hitting the pit''s walls. He was almost completely knocked down by the violent shocks. Luckily the Lynx did not leave Cala fall from his jaws, realizing something was wrong.

    White Flower, who finally managed to win her fight against the corrosion that was devouring her body, ran to help the Lynx, still healing herself.

    Tina ran to pull Spartacius up, but she realized she was too weak to do it.

    As White Flower was healing Cala as much as she could, she screamed to the Lynx:

    ¡°Put her down!! You''re hurting her!!¡±

    ¡°Immmcannot, thatnidiotngg in theng pit!!¡± mumbled the Lynx, and Alice ran at the pit''s edge to pull Spartacius up whilst the fairy continued to heal Cala and herself.

 Chapter 50 â€“ Blast Those Worms!

    With Spartacius now being dragged out of the pit by Alice, the Lynx could finally put Cala down.

    ¡°Heal her!¡± - exclaimed the Lynx as soon as Cala was on the ground, but White Flower was already bowing over Cala, healing her.

    She raised her eyes and spoke with a trembling voice:

    ¡°Strange, her feet are back; however, some wounds do not heal. Can it be...?"

    Tina froze. Can it be that she died? That was what White Flower did not dare to ask.

    "You think that she died during the heal?" - whispered the Lynx as if not daring to say it aloud, then shook his giant head - "No. I was watching her. The feet did regrow whilst the scars stayed. There must be something else in play here. She is still alive."

    "Her heart is not beating," - said White Flower - "She might be alive but will die soon."

    The Lynx shook his head:

    "Not if you keep healing her."

    White Flower swallowed, looking down at the amalgam of worms that were feeding on Cala''s body. She turned to Tina.

    "Help me, keep those worms away from my hand!"

    She placed her hand on Cala''s shoulder, momentarily free of wolshi, took a deep breath, and healed Cala again.

    Tina watched the happening, careful not to step on any of the many worms that were wiggling all over the place, trying to find a better way to suck on Cala''s body. How was she supposed to help the fairy? As one worm moved towards the fairy''s ethereal hand, she grabbed it with a small cry and threw it away.

    "Yaii! It bit me!" - exclaimed Tina, outraged

    "Kill them!" - said the Lynx, not bothering to raise his head.

    White Flower took a deep breath continuing to heal Cala. She could hear no heartbeat from Cala, but looking at the Lynx, she nodded:

    "I can keep her... alive for some time."

    She wanted to say ''in this status'', but then she corrected herself. Sometimes people do not want to accept that healing cannot bring people back from the dead. She never expected her friend the Lynx to be one of those. He must have gotten very near to Cala in the short time.

    She retired her hand, avoiding the bite of a wolshi, then put her hand in another place, healing Cala again.

    As if guessing her thoughts, the Lynx made a small cut on Cala''s arm with one of his claws. The cut healed instantly. He exclaimed victoriously:

    "See?"

    White Flower nodded. Yes, Cala''s body was still technically alive, but if her heart was not going to start beating soon, then... She blasted one aggressive wolshi with a fire spell, then started healing again.

    White Flower sighed and closed her eyes to feel her mana. She bit her lip angrily. She shouldn''t have used her mana to blast the wolshi. Yes, with her deep mana pool and her fast mana recovery, she could keep the healing up for a while. But what about then?

    She settled finally to grasp one of Cala''s hands and heal through it. It was easier this way to keep the worms away.

    Finally, Spartacius and Alice joined them.

    Spartacius watched them inquiringly. A shiver passed through his spine.

    Cala was lying on her back in a pool of blood and strange oozy liquids, with her hands and feet apart, being almost completely covered with a teeming population of smaller and bigger wolshi. Those snail-like creatures had various colors, mostly dark brown to black or even violet, with hard, elastic, and lubricated skin. You could see no eyes to them, only one round mouth on the lower side of their head, with several concentric circles of sharp teeth.

    Cala''s armor was almost completely corroded, with only small irrelevant patches remaining from it, revealing her tainted, tortured skin when not covered by the wolshi.

    The arrow was still sticking out from her torso, keeping her body tense on one side, her right shoulder partly in the air. With blood continuing to pour out from her wound, being almost immediately sucked up by those worms in a feeding frenzy, the sloshing, slithering worms competing for the best places to feed.

    Spartacius felt nauseated only at the sight of it. How was Tina enduring it?

    As White Flower''s healing was replenishing the blood in Cala''s body, the blood puddle under her was expanding much more than what one human could have bled. They were practically walking in her blood.

    "What''s happening?" - wondered Spartacius.

    The Lynx did not answer. He was picking up worms one by one with his claws cutting them into pieces, others covering almost instantly the freed place.

    ¡°We need to clean the wolshi from her! Alice, the arrow!¡±

    White Flower pushed some wolshi that were trying to climb on Cala''s hand away and continued healing.

    ¡°Is she not dead?¡± - wondered a horrified Tina.

    When the Lynx answered, he could not hide some anger from his voice:

    ¡°No. We tested that she heals from wounds. As long as White Flower keeps healing her, she lives!¡±

    Picking up a bigger wolshi, Spartacius wondered:

    ¡°But the wound at the eye does not heal. Neither those on her neck and torso?¡±

    The wolshi in his hand turned suddenly, with surprising vivacity, and bit him. He screamed, shell-shocked. With an expert movement, Alice decapitated the small beast, brown ooze spreading from it over Spartacius'' face, hand, and shirt. Tina watched the spreading ooze and had to run away to throw up.

    The Lynx answered undisturbed:

    "That must be something else. We tested, and she heals from fresh wounds."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Tina came back, sweeping her face with the back of her hand, and grasped another wolshi. The small, seven centimeters snail turned and bit her finger. She screamed and panicked, and a flame erupted from her hand, exploding the small beast in her face. She snorted, started spitting, cleaned her face from the brown ooze, and then took the next wolshi throwing it away before it managed to bite her, then blasted it.

    She turned towards the cavern''s entry where the giant wolshi was still struggling. It screamed a pained wail as if it would have felt the death of those small beasts. It was no longer trying to break in by force but was looking for another entry and came back regularly to check on them.

    ¡°What is that beast?¡±

    The Lynx looked for a moment to the entry, then back to Cala.

    ¡°An evolved wolshi. He wants to protect his offspring. When inside him, these small beasts are infused by his magic and are exactly as hard as he is. Here they are weak. It takes time for them to evolve.¡±

    Tina shook her head:

    ¡°No. It is not possible. I''ve seen wolshi before. These small beasts here, these are wolshi; that must be something else!¡±

    The Lynx sighed.

    ¡°It is one. It evolved, like the tree that Cala told us that she found in that ghost''s mansion. Normal wolshi can endanger small rodents, birds, and maybe some cats, but that one evolved, probably during the magic storm. It feels that we would be adequate food for its offspring and would very much like to get us. That might help some of them to evolve too.¡±

    He turned to watch, satisfied that Cala''s arrow was finally removed.

    ¡°See? The arrow''s wound is healed. She is alive. Clean all those damn wolshi that are eating her alive!¡±

    Alice put her ear near Cala''s face:

    ¡°But why is she not breathing?¡±

    White Flower raised a brow:

    ¡°Probably because of the wolshi that moves in her throat? I can feel at least one inside there! Look, do you see how it moves?¡±

    The Lynx snarled:

    ¡°Remove it!¡±

    Spartacius turned away and ran, but after a couple of steps, he started vomiting. Tina sighed, watching him with pity, then continued her work, eliminating the small beasts.

    Alice raised her head to look at the Lynx:

    ¡°How?¡±

    The Lynx shrugged.

    ¡°Cut what needs to be cut; White Flower heals anyhow, but please, be careful with the cuts."

    As if he needed to say that! Alice nodded.

    "Sure!"

    She took a deep breath and started cutting.

    The Lynx turned to White Flower:

    "Give her a couple of moments to remove that, or don''t heal the cut only when needed. How long can you keep up your healing?"

    She grinned, cleaning the sweat from her brows with the back of her hand:

    "About one hour, then I am done. I could lower the heal cadence, then I could keep doing it longer!¡±

    "Until I fall!" but she did not say that.

    ¡°No, that is too risky. Keep on healing at the current pace. We need to have her start breathing before. Can you scan for any more wolshi?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are more! Everywhere where they could get in. One is inside her ear!¡±

    ¡°Can you kill it with spells? Fire? Heat? Ice?¡±

    ¡°I would also fry part of her, but I can heal that!¡±

    ¡°Do that. Kill them all and heal her, again and again! What can be cut out, let Alice cut them out.¡±

    After some fifteen minutes of work, they had turned her on all sides and cleaned all the beasts. Tina raised her head and looked at the Lynx:

    ¡°She is cleaned now, but she is still not breathing. What do we do?¡±

    White Flower sighed as she had not dared to ask the question, but she was starting to feel exhausted.

    The Lynx looked at Spartacius:

    ¡°What did she do there in the market when she revived Alice?¡±

    Spartacius raised his shoulders.

    ¡°I do not know; I was in jail!¡±

    Alice mumbled:

    ¡°I... I remember that she kissed me. Do you think this would help? Should I kiss her?¡±

    Spartacius shook his head, and his eyes lightened up:

    ¡°No, no! She must have blown air into your lungs. She probably did CPR on you!¡±

    ¡°CPR?¡± - wondered the Lynx.

    ¡°Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. That is a revival method that is used in the real world. You help the lungs and the heart to fulfill their function until they restart working, or else the person truly dies.¡±

    The Lynx looked worried but also with hope at him:

    ¡°Do you know how this works? Can you show us what to do?¡±

    ¡°Sure! About 100 chest compressions per minute, at about every 30 compressions, you need to blow air into her lungs. You can blow air through her mouth or her nose. Like this!¡±

    He did that; he even blew air into her lungs, even if the image of the wolshi moving inside her throat came back to his mind. His face was green, but he still did it.

    After two minutes, he was tired and let Alice do it. After another fifteen minutes, sweat ran down Alice''s brow, but Cala was still not breathing.

    White Flower was starting to feel defeated. She shook her head and spoke tiredly:

    ¡°I don''t have much mana left" - she took a deep breath - "I think we are missing something. A bird had described it differently to me. She told me that she had done something else, like hurting her with a tool, something that strained her body!¡±

    They all turned to look at her whilst Alice continued her work. The Lynx''s eyes brightened when looking at her.

    White Flower continued trying to make sense of that bird''s story:

    ¡°Can it be that Cala had hit Alice on the sides with something sharp, here and here, and then Alice''s body was bent, like this!?¡± - she pushed her breast in front, bending her back. Spartacius exclaimed, surprised:

    ¡°Oh! That must be some electroshock! Really? I don''t know where she could have had such a device from?¡±

    ¡°You mean a device to make an electrical shock?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It helps restart the heart.¡±

    White Flower turned to the Lynx:

    ¡°I could do that. I do not need a device. Should I try?¡±

    The Lynx nodded:

    ¡°Do that!¡±

    She put her hands on Cala''s sides, and an electric shock forced a muscular contraction. Her torso raised and then fell back to the ground. White Flower nodded:

    "Yes, something like this..."

    They looked at each other hopeful, but the Lynx shook his head.

    ¡°Nothing! I hear nothing.¡±

    Spartacius wondered:

    ¡°Try again. Stronger! It''s what they always say in those films...¡±

    Another, more powerful shock pushed Cala''s chest up. The Lynx grinned happily even before her back landed back on the earth.

    ¡°Yes! I can hear her heart!¡±

    Cala coughed and spat an oozy liquid. She opened her eyes and started to whine.

    White Flower fell into the bloody mess, almost knock-out.

 Chapter 51 - Where the Hell am I?

    I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a hallway. I walked along the wall, and the wooden hallway branched right.

    I stopped for a moment, hesitating about which way to go, continue or turn back. I decided to continue. To the right was a closet that held brooms and other cleaning utensils. The door was open. A giant ant was looking at me from inside the closet.

    It moved its giant mandibles ready to attack me. It could snap my neck with one bite. I screamed in panic as loud as I could:

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    The ant waved menacingly its feelers and answered with a high pitched noise:

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    I tried to run away. I turned, hit a water bucket, and fell on the wet wooden board. In the movement, I knocked over the water bucket spreading its water all over.

    ¡°Oh dear, did you hurt yourself?¡±

    I simply froze in the puddle of water, not daring to move. Did the ant speak to me?

    ¡°I was just cleaning the hallway, I am so sorry for the water bucket! May I help you?¡±

    I turned slowly and looked at its giant hexagonal eyes. The ant grabbed me and raised me with ease in the air.

    ¡°Please don''t tell Erin I made you trip over, she would cancel my cookies and I like them so much!¡±

    I nodded, trying to stand on my feet that were currently balancing in the air. She looked at my dejected apparition, putting me gently down. I just escaped from the guts of a giant snail, my equipment has been almost completely corroded and I was covered with foul-smelling liquids.

    ¡°Oh, you are looking for the bathroom?¡±

    I nodded. She stepped forward, holding her mandibles apart.

    ¡°This way!¡±

    Does she prepare to bite me? She led the way and I followed cautiously behind looking from time to time at her mandibles. I said ''her'' because she was wearing a kind of a skirt, but it might have been a Scottish ant with a kilt.

    I was slowly recovering. At least she did not seem to want to eat me immediately, even if her mandibles looked very dangerous.

    ¡°You know, I am new here!¡±

    The ant said that proudly. She added then, a bit unsure:

    ¡°Is Aaaaa a greeting from where you come from?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Oh, I see! Then it was good that I answered the same way. I was unsure if I was behaving the right way! You know when we keep the mandibles apart, we are smiling. I am currently smiling!¡±

    "Oh!"

    "You see, different people have different ways to express themselves! I am glad I learned something new today!"

    We entered a steamy room. An elf was sitting in a kind of a cauldron whilst firewood was burning under it. They are cooking her alive!!! She wants to put me in the cauldron too!!!

    I tried to run, but my feet slipped on the wet floor.

    ¡°Aaaaaa!!¡±

    The ant grabbed my hand not letting me escape and addressed the elf:

    ¡°Aaaaaaaa! Good morning Ceria!¡±

    ¡°Good morning! What is happening?¡±

    ¡°This young lady would like to take a bath, is it possible to share your cauldron?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Oh, for sure. Can you please put more firewood on the fire, else it will very soon be freezing cold here?¡±

    ¡°Of course Ceria." - the ant turned and looked at me as I was not ready to enter the cauldron. She turned back to Ceria - "I think she is very timid and is waiting for you to greet her!¡±

    ¡°Greet her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just say Aaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°You mean just scream Aaaaaaa? This is their greeting? Aaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Her scream was rather moot.

    Ashamed, I stepped into the cauldron. This ant made me step by my own volition into the soup cauldron! The water was steaming hot on the sides but freezing cold in the middle where the elf was.

    ¡°Just mix a bit the water to suit you, I will go to the next cauldron, the one boiling now over there!¡±

    ¡°But... but why? What do you do?¡±

    ¡°I exercise my ice magic!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    I did not really see, but... I shrugged. Strange way to exercise magic.

    I entered the vacated cauldron and started to wash.

    ¡°Would you like to take breakfast here, or will you eat in the dining room?¡±

    The ant waved her feelers looking at us.

    Ceria screamed from the other cauldron that was starting to freeze:

    ¡°Dining room! Come with us, the others will join us, it will be fine!¡±

    I nodded to the ant:

    ¡°Dinning room.¡±

    ¡°You are room number...?¡±

    I said the first number that passed through my head.

    ¡°Seven.¡±

    Ceria protested:

    ¡°No seven is my room. You must be in room number two. Pinky is painting now the numbers too artistically, you may get confused. That is a two not a seven!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± - I nodded - ¡°It is my fault. I just came from a fight. I thought a monster ate me, and now I found myself here. I don''t know where I am. I am totally confused!¡±

    ¡°Don''t bother dear. Anybody may read wrongly those room numbers! Now, thinking about it, maybe my room number is not even seven, was there not a one in front of it? Oh, Mrsha has renumbered them yesterday!¡±

    As I stepped out from the cauldron she pointed with a finger:

    ¡°Bath towels are over there, bathrobes the next row!¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡±

    I dried myself with a bath towel then took a bathrobe whilst Ceria was moving in another boiling cauldron where the ant was adding more firewoods under it.

    Just when I wanted to exit the room, a giant walking crocodile entered, blocking the way.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    The crocodile looked surprised at me, stepped back, and hit with the shoulder a cupboard. Scores of various soaps fell to the ground. The ant screamed at the crocodile.

    ¡°Relc, don''t panic, she is only greeting you! That''s how it is done in their place!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± - the crocodile answered turning his face to me, then took air into its lungs and screamed - ¡°AAAAAAAAA!¡±

    OK, that was much louder.

    He said -¡°Relc!¡± - crushing my poor hand into his.

    ¡°Ow, Cala!¡±

    ¡°So Owcala, you are the mysterious traveler from room number ten!?¡±

    Ceria contradicted him as I was just nodding:

    ¡°No, Owcala is room number two!¡±

    OK, I was nodding to what Ceria said.

    He protested:

    "No, that is Mrsha who renumbered all, so that she sits in room number one!"

    He then turned towards the ant:

    ¡°I am hungry! I thought Erin is here!¡±

    Then he turned towards me again - ¡°Can you cook?¡±

    ¡°Ahm? Yes? Ah, poorly...¡±

    The ant saved me:

    ¡°Don''t pester her Relc! There is food already prepared!¡±

    She then came to us:

    ¡°Everything is prepared, I only need to put the dishes on the table, come, follow me!¡±

    I followed with Relc behind me. Ceria screamed from her cauldron:

    ¡°Don''t you dare eat my food Relc!¡±

    I arrived in a giant dining room. A goblin was singing and playing an electric guitar in a corner. A lot of people were having breakfast. I was seated at a table with the giant crocodile, and the ant started to fill our plates. Oh, it was such good food!

    Where the hell am I? Am I in heaven? Or is this hell? Did I die?

 Chapter 52- The Lynxs Pup

    I screamed, covered my face, and started to cry: I was utterly broken. Fragments of thoughts were clashing in my mind: this is not a game, I don''t want to play this game, I want out, I don''t want to feel these worms, I don''t want to feel this pain.

    The whirlwind of thought clashed again with the impossible images and feelings that were assaulting my mind: I saw and felt those worms against my skin, against my body, against my soul, while my mind screamed: I want out; this is not a game, I don''t want this, I do not want to feel this!

    There were actually no images as such, as I haven''t seen anything; however, I felt it, and that is what translated into images, and that is what my body could not forget. That sensory overload had burned itself into my mind plunging me again and again into the same but everchanging nightmare: more and more parts of my body were being chewed up, penetrated, and digested alive.

    My brain was running in circles. I did not realize my thoughts had no logic, as I could not think logically. I did not realize there was no pain anymore, as the pain was inside me. I was the pain.

    There were reverberations of pain and horror that washed over me, that circled inside my brain, enough to keep me forever insane.

    All I could do was cry. There was some pressure on me, and it triggered my brain as it brought in fresh memories of teeming leeches all around me. I screamed again. I did not even realize I was free to cry; I was free to breathe. I screamed.

    Forever insane.

    I don''t think I would have been able to break the circle by myself. I don''t know how I could have done that.

    There was a voice that penetrated through my madness. It superseded it. It broke the circle and removed some of the pain.

    At first, it was only a feeling. The feeling of belonging to something. The feeling that I was not alone. It helped. It made me susceptible to more.

    Then it got meaning. The feeling moved into some kind of words. It was a natural transition.

    Those were not real words, but they got a meaning as if they would be told in words. I cannot repeat what it told, but I can try to put it into human words. It sounded something like:

    ¡°Feel the power! Feel that you are not alone, pup! Darling? Honey? Sweetheart? Kitty?"

    It could have been any and all, and it was so comforting! It was naive and simple, yet it was precisely what I needed.

    "Feel the power! We are the top predators, pup; they must fear us. Nothing can scare us. If you are weak now, you will be strong. We grow! You''ll grow up and become as strong as I am. Until then, I am by you! Feel the power!"

    It was only a feeling that got a meaning in my mind, and I clamored with all my soul towards that meaning, tearing me out of the whirlwind of madness.

    Thousands of wolshi tried to tear me apart to pull me back into that whirlwind of madness, but now I had something to rely on; I had something to support me.

    There was a furry leg I was clamping myself to. This was different. This was not like the leechy worms that had been around me. It was radiating warmth; the strange words comforted me, and the warmth soothed me.

    I am a lynx.

    I was feeling better. A growl escaped me. Even if I was a pup, I''ll grow big and powerful and not fear anything.

    Slowly the warmth spread through my bones, and I took a deep breath.

    ¡°Don''t be afraid; I am here by your side. Do you feel me? Do you feel the power? Do you feel the energy?¡±

    Still, these were no words; this was again a feeling. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying it, hugging with all my power that furry leg. A soothing warmth spread over me. Why was I even afraid?

    A rough giant tongue washed me, and I laughed.

    I took another deep breath. My brain started slowly to function, and I opened my eyes and saw.

    I was hugging, desperately hugging one of the Lynx''s forelegs. Alice, Tina, Spartacius, and White Flower were looking at me.

    ¡°You were lying; I am not your pup Lynx!?¡± -I said between tears and laughter, then added - ¡°But that was a good lie!¡±

    I hugged him again and got another swipe of the tongue.

    ¡°When did I ever say that?¡± - wondered the Lynx

    Tina was looking strangely at me:

    ¡°Are you OK?¡±

    Wrong question to ask. Something dark came back from my memory. I moved again closer to the furry leg and turned my face to watch her.

    ¡°I don''t know...¡±

    I blinked my eyes, trying to take reality in.

    I was more or less naked, hanging there on the furry paw. Even my spelled-out shirt seemed to have greatly suffered from the corrosive liquids inside that...

    A shiver passed through my spine. Fuck, I was inside something.

    ¡°I had been swallowed by something, isn''t it so? By what?¡±

    An alien scream came as an answer from not far away. I turned my head towards the source of the noise, still hanging at the furry leg, but trying to look behind me.

    Spartacius nodded:

    ¡°Yep, that was the beast.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I turned to look at Spartacius. He seemed to have gotten older, more mature, but his face had a greenish taint, and he had some traces of vomit over his clothes.

    ¡°Bleah, you should clean up your vomit, Spartacius; you look dreadful like that!¡±

    Everybody laughed as if I would have said the best joke around. I was confused by their sense of humor, but I added:

    ¡°Just turn around; I want to dress.¡±

    His face became red, and he tried to protest:

    ¡°That''s not my vomit; I cleaned it up yesterday; this is...¡±

    Alice interrupted him, looking at me:

    ¡°Let me wash you first, then you can dress.¡±

    She smiled and turned her head toward Spartacius.

    ¡°Spartacius, please be so kind as to prepare some hot water. A big bowl full of steaming water?¡±

    Another alien sound came from not far away. I tried to look in that direction.

    ¡°Don''t worry, it cannot come here inside.¡±

    I looked at White Flower as she spoke and sighed.

    ¡°What is it with those scars?¡± - asked Tina.

    Scars? She was looking at my left eye and neck and...

    I instinctively put my hand on my neck. Strange, I can feel the scar! I should not be able to feel it. I know it is here, but I should not be able to feel it. Why do I feel it? What does this mean? I moved my hand over my left brow.

    Oh. Yes, it is there. I looked down at my breast. Yep, the deep scar dividing my chest in two was there between my breasts, cutting a little into my left breast. Now I looked at my ankle. Oh!

    I swallowed, trying to think what to say.

    ¡°Oh, these... How did my anklet get off my ankle? Where is it? Alice, have you seen it?¡±

    ¡°Ahm...¡±

    Alice was trying to give me an answer; she looked at White Flower. Why that?

    My brain was slowly picking up normal speed. I took another deep breath and looked around. Thinking about other things helped. I pushed my hand against the furry leg.

    ¡°You! What was that with the puppy thing?¡±

    I asked that, trying to gain time. The Lynx grinned, lowering his head to look straight into my eyes:

    ¡°A little spell to comfort pups.¡± - He looked now slantwise at me, then rephrased his answer - ¡°It is a Lynx soul spell. It creates or uses an existing soul link to help support a pup or a consort or a good friend whose soul is in great danger.¡±

    ¡°Pup? You are my mount!¡±

    I said that, hitting the furry leg with my hand. The Lynx laughed.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Only my pups may ride me. I rather think you are my cute pup.¡±

    ¡°Me cute? Don''t you see what I look like? I look like a zombie! I am a zombie! What the fuck happened to me? Why would you need to fuck with my soul?¡±

    ¡°You are my cute pup, not a zombie!¡± - he answered whilst I spoke. Hearing my question, he paused and became more serious - ¡°Ahm... It is not soul fuckery. It is simply soul support, from soul to soul, from mind to mind. You can say soul strengthening. Don''t try too hard to remember everything... The spell has attenuated some, and you may have forgotten other parts of what happened... You will remember eventually at a later time.¡±

    I watched him, unsure. Alice and White Flower exchanged a look. They were wondering if I was OK.

    ¡°Yes, but why a pup?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°It is how your brain interpreted the spell. As I said, it is not only for pups.¡±

    Oh. My brain did it.

    ¡°I don''t want to forget! Look,¡± - I turned to Tina - ¡°You asked about these scars? It was when I died the third time. I got a flaming arrow through my left eye. That fucking bastard got me in the end. I saw it and felt it burning my brain. It disrupted me long enough that I got a flaming sword into my heart. See this scar here? That was it. Not enough that I got the sword into my chest, a third bastard beheaded me from behind. See the scar on my neck? I fucking saw the sky as my head rolled on the ground before I died. Was this fucking horrible enough?¡± - I turned to the Lynx - ¡°So why do you think I have to forget something? What could have been worse than this?¡±

    He bowed his head.

    ¡°Pardon me if I intruded too much. You were in delirium since yesterday; we did not know what else to try.¡±

    In delirium since yesterday?

    ¡°You did not eat, you did not drink, you screamed, you did not want to move from that fucking stinking place, and you just spew over me the last soup we tried to feed you,¡± - said a reproachful Spartacius.

    Oh. That''s why it was so funny. I watched him again, then hugged the furry leg. The warmth was still there, and it comforted me. Something in the back of my mind told me that he was right. I closed my eyes and sighed, then opened them again. I turned towards Tina and Alice.

    ¡°Well, look at me.¡± - I shrugged - ¡°You need to get used to my new look. I wonder how did that beast extract my anklet that should not go off my foot unless I want it to happen...¡±

    Finally, I got my answer from Spartacius:

    ¡°I guess it must still be there on your ankle...¡±

    First, I stupidly looked at my ankle. It took my brain several seconds to process the thought. I looked at White Flower.

    ¡°Oh. I got new feet? Thanks, Flo!¡± - I turned towards the grotto''s entry - ¡°I guess that beast has now a hell of a drop. A relic class item!¡±

    Tina wondered:

    ¡°What is a relic class item?¡±

    Whilst Spartacius was looking with big round eyes at me.

    ¡°A relic class item!?!¡±

    ¡°Don''t turn! Look away! A relic class item is a unique item that was done in an angel''s forge or similar. Forged by an angel.¡±

    ¡°And you had such an item?¡±

    He was standing now well behaved, looking away from me. Alice was giving me the second bath in this journey, and I was starting to get used to being treated this way. It really helped calm me down, and I badly needed it. I nodded:

    ¡°Yes, I had such an item.¡±

    ¡°Who handed it over to you? Those items are of inestimable value. You must be in very high esteem, loved by an angel or the equivalent to getting such? What was the item doing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Spartacius, I was very much fucked by an angel!¡±

    ¡°Fucked? Angels? Is there anything in this world that you did not fuck with? Now really!¡±

    I sighed. Boys! They always take it ad literam.

    ¡°Not fucked fucked, but fucked.¡±

    A furious Tina turned towards Spartacius:

    ¡°Not what you imagine, you idiot!¡±

    I chuckled. I might need to find out what Spartacius and Tina had talked about in the carriage during the trip. She seemed too aggressive. Spartacius raised his hands in exasperation. To remove all doubts, I explained:

    ¡°I was speaking of Tenebra, the angel of death. The item could store and make illusions cast over me to be tangible. I could interact through that illusion. Well, I only used it to be me without scars, but I could be anybody else as long as it fit above my body.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that''s a powerful item!¡± - exclaimed Spartacius and Tina at the same time.

    Spartacius turned towards the entry:

    "It is almost worth risking killing that thing!"

    A surprised Alice wondered:

    ¡°Tenebra is the name of the angel of death? Is it ok to tell her name?¡±

    I shrugged:

    ¡°She has many names and many faces. I know her under this name. Might be her true name.¡±

    I sighed. I can tell them the whole story. I don''t see why I should keep it secret from them anymore. Not now, when they can see me as I really am: a zombie-like assassin.

 Chapter 53 - Calas Story

    ¡°You know that I died three times, isn''t it? That...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everybody can be resurrected two times per year by an angel. The other deaths do not count in the main statistics; only the angel resurrections do!¡± - countered Spartacius before I even came to explain more; however, this info took White Flower by surprise as she wondered:

    "Really? You can be resurrected by an angel? Really? I mean, you can buy an angel''s resurrection? Care to tell us more? There are many rumors, but I haven''t seen an angel yet."

    Alice''s eyes were round like saucers, but she did not say a word. I almost could see little wheels turning inside her head as she was rethinking some events in the new light.

    Meanwhile, Tina admonished Spartacius for the interruption:

    ¡°Stop interrupting, Sparty!¡±

    ¡°Sparty?¡± - he harumphed but then continued - "Three times is actually a surprisingly low count in your very long life, by Mephisto''s standards."

    White Flower called them to order:

    ¡°Tina, Sparty! Let her tell her story!¡±

    Unbelieving that an NPC would give him a nickname, he raised his brows, looking now a bit irritated at White Flower.

    ¡°Sparty!?¡±

    The Lynx coughed: "Ahem!". Alice kept silent, watching me intensively.

    I sighed. There was finally silence, so I continued. I turned to White Flower:

    "I don''t think that everybody can do it. I could not buy resurrection for Alice from any temple, but players can."

    "Why that?" - wondered Tina furrowing her brows

    "I don''t know. The high priests in the silver temple simply refused the request."

    "I suppose this is a player''s perk." - said Spartacius

    I saw that White Flower refrained from further questions, so I continued:

    "So, if you pay the high fees for an angel''s resurrection, you may be resurrected, but only two times per year. It is a truly fascinating experience. Some people let themselves be killed from time to time just to experience the feeling. Beautiful, silver-gold angels come. They collect your poor self and treat you in their golden hands. You feel like... No, you are clay being transformed into a living being. You feel their soothing touch everywhere; divine magic penetrates and washes over you, like a pleasant crystalline river flowing over you, the river of life. Where and what it touches, life sprouts. That clay becomes alive. This is what an angel''s resurrection is."

    I sighed and continued:

    "Well, if a player dies a third time in one year, he is being collected by Tenebra. She is also an angel and yet different from the others. She does not have that golden look; she looks more like those mobs, the dark angels, those killing machines around the dark magic node.

    Tenebra, the angel of death. She does not come instantly. She lets you wait. She lets you hope that she will not come, that you may somehow cheat her and survive. And then, all of a sudden, everything dims out. As if the sun loses its power. Shadows descend over you. You are a ghost; you do not feel cold, yet you feel the chill in the air.

    That shadow that envelops you is not a simple shadow but more like a presence. Then, she takes you away.

    She does not grasp you with her hands, yet you are trapped. You cannot move; you cannot hide. She takes you up like a giant bird picking up a small rodent for lunch, and she brings you to the so-called hero''s chamber. Well, hero''s chamber... This chamber is practically a giant graveyard where all you can do is review your past existence. You can ask the angel for more info about some events; for instance, who was the one that sent that arrow that killed you? She may answer and show you more details, but she is not compelled to do so.

    OK, whatever. So I died a third time, and it was during the same year. I should be dead.¡±

    I turned toward Alice and looked into her eyes:

    ¡°You need to know it was not me, Dolores, here inside Cala at the time. It was Markus.¡±

    She hugged me as if she would be pardoning me. Pardoning me from being Markus?

    "How could you risk dying a third time? That was stupid!"

    "Well, Spartacius," - I sighed - "there is a guaranteed way how you could survive Mephisto: you do not play. Anything else includes a bigger or smaller risk of dying. You stay in an inn, and the inn could be attacked. You stay in a city, and the city could be raided. You know, I once walked the tunnel that links the denka republic to the dwarfen enclave of Stara. There was an earthquake, and I was almost buried alive under tons of rocks. I escaped by opening a portal scroll and jumping through the portal at the last moment."

    "Oh! It is a low-level area. How could such a thing happen?"

    I shrugged and continued:

    ¡°There was some explosion in one of the dwarfen mines. Shit happens. Everybody has his strategy and theory on how to survive. You cannot win all your fights, so you cannot live long in this fucked-up world without having a worked-out plan on how to be resurrected when needed. Most people try to do this in groups. They look for safety in numbers. They need a healer who learns the resurrect spell, which can be learned only at a relatively high level, and then they go together. They may even have several groups helping each other. They build guilds or clans. They must, however, protect their healers, and the groups are leveling slowly.

    Remember our Terri? That''s about the level where a healer learns the resurrection spell. She did not know it, but she could do remote healing. It was probably a trade-off, and she preferred to learn remote healing instead of the resurrection spell, so you need another healer in a stand-off of about that level that resurrects. There are also some limits to how damaged a body is to be able to resurrect the person, but those limits do not apply to angels."

    I sighed and continued:

    "Well, OK. Leveling as a lone player is faster but riskier. This was the way Markus chose. He did not work well with other players but with NPCs."

    "Enpisis?"

    I turned towards Tina and looked into her eyes. I sighed. It stayed on my tongue, and yet I could not tell her the whole truth: non-person characters. Uh. Non-person.

    "It is what we players call the spawns of this world."

    "You players?"

    "Yes, I am a player, like all those who come from the other world to play inside this world."

    "Play?"

    White Flower chastised her:

    "Tina, let her tell her story!"

    "But..."

    After one look from Alice, she refrained from further questions. Yes, this had been Alice''s question some time ago too. I sh¨ªghed again, trying to find my thread:

    "Markus had an arrangement with Awala, a druid NPC."

    They looked at me, and I corrected myself.

    "A spawn. She was a high druid of Nohekhta, the green Goddess of the Woods. Markus had once saved her life even before she became a high druid. They were good friends. There was a lot of luck involved and a strong friendship. OK, I will not bother you with details.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    When Markus died, his body was retrieved by his... spawn friends and brought to Awala. Everything needed to happen within less than five minutes. In some cases, it was Awala who was ported and resurrected me there. You know Alice, you also did this a couple of times.¡±

    ¡°But you were not dead, you only... you told me that your soul stays for five minutes and...¡±

    I looked into her eyes. She understood better now.

    ¡°Well, he told you... I told you that I''ll survive for five minutes. That''s the same thing, but yes, technically speaking, I was dead. Resurrection is a thing here. Most spawns do not really know. Some know, some think it is divine intervention, but you could resurrect anybody within the short time frame of five minutes. You know this, Alice. It is a kind of magic CPR in this world, and you need to have your own ambulance doing it in time. OK, the arrangement did cost some money, as you needed to have the portal scrolls, prepare the option to break the fight and run retrieving the body, and have the druid ready to resurrect you, but it is a good option that works. As the last backup, you have the angels.¡±

    ¡°Oh! But that is cheating!¡±

    ¡°Cheating... That''s a hard word. Using the rules is not cheating."

    I sighed:

    "Anyhow, those rules have changed; with time, they made it more and more difficult. Fewer classes can resurrect now, and the spell can be learned only at higher levels. Now, you cannot open portals to many places but to towns. If you want to port someone, you need at least two people from your team to do it, plus a specialized mage or a warlock, and so on. Now, I had what I called two accidents last year, and two times I had to be resurrected by an angel."

    "Two accidents?"

    "Yeah. First, the portal scroll malfunctioned. It simply exploded and almost killed Master Koro, who wanted to cast it. He survived, but I was not resurrected in time, and an angel had to do it.

    Two portal scrolls were prepared the second time, but Awala''s temple had been attacked, and she could not come.

    Two fucking accidents!

    Markus was becoming very careful. He took only very safe jobs, bidding his time, but as Murphy''s rules go, shit happens when it can cause the most damage, I was attacked on a safe road by some wandering high-level mob. It was the third time a fucking accident happened. It was not inside the same calendar year, but less than a year since the first death, and worse, the mob did camp long enough over my body to make any resurrection impossible."

    I shrugged:

    "So, I died. Definitively... or almost."

    "Stupid! Sorry but your Markus was stupid. After you died two times, he should have taken a break and waited for the year to pass." - said Spartacius - "Play a different character! Was it so difficult?"

    I sighed. Many noobs make this error. Maybe I was not clear enough before. I shook my head:

    "If you log out and leave your character on the server, it plays for you. If you remove your character from the server, that time does not count. It does not count! You just delay the happening. As I said, you can leave your character in an inn and hope that you are lucky." - I shrugged and continued - "Well, my soul was collected by Tenebra, who, surprisingly, proposed me a deal. You know Tenebra is some kind of a sponsor for the black church, the assassins'' temple. She said that she had followed my work for some time. My work... Sometimes I have seen her collecting souls. You know that assassins have improved senses. Or maybe she wanted to let me see."- I laughed and shrugged -"You can say that we knew each other. She said that it would be a pity to remove me from this world while I was bravely serving her. She would resurrect me if I promised to do a job for her."

    I made a short break to take some air, then, with a sigh, I continued:

    "I promised, and she did resurrect me. Well..." - I pointed at my eye - "Yes, she did resurrect me. I did not specify before that I wanted it to be perfect. Ach, whatever. The problem was that, as the angel of death, she could not rebuild my body perfectly. She lacked the skill, exercise, or talent to do so. That''s about what she said. She did, however, patch me up, see there was an arrow in my left eye, and one sword had cut my chest. It did cut deep. There was another cut that had severed my head. You know, I was dead.¡±

    I did point again at the respective scars. I shrugged.

    ¡°She did promise she would fix everything once I did my job: kill Isera, the green angel. That''s what she wanted me to do. Kill an angel."

    I let them grasp for a moment the enormity of the task then I continued:

    "She did help me. To help me succeed in my future mission, Tenebra did a little tweak when she resurrected me. She gave me high resistance to divine magic and life magic, but to achieve this, I lost any resistance I had to shadow magic. Even worse, I got a weakness to shadow magic.

    She promised everything was temporary. Yes, temporary. The question is, what do angels understand by temporary?¡±

    "Angels can be killed? Are they not in many different places at the same time?"

    I looked at White Flower, surprised that she knew this much about angels.

    "Yes, that''s what I thought, but I learned from Tenebra that they have one presence, the only one that matters, at their magic node. There is an altar there, and the true angel is there."

    ¡°So you killed an angel? How could you do such a thing? How could you be so cruel?¡±

    Tina was shocked. I shrugged.

    ¡°It was my ticket to survival. You know, I went to the library in Phalos and read about angels before doing it. I learned that angels can be resurrected too. Their high priests can bring them back to life at their altar. I thought that it would be a temporary death for her. There must have been some quarrel and trouble between the two angels. What I did not understand at the time was that Isera was the angel protector of Awala''s temple. With the angel dead, Awala''s temple was raided, the altar destroyed, and Awala and the other high druids were killed. There was no angel to resurrect the high druids and no temple to revive the angel.

    I guess that raid was also helped to happen by an angel''s hand. Somebody gave it a nudge or so. It took me some time to understand all these. Maybe there are still things that I missed, but as much as I understood, it does not paint a pretty picture."

    I sighed. Tears came to my eyes: Awala had been my friend. I hugged the furry leg tightly. A wave of shame and self-loathing washed over me.

    "Wait!" - said the Lynx - "You said the green angel, Isera, would have resurrected Awala?"

    "Ahm, yes?"

    "But she was an enpisi? Awala?"

    I watched him with my mouth wide open: I hadn''t realized that. And he used the enpisi word!

    "True that!"

    "So, we also have a soul!" - said the Lynx with a wide grin.

    I haven''t thought about all the implications of this resurrection business. He continued.

    "Maybe you should have gone to Isera for Alice? You could have talked with Awala about it?"

    I felt suddenly shocked and ashamed. I did not even try, even if I knew Awala would be resurrected by Isera. Even if it had not worked, I could have tried. I was saved by Spartacius:

    "So this Tenebra arranged for the demise of Isera?"

    I sighed.

    "Well, not only that but what do I know? All are suppositions on my side. A couple of times, I thought I recognized her scent. You know, once you have met her, it is impossible not to recognize her or her traces. It is not a smell, and yet it is something comparable to the smell of decay. So yes, I do think I ''smelled'' her when I checked that blasted portal scroll or the ruins of the temple. Tenebra has had her fun, and I got my anklet as a reward. This is what she called fixing my problem with the scars. It made the illusion that was cast over me tangible, palpable. Tenebra did also cast the illusion. My scars were covered with a smooth, perfect illusion. You could touch me and feel the smooth skin, caress my brow, and not feel the scar. I could even have asked somebody to put a new illusion over me, and I could have acted as that person. I could have been Marilyn Monroe or Donald Duck. The anklet was cool. The perfect tool for an assassin."

    I sighed again and continued:

    "At first, I did not know about Awala''s demise, so Markus did not know either. He only later discovered that he lost the resurrection option he so carefully maintained during his game life. Even worse, he found out that no other angel would ever resurrect me; because, for them, I was dead. Tenebra did not answer his calls, and I was left with this weakness to shadow magic. This is too big a weakness to fight any shadow priest or other shadow-magic user. See, this is why I said that Tenebra fucked me. Besides this, the three deaths. I should have known before. I suspect those things did not happen by pure happenstance. Markus was too careful to let it happen, all the years before nothing and then three, one after the other. I suspect some divine help was involved in making them happen. Tenebra needed a hangman.¡±

    ¡°You mean an angel tricked you? They have limited powers, and they don''t have much levy over this world. Did you not realize that she was maneuvering you?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, in retrospect, it is easy to see, but when it happened, I had no clue. It was too late when I started to understand that she was playing some game." - I sighed - "In addition to it, with the shadow magic weakness, I was fucked. I could not take any more jobs against villains. I was pushed into a corner and would have been forced to kill only holy or divine high-level mobs. I was perfect for this job. Realizing this, Markus left, but he was too much in love with Cala to let her die or just gather dust in a corner" - saying that, I laughed and added - "even if I wanted to kill myself."

    I said that fast so that I was not sure that they understood, but that was a thought that had haunted me for weeks when I realized what I had done. Tenebra! I''ll find a way to get you... but I was afraid even to voice that thought. This was my purpose, but I knew it will take time. Maybe I''ll fail, but I will work towards it.

    I wet my lips and concentrated back on my story. Where was I? Ah, Markus!

    "He did what best he could; he gave me over to Dolores. Yet I still remember him. It is strange and a little frightening.¡±

    I shrugged and hugged the furry leg. I got a kiss on my temple from Alice and then a swipe from a raw tongue.

    ¡°OK, OK, I am good, enough with the tongue!¡±

    I laughed, pushing him back and getting another swipe from the giant tongue.

    Mount!? He is worse than a Saint Bernard.

 Chapter 54 â€“ Revelation

    Switching from hysterical crying to laughter in less than a day: quite a rollercoaster.

    I shut my eyes and attempted to regain my balance, leaning on Cala''s teachings for mental concentration.

    Inhale, count to five, exhale.

    Certain memories were lingering in the shadows that perhaps I shouldn''t disturb at the moment.

    Inhale, count to five, exhale.

    Focus on the task.

    Alright, I was feeling more centered now.

    While they were grappling with the details of my story about angels and discussing it animatedly, I began to dress. White Flower approached me and placed a hand on my wrist to redirect my attention to her.

    "There''s a way we could combat the evolved wolshi," she said, moistening her lips in preparation to explain the method.

    As I turned to look at her, observing her closely, I noticed that she no longer resembled Terri precisely but rather an enhanced version of her, featuring slender legs. Well, if you considered those changes improvements... Alongside the slender legs, the green hue in her eyes had lightened, and two small silver horns adorned her head.

    It occurred to me that she enjoyed mixing up her appearance.

    Unable to resist, I inquired,

    "You''re not fond of being Terri anymore?"

    She responded with a hand gesture, slightly taken aback by my observation or, perhaps, my lack of focus on what she was trying to convey.

    "Oh, it''s the high concentration of magic in the environment that accelerates the deterioration of the magic mirrors I used. I should have refreshed it."

    She sighed, sweeping a hand in front of herself, and her appearance transformed, restoring her to a perfect Terri without horns.

    "See? All done. Now, back to my proposal! You could lose your shadow weakness, and on top of that, you would look as fresh as new."

    "You''ve got my attention! Sorry for before. Go on?"

    "As I can transform myself into Terri or whoever I choose, I could easily transform you into an immaculate Cala without scars. However..."

    Listening to her, I felt a bit dizzy. I opened my eyes again and gazed at her.

    Okay, damn, it''s not nice to doze off, and now for the second time in a conversation, but... I had a revelation.

    Suddenly, I knew what had happened to Spartacius and me and why we couldn''t log out. I shrugged at the thought. It wasn''t some hidden secret or some deep mystery; it was so darn simple and stupid at the same time that I started to laugh. It was something I had just learned.

    She was a bit taken aback by my sudden outburst.

    ¡°I''m not sure I know what was so funny in what I just said?¡±

    Alice turned to us and eyed me.

    ¡°Cala, are you okay?¡±

    I couldn''t answer right away. Alice looked worried while White Flower pouted. Even Spartacius risked an eye to look at me, but my guardian, Tina, shot straight:

    ¡°Sparty, keep looking away!¡±

    I was not yet completely clad. As he was not allowed to look, he asked:

    ¡°Is there something?¡±

    I sighed:

    ¡°Well, there is. I know. I fucking know. I have the explanation! I know why we could not log out!¡±

    Shocked, he turned and looked at me, then turned back.

    ¡°Ow, sorry! What did you mean?¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Well, how do I say it?... Ahm, you are a spawn Sparty... like I am. We are spawns too!¡±

    He did not take it graciously, and the others were a bit confused about what this would change.

    ¡°Cala, I fear that healing does not restore the brain''s cognitive capacity, or maybe you still have some worm that is wracking havoc inside that skull."

    ¡°Sparty!¡±

    Tina shot a small fireball that splashed over his shoulder.

    ¡°Ow!¡± - Spartacius yelled, jumping to the side, then complained - "that''d hurt!"

    ¡°Tina!¡± - Alice said, admonishing her.

    ¡°He should not speak like that!¡±

    The Lynx huffed.

    ¡°Let Cala explain what she means!¡±- he said, then turning towards me - "what do you mean with being also a spawn?"

    White Flower said nothing but was looking askew at me.

    I sighed.

    ¡°I mean what I''ve just said. Well, I said it because I have just logged in. I have just joined the game!¡±

    ¡°It cannot be! You were... ¡° - Spartacius started to say something, then he stopped as soon as he understood what I had just said.

    ¡°Exactly. I, Dolores, logged out, but Cala remained in this world. We knew this! We knew we could leave our characters to play in the field, or we could move it into an inn and let it rest there! We even talked about it, fuck it!¡±

    "Was it not possible to log out completely?"

    "Yes, it was. It is called complete logout. They separated the two functions."

    ¡°But I do not remember...¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do not remember when you logged out, not even that you logged out, because you did not log out. It was the real Spartacius who did this. I mean, I do not even know your real-life name...¡±

    ¡°Michael. Michael is my name! How can I know my name if I am not here?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Glad to meet you, Michael! I am Dolores. Well, actually, you are not Michael. You are Spartacius! I, as Cala, also knew I was Dolores. I mean, I knew my owner? No! My other name? No! ... Oh, this is getting confusing. It doesn''t matter; I am the real one, the real Dolores!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You, as you are now, you cannot log out. I can! You are only the backup spawn!¡±

    ¡°But... but... But why did they do this? Why would they do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Remember the theory about enjoying 24 x 7 hours of gaming? However, there were problems. If you left your character to play, it took decisions that you wouldn''t take or like. People were not happy with that. I guess they solved that by making a backup of ourselves inside the character. The backup is so good that you''d think you did it. And when you log in, it just implants the memory. It does not run perfectly yet; I was a bit dizzy when I logged in, but it worked. The last two days, it was not really us; it was our backup that was struggling here. Cala and you, Spartacius, we are spawns, but we have some backup memory of our... owners? True selves?¡±

    ¡°Ow fuck! I still cannot believe it! Why would they do this for a game?¡±

    ¡°Where else can they test these fucking functions? Backup personality? Implanting memories?" - I shrugged - "In a game!

    However, this explains why it hurt so much before my login! Now, I am not as shocked or scared as I was then. Do you understand? It must be filtered for me.

    But then, when Cala lived it, it was really bad. Because I, when I am only Cala, I do not have that filter, that pain reduction. That comes for Dolores when she plays, not for Cala. I mean for me, not for Cala. Gosh, this is mega confusing. I feel maybe a simulacrum of what she feels. I do not know how this scales. Perhaps I feel it differently. They cannot allow those feelings for real, even if Cala had them. Maybe this can also be controlled somehow. Oh well.¡±

    ¡°But why did we remember that we needed to log out?¡±

    ¡°That was a problem. Probably a bug. Somehow, the backup implanted a thought that should not have been put there. Why did nobody else but us care? Yes, that ghost too! It may be that we two talked or did something that put that memory inside our backups. Ivar the ghost was probably another such case." - I shrugged -" We cannot be the only ones bugged.¡±

    ¡°So you mean I just need to play until Michael logs in?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You know everything he wants perfectly, so you can do it. See, I now have the memory of playing for two days, but I also have the memory of being in school and just logging in five minutes ago!¡±

    ¡°Weird!¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    The others were quietly listening to our exchange without interrupting.

    ¡°This is probably a test. A test for something bigger. Somebody is experimenting with consciousness transfer?¡±

    ¡°I bet they are. And not only that. Why would all those huge conglomerates sponsor these games? Just for our fun?¡±

    The Lynx tried to protest:

    ¡°Hey! What are you two talking about? We here; we lost you now!¡±

    I put a hand on the furry leg.

    ¡°Don''t be angry with us, my friend. We''ll explain everything. We are now talking about our ghouls in our world!¡±

    Tina found the similarities:

    ¡°You also have ghouls there? We are not so different!¡±

    ¡°Tina, our ghouls are not really that; it is only a way of speaking. We call that people who love only money and power and seem to have no heart!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, those are ghouls!¡± - she accepted the definition with a smile.

    ¡°Hey, finish dressing up! I am tired of talking and looking the other way! I''m getting torticollis.¡±

    We all laughed at Spartacius.

 Chapter 55 - Becoming One

    As Spartacius was protesting that it was taking me too long to get dressed, I thought that maybe if he understood the complexities of the task, he would get more patient:

    ¡°Sorry Sparty, I still have not found the passing boots for these trousers and this specific jacket. Even worse, the trousers do not fit with the jacket. Maybe with this other jacket? But then I have no boots that fit with it. I have a limited number of boots with me. Besides, White Flower will need to spell me another blouse that should fit with the ensemble...¡±

    He sighed, a bit exasperated.

    ¡°You too? Sparty!? You just narrowly escaped death, and all you care is to find the passing boots to your jacket?¡°

    Oh well, he took offense to me calling him Sparty. I thought it would be funny. OK, whatever. No more Sparty.

    But now, coming back to his criticism, for me, putting together an acceptable, decent combination of clothes was a kind of ritual, a step towards normalization. So, how can I explain this?

    ¡°It is not all I care, but I do care. As simple as that. Boots and jacket, trousers and belt, all these must fit! This is the basis for human decency! I don''t know why you can''t understand this. If something does not fit, it would be like an always itching sore toe.¡±

    He sighed:

    ¡°That''ll take the whole night. Why don''t you just let her spell you a robe until you finally decide on something!? I told you my neck is hurting me for talking like this!¡±

    ¡°Oh, good idea!¡±

    White Flower also found the idea good:

    ¡°Perfect idea! What color would you like it? Should it pass with your hair or rather your eyes? What about the model? The cut? Should it show your shoulders?¡±

    ¡°Ahm? I need to try and see how it works. Can you make a mirror?¡±

    Spartacius yelled from his side, not realizing we were making fun of him:

    ¡°Please! It''s just temporary!!¡±

    White Flower answered unperturbed:

    ¡°Sure, that''s my specialty! I could even dress a mannequin that looks like you. Or we make several, and you can compare them?¡±

    ¡°What? You could do that?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I am a master of illusions!¡±

    Everybody laughed while Sparty raised his hands in surrender, falling to his knees.

    ¡°Nooo!¡±

    ¡°You can turn now; I do have a pink dress...¡±

    ¡°Finally!¡± - he turned and came closer with big round eyes - ¡°Well, hell, Cala! It suits you well! Why don''t you wear a robe instead of trousers?¡±

    I shrugged. Me and wearing a dress?

    ¡°Ahm? No. I am rather the trousers type of girl. Let me see, these trousers here...¡±

    White Flower interrupted me:

    ¡°Before you dress on new equipment, let me tell you my proposition first. That is if you are still interested. It may be useful that you are ahm... dressed only with illusions.¡±

    ¡°Okay? I am all ears!?¡±

    ¡°We could become one person!¡±

    Okay, that was a bit unclear for me. What is actually on offer, and what do I pay for it?

    ¡°What do you mean, why should I do that? Who will be making the decisions, and how will we separate if we want to?¡±

    She looked at me and shrugged:

    ¡°I propose this as some kind of emergency solution. The threats seem higher than I thought they would be, and we need more firepower to fight them. It would not be much different to now when I am hiding as a tattoo on your skin. However, if we become one, you could use all my magic power, not only a fraction of it. Of course, you will need to learn to use it, but I could do some easy shortcuts and serve it to you as prepared tattoos you read from as a starter. It can work as I did it for healing when you had to say the words: I want to heal you.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As you point out, only one of us will be able to actively make decisions. We can take turns at it. I could be better for some situations; you could be better for others.

    When you are in the lead, I will not be able to heal on my own. You will need to think about it and heal yourself. The point is, now, in addition to healing, you could spell fireballs, ice lances, or ice explosions, everything I could spell. You will hear me as you heard the tattoo, but now, not in a whisper, but directly in your mind. You could also reply to me in your mind. You could also let me lead, and I would be in charge and do then all my spells. I may eventually also learn your assassins'' spells if we stay longer together. To separate, we would need to ask a high-level specialized mage or priest. Not many could do the separation properly, but I know a couple I trust would gladly do it for me. Does this answer your questions?¡±

    ¡°Why do you propose this?¡±

    ¡°As I said, it is some kind of emergency situation we are facing. We would be much stronger. I am not speaking of only the wolshi, but It may be the only way how we could fight it and get out of here. Unless we want to wait until it gets bored and leaves. Before, it almost killed both of us in mere seconds. Being one would change that equation. You would not die from a couple of corrosive bullets. Even inside it, you would have a much higher chance of survival when we are together. We could heal and blast that thing from the inside until we get in one way or another out again.¡±

    ¡°I... I don''t think I want to try that!¡±

    ¡°Oh... As I said, it is not only the wolshi. The threats seem to have a scale we cannot easily face otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you said that, and it''s true. The point is interesting. Let me think a little about it. So we will have a bit of a separating problem if we want to do it?¡±

    ¡°True. I know and would trust only a couple of persons to do it properly, but it''s solvable.¡±

    While she said that, she lowered her head, then added with a shrug:

    ¡°As I said, I cannot do it properly from the inside; we would need the help of a great mage, sorcerer, or priest for this. I have only a couple of friends that I would trust to submit ourselves for such a complex operation, and I have high hopes that they would do this for me simply for our friendship. Old Oak, for instance. You must think about it, like separating siamese twins. It is that complex. I don''t want to lie and say it would be easy, but it is doable. When we would like to separate, I could bring us to Serenity City to get us separated by him. It might cost us some gold, but that is not really a problem. Well, it is only an idea, a proposal, after all. You decide what the best way is, but think about the last couple of fights and then re-think what would have happened if you had the option to use my spells in addition to your own. Maybe you need a better understanding of what I can spell and what you could learn, but consider that in addition to various healing spells, you can say the spells of a fire mage, light mage, lightning mage, ice mage, and more!¡±

    I had first to digest what she said. I realized before that she was high level. True, she was handicapped with a fragile body but had a huge mana pool with several spell areas, but I did not realize how broad her repertoire was.

    "Does this mean you are some kind of generalist with limited knowledge in all these areas?"

    She grinned and watched me askew:

    "From what you know about me, did you have the impression that I know only low-level spells?"

    OK, when I think of those camouflage spells and illusion spells, which she called mirrors: those are high-level spells. I would like to learn some of those. Yeah, I need to ask her how she did it.

    When I think of her healing skills, those are exceptional. The one point she can''t is that remote healing, but all the rest are above anything I''ve seen.

    "You want to tell me that your fire mage skills are as elevated as your healing skills? That''s impossible. Can you do a fire elemental?"

    "Yes. No."

    She grinned without adding more. I repeated myself:

    "That''s impossible. One cannot learn from scrolls, competitive classes."

    She nodded and frowned as she answered:

    "True. I did not learn my spells from scrolls."

    "But that... that would take ages to learn?"

    She smiled happily and nodded, raising a brow.

    I was feeling like having stricken gold. OK, an assassin with multiple mage spells? Not a couple of scrolls in your pocket, but the whole library, including healing? OK, OK, first I need to learn those spells as she said it might take some time.

    On the other side, this comes with a package: a voice in my head. Let me think this interesting proposal through.

    Well, apart from the relatively small annoyance that some people with assassin-level senses might ''hear'' my magic, the only change for me would be that I could talk in my mind with her instead of speaking. As a tattoo, she was rather quiet most of the time. Plus, I can even let her fight for me; that is a kind of a cheat, actually. I wonder how good her fighting is. Her magic is strong; I have seen it a couple of times. A magic Cala would be almost unbeatable at this level. A second Grackak. When I think about the idiot, he was not really good at fighting. He had these super-duper items and high firepower, but apart from that, he was a rather mediocre mage. That witch that I fought in Ivar''s ruins was a better fighter.

    OK, whatever. What do I do? Maybe I overthink this. We need an option to get out of the cave, and the game gives me one.

    So is it still a game, or is it as Cala thought: not a game? As Cala, I was one hundred percent sure it was not a game. As Dolores, having logged in now, I am not so sure anymore, even if it seems to be the most realistic game I have ever seen.

    I grinned at her:

    ¡°We do it!¡±

 Chapter 56- Having Fun Between Hammer and Anvil

    It was, in a way, anti-climatic. It was not as spectacular a spell as I expected. If I would compare it, it was like the case when the ghost tried to take control of me when I was inside the carriage to rescue Thiara. Maybe it was spectacular for the others. She dissolved somehow in the air into some kind of smoke or fog, or was it her ghost form?

    Then the smoke enveloped me, and suddenly everything looked as if covered by some gray matter. I felt a terrible pain in my head again and lost control of my limbs. As that happened, I almost lost my balance, but somehow my body automatically recovered without my input. The pain in my head continued. She did not warn me that it would pain so much! It was a slow and continuous pain, as if somebody were slowly pushing a knife into the back of my head. Not one knife but multiple blades. I would have moaned, but no sound came from my throat, my lungs breathing normally as if controlled by some machinery.

    I wondered about the pain. As Dolores, I should not feel so much pain, or was Cala suffering that much more?

    I timidly made a couple of steps, then looked at my hands as I clenched and unclenched my fists, but it was not me doing that.

    Then I was again feeling dizzy at the same moment as I heard a voice in my head:

    ¡°It is done!¡±

    ¡°Whoa! What happened?¡± - I said, making a sudden step to the side.

    The Lynx looked askew at me. All were looking at me, unsure of what to answer.

    ¡°Ahm. I think you just incorporated White Flower into you or something...¡±

    It was Spartacius who spoke. Tina answered:

    ¡°Shh, Sparty, she knows that... I think she is speaking to her!¡±

    I looked at her and nodded:

    ¡°Indeed!¡±

    I saw something on my leg. Something like a complex scribble. I asked, pointing at it:

    ¡°What''s that?¡±

    "You got a tattoo?" - said Spartacius

    My answer came directly in my mind:

    ¡°You can speak to me in your mind if you don''t want them to hear. That is the entry point. It goes all up to your neck. You cannot see all of it now due to the robe.¡±

    ¡°Ow. It seems my fairy comes with a tattoo!¡±

    Spartacius grinned:

    ¡°I find it looks good on you.¡±

    "I approve." - said the Lynx with a nod to Spartacius

    ¡°I could hide it if you want. Should I hide your scars and the tattoo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please!¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    It was the first time I had answered in my mind, and I was surprised to see that it worked.

    Spartacius asked again:

    ¡°How do you feel? Anything different?¡±

    Alice watched me with Argus'' eyes:

    ¡°Are you feeling ok?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Yes, I do feel ok. Actually, I do feel great!¡±

    ¡°That is because more magic is running now through your body. As I said, if you want that I do something, you need to let me lead.¡±

    I was so confused that I spoke again aloud:

    ¡°Let you lead? How?¡±

    ¡°It is like stepping back from the steering wheel. You need to feel it. Saying: you are in the lead, or you take the lead can help.¡±

    ¡°You take the lead!¡±

    ¡°You don''t need to say it aloud. Saying it in your mind is good enough.¡±

    But it had worked; I was no longer in control. She made a couple of movements at first slowly, hesitatingly, then faster, more precise. She took a deep breath, and I felt my lungs filling with air. It was a strange, fascinating, and a little scary experience to feel myself moving like this without being in control.

    She made a gesture, and a mirror appeared in the air. I saw myself there: a scarred Cala dressed in a pink robe.

    She made another gesture, and all my scars and my tattoo disappeared instantly. I was now dressed in my assassin gear, a black leather suit with a ninja scarf on my head, black boots, and gloves. Another gesture, and I was a grinning Terri.

    She giggled. Another gesture, and I was a... a succubus? She laughed loudly while my wings and my tail undulated behind me. Everything was so incredibly realistic.

    ¡°I just picked this from your imagination Dolores. So what would you like to look like? Should I stay like this?¡±

    She had said that aloud. The Lynx looked askew at me whilst Alice laughed.

    ¡°Wow, stay like this!¡±

    Spartacius seemed to be enthusiastically convinced that this was the best I could be looking like.

    Tina shook her head with a sigh:

    ¡°Don''t listen to Sparty; Cala is looking better!¡±

    It did not end with the succubi. After that, I enjoyed several minutes of the show.

    We enjoyed it; it was not only me enjoying it. She could do anything we requested. Once, she made me look like Alice; next, I was Tina. She then made me look like a dragon, then like Spartacius, which got me booed by Tina.

    It was really amazing to see what skills White Flower had and what she could spell. It was like an intermezzo, like a time-out that the referee granted us. Not even the annoying alien noises coming from outside the grotto did disturb us, but then the Lynx raised his ears.

    He turned his head towards the insides of the cavern and spoke:

    ¡°I think I heard something!¡±

    We went silent while he stayed concentrated, listening.

    ¡°Yes, something is approaching us from inside the grotto.¡±

    As White Flower was still in the lead, I had the opportunity to see how she was listening. It was some spell improved listening, and I heard them too. The Lynx gave us more details now:

    ¡°Two large persons, really big, and one... easy footer. Could be a caster of some kind.¡±

    White Flower confirmed:

    ¡°Yes, I can hear them too. I guess those two are trolls..¡±

    ¡°Trolls?¡±

    Spartacius and Tina watched me with round eyes. Alice was worried too. The last time when we fought one troll, we had to break and run out. Now we were facing two.

    "Yes, from their pacing and how heavy they seem to be, I guess you are right," - nodded the Lynx.

    White Flower shook her head.

    ¡°It is not only the trolls that worry me. That easy footer... I can smell ice...¡±

    I felt how she recalled her aura. She was trying to mask her presence. The Lynx confirmed:

    ¡°Yes, an ice mage. A powerful one... and... I don''t know... Maybe there is something else too...¡±

    Alice watched me, worried.

    ¡°I do not feel them yet. How far are they?¡±

    ¡°Around 200 meters. Coming this way.¡±

    Tina looked towards the cavern''s entry.

    ¡°What do we do?¡±

 Chapter 57 - Not Even a Spawn!

    What do we do? White Flower gave me back the lead. I have to get used to this lead swapping.

    I looked at the Lynx. He looked at me, then spoke:

    ¡°We cannot fight both groups. We may fight one of them, but both are really dangerous. That means possible casualties. If we try to run out of the cave, the wolshi will attack us. That thing is damn fast and strong. No matter how I try to think this through, I fear some of us will not make it if we try running that way. That is not acceptable. We may have some chances to fight it, but Cala is not yet used to her spell powers, and the mage in the cavern with its two trolls might attack us too. Then we are done. The only logical solution seems to be to hide. We should try to hide and let the mage pass. Let them fight the wolshi. Maybe this is the reason why they came, to fight that damn wolshi.¡±

    He did not spell out that he was the one who could escape. He was the only one faster than the wolshi, and probably me with the speed spell. Neither of us could carry the other three in a race with the wolshi.

    ¡°What if they do not pass?¡±

    ¡°If they detect us and if it comes to a fight, it is better to have only the mage and the two trolls facing us!¡±

    ¡°Only the mage and the two trolls...¡±

    I turned to Spartacius:

    ¡°You and Tina should stay away. This is not for you!¡±

    He gave me a dark look. A look Sparty had not given me until now. There was gloom in his eyes. He spoke with a sad tone.

    ¡°It will not work. You and the Lynx, you cannot tank all three mobs. You, Dolores, you are a damage dealer, not a tank. The only one close to being a tank is the Lynx, but he is not really a tank, and in no case can he tank two trolls.¡±

    The Lynx seemed to agree with him. I sighed. It was not the moment to start now a discussion. This kid should do what I tell him to do.

    Interestingly, this thought pained me. Deep inside me, something spoke against what I''d just thought. I swallowed. Spartacius continued:

    ¡°I have to help. You will risk too much if I do not help. I do have a tank build!¡±

    ¡°Kid, you need to understand this. Your level is much too low to tank a troll! This is no good fight to gain experience.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    The moment I said that again I felt that pain in my soul. His eyes became even darker. He huffed.

    ¡°Experience! I don''t intend to try to tank them to gain experience. I can try to kite one and win some time for you. I am not a kid. I am a twenty years old not-a-spawn. I am not even a spawn. I am a replacement, a backup. Let me do at least what I can do to help you! I am expendable.¡±

    I did not hesitate anymore. I gave to the impulse that came from inside me. I went and hugged him. I ran to him as I was. It did not matter that my dress was only an illusion. It was important to hug him, to feel him close.

    I took a deep breath. I concentrated on the feeling that was deep inside me:

    ¡°Don''t do this to me, please! You are damn important to me! You are damn important to Cala! She would kick my ass if I risked only one of your hairs. Please try to keep yourself safe and keep Tina safe! Come out only if there is no other way! Please, Spartacius, please, promise this to me!¡±

    I hugged him again, stronger. Tears were running down my cheeks. I did not know I was so easily impressionable? Again a sting in my heart. This was no easy thing. I sighed. I realized it was Cala in me who cried. Fuck. I cannot hug her too! My heart started to beat stronger. I guess she hugs me.

    A short time before, he was joking and laughing with me. It seemed so natural, but it was not. I did not realize that this backup thing hurt him so bad. I did not realize that it hurt me so bad. With me, I mean Cala. Fuck! I rested my head on his breast and breathed.

    The Lynx came behind me:

    "Sorry to press on guys, but they are coming closer!"

    I looked at Spartacius.

    His eyes cleared, and the darkness went away. It is not over, yet he is calmer. He nodded.

    I took a deep breath. Fuck, I do care for this not-a-spawn. Why do I care? He is just the... OK, I do not have to rationalize this. I do care. Cala cares. That''s all that matters.

    I dressed my gear within seconds. I let Cala lead my movements. The Lynx grinned. He must have recognized her.

    I turned to him, and again strange emotions filled my heart. These must come from the fairy? I do feel her emotions? He is her friend as much as he became mine. I mean Cala''s. Yes, well then, he is my friend.

    ¡°You big cat, take care, don''t take unnecessary risks! Understand papa?¡±

    He grinned:

    ¡°That''s my kitty!¡±

    ¡°OK, let''s hide now!¡±

    First, I put Spartacius and Tina in a corner under some boulders, and White Flower covered them with an illusion. I went with Alice to another corner and the Lynx... disappeared in the air. Let''s see now what the damn mage will do.

    It was just in time. I heard steps entering this part of the cavern. Then I heard the trolls:

    ¡°Grunt, grunt!¡±

    One of the trolls was hitting his shield with a heavy mace. I heard it like a rumble of rolling thunder that was accelerating my heartbeats. My breathing accelerated accordingly. The grip on my katars tightened. Fuck do they use psychological warfare now?

 Chapter 58 - Fight in the Cavern

    Their heavy footfalls reverberated throughout the cavern, and the trolls'' labored breaths hinted at the weight of their armor.

    Finally, I saw them: two towering metal figures advanced slowly, flanking the sorcerer. To my astonishment, a fourth individual trailed closely behind them, moving with an unexpectedly light step. I hadn''t heard him approaching.

    Suddenly, the sorcerer came to an abrupt halt, raising his staff and causing everyone else to stop in their tracks.

    A brilliant burst of light emanated from the staff, splitting into four separate beams, each heading in a different direction and converging on the cavern''s ceiling, bathing the entire area in illumination.

    I held my position, relying on my camouflage to keep me hidden while I attempted to gather more information about them. The troll''s armor appeared to be enchanted, and the sorcerer carried some valuable artifacts, particularly that staff he gripped tightly.

    They surveyed their surroundings as if expecting a trap, leaving me puzzled about what was unfolding.

    "Heavy magic! Powerful magic," the sorcerer muttered softly. "Withdraw!"

    I cursed inwardly. A sorcerer capable of sensing magic signatures like an assassin! He had practically detected our magical presence. My attention shifted to the fourth individual, who turned out to be an orc rogue.

    The trolls let out a series of grunts, and one of them pounded his shield with a heavy mace, producing a gong-like sound that reverberated through the cavern. Was he attempting to pinpoint our location through sound?

    The second troll scrutinized the surroundings intently, hefting an enormous two-handed hammer capable of crushing a rhinoceros''s skull like a potato. Hell, I would not feel safe in an armored transporter with that thing moving around, and I''ll have to face him together with the rest. Uh, this was not looking good!

    A voice murmured in my head:

    ¡°Evolved trolls!¡±

    Evolved? As if fucking common trolls would not have been enough trouble?

    "Denisa!" the sorcerer murmured, turning his attention to the rogue. "Summon the others. We might require all hands to handle this situation!"

    Well, his whisper wasn''t discreet enough; he should have employed a spell to mute his command.

    I teleported, delivering a swift kick to the rogue''s side with my right foot before she could take another step.

    <<teleport kick>>

    No, you''re not summoning the others!

    As I launched my attack, a nagging doubt crept into my mind. Had I made a hasty judgment? Maybe I should have refrained from attacking. None of us emitted a heavy magic aura except for White Flower, but her aura control was exceptional. She could trick even me!

    Perhaps the sorcerer had merely sensed the wolshi, which had oddly fallen silent recently. I couldn''t explain why I had been so certain the sorcerer was referring to us. If he had assumed the presence of rational beings here, would he have issued an order that they could hear? Wouldn''t his first instinct be to retreat?

    But it was too late for second-guessing; I did attack, and now I had to fight this to the bitter end.

    The rogue let out a strange sound, almost like a quack, as my heavy foot strike landed. She dodged my next attack, but that was merely a feint as I swiftly followed up with a poisoned katar strike infused with paralyzing venom. The attack seemed mostly harmless, just a scratch, but the venom was potent.

    The rogue seemed to possess some resistance to the venom as she managed to move and take a few evasive steps, but her movements had slowed considerably. It proved fatal for her as I closed in and swiftly decapitated her with a precise motion.

    One done, three left.

    Well, she had been the lowest level in the group; the rest were the real heavy hitters. I didn''t feel great about leaving the others to deal with them, but letting her escape could have been a fatal error.

    Unfortunately, I had been too slow in dealing with the rogue. Instead of immediately focusing on the Lynx, the sorcerer hit me with a powerful ice spell just in the moment when I dispatched the rogue. I managed to partially resist it; however, the sorcerer followed up with another ice blast and teleported away.

    His first strike had lowered my ice resistance, and as a consequence, after the ice blast, I found myself partially frozen and stuck to the floor, with two towering metal figures ignoring the others and closing in on me with their two maces like incoming meteors.

    The fairy in my head screamed, "Give me control!"

    My eyes widened as I saw them. The two trolls and the sorcerer displayed perfect coordination and appeared to have singled out the most significant threat: me.

    I hesitated for a moment, a hesitation that could have cost me my life right then and there.

    Why should I let her take control? She has no bloody clue about fighting like an assassin.

    I attempted to free myself using the <<shatter magic>> spell, but it was in vain. It granted me a bit more mobility within my icy prison but didn''t set me free.

    Then, I heard the sonic boom of a targeted arrow that exploded, hitting the ice armor of the mage with another loud bang, but the sorcerer shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

    The Lynx leaped onto the back of one of the trolls, slowing him down, but the one wielding the two-handed hammer was closing in on me, and it dawned on me that White Flower could free me from the ice.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "You take the lead!" I shouted desperately, but it seemed to have no effect. I was doing something wrong. I tried again:

    "You lead!" I screamed as the hammer bore down on my face, and suddenly, I lost control of my limbs. This time, it worked. I needed to infuse intent into my words, not just shout them. I was aware of this, and yet, in the heat of the moment, I had forgotten.

    A massive fire explosion engulfed the cavern just as I moved to evade the hammer hit, but it still struck my shoulder. White Flower hadn''t been quick enough to fully dodge it, and my shoulder turned into a reddish jelly.

    Well, she did manage to divert my head from the hammer''s path; I had to give her credit for that.

    The troll bellowed, seemingly undisturbed by the fire explosion, raising his hammer again while a healing wave washed over me as I tumbled to the ground. It was strange to witness the jelly-like substance rapidly solidify back into a limb.

    The sorcerer unleashed another ice spell at me, but the flames surrounding me extinguished it before it could reach me as I rolled away, narrowly avoiding the descending hammer.

    Were these the two concomitant spells that the fairy had cast, or had she been able to manipulate one spell to add another effect to it? I was impressed!

    She sprang to her feet and quickly stepped backward, narrowly escaping another blow, and launched two more fireballs¡ªone at the mage and the other at the pursuing troll.

    The mage blinked away, narrowly avoiding the fireball. The troll, on the other hand, took the fiery explosion right in the face with a heavy grunt before raising his hammer again, ready to strike me. Damn, what kind of creature could shrug off a fireball like that? Meanwhile, the Lynx was locked in a ferocious battle with the other troll.

    I had to roll quickly to evade the hammer. It wasn''t a flawless roll, not as perfect as Cala would have executed it, but it was still sufficient to avoid a devastating blow. The fireball had seemingly caused some discomfort to the troll, as his aim was slightly off. When his meteor-like hammer struck the ground, it sent shockwaves through the cavern, causing sand and pebbles to rain down from the ceiling.

    Meanwhile, the mage and Alice engaged in a fiery exchange: ice lances versus hypersonic arrows. However, the mage had superior defenses, forcing Alice to seek refuge behind a large rock to avoid a direct hit. This momentary respite allowed the mage to cast a spell on the Lynx, slowing him down just enough for the troll to land a solid blow with his mace, sending the Lynx tumbling backward.

    Fuck.

    White Flower unleashed a devastating thunderbolt that shattered the troll, rendering it immobile for a few precious seconds, granting the Lynx a chance to recover. However, that brief moment of distraction cost me dearly as I took a brutal blow to the side from ''my'' troll''s mace. The impact left my entire thorax feeling like mush, and I was sent flying backward and to the side.

    Damn, I was afraid I''d end up plastered on that mace like a squished bug! Normally, I should have been dead; my heart must have momentarily turned into pasta, not functioning for those critical seconds until White Flower managed to rebuild it along with the rest of my thorax.

    I might have started to panic. I knew that if that thundering thing would hit my head, that would be the end of the story.

    "Don''t stay like that, move!! Let Cala''s instincts take over!!" - I yelled in my mind.

    However, I had to give it to her; she had healed me while I was still flying, ignoring my rant. I flew about 8 meters and crashed against the cavern''s wall, but even there, with the back at the wall, still a bit wobbly from the shock, she sent another double fireball, one at the mage and the other at the troll that had catapulted me. Both screamed furiously under the hit while another sonic boom shattered the cave, and this time, the arrow penetrated the mage''s armor.

    That gave me new hope. We might win after all!

    The mage screamed, hiding behind some boulders.

    "Per Mephisto!!"

    I yelled in my mind:

    "Let me lead!"

    I was confused for a short moment, still lying against the wall, then I realized I was in the lead.

    I had seen that the Lynx was having a hard time trying to stand up while ''his'' troll was recovering from White Flower''s thunder. I had to get to him before it was too late.

    Alice was now shooting at ''my'' troll, keeping him busy while the mage was recovering behind those damn boulders.

    I cast the <<speed>> spell and sprinted toward the Lynx without tending to my own injuries first. Every second counted. I couldn''t heal myself while on the move, as casting any spell would disrupt the effects of the speed spell. So, I gritted my teeth, ignored the throbbing muscles and the possibility of cracked bones from my collision with the wall, and sprinted as fast as I could to reach the Lynx. Just in the nick of time, I managed to heal him, allowing him to evade the next swing of the mace.

    The Lynx vanished to my left, heading towards the other troll who was attempting to corner Alice. I sprinted in the direction of the mage, who was emerging from his hiding place, paying no attention to the other troll. Unfortunately, the effects of the speed spell had worn off, and I couldn''t catch the mage off guard as I had hoped. Nevertheless, prioritizing the Lynx''s healing had been the right call.

    The second troll, infuriated that the Lynx had slipped away, followed in heavy pursuit. Hopefully, they could avoid being cornered by the trolls.

    Before the mage could cast a spell, I hit him with <<mind blast>>, disrupting his incantation.

    He cursed once more, shaking his head in frustration.

    "Per Mephisto!!"

    While I healed myself, I closed the gap between us by taking the next two steps. However, before I could reach him, he teleported away. Recognizing that I was now too far from any target and lacking an instant teleportation spell, those being on cooldown, I made the decision to let White Flower take the lead. I shouted out again:

    "You lead!"

    Handing over the initiative to her. I hoped she had a spell prepared, but she appeared momentarily bewildered; however, in the next moment, she seized control and unleashed a devastating fireball that engulfed the troll.

    Yes, that''s my fairy! I love you! The effect was better than what I dared hope for; the troll fell on his ass with a pained grunt. Unfortunately, at almost the same time, the mage blasted Alice with an ice spell that she could not avoid.

    Another massive fireball surged toward the mage, but he managed to teleport away just a fraction of a second before it would have engulfed him. The eruption of the fireball caused the cave to shudder, sending boulders tumbling in all directions, and as a consequence, the spell concealing Spartacius and Tina dissipated. Oh, damn it!

    Spartacius swiftly dashed away, pulling Tina along with him and shielding them both. Alice quickly consumed an elixir to aid her recovery, allowing her to evade the mage''s impending attack. The troll that White Flower had previously sent flying backward with a fireball was now under the Lynx''s relentless assault while the other troll pursued Spartacius and Tina.

    Damn, I needed to intervene in that chase!

    Yet another volley of arrows dissipated harmlessly against the sorcerer''s reinforced ice barrier.

    It dawned on me with dread that this battle could drag on for quite some time, with the trolls'' formidable regenerative abilities countering our efforts while the sorcerer displayed immense strength and an unusually vast mana reserve. He possessed a wide array of ice-mage spells and cast them with a fluidity and speed I hadn''t encountered in any ice mage before.

    One misstep and we were bound for disaster.

 Chapter 59 - The Death of Katan Darkice

    I need to think this through. Due to this kind of cheat option I had available, the fact that I could let White Flower fight for me, I had a bit more time to analyze and think during the fight than I would typically have.

    However, this damn battle was so much on a razor''s edge that I was damn afraid to not be concentrated. She already made two errors that got me two hits resulting in many broken bones. OK, the first one was my error, my stupid delay.

    It does not matter whose error it was! Fuck! We did those!

    Sweat was running down my temples. Every movement was as fast as I could, as strong as I could, even the stupid spells.

    The thunder worked. The troll chasing Spartacius was stopped by it for a very short moment, but enough to enable Spartacius to escape alive. I got hit with another ice spell, and White Flower shrugged it off with another fire blast. In this regard, she is surprisingly good. Even the sorcerer appreciated that:

    ¡°Per Mephisto! What are you for an evolved beast?!¡±

    He shot another ice spell my way. It was some kind of a twisted, rolling ice spear, and she blocked it with a giant fireball. For the spell, she turned to face the sorcerer and came on her veins with her two hands in front, generating the fireball.

    The two spells met, the collision boom shaking the cave.

    He had a counter for each of my spells; his ice lances were following my very movements and had to be countered; he was now giving it all.

    The exchange continued for some time, undecided. I had to heal the Lynx or Alice a couple of times, but mostly myself.

    Fuck, the others have to face the two trolls now; this will not end well. How on earth is he so strong?

    White Flower understood my fear and thundered the nearby troll again, letting Alice now escape his pursuit.

    What the fuck? The dude is kind of an ice mage, and I am an assassin. A mage''s blank horror anti-class. Even worse than rogues.

    ¡°Let me lead!¡±

    It was maybe the wrong moment to ask for the lead. As I started to take control of my limbs, the troll with the shield that I was just facing surprised me, thrusting his shield forward, hitting me, and breaking my jaw in the process. I did not expect that hit at that distance.

    I had planned to disengage from the troll and chase the sorcerer, but now after the powerful hit, I was almost K.O., flying backwards.

    Maybe this almost K.O. helped me.

    Don''t try to control me; let me free; let me be myself. Let me be Cala.

    I did not hear that but felt it. It resonated in my head.

    The troll made a step forward and followed his attack with a downwards mace hit, and I instinctively rolled over one side, letting the hit shatter the earth whilst healing me and regaining all my senses.

    My movement was so fluid and smooth that, at first, he did not even realize that I had avoided his hit.

    I am Cala.

    I glanced at the mage. I''m going to kill you. Now.

    It was not fury that spoke in me nor anger, just cold determination. This has to end. Here and now.

    I spelt:

    <<Darkness>>

    Our eyes met when I glanced at him, and he understood I was now attacking him. He teleported away the moment when the darkness started to spread. He was afraid. I think he was fearful for the first time in this fight and was now trying to flee.

    I got a glimpse of his new position as the darkness set and took the risk of spelling my <<teleport kick>> to this position.

    Conjuring now Cala inside me has been a strange feeling. It was almost as it was when I was letting White Flower fight for me. Almost. Maybe the experience of letting her fight for me helped.

    My teleport worked. And then I got lucky again, or maybe Cala had known this already. My speed spell cooldown had just expired. It means this fight in the cavern must have already taken longer than twenty minutes.

    <<Mind blast>>

    <<Speed>>

    You are dead.

    My hands moved with the speed of a sewing machine. A mobile machine. Hack, hack, hack, hack. Different points, vital points. I danced around him as he tried to recover and spell something, anything to save himself, anything to get away from me.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Blood erupted from cut arteries, the enchanted blades going deep into his flesh. He blasted the last spell, a terrible ice explosion spell, but I took it on. I risked it, letting it wash over me as I continued to strike him. It almost did me, but I think Cala had taken this also into her calculations, as her last hit had got his heart.

    Waves of magic exploded around me like a magic twister whilst his heart ceased its beat. Fuck, he had been some high-level sorcerer!

    ¡°You lead!¡±

    And it worked without me saying that aloud!

    I let White Flower heal me and take me out of my speed spell whilst I watched the sorcerer die. A terrible fire explosion, trademark White Flower, engulfed me, cleaning the ice. The now burning sorcerer fell whilst she healed me again.

    Killing the two trolls was still a hassle. The Lynx had almost done his job, but the troll still resisted, even if he was losing a lot of blood. The darkness helped conceal Spartacius and Tina. I hoped they would not make noise and attract the attention of the other troll whilst we were finishing the first. Luckily Alice took over this part, making noise on her side, shooting explosive arrows at the ceiling, and jumping from place to place. Clever girl. She knew I could better see than others in my darkness.

    Ten minutes later, after the darkness had long dissipated, we had finally killed the second troll too. It was a useless killing, but the giant didn''t want to relent; I think he didn''t want to live longer once his master had died.

    We gathered around the dying troll. A last shimmer of light passed through his eyes, it was almost as if he would thank me, and then he died. I looked at the Lynx and healed him.

    ¡°Pfuh, this was a fight!¡±

    He grinned:

    ¡°Yes, Cala, well done!¡±

    Our eyes met. It was not without reason that he said that. I hugged his furry leg and took a deep breath.

    ¡° A little heal would be welcome!¡±

    Alice came grinning at us. Tina yelled happily:

    ¡°Victory! Victory!¡±

    Then she looked around, suddenly unsure:

    ¡°There are no more, isn''t it?¡±

    I chuckled. I went to Spartacius and hugged him.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Then straight to Alice. Tina protested:

    ¡°Hey, I need some heal too! He broke my fingers, and look here! Cuts, scrapes, abrasions! All my skin is a wound!¡±

    I had to laugh, thinking at the jelly my shoulder had been. Spartacius had done a more than a perfect job in protecting her. She protested again:

    ¡°It''s not funny!¡±

    I hugged them both again, healing them. I went to Alice and hugged her. Only now did I realize how lucky I was that all survived. My heart beatings accelerated at the thought. Wow, all these emotions, all these feelings, the adrenalin from the fighting. I need a break! This game is earth-shattering.

    ¡°Fuck it! I should have concentrated earlier to kill the sorcerer. Half an hour fight to kill a sorcerer. That was some performance.¡±

    I meant it in a depreciative way. It took too long, and that increased the risk for all. I should have executed him earlier. Spartacius tried to reassure me:

    ¡°I don''t think it would have been possible to kill him faster. You were good; those were insane powerful fire spells and thunder spells!¡±

    Yeah, he is right; White Flower''s magic was really high-class.

    The Lynx was inspecting the equipment of the dead sorcerer.

    ¡°Judging by what items are here, he was not a simple sorcerer.¡±

    A voice in my head echoed his thoughts:

    ¡°He might have been Katan Darkice.¡±

    I wondered aloud:

    ¡°Katan Darkice?¡±

    ¡°Katan Darkice!!!?¡±

    Both the Lynx and Alice were surprised and shocked. Spartacius turned to me:

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°No, but it might be. White Flower says that the description would pass. Can you see, is there a black ring in the form of Ouroboros on one of his fingers?

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Spartacius showed me something.

    ¡°Nooooo! Don''t remove it!¡±

    It was too late. A light formed around his hand.

    I laughed:

    ¡°Lol. Idiot! You bound it to you!¡±

    He looked at me, wondering:

    ¡°Ahm? Why did you not tell me about it? These things should bind only when you equip them?"

    ¡°This is one of those very special items. I did not believe it was him, but White Flower was right. It was really Katan Darkice. This ring opens a portal somewhere into Mephisto''s headquarters. Congratulations, you can use it in trying to raid Mephisto. Don''t forget your armoured battalion when you go there!¡±

    I was a little bit miffed that he took it, but I did not expect such a drop here in these caverns. He watched me with a dejected look. He was feeling guilty.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°It means only that I have to take you with me if I go to raid Mephisto. You are the gate opener. Well, whatever, I need to log out. This fight took all my energy; I need a break.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Alice was looking inquiringly at me. I sighed:

    ¡°You have Cala and White Flower with you. I think you can decide without me. I do not yet feel well enough to take on the wolshi; I suppose Cala feels the same. Maybe we could explore the caverns; these orcs must have entered from somewhere else. Or you just wait for me, and we will make another plan. Give me a break¡­ Err, I will, from now on, tell all of you when I log in or out so you know who is with you. I love you guys!¡±

    I waved at them as I logged out.

 Chapter 60 - Spooked

    I breathed deep and took the dream interface in my hand. I watched my trembling hand. Fuckidy fuck, this game¡­ this game is so intensive!!

    I watched my scrawny, shaking legs. I giggled. My heart was drumming in my chest, and my hands and feet trembled.

    Wow, never before did any game have this effect on me. I was so excited, shocked, and even a bit scared. I could tell that waves of adrenaline were swarming through my veins.

    And I only played for less than an hour. Maybe fifty minutes, and I had the experience of two days of gaming, not to mention this intensive, balanced fight that stood in suspense for so long.

    I took another deep breath.

    ¡°Oh, mama, this is a hell of a game!¡±

    ¡°Huch? Where am I?¡±

    My heart beatings accelerated. The tremors in my hands accentuated. I put the dream interface down near me.

    What was that?!

    Did I hear voices? Did I hear a voice? A specific voice?

    I did not dare ask. I only gathered my legs under my hands, embracing them and holding them tight, sitting in my bed.

    No, no, no, no. The game is the game, but not here!

    My breathing accelerated.

    I am too excited. The game is good; it is too good. All those feelings...

    I looked at the window. It is early morning.

    I know, it is Saturday early morning. Yesterday I came from school and went to bed. Today, as I woke up in the morning, I thought of visiting Dreamland before breakfast, and now I am totally¡­ sweaty. Yes, my pyjama is wet, and my legs tremble.

    I listened attentively, but there were no more voices in my head. My heart stabilized itself slowly. My breathing frequency normalized itself, one breath at a time. I slowly stood up. I went to the window and opened it. A wave of fresh air entered the room.

    I breathed deep and closed my eyes.

    Yes, it was such a brilliant idea to rent the apartment here, if it would be only for the fresh air. The park and the nearby forest almost always guaranteed fresh air. Such a difference to an apartment downtown where it smelled¡­ well, like people, cars, food, garbage¡­

    I took another deep breath. My legs trembled no longer.

    Wow. If I try to think about the last two days¡­ What I did. I mean everything that Cala did. I remember it as if I would have done it, but it was not me; it was Cala.

    Crazy! Is this allowed? Is it allowed to do such a thing? How did they do it? Did my brain relive all that Cala did in a fast forward?

    I did not have that feeling. But how else could they have done it?

    I needed to look back into the gamers'' scene to see if I could find any chats in this regard. The gamer groups must have a lot of information about this. It must be the hottest theme with them.

    I gathered my courage and went to the toilet. A shower will do me good.

    I undressed and went under the shower. I let the water run over my skin. Oh yes, it is good. I took my time thinking further about the game.

    Incredible what they did. I''ve played many games, you get adrenaline, and you get all kinds of emotions. I''ve even played some romantic games. OK, romantic. Let''s be honest; those were sex games. And yet, there was never this deepness. The feelings here were so much more, went more profound. In all directions. How would love be in this game?

    I chuckled at the thought.

    A bit calmer, I thought about it.

    This was not your regular gaming. They could not have achieved this without some exceptional tricks.

    I guess they did some experiments. They must have done it. I think that the feedback that Ivar mentioned is highly illegal. And yet¡­

    ¡°Are you Dolores?¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I froze, looking at the image in the mirror. Did the image speak to me?

    ¡°I think something went wrong!¡±

    I turned and looked behind me: there was nobody there. I am alone in the bathroom. I breathed deeply and looked around. Are any loudspeakers hidden somewhere?

    "What do you do?" - the voice asked.

    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±

    I spoke with my image in the mirror. I cleaned the mirror. No, my image was not speaking. The image was that of a frightened eighteen-year-old girl. It was my reflection.

    ¡°I am White Flower. I don''t know where I am...¡±

    I almost fell to my knees. Now I saw it. Now that I cleaned the mirror from all that vapour condensation, I saw it.

    The tattoo was running up on my body, from my left ankle, up on my leg, over my left hip, touching my waist, running near my breast and under my left arm, around the shoulder, and up to my temple.

    White Flower''s tattoo.

    ¡°I can make it disappear if you want me to do it?¡± - the voice in my head said.

    ¡°No! No! You are not here!¡±

    ¡°Dolores, are you ok? Who is there?¡±

    Somebody knocked at the door. I almost made an infarct hearing the knocks.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I''m ok!¡±

    ¡°I need the bathroom! Are you going to stay longer?¡±

    Clara. Fucking fuck Clara! I wrapped myself in the towel and opened the door.

    ¡°You may come in; I''ll leave...¡±

    ¡°With whom were you talking?¡±

    She looked carefully around for the hidden lover that I must have shovelled under the sink.

    ¡°Just exercising for... my performance...¡±

    I went out and closed the door behind me.

    ¡°You can talk with me in your mind; you do not need to be loud?¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up! You do not exist here!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK. I''ll shut up, but I exist. You need to help me go back. Where did you bring me? Where am I?¡±

    I sighed, going back into my room. My legs were again trembling, but I was trying to control them.

    Keep cool, Dolores! Don''t panic!

    These game characters do not exist as individual persons, as physical manifestations. They are an artificial intelligence construction and exist only in the electronic world. In the bytes and bits world. Chips and wires and wi-fi.

    There must be some kind of connection between my brain and the internet. She is not really here; it is only an illusion made by this damn connection that should not be here. I do not have wi-fi in my brain!

    I went to my room and started to dress.

    Now I am like that crazy guy who said he has a radio in his tooth.

    I know a place not far away from here, with no internet connection. I''ll go there. There will be no more voices, and this will help my strained brain. Probably just severing the connection will be good enough to make the AI think it is back into the game. Then I''ll need to think and understand how the heck this connection to my brain came into being.

    There is so much garbage on the net about biological computers and mini chips ingestion that I do not even dare to search for it. Let me take it methodically and understand what case I have here.

    Can it be that I only imagine things? Or is this some form of telepathy?

    A shiver passed through my spine. At least the AI is listening to me and not talking all the time. What did I get myself into?

 Chapter 61 - A Couple of Homeless, Three Idiots and a Fucking Witch

    I began getting dressed, opting for some jogging attire: a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and sneakers. My hands were shaking as I went about this, and I had to consciously focus on them and regulate my breathing until the trembling subsided. Fuck, I''m really frightened!

    "White Flower!"

    "Yes?"

    "Would you mind leaving? Just give me some space. Let me free?" I whispered, worried that Clara or Lola might overhear.

    Instead of a direct response, she began to question me. "Why are you whispering? Why not talk to me in your mind?"

    "Because it''s weird. Only crazy people talk in their mind."

    She chuckled.

    "Oh, and speaking out loud to yourself is normal?"

    "Well, strangely, yes. Many people talk on the phone... Wait, why aren''t you answering?"

    "I''m sorry, I can''t do that. I can''t leave on my own; we need a caster to help."

    "Can''t you at least try?"

    "No. That could be fatal for you. I don''t want to risk it."

    "Oh."

    Why would she say that? Was that a threat?

    I sighed. She talks as if she''s the same White Flower from the game. Is she truly the AI from the game that''s linked to my brain, or have I completely messed up my mind? Those seem to be my only two options, and neither is good.

    I finished getting dressed, then tiptoed out of the room and carefully closed the front door behind me. Clara was still in the bathroom, and Lola was in her room, likely asleep.

    I decided to skip breakfast, too preoccupied with my own issues to risk facing Clara''s questions about my tattoo.

    My conversation with the AI was bizarre, but at least it gave the impression of caring about me. That was somewhat reassuring. I headed to the basement to retrieve my bicycle.

    My bicycle... It was an old one that had been left in the cellar by the previous tenant. My parents had been against me riding a bike here, fearing an accident, but I did it occasionally. Of course, no one knew about it; it was one of my little secrets.

    I have been riding bicycles since I was three. Admittedly, the streets in our neighborhood were much safer back then, but I knew the rules well; I should be safe here, too.

    I was relieved to see that the bicycle was still in good condition. It needed to pump some air in the tires from time to time, but they were fine now.

    I wheeled it out of the house and set off.

    "Wow, what kind of spell do you use for this? How does this thing work?" she asked, genuinely curious.

    I chuckled. "There''s no spell involved. This is a bicycle; it operates purely through mechanics and relies on my muscle power. That''s why I might seem slow."

    "Slow? You''re actually quite fast. And what are those fast-moving carriages? This world seems rather strange," she remarked.

    "They''re called cars, not carriages."

    "Can you explain how they move without magic?"

    "Sure, there''s no magic in this world. Cars run on either gasoline or electricity, and they use mechanical systems to function."

    "Gas or electricity? Is mechanics a type of magic?" she inquired.

    Although the road was relatively empty, occasional cars passed by. There wasn''t a dedicated bike lane on this road, which was why my mother was concerned about me cycling there.

    I shook my head, finding it intriguing that the AI continued to play its role, pretending not to know about this world. Well, maybe that was genuinely the case; it might only possess information from the game.

    I paused, taking a moment to explain and show the basic mechanics of a bicycle to her. It was oddly relaxing to discuss these topics with her.

    Eventually, I reached a fork in the road where I could veer off the asphalt onto a forest road, where there were likely no cars.

    "Ah, the forest! This is so much better!" the AI in my head exclaimed, still playing her role.

    Yeah, sure, I thought, you''ll be quiet soon.

    I continued pedaling, knowing that my mobile signal would likely drop any moment now.

    "What''s that device?" she inquired as I took the phone in my hand.

    "It''s my mobile phone," I replied. "It''s a tool that allows me to communicate with people. I want to check if it still has a connection."

    "How does it work without a spell? A connection? To where?" she probed.

    To your server, I thought, but didn''t say it aloud. I remained silent, and she didn''t appear to be angry.

    As I ventured deeper into the forest, it grew denser and darker. My heart pounded in my chest, and I gripped the handlebars tightly. I had never been here alone before. Perhaps I should have asked someone to accompany me, but I was even more afraid of their reaction if they knew I was hearing voices.

    However, paradoxically, being in the forest felt oddly secure. I felt safe here despite my brain warning me of potential dangers. Strange thing to feel those conflicting emotions.

    The road led down into a valley. I knew that somewhere around there, I should lose my mobile''s connection. I double-checked, and yes, my mobile''s signal had disappeared. Finally!

    "Are you still there? Hey! Yuuhuuu!" I called out.

    Silence. I took a deep breath. Oh, great! It worked!

    "Do you mean me?" the voice in my head innocently responded.

    I sighed, annoyed by the delay in her response.

    "Yes, I mean you."

    "Why do you keep asking? Where else could I be?" she questioned.

    Despair began to grip my heart. What did this mean? Hadn''t I gone far enough?

    Now, I was walking alongside my bicycle as the road turned into a narrow path winding through trees and bushes. Occasionally, I could ride, but more often, I had to walk. I still held onto the hope that she might disappear. Perhaps it had a better connection than my phone, but what if I ventured deeper into the forest?

    The fear that should have been there for walking alone through the forest was simply not in my heart. I was feeling damn good and watched the old trees with unexpected sympathy as if meeting old friends.

    A noise behind me made me suddenly realize that I was alone in a dark corner of the woods without any phone connection.

    ¡°Don''t move!¡±

    The voice froze the blood in my veins. The voice of a man. He had only whispered that, yet it sounded like a thousand-watt scream in my ears. My heartbeats accelerated to the moon.

    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here?¡± he said.

    I instantly dropped the bicycle and started to run. No, I do not freeze in place. He yelled behind me.

    ¡°Hey! What do you do! Hey! Lady!¡±

    I heard him running behind me and I felt again those contradictory feeling. My brain told me to run, but I did not fear him as much as my brain told me to fear him.

    I didn''t have time to make sense of the madness. I darted through the bushes like a deer fleeing from wolves. They tore at my skin, but I paid it no mind. Bursting into a meadow, I was struck with horror to find my path cut off by dense bushes on all sides. Gasping for air, I surveyed my surroundings: there was no way to keep running, I was trapped.

    I succumbed to my crazed alter ego: "You wanted to face him? Now you''ve got it!" I thought as I turned to confront my attacker. In my mind, I already envisioned the news: High school girl found dead in the forest after a brutal beating. Brutally beaten and repeatedly violated. Tears were in my eyes. Was that to be my fate? But somehow, I didn''t believe it.

    A voice echoed in my head: ¡°Let me lead! Let me blast him! Don''t be afraid; I can do that.¡±

    Blast him? I took a deep breath and gazed at my would-be assailant. Can you look your victim in the eyes?

    He was an older man, and he stared at me accusingly.

    ¡°You scared them! You damn mountain bikers, you have no care for the forest!¡±

    That was unexpected. He stopped, not coming any closer, holding something in his hand.

    All I could muster was, "That was no mountain bike?"

    He scrutinized me, looking surprised.

    ¡°Now, now, there''s no reason to cry over that,¡± he said.

    I lifted my eyes to meet his. He didn''t seem intent on hurting me.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked him.

    He observed me, a hint of shame in his eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you... Um. I live here. Sometimes... when there''s no other option... um... yes... okay. Why are you crying?¡±

    ¡°You''re not going to... um, not going to harm me?¡±

    ¡°I can blast him to dust!¡± - the voice in my head reassured me.

    He looked at me with horrified eyes.

    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°But... but... why did you tell me not to move?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? Because of the birds. Didn''t you see them?¡±

    ¡°Birds? What birds?¡±

    ¡°The redwing blackbirds? They were mating! You disturbed them!¡±

    ¡°You stopped me because two birds were mating?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes? They''re protected!¡±

    My breathing returned to a more normal rhythm.

    ¡°Why were you running after me?¡±

    ¡°You dropped your phone; here it is!¡±

    He handed it to me. Yes, it was my phone. I took a deep breath and sighed. A fucking retarded idiot scares me to death because of two birds mating! Well, maybe he was not that retarded and I overreacted...

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± I asked again.

    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°I already told you. I''m homeless... um, this is my home.¡±

    He gestured toward a shabby construction at the end of the clearing that wouldn''t pass for a house, not even for a Neanderthal.

    I deflated as I looked at the ''house''. He glanced at me. It was his turn to ask: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I was looking for a place without internet.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Here? Without internet?¡±

    I nodded.

    He shook his head. He didn''t ask why I was looking for that.

    ¡°Not here! You need to go to the North Pole, lady. Or further down in the ocean; maybe they have it even there now.¡± he said, shrugging.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? My phone lost its connection!?¡± I exclaimed.

    He huffed in response.

    ¡°Oh, that. Pfah!¡± he said, pointing up. ¡°Satellites. There''s always a connection!¡±

    I sighed. Oh, damn it! There''s the connection to your server, you blasted AI. A homeless man knows better than me!

    He added, ¡°If you want a place without internet, you should ask Tohera!¡±

    ¡°Tohera?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yeah. The crazy woman built herself a Faraday cage. You can shake hands with her. She sleeps inside it; she says it''s the only place where she can sleep without hearing voices.¡±

    ¡°Without hearing voices?¡±

    "Oh, fuck me! Me and some crazy nut," I muttered to myself.

    Talking with him slowly alleviated my fear. I was still afraid, but no longer in panic mode. Besides, the voice in my head kept assuring me that it was okay, I shouldn''t fear him. Same with my feeling, and that was confusing. I didn''t feel in danger, but my brain thought I should be close to panic.

    ¡°Where is that cage?¡± I wondered.

    Maybe I can still find my answer here, I thought.

    ¡°I thought you would be interested in Tohera''s cage," he nodded wisely. "She thinks of building more for money. A good business opportunity, she says. Many people will want to find a place without interference since they built the satellite net. Well," he chuckled, "you are the first one so far to show interest!¡±

    That was not very comforting, but what can I lose if I ask?

    ¡°Oh... Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Just behind you," he answered, pointing. "Behind those bushes.¡±

    I turned to look at the impenetrable bush-wall.

    "There''s a way behind those bushes?" I wondered.

    "Yes," he nodded. "You just need to know how. I''ll show you!"

    I took a deep breath. Why do I feel so confident while my brain tells me to panic? This disconnect between my brain and my feelings bugged me.

    He could have been trying to trick me, but I was confident he wasn''t. I followed him through a narrow zig-zag path between the bushes and, indeed, there was a woman called Tohera behind those bushes, peacefully reading a book.

    Reading a book!

    Once he explained why we were there, she started to show interest and enthusiastically showed me her project. Her Faraday cage was like a giant dog house made of smaller metal barrels. It had an interesting architecture, resembling a nineteenth-century villa made out of tin cans. If you could call it architecture when looking at a tin can construction.

    ¡°Tin cans?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not only,¡± she explained happily. ¡°They have to work electromagnetically, or else you still have waves inside, so all must be well connected. And if you want it to work one hundred per cent, we have to close the door and make sure the connections between the door and the wall are solidly made.¡±

    Was it the ''architecture,'' the attention to detail in the construction, or the comforting feeling I had that made me enter? Or was it my desire to end this suspense and gain a clear understanding of my situation as quickly as possible?

    Inside the doghouse, there was not too much room left besides the two of us, even if it was divided in what she called ''rooms''. I could not stay straight, yet I did not panic. I waited for Tohera to check the connections to the door and looked at the ''walls''. Why did I know that I could blow this thing up if I wanted?

    There was some uneasiness but not outright fear in my head. I''m sure I would not enter the burrow of a homeless if you would beat me to a pulp, and yet I did it of my own volition. I felt really like a crazy nut. I shook my head.

    ¡°Are you still here?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I can feel your fear, but you don''t need to fear them. What are you trying to do?¡±

    I looked at Tohera:

    ¡°Can it be that there is still a connection?¡±

    She shook her head. She explained importantly:

    ¡°No. I feel perfect silence. I also have measured it; trust me, I have some devices.¡±

    ¡°But I can still hear...¡±

    She smiled. A sad smile.

    ¡°Then it is in your head, honey, whatever you hear...¡±

    I closed my eyes.

    Now, I have my answer. It is not an AI connected to my brain; it is simply that I am crazy. I don''t know how I could have thought that a connection to my mind was even possible. I grasped at straws to avoid facing the fact that I got crazy.

    I fucked my mind, does anything matter now?

    I am crazy. Nothing matters anymore. Tears started running down my cheeks.

    Crazy, I am crazy! I hear voices in my brain that tell me what to do!

    The longer I stood there, the more I realized: I had been running from the truth. Maybe that''s why I lost my fear, my common sense, as I was starting to understand the sad truth.

    ¡°Whoaa. Girl, what happens?¡±

    ¡°I am getting crazy... I played with the dream interface, and now I hear voices! What can I do?¡±

    I cried and cried. Tohera and later Max, I learned the man''s name was Max, tried their best to cheer me. It is not so bad. They had a friend who was hearing voices, too, and he was most of the time OK.

    I was so down that I didn''t even want to leave. This is the right place for me. Should I go tell my parents my good news? Should I go and tell Lola and Clara: hey girls, meet my imaginary friend!

    So I stood there and had breakfast with them. There was some bread Tohera had gathered from a supermarket yesterday evening and some onions with some eggs Max had gathered from the woods.

    In the end, I decided to leave. Even if I hear voices, there are people who live with similar problems. It does not make sense to put myself to risk as I just did before.

    I tried to ignore the voice in my head.

    I left them some change; it was all I had in my pockets.

    When I left them, I was very depressed. Max accompanied me back to my bicycle, and I started walking back towards the town.

    ¡°You are depressed because of me.¡± - the voice in my head observed.

    I sighed, but I did not answer, continuing to ignore her. She persevered:

    ¡°I am sorry, but I can assure you that you are not crazy.¡±

    I harrumphed:

    ¡°I am not crazy? I hear voices in my head. Is this not crazy enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Why would you be crazy if you hear voices?¡±

    ¡°Because you do not exist. You are only in my imagination!¡±

    She protested:

    ¡°That''s not true!¡±

    I heard a noise and a voice behind me again. It was almost the same tone as before.

    ¡°Now, what do we have here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up! I''m not going to get impressed a second time! Where are the fucking birds?¡±

    I turned. It was not the old man there. Three guys, not very appetizing people, were behind me. One of them had spoken and now continued:

    ¡°I think we have a crazy bird that will get fucked!¡±

    That was the smaller of the gang who spoke.

    ¡°Let me lead. I will show you I exist!¡±

    Now what I feared will happen. Oh fuck, Dolores, and who will believe a crazy bitch? What was I looking for here?

    ¡°You lead! Take the lead or whatever...¡±

    I said it aloud in spite. Do you want it? Now get it, you lead, and now..., and I lost control of my limbs.

    Panic gripped my heart, but to my surprise, I did not hear my heartbeats accelerating. My breathing stayed calm. She tested their magic and found them wanting.

    Magic?

    Suddenly I was moving with much more grace. I saw it in their eyes. This, however, won me no brownie points with them.

    "Get lost, idiots!" - she said

    The bigger of the trio came and tried to grab my hand. A small thunder touched him, and he flew backwards as if he had stepped on a catapult. His hair stood stiff on his head like some kind of hedgehog. The other two hesitated a second and jumped at me... and flew back catapulted at their turn. There was a smell of ionized air, as if I were too close to a high-voltage line. Or maybe a welding station.

    They were all on the ground, wailing, trying hard to get back on their feet. White Flower approached the guy that had named me crazy bitch. She grabbed him by his crotch, and another wave of shocks shattered the man. I fucking saw electric discharges coming out of my fingers while his pants got wet.

    "Is it ok if I kill them?"

    "Noooo!"

    "Really? They are a nuisance!"

    I did not know how to react. I could not say a word. She stood there calmly, waiting for my answer until I gathered my wits.

    "No, please don''t kill them!"

    She shrugged. I felt how my shoulders moved.

    "If you wish so."

    She did not comment any further. She looked at her hand with disgust, then raised her gaze to look at the idiot.

    ¡°Pfuh! Still feeling like fucking me?¡±

    A fire flame cleaned the hand. She looked again at the three still wailing on the ground.

    ¡°Next time, I will not be so kind.¡±

    She turned and walked away, ignoring them. I was speechless.

    She gathered my bicycle and asked me:

    ¡°Do you trust me now?¡±

    ¡°Wow, wow. Was this real?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to see them again and put your hands on those idiots to realize they are real? I can let you lead and do it?¡±

    ¡°No, no. What if they attack me again? What have you done?¡±

    ¡°A tiny thunder spell. These spawns have no magic in them; a higher spell would have cooked them alive.¡±

    ¡°A thunder spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What else can you spell?¡±

    ¡°A lot. I am White Flower! We''ve been together with Cala; you know several of my spells. Tell me, what happened to Cala?¡±

    ¡°Cala is not here. Cala cannot be here.¡±

    "What is this? Another world?"

    "This is the real world. This is reality!"

    "It does not look more real than the other!?"

    "But it is real. This is the real world. Trust me. The other world... Tell me, is it true that you can make my tattoo disappear?"

    "Of course, I told you!"

    ¡°Can you please do it?¡±

    ¡°OK. Already done.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Can you give me back the lead?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Anyhow, I cannot ride this kind of thing.¡± - she pointed at the bicycle that she was pushing along the road.

    ¡°It is called a bicycle. It is easy.¡±

    Back in control over my limbs, I took my bicycle. My brain was trying hard to make sense of what had just happened. It is one thing to hear voices and something else to shoot thunder and fire from your hands.

    She was right that I didn''t have to fear them. With my newfound confidence, I rode further through the forest, thinking about what had happened.

 Chapter 62 - Some Thoughts

    As I pedaled my bicycle, I couldn''t shake off the events that had took place.

    Maybe I couldn''t solve this all on my own; perhaps I should consult a specialist, I mused to myself. But what kind of specialist?

    A doctor? What could a doctor do? Okay, I could demonstrate some paranormal abilities like that lightning or the fire to the doctor. Great! And then what? Oh well, I''d end up as a case study, and the question was who would be the ones studying me.

    How on earth was it possible for me to generate so much electricity to see it flashing out of my fingers? And that fire that burned from my hand without burning my hand?

    HOW COULD THAT BE?

    Just thinking about this accelerated my heartbeat again.

    But, I certainly did not want to end up on the examination table! ''They'', whoever they will be, would certainly want to know how I generated that electrical current. And how would they research that? It was no longer only about the voice in my head. It was much more than that, it was about those not quite easy to explain things too. I could not separate one from the other.

    So, what other specialist could I consult? Let me see, I have kind of a problem after using the dream interface and playing Mephisto. I may not be the only one having this problem, so I should check with the community.

    I couldn''t believe that I was so exceptional; there must be somebody else who went through this shit! Where could I search for this info? The best place to check would be with the gamers! In this case, I wouldn''t leave any search history on my name, and they must have a lot of information about the dream interface problems and even about this damn game.

    I felt my heartbeat stabilize and my breathing return to normal. I took deep breaths. Yeah, where else would I hear the latest news about these things?

    When should I go? The sooner, the better! Since I was already on the road, and I had the bike, it was easy to change the plan. Instead of going home, I decided to head for the ''zone''.

    The ''zone'' was the place where the gamers had their headquarters. When I first met Markus, it was in the old industrial area where the gamers had taken over an abandoned factory building. They even had an electrical cable connected from a nearby building, and they were covering the cost of their consumption through some shady deal. The electricity provider didn''t even know they had extra customers.

    I hoped they hadn''t changed their meeting place, or at least that I could find some info to learn where they were meeting now. It would be challenging to find them on the internet as they don''t like to publish this info.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Since I dislike riding my bike through high-traffic areas, I chose a quieter, more scenic route, even if it meant riding a few extra kilometers. It followed a small creek and then passed through some industrial areas. The second part wasn''t as scenic, but it was still quieter with less traffic. This way, I could ride my bike mostly on autopilot and focus on my thoughts.

    All I knew was that I heard a voice in my head, and that I could let this ''voice'' control me to do paranormal things. It sounded pretty scary, especially the part about letting ''it'' control me. At least I was aware of what I was doing, even if I wasn''t really doing it. How the hell could I explain this? I had no explanation.

    What could I ask? What I was doing in those moments was some kind of witchcraft. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to investigate with the gamers and hear what they had to say, if any strange things had happened to any of them.

    Could I learn more about witchcraft? About what I can do? How could I best test it?

    "What''s that?"

    "That''s an airplane!"

    "Please stop, please stop; I want to look at it!"

    Okay? My fairy half is as excited about an airplane as a three-year-old. Since the airport is on this side of town, more airplanes were coming, and I had to spend some ten minutes standing there.

    "You know something, as long as you look at the planes, I could practice some magic?" I wondered.

    "No, no, that won''t work; you have to keep your eyes up!"

    Oh yeah. Even worse than walking with a three-year-old. I stopped to look at airplanes! Oh yeah, this proves my witch genes.

    My arms were itching. Drat, I do have some scratches from those bushes I ran through. I might get an infection in the end.

    Standing there and watching planes, the itching became unbearable.

    ¡°Hey, White Flower! You''re a healer, aren''t you? Do you see these scratches? Can you heal me?¡±

    ¡°You should be able to heal yourself; just say the words: I want to heal me!¡±

    For a moment, I just stood there dumbfounded. Just say the words, and it would work?

    ¡°I want to heal me!¡±

    A strange light illuminated my hand from the inside and washed over me. All the scratches disappeared.

    ¡°Wow! Holy crap! I did heal myself!¡±

    ¡°Congratulations!¡±

    I don''t know if she was making fun of me or not, but I felt much better.

    ¡°Okay... Can I heal other people too?¡±

    ¡°Sure, you just need to say the words: I want to heal you and touch them!¡±

    Huh. Tell me somebody that I''m not a witch. How did I make those scratches disappear in a couple of seconds? I can bloody heal?

 Chapter 63 - Inside the Zone

    **Ring ring **

    I''ve seldom been so relieved to hear my mobile phone as then, as it rescued me from the tedious task of monitoring airplanes.

    "What''s that?" White Flower inquired in my thoughts.

    I replied while picking it up,

    "It''s the telephone. It''s my mother! Hello!?"

    "Hi, Dolores? Where are you, dear!?" my mother''s voice came through.

    "Hi, Mom! I''m outside, jogging!"

    Alright, that sounded plausible, I thought. However, my mother''s tone indicated that something was amiss. She immediately asked about my whereabouts, which raised suspicions and had to be connected to my nemesis, Clara.

    "Why is Clara telling me she doesn''t know where you are?"

    Bingo! My mother''s question confirmed my doubts.

    "Because she was in the shower when I left. Mom, I don''t need to tell Clara when I''m going jogging. I''m eighteen, you know?"

    I could hear her sigh on the other end of the line.

    "Dear, don''t act like such an independent grown-up now. It''s normal to let your housemates know when you''re going out, not just disappear like that."

    I nearly snorted in response.

    "Mom, Clara can spend hours in the shower, and Lola was asleep. Should I skip my jog because of that?"

    "What about breakfast? Did you eat anything?" she asked, ignoring my banter.

    I answered truthfully, "I had eggs, butter, bread, and some veggies."

    Well, technically, I wasn''t lying. The butter was an oddity that the old man had stored underwater, in a glass, but it existed. If only she knew that my breakfast was what a couple of homeless people had shared with me...

    She sounded relieved.

    "Alright then. When do you plan on going home? Clara and Lola want to go shopping!"

    "Again? No, Mom, I''m not up for shopping with them. I''d rather go jogging and then read a book. If they need to reach me, they can call my mobile instead of telling you."

    "Clara mentioned that she called you, and you didn''t answer!?"

    I inwardly groaned. Clara was already on this.

    "Uh, well... it''s possible," I admitted reluctantly, "I might not have heard it."

    "Dolores, it''s not polite to ignore their calls!"

    I tried to defend myself, "I didn''t ignore it on purpose, Mom!"

    Truth be told, I did. All Clara''s calls go automatically to my phone''s voicemail, which I rarely check. I could almost hear Mom''s exasperated sigh.

    White Flower added fuel to the fire, stating, "It''s not nice to lie to your mother!"

    Attacked from two sides, I almost came out in a kamikaze attack. I came close to saying out loud: "Oh, just hush already."

    I almost let it slip out. Fortunately, at the last moment, I remembered that I was on the phone with my mom, and that wouldn''t have gone over well. So, feeling defeated, I bit my tongue and endured her reprimands without argument.

    The call wrapped up in about five more minutes, unusually short. Obviously, Mom wasn''t pleased with me. She had a habit of calling me regularly, and Saturday mornings were often designated for these calls, so hearing from her wasn''t surprising.

    What grated on my nerves was Clara''s denouncement, but there was nothing I could do about it. Thank goodness she didn''t know about the bike.

    After the phone call ended, I let out a sigh and spoke to White Flower.

    "Alright, now that you''ve kept me occupied watching airplanes on this field for so long, let''s give some magic a shot."

    She didn''t completely give up on her now favorite sport:

    "Sure, but if you hear an airplane, just look up, okay?"

    I accepted, hoping she would not torment me for each and every plane.

    "Sure... Oh, by the way, speaking of trying magic, could you conceal me from view so that nobody sees me waving my hands alone here?"

    "Alright, I''ll guide you through that. Give me the lead!" - she answered.

    Finally, I could delve into some magic. Once she finished cloaking me, I began the exercises. She explained the steps, what I should be sensing, and how to focus. I gave it my all but to no avail. It was a letdown, but she tried to encourage me.

    "Don''t get discouraged after just half an hour. Some people take years to reach the initial stage and conjure even a small flame!"

    Is she comparing me to those beings from that imaginary world? I only half-listened to her words as I struggled to concentrate on my task.

    "Feel the mana," she said, "it''s a part of you. Sense how it flows through your body!"

    I tried, but I didn''t feel a thing. How would this ever enhance my spellcasting abilities?

    I heard a truck approaching, but I dismissed it since I was a few meters off the road, on a sort of makeshift path through the open ground. I made an effort to stay concentrated on the exercise, but there was something off about that truck.

    The noise! Oh, damn it, that noise wasn''t the typical sound of wheels on asphalt; it was the rumble of wheels over rugged terrain.

    I swiftly turned, my alarm growing as I spotted an enormous wall of gleaming dark green metal and silvery glass hurtling toward me at high speed.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Let me tell you, a truck is a seriously impressive sight, especially when it''s barreling straight at you. My heart rate instantly went from normal to overdrive, and my hair seemed to stand on end like it had been charged with electricity. I locked eyes with the driver through the windshield, and in that instant, I saw in his eyes the same terror that was gripping me: that truck was about to run me down.

    In my panic, I twisted, lost my footing on my bicycle, and tumbled away. The truck let out an otherworldly wail as its massive tires screeched to a halt, but they continued to skid in my direction, kicking up clouds of dust and sending stones flying like bullets. The metal behemoth leaned forward as if some ancient beast was lowering its enormous head to take a bite out of me, producing all sorts of eerie sounds as it devoured my bicycle.

    It came to a stop just inches from me, teetering precariously. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but my voice was drowned out by the deafening cacophony of the truck.

    Then, for what felt like an eternity, silence descended as if everything had been frozen in time; even the dust seemed to hang motionless in the air.

    Finally, I heard the driver opening the cabin door and stepping onto the metal stairs.

    ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,¡± he repeated like a rhythmic chant.

    He came around the truck, his face filled with disbelief.

    ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, are you ok?¡±

    I couldn''t even muster a response; I just stared at him. Seeing his incredulous expression was reassuring, confirming that I hadn''t been flattened.

    He reached out and helped me to my feet, his eyes scanning for any squished parts. I still couldn''t utter a word, just trembling in shock.

    ¡°I haven''t seen you! I haven''t seen you! And suddenly, you were there, right in front of me! I haven''t seen you! I am so sorry!¡±

    In my dazed state, it took me a moment to grasp what had happened.

    Of course, he hadn''t seen me. It was my own doing. I had asked White Flower to cloak me, to make me invisible to others. She must have done it quite effectively. He only saw me after he passed by what she called a ''mirror,'' one of her mirages. Thankfully, she hadn''t used one of those spells that redirected light around me; otherwise, I''d be more than a little squished by now.

    Life as an invisible girl can be rather challenging, I thought. I still felt guilty that I hadn''t explained it to him, but what could I have told him?

    My bicycle ended up beneath the truck, but thankfully, it hadn''t been crushed by the massive tires. Retrieving it was a bit of a challenge; he had to reverse the truck a few meters to free it.

    I was relieved to see that my bicycle had survived the ordeal with only minor scratches. The handlebars were slightly misaligned, but he managed to straighten them out.

    Both of us were still shaken and shocked by what had just happened, but in the end, no harm had come of it. I had come dangerously close to being run over by that enormous truck due to my own foolishness. The truck''s wheels were nearly as tall as me, and it was hauling a load of gravel.

    The poor driver had only wanted a brief break to eat a sandwich.

    Strangely, there was a silver lining to this misadventure. During our conversation, I discovered that he was aware of the gamers and that his route took him near their new location. It was just another abandoned factory across the street, a bit farther from their old spot. He kindly loaded my bicycle onto the bed of the truck among the gravel.

    This unexpected turn of events allowed me to climb up into the high cabin and see the world from his perspective. White Flower was quite excited about the experience.

    Upon reaching my destination, he unloaded my bike and left me in front of a massive ruin. The truck let out a couple of honks as it drove away. It was as if we had become best friends, or perhaps he was simply honking, expressing his gratitude to all gods that nothing terrible had occurred.

    The factory stood roughly 100 meters from the road, enclosed by a fence. I left my bicycle by the roadside, cleverly hidden behind some bushes, and squeezed in through a gap in the fence. Later on, I discovered that a section of the fence could actually be opened, but there was a simple trick to it, and of course, no one was around to clue me in.

    Inside, the gamers were a sight to behold. There were around a hundred people scattered throughout the vast building, making it appear almost empty. As I entered, I encountered something akin to a checkpoint at the entrance. The two guys even inquired about my name, or rather, my gamer handle: Zetta.

    What the gamers were up to here probably wasn''t entirely illegal, or at least not all of it. The authorities tolerated the gamers as a means for young people to blow off steam, something relatively harmless compared to various hacker groups and shadier organizations.

    Although I did recognize a few faces from the old days, most were new to me. A couple of guys cast suspicious glances in my direction, but no one questioned my presence. Many were engrossed in playing, lounging on makeshift mattresses or in small, half-open bunks, while others formed small groups from five to fifteen, huddled together to strategize their next moves. Success in most multiplayer games demands a good deal of planning.

    There was even an impromptu board displaying a schedule for discussions and a chart outlining different gaming areas. Naturally, Mephi was the dominating topic of conversation.

    I made an attempt to strike up a conversation with a couple of folks who were sipping on some sweetened soda perched on barrels that formed a makeshift bar.

    "Hey there!" - I said with a wide grin on my face.

    The girl shot me a weary look. "Hello. What brings you here?"

    "I''m looking for information about Mephisto Hardcore."

    The skinny boy grinned, sipping from his drink. Damn, they''ve got plastic straws here! I need to take some home; I hate those paper straws I have at home, but I haven''t found any plastic straws lately.

    "You too? The game''s locked!" - he said.

    I observed him, a bit puzzled.

    "What do you mean? I played it earlier this morning..."

    The girl cut me off with a shrug. "You got lucky. Now it''s showing a message that the game''s inaccessible."

    "Really? Did it crash?" I wondered.

    "Hmm, possibly. The odd thing is, some folks are still inside the game, so it''s not entirely down."

    "So, it''s not crashed?" I asked, seeking clarification.

    The boy followed with a shrug of his own. Since no one chimed in to provide more details, I inquired further,

    "Do either of you happen to know where Claude or Markus is?"

    The girl replied, "I haven''t seen Markus in about a year. I think Claude might be one of the guys still inside Mephi. He knows it''s off-limits now, so he''ll probably stay in as long as he can."

    Since nothing more was forthcoming, I eventually left them and started searching for others to talk to, hoping to get a more comprehensive picture of the situation.

    In a corner, there was a towering stack of cans glinting in the dim light. It was probably a ton of expired cans or perhaps part of a load "lost" by an automated truck. Robberies targeting automated trucks had become increasingly common, and there were discussions about equipping them with some non-lethal defenses, like electric shocks.

    Robocop comes to the rescue - I thought.

    "Mind if I take the lead? I''m curious to try some of that soda," White Flower suggested.

    I chuckled. The other half of my brain, the one that acted like a three-year-old watching airplanes, was now strangely eager to taste the potentially poisonous beverage.

    "That stuff''s pure poison!" I exclaimed.

    A passing guy couldn''t help but grin. "You''ve got that right!"

    Inside me, White Flower just shrugged. "I''d still like to taste it. That guy looked way too happy sipping it..."

    Ah, whatever.

    "Alright, you lead!" I conceded.

    Once she took over... It never ceased to amaze me how differently she moved and acted when in charge. It was still my body, and yet... could I say it was not the same soul? What defines us? What determines how we move and how others perceive us?

    Several guys were now eyeing me with interest. This was an unusual kind of attention for me. I wasn''t accustomed to guys looking at me like this.

    How had they suddenly become aware of my presence? Why had I gone from being ''invisible'' to suddenly visible?

    I felt a bit like Little Red Riding Hood must have felt when the big bad wolf was eyeing her.

    But then something strange happened.

    Somebody yelled, then another one.

    Panic spread through the crowd as people began to run back and forth. Some individuals who had previously been lost in Dreamland, immersed in their dream interfaces, were now sitting up and vomiting their breakfasts. It was a classic breakdown of the dream interface, with no normal way to exit.

    "What''s going on?" White Flower wondered aloud.

    "Let me take over," I urged.

    I didn''t fully understand what was happening, but I felt more confident when I was in control. Well, except for those times when she had to unleash her powers. In those cases, I was more than happy to let her handle things, but now? No. Was this the final crash of the game servers?

 Chapter 64 - The Zone - Part Two

    The commotion continued for some minutes. I think seven people in total had been brutally thrown out of their virtual world. Things got slowly calmer but not less intriguing. There had been an almost total outage in a circle of around twenty to thirty meters... around me. I mean around that tin cans mountain of juice. Nobody made the connection to me. Not even I did that... for some time, I was that oblivious.

    Now really, why did I need that long to recognize this fact?

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, nothing. I swear I did not do anything!¡±

    My fairy alter-ego was protesting, but she must have done something.

    After I took the lead, most things started to work. Not immediately but slowly. Except for one computer and two dream interfaces that were utterly bust. Also, one mobile phone, mine, but I did not add that to the list.

    It was at the moment when I discovered that my mobile phone had broken that I first started to suspect my fairy. I wanted to use it to look like the innocent girl surfing on her mobile phone when I saw that it did not work.

    ¡°You took the lead before, but my mobile phone did not die. Why did it die now? Did you do something different?¡±

    I was sipping juice from one freshly opened tin can, sweating guiltily, sitting on a box and watching the still-happening commotion around me. My fairy must have done something without being aware that she had done it. That was the conclusion I was slowly drawing to.

    ¡°I don''t know. Do you want to heal them? Your heal might help fight nausea... ¡±

    Hmm, is she feeling guilty?

    ¡°No. How do you even come to the idea? Magic healing would be a cool show and would instantly put a target on my head for I don''t know how many shady organizations. They are not that badly hurt to need a heal. The question is, if it was not you, what else could have been?¡±

    ¡°How could I know? I just tried to inspect those things around when it happened. I did not even get a feeling of the surroundings to be able to tell.¡±

    She did not get a feeling of the surroundings to be able to tell...

    I sighed. No, she did not do anything special! Why do I have the feeling I have to use forceps to extract any useful information from her?

    ¡°What do you mean by this sentence: you were trying to inspect the surrounding? Visually?¡±

    ¡°No, silly. With magic, you can inspect in a much faster, better way, especially when you want to look around and be unobserved. Plus, you learn much more...¡±

    Silly. She called me silly, and she did not even intend to be mean to me. I sighed. Unobserved! Is this what she calls inspecting unobserved?

    ¡°Describe it to me. What do you mean by inspecting with magic?¡±

    ¡°Not with magic, through magic. You must know that I have an aura. Every person that possesses magic has an aura. Most people are not aware of it. Cala, as an assassin, was able to sniff it and even locate her target through it. If you have higher-level mana manipulation, you can do much more than only having it around. You need centuries of exercise to arrive at a high degree of control, but aura can do many things, like, for instance, replacing or complementing your other senses. Seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching; you can do all these through your aura.¡±

    I abstained from commenting that she had first said inspect ''with magic'', not ''through magic''. I tried to focus on the essentials.

    ¡°You can look around? Are you joking? You can do this? Wait, I could see the boys undressed?¡±

    I think she sighed inside me. I giggled.

    ¡°Of course, the first thing you do is think about boys. Yes, you could see your precious Joe and how he looks completely undressed. I did this. No, I do not mean I did see Joe; I mean, I peeked around me. It is as if you see something instantly from many points of view. You can even see inside things. Your nose flies to every point that you want to smell; your fingers get to every point that you want to touch.¡±

    She was now getting excited, explaining to me aura manipulation possibilities.

    ¡°Even inside things? I''m not sure I want to smell everything, but OK, why did you not tell me when I asked what you did?¡±

    ¡°You asked if I did something different. No, I did this before.¡±

    ¡°Did you check my mobile phone before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I might have done it more throughout now. I was just curious after you talked with your mother...¡±

    ¡°You busted my mobile phone!¡±

    ¡°Ahm. It could be, but I do not understand how. This should not have happened. Aura check is not lethal...¡±

    ¡°It seems to be lethal for mobile phones. Why did the problem disappear after I took control?¡±

    ¡°When I am not in lead, my aura is blocked, and what was in the air dissipates.¡±

    Now I probably got an understanding of what had happened. It could have been her aura. Maybe it was her aura, her ''magic inspection''.

    How did her aura influence mobile phones, dream interfaces, and computers was still an enigma for me, but I might have identified the culprit.

    Hopefully, the others will not make the same observation. What could help me was that even if I stayed there, nothing terrible would further happen; therefore, they could not correlate the problem with me. If I had left, that might have been bad.

    Forced to stay in one place and wait, I thought things through. My visit there had not brought me the enlightenment I hoped for. Not even a pale ray of hope!

    To my disappointment, the gamers had no information about any cases similar to mine. There was nobody there with any witchcraft powers, and they had no record or information about such a case.

    On the other hand, my alter ego was behaving too consistently with a game character. That made me wonder again, could I have some weird connection to the game that had triggered some witchcraft genes in me?

    How would this connectivity work? The internet is full of so many theories, starting from chips in food and medicine, which had been experimented with to check if you really took that medicine, to all kinds of bio nano chips that I didn''t want to think about. Would they not experiment with some weird connectivity if they could?

    Now, there is a long way from ingesting a chip to actually have it connect to your brain. No way this could just ''happen'', but, the problem was that I was hearing voices in my head. What else could be the cause?

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Yeah, but I did test that with the Faraday cage, didn''t I? Do I really trust that test?

    So what now?

    I mixed in a group that was feverishly discussing the events and listened to them. They were calling it an S-event. They had some kind of scale for unexplained events, and it was relatively low on the scale, yet it was still classified as a significant event. Significant in the sense that no normal explanation could be given to it; it was a clearly abnormal event.

    The group consisted of five boys and two girls, three with me. After a while, as the conversation turned around the same arguments, one of the boys decided that it was time to have lunch. The group approved, and they stood up. The girl near me smiled at me:

    ¡°You come with us?¡±

    At first, I wanted to refuse, but then I followed. Nothing unglues tongues as well as food, mother used to say. Let''s see if there is any truth about it. I took another can of juice with me on the way.

    The murky brown-haired girl with brown eyes and a warm smile who had asked me to come gave me her hand:

    ¡°Helen!¡± - she said

    Her hand was smaller than mine, warm and soft, her face traits delicate.

    ¡°Dolores.¡± - I answered, shaking her hand.

    I followed them to the ''canteen''. It was in an open area where about twenty people were currently gathered. A cauldron was above an open fire where a ''cook'' was mixing various liquids.

    Besides the cauldron was a small mountain of opened tin cans of various soups clarifying the cauldron''s content enigma.

    Around the cauldron, several low tables made from stacked used tires covered with wood panels were spread in a circle, people sitting on various boxes or barrels, eating, drinking, or just chatting.

    I followed my group as they continued chatting happily whilst picking up plastic saucers and lining up for the soup. There was also a beer barrel, and I learned it was a self-brewed beer. There was a bit of a beer-mugs crisis. I got a mug only after I made my puppy eyes look. The brewery was obviously illegal, but the beer tasted good. I gave up my juice and swapped it for a beer and a bowl of that consistent soup.

    I followed the group to an oversized table made from a used cable drum. As seats were smaller cable drums and various boxes.

    ¡°This was not normal! This was a fucking attack on us. Somebody tries to intimidate us, not to investigate the Mephisto thing!¡±

    That was a tall boy with an aggressive moustache that spoke. I tried to put my two cents:

    ¡°Maybe it was an accident?¡±

    ¡°An accident? Ridiculous!¡±

    The tall boy was just getting warmed up. Helen sighed. I lowered my eyes to my soup, promising to keep silent for a while. The soup was good.

    ¡°You really knew Markus?¡±

    This was Sebastian, a relatively fat boy with some strange ticks. Every couple of minutes, he looked over the shoulder as if checking if somebody was there. He was eating the soup with bread. He had a big brown bread with him. The bread looked tasty, but I''d seen it too late to grab some; however, I did not like what he was doing with that bread in his bowl.

    I tried to ignore it. He had a genuine smile on his face. It seems Markus is some kind of a legend now, one of the organization''s original founders.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I haven''t met him for almost a year now.¡±

    From my right, Helen confirmed.

    ¡°None of us did.¡±

    ¡°I did!¡±

    This was a thin young boy with long brownish hair. I did not remember his name. He explained further without being asked:

    ¡°It was in the underground salt mine stolen!¡±

    I wondered:

    ¡°What could he do there?¡±

    The other girl turned to me, a tiny esoteric blond girl with a timid smile:

    ¡°Probably detoxifying from electrical smog!¡±

    ¡°Electrical smog?¡±

    The ''I-do-not-remember-his-name'' boy shook his head:

    ¡°He was meditating there!¡±

    The blonde took over to explain:

    ¡°The stolen is the best place for mediation. Even the lighting is done there with local batteries and especially isolated cables. That''s why the visit to the mine is so expensive.¡±

    ¡°It''s not expensive; it costs only one per hour.¡±

    The blonde insisted:

    ¡°Per hour!¡±

    Another boy, Peter, I think, explained further:

    ¡°The really expensive part is the transport. The train is twenty. If you want to stay for ten hours, you have already to pay above thirty without eating and drinking.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s why I do not go. I do have a gratis voucher for three hours, but the train is too expensive.¡±

    This was the fourth boy. A dark-haired, dark skin, small in stature but relatively well build type.

    ¡°It''s only about twenty kilometres away?¡±

    The dark-haired boy shrugged:

    ¡°You propose to walk? A marathon back and forth!¡±

    This raised my attention:

    "You mean there is no internet connection down there?"

    The dark-haired-boy laughed:

    "Not only that. There is no electrical smog. Nothing. Clean as during the time of the dinosaurs."

    Sometimes you have to grab the chances that life offers you. Maybe I should redo the connectivity test, now that I have the occasion.

    I risked begging:

    ¡°If you do not use it, would you consider giving me the voucher?¡±

    He shrugged:

    ¡°Sure, but it expires today, and the cheap train tickets are sold out. I just tried.¡±

    ¡°Is it not possible to get there by bike?¡±

    Helen nodded affirmatively:

    ¡°Oh yes, there is a good bicycle route!¡±

    ¡°Can you describe it to me?¡±

    She wondered:

    ¡°Don''t you have a mobile?¡±

    ¡°I do, but it got busted...¡±

    ¡°So you still have a valid id? You could try with Mike; he has a lot of scrap mobiles; he would find one that works if you put a valid id in them, or you can use only wi-fi!¡±

    She pointed towards the end of the hall.

    ¡°Mike?¡± - I asked to be sure.

    ¡°He is there where that mountain of tires is!¡±

    The fifth, a red-haired boy, explained, pointing in the same direction.

    I continued to talk with them, eating my soup, but I got no other interesting info. I exchanged my email address with Helen, as she promised to let me know if they would find a way to the Mephisto game. The general sentiment was that the game was broken, but there was some incertitude.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    White Flower wanted me to clarify the access issue whilst I was walking towards Mike''s place.

    ¡°This means that I cannot access Mephisto''s world.¡±

    ¡°You mean that I will not see the Lynx anymore? You mean I will forever be stranded here?¡±

    There was a bit too much panic in the way she said that. I sighed.

    ¡°Maybe there is still a way to do that. We''ll see later. Until then, don''t panic; everything will be alright. We are safe here.¡±

    She found some consolation with that:

    ¡°Hm. Maybe you are right. At least this world seems safer than my world, the one that you call Mephisto''s world.¡±

 Chapter 65 - Ultraviolet

    Mike was not looking as I expected him to be. I expected to see a slender teen with glasses sitting at a table surrounded by chips and phones, and what I found was a two meters Viking with a white beard enjoying his second or third youth.

    "Mike?" - I asked, unsure if he was the right person. I hesitated to ask ''Mr. Mike''.

    He grinned, interrupted what he was doing and moved to me surprisingly fast.

    He agreed to have a look at my phone.

    In a couple of seconds, my phone lay dissected on the table, and he started to unscrew and check various components, his big fingers manipulating those little things surprisingly gently.

    After less the one minute, he raised his head, tsk and looked at me shaking his head.

    ¡°Scrap. Several chips are burnt! I could try to change them, but that''ll cost more than a new one. Do you need to save something from it?¡±

    I had to ask:

    ¡°How can you check that with a simple voltmeter?¡±

    ¡°This is not a simple voltmeter; I can measure resistance too. These chips conduct electricity in ways they should not; for instance, here, between pin three and pin 24, do you see? I''ve put the plus here and the minus here, and I see a resistance. It should, however, not move; it should show infinite resistance.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it should not work in that direction?¡±

    He grinned.

    ¡°I know most chips by heart. I have a database with more layouts for what I am missing. Transistors open only in one direction, you know?¡±

    A person who learns chip layouts?

    He shook his head.

    ¡°Don''t misunderstand me; what interests me is only the general layout; that is enough for my tests. The only problem is that there are so many versions that you can get confused, but once you get an idea, it is easier.¡±

    I had never heard of this method of measuring chips, and I do not know if he was right, but OK, my mobile is dead. I know that.

    I tried negotiating a ''new'' one, but he wanted money from me. Not much, five or ten or twenty, depending on the mobile, but not zero. There was no free beer, he said. I protested:

    ¡°But yes, I just drank a free beer!¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°It is not free. Hans worked hard to get it done, and the guys helped him!¡±

    The fairy inside my head had other plans with the old man:

    ¡°I can try to charm him. This works with most spawns! He will love to give you the ¡­ whatever... mobile?¡±

    ¡°You did enough damage today; let me handle it my way.¡±

    She pouted. I don''t know how I knew that, but I knew that she pouted.

    I sighed and made my best puppy eyes look:

    ¡°But I need a mobile. Can I pay for it tomorrow? I have no money with me.¡±

    My ''charming'' him action was not a huge success. He laughed, with a glint in his eyes:

    ¡°Sure, you can come and take it tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°This is not funny! I need it now.¡±

    I was almost ready to let the fairy make her try, but I''ll need now to beg her. He shrugged.

    ¡°Why do you need it so urgently?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°I want to get to the salt mine as I got a voucher from... aaah ¡­ I think it was Peter, but it expires today.¡±

    ¡°So you got money for the train. Why do you need the mobile?¡±

    ¡°I don''t have money for the train. I''ll go by bike. It''s cheaper. I need the mobile for directions.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. People nowadays cannot use a map anymore.¡±

    ¡°I have no map! That''s where the mobile is supposed to help.¡±

    He extracted a vast map and put it on the table.

    ¡°We are here!¡±

    He pointed at a black point on the map.

    ¡°And you want to get there... Uh, right, this part here has been updated; here, you can cross over!¡±

    ¡°I hope you don''t want to give me that map instead of a phone?¡±

    ¡°Give you my map? For heaven''s sake, no! I was just showing you the way; it is good to have an overview first. Look, I am willing to borrow you a phone if you take this device with you and bring it back to me no later than one week. ¡°

    He held something black in his hands that looked like a modified phone with a couple of buttons on it.

    He continued:

    ¡°Now, now, don''t look at me like that! You turn it on when you start, here, and off when you get to the mine. I want to check my map against the GPS coordinates. This was also a mobile, but I adapted it to only record the GPS every couple of seconds, so I''ll get the route you''ll make. If I get the device back in a week, you can keep the phone. If not, the phone will turn off, and I will ban you!¡±

    He said that, laughing.

    ¡°Don''t tell me that you need the device to read it!? I would think you''ll get your data online?¡±

    He grinned.

    ¡°True, but I''d like to get it back.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need this GPS reading? You have the map.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to update the road to the salt mine and the passage here along the forest on my map. Even what the mobile is showing you is actually partially wrong and simplified. Not that you cannot navigate with it, but the route details are not precise. I wanted to do this trip myself, but now you are doing it for me. See, you help me, I help you.¡±

    ¡°OK, we have a deal!¡±

    ¡°Good, then let''s see if the chip with your id is ok, then I''ll prepare this phone for you? Satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that''s really cool of you!¡±

    He grinned again, showing me a set of metallic teeth alternating with proper ones. He shook my hand.

    ¡°A deal has to be closed with a handshake! Now let''s get to work!¡±

    Ten minutes later, I was the happy owner of a new phone. My old phone landed over a mountain of scrap. Nothing could be saved from it, no pictures, only some contacts I had on my chip, which miraculously escaped unharmed.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Once I wanted to leave, he asked me curiously:

    ¡°Where is your bike?¡±

    ¡°My bicycle? I left it outside; I hid it in the bushes.¡±

    ¡°A bicycle, not a motorbike?¡± - There was a note of disappointment in his voice, but then he added - ¡°Oh, but that''s even better for me; I''ll get the bicycle path; you''ll not be using the main road?¡± - I nodded. He continued - ¡°Well, you took some risks to leave your bicycle outside. There is a gate if you go on the other side, and the building near the gate is used as a parking lot. Better use it next time, a bike or bicycle left along the road? I doubt you''ll find it, but maybe you are lucky!¡±

    This worried me, but what could I do now? He waved; I waved back and started the GPS tracker.

    I was happy to find my bicycle waiting bravely for me where I had left it. Does it mean I am lucky? I jumped in the saddle.

    The road to the salt mine took longer than I had planned. I was lucky that I took two cans of expired juice with me in a moment of inspiration, as I drank a lot on the way. I was sweating, and I got tired after less than one hour. When I arrived, I was wobbling, my feet hurting and trembling under me.

    I needed a couple of minutes to be able to walk normally.

    I presented the coupon and was allowed inside. I did not buy anything to nibble on as many people did and went to the elevator. I had to wait in a queue that took some ten minutes. A chill wind came over us as soon as I went on the platform, and I had to sneeze.

    ¡°You are all wet, and the air is cold. You need to take a jacket!¡±

    ¡°Those jackets are for sale. I have no money!¡±

    ¡°Then let me lead; I can keep you warmer!¡±

    ¡°No, please, no catastrophe here. You''ll block the lift, and then I''ll have even more problems!¡±

    I sneezed again. We were about twenty on the platform, and some people were looking now reproachful at me.

    ¡°I won''t block the lift, but you are going to get a cold. That''s a sickness. I don''t cure sicknesses; I only heal!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK, you lead!¡±

    I gave up. Anyhow, any minute now, she should disappear. Or else she is me. My alter ego.

    A pleasant warmth coated me. I suddenly felt much better; I was not shivering anymore. Well, this was unexpected but cool.

    Wow, this opens a lot of new options for winter clothing. I grinned happily.

    The platform stopped, and we went into a kind of cavern. There was a guide who explained something about the mine. I ignored him and watched the scenery and almost missed that we had to move to another platform until somebody called me:

    ¡°Miss, miss, are you coming?¡±

    Oh fuck, does this thing go even deeper?

    I hurried to the next platform. This platform was faster, and it went much deeper underground. I did not know salt mines were so deep. The air was now warmer, but I let further White Flower in the lead. I enjoyed myself too much to see how men were looking at me. She moved so naturally and graciously that I was even feeling a tad jealous of her. How can it be that my body can move graciously but not when I am ''me''?

    OK, but why is she still here? I should have no connection now! This is better than the Faraday cage; this is guaranteed.

    ¡°Are you still there?¡±

    She was amused.

    ¡°You think I''ll disappear if you go deep underground? I am anchored to you; we are connected, and I cannot leave. Why do you ask? Would you like me to disappear?¡±

    I hesitated. What should I tell her?

    ¡°I fear that I am getting crazy because I can hear you in my head.¡±

    There! I''ve said it! She is me, myself; she should also know it.

    She sighed. She was in the lead, and I felt how she sighed. She even shook my head tiredly.

    ¡°No, you are not crazy.¡±

    Now she shrugged.

    ¡°It is nice here, but the light is not enough. It is a pity. Should I make more light?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I don''t want another S-event or something like that.¡±

    ¡°Hm. OK, but it is a pity... Unless... Yes, I still can show you!¡±

    ¡°What? What have you done!? No! No! Turn them off!¡±

    ¡°Don''t panic. Nobody sees this. Look around. See, this is how bees can see, a light that normal people cannot see. Everything is now extra illuminated with that light. See how big this cavern is?¡±

    A strange violet light was illuminating the cave. Magnificent show, done only for me.

    Yes. The place was grandiose, monumental, like a cathedral. I walked, or rather she walked happily, showing and pointing to the many natural sculptures that still remained in this mine. It was entertaining, and I had fun. No, she is definitively not an AI. She is in my head. She must be my alter-ego. This is now established without a doubt.

    I realized she was doing this as a consolation prize for me. Yes, I have to live with her for the time being, but at least I got my own private show. And I was not cold, even if I wore only a t-shirt.

    I shrugged inwardly as I was not in the lead.

    OK, yes, I know there is a diagnosis for people like me, but I am not harming anybody. Actually, I felt great as she healed my sore muscles, and we enjoyed our visit.

 Chapter 66 - Gonzo

    As I was pondering if she was speaking about the cavern, she chuckled:

    She stopped for a moment, waiting to see if I contradicted her, then continued after seeing that I kept silent:

    She let out a sigh before speaking again.

    "I need your help to understand how things work in this world and what I need to do to survive. I''ve learned some things, but there''s still much that I don''t know. I promise to repay your kindness."

    I must be an out-of-place apparition, flimsy dressed in only a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and tennis shoes, walking alone through the chilly cavern while shrugging and sighing.

    Thankfully few people were visiting this part of the cavern. I tried to ignore them and concentrate on the message she was trying to convey.

    Is my alter ego giving me an olive branch? ''Make me uncomfortable'' was the understatement of the year!

    Is separation suddenly becoming possible?

    ¡°OK, good. What''s the next step?¡± - I asked while thinking, ''Don''t hold your breath, Dolores!''

    ¡°We need a strong spell caster, one that is knowledgeable enough. I''d like to test him before we let him work on us. Tell me, how can we find such a caster here?¡±

    Yeah, I was right.

    ¡°A spell caster?¡± - I asked, my skepticism rising.

    We are back to the same nonsense! I should have known she was only teasing me. Well, what did I expect? How can you get rid of your alter-ego? She continued to confabulate:

    ¡°Yes, you know: a high-level priest, specialized mage, or...¡±

    I could feel my frustration building, and I almost exploded. "There is no such thing as magic in this world! How many times do I have to tell you that?" I exclaimed.

    Flo countered, "But what about when I healed your scratches? That wasn''t magic? There is magic in this world; you''re just choosing to ignore it."

    Her words hit me hard, leaving me speechless for a moment. She was correct; there was some truth to what she said. Could it be that she existed because I refused to believe in magic? Was it my Dolores ego holding me back?

    Walking through the mine was relaxing. A totally different environment but a relatively smelly atmosphere. I had not realized until now that we humans have a pregnant smell, but here, whenever I got in areas with people gatherings, I could smell them. Strongly.

    Actually, all my senses seem to be improved. Especially when she is in the lead.

    Apart from this realization, my cavern trip did not bring me anything new. I checked my mobile. Of course, no connection, no wi-fi. It was as advertised. Even Mike''s black box had a small red led blinking. Yeah, I forgot to turn it off. I did it now and put it back in my belt-strap-pouch beside my mobile. It could barely fit in.

    ¡°Well, would you like to visit some more, or should we get out?¡±

    ¡°I would like to visit some more, but I am hungry. Can we find something to eat here?¡±

    ¡°I have no money, so there is nothing to eat.¡±

    ¡°I think I could make some money. That paper money does not seem difficult to...¡±

    ¡°Do not even think about it! You want to bring me to jail? Let''s go. It is a long way home.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    There was now a queue for the elevator ride. I had to wait half an hour in line until I could step on the platform. Then, there came the almost ten minutes ride to the top. I was starving when we got outside, and she let me the lead. I watched, amused, as the number of glances I was gathering decreased rapidly. I was again getting invisible.

    My bicycle was still there. Somebody had moved it to the side but decided it was not worth taking. Or, probably, they needed to shift it to the side to free their own bike.

    It was getting dark, and I was hungry. I started to step the pedals as vigorously as I could. White Flower had to heal my sore muscles a couple of times. She explained that the healing was becoming less effective due to my fatigue. Yes, I know I do not have enough muscles. Ma would acclaim me enthusiastically if she knew how much sport I did today.

    And just like that, thinking and not looking properly in front of me, I missed seeing a ditch on the road. It was not deep but profound enough to force a hard landing as my front wheel took a forced swing to the right. I flapped my hands and landed ungraciously, splashing myself on the gravel. As I placed my palms on the ground, I shredded the skin on both palms and right knee. Even worse, the front wheel was now bent.

    I felt so miserable that I simply fell back on my ass and started to cry. Alone, hungry, on a deserted road watching the setting sun and bleeding from my poor hands and knee, with a broken bike, no dynamo, and soon no light. It was not very mature, but crying did help.

    "Let me heal you!" - a known voice echoed in my mind.

    I was almost going to let her lead when I heard a noise.

    There was the asphalt road some twenty meters to the right where from time to time, a speeding car passed, but I was conflicted if to try to stop one. Frankly speaking, the idea of getting into a complete stranger''s car spooked me. This is why when I heard that car slowing down, I did not even turn my head.

    ¡°Miss? Miss? Are you alright?¡±

    I turned. A service car with yellow blinking light had stopped. I stopped crying, trying to compose my voice. I heard steps. I was unsure if to panic or be grateful. He jumped with easiness over the streets'' guarding rail and came closer. I realized I had no chance to outrun him. I sighed and let him come closer.

    ¡°Oh, dear!¡± - he exclaimed.

    He came, bowed to examine the bicycle, and then looked at me. Sure, in the right priorities order: he was a mechanic. I raised my head. He was thirty-something, relatively handsome, with brown but a little unkempt hair, his eyes brownish with a mix of green, and a three days beard. Oh, and he had a medicine box in his hands.

    ¡°May I?¡±

    He asked, preparing to wipe my hands clean. I was still graciously spread there with my legs in V, sitting on my ass and looking at my bloody hands. I nodded, and he proceeded. Ouch, that did pain!

    ¡°Why don''t you heal? You don''t need this?¡±

    She was compassionate:

    He continued cleaning my knee.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    I had to express my displeasure at the burning paint. He shrugged and handed me the absorbent cotton batted in alcohol.

    ¡°It needs clean-up!"

    Two minutes later, I was efficiently covered with medical plasters all over my scuffs and scrapes. He grinned, satisfied:

    "I''m driving to town; I could bring you there.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I''m sorry, I don''t have money with me.¡±

    He lifted my broken bicycle with easiness.

    ¡°It''s alright. I''m driving anyhow in that direction. I could drop you on the way closer to your home if you want?¡±

    The alternative was walking without light through the dark woods dragging behind a broken bike. I decided to accept his offer.

    As soon as I nodded, he yelled his war cry, taking me by surprise:

    ¡°Gonzo!¡±

    As he saw he jumped me, for clarity''s sake, he added:

    ¡°And you are?¡±

    Oh, that must be his name.

    ¡°Dolores.¡± - I said

    He wanted to shake hands, then saw my wounded palm again and shook my wrist with his broad hand, about double mine. He took my bicycle in the other hand and then helped me over the guarding rail.

    Five minutes later, I was sitting in the cabin beside him, and he was driving towards the town.

    As I was just checking my mobile, he pointed at the black mobile I had from Mike that I''d put aside.

    ¡°What''s that?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Nothing. Just an extra device... from a friend.¡±

    ¡°Is it one of Mike''s senders? You''re friends with Mike?¡±

    He became more effusive, explaining to me what other jobs he had done for Mike. He seemed to know the gamers'' scene well, and we started talking about them. The atmosphere relaxed.

    At this moment, my belly decided to revolt and announced with a growl that it hadn''t devoured anything in too many hours.

    He left the main road, and at my worried glance, he shrugged.

    ¡°There is a drive-in just around the corner. I need to buy some sandwiches!¡±

    Ten minutes later, we were sitting in the car in the parking, chewing sandwiches. At my protest that I am not hungry, a protest that was immediately undercut by the beast in my belly, he just shrugged and started to narrate some old funny stories with Mike and a mobile he got from him.

    I gave up any opposition, took the sandwich, and started to chew on it.

    ¡°I wonder what''s his problem?¡±

    ¡°If you want, I can find out.¡±

    I did not fully trust my fairy half yet, so I preferred not to let her find out. Who knows what she would have done, how this ''finding'' works.

    He told me a little about himself. He was self-employed, worked as an auto mechanic, and had his own shop. He was returning home after having done some service work not far away from the salt mine. He agreed to fix my bike for 30. He said that would be the most that it would cost; he needs to check it through.

    That would squeeze my finance for the week, but I''ll still have a bicycle. He also offered to bring Mike''s device to him personally. He explained to me that he had to make a weekly round in the area where the gamers are, so I took on his offer.

    He''ll deliver the bike during the week once he has a trip that will bring him near my home. If I needed it earlier, he gave me the card from his workshop, so I knew where to pick it up. He took my phone number to send me an SMS about when he will be able to deliver the bike.

    Cool way to get my telephone number.

    Happy, full, and tired, I arrived home with much more confidence in human beings than I generally had. I greeted the girls who were watching some comedy. I went directly to the bath to take a shower and then straight to bed.

    In the bath, I healed myself and watched, mesmerized, as all scratches disappeared. Is this real, or do I dream it? I watched my tattoo again. Is this real? The girls had not yet talked about it, but probably they hadn''t seen it yet in the darkness. Should I let them see it?

    Should I keep everything secret?

    I hesitated. Lola was my friend. Do I want to lie to her?

 Chapter 67 - Definitively a Witch

    I slept well. Long and deep. I woke up only at about nine o''clock in the morning. I stretched my limbs, and with a huge yawn, I greeted my alter ego:

    ¡°Good morning!¡±

    I half hoped that I would not hear any answer in my mind, but I was ashamed to ask again: ''are you still there?''

    My other half was feeling chatty:

    ¡°Good morning Dolores! Did you sleep well? I slept wonderfully here. It''s been a long time since I felt so safe. I only worry about the Lynx and our friends. What do you think happened to them?¡±

    She worries about game characters...

    ¡°They should be OK. If there is a way to login into the game, the gamers will find it, and then we will check. OK?¡±

    ¡°OK!¡±

    Once the computers no longer support it, that world must crumble into nothingness. Probably that world no longer exists, but I simply could not bring it over my heart to tell her that. She seemed to genuinely care. I do care and am sad, but that''s the fate of game characters...

    She was not enthusiastic about it. She wanted to try something actively. It does not make any sense; if there is a way, the gamers will find it faster than I would.

    I went to the toilet, washed, dressed summarily and went to the kitchen.

    No morning without a coffee! Our coffee machine broke a couple of weeks ago, but I can survive with greek coffee. I brew a nice double portion. Lola will probably come here soon.

    Ha, I knew it! I heard Lola getting out of her room.

    ¡°Hey, Lola!¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. Morning! Mmmm. You made coffee!¡±

    ¡°Sure, come and drink and have breakfast!¡±

    She entered the kitchen and took her cup, then looked at me. She pointed with her finger at my neck:

    ¡°What''s that?¡±

    ¡°A tattoo.¡±

    OK, now I have to explain my situation to her. Gently. Piece by piece.

    ¡°What? We agreed that if we were to get tattooed, we would do it together! And you did it without me!!¡±

    OK, not quite the conversation I wanted to have. I should have thought about it. She was getting excited about my tattoo.

    ¡°Well, I got it last night. Let me explain!¡±

    I wanted to come clean; please, just give me the time to do it, lady!

    She was not impressed:

    ¡°Yeah. You went to a party the whole day and did not even think to invite me. That was not nice!¡±

    Party! OK, she thinks that I am as much a party girl as she is. She loves parties, and a week without two parties would be a terrible week. My parties are of a bit of a different nature: gaming parties and the kind. She would not like to be there.

    I tried to explain my problem:

    ¡°Look, hold your horses; this shit happened when I used the dream interface. I got a tattoo inside the game, and I saw it on me when I woke up. That''s the fucking problem, and there is more to it!¡±

    Her reaction was more dramatic than I thought it would be. Instead of making fun of me or not believing me, she panicked.

    ¡°Is this real? Honest? Let me see it!" - she came closer to look at my skin and concluded - "It looks so perfectly integrated with your skin? We need to go to see a doctor! Urgently!¡±

    ¡°No, no, no! Wait! Calm down!¡±

    "No, no. Waiting in such a case is bad! You should calm down and visit a doctor. This is no joke!"

    I am calm. I did not expect this reaction. She was not in panic but adamant. I know she does not like... OK, that she hates the dream interface industry, but I don''t want to start a protest campaign now.

    I tried to backpedal as my other half told me again that she could make it disappear. Maybe I should have listened to her and done that.

    There is no reason for panic.

    ¡°But, but, wait. I''d like to wait for a couple of days before going to a doctor... It''s not this problem that bothers me most..."

    I wanted to have a chat with my best friend, to let her know my problems and see what she thought about them. Confidentially. I wanted to talk with her about my double personality issue, but I did not want to go to a doctor. Not yet. Once you get there diagnosed with a split personality, you have it hanging above your head forever. I don''t want to think about the consequences now. Maybe I''ll talk first with my parents, but I don''t want to go directly to a doctor.

    Try to convince Lola! No way. We should go now immediately. My other half did not help as the fairy did not trust Lola: ''she is mean! She is not honest to you!'' and other comments on her side just helped confuse me.

    ¡°Oh, stop it! Both of you, stop with the nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Both of us? I am alone here; Clara has left early in the morning! You imagine things! It''s even worse than I feared! Come on; I know a good doctor!¡±

    My heart was beating irregularly in my chest. Fuck, I almost gave my game away. My hands started trembling, and she convinced me to follow her. Soon we were in her small car on the way to a hospital.

    Do I do the right thing? What do I tell the doctor?

    ¡°What doctor do you mean?¡±

    ¡°They must have some competent psychiatrist at the main hospital!¡±

    What? I want back! I looked at myself. Fuck I was dressed in my house pyjama. Should I get out of the car like this?

    The more time passed, the more conflicted I was. On one side, she was right; I should probably get an examination. But not now, not like this!

    If she makes such a drama for the tattoo, what will she do after hearing about my split personality? What will the doctors say?

    What about healing myself? Or did I just dream that? Could it be that I only imagined that?

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    No, that guy bandaged me, and once home, I did fucking heal myself, and everything was gone.

    If this healing was real if this worked for me, would I not be the lab rat for a new generation of healing methods?

    If I imagined that, then I am crazy; if not, I am fucked as a lab rat. So no way I would talk with anybody about that.

    If I don''t talk about that, what do I talk about? I started to think feverishly about my situation.

    Why did I decide to show her the tattoo? I tried another way to ditch the story:

    ¡°Maybe somebody did a prank on me? Clara could do such!¡±

    Adding Clara was an error. It was my everyday villain, but also her sister.

    ¡°What? Are you crazy? Don''t bring Clara into this!¡±

    Please don''t call me crazy!

    I didn''t want to go! Period. I unlocked my seatbelt. I decided to step out at the first stop if I could not convince her to go back, house pyjama or not; I definitively did not want to go to the hospital.

    She will then have to drive back home and calm down. A red lamp started to blink furiously, warning her of my seatbelt removal.

    ¡°Stop; I want out.¡±

    ¡°No way! We are going to the hospital!¡±

    ¡°Stop!!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Stop, it''s red!!!!¡±

    I think Lola saw it at the last moment, or she saw the bus coming from the left as she hit the brakes, but it was too late. With a yowl, like a giant swimming whale, leaning on the right, the bus hit us at full speed; pieces of glass flew like a myriad of angry bees through the cabin, and the door on my side flew away like pushed by a tornado, then our car tumbled over the right side.

    I found myself on all four on the asphalt in a kind of absurd situation as if I were in the eye of the storm: everything moved around, but I was left untouched.

    My nose was bleeding vigorously from a hit that I hadn''t registered blood dripping on the asphalt.

    The car''s door broke from its hinges and flew away as the car rolled over.

    I saw the bus drifting in front of my eyes, half a meter from me, hitting the car again and pressing it against a pole, which broke under the terrible push.

    As the pole broke, the electric cables were cut, sparks flew through the air, and the car ignited like a torch.

    ¡°Lola!!!!¡±

    I jumped to my feet and ran to the car. I saw her in the middle of a fire ring. Was she shocked? Stunned? She did not move. I wrapped my jacket against my hand, opened the door and pushed my head inside between the flames, now gnawing at my clothes.

    Our eyes met. I saw her desperate eyes imploring, and I managed to unlock her belt, took her in my arms and dragged her away, just in time before my clothes started to burn, running with her head lolling over my shoulder.

    Somebody, I believe it was the bus driver, used a fire extinguisher over us, and then he tried in vain to extinguish the burning car.

    I slipped on my ass, still holding her in my arms, blood from my nose dripping over her blouse.

    I heard my other half in my head again:

    ¡°Heal her! Her neck is broken! Heal her!¡±

    I hesitated, looking at her immobile body in my arms and the strange pattern the blood formed on her blouse.

    Am I crazy?

    This is fucking real. I know that I am crazy; I know I am fucking nuts. I looked at the tattoo on my arm. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

    It is clear that the internet stories about the dream interface are true. The dream interface can drive you insane.

    My brain was drifting into nothingness. That was too much for me to take.

    ¡°Heal her, you idiot! If you care for her, heal her! Is it so difficult to think I want to heal you? She might die if you do not heal her! Just think it if you do not say it!¡±

    If I could heal myself yesterday¡­ Maybe I did not dream that? I slowly raised my head to look at her hanging head, her beautiful blonde hair partly burnt.

    ¡±I want to heal you! I want to heal you; I want to heal you!¡±

    I repeated it in my thoughts, starting to cry at the same time.

    I am crazy. A repeated flow of light passed through my hands, enveloping her for short moments, almost synchronous with the rebuffing fire from the intensively burning car.

    Lola started to hit the air with her hands and screamed.

    She broke from my arms, managed to stand, ran a couple of steps, then fell to her knees and started to cry.

    I watched her mesmerized as other people went to help her. Did I heal her? Did I do that? I was already starting to doubt it.

    At the next moment, I saw a police car manoeuvring between people, blue light flashing, and soon an ambulance arrived. A crowd gathered around the accident area, and a doctor appeared.

    ¡°Who is injured? Are you all right?¡±

    Some people on that bus had suffered contusions; the bus driver had a finger maimed, and a person had a bloody nose. We two only nodded that we were ok, but they did not believe us; the doctor only rolled her eyes when she saw my nose, so after they checked if we had any open wounds, we were both taken to the ambulance and brought to a hospital.

    Well¡­ it happened as Lola had said; we went to a hospital, even if not for my tattoo.

    To their surprise, and mine too, Lola had only some small scratches on her knees, probably as she kneed on the asphalt in the end. No burning, no other wounds, even if her clothes and even hair were partially burned, and her skin was covered with dark particles from the fire. I had some burnings, mostly on my hands and face, painful, but no big drama. Well, besides my nose, that now had two cotton roles in it.

    That was all. Oh yes, my eyebrows were gone, and my hair was partially burnt too. I was in need of a new haircut.

    I said nothing of my tattoo, and nobody asked about it. Why would they? I said nothing about the voice in my head. I was too confused and too shocked after Lola''s healing.

    What did really happen? Could she have escaped unscratched from that accident? Or did I really heal her? But I escaped almost unscratched from it without magical healing?

    I needed time to be able to digest it.

    When we could finally leave the hospital, we met the same police officer who was first at the accident. He recognized us, asked how we felt and was so kind as to offer to bring us home, which we gladly accepted. I think Lola made a strong impression on him with her blond hair and long legs, and this might be the reason for his offer.

    On the way home, I was mostly absent-minded; I could not really concentrate on what they were talking about. I was all the time thinking about the implications of what had just happened.

    They put it on the accident and the shock, but my shock was for some time with me. Is it possible? Was it really me? Did I heal her?

    If this was not clear, then what would be clear for me?

    Did Lola not talk about cases when people had wounds in Dreamland, and those became real in reality? Only through their minds?

    Did I not get a tattoo in Dreamland, and it became real? If that was no practical joke, then that was done only through my mind!

    Did I not get a voice in my head in Dreamland, and suddenly I got that voice in my head in reality? How could that happen? Only through my mind, isn''t it? The dream interface might have facilitated these, but my mind did it in the end. There is no way that the dream interface can directly create a tattoo on your body.

    And now the even more weird part starts. Did I not get a new faculty to heal in Dreamland, and did I not get it now in reality? The fact that I healed Lola changed the situation for me.

    I lost a whole day yesterday running around in circles.

    I did this thing. I created my fairy in my brain. I did it all through my mind.

    In other words, again, the same conclusion I was running away from: I am what is called a witch or whatever you call it.

    Only this can be the simple, stupid, weird answer.

    It is no prank; it is no mysterious AI over wi-fi.

    I am a witch. Fucking fuck, I need to accept this and try to live with it and stop making a fool of myself.

 Chapter 68 â€“ Family Reunion

    Is there somebody with whom I could talk about my problems? Only talking about my tattoo almost brought me to a mental clinic to be analysed throughout, and I spoke only with my best friend about it.

    If I were to talk with my parents about my problems, their first action would be to forbid me any use of the dream interface and then send me to a doctor.

    What else could they do?

    What will the doctor do? He would probably think I have some sort of paranoia, craziness, or disorder, even if one may explain things later in a normal, natural,... witchy way.

    If I am really a witch, by some weird chance, what would happen to me? Hm, somebody who can make things happen only by thinking of them? In the best case, I''ll end up classified as a potential threat and get locked up for my protection... In the worst case, as an imminent threat... and get locked up for their protection.

    Either this is real, and then I am a threat, or this is not real, and then I am crazy, so crazy that I cannot discern imagination from reality. I get locked up in both cases.

    Wow, I have the winning ticket in all cases!

    There is also the possibility this can be explained logically, but I cannot stretch my imagination to find out the answer now. I''ll need time to find out, and the best chance to do that is if I do not get locked.

    Having arrived at this conclusion significantly reduced my desire to talk about myself.

    Once we entered our home, Lola started to talk again. She has been strangely effusive before with the officer, but maybe this is her way of coping with the shock.

    ¡°I was so afraid¡­ I saw fire all around me¡­ but I did not feel anything. I could not move. It was that thing you see in horror movies when you see fire right near your face and you cannot move. I was frozen. Then you came and took me out. Only after that could I move. How comes you got burnt, and I did not?"

    ¡°There was a fire outside, and I had to open the door to reach you. That''s when I got burned.¡±

    I don''t know how I managed to say this. I did not know what to say.

    She was nodding, trying to understand.

    ¡°I wonder why I could not move?"

    I shrugged, not knowing what and how to answer. Should I tell her what my inner voice had said? That her neck was broken? I hesitated, too afraid to tell it:

    "Maybe you were in shock? Or maybe it was simply the seatbelt? I had to release it."

    She nodded. She had seen me opening it.

    There was a mix of emotions swirling in my chest. I felt guilty: this would not have happened without me wanting to show her my tattoo. I felt fear, fear of what would happen to me if more people learned what I could do. Santa Dolores is healing your wounds! No, it would not go like that. How much can I heal? What are the consequences? There is nothing in this world that happens without a countereffect. No energy comes out of nothing; it only transforms.

    So what are the consequences? I''ll need to take a test person and see.

    I felt anger that she wanted to bring me against my will to a doctor, but I also felt gratitude that she tried to do her best.

    As I went towards the living room, I realised she did not follow me.

    I turned to look back.

    "What are you doing?"

    She must have gone into the kitchen. I hurried there, a bit worried. What does she want to do? When I entered, I saw that she had already turned on the gas and wanted to put her hand into the fire.

    I yelled:

    ¡°What do you do?"

    ¡°I want to see it like it was? Like I saw it happening?¡±

    I sighed, grabbing her hand:

    ¡°This is nonsense Lola; you will burn yourself!!? Now look, you have not been in the fire; the fire was around you but not on you. It was luck that you came away before it burned you!¡±

    "But what''s this on my clothes?"

    "Soot. Lucky only that is burnt..."

    "And some of my hair strands are gone!"

    "Hair does not feel pain."

    She turned and put her other hand over the fire; the strong smell of burned skin and hair struck my nostrils...

    She screamed at the top of her lungs, retiring her hand.

    ¡°Oh damn, it pains! It pains so bad! ¡­ But, but, why did it burn so bad?"

    ¡°Fuck Lola, what do you do? Let me put some medicine on your hand.¡±

    Incidentally, a few hours ago, I just received a great dose of balsams to use over burned skin, so I applied it on her reddened skin.

    Fuck, I screwed Lola too!

    My thoughts were still running in circles around what she had previously said. Her story and behaviour did fit with my story, but I will not say anything as of now, maybe later.

    She watched her hand, crying as if waiting for a wonder to happen:

    ¡°It hurts. It hurts so bad!¡±

    I sighed, not knowing what to do. She continued:

    ¡°I came out of a huge fire unharmed and managed to burn myself at the stove at home... Don''t tell ma I did this, please... don''t tell anybody...¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Sure. You were still under shock.¡±

    I said that, feeling guilty as fuck. At this moment, the door opened, and a fiend spewing fire entered the kitchen:

    ¡°My car! What have you done to my car!!!¡±

    Clara, Lola¡¯s sister, was here, and it looked like she''d just found out her car''s condition. Lola tried to protest weakly:

    ¡°But, but...¡±

    ¡°You! Wait until ma is here!¡±

    ¡°You did not tell her?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did! You cannot hide this under the carpet!? She will come with the next plane, and your ma too.¡±

    She added that, looking at me with a wicked grin.

    I looked into Lola¡¯s eyes; then, I turned towards her sister:

    ¡°What did you say to my mother?¡±

    She raised her shoulders:

    ¡°What happened. I told her the police called me for your accident; the car is a total loss and has been removed; I can go to the car graveyard and check for valuables! You took my car without asking me!!¡±

    Finally, Lola managed to mumble:

    ¡°It is also my car?!¡±

    ¡°You are not allowed to drive without me! You are still a minor. It is my car!!¡±

    Fuck, I did not know that. Lola started to cry. She put her head on the table and covered it with her hands. At this moment, her parents must have entered the apartment; I heard the entry door and their voices.

    Clara, the fury, screamed:

    ¡°Ma, we are here in the kitchen!¡±

    How the fuck did they make it here so fast?

    Lola cried further with her head on the table when they entered. Her mother was first:

    ¡°Oh dear, oh dear, what happened? Are you all right? Is Lola alright?¡±

    Lola moaned something, and Clara answered:

    ¡°Yes, ma, we are alright!¡±

    Mrs Robertson went straight to Lola to watch her closer, hugged her then hugged Clara. How did they make it come so fast? She was now examining Lola.

    ¡°Oh dear, oh dear, how do you look like... let me see, let me see, dear!¡±

    We still had our partially burnt clothes on, and judging from her father''s pale face, we were not really looking good.

    ¡°Are you sure you are alright? Don¡¯t you need to stay in the hospital? Clara, you said nothing happened to her?¡±

    ¡°But ma, she is all right!¡±

    Their father hugged them one after the other.

    ¡°Oh dear, look at her burnt hand! Oh dear, oh, dear!¡±

    She hugged Lola again, who only cried louder, which bugged Clara more. She protested:

    ¡°That''s a small burning...¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up! Please shut up!¡±

    Her mother admonished her before she turned towards me. She hugged me shortly and then asked:

    ¡°Oh dear, let me see your hand, oh, oh, oh.¡±

    She put a hand over her face. Lola explained dutifully:

    ¡°She burned herself when she pulled me out of the burning car as my seatbelt was stuck, and I could not move.¡±

    Her father approached me, hugging me at his turn:

    ¡°I phoned your ma. If they catch the first plane, your parents will be here in about half an hour. I told them what I heard from Clara as she heard it from the police: you two had an accident and are both lightly injured.¡±

    Her mother turned to Lola:

    ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    Lola raised her head a little and started to speak, sobbing after every word:

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ wanted to bring Dolores to¡­.¡±

    I decided to leave them alone. I said an excuse of some kind; I said I needed to rest and then left the kitchen. Mr Robertson asked:

    ¡°Sure; do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing, thank you. I am alright.¡±

    I still heard Clara whispering:

    ¡°Sure, you played taxi for Dolores. I told you not to drive my car!¡±

    ¡°Clara!¡±

    I went to my room. It was maybe a bit dastardly of me to leave Lola alone, but I could not stand her sister. Lola called it the Dolores-Clara law: If we two happened to be at the same time in the same place for longer than one minute, the result is fireworks. So one of us had to leave, and that one was mostly me.

    I was thinking about my parents and felt ashamed. They were having a hard time; pa¡¯s discount shop was not going well; all they needed were more problems. I would have informed them only after a couple of days, once I knew the outcome and how I could fix it, or better, once I fixed it already; now, who knows what they believe happened! I had just managed to change my clothes when I heard the bell ringing, as they did not have our key. I ran to the door.

    ¡°Pa! Ma!¡±

    ¡°Dear, dear!¡±

    They hugged me one after the other.

    ¡°Let me see you¡­. Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, ma, almost nothing.¡±

    ¡°Is, is,¡­ is this the cream, these hard bubbles, or your skin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, It''s still me; it happened after the burned part of the skin was removed, but it will recover.¡±

    ¡°But, but¡­ what did the doctor say? Will there remain any scar on your face? You¡­ so much of your face is covered.. ah¡­.¡±

    Pa''s eyes could not leave my tattoo:

    ¡°What is that? A tattoo?¡±

    Ma interrupted him

    ¡°Not now dear, not now, you¡­ you had some serious burnings¡­ is it not hurting?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a tattoo, pa. No, ma, only some first and second-degree burnings on my face and hands.¡±

    Ma hugged me again and then looked again at my hands.

    ¡°Oh, dear! Only second-degree burnings? Only?¡±

    ¡°It is alright, ma, alright; the doctor said that it will heal completely; almost no trace should remain.¡±

    ¡°Almost... And Lola? Is she all right?¡±

    ¡°She is fine. She has nothing¡­ I mean, one hand with some burnings.¡±

    Lola¡¯s father entered the room. They greeted each other warmly. A moment later, Lola¡¯s mother came in too. She approached my mother and embraced her. Since we were small, our parents have known each other; the Robertsons lived just across the street until Lola¡¯s father got a new job, and they moved from town a year ago.

    He approached me:

    ¡°Lola had told us how brave you have been. You saved her from the fire!¡±

    He embraced me.

    ¡°What would we have done without you?¡±

    I said nothing. What could I say? I am not good at words; besides, I thought about what Clara would have said if she were here: ''nothing, nothing, this would not have happened if she hadn¡¯t been here.''

    Glad she was not here to say it.

 Chapter 69 - Partygoer

    Finally, after some time, everyone began to calm down.

    We sat down to eat and chat, though my father tried to avoid looking at my face, which now bore that tattoo. Despite catching him stealing glances, he said nothing about it. My mother had strictly forbidden any discussion on the matter, and I was grateful for her intervention.

    As the night wore on, they came to realize that the situation wasn''t as dire as they had first thought and decided to return home early the next morning.

    We talked at length, and in the end, I gathered the courage to ask some questions to get more info from them about my specific problems. Though I asked about any unusual family members, their answers left me feeling disappointed. They were a bit surprised but pleased with my newfound interest in our family''s history and provided me with a wealth of completely useless information. I learned that one uncle was a painter and struggled to survive, and the relatives were helping him by secretly buying his paintings, a cousin was working in a music studio, and so on.

    When it came time to sleep, they settled into the living room, with Clara in Lola''s room and Lola''s parents in Clara''s room.

    After I went to bed, I could not find rest. It was already late in the night as I turned left and right, trying to sleep, but my thoughts were, again and again, wandering at the day''s events, not giving me peace.

    It was then that the door to my room was opened with much care to make any noise. In the doorframe, I saw the apparition of Lola barefoot and in a nightgown. She closed the door carefully, came near my bed, put a knee on it, and whispered in my ear:

    ¡°May I?¡±

    I shrugged. She was already half in, so why ask?

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I made her some room near me, and she crawled hastily under the blanket. She breathed satisfied, turned, looked at me with her big blue eyes, and flatly said:

    ¡°I cannot sleep.¡±

    I huffed.

    ¡°Me neither.¡±

    She prodded me in the chest with her finger and asked,

    ¡°And you, have you told that doctor about your tattoo? What did he say?¡±

    I did not expect that question. I hastily replied that yes, I did it, and the doctor had explained to me that this was a washable tattoo that would vanish in about two weeks.

    I wanted her to stop asking about my tattoo, but that was the wrong answer.

    Lola was taken aback.

    ¡°You''re kidding me? And you told me it happened with the dream interface? So this is not psychosomatic or something? How did you get it?¡±

    Uh, oh. What do I say now? I needed a bigger lie to cover that lie.

    ¡°Yeah. That''s what I thought, but it came out it was different. You know, I played together with some guys last time when I was in Dreamland. When I got the tattoo there in Dreamland, they put it on me in real life as a prank. I think the Dreamland tattoo was already part of the prank. Those idiots! Those guys are gonna suffer!¡±

    There, I saved it! I already felt beads of sweat gathering on my forefront. Her eyes went round in surprise.

    ¡°Some guys did this to you? How did they manage it? Were you naked when you played? If you had the interface over your head, would you be unaware if someone touched you in real life? They could have done anything while you were unconscious!¡±

    Oh. Uh. Ahm. Preoccupied and sweating about my temporary tattoo lie, I did not realize I was implying that those guys must have painted my body freely to make this damn tattoo. Why did I not properly prepare the lie before?

    ¡°No, it was a girl, ah, normally you do feel, ahm...they¡­ ahm¡­ maybe I drank too much, and I did not feel it?¡±

    OK, now I implied that I was drunk. She''s gonna think that I was so drunk that they could paint me freely. Oh, fuck, could I invent something else? What could I say?

    Ugh, now I''ll have to stay with the lie.

    Oh, double fuck, my parents will hear about this garbage soon enough.

    She saw my fear, and she grinned.

    "Don''t worry; I will not rat you out."

    I sighed. She will tell Clara, Clara will tell everybody else, and my parents will be the last to learn it from their parents.

    However, the theory was not absurd, even if not true.

    If I didn¡¯t have the-fairy-that-could-spell inside my head, I would think something like this happened: I was given KO-droplets, and somebody tattoed me.

    But the spelling-fairy changed everything.

    She found it amusing:

    ¡°I want one too! What pencil did they use? Who made it? How did they do it? It is very intricate, with so many small details! It is an artist''s work, done only for a prank!? How long did it take to make it?¡±

    Oh shit! At least now I do not have to further invent anything; I explained that I had no clue, it was a prank, but I''ll investigate.

    I was happy that she had bought my lie. Forgotten was the panic with the dream interface; she was only a bit disappointed about that, but she warned me that bad things might happen if I''ll continue to play.

    Yes, I know; she belongs to those people who hate the dream interface and would never use one. Not everybody can use one, but the number of people who refuse to use the dream interface is greater than the number of those who genuinely cannot, for various reasons, use it. Some incompatibilities exist; some people cannot simply work with one; they start panicking instead of falling slowly into the dream state. I think it is primarily psychological, but what do I know?

    Well, in the end, she fell asleep, and shortly after that, I did.

    Pain from my burned hands woke me up a couple of times.

    Near me, Lola was weeping and mumbling in her sleep. I think she was also suffering from her burnings. Self-inflicted. Don''t remind me!

    When I could not sleep, I chatted with my alter ego in one such episode. She could not understand why I refused to heal. She even promised she could make the wounds look the same, but I could be completely restored underneath, but I still refused.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I had a long conversation with her.

    ¡°Did you save me from the car? How did I land there unharmed? Or did you heal me?¡±

    ¡°No, it does not work like this; I cannot heal you or do anything unless you let me lead. This is why I asked you to heal Lola. I could not do it myself. I haven''t done anything. All you have done, you did it yourself.¡±

    Yep. And that is the point. All I have done, I did it myself. I. Did. It. Myself. I am a witch. Talking with the creation of one of my spells will not help me solve my problems. She cannot tell me more than what I know already. I cannot unspell her like this; I need to be careful not to do more harm than good. I have no idea how this shit works, how it did happen, or where was the relationship with the game.

    Because she is from there, so I did something being ''there.''

    However, if I did this to myself there, in ''the other world,'' the fix could also be there ''in the other world.'' I''ll go there and get rid of her, as she already said it could be done. Once done ''in the other world,'' I should be free of her here too. As simple as that.

    There is this little problem that the game is currently inaccessible. I''ll see if the gamers find a solution; maybe there are still clusters of computers running with enough of the game to have at least part of the world active. If not, I''ll find another solution.

    With this in my head, I could finally sleep.

    After they saw that I was still in one piece and after telling me a thousand times to be very careful, my parents had to leave as pa had to go back to his shop. I was not very sorry that they left, as I would not be able to bear so much extra care and worries comfortably.

    I do love them a lot, but I got used to my independence, and having them living in the living room was a bit too much of an oversight for me.

    I did not dare to talk to them about my real problems. I tried to make them talk about our relatives; I asked questions if we ever had something unusual in the family, but there was no such case they could think of. They only looked at me, not understanding what I wanted. Was there any problem?

    When ma kissed me goodbye, I saw it in her eyes. She only said:

    ¡°Take good care of yourself. Love you!¡±

    I watched their taxi until it disappeared around the corner with mixed feelings: on one side, I was sad to be left alone. I will miss them. I already missed them. On the other side, I was happy to be left alone.

    It was a lovely sunny day. Everything looked so innocent around.

    I sighed. I felt guilty.

    I haven¡¯t told them all the truth, and ma felt it. She knows when I try to hide something from her. Pa cannot imagine that I could lie to him or hide anything from him. He is so naive. But ma knows somehow, ''take good care of yourself,'' she said, but there was much more that she wanted to say in that sentence.

    I spent most of the next two days in bed. It would have been a lie to tell that the accident, especially the burned tissue, did not affect my health. Even if the fairy did a little spell to accelerate my healing, I was still recovering when Lola came to me. It was Wednesday, the third day since the accident.

    My hair was no longer such a mess as ma had helped me cut it short, and I was just thinking about painting myself some brows when she entered the room.

    As she saw me, she took a deep breath.

    ¡°I think we both need some fresh air. Tim sent me a mail to remind me to go to his party. We should both go!¡±

    I laughed out loud.

    ¡°We both look pretty well for a party, don¡¯t we?¡±

    She looked at her hand, then at mine. Well, actually, her hand was looking better.

    ¡°Your face looks good on one side; you should show only your profile for any photos.¡±

    Fuck, is she speaking seriously!?

    She continued:

    ¡°I need to go to the party. I need to see what Tim does!¡±

    Ah. That''s the point. Well, as little as I know her boyfriend, I think that he will not miss her that much¡­ or, better said, he will find ways to find solace and comfort.

    ¡°Look,¡± - I finally answered - ¡°... about Tim, sooner or later you¡¯ll find out what he does, don''t take it too seriously...¡±

    Now, this was a reasonable sentence I managed to put together, but her reaction was not very enthusiastic about it:

    ¡°How can you talk like this? I love him. What is he doing? Why was he not visiting me today?¡±

    ¡°He was here yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yesterday. But today? Why does he send me a mail: I know dear that you are ill, sorry you can¡¯t come¡­.¡±

    Wait, did she not say before that he reminded her to go to the party? Never mind, if I would ever mention this, she would only start to cry...

    ¡°He was probably busy with work from the school... Anyhow I hate these parties during the week.¡±

    ¡°He previously said he makes the party only for me...¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±

    ¡°And now he is making it even if I can¡¯t go. This drives me crazy. Why does he do this to me? Why?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he invited a lot of his friends. Should he cancel the party if you don¡¯t go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he should. Wouldn¡¯t you do it? If you knew your boyfriend had an accident and was sick, would you not cancel your party and stay with him? ¡°

    ¡°Hm. I think I would.¡±

    ¡°Why is he having the party?¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°Well, he said that it is not only his party, but it is also organized with his connection together, and they have to help each other; therefore, he ''must do it.''¡±

    ¡°Well, that explains it, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°What would you do? Would you stay at the party or go to your loved one?¡±

    ¡°If you would make a party with Clara and Tim would stretch his hand playing basketball, would you cancel the party for him?¡±

    Bad example. She proved it immediately:

    ¡°He would come here with his stretched hand; that is no excuse not to come to my party. Look, I want to know what he does. I need to see him. I want to go!¡±

    Fuck, why do I try to convince her? It is her parents that do not let her go.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have a problem with your parents; they do not let you go.¡±

    ¡°I thought we could go from your room. We could leave¡­.¡±

    Oh, this is what she wants!?

    I cut her short.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°No. It is not possible; Clara will come looking for you. She will find out that we left.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t the other night? She is happy if I leave her alone!¡±

    ¡°It is afternoon now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will leave only in the evening. I''ll go alone if you do not go; you just need to cover for me as long I am missing.¡±

    Now this is just asking for trouble. I could imagine hundreds of ways how it would happen; if she would not fall down from my window when leaving, she would probably do it when coming back, or she would be back too late because she would stay there with Tim for just a nap, or there will be a meltdown scene, and she will come back running through the main door crying, or her sister will have something essential to talk with her when she is supposedly in my room. No way I can do that for her with the Robertsons here...

    But I know Lola, and if I try to say no, she''ll just keep pushing until I give in. She always does that, and I always lose.

    ¡°Look, I will do it for you; I will see what he does. Is this OK.?¡±

    ¡°Will you do this? Will you tell me whatever he does? But please don''t lie to me!¡±

    I hate to do this. But I will do it.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

 Chapter 70 - A Warlock

    Lola was in my room and called out: "Good night, Dolores!" loud enough for her parents in the living room to hear. I let out a snort; her acting was so transparent!

    She approached me and whispered impatiently,

    "Are you leaving now?"

    I nodded in agreement.

    "Yeah, give me a second to fix my hair," I replied.

    Lola grinned and said,

    "OK, take care!"

    She gave me a kiss on the cheek and whispered,

    "I want a full report!"

    before finally leaving.

    I rolled my eyes and breathed in relief once she was out. She can cause so much unnecessary stress!

    White Flower was not very fond of Lola but abstained from commenting. She focused on fixing my appearance instead.

    "I can''t let you go out looking like that!" - she whispered in my mind.

    I protested,

    I heard her sigh in frustration.

    I reluctantly agreed, not expecting much from a simple hair arrangement. But to my surprise, she worked some magic. Even with the burn on my face, I looked good.

    I whispered in amazement.

    "It''s just an illusion," she explained. "It looks good, doesn''t it? And it reacts to touch. Watch."

    She demonstrated by moving my hair, and I realized that I could see through it as well.

    Illusory hair! Covering my wounds! Now this was a cool level of magic!

    ¡°I want to learn to do this. Can you teach me?¡±

    What better way to learn to do magic than let my magic-alter-ego teach me?

    ¡°Of course, but I do not think you will be able to do any spells once we separate.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why that?¡±

    ¡°Because I do not feel magic in you... Oh... I can feel your disappointment¡­ You know I might be wrong¡­ besides, if we stay longer together, you may cultivate some magic aptitudes¡­ it may happen...¡±

    Is she trying to blackmail me to keep her longer?

    ¡°So, will you teach me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you need to put in more effort than what you have shown so far."

    I sighed. Motherly echoes rang in my ears: you need to work harder if you want to have success in life. I heard that more than one time. Yes, ma!

    I was now back in the lead as she was finally satisfied with how I looked. I must say she did a pretty good job.

    I cautiously opened the window, casting furtive glances to my left and right to ensure no prying eyes were upon me.

    I was currently sporting a pair of sneakers, ones that I would have to swap out once I made my way down. My "proper" shoes were already waiting for me on the grass, having been thrown down earlier from my window over four meters above. Luckily, the old tree outside boasted a conveniently dangling branch right in line with my window. All I had to do was grab onto the branch, shimmy my way down to the trunk, and then carefully make my way to the ground.

    ¡°I want to see Lola doing these gymnastics.¡± - White Flower mused in my ears.

    ¡°You are right. She never did it yet, but she knows I use the window to evade home from time to time.¡±

    ¡°Which way now?¡±

    ¡°Wait and see.¡±

    I changed my shoes and stashed my tennis shoes in a tree hollow. They would wait for me patiently until my return.

    Then, I set out on my journey.

    Tim''s place wasn''t too far away from where I was. It was a tranquil locality located near the camp, with no towering walls, just some bushes or occasional flowers delineating the yards. I strolled down the dimly lit streets.

    ¡°You are not afraid?¡±

    I laughed: ¡°This is no dark woods as in Mephisto¡¯s land!¡±

    ¡°Why do you call it Mephisto¡¯s land? I lived in the Evergreen Woods! Those were not his lands! Call it Dreamland; that sounds better.¡±

    ¡°Dreamland is much bigger and includes many different worlds, of which Mephi''s World is just one. The biggest, indeed, but just one of many. You¡¯ll see it when we return to the game; this is what everybody calls it.¡±

    I''m getting used to talking to myself. In the end, I''ll miss her. I laughed at the thought. I was feeling better.

    Ma and pa have been here, and they had no doubts about my sanity. The Robertsons also. So I am ok.

    Take it easy, Dolores, be normal. Small steps, learn, and try to understand.

    I raised my head.

    ¡°Well, we are there; it is that house.¡±

    ¡°It seems very quiet. Are you sure there is a party inside?¡±

    ¡°I thought you knew nothing about parties?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I said I do not remember the last time I was invited, not that I do not know how parties are¡­ spawns parties are noisier. Even birds make funnier parties!¡±

    ¡°Birds make parties?¡±

    Interesting personality I have. I knocked at the door.

    After a short moment, the door opened, and Tim''s surprised voice greeted me:

    "Dolores!?"

    "Hey, Tim."

    "Hey! Is Lola with you?" he asked, scanning the area around me. Was he worried she might be with me?

    "No, she couldn''t come; you know how she is after the accident... still recovering," I replied.

    "Oh, right," he sounded relieved, "come on in. How are you feeling? Good to see you made it! Does it hurt?"

    "No, it just looks like a Halloween costume on one side," I joked.

    I stepped inside. It wasn''t as loud as I anticipated, but soon enough, a group of five or six appeared, and the party began to ramp up.

    It was nice of him to ask how I was feeling. At least he was trying to be polite. Although Tim was my friend''s boyfriend and my acquaintance, it didn''t really work out between us. He was too superficial and evaluated girls based on their sex appeal. Obviously, Lola was higher on his list than me, but it didn''t bother me.

    ¡°Who''s that guy?¡± she promptly asked. I tried to not look at him but couldn''t.

    ¡°That''s Joe,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why are you looking at him like that?¡± she drilled further, noticing my red cheeks. My alter ego had discovered my kryptonite.

    Drats, Joe was here, and I had a Halloween-class cheek.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, trying not to reveal too much.

    ¡°Hehe, you like him,¡± she teased.

    ¡°And what if I do? Obviously, I can''t hide it from you,¡± I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°Hehe, that''s true. Why don''t you talk to him?¡± she asked, genuinely curious.

    ¡°Because he doesn''t give a damn about me. He doesn''t like me,¡± I said sadly.

    ¡°That''s not possible. You''re such a nice girl!¡± she exclaimed, trying to comfort me.

    ¡°Thanks, but it''s true. Actually, what''s even more painful is that he likes Clara,¡± I revealed.

    ¡°Clara?¡± she repeated, surprised.

    ¡°Yes. She broke up with him a couple of weeks ago, but they say he still has feelings for her. She never really appreciated him since he''s younger than her, but she used him. That''s Clara for you,¡± I explained.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°May I?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to him?¡±

    ¡°Oh no. Don''t try; you¡¯ll ruin it. He does not like me, that¡¯s all, but at least we are cordial, better than being the over-attached girl from whom he has to run, you know what I mean? And give Clara ammunition to laugh about me? She dropped him, but he does not even look at me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don''t worry, he will not run away. Let me talk to him, please?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ O.K. But if you fail this, you will not lead for a week and speak only when I ask you. Deal?¡±

    Heh, if I am to make a fool of myself, at least let me have some benefits.

    ¡°If I win, you let me lead any time in the coming week whenever I want? Deal?¡±

    Lol, she is trying to bargain with me, but this does not look like a bad deal.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    After all, why not? Let''s try to see how my other self is doing this. It is still me, isn''t it? It is a manifestation of my character that somehow impersonated in my brain through that dream interface. At least I am not so crazy to do things that I do not remember.

    To my surprise, White Flower did not go to him. She went directly to the bathroom.

    ¡°Getting cold feet? What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°OK, for this operation, we need more preparation. Look at yourself!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with how I look? You just fixed the hair?¡±

    White Flower did not answer, raised only her shoulders, letting out a sight. She started to put everything in order; this is what she called it. It took her only about 2 minutes, but I must confess she did some outstanding work to my surprise.

    ¡°Did you change something through magic?¡±

    She looked so good that I was not sure she was not cheating in a ''magic'' way.

    ¡°Well, some kind of little tricks to make things look shiny and pretty, nothing that you couldn''t do even without magic, but I am more efficient. I put your hair better in order, changed your eyeshade colour, your brows were done wrong, your lipstick colour was horrible, and your taint, now really, Dolores, you gave it the wrong colour... and...¡±

    I wanted to give a deep sight but could not¡­ Not being in the lead. She gave me the time to look at myself. I continued to grouch, but I was being unfair to her; I was looking much better now; I was surprised to see the girl in the mirror and realize it was me. I can look like this!?

    She went out and headed for the main room. In a mirror, I saw myself advancing. How is she doing this? I never moved so felinely gracious; I am rather the broom type.

    I felt the boys were watching me, but she did not seem disturbed by this. Good that I was not leading; I would certainly stumble upon my feet from stress. She was moving naturally and confidently; sometimes, a split personality is a blessing!

    Joe saw me and waved.

    ¡°Dolores? Hey Dol!¡±

    He said that with a note of pleasant surprise. It was not his usual bored look.

    As she came closer, she grinned and stopped in front of him.

    ¡°Enjoying the party?¡±

    Ding, ding! My breasts greeted him from under the blouse as she moved from one foot to the other, changing the centre of gravity, my thights slowly, moving my hips whilst my head hung on one side. Of course, the healthy half of my face was for him to see. My long eyelashes (are my eyelashes so long?) blinked shortly.

    ¡°Starting to enjoy it, and you?¡±

    He replied with a smile I''d never seen before on his face when he was looking at me. As if he would show me thumbs-up for my look.

    Well, that was only the start-up. She sat near him on the couch, chatted with him and even touched him slightly to point out something. I was simply drooling behind those eyes that were looking at him, enjoying any moment.

    She even told him about Tim, that I am here to check on him, and both laughed over this, even if I despaired.

    Later on, Joe went to bring some drinks, and White Flower used the opportunity to talk to me:

    ¡°How am I doing?¡±

    ¡°I never managed to talk to him so long; you did well; keep on going!¡±

    ¡°Don''t forget about the lead for the coming week¡­ By the way, who is that guy?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is Matthew. It¡¯s new in our class, unfortunately, a poor loser¡­.¡±

    ¡°I like him. Why do you call him a loser? Hihi, look again.¡±

    ¡°Now concentrate on Joe. You are doing well, but you only started; if you screw it, gone is the week. Don''t flirt with that idiot. Look at his doggy eyes and open mouth; he will soon start salivating like Pavlov''s dogs. And he looks like the neanderthal at the human exposition.¡±

    ¡°But I like him; he looks open, sincere, straightforward.¡±

    Now, this is funny. I never thought I could not agree with myself on boys. Yeah, I was always a bit hesitant, that is true; maybe this is the reason why I am still single when almost all other girls have their friends. I do not look really that bad. I would say I look at least acceptable, but even girls that look worse than me have already had at least one boyfriend. And I am eighteen (being two months older than Lola) and had none. Sight.

    ¡°Flo, don¡¯t drive me crazy. I hate that loser. Joe is my option. Joe ok, Matt loser, Joe ok, Matt loser, clear?¡±

    I had been calling her Flo for some time. White Flower was too long, and Flo was much better. Getting cosy with my alter ego.

    ¡°Hmm, well, maybe a week''s lead is worth it.¡±

    When Joe came back, he invited me to dance, then we chatted again and then danced again.

    Dancing with him was a surreal experience for me.

    If I were there, I would tremble. But I was there, and she did not shake. She asked me a couple of times to take over, but I refused. I did not dare yet. I could enjoy it, let the feelings overwhelm me, savoured any moment and still be sure that she did everything perfectly.

    Splitt personality, I love you!

    Several others joined us, between them Janice, Clark and Thomas. After a while, we went to play snooker in the basement. It was intimate and romantic there, and we had a lot of fun.

    I heard Janice talking with Clark about Clara. The two, together with Thomas, were Clara''s colleagues, and for sure, my escapade with Clara''s ex will reach her ears very soon, but Joe seemed not to care, and since Flo allowed him to kiss me (actually my neck) he had sought contact with my skin very often. Yes, he showed me how to play, helping to guide my hand and so on.

    After the third game, Clark went to the toilet, and I went with Joe upstairs for another dance round. Thomas went with Janice to the kitchen to grab some food. Once we arrived in the room with the music, only a couple of pairs were dancing. A group of five was sitting in a corner and talking in a low voice. Joe embraced me immediately, and we started to move slowly in the rhythm. He then kissed me on my neck. Again. It was a simple, tender kiss, and I was in the ninth heaven. My heart bumped in my chest.

    I could not believe my luck. I could not believe it was happening. As we made another break and Joe went to bring more wine, Flo asked me:

    ¡°Do you want to take over? I think he wants to kiss you and makeout, you know?...¡±

    Take over? Me? My knees will get weak, and I will lose my balance instantly.

    ¡°No, please ¡­ you do it!¡±

    ¡°Oh, don''t exaggerate. Look, I did it for you. I can feel your feelings, but frankly speaking, I am not sure I want to make out with him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, please! I can feel I am here! Do not let me alone! I''ll panic!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on. This is not ok!¡±

    ¡°Please, please, please? You get a whole month to decide when you lead, but please, please, please?¡±

    She sighed, then laughed a little.

    ¡°OK, I started this; I''ll do it for you, but kissing him will be expensive...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure, but I will ask for fair trade. I won''t go further; kissing is my limit.¡±

    ¡°OK, sure. Whatever. A little makeout is included, hm?¡±

    I got only a grumble as an answer. This does not mean no, isn''t it? I was wondering, what will my alter ego ask for as a price for kissing him? Joe came back with two full glasses and sat with a smile near me.

    The fuck why am I so afraid to make out with him? She is so confident, poised and calm. Why can''t I be like her? He has always been my dream, and she conquered it one evening?

    ¡°By the way, how is your victim progressing?¡±

    He was asking about Tim. Flo shrugged:

    ¡°To tell the truth, I lost him.¡±

    ¡°Hm, I haven''t seen him anywhere; it could be that he went to the upper rooms.¡±

    Flo took the bait:

    ¡°I wonder what for? Are there other games like the snooker up there?¡±

    He had a mischievous grin.

    ¡°Hm. Good question. Should we check?... We could just stumble upon¡­ by accident.¡±

    ¡°So, do you want to go with him? This sounds like an invitation to visit the house?¡±

    At first, I thought she had asked me again to take the lead. I was still numb and emotionally charged one hundred per cent; therefore, I could hardly follow their conversation, my legs still trembling in my inner world. Is it really happening? Am I really on the verge of becoming his girlfriend?

    ¡°Oh sure, please...¡± I finally managed to answer her.

    ¡°Well, maybe I''ll check shortly...¡±

    He answered laughing:

    ¡°Hey, I cannot leave you alone on such a dangerous journey, and it is the best pretext to check the rooms.¡±

    We went in the direction of the stairs, I hanging at his arm with my body touching his at each step and chatting happily. We were almost dancing. I felt excited and felt his excitement.

    On the stairs, I felt as if all were watching us. Maybe they did. Flo stopped, and Joe put an arm around me again. He then continued whispering in my ear:

    ¡°It is funny; we have known each other for almost a year, we are colleagues, but I have the feeling I have never really known you before.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡±

    Flo was going to answer him with something wise, and meanwhile, I could enjoy it.

    Yes, baby, yes! It is real; it is me! I was feeling great! It was not like a film you watched; it was so much more; I was there, touching and feeling his fingers on my skin. His hand was now around my waistline; his fingers slipped a little under my shirt, dragging me with more power against his body. My leg was touching his leg, and my breathing accelerated. Feelings submerged me; my heart was beating harder, faster, stronger. There was something in the air around us; you felt you could almost touch the tension between us, and I felt his accelerated breathing on my neck.

    Strange, even if not in the lead, my feelings reflect in my heartbeat, my breathing, which means that it is still me here under my split-personality-alter-ego. But what does Flo want to do? Can she no longer wait for us to go upstairs? Does she want to give a kissing show here on the stairs?

    She acts as if she would have some other priority suddenly. Confused, I felt a different tension building up in Flo, fear and hesitance. What was wrong? What does she fear? She stayed on the stairs, resisted his push and finally looked behind and saw him, the cause of her fear.

    She said, shocked:

    ¡°¡­ a Warlock!¡±

 Chapter 71 - What Have You Done Again?

    Ayra stood before the weathered wooden door, pausing for a moment. Inhaling deeply, she summoned all the courage she could find and rapped on the door.

    "Come in!"

    The voice of a bored old man resonated from within.

    She cautiously entered the dimly lit room, struggling to see him as he sat at the table.

    He glanced up at her, and she detected a glimmer of interest in his eyes. Maybe her fears were unfounded; perhaps he would be willing to assist her.

    Despair had been gradually taking hold of her. The training was moving at a snail''s pace, with numerous tasks taking precedence over actual training. She had pleaded multiple times to be transferred to the mage training camp. Recalling what Cala had said about Spartacius needing a mage, not an archer, she aspired to become one. While there was a mage training group available, it was pricier as it involved a hired mage from the Golden Empire.

    She had even sought an audience with the superior mother, imploring for funds to cover the training expenses, but her pleas fell on deaf ears, even if she was speaking of her own money, the money that Cala had given her.

    When she went for the third time, she ended up disciplined in front of her squad for her rudeness and stubbornness.

    Afterward, rather than surrendering, she confronted the superior mother during one of her supervision rounds. She asserted her right to the funds and accused the superior mother of misappropriating her money. She even attempted to intimidate the superior mother.

    "I''ll report everything to Lady Cala!" she threatened.

    The superior mother''s face paled, but then she fixed her with a malevolent grin.

    "Do you believe that Cala the Assassin will even care if she learns that you met an unfortunate accident?"

    Cala the Assassin? Was that her nickname? She couldn''t help but recall the horrifying memories of the slaver''s raid, and the hair on her neck stood on end in fear.

    The superior mother''s grin widened as she observed her with calculating eyes. She kept talking, relishing every word.

    "Yes, she''s a footman of Tenebra''s Black Temple, maybe even the chief footman. Do you really think she''d concern herself with someone as insignificant as you? If she ever did anything for you, it was probably on a whim or for some ulterior motive."

    A chilling sensation sent shivers down Ayra''s spine. The superior mother''s words held an uncomfortable truth. There was something about Cala that resonated with Tenebra''s dark influence, and Ayra had felt it. Cala had shown no willingness to act until Spartacius had pressed her to help. She might have left all those people to remain enslaved, Ayra included. Fear and panic tightened their grip on her heart, rendering her speechless, and she bowed her head in submission.

    But that was not enough for the superior mother.

    Afterward, she had been taken away. She had been bound to a pole, and her back and ass beaten with a thick wooden stick.

    Ten times. Ten hard hits. She screamed after the first strike and started to cry after the second one.

    Oh, how they laughed when the punisher hit her ass, and she yelled in pain. Not everybody laughed, but many did.

    When the torment ended, and she had been unbound, she fell like a sack to the ground. As she lay there, the superior mother came near her and spoke in a low voice:

    ¡°If I ever hear another complaint about you, your next punishment will be one hundred strokes with the many-headed whip. A simple horsewhip would be too kind for you. Such insolence!¡±

    After that ordeal, she received no healing, and the pain became her constant companion. Some of the girls, not all, joined the chorus of cruel laughter. They started to taunt her as Ayra-the-stick-mage.

    The marks left by that cursed stick on her body remained visible and painful to the touch even a week later. She couldn''t sit comfortably, and her nights were restless as she could only sleep on her belly, yet the demands of work pressed on.

    Some of the girls would conveniently bump into her. "Oops, excuse me!" Their deliberate actions were met with laughter from the group, even as Ayra cried out in pain. The camp, once a refuge, had transformed into a prison day by day.

    When Noviel came back, a glimmer of hope returned to Ayra. She yearned to hear news of Spartacius, but what Noviel told her was so astounding that it was hard to accept. She didn''t want to believe it. No, it couldn''t be true. Noviel''s account must have been mistaken.

    And now, Noviel was departing. Breaking her contract had marked her as an outcast. Despite pleas from her former mentor, Mother Anora, to the superior mother for a second chance, Noviel was exiled and had to leave without delay.

    Observing Noviel getting ready to depart, Ayra made up her mind to have a conversation with the mage trainer. Although she felt sympathy for Noviel, a new realization hit her: Spartacius was without his mercenary once more.

    She needed to expedite her training to become one herself because she knew that he would return to enlist a new mercenary!

    Perhaps everything had unfolded this way for her to become his mercenary. She had an unshakable faith in destiny, convinced that this was her fated path.

    The impatient voice snapped her back to the present.

    ¡°What do you want! I don''t have time to waste!¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    The mage briefly glanced at her before returning to his reading. As she ventured further into the room, he halted her with a gesture.

    "Close the door," he ordered, "and speak."

    She obeyed, securing the door behind her, then turned back to the mage and respectfully bowed before making her plea.

    "Honored Master, I humbly request permission to join the mage training sessions."

    A faint chuckle escaped the mage as he scrutinized her.

    "Hm! You''re that fool who received a flogging a week ago," he remarked, eliciting a blush from her.

    She lowered her head in embarrassment.

    "Yes, Master."

    He grinned.

    ¡°Show me!¡±

    She watched him for a couple of seconds, not understanding what he requested. He lost his patience.

    ¡°Undress!¡±

    She took off her jacket and blouse with trembling hands. She stood there holding her clothes in front of her. He raised his eyes again, stood up, and came closer. He walked around her.

    ¡°And further? Drop them!¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    He had a magic staff in his hand and hit her over the back with it. It was not a hard hit, but enough to excise a pained yell from her.

    ¡°Do you want the training or not?¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    For her question, she received another hit over her back that met the blue marks from her last beating. She yelled in pain. She was perplexed and turned to talk to him.

    He swatted her cheek with his hand so hard that she fell to the ground.

    ¡°I will take you, but you need to learn your place. You are to sleep in my laboratory and do everything I will ask of you without questions. After one year, if I am satisfied with you, you may try to learn the basics from that book.¡±

    He pointed towards the book he was studying.

    ¡°That is the book to become an archmage. I will allow you to look into it, but I doubt you will be able to learn even a spell. If you ever question one word of what I say, if you ever do something a little different from what I say you should do, I will find ways to make you regret that."

    He grinned, happy at the thought.

    "Now, stay here as you are, and do not move until I return. Put your hands on the floor!! If I don''t find you with your hands on the floor, I''ll glue them there. I''m going to talk to the superior mother to let me discipline you. You''ll be my personal assistant, and you''ll learn to obey.¡±

    The obscene explosion of pure hate and desire to dominate her made her shiver. She watched with horror as the door closed behind him, not understanding the world anymore.

    She started to cry with her hands as if glued to the floor. She did not dare to wipe her tears.

    This... this behavior was precisely what she had fled. And this madness had found her even here, in what was meant to be her sanctuary. Was this her destiny? To become enslaved?

    The mage acted like a slave master, treating her with the same disdain. She inhaled deeply and shut her eyes.

    No! Sir Spartacius had liberated her from the slavers. Should she undo what he had done?

    She reopened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, then began to get dressed. Exhaling resolutely, she declared to herself, "Never a slave! I will escape."

    Was this yet another trial? Why had fate led her to this place? She approached the door to exit the room, and as she was closing it, her eyes fell upon a book in its weighty leather binding.

    She paused. The book seemed to beckon her.

    Should she agree to become the apprentice of this crazy, eccentric mage just to gain knowledge from it?

    NO!

    She swiftly approached the table, shut the book, placed it into a sack, and then hurriedly left the room with the bag clutched under her arm.

    She moved through the dimly lit corridors, attempting to draw as little attention as possible. Her goal was to escape the camp, but how could she achieve it? Carefully, she made her way toward the stables, but just as she approached, the blaring alarm horn startled her. In a panic, she sought refuge amidst the hay.

    "What have you done now?" a voice inquired.

    Ayra froze and turned to see Noviel saddling a horse. Noviel''s gaze fell upon Ayra''s red cheek, where five fingers could be seen, and sighed. Her eyes narrowed.

    "Who did that?" - she asked.

    Ayra trembled, her voice a mere whisper from her hiding place.

    "Please, please, don''t tell them you saw me!"

    Noviel shook her head, her expression resolute. "Be silent. Do you truly believe you can evade them here?"

    Ayra''s fear was evident. She uttered softly, "They''ll kill me if they catch me. The superior mother vowed to flog me one hundred times if I..."

    Noviel tsked and cut her short:

    ¡°This cannot be!¡±

    "She had already flogged me," Ayra confessed. "I told her I would tell Cala that she stole my money!"

    "She stole your money?" Noviel inquired, glancing around cautiously.

    Ayra confirmed, "The four gold that Cala had put in my..."

    Noviel swiftly opened a sack. "Shh! Get in here!"

    Ayra eyed the sack, then Noviel, and without hesitation, squeezed herself inside, making herself as small as possible. She tried to keep her own sack with the book in her arms, but Noviel took it from her.

    "I''ll keep it separate. Now, hush!"

    Noviel pressed Ayra''s head down and concealed her with hay to obscure her outline. Satisfied with her efforts, she closed the sack and secured it with leather straps alongside two other sacks containing her belongings. To maintain balance, she added a couple of stones on the opposite side. Then, with some effort, she lifted all three sacks and placed two on one side of her horse and the sack with Ayra on the other side. Above them, she added two smaller bags to further mask Ayra''s presence. With her preparations complete, she led the horse out of the barn.

    Within a couple of minutes, Noviel was riding beyond the camp''s confines. The gate guards, familiar with her, bid her good luck as she passed.

    Ayra was confined inside the sack, feeling almost suffocated, but she dared not make a sound. The hay clung to her skin, and she sensed the occasional movement, possibly a spider. She bit her trembling lip until it drew blood, all the while remaining still. Amid the camp''s discussions and distant commotion, she pondered whether Noviel would deliver her to freedom or take another course of action.

    Once Noviel disappeared from the guards'' view, she urged her horse forward. After a time, she veered off the road and entered an abandoned farm. It was there that she finally released Ayra, who crumpled into her arms, overcome with tears.

 Chapter 72 - Rumours and Mirrors

    ¡°It cannot be true!¡±

    ¡°Do you accuse me of lying?¡±

    Noviel''s brows furrowed as she watched Ayra with a half-amused, half-angry-mad smile. She was still distraught at what Spartacius had requested from her, but Ayra could hardly accept the facts.

    She sighed. Ayra''s resemblance to her own was disturbing. It was as if looking into a mirror. A distorting mirror. Gone were her muscles. In front of her was a weak girl, a weak self a couple of years younger, plump and naive. Looking at Ayra, she understood why she had been chosen, which angered her even more.

    Ayra had shared her story with Noviel, who had vowed to assist her in escaping to Lilitown. However, their conversation inevitably circled back to Ayra''s unwavering fixation on Spartacius, as Noviel saw it.

    They remained sheltered inside the farm, occupying the sole room with a mostly intact roof. Seated at a table, they dined on provisions provided by Noviel. Outside, heavy rain poured down, reducing visibility to just a few meters.

    Raindrops created a persistent drumming on the tiled roof with increased intensity. Ayra cast a concerned gaze at the deluge that encircled the building, while Noviel, in contrast, found solace in it. The rain would significantly hamper any tracking efforts and, hopefully, keep their pursuers at bay.

    Ayra attempted, once again, to offer a plausible explanation. "No, no. I didn''t mean that. What I meant was..."

    Noviel exhaled with frustration and cut her off. "Dany, Questa, and Damia were there¡ªthree of my old friends who joined the guards in Lilitown! And what does your Sir tell me? He told me coldly: ''Kill them! Kill them!'' Is that not the act of a demon?"

    "But... but, I know Sir Spartacius. He would never..."

    Noviel snorted in disdain, leaned in with her hands on the table, bringing her face closer to Ayra''s, and fixed her gaze directly on her eyes. "Your Sir is a demon!"

    Ayra leaned back further in her chair, squinting against the intense glare. Could this really be just a twist of fate? Was it destined for Noviel to return to the camp and rescue her?

    But she hesitated to voice this thought to Noviel. She shook her head; Noviel needed to arrive at that realization on her own.

    "No, it can''t be! There must have been something else he meant," Ayra protested.

    Noviel settled back in her chair, her face flushed with anger, and let out an exasperated sigh. "What else could ''KILL THEM'' possibly mean?"

    Ayra drew in a deep breath, preparing to respond, but for a moment, she was left speechless. After some contemplation, she tilted her head to the side and looked at Noviel with a sidelong glance.

    Speaking softly, she ventured, "Could it have been some kind of test?"

    Noviel observed her, a look of confusion on her face. She responded with a wheeze, "A test? A test? To see if I''d kill my friends? No, I would never do that." With a solemn expression, she added, "Even if it meant my own life."

    Ayra''s left cheek quivered, betraying her nervousness. She had listened to Noviel''s story, aware that she meant every word. Nonetheless, Ayra weakly protested, "But I do know him! He wouldn''t mean that!"

    Noviel wearily shrugged, saying, "You can''t possibly know him! He might have liked you, but..."

    Tears welled up in Ayra''s eyes as she poured out her explanation. "He didn''t demand anything from me, not a thing! He rescued me from those slavers and risked his life to save me! It was three against him, and they nearly killed him before his ruthless mother reluctantly stepped in to help him."

    "His mother?" Noviel questioned, a perplexed look on her face.

    Ayra lifted her gaze and spoke, tinged with both fear and disdain. "Cala the Assassin, Tenebra''s right hand."

    Noviel''s eyebrows shot up, and she let out an astonished gasp, struggling to grasp Ayra''s words.

    "Tenebra''s right hand? She can''t be his mother!? Or Tenebra''s..."

    Ayra stubbornly kept her gaze fixed on a point in the air as if watching something only she could see.

    "He said it so himself. He called her ''mom.'' I heard it. And she protected him in her own strange way. As if wanting to teach him a lesson. She is a monster; you cannot imagine how fast and how deadly she is, and the superior mother herself told me that she''s Tenebra''s right hand!"

    Now Ayra raised her eyes to meet Noviel''s.

    "And you believed her?" - Noviel wondered.

    Ayra nodded hesitantly. "I... I... Maybe it''s not true... but Cala has this... this aura... I could sense it..."

    Noviel sighed deeply and shook her head. Her voice dropped to a hushed tone as she spoke,

    "Tenebra''s right hand? That can''t be true. I know Alice; she''s my aunt, my only family in this cursed world. She''d never serve Tenebra''s henchman! She even risked her own and Cala''s reputation to save me using witchcraft potions."

    Ayra shrugged, feeling calmer but resolute in her beliefs.

    "Who knows what their arrangement is? I think Alice might have been promised they''d eliminate the great evils in this world. She even mentioned..." She started to whisper, "She spoke even of killing Lord Mephisto himself. I used to think it was crazy bragging, but now... I''m not so certain."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Noviel exclaimed, "My aunt boasting? No, she never did that; that''s simply not her. From what you say, I fear that this Cala business is way beyond our understanding. We should probably just let it go. Oh, my poor aunt, what kind of a deal did she make? She must have been deceived by empty promises! If this is true, your Spartacius may be even more demonic than I thought!"

    Ayra took a deep breath, her eyes welling up with tears. "No, please, don''t say that about Spartacius! I''m certain he didn''t intend for you to kill those guards. It must have been a test."

    "A test?" Noviel questioned. "A test for what? To see if I''d shoot and kill them?"

    "No, not that," Ayra explained, her conviction growing. "The test was whether you were ready, whether you were willing. That''s the only explanation I can believe!"

    "But why would he put me through such a test? It doesn''t make sense," Noviel wondered.

    Ayra''s enthusiasm grew. "Who knows what he''s up against! Who knows what he''s facing, what kind of evil! He needed to be absolutely sure that you would trust his word above everything else!"

    Noviel shook her head, finding it hard to believe that Ayra might actually be onto something, as ridiculous as it seemed. It was rather irritating to consider that this plump, seemingly simple girl could have a better grasp of the situation than herself.

    She repeated with stubborn skepticism, "This just doesn''t add up."

    But Ayra, now firmly committed to her theory, insisted, "What if evil spirits had taken control of your friends? What if they were being manipulated by malevolent forces? In that case, you couldn''t afford to wait for proof from Spartacius! It might have been too late!"

    Noviel paused, still grappling with disbelief. "But they weren''t possessed, were they?"

    Ayra grinned, a trace of mischief in her smile.

    "So, what was your response back then?" she inquired. "What did you say when he asked you to shoot them?"

    Noviel suddenly felt weary of the whole conversation. She knew Ayra was searching for any means to clear Spartacius. She had been certain there was no way to do that, but now Ayra seemed to have found one, even if it sounded absurd and far-fetched.

    "I told him no," Noviel admitted, her voice heavy with resignation. "I simply refused and turned my back on him."

    Ayra''s expression turned nearly triumphant. "And what happened next?"

    Noviel sighed. "That was it. There wasn''t much he could do as the guards arrived to arrest him, and he was wise enough not to face them alone. I, on the other hand, left to..."

    Ayra nodded knowingly, placing her hand on her face. "You failed his test. Poor Spartacius, alone again!"

    Noviel''s eyes shot an intense glare.

    "Poor Spartacius?! He compelled me to... Oh, cut it out. It''s not true!..." - she declared, then she got an idea -"Do you know something?"

    "What do you mean?" Ayra inquired.

    "Now that you''ve brought up Cala, maybe you''re onto something..." Noviel pondered.

    Ayra observed her with a quizzical expression. "Why do you say that?"

    Noviel grinned.

    "Take a look at this burnt-down farm. All the farms along this road have been laid to waste. Burned by a dragon. Word in Lilitown is that it''s because Cala provoked the witch in the mountain, and her dragon wreaked havoc," Noviel explained.

    "Cala provoked her?" Ayra questioned. She had heard some rumors in the camp, too, but she had been too busy with her own problems to listen to them.

    Noviel nodded, her left hand resting on the table. She leaned on her hand to get closer to Ayra.

    "Yeah, I heard some rumors, but I couldn''t believe it. However, if she''s working for Tenebra, and if that''s true, it might explain why she can openly provoke even the witch in the mountain without repercussions. I never bought into those rumors, but now... they might hold some truth," Noviel raised her head. "And if Spartacius is her son, as you seem to suspect, he could be a demon!"

    Ayra let out a sigh and gave her head a dismissive shake. Her belief in Spartacius being a force for good was unwavering.

    "No, he isn''t. And even if he were, he''s a good demon!" she insisted.

    Noviel snorted, her patience wearing thin.

    "There''s no such thing as a good demon! Even Manchua, the priest, has spoken of this new wave of demons coming to our world just for the thrill of it. They kill, they murder for fun! He''s not what you think he is; he must be one of them!" Noviel argued.

    Ayra attempted to voice her protest once more.

    "But he saved me..."

    Noviel''s voice rose, her eyes filled with frustration.

    "Yes, I know. But that doesn''t change..."

    Before she could finish, Ayra''s fiery response cut in.

    "He saved all those people at the outpost! He saved them from slavery! He compelled his mother; he forced her to stand against the empire and set them free! Just the three of them against a whole raiding party! And they emerged victorious, liberating them all!"

    Noviel let out a sigh. While Ayra''s description of such a feat seemed like something achievable only through demonic or heroic power, the fact that it served a noble purpose was perplexing. Perhaps some high-ranking royal paladins could pull off such feats, Noviel considered.

    She reclined in her chair, deep in thought. "But isn''t she too young to be his mother?" she mused.

    "Why else would he call her ''mom'' then? And she responded quite naturally when he called her that. She appears youthful. How can we possibly know her true age? There are ancient tales about her, and I remember one of the earliest stories I heard was about her. I was about six years old at the time. Do you know the story of High Vezir Kowak? The one about the founding of our republic? When the Vezir was assassinated! Do you remember who did it?"

    Noviel whispered, "Calamity Lara! That''s Cala the Assassin!"

    "Exactly! She may be older than she appears! That was eight or ten years ago, right?"

    "It''s possible," Noviel conceded.

    Ayra''s determination remained unshaken. "I''m going to follow him! I am going to find out! I am going to help him and prove to you that he''s good, that he''s not a demon!"

    Noviel chuckled, slightly amused. "You''ll meet your demise the moment you step outside this farm. The creatures here are far more treacherous than the ones you encountered around the outpost!"

    But Ayra couldn''t be swayed. "I''ll learn magic! I have a book! Give it to me!"

    Noviel let out a sigh. "Not right now. We''ll head to Lilitown. I need to find an enchanter to examine it. The book might be tracked. In my inventory, it''s concealed and untraceable. Once we''re in Lilitown, we can investigate. We''ll inquire about what transpired there concerning your Sir and his demon mother. I''m sure we''ll uncover wrongdoing and misdeeds. That''s what demons are known for!"

    "No, you''ll see that I''m right!" Ayra insisted.

    The horse raised its head and let out a soft neigh. Noviel nodded, saying, "Yeah, we''ll keep quiet now."

    She took her saddle, placed it near the horse, and settled down for some sleep beside the horse. A minute later, Ayra joined her, resting against Noviel.

    The only remaining disturbance in the otherwise silent night was the rhythmic drumming of rain on the tiled roof.

 Chapter 73 - Lobotomized

    "...a warlock," Flo said, her voice tinged with surprise, just during the brief pause between two songs.

    Joe, baffled like the rest of us, furrowed his brow. "I beg your pardon?"

    He looked around in confusion.

    Forced to follow her gaze, I spotted a tall, young boy, roughly the same size as Joe, with dark hair, a prominent nose, and menacing black eyes.

    He hesitated, his gaze locked onto mine, and just as Joe began to ask, "Do you know..."

    I sensed that familiar tingle, the sensation you get in the game when someone''s probing your magic.

    The response to his ''identify'' spell didn''t appear to please him, but it wasn''t exactly fear-inducing. He abruptly grabbed an empty wine bottle by the neck and smashed it against the table, muttering, "Now, what do we have here, bitch?"

    It was rather eerie. I couldn''t help but wonder what level Flo was. Unfortunately, I hadn''t checked that in the game.

    Joe, increasingly bewildered, finished his sentence, "...him?"

    A girl let out a scream, causing the dancers to halt mid-move and look around in surprise. The once cozy, dimly lit dance room now resembled more of a fight-club alley.

    The warlock advanced toward me, seemingly unperturbed by the commotion, his gaze fixed on White Flower... well, me.

    Joe, my supposed white knight in shining armor, made an attempt to intervene, saying, "Hey? What are you doing?"

    The instant the warlock turned his attention to Joe, he swiftly sidestepped away from me, and with a yell, he instructed, "Run!"

    To my amazement, Joe heeded his own advice and bolted, not exactly displaying chivalry, and sought refuge among the other partygoers.

    Regrettably, Flo took her sweet time deciding on a course of action. By the time she attempted to follow Joe, it was too late; the warlock sneered and blocked her path.

    "No, you stay!" he commanded. Then he cast a curse on me, a spell I recognized from Mephisto.

    I was stunned. It only now hit me what Flo had said earlier: a warlock! A Mephi warlock was here!?

    "A player? Is this some guy taking Mephi way too far?" I wondered.

    But how could that even be possible? My brain was working overtime, attempting to make sense of the situation.

    In the blink of an eye, Flo managed to undo the curse on herself.

    She acted so swiftly that it revealed impressive skills; I was astonished to realize that she could dispel curses!

    Their actions unfolded so rapidly that I could hardly keep up. She attempted to cast a spell on him, but as she raised her hand, he struck her with the broken bottle, slicing her hand. The pain shot through me as it was my own flesh that was being cut.

    Flo recoiled with a cry of pain, her spell going awry, and she took another step back. He continued his relentless assault, unleashing fiery spells, and Flo retreated further. She managed to free herself from the curse once more but then stumbled on the stairs, blood flowing from her wounded hand. Panic gripped both of us.

    His spells echoed like firecrackers, their explosive force rattling the windows. Flo alternated between healing and dispelling curses while he relentlessly cast spells and struck. The sheer power of his fireblasts shattered the walls, and he outmatched me significantly in both strength and speed.

    "Run, head up the stairs!" I yelled in my mind, not offering much help.

    He forced Flo to stumble once more, kicking my feet out from under me, and she screamed in agony as she collided with the stairs, her knees taking the brunt of the impact. While she tried to rise, he seized my hair with his left hand and flung me backward.

    I felt like a crash dummy as I hurtled through the air.

    I was feeling feeble, utterly powerless. With one hand, he could toss me aside like a ragdoll. It was akin to a nightmarish scenario where I couldn''t budge, only able to witness my impending doom.

    His right knee collided with my side, sending me sprawling, and I saw flashes of green from the searing pain. However, the anticipated blow with the bottle never materialized.

    Flo swiftly pivoted, and I beheld Matthew wrestling with the warlock, tightly grasping the warlock''s right hand and pulling him away from me.

    Taking advantage of this momentary relief, Flo struck the warlock in the stomach with her right hand, casting an ice lance spell. It seemed to be her first more aggressive spell, and it dawned on me that they had both been refraining from employing truly damaging spells thus far.

    The spell had sufficient force to push the warlock back several paces, perhaps prompting him to reconsider the confrontation. He gazed at me, an expression of astonishment etched on his face as his stomach turned into a frozen mass.

    Regrettably, it was only a glancing blow; most of the spell''s force veered off course, flash-freezing the fish tank to the left, shattering the glass into countless fragments. The image of a frozen fish with its mouth agape left an indelible mark in my mind.

    With the warlock''s grip on me loosening, Flo seized Matthew''s hand and pulled him away, urging, "Come!"

    She raced up the stairs, pulling him along. He took the steps two at a time, and once we reached the top, he was the one leading the way.

    Amidst the chaos and the warlock''s piercing screams, a fiery explosion echoed through the room. The ice-blocked aquarium shattered into countless fragments.

    "He used a fire spell to melt the ice. I was too rattled, and my spell mostly missed. I should have frozen him solid," Flo lamented.

    "Doesn''t a frozen belly kill him?" I asked, still in a state of confusion and fear.

    "It hurt him, but he won''t die from it," Flo replied.

    She dashed down the corridor and swung open a door but did not enter and ran toward the end of the hall.

    "No, no!" Matthew objected, clutching my hand with his larger, warmer one and urging me towards the room. "Let''s barricade ourselves in the room."

    Heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs, and at the same time, a couple emerged from a nearby room, looking bewildered. Smoke billowed up from below, and sounds of coughing reached our ears.

    A guy, who I thought was Nick, one of my colleagues, came sprinting up from the lower floor. Flo nearly blasted him in her panic. She quickly darted into the room, and Matthew followed her in.

    Once I was inside, Matthew swiftly closed the door. "We''ll barricade ourselves in here until the police arrive."

    He began pushing a cupboard to block the door, but Flo rushed to the window and flung it open.

    She shook her head. "I''m not staying," she declared.

    As I struggled to hoist myself up on the ledge, Matthew sprinted over and intercepted me, gripping my hand.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "Where are you going, Dolores? You''re injured! We should wait for the police and an ambulance! Let me at least try to wrap a bandage around your hand; you''re losing blood! Where can I find..."

    He glanced at my blood-soaked hand and was about to check for more injuries when Flo shook her head and made a disapproving noise.

    "Matt, this is nothing! I don''t want to stay here near that guy."

    In the next moment, I was completely healed. He was utterly stunned.

    "Your, your..."

    He pointed at my face, seemingly baffled. As he released my hand, Flo perched on the windowsill and nimbly shifted my feet to the other side. He steadied me as she climbed down a trellis leaning against the wall.

    The ladder had been there to support some roses climbing the wall almost to this height. It creaked like a living thing as she stepped on it but held. He muttered something but followed.

    Flo leaped down from a couple of meters high, and I winced internally, fearing she might have broken something. I certainly had some bruises and scratches from the thorny roses, but she healed me in an instant. Unfortunately, my blouse was beyond saving. I sighed to myself, thinking that this reminded me of Cala; it seemed like Flo had something against blouses. A few seconds later, he made it down, too, with a bloody finger. She healed him immediately, without a word.

    He stood there, staring at his finger and then back at me.

    Moments later, we were leaping over small hedges, putting more distance between us and the house. I could hear sirens wailing in the distance, accompanied by the flashing blue lights, but we had already distanced ourselves significantly.

    "Shouldn''t we go back?" he pondered.

    Flo gazed at him and broke into a smile. She drew him closer and planted a real, unexpected kiss on his lips. It took me by surprise, and I think he felt the same. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my heart pounding in my chest. The panic had faded, and she seemed alive and joyful.

    "No," she finally replied, "I feel safer far away from there. Thank you for saving me!"

    He stood taller than me, his keen blue eyes scrutinizing me. I had to admit, there was a hint of charm in them. His brow furrowed.

    Flo arched an eyebrow. "What now? Do I get complaints?"

    His cheeks flushed, and he stammered, "Your... your burns are gone? Your face is completely healed?"

    She chuckled, looking taken aback. "Oh, is that your concern?" She shrugged. "I suppose those were unintended side effects."

    I let out a shocked squeal, "Whaaaat? What did you do? Nobody can magically heal here! That''s insane! What have you done?"

    He stammered again, "You... you... call that unintended side effects?"

    She sighed, then chuckled softly. "I''ll have to make the burns reappear. I''ve heard that magical healing is impossible here."

    She mostly disregarded my exclamations.

    He nodded, affirming, "That''s right. How did you manage it? You healed my finger, too? It''s... it''s extraordinary!"

    She let out a sigh. "Can you keep a secret?"

    I think she did cast something, perhaps a spell of some sort, as she continued, "Will you promise to keep my healing a secret? Everything about me a secret?"

    "I... of course, if that''s what you want! I''ll keep it all a secret," he replied, letting out a sigh. "But seriously, everything about you? Are you some kind of... a superhero?"

    She chuckled once more. "No, definitely not."

    He leaned in, curiosity getting the better of him. "Who was that guy? What did he want from you?"

    She took his hand in hers. It felt strange to feel those thick, warm fingers in my hand. She seemed to be fond of it and squeezed it gently.

    "I don''t know. You see," she turned her head toward him, looking deep into his eyes.

    I couldn''t say I liked his face, but she seemed to find it... appealing? Yes, I could sense her feelings.

    Uh, deep in my thoughts, analyzing her feelings, I missed a part of what she said.

    "...until half an hour ago, I was wondering if other people in this world could perform magic. Well, now I know better; he was one of those people. He was a warlock."

    She''s me, isn''t she? It''s strange how I can chat with him while thinking about something completely different!

    "A warlock?" he questioned.

    She let out a sigh. "I was too taken aback to sense him, too surprised, and I spoke aloud, too loudly. He heard me, and that''s what set everything in motion. It was my mistake. It shouldn''t have come to that."

    "Wait, wait, wait!" he interjected rapidly. "What do you mean by ''sense him''? How could you do that?"

    "Oh," she sighed, "I felt his magical aura, not him. To cast a spell, you need something that people call mana. I refer to it as magic; it''s the same thing. Almost all spellcasters produce mana. Their bodies can contain a certain amount, but it''s limited. Most of the mana they produce lingers in the air around the caster, forming their magical aura. This aura is also magic and can be controlled, but it''s not easy. Some aura users can do incredible things with it, but for most spellcasters, it''s just like body odor, like sweat. Our warlock had rudimentary control over his aura, but I sensed it. Do you understand what I mean?"

    "Oh, you can detect them the same way Cala does?" - I wondered

    She confirmed it to me.

    "Yes!"

    He nodded.

    "I think I can. What did he want?"

    "That''s a good question. Initially, he probed to check if I had magic. He sensed a bit, and he assumed I was weak. Once again, that was both his and my mistake. I should have either concealed it completely or intimidated him. After I hit him with a more powerful spell, I think he decided the fight was too risky."

    "Oh. Would you mind explaining a bit more?" he inquired.

    She smiled, and we strolled hand in hand, heading toward the park behind my house. She sighed and guided him to a bench overlooking the lake.

    "I''ll explain; just give me a moment," she said, glancing around. "I like this place. Look how marvelous the stars reflect in the lake! No moons today?"

    ¡°Flo, there is only one moon here!¡±

    ¡°The moon will come out later. Why?¡±

    She shrugged. "Just for seeing it reflected in the lake."

    ¡°So you are kind of a ¡­? Mage? Witch?¡±

    She balanced her feet under the bench and watched him. ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    Her eyes had a glint in them, and I saw it in his eyes.

    "Damn! My alter ego seems to like this Neanderthal! I''m in real trouble here. What can I do?"

    I tried to ignore her shenanigans and focus on something else. I''ll need to rethink and process this whole situation. Does the warlock know who I am? I have no idea who he is. Maybe a friend of a colleague. Will he come looking for me at my place? Why did he attack me? Are there more like him?

    *

    Cala stopped, resting with a hand against a wall.

    ¡°If I do some crazy shit, just kill me!¡± - she said.

    She was barely standing.

    Alice struggled to carry Tina. A short distance behind them, Spartacius dropped to his knees, his strength failing. Alice was carrying Tina because it hadn''t crossed her mind that she needed to help her. Now Alice had to turn back to support Spartacius.

    She wanted to help, but Alice was already there. Why hadn''t she thought of assisting Spartacius? Her thoughts spun in confusion. What remained clear to her was that Alice was her friend, and she had to be there for her.

    With this realization sinking in, Cala clutched her katars more tightly. This was her unique way of providing support.

    She moved closer to Alice, ready to protect her from any threat.

    Spartacius grumbled:

    ¡°Just let me die.¡±

    The Lynx rolled his eyes tiredly.

    "The way is clear ahead; put the two on my back," - he said to Alice.

    Since Dolores had left, White Flower had disappeared, too, and they had no healing. Besides that, Cala had started to behave strangely. She appeared to have forgotten much of her knowledge and struggled to hold more than one thought in her mind at a time.

    For instance, if you instructed her to carry Spartacius, she would comply. However, she might then forget she was holding him and attempt to engage in a fight while still carrying him. To resolve this, you''d have to direct her to put him down first and then instruct her to join the battle.

    In the end, Alice decided to tell her to guard them. That seemed to work.

    It took them a while to grasp the situation, and afterward, they engaged in extensive discussions, attempting to decide what to do. The Lynx suggested attempting to sneak outside, but Alice believed it was too risky. Cala was content to simply stand by and listen.

    However, their situation took a turn for the worse when more orcs arrived, forcing them to make a hasty retreat. The caverns were an extensive labyrinth, a sprawling network of tunnels and chambers, all orc-infested.

    They had been sleep-deprived for what felt like an eternity. They no longer had time for anything. Not even to properly sit and eat. The constant fear of orc attacks loomed, and Cala had, on several occasions, leaped to shield Tina or Spartacius from those accursed orc arrows. That was one thing she could understand and do, but in other matters, her thinking had become simplistic and limited.

    Alice glanced worriedly at Cala.

    ¡°Come, we must go further! Take care with those katars!¡±

    Cala complied, an arrow still protruding from her shoulder bone. She had forgotten to ask Alice to pull it out.

    ¡°Alice! Arrow!¡±

    Alice turned, saw the arrow, and sighed.

    ¡°Oh, sure! Don''t let it stay so long; please speak sooner!¡±

    Cala sighed, a lost look on her face. Why did Spartacius remember and she did not? Why was he sane and she not? Why was everything so unfair?

 Chapter 74 â€“ Drivers License Needed

    White Flower eventually had her fill of jesting and flirting.

    It might have taken them about fifteen minutes, but for me, it felt like hours. As we finally reached the area behind my house, she bid farewell to Matt.

    He paused and gazed at the towering tree with a puzzled expression.

    In the end, he quipped, "Don''t tell me you''re a woodland fairy living inside that...?"

    She burst into hearty laughter. "Good one! You have no idea how close you are. Well, now I''m going to vanish! See you!"

    He observed me, taken aback, but a smile of comprehension crossed his face as I retrieved my sports shoes from the hollow in the tree.

    "Oh!" he exclaimed, then chuckled and waved as I began ascending the tree.

    Once she returned control of my body to me, I swiftly climbed under his inquisitive gaze, with the other shoes hanging in a pouch on my belt. I had never climbed the tree that quickly before. I entered my room through the window and immediately rushed to the bathroom to wash my face and mouth:

    "How could you kiss him?" I questioned, my anger evident.

    She brushed off my criticism and offered her own complaint.

    Seems like she wasn''t pleased with me either.

    I stood above the toilet, ready to puke.

    "Bleeh!! Ugh!!"

    She retorted, growing increasingly frustrated.

    Her response only fueled my irritation.

    Instead of apologizing, she asserted her ''rights'' even more.

    The conversation left me even more exhausted.

    I sighed. She had some valid points, but I just couldn''t stand Matthew.

    I continued to wash my face. Maybe I should take a shower to clean myself up. Yes, a shower is a good idea!

    She protested once more, "I''ll kiss whomever I want whenever I want! At least he didn''t run away like your so-called hero!"

    I closed my eyes and let the shower water wash over my skin. I covered my face with my hands. How could I make her understand that she can''t just kiss anyone she pleases? She should be kissing the ones I want!

    I sighed once more. Could I even become a warlock''s toy? Is that really possible? Well, at least the shower felt good and soothing.

    I''m arguing with my other self about boys, but is this all there is? Leaving emotions aside, I need to try to think logically about my situation.

    The problem was the warlock. I can''t see the forest for the trees.

    How is it that he was a warlock? Why a warlock? A Mephi warlock with Mephi spells?! I knew I couldn''t possibly be the only witch in the world; that much was clear to me, even if Flo thought she was unique. But I would have never expected to meet a Mephi game character.

    How can I make sense of this? Is it a dream? Am I still dreaming? Even the logout could be part of the dream! Is this just a continuation of the dream I had inside?

    No, no, no. It doesn''t work like that. This world doesn''t exist in the virtual world. I could possibly have such a dream, but it''s much too detailed and long to be only a dream. A dream interface-supported story needs an environment.

    Alright, it''s not a dream.

    Am I losing my mind? I mean, really losing it?

    If I''m going crazy, sooner or later, I''ll end up in a hospital, and I''m in no hurry to go there. Maybe some medication would help, but I won''t go to a doctor until I''m convinced I''m crazy. I hate the idea of someone poking around in my brain with chemical experiments. But then Matt didn''t call me crazy. He saw what I saw... unless I just imagined what he said. But then... Then I''m definitely lost.

    So yes, I hope I''m not losing my mind, at least not to the point where I''m imagining everything.

    Then what could it be? If I''m not going crazy and I''m not dreaming, then... I am, or rather, I became a witch, and I just met a guy who probably became a warlock.

    How did this happen? What could have caused me to become a witch and him to become a warlock? Specifically, a Mephi warlock and a Mephi witch? This can''t be a mere coincidence!

    I believe the dream interface played a role.

    Under the dream interface, I first incorporated Flo into me and probably triggered something that enabled me to cast the same spells in reality.

    Genes might have played a role, or else everyone playing Mephi would become some bizarre character. But was it just random? I specifically wanted to incorporate that character into myself. What happened to him? How did he become a warlock?

    Without that fight, I could have asked him gently. At least the warlock incident confirmed that I''m not the only one who gained these abilities. Why did he have to behave so aggressively? Could Flo be right with her orc warlock theory?

    Well, the other trait that we had in common was Mephisto''s game. The question becomes, why the Mephisto game? What sets this game apart? Is it mere coincidence, or is there something specific to the game that triggers these abilities? Could I gain such abilities from car driving simulations, extreme skiing, or a shooter game? Unlikely, right? Perhaps swift reflexes are the most I''d gain from those.

    I can''t draw conclusions from just two cases, but it seems the dream interface and the Mephi game might work together as a catalyst for learning how to materialize thoughts.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    If there are two people, like me, who materialized Mephi characters so closely, then there must be more like us in the world. Let''s see how this unfolds. I don''t want to become a lab experiment. When people start examining you, you end up as a lab mouse.

    Historically, witches haven''t fared well once they''re discovered. Even those falsely accused of witchcraft often suffered.

    As I contemplated all of this, Flo asked for the lead once more, and soon, my face and hand appeared wounded and burned. Is this real? I stared at my altered reflection in the mirror, struggling to believe what I saw as she handed me back the lead.

    "Almost forgot about your wounds!" she said with a grin.

    Even though I should be getting used to this, every small spell she performs still astonishes me. It''s difficult to accept, even when you witness it with your own eyes.

    If we''re on the verge of entering a new era where we can materialize our thoughts, there are bound to be numerous opportunities but also potential pitfalls and dangers. I recalled a story about the Krell and the forbidden planet that I had seen some time ago ¨C a tale of a civilization millions of years older that ultimately destroyed itself when they learned to materialize their thoughts.

    I stepped out of the bathroom and headed towards my room. I was about to enter when I heard some noise coming from Lola''s room. It was like a repeated whining. My initial instinct was to ignore it and go to bed, as I was tired and desperately needed rest. But I hesitated and decided to stay, listening carefully. It was indeed whining, and someone was crying in there.

    Then I heard voices ¨C Clara and Lola were talking. I knew that the sisters often had their problems, but I couldn''t help but eavesdrop. I was again contemplating going into my room when I heard Clara''s angry voice:

    "You''ve ruined us! The insurance won''t pay because you were driving without me! Our parents will have to sell their house!"

    Lola''s voice responded, "But I have my driver''s license!"

    "It only becomes valid after you turn eighteen! You were supposed to wait for just two more weeks. Until then, you''re only allowed to drive if there''s someone with a valid driver''s license accompanying you. That''s me! How many times do I have to tell you?"

    In a choked voice, Lola replied, "I want to die¡­"

    Clara''s tone shifted, "Oh, cut the nonsense!"

    I retreated to my room, feeling a sense of panic. I had no idea about the driver''s license requirement. I hurriedly checked the information online, and to my dismay, I found that Clara was right. The insurance was justified in refusing to pay the bill. I muttered a frustrated expletive under my breath.

    Amid my growing frustration, I noticed an email in my inbox. The sender''s address caught my attention ¨C it was from Helenofdarkrealms.

    "Another spam mail that passed through my spam filter?" I wondered. I almost deleted it when I remembered: this was the email address of Helen, the gamer girl!

    I was about to open the email when Flo interjected, "Why don''t you try to fix Lola''s problem?"

    "Fix Lola''s problem? How can I do that?" I responded, puzzled.

    My alter-ego seemed to have a solution for Lola''s issue. "If you had that piece of paper in your pocket, that driver''s license, she wouldn''t have a problem, right?"

    Reluctantly, I admitted, "Yes, that''s true, but I don''t have it."

    Flo countered, "You could have it."

    I snorted. Her statement irritated me. It was true; I could have it. But why was she reminding me of this? I hadn''t done it yet.

    "Yes, I could have it if I learned and took the test. I do plan to do it eventually, but I haven''t done it yet," I explained to Flo, using all my remaining patience.

    Flo persisted, "You''re of the right age to get it. If you did, Lola wouldn''t have any problems."

    I let out a sigh, realizing that the conversation was going in circles, but as I started to know her, she must have been onto something. "What do you mean?"

    Flo confidently responded, "I wouldn''t be much of a fairy if I couldn''t make a simple license, would I?"

    I was skeptical. "Maybe you can create the physical license, but it''s not that simple. For it to be valid, it needs to be recorded in the official database. Otherwise, it would be easily proven as a fake."

    Flo remained undeterred. "I bet I can make a perfect one, and Lola will have no problems."

    I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. "You''d probably just fry their computers, and I''d get into trouble. That''s all you''d achieve."

    Flo countered, "I''ve tested it with some mobile phones. If I''m careful, I won''t fry them."

    I was so shocked that I spoke out loud: "What? You''ve been messing with mobile phones again?"

    I sighed. I hadn''t even realized when she conducted that testing. That was a bit troubling. Her reply was not as straightforward as the rest.

    "It''s possible that I may have fried one or two at that party," she admitted.

    I sighed and rested my head in my palm. I hoped no one suspected me, but she needed to stop frying mobile phones. She continued, "I could even make some modifications. Take a look at your mobile phone!"

    Panic gripped my heart. "If you''ve fried my mobile phone again, I''m gonna kill you!"

    "You can''t do that over a mobile phone, can you?" she retorted, a bit bewildered by my harsh answer.

    I grabbed my mobile phone and checked it. "It''s just a figure of speech; I don''t mean it literally. Stop damaging mobile phones; people might connect it to me, and then I''m the one who''ll be in trouble, understand?"

    I had Matt''s and Joe''s numbers in my contacts, along with chat histories where they had both expressed their love for me. I sighed in relief. She hadn''t fried my new phone this time, but she had still manipulated it, which was worrisome enough.

    She answered victoriously, "True. I did it as a fun thing for you. I could have sent it from their phones, too, but I preferred not to. It was just a joke for you. What I want to say with this is that I am confident I can do good work for Lola."

    I shrugged, realizing that arguing was getting me nowhere. "You can? Then go ahead and do it!"

    Her answer was surprisingly well-considered.

    I pondered the situation, watching the two love declarations on my mobile phone: "To stay in contact, here is my number: xxx. Love, Joe!" and "Love, Matt!"

    With a sigh, I looked at myself in the mirror and muttered, "Fuck! We''ll do it."

 Chapter 75 - Alarm Code Red

    Maybe that was why Lola''s parents have been keeping a tight leash on her lately. She didn''t even go to school, even though her burns weren''t that severe. They were probably afraid she might do something reckless.

    Due to the accident, they''ll lose some money, but things could get worse for Lola since she''ll likely have to face some consequences for driving without a valid permit. Her permit wasn''t completely valid yet; she had passed the exams, but the license wouldn''t become fully valid until she reached the age of eighteen... unless there was a licensed driver sitting beside her. Having to deal with those consequences could make her feel like her world was coming to an end, and who knows how she would react to that.

    Now, I think I could help her, but what if my plan doesn''t work? I know I''m a bit crazy; I''m already talking to myself and doing all sorts of foolish things, but was this not too much of a crazy thing?

    Trying to walk into the police station and use magic to create a driver''s license for myself!? Then tomorrow, I''ll just casually present it and say, ''Ta-da! Look, I have a driver''s license.'' But what if they discover later that it''s not valid?

    I sighed, feeling torn.

    Alright, this madness would only involve me. If this scheme gets uncovered, I''m the only one who''ll face the consequences. Her situation can''t really get worse than it already is, so yeah, I can give it a shot; it''s just for my own amusement, after all. If it works, Lola''s problems are solved. If not, well, we''ll both have our share of troubles.

    I studied my reflection in the mirror. Guilt weighed on me for what she was going through. She had only tried to help me.

    So yeah, I decided I was going to go through with it.

    I changed out of my pajamas and into regular clothes: pants, a blouse, sneakers, and a simple jacket. This should do the trick. There''s no public transportation available at this hour; it''s past two in the morning, but I can walk. It''ll take less than an hour to reach the central police station where they issue driver''s licenses. I wonder what Flo will do once she''s there. What could she possibly do? Well, regardless, I''ll be there to stop her if she attempts anything too risky.

    I took a deep breath, trying to summon all my courage. Damn, I''m not used to wandering around town late at night, even if it''s supposedly safe here. It''s a whole different ballgame compared to strolling through the neighborhood. Oh well, whatever, it should be fine.

    I strolled over to my window, ensuring that no prying eyes were watching, and indulged in my favorite tree gymnastics once more.

    "Hey, how about I get rid of those burns for you?" she suggested.

    "Why? Shouldn''t I keep them in case someone spots me?" I questioned.

    "I don''t like them. They''re like a clear identification mark," she replied.

    Hmm, it seemed my alter ego had ideas straight out of an action movie.

    "I think my face is distinctive enough without the burns," I reasoned.

    "I can fix that too!" she exclaimed.

    "Really?" Now, I was genuinely intrigued, so I let her take the lead.

    "Alright, let''s see what you can do!" Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. In the blink of an eye, a transparent mirror appeared in the air, and she chuckled.

    A young, naked, devilish figure looked back at me.

    "Quite the funny sight. Do you plan on strolling around town like this without raising any eyebrows? It''s not carnival time!" I quipped.

    She simply shrugged. "You wanted to see what I can do. I just had a bit of fun."

    Now, she resembled the lady from the weather channel, appearing much like an innocent young woman.

    "Uh, okay, that''s genuinely impressive, but what happens if someone asks me for identification?" I wondered.

    She reached into my pocket and retrieved my student ID. The same face grinned back at me from my ID: Sonja Appletree.

    I couldn''t help but laugh at the name; she was definitely sticking to her tree theme.

    "I hope you can change it back? It''s my only ID," I inquired, a bit concerned that I might have to request a replacement for my ID.

    She laughed joyfully, "Of course. It''s just a visual trick, a magical layer over the previous one."

    "But what about the microchips? Some IDs have them," I asked.

    She shrugged, "I can tinker with those too, but it''s usually best to fry them. We''ll handle it on a case-by-case basis."

    With her leading the way, I couldn''t help but stifle my laughter, even though I felt the urge. It seemed my alter ego had developed a fondness for frying chips.

    I continued walking through the deserted streets, and I noticed something interesting: I would have been frightened if I were alone,

    but I wasn''t alone, and with her by my side, I didn''t feel that way.

    We encountered a few sketchy individuals, but nothing truly alarming. I spotted several police cars on at least three different occasions. I hadn''t realized our police force was so active during the night. With so many police officers patrolling, I should have felt safer.

    I let her stay in the lead since she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the walk. She observed everything with interest: buildings, bus stops, taxis, banks, and even closed shops.

    She stepped into a 24/7 convenience store and grabbed a juice. The store''s owner, an elderly Chinese man, offered me a discount on some Chinese food, and since I was hungry, I ended up dining on Chinese cuisine in the 24/7 shop.

    By the time I reached the police station, it was already past three in the morning. There was some commotion around, but Flo confidently headed straight for the entrance.

    I started to panic. "What are you doing!?"

    That statement left me stunned. I was strolling right through the middle of the police station''s parking lot with other people nearby, yet no one paid me any attention. Was it because she was walking so casually, or was it true that they couldn''t see me?

    I was still baffled, but she took pity on me and explained further, "I basically redirect light a few times, making it curve around you. It''s as simple as that to become invisible."

    She maintained a careful distance of about two meters from everyone, but it became more challenging as we approached the entrance.

    As we walked, a couple approached us. They moved past us on the side of the parking lot and entered the building through a revolving door. The revolving door had space for only one person at a time. I assumed it was activated with a keycard or something similar, as it revolved, sealing the person inside. When it opened again, the person had vanished. The second person followed, and Flo sneaked in behind her.

    "What are you doing? Be careful!" I exclaimed.

    Suddenly, as we neared the woman inside, the wall around her began to expand, and she fell to the ground. Panic set in as I looked up and saw two giant policewoman''s feet looming above me.

    "How romantic," the policewoman remarked, looking at me.

    A door on the other side opened, and she lifted me from the floor.

    "Surprise, surprise!" - she exclaimed walking

    "Wait, what? What is this? What have you done to me?" - I wondered while White Flower only giggled.

    An older policeman who was walking by, holding a steaming cup of coffee in his left hand, turned to look at the policewoman.

    "What do you mean?" - he asked.

    "I mean this White Flower. Look how pure and beautiful it is!" - the policewoman answered.

    The policewoman placed me next to her ear and wrapped me in her hair. She took a few steps and glanced at herself in a mirror. A lovely young woman''s face appeared before me, with incredibly blue eyes, brownish hair, and what looked like a delicate white rose tucked behind her left ear. I was a flower!

    "What have you done?" I exclaimed.

    White Flower laughed at my surprise. "You''re a flower!"

    "Are you crazy?" I protested.

    "Relax. Trust me," she reassured me.

    I sighed inwardly. "This ''trust me'' is starting to make me nervous."

    Her explanations were making me anxious. "What does that mean?"

    "Stop overthinking every word you hear." - White Flower responded - "It simply means she has a natural inclination for magic. Learning magic would come more easily to her if she were given the opportunity. That''s all."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I would have rolled my eyes if I could. The older policeman chuckled:

    "Flower? Sam, do you have a secret admirer who comes here at night?"

    "Hmm, Max just went through the door. Could it be him?" - she quipped.

    "Max?" - the old man sounded somewhat disbelieving but admitted, "Yes, I saw him pass by when I went to get my coffee."

    "Did you see him place the flower?" she inquired.

    "No, I didn''t pay attention. I just went to grab my coffee."

    She smiled at him. "And it wasn''t you?" - she asked, raising a brow.

    He shrugged and wore an apologetic expression. "I wasn''t feeling that inspired, and besides, Greta would be furious if I gave flowers to my young colleagues. It was either Max or Houdini himself."

    They both laughed and continued walking together. As I was ''tied'' to her, I had to listen to their conversation.

    "Alright, I''ll keep the flower as a thank-you to my anonymous admirer. I just had an argument with Max and was wondering why he didn''t wait for me. Is this his way of apologizing?"

    "This doesn''t sound like Max, but who knows? It''s a truly rare and beautiful flower!"

    The old man said this, his gaze fixated on me. I felt quite uncomfortable, while Flo seemed amused.

    The young policewoman grinned, "Ahem. If you keep staring so blatantly, you might get in trouble, not only with Greta."

    "Oh, I''m sorry!" The man was caught off guard and attempted to explain himself. "It''s just such a rare flower; I haven''t seen one like it before."

    "Oh, you were admiring the flower?" They both laughed, and he let out a sigh.

    "You know I have a passion for flowers and beautiful eyes..."

    In the next minutes, it was hilarious to see all the eyes that the flower attracted, but what do I do if this woman keeps the flower indefinitely?

    Actually, it was not that bad. There were too many people around; I did not expect this activity at three fifteen in the morning. What is this all about? How should we search for the driver''s licences area with all these people haunting the environment? And it looked like more and more were coming.

    Sam joined a group of people; they were talking, mostly speculating on why they had all been summoned for a three-thirty meeting. Couldn''t they wait until seven in the morning?

    A young man came:

    ¡°The captain is here; the meeting is starting earlier; please join us in the conference room.¡±

    The conference room was relatively spacious, with a long table surrounded by approximately twenty chairs. Sam entered with another girl and chose to stand behind the row of chairs instead of taking one of the remaining seats.

    As time passed, all the seats were occupied, and the room continued to fill up until it held around forty to fifty people. A hulking man positioned himself on the right side, roughly in the middle of the room. I had a feeling I recognized him as the person who came with Sam. This had to be Max. What caught my attention more than his imposing stature was the intense, almost venomous gaze he directed at me. He looked at me as if he could discern something about me. Those eyes! It was as if he wanted to shoot daggers at me. It reminded me of a hungry ogre spotting a thieving goblin sneaking near his soup.

    Sam gestured to Max in a friendly manner, and he responded somewhat, but his eyes remained fixed on me. Whatever issues these two had between them, I had no desire to get involved.

    All at once, the commotion subsided, and I noticed two individuals entering the room: a diminutive man who appeared to be around 50 years old, accompanied by a tall young woman.

    "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," he greeted.

    There were some groans in response, and then Max shouted, "Good morning, Sir!" His greeting didn''t earn him any friendly looks; it seemed he wasn''t particularly popular here. The older man, seemingly unimpressed by the reaction, headed straight for a table and turned on a projector.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a code red alarm. As red as it can get."

    The ensuing silence hinted at the gravity of the situation. A map appeared on the wall. The man gestured to the woman beside him, who continued speaking.

    "I am Agent Sewod. What you see here is Bounty County."

    Someone from the back of the room interjected, "Yes, we can see that!"

    Unperturbed, she continued, "The reports we have are conflicting. We don''t have a precise understanding of what''s happening, but we suspect a terrorist group is operating in the region."

    This time, several voices chimed in, asking, "You suspect?"

    The captain appeared to want to speak, but Agent Sewod continued.

    "Yes, we suspect. We know very little at this point. You''ll receive more detailed information soon. It''s crucial to register anyone coming out of that region. They will be picked up and taken to specially organized camps for this purpose. There should be no operational unit consisting of fewer than five persons. Is that clear? You must report any behavior you find suspicious."

    A voice from the crowd piped up, "What constitutes suspicious behavior?"

    Agent Sewod replied, "Anything that you find suspicious."

    That earned her some huffs and chuckles, but she did not specify further.

    "But what about the fields around? If we''re only guarding the highways..."

    "The fields are already occupied by our special forces. The National Guard is mobilized and will establish a second line behind you. We''ve also called in all police officers from neighboring counties to block the other roads over there."

    Another person questioned, "But why involve the police if you have the special forces and the National Guard?"

    Agent Sewod responded, "The military might be deployed as well. We want the police to maintain contact with civilians. I must caution you we are dealing with a ruthless group. Their numbers are estimated at around one hundred. They are highly organized, act in coordination, are reckless, and seem to possess extensive knowledge of the terrain, although we have yet to uncover any local connections."

    Someone else asked, "What could they possibly want inside Bounty County?"

    Agent Sewod explained, "There are several potential targets, including the nuclear facility in Boca-Raton, the chemical factory in Bytons, and three of the five largest software companies in our country, which are located there."

    For several minutes, the situation appeared to be slipping into chaos, with questions pouring in, but Agent Sewod remained composed, responding promptly and succinctly.

    "Software companies?" "What about surveillance? Where''s that information? There are hundreds or thousands..."

    "Surveillance failed. There must be some advanced electromagnetic devices that disabled every digital camera. Everything, including mobile phones in the area, failed, one after the other."

    "EMP?"

    "It''s possible, but the outages occurred strangely, not all at once but gradually or in specific areas. What kind of EMP is this? Or a series of smaller EMPs? It''s a technology we haven''t encountered before. We''re in the dark on this."

    "Who could possess such technology? Must be a state actor!"

    "Probably."

    "Is this war?"

    "We can''t rule that out!"

    "With whom?"

    "That''s precisely the question we''re eager to answer as soon as possible. Right now, we don''t know. Someone might be testing our response."

    "But you can''t just encircle them and let them run wild in an entire county? A hundred desperadoes, I don''t know how you arrived at that number, but even we here should be able to handle them before morning. What the hell! Not to mention the army?"

    The captain rested his knuckles on the table and spoke wearily, "Tom, please wait until you''ve seen everything."

    "But, Captain? Any delay gives them more time to cause harm..."

    Agent Sewod''s voice sharpened as she looked at Tom with cold eyes, "Our best special operation forces are already in the field and will be in action soon. The army is getting ready to deploy as a backup."

    The captain leaned in closer, his tone unwavering, "Leave the dirty work to the special operation forces. Your job is to receive the civilians, ensure they''re all registered, and sent to the camp. No exceptions! I don''t want a single bastard slipping away with the civilian flow. Am I clear enough?"

    "Yes, Captain."

    "But, but, what have they done?"

    Agent Sewod shrugged, "So far, we''ve recorded 16 homicides, including 3 police officers in Boca-Raton... However, we''ve lost contact with all police units in the area. I''ll show you scattered images and short videos, most of them cut off around the same time the respective cameras went offline. A few cameras briefly recovered before going dark again, so it may not be a permanent disabling function. However, most seem to be permanently lost by now."

    A sequence of pictures followed as if taken from a horror movie. Then, the captain assigned teams and their destinations, concluding the session. While waiting for the room to clear out, I grappled with my alter-ego over what to do.

    Perhaps it was a good thing that I wasn''t in control. I might have exposed myself instantly.

    Yes, I had seen the pictures, and that''s precisely why I felt compelled to take action.

    She was absolutely right to prevent me from revealing us, but I couldn''t help but wonder how she possessed such knowledge.

    She''s my alter ego; why am I asking such foolish questions? What they mentioned about mobiles and cameras wasn''t an EMP but magic. I could demonstrate this to them if Flo backed me up.

    "Captain!"

    "Yes, Sam? Is something unclear?"

    "Captain, you haven''t told us everything, have you?"

    "Sam, who really knows everything?"

    It seemed like she had a good rapport with the captain as she persisted:

    "Captain, what''s really happening there?"

    "We don''t know, Sam. We really don''t. It appears as though some of these actions could have been carried out by locals... That''s the most perplexing part. There have been no demands, no negotiations. Who''s behind this, and why? It doesn''t make any sense. We''ve overheard some inexplicable conversations in a language that we don''t understand, so we still don''t have clear answers. I don''t know more. Honestly, I''m not comfortable with the situation; something about it doesn''t feel right. This is pretty much all I know. Does that put your mind at ease?"

    The implications of what I witnessed and heard in this place left me utterly stunned. What on earth was unfolding here? Who could be lurking in that district, and what could possibly motivate them? And why this gruesome bloodshed?

    Even if, by some random chance, a few individuals were to suddenly manifest magical abilities, what could drive them to such extreme actions? Perhaps a person or two might succumb to madness, but this butchery appeared to be a coordinated effort involving at least a hundred or more people.

    Sam exited the room, and since I was still concealed as a flower tangled in her hair, I discreetly... stood there. I pondered how White Flower could subtly extract us from this awkward situation without revealing our presence. Would she wait until Sam would place the flower in a vase first?

    In the meantime, Sam strode down a corridor, shaking her head and engaged in a monologue with herself.

    "Why did I answer this damn night phone call? Why?"

    I heard footsteps approaching behind Sam, but I couldn''t discern who was trailing her. She appeared engrossed in her monologue and paid no heed. She walked into an office, only to be abruptly halted by a massive hand gripping her shoulder. She turned, and to my surprise, I found myself face-to-face with an ogre.

    "Max? Oh, how considerate of you..." Sam began, but her words were cut short by him as he swiftly plucked the flower from her hair with a sudden movement.

    "What''s this?"

    Oh dear, what a blunder. If the ogre named Max would have kept quiet, everything might have been fine. Sam seemed so pleased with the flower! She probably believed it was a gift from him.

    She let out a startled yelp and stepped back, clearly taken aback by his actions.

    "A flower. Wasn''t it from you? I thought..."

    Alright, he wasn''t exactly an ogre, but his appearance and demeanor were a pretty close match.

    ¡°From me? Who gave it to you? Do you cross me?¡± - he said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°With whom have you been?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don''t lie to me!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Each time she asked that, her eyes got wider and wider.

    ¡°What, what, what? If you say that again, I''ll¡­ I''ll¡­ ¡±

    This time, thunders lighted her eyes.

    ¡°You''ll what?¡±

    He kept peddling his nonsense:

    ¡°You crossed me!¡±

    Sam appeared to have reached her breaking point, letting out a frustrated sigh. She expressed,

    "I have no clue what you''re going on about, and my interest in finding out is waning by the second."

    The ogre, now furious, bellowed,

    "If you walk away now, we''re through! Don''t you dare turn away!"

    Ignoring his outburst, Sam turned on her heel and took a few steps away.

    He let out a thunderous scream and hurled the flower to the floor.

    He crushed the flower under his heavy boots.

    It felt as if each and every one of my bones had been mashed under a giant roller. As he crushed the flower further as if trying to integrate it into the floor, strains of pain invaded my mind from each and every piece of skin and bone, overwhelming it.

    I was pain incarnate.

    The man and the woman engaged in yet another intense argument, but I couldn''t make out their words. Their exchange served merely as a backdrop to my overwhelming agony.

    Pain consumed me entirely ¡ª my vision, my sensations, and even my hearing were nothing but a symphony of torment. Pain, pain, pain.

    Then suddenly, it just went off. Only an empty void remained.

    ¡°Am I dead?¡±

    ¡°No, I healed you.¡± - White Flower answered.

    How can so much pain exist and it did not kill me?

    ¡°You healed me? Why did you have to wait so long?¡±

    ¡°I had to wait for them to leave.¡±

    ¡°You had to wait? You let me suffer that pain until they left, even if you could have stopped it before?¡±

    ¡°I do not want¡­ I do not want it anymore¡­ I want to separate! Let me free! Let me leave! Free me, please!¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°I cannot do it. It does not hurt anymore, look, you are OK? See how beautiful you are?¡±

    There was a small mirror hanging on the wall, and the reflection revealed the weather lady smiling back at me. For a brief, disorienting moment, I struggled to recognize the new face White Flower had bestowed upon me. It was quite perplexing not to see oneself in the mirror but a stranger.

    This puzzlement, however, provided my mind with a welcome distraction from the lingering painful memory.

    "It''s still you," she reassured me, "your features, your physique¡ªjust a few subtle adjustments."

    My mind drifted back to what had happened.

    ¡°How could you still think when you were just some flower goo?¡± - I asked.

    She simply shrugged. "Let''s not lose sight of our purpose here. We have work to do."

 Chapter 76 - Finding a Convertible

    "Why don''t you want to assist these people in their fight?" I asked as I cautiously navigated the nearly deserted police station.

    After witnessing what I had during Agent Sewod''s previous presentation, discerning who the good guys and who the bad guys were in this conflict wasn''t particularly difficult, but Flo didn''t seem eager to help.

    Her response didn''t come immediately. After a brief pause for thought, she posed a question of her own, "Assist? Are you concerned that the special operation forces might not prevail?"

    I thought about that. Even though those thugs possessed some magic, they weren''t invincible. The warfare in Mephisto''s World resembled a medieval battle, albeit with added magic. Anyone employing magic to cause chaos in the real world would find themselves very soon outmatched. Modern warfare has progressed light-years beyond that medieval warfare fighting style. In a modern war, you could be targeted before you even realize you are being attacked. Cannons can shoot precision-guided shells twenty or thirty kilometers away with a precision strike of one meter. Drones can see you from afar and coordinate other drone swarms that would attack you. Radars could pinpoint your location even if you were concealed behind concrete walls, and high-velocity projectiles could penetrate meters of concrete or metal to reach you.

    "Well, I don''t see how they could lose," I conceded. "Even if some of those thugs have some magic, there''s no chance they can withstand modern weaponry."

    "In that case," she replied, "our involvement wouldn''t alter the outcome. The only thing that would change is that you''d forfeit your freedom."

    I tended to agree with the first part but had an issue with the second half: why should I lose my freedom?

    "Why should they do that to me?" I inquired, "Considering that I would help them?"

    "Do you believe they''ll let you roam freely once they discover you have magic and can cast spells? Initially, they''ll want to understand precisely what you''re capable of, and then they''ll attempt to replicate and control it. The question isn''t whether you''ll be restricted but rather the extent of those restrictions. What if we first observe how they treat others who can cast spells before revealing yourself as a magic-capable individual?"

    Hmm, I ruminated for a couple of moments at her words. My alter ego seemed to be quite paranoid... but she does make some valid points, even though I could hardly fathom why someone would restrict me if I haven''t committed any wrongdoing... but alright, maybe I should exercise more caution.

    "Hmm, perhaps, but we''d miss out on a good opportunity to assist when it''s needed," I mused.

    She didn''t seem to mind the lost opportunity; she shrugged and shifted her focus.

    "What are you doing?" I questioned her.

    "I''m placing a flower on this desk."

    I would have rolled my eyes if I could. I''ve seen that, but the question was why, so I voiced it.

    "Why would you do that?"

    She explained to me with a satisfied tone in her voice:

    "This is for the girl with the blue eyes, Sam, I think was her name. The poor girl lost her flower; I''m certain she''ll be delighted to find a new one."

    I gazed at the new flower she had placed on the girl''s desk and felt the urge to voice my objections. Aside from wondering how she had located the desk, I pondered why she would care enough to involve herself with that couple, especially considering what had recently happened to the previous flower.

    Shivers ran down my spine just by remembering that.

    However, as she stood there, seemingly lost in thought, I couldn''t help but inquire,

    "What are you up to now?"

    The flower was already resting on the desk, yet her gaze remained fixed on the air.

    "I''m trying to grasp the bigger picture here... is this where you obtain a driver''s license?" she asked.

    "No, that''s on an upper floor. The actual data isn''t stored here; they use some computers, but these are essentially terminals; the real data resides online in a data center."

    "Really?"

    Her tone suggested she was now considering a broader perspective, and an odd sensation crawled over me as if my scalp were tingling.

    "Hmm. Are those horns? Do I have horns? I mean, you... ah... I?"

    She chuckled.

    "Do you feel them?" she asked, her amusement evident. "You seem to be quite startled by my horns; why is that?"

    "Are you the devil?" I inquired bluntly.

    She simply laughed at me.

    "The devil? No. Remember how you laughed about that girl with horns with Spartacius? You didn''t think she was the devil, did you? To answer your first question, yes, I do have horns. You did see me that time in the glade, didn''t you? Let''s call them antennas, shall we? Because that''s what they are for me¡ªa more efficient tool for manipulating magic, or mana, as you call it. You have eyes to see and ears to hear, but how do you sense magic?"

    "Cala can hear magic, and she doesn''t have horns!"

    "That''s just a superficial sense, a basic perception. Cala isn''t a skilled magic manipulator. Think of it this way: if you had larger ears that could swivel toward the source of a sound, you''d be better at hearing and assessing sounds, right?"

    "Well, that makes sense."

    "It''s the same with magic. Inside your brain, you have some rudimentary magic manipulation sensors. For a spellcaster, your body is a tool to control magic, but it''s only enough to cast simple spells. Magic is so much more! By using my magic ''antennas,'' I can manipulate magic on a higher level than what a typical spellcaster can achieve. Right now, I need to employ manipulation at an even more advanced level¡ªI don''t want to fry all these computers; that would be counterproductive. I''m determined to secure that damn license for you."

    "But I don''t have horns?" I wondered, feeling somewhat unsettled. Why did it feel like I had them?

    "Of course, that''s why I created temporary magical ones. Now, shh, let me concentrate; I think I''ve found a lead."

    Temporary magical horns?

    I sensed her intense focus, akin to the sensation you get after exercising when your muscles are flushed with blood, and your hands and legs feel warmer. It was in this manner that I felt as if I had horns¡ªa peculiar sensation.

    "What did you discover?" I inquired.

    She responded with another question, her head cocked to the side. "Hmm, do they have to make it so complicated?"

    She moved toward the door.

    "Interesting." - she mumbled.

    "What is it?" - I wondered.

    "Let''s head upstairs." - she said instead of answering me. She seems to enjoy keeping me in the dark.

    As she approached, the door opened automatically.

    "Hey, if they have cameras, someone from security will come to check for me!" I exclaimed.

    "No, I''m invisible." - she answered calmly.

    "Then why did the door open?"

    "Because I made it to."

    OK... She was starting to become really scary. If they have cameras here, they''ll think of ghosts...

    ¡°You really can make the doors open?¡±

    ¡°There are more ways to do this. I try not to fry them completely so that they should work later on.¡±

    ¡°That would be recommended.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    We entered the above offices. It was strange to see how well she could see in the dark; there was no need for her to turn on the lights.

    ¡°See, there are some raw licenses, and the lady working here is keying the data in....¡±

    She took one empty license.

    ¡°Do we need to do this here? Can''t you do your magic remotely?¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°It is easier this way. There is too much that I do not know, and you are not really helping. What''s the matter now?¡±

    ¡°I am afraid. If I get caught here, I''ll get into a lot of trouble!¡±

    ¡°You said that already. Keep cool. Only a bit more, and we are done.¡±

    ¡°But it''s already getting late. I mean early morning; look, it is getting brighter outside!¡±

    ¡°Just a bit more time. I need to turn on this PC.¡±

    She was taking her time. I don''t know what she was doing, but I suppose she wanted to do a proper thing.

    ¡°Somebody is coming.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the cleaning staff. It is early morning.¡±

    ¡°Finished?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but almost.¡±

    How long are you ''almost'' finished? She retired into a corner.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I can control what I need from here. Let the cleaning ladies do their work.¡±

    People started to come in. Some security guards passed by; I was afraid they were investigating something, but they only made their rounds. Some technical guys came later, and then early office workers appeared.

    ¡°Flo, we have to leave now!¡±

    ¡°I am done.¡±

    She grinned, showing me that former empty driver''s license with my name on it.

    ¡°Cooool!¡±

    I looked at it.

    ¡°Fuck Flo, it has the date of Sunday last week on it. That''s not good! Is this what you put in the system, too?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is Sunday not good?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wondered why no other was on Sunday. OK, OK, let me correct it, Saturday, OK?¡±

    She wondered why nobody was on Sunday, and she put it on Sunday...

    ¡°No! One working day, make it Tuesday, OK?¡±

    ¡°OK, OK! Just a moment, I need to correct the record too...¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should have kept it. The only driver''s license made on Sunday...

    ¡°Now it is too late. You have had it since last Tuesday. About two weeks ago. Good?¡±

    ¡°I am good. Now, how do we get out!? Ahm, watch out, somebody is coming this way!¡±

    In the next moment, I was flying through the window. I screamed again inwardly as I fell several levels and landed over a car in the parking. That was a surprisingly soft landing.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, oops?¡±

    ¡°I am a flower atop of a car. If I transform back into a human, I''ll be a human atop a car.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Now I understood what she did: she had jumped towards the open window and transformed into a flower in the air. She could have warned me. The problem was with my position on top of that car. She''ll have to risk... OK, she did it. Fuck, I was sitting on the weak roof of a convertible, trying my best not to break it.

    A baritone male voice froze me:

    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±

    Flo turned and saw him. She tried a weak smile:

    ¡°Ahm. I''m trying to get down without breaking this...¡±

    ¡°Just don''t move!! Don''t! Let me help you...¡±

    A gorilla picked me gently from the roof and helped me down.

    ¡°Uhm. Thank you very much!¡±

    He had some muscles to pick me up like that. Eh? One hand went under my thighs, the other behind my back, and I was in the air.

    ¡°How did you get there?¡±- He looked up and sighed - ¡°Oh. So you skip classes, hmm?¡±

    I don''t know what was happening on the floor just above the parking, but Flo nodded. The gorilla examined the car.

    ¡°It seems unharmed; if the roof does open, I will not kill you!¡±

    Flo sighed.

    ¡°You''ll need to take a ticket and wait your turn, but be warned that I might retaliate."

    He chuckled whilst going inside the car. A moment later, the roof opened and started to fold. In thirty seconds, it was done.

    He breathed relief.

    ¡°It seems to work. Am I free to go?¡± - she asked

    She watched him sheepishly. He shrugged.

    "I''m driving now to Queensborrow. I can drop you on the way if you are interested?"

    Flo''s eyes lightened:

    ¡°Really? I''m going there too; that''s the district I live in.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool!¡±

    He made a gesture towards the free seat beside him. Flo looked at him: a massive dark-haired man with a lot of hair on his muscled hands, a colored t-shirt covering his pectorals, and a broad mustache above a grinning mouth with broad lips. I was undecided now if walrus or gorilla would best describe him. Flo, to my surprise, climbed into the cabriolet with a wide grin on her face.

    I was so shocked that I did not even get to scream my fear and disappointment into her mind.

    Damn Flo, what are you doing?

    "Sunny!"

    Flo shook his hand:

    "Dolores"

    "Dolores, the angel that fell from the sky into my car!" - he added with a grin - "You could have waited until I opened it."

    Gosh, I''m sure if I would have been in the lead, I would have crashed through the roof and had an angry Sunny on my tail for wreaking the roof of his convertible.

 Chapter 77 - Scotch Woodcock Sandwiches!

    I got home just in time for breakfast, feeling furious at Flo for introducing herself as Dolores to Sunny. The issue was that she was wearing that fake frog-lady disguise. I mean, the weather lady.

    Sunny had dropped me off near home, and she had thanked him graciously, to which he responded by giving her his business card. He seemed like one of those social media influencers.

    "I host parties at my villa every now and then; if you''re interested, feel free to join us. We have about twenty regular attendees. You can find us on the chat platform; the link is there, and we''ll be announcing the date of the next party soon. Cara handles the photos and maintains the site. You''ll see, it''s a diverse group of interesting people!"

    That''s what he had said to her.

    Yeah, damn, I get invited to an interesting party once a year, and now I can''t even go. How am I supposed to attend as Dolores with this face?

    Flo didn''t appreciate my grumbling. "First, you complain that I talk to him and get in his car, and now you''re complaining that you can''t go to the party!"

    I sighed. Well, yes, she had a point, but it was still an infuriating situation.

    After waving to Sunny as he drove off, she entered the park to find a secluded spot to perform her face-changing magic behind what she referred to as hiding mirrors. Once she was done, she left the park and reentered the house through the front door, now ''disguised'' as Dolores.

    As soon as we were inside, she gave me the lead and I promptly stumbled, unused to control my limbs. Chuckling at my own clumsiness, I kicked off my shoes and made my way to my room.

    It didn''t make sense to attempt to sneak in through the window; it was too late for that, and they had likely already checked my room. They knew I had been out.

    "Dolores! Good morning!" Mrs. Robertson''s cheerful voice greeted me from the kitchen, where it seemed everyone had gathered.

    "Good morning!" I replied, returning the greeting.

    My assumption was proven wrong; not everybody was in the kitchen. A grumpy voice chimed in from the opposite side: "Where have you been?"

    Mr. Robertson, who was eyeing me with an inquisitive look, was seated on the living room''s sofa.

    "I was outside jogging," I answered.

    "Aha, that''s why I saw you getting out from a convertible 10 minutes ago?" Clara''s voice rang out, catching me off guard.

    I hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

    The problem was, she had seen the other Dolores with the frog-lady''s face exiting the convertible, not me. But that girl had been wearing my clothes. It was possible that someone else was dressed like me. Should I deny it was me, or should I accept it as true?

    If Clara said she had seen me, then she must have thought it was me, regardless of the different face.

    I decided to go along with it and accept that it was me.

    "That was Sunny. He stopped for a chat and offered to drive me back home; I was too far away and would have been late for school," I explained.

    "Are you going to school today?" Mrs. Robertson inquired.

    ¡°Yes, Mrs Robertson.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up then; you''ll be late!¡±

    That was Mr. Robertson again. He seemed to be in his Mr. Hyde form that day; he regularly had such bad days.

    "Robert, let the girls make their timetable," Mrs. Robertson interjected, casting a reproachful glance at her husband, but he ignored her. He was absorbed in following the news and waved his hand dismissively.

    "Oh, Linda, watch the news!"

    How could I bring up the subject of my driver''s license into the conversation?

    The atmosphere was tense; it was clear the girls were under stress. On any typical day, Clara and Lola would have bombarded me with questions until I spilled everything about Sunny. Now, they limited themselves to just a couple of caustic words, and that was all.

    I headed to the bathroom and hurried up. I hadn''t slept all night and felt exhausted. I took a short shower to rejuvenate myself.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    When I returned to the kitchen, the girls had already left for school.

    Mr. Robertson commented absentmindedly, "You''re late, Dolores," as he continued to watch the news.

    Mrs. Robertson placed a plate piled high with small sandwiches in front of me.

    Scotch woodcock sandwiches! I couldn''t help but love them.

    Mmm! It brought to mind Cala''s in-game plate of sandwiches, even if this dish was smaller, with ''only'' about fifteen small sandwiches on it, tailored for Dolores.

    White bread topped with creamy scrambled eggs, each just the right size for a mouthful, adorned with sweet red pepper slices and delicate green parsley leaves scattered around. Anchovies gracefully crowned them, creating a symphony of colors and flavors!

    That lifted my spirits tremendously. If I knew any laser beam spells, my round eyes would have instantly devoured them with concentrated beams.

    "Yum, yum! Oh, Mrs. Robertson, thank you!" I exclaimed gratefully.

    She gave me a concerned look. "You don''t look well, Dolores. Are you sure you want to go to school?"

    "If she can go jogging, she can go to school too," Mr. Robertson remarked coldly, still absorbed in watching the news.

    "Linda, this is not normal!" Mr. Robertson suddenly exclaimed with an alarmed tone.

    I looked up, afraid he was referring to my voracious consumption of the sandwiches, but to my relief, he was commenting on the news. With a satisfied sigh, I focused back on my sandwiches. I promised myself that if I ever went to heaven, I''d have Scotch woodcock sandwiches at least once a week.

    Linda shrugged. "What is normal nowadays?"

    "No, no, dear. This shit is way outside the norm," Mr. Robertson insisted.

    "Robert!" Mrs. Robertson interjected.

    Their conversation piqued my interest. They were talking about Bounty County.

    The news on TV painted a different picture from what I had seen and heard at the police station. Here, they talked about a major spill incident involving chemical pollutants. Some speculated it was nuclear waste. As if that would be so difficult to verify?

    Mr. Robertson seemed overwhelmed by the news. "The entire county has been closed! Imagine that! Not even one hundred kilometers from here, the whole county is under lockdown! Everyone leaving the area has to go through a camp to be checked for contaminants!"

    "How could this happen?" Linda wondered aloud.

    As I finished my plate, I headed towards my room to grab my schoolbag when Mrs. Robertson placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

    ¡°Dolores, you don''t look well. Rest another day. I''ll call the school to inform them,¡± she said.

    Mr. Robertson protested with a snort, ¡°But she was already outside jogging, Linda!¡±

    Mrs. Robertson shook her head, ¡°Shh, Robert. Yes, she was outside, but she doesn''t feel well. The young girl would like to be active, but she is too pale.¡± She turned towards me. ¡°No way am I letting you go to school like this. So, to your room, young lady!¡±

    Feeling sheepish, I headed back to my room. I was relieved to be sent back to sleep, but I hadn''t yet managed to talk about my driver''s license. I knew I had to do it before things got too bad. With a sigh, I returned to the kitchen and asked Mrs. Robertson,

    "Can I have a cocoa, please?"

    She raised a brow inquiringly, but nodded. Usually, I made the cocoa myself. I shouldn''t exaggerate by asking her to do things for me, but I used my ''being sick'' bonus.

    As I waited for my cocoa, I started our little conversation.

    ¡°Mr. Robertson, I was thinking of buying a bike. Can you recommend one that you think would be good for me?¡±

    I knew he was a bike fan. He had an old bike that he drove proudly, making a lot of noise, once a year through the neighborhood. The rest of the year, whenever he had time, he polished and tuned it.

    At first, he was very dismissive of me driving a bike: I''m too weak, bikes are heavy. Maybe if I buy an electric one. But those accelerate too fast. There are some small ones to have without a license that would be good, but I still must be careful. Why not a bicycle or a scooter?

    "Yeah, but I want one with a license."

    He wasn''t wholly dismissive of that, but he focused on the license part. He explained what Clara and Lola did for the license. Then he added that you get a lot of responsibility with a permit. The subject obviously pained them, and he tried to cut it short. However, it was my time to say it:

    ¡°But I already have a license; that''s why I want to buy a bike?¡±

    I brought out my new license. There was a moment of silence in the kitchen. Mrs. Robertson was the first to realize the implications.

    ¡°YOU have a driver''s license?¡±

    I answered as normally as I could muster:

    ¡°Yes, since two weeks...¡±

    Mr. Robertson took it feverishly in his hand and examined it, not believing his own eyes. The two looked at each other.

    ¡°This changes a couple of things!¡± he finally said.

    I played the unknowing teen, raising my brows:

    ¡°I don''t understand?¡±

    Mrs. Robertson smiled at me:

    ¡°Don''t worry, darling, I think this may help us. May we keep your driver''s license for a moment? Robert would like to verify something. No, it is not about you. It is a different story. I''ll give it right back to you. Now go to your room and sleep. We''ll talk later!¡±

    On the way to my room, I crossed my fingers. I hoped and prayed that White Flower did a good job. Oh, darn! A lot was suddenly in the balance.

 Chapter 78 - Gonzo the Second

    After being active the whole night, once everything was solved and the adrenaline in my blood started to ebb away, a terrible fatigue took over me. I barely managed to make it to my room, stripped off my clothes, collapsed onto my bed, and instantly the lights went out.

    I don''t know how long the grace period was, but I heard a knocking noise that seemed to come almost the next second. "Tock, tock. Tock, tock."

    In the deep phase of sleep, my mind registered it as the work of a woodpecker somewhere nearby, and I tried to ignore the noise.

    "Tock, tock."

    That annoying little fucker just keeps pecking away, doesn''t it?

    "Dolores? Dolores? Oh..."

    I raised my head, my eyes half-closed, struggling to distinguish the intruder. It wasn''t a woodpecker after all¡ªit was Mrs. Robertson, discovering me naked, sprawled across the bed.

    "Dolores, honey, there''s a young man here for you. Should I tell him you''re sleeping?"

    All I could manage was a grunt. "Mmmh?"

    "Fucking, fuck!" I thought, irritated. "I''m no longer sleeping! She wakes me up to ask me if I''m sleeping? Damn, this is more annoying than a mosquito on steroids!"

    My brain still struggled to keep me in slumber despite the disturbance. I just couldn''t summon the energy to open my eyes.

    "Let me take the lead; I''m not sleepy," a voice in my head kindly suggested.

    My savior! I immediately allowed White Flower to take control. I figured it would be a good idea and allow me to get some more sleep, but that turned out to be a mistake. Trying to sleep while your body is in motion and your eyes are wide open does simply not work!

    She turned gracefully in her bed, pulling the blanket over herself.

    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Robertson? I beg your pardon? Who''s here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Gonzo!!¡±

    It wasn''t Mrs. Robertson who spoke; I just caught sight of her as she inhaled to respond, then chuckled at the deep baritone voice echoing from the living room. I don''t think he was answering me; I believe he was conversing with Mr. Robertson and introducing himself.

    ¡°Oh, Gonzo!¡± White Flower exclaimed happily.

    I had completely forgotten about Gonzo and his promise to bring back my bicycle during the week. Damn, I should have called him; I had his number.

    White Flower got out of bed, threw on a thick cotton bathrobe, and hurried towards the door barefoot. I noticed Mrs. Robertson seemed about to protest my scant attire; she drew breath, but before she could say anything, Flo was already outside.

    "Hey, Gonzo!" she greeted cheerfully. "Nice to see you!"

    ¡°Dolores! Hey, lady!" he replied, turning to face me. "You look beautiful today!" he exclaimed. "I brought your bike, but I heard from Robert here that you''re looking for a real bike? Why didn''t you tell me, lady?¡±

    ¡°Ahem, well, I wanted to gather my finances first. Do you have bikes to sell?¡± she wondered.

    "Gather her finances? What is Flo talking about?" - I wondered. Everybody knew that I was practically penniless.

    ¡°If I have bikes?" he exclaimed, hurt in his pride. "Gonzo Bikes is my company, young lady. If I don''t have the bike you''re looking for, I can procure it faster than anybody else, or else you get it for free from me!¡±

    The discussion about bikes continued; Mr. Robertson was very interested, being a passionate bike-tinker, and was asking a lot of questions, and Gonzo seemed to have an answer to everything. He knew his work; it was clear bikes were his passion.

    Flo was having fun talking with them; the only problem was her too-easy manners. She behaved like the fairy she was, not caring if she was revealing too much skin, and at a particular moment, I saw Mrs. Robertson''s alarmed eyes looking at me as Flo had put a leg up on the chair and rested her elbow on the knee. But she was doing everything so naturally that even Mr. Robertson ceased to look funny at me.

    After some time, the Robertsons retired themselves to Clara''s room. I guess they thought Gonzo was courting me and decided to leave us a bit more space.

    Soon, the conversation became quieter as Flo did not have any questions about bikes, but she had other questions:

    ¡°There is something that bothers you!¡± she said, watching him attentively. He raised his eyes and looked back, surprised.

    ¡°Well... Everybody has some problems... I mean...¡±

    He sighed, then looked back at the carpet as if trying to learn the intricate theme.

    Flo grinned, not letting him finish: ¡°It''s a girl.¡±

    He raised his eyes again, watching me alarmed, trying to protest at first: ¡°No, no... " then after looking into my eyes for a moment, he lowered his gaze "How do you know?¡±

    Flo sighed.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Gonzo, it is written all over your face. What is the problem? Is she not answering as she should?¡±

    ¡°Answering what?¡± he wondered.

    ¡°Don''t tell me you haven''t even talked to her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, I did...¡±

    Flo sighed again as if she knew much more. Her tone was soft and gentle. ¡°Sure, you did, but not about what you wanted to talk about with her. Isn''t it? Why?¡± she seemed to be a little disappointed as she said that.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I wondered where she got her information from and what she was now trying to achieve.

    To my surprise, he answered very frankly, while his cheeks turned red. He raised his gaze for a moment.

    ¡°I did not dare. What if she laughs at me? What if she feels upset?¡±

    Flo shrugged and took a deep breath.

    ¡°What if she expects you to talk and is disappointed that you do not?¡±

    He shrugged in return.

    ¡°But she should somehow show me that she wants to hear from me?¡±

    Flo laughed softly.

    ¡°What should she show? Do you expect her to blink an eye? What do you expect?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No, not that... I don''t know... Something?¡±

    Flo had enough. ¡°Who is she?¡± she asked.

    I wondered, "Why did she ask that? I cannot possibly know her except... Oh, fuck me? Can it be..." Yeah, that was it!

    I was very disappointed when he said: ¡°Helen. Helen Dodojanu.¡±

    Why was I feeling disappointed? I did not really like him, so why?

    ¡°Oh, the gamer girl! Dotty!¡± - Flo exclaimed.

    ¡°Dotty?¡± - he wondered.

    ¡°Dotty is her gamer name!¡± - Flo explained.

    It was strange to see that she remembered. I had forgotten Dotty''s gamer name, but she remembered. For me, Helen was too shallow. Just a typical brunette with black eyes. Big black eyes. Ubiquitous oval face, a small nose, a bit upturned, chestnut brownish hair cut short.

    His eagerness to bring Mike''s device back made suddenly sense. He needed a reason to visit the gamers; that''s why he took that device from me.

    The conversation about Helen continued for the next ten minutes. I stopped listening to them after a couple of minutes.

    I wondered, "What do they still have to talk about her?" but I didn''t make the effort to listen.

    I was getting tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but then I became more attentive when Flo said she wanted to send a small present to Helen because she had sent me that email. He replied that he could gladly do that for me. So, he promised to buy a bar of chocolate and a flower and bring them to Helen from me.

    "Not just any flower, a flower that you really find beautiful! OK?" - Flo said.

    "Sure, lady!" - he answered, nodding.

    He also promised to come tomorrow evening to take me to his offices where I could look for my bike. Finally, he left, and Flo closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Why did you spend so much time talking with him?¡± I asked, reproachful, as soon as he left.

    ¡°Why do you sound so... bitter?" she wondered, then concluded with a snarl - "Oh, you are disappointed that he did not have a crush on you!¡±

    I shrugged. Yeah, she got me. Well, it is my alter ego; she knows me. She continued to hammer it hard on me: ¡°It''s because you are so desperate to get attention that you want anyone and everyone to look only at you. Can''t you simply be friends with somebody? He likes you, but he was already hooked by Helen. The funny part is that she seems to be totally oblivious to it. The question is, why are you so petty?!¡±

    ¡°Petty me?¡± I wondered. Was I being petty?

    ¡°Yes, you. He is a good guy, and he helped you, just when you desperately needed help. Was this not worth anything for you?¡±

    Uh, when she put it like this, it did really hurt. Yes, true, it would have been a fantastic night to walk with the broken bike by my side all those kilometers back. Probably, I would have left the bike somewhere on the road and walked alone in the dark? Ahm...

    ¡°Okay, you are right. So you decided to play the matchmaker as a reward?¡±

    It was hard to concede that she was right, but what use would it be to deny it?

    ¡°I decided to help him as a way of showing gratitude." she said "You often express feeling lonely; is this how you show appreciation to those who assist you? Is this how you treat your friends? It might be one reason why you feel isolated!¡±

    She was being rather blunt.

    "He''s not my friend!" - I exclaimed.

    Oops. I said that out loud. Did I really need my alter ego to remind me? I sighed. She was right again.

    "Yeah, okay, you''re right." I exclaimed defeated, "let''s go back to sleep now."

    "You received that email from Helen; I want to know what she wrote. She mentioned she would write when they found a way to return to the other world!"

    I sighed again. The other world...

    "If there''s still something from the game running, we can try logging in. Okay, let''s see what Helen wrote."

    Actually, I wasn''t feeling so sleepy anymore, but I had one of those headaches! I returned to my room and sat at the desk. I turned on the computer, and the display lit up after a couple of seconds. I clicked on the email icon. New mail! Yep!

    "Dear Zetta,

    I''ve found information for a proxy on the Hammer Gang''s site that grants the necessary access. The setup details are attached. However, please be aware that it''s not a proxy verified by us! Exercise caution when using it. I can confirm that the connection through it works. We''ve observed that it bypasses Dreamland''s login servers. Warning: do not perform a complete logout. If you''ve already done so, your character is on Dreamland''s servers, and you won''t be able to use it with this setup; you''ll need to start with a new character.

    Cheers, Dotty"

    I had the satisfaction of seeing my alter ego confused. "I''m not sure I understand." she said.

    "It means it works. I didn''t perform a complete logout, so Cala is still inside the game. Look, Flo, that world isn''t real. It''s a world supported by computers. It''s a simulation."

    "What''s a simulation?"

    Sometimes, my alter ego seems to understand everything, and sometimes, she asks such stupid questions.

    ¡°It''s like building a world with sand to mimic the real world. You manipulate little sand figures, making them fight each other. You attempt to simulate real battles and observe the possible outcomes, but you need mages to create and control the sand golems. Does that help clarify things?¡±

    ¡°So you''re saying my world is a world of golems, and I''m one of them?¡±

    It''s best to be honest with yourself, right?

    ¡°Yes, it''s a world of golems, but you''re not just a golem; you''re a part of me.¡±

    ¡°And how do you think I came into existence?¡±

    ¡°I created you when we cast that spell inside the game. When we did that, I manifested you in my reality, in my mind.¡±

    ¡°I think you''re missing the truth. Why are you telling me this now?¡±

    ¡°It''s important not to get too disappointed if we don''t find what we''re looking for in the game. Think of computers as the mages who create and maintain the world made of sand; they keep the golems in the simulation. If some mages are missing, parts of the buildings and golems will be missing too.¡±

    ¡°Got it; then maybe we''ll find out who''s right and who''s wrong soon. Let''s enter this game world!¡±

    She didn''t seem as distressed as I had anticipated from my explanation. It''s reassuring when you realize that your paranoia isn''t as severe as you feared. I breathed a sigh of relief as I put on the dream interface.

 Chapter 79 - Into the Darkness

    Accessing Calamity Lara/ Short name Cala Level 95, Title: Warlord, Class: Assassin.

    Statistics:117.527 kills; 3 deaths

    Status: Active

    Warning low HP: 34/1725

    Warning: low HP : 34 out of 1725!!!

    "What? Oh, my HP is really low? Does my low HP have anything to do with the world''s situation? Could there be some world unraveling that''s killing me?

    After the initial panic subsided and I realized my HP wasn''t rapidly decreasing, I tried to think it through.

    "No, wait... I do have more kills. Maybe I was in a fight; that would explain my low HP... but fighting whom? Or what?"

    I attempted to orient myself. Annoyingly, I didn''t receive any memories from Cala as I should have, leaving me blissfully unaware of what had happened and my current situation. Even more frustrating was the fact that I couldn''t see anything! I blinked, but it remained pitch black.

    The complete darkness and silence were unsettling! Only the occasional drip of water in the distance broke the silence, resembling the beat of a distant war drum.

    For a moment, I thought that Cala might be blind. Could that be possible? But then I should remember how this happened! That damn memory, whatever it was, should have already flooded into my mind!

    "I don''t see anything and I don''t remember, because the game functions cannot provide me that information! It''s like the end times for the game! Could this be how the real world ends, in silence and darkness, your HP dropping slowly into nothingness?"

    I almost chuckled at the notion, then took a deep breath...

    "Ow, that hurts..." I couldn''t suppress a pained moan.

    The sensation of pain arrived instantly, without any delay. It didn''t seem like the game was experiencing technical difficulties...

    ¡°Oh, Okay, but if the game works why do I not remember what had happened? When I login, Cala''s memory should flow into my mind!¡± I almost yelled in anger trying to make it happen.

    I struggled again to remember, but the memory of the past days did not come to me. Why that? Was there something wrong with Cala? I mean, yes, I knew there was something wrong with her being in the low HP, but being low HP did not mean I should not remember what she''d done...

    I was completely and utterly confused. I took another deep breath, and was reminded that it truly hurts bad!

    I tried to move my hand. That just resulted in more pain.

    I sighed, but even the simple act of breathing hurt like hell.

    "I should heal myself!" was the next thought that crossed my mind, yet I didn''t heal myself because some gut feeling was blocking me.

    Unnerving feelings were invading me, confusing me. Was this another type of game error?

    I tried to understand and analyze them. There was fear, stress, but also relief. There was pain and confidence, and more stress.

    Such a level of stress that it even hindered me from healing. Why? I just wanted to heal myself, and yet I hesitated again, and a thought came to my mind: the spell to heal would light me up like a beacon.

    Yes, true, if it was darkness that surrounded me and I was not just blind.

    "Does it matter?" I thought. "Yet, my fear told me that it did." Fear is a feeling. Feelings...

    Why couldn''t I remember the situation clearly? I tried to recall, but all it did was cause me intense pain.

    "Oh, damn it, I hate headaches."

    This was one of those terrible headaches when your brain itself turns into literal pain!

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Why? I wanted to cover my face with my hands, but I could hardly move them. Why did remembering cause this pain?

    "Instead of memories, all I get are these damn feelings!" I almost shouted, but then it struck me: damn! These feelings were the memories!

    And with that realization, the real memory became a little bit more clear. I closed my eyes and embraced it.

    Pain. Every movement was agony. Something was piercing my flesh! Arrows. Damn arrows lodged in my body. I remembered. I recalled those arrows vividly! The memory of that pain was there deep imprinted in my brain.

    Orcs. They were the source of this agony! Brief bursts of fire illuminated their contorted faces, brief skirmishes, and periods of fleeing in the almost total darkness.

    More and more of these haunting images of cruelty and pain flooded my mind. I must have battled orcs almost continuously in the past few days, yet I didn''t dread them. I almost welcomed them. Oh yes, I almost craved them. Slaying them had given me a sense of purpose. Because somehow, I had lost my purpose.

    That was the memory. Why such a twisted recollection? Why everything packed in feelings in an almost incomprehensible form? Something was deeply amiss with Cala.

    I tried to look around as much as I could move my head, hopefully I would see somewhere a mote of light. There was darkness everywhere, not a shred of light.

    Somebody was breathing behind me. An almost inaudible, pained, slow breath. The wall behind me moved a little.

    There was a furry paw covering me. A familiar paw. The paw twitched a little and pulled me closer to the furry carpet I was lying against. The shaggy rug that was giving me confidence.

    Oh yes, the Lynx is here!

    I was afraid to make any noise. Why was I afraid? Was I afraid of the orcs?... No. I was anxious about losing my brain. I was so scared! I was worried I would never be sane again.

    I took another breath, as much as the sticking pain allowed me and leaned against the furry wall holding the furry paw with my two hands. It was the thing that kept me sane, the thing that had given me confidence.

    "Oh fuck!"

    I''ve never heard White Flower speaking like this. Speaking like Cala.

    "What?"

    "I think that we ripped Cala''s brain when we left."

    "What?"

    "Don''t panic. It is slowly restoring now. I feel it. We need to heal. Why don''t you heal yourself?"

    Yes, I was feeling it. Slowly, I was remembering more of the hallucinating, crazy last days.

    I wondered what I must look like if the system was giving me only 34 HP points? But I still feared to heal.

    ¡°There is great danger here and healing would make us visible.¡±

    ¡°Let me heal. I will make a slow heal that does not emit light. Almost no light. The Lynx needs immediate heal!¡±

    Yes, true. And I needed immediate healing too. I hesitated to give her the lead, but I could not do such a slow heal. Almost no light doesn''t mean no light, but it is better than rising a beacon.

    ¡°OK, you do it!¡±

    Switching to her did not improve my vision as I hoped. Even with her in the lead, I continued to see nothing but then slowly my hand started to glimmer. It was the light of an almost extinguished fire, a feeble ember light, and yet it was almost as a beacon of light for my eyes. Light, hope and fear.

    It was slow, but yet as the healing light passed through me, I started to remember; I relived more pieces of the long fight. Segments slowly accumulated in my brain.

    I felt the Lynx''s paw twitching. It was now a controlled twitch to let me know he had regained his consciousness. Flo was tense, memories further gathering into my brain, and suddenly as I felt an immense relief, I also felt the shock, the fear we would all die soon. Imminent death was there with us.

    The relief was Cala''s feeling as her brain was fixing itself. It was slow, but it worked. That was an immense relief and a shock to me at the same time. I never saw Cala as anything else but an extension of myself. But she was there, alive: she had her feelings and passions. And she had her mind. Her mind that had been busted and was now fixing itself again.

    Flo took a deep breath.

    Pain. Fuck, I still have those damn arrows stuck into my flesh. Most did not go deep but were painful. I started to remove the ones I felt under my fingers.

    But that was not our biggest problem. The problem was that we were not alone in the darkness. There was something dark and terrible together with us. That was why no orc dared to follow us in here. Something was there, something that had been sealed through a formidable magic barrier.

    A one-way barrier.

    And the last memory unfurled itself.

    Tina and Spartacius were since long no longer by conscience. Were they still alive? I didn''t know.

    Alice had carried Spartacius and the Lynx Tina. Sometimes I did that, but I could no longer. I was close to death. So very close. Hello Tenebra, long time no seen! Where are you?

    Yet I still chased our followers from the darkness and killed them. That was my job. That was who I was!

    I heard the belling hounds on our trace.

    And then I leaned myself against the wall. I could not move anymore. The end was finally there with me.

    It was Alice that had dragged Spartacius and Tina further away, and then she wanted to fire that last arrow.

    A hound had followed us; a hound had tried to bite us, and in a fraction of a second, something gigantic had snapped it in the air and took it away. We heard only a very short yelp and then the crunching sound of a giant mandible chewing the beast. Bones breaking like straw.

    In the feeble light of a burning arrow I saw only a glimpse of what had happened, but what I saw was enough to drown any hope.

    The arrow that she no longer fired as she collapsed unconscious. The Lynx had tried to warn her not to enter there, then he sighed and collected me. He lifted me in his mouth like a cat would lift its cub and followed her. He rested against the wall near the three collapsed people.

    That''s all I remembered from the last moments. Then the fire arrow that Alice had lighted went off, and a furry paw had covered me.

 Chapter 80 - The Undead Girl

    Noviel gently nudged Ayra''s shoulder.

    "Time to rise; we''ve got places to be."

    Ayra lifted her head from the hard wooden floor, bewildered by the darkness enveloping them.

    "It''s still the dead of night," she muttered, shifting to the other side.

    Every bone ached from resting on the unforgiving surface, but exhaustion still held her captive.

    Noviel nudged her shoulder once more.

    "We need to get moving. I won''t hesitate to splash my water flask over your head."

    The threat jolted Ayra fully awake, though she continued to protest.

    "But it''s not even dawn yet!"

    Noviel affirmed with a nod. "That''s right."

    She pulled the horse away as the rain finally subsided, though small rivulets of water continued to trickle over the soggy ground.

    Ayra stood up, watching her with puzzled eyes. "Are we leaving? We haven''t even had breakfast!" she remarked.

    Noviel chuckled softly. "You''ll have something to eat on the road. Now, get up. We''re too close to the camp; they might discover us here."

    The notion was unsettling.

    "If they find us, can we fight our way to escape?" Ayra inquired anxiously.

    Noviel sighed heavily. "What can we do? What chance do a fox and a mouse stand against a group of foxes, possibly with a wolf among them? We''d either perish or be captured. Get dressed in the clothes I''ve laid out on the table and dispose of the camp equipment."

    As Ayra changed into a peasant''s dress, Noviel waited impatiently.

    NPCs lacked the tools and the methods to measure magic within individuals as precisely as players could. However, they understood the benefits of magic accumulation within the body.

    The nun''s camp adopted the kingdom''s qualification framework, dividing individuals into categories of initiates, trainees, veterans, and hardened veterans. These groupings typically encompassed levels seven to fifteen for trainees, sixteen to twenty-three for veterans, and twenty-four to thirty for hardened veterans.

    Most individuals reached their peak around level twenty, while those surpassing level thirty were extremely rare elites.

    Novices, children, or unfortunate individuals unable to progress in magic, all those who failed the basic tests and were in reality below level seven, were classified as initiates.

    Advancing between categories necessitated passing stringent tests yet came with increased rewards, privileges, and reduced chores. Occasionally, a level fifteen or even fourteen might attain veteran status, especially if the evaluating nuns were lenient, while in other instances, a level seventeen might struggle to pass the test.

    However, passing the test prematurely posed a double-edged sword, as veterans or teams thereof were deployed to face dangerous beasts where one''s designated status mattered less than one''s abilities.

    In simpler terms, the common folk sometimes used an animal-based system to categorize individuals, a popular method widely used throughout the republic. At the bottom were mice, affectionately referred to as baby chicks, representing those with minimal experience. Above them were rats, chickens, and roosters. Moving up the hierarchy, we find cats and foxes, followed by dogs, wolves, and finally bears. The kingdom referred to those above foxes as veterans and those below as trainees.

    There were methods to expedite the acquisition of power, often utilized by nobles or the affluent, but there were limitations to how far one could push these boundaries. Magic did not accumulate without the requisite effort, akin to how muscles did not simply grow without proper exercise. While specialized exercises and tools could expedite growth, ultimately, the effort had to be put in.

    For a rogue-archer to secure a contract, they must have already attained the rank of ''fox'' or preferably a veteran. This was the minimum requirement, indicating a level of roughly fifteen to twenty or higher. Bears were those surpassing level twenty-five.

    The criteria for achieving veteran or ''fox'' status in the republic differed slightly from those in the empire or kingdom, resulting in minor adjustments to the corresponding levels.

    Ayra had no retort to Noviel''s inquiry. She trailed behind Noviel, initially with resolve.

    "Why won''t you let me ride?" Ayra finally spoke up.

    Noviel remained silent for a few beats. "You need to walk. You need more training. You''re still too weak."

    Ayra grumbled under her breath but didn''t offer a response. She knew it was true, but her feet were throbbing.

    By the time they reached Lilitown, the first rays of sunlight were just cresting the horizon. Emerging from different paths through the forest, they merged with a group of peasants making their way toward the town gates to sell their harvest. A small contingent of riders from the nun''s camp was visible not far from the gate, but they missed them.

    Noviel lingered by the gates, engaging in conversation with the guards, while Ayra entered the town alongside a family of peasants familiar to Noviel. Given her familiarity with the guards, there was no point in attempting to slip into the town unnoticed. It was preferable to be seen and acknowledged, ensuring that her solo journey was transparent to all. The arrangement was for Ayra to remain with the peasants, assisting them in selling their cabbage and carrots until Noviel returned to retrieve her.

    The city was slowly rebounding from the devastation caused by the loss of nearby farms to dragon fire. With vegetables now scarce and costly, peasants from distant areas flocked to the market to sell their produce.

    Noviel engaged in light banter with the guards as she passed through the gate, making her way toward the bustling marketplace. She refrained from contacting Ayra just yet, wary of potential pursuit. A quick glance reassured her to see Ayra obediently keeping her hood on, as instructed.

    Continuing on, Noviel navigated toward an address provided by Alice. Pausing before the dilapidated building, she hesitated. A pair of chatterboxes loitered at the entrance, but it was another figure¡ªa shadowy individual¡ªthat unsettled her. A familiar unease stirred within her, reminiscent of her encounters with Cala.

    She wanted to enter, and one of the two guys eyed her suspiciously. "Are you looking for something?" he asked.

    "I was told that I can find Elise here," she replied.

    The two exchanged a glance. "And if that were true? What do you want from her?" the first guy inquired.

    "I have business with her," she explained.

    "Business? What kind of business?" the second guy became intrigued, eyeing her intently. "Maybe we can help you. Tell us what you need, and we''ll give you the rundown. That''ll save you time and hassle," he added.

    Noviel hesitated. Alice had been very clear: she should seek out Elise and disregard everything else. She lifted her chin and met the man''s gaze squarely.

    "Should I relay this to Elise?"

    The man took a step back, puzzled. "What?" he asked.

    The other one snorted. "You can tell her what you want. She''s at the end of the corridor, that is, if she''s there. Otherwise, you''ll have to wait or try another time," he explained.

    Noviel hesitated for a moment, unsure how to interpret the somewhat cryptic message. Then she decided to enter.

    She eyed the shadowy figure as she entered the corridor. In her estimation, he was a veteran level one, or what the guys in camp would call a fox. She preferred the kingdom''s scale which parted the veteran class in two levels, only because she harbored a deep-seated hatred for the empire. Her parents had been killed in a raid that she strongly suspected was led by the empire.

    The man gave her a simple nod, and she felt a tiny pulse of magic pass through her. She had learned to expect these tests and understood that it was a way to gauge her abilities. It was a bit different from the probe she had also learned to master. Alice had trained with her several times, refining her skills. Alice''s test was much more subtle; at first, she couldn''t even recognize it. She only felt it after Alice had explained it many times and put more energy than necessary into her test. So the man had tested her.

    It felt like ripples in water. What they were learning in the camp was akin to splashing waves with your hand. But what this person did, as Alice had shown her, was at a much finer level. The probe she knew was like thrusting your ego forward¡ªit only worked in the immediate proximity and provided a muddled answer with a wide range of approximations. It was a way of gauging your opponent, but it was much too obvious.

    She proceeded through the corridor and entered the last room. It wasn''t what she had expected. It resembled a tavern or the adventurers'' guild where she had been with Spartacius. There were about ten to twelve people in the room. A couple of gazes acknowledged her, but most ignored her.

    "Are you looking for something?" a tall girl asked, rising from one of the tables and approaching her. She was a veteran level two, a wolf. The girl grinned at her probe, looking down at her as their magic egos clashed. Noviel attempted to make some conversation.

    "Are those quests over there?" she asked.

    "Do you have a card?" the girl responded.

    At her confused expression, the girl sighed.

    "Those idiots shouldn''t have let you in without a card."

    As the girl grasped her hand, Noviel spoke quickly before being thrown out:

    "I''m looking for Elise!"

    "Oh!" The name worked like magic; the girl released her hand and took a step back. She pointed at a table.

    "You can wait there; a waitress will come and check on you. Don''t go to the quests area; those are not for you. Are we clear?"

    Noviel nodded. Does this mean Elise will come to her? She hesitated but didn''t dare ask. She sat at the table, and indeed, a waitress came almost immediately. It was a young peasant girl, about the same age as Noviel. She greeted Noviel, who answered, then waited. There were a few seconds of a staring contest, each one expecting the other to speak. The waitress broke the silence:

    "Do you want something?"

    A bit intimidated by the veteran girl and unsure if she could order an ''Elise'' from the waitress, Noviel just tried to find her words:

    "Ahm?"

    The waitress smiled more relaxedly.

    "Breakfast or only drinks?"

    Oh, the waitress was here because it was a kind of tavern! Noviel suddenly realized.

    "What''s for breakfast?" she asked.

    "What do you want?" the waitress replied.

    Noviel stared for a moment at the waitress, confused by the answer, until she realized the waitress was pointing to a black table near the entry, where something was written with white letters, but it was too small to read from there. Just as he thought to stand up and go read the table, the waitress added:

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "You look famished. I''ll bring you ham and eggs and a potara juice. That''ll be thirty copper."

    The price seemed reasonable, and Noviel was grateful that she was spared the way back to read the table. She nodded, and the waitress left. Maybe she should have felt embarrassed by what the waitress had said about her being famished, but she shrugged it off. She was hungry. Just as she wondered what Ayra was doing, a lizard girl approached her.

    "I understand you are looking for Elise?"

    Noviel raised her head and observed her. The pulse indicated that she was a veteran level two, or a wolf. It was the second wolf she encountered here. Despite the girl''s smile, she felt uneasy, particularly with the abundance of teeth on display. It resembled too closely the grin of a wolf. Nevertheless, she nodded.

    "Yes, I do."

    The lizardgirl furrowed her brows upon sensing Noviel''s magical pulse.

    "And what might that be?"

    "As I mentioned at the entry, it concerns only Elise."

    "Oh."

    The lizardgirl''s grin widened, and she gestured toward a door at the back of the room.

    "When you''re finished here, take that door and head to the green door on your right. You''ll find her there. Oh, and be sure to leave two copper for the waitress."

    The girl''s manner of speaking carried a hint of both amusement and irony. Noviel couldn''t help but wonder if this was some sort of trap and asked herself if she should make a dash for the exit. Nonetheless, she bravely stood on her chair and nodded in response.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Once the lizardgirl had departed, the waitress arrived with Noviel''s breakfast, causing a broad grin on Noviel''s face as she set down the sizable plate. Noviel promptly settled her bill and dug into her meal with gusto. Oh, true, she had been famished!

    Once finished, she took a moment to enjoy her juice, then rose from her seat and made her way toward the door indicated by the lizard girl. For a brief moment, she feared it might be an ambush when another guy stood up almost simultaneously, but he headed towards the entrance door instead.

    She took a deep breath and stepped through the door. She found herself in a corridor lined with several doors on either side. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she quickly spotted the green door and let out a sigh of relief. That had to be it.

    Without hesitation, she knocked on the door and pushed it open even before receiving a response, and saw the same lizard girl seated at a desk inside.

    Glancing behind her, Noviel noticed the other tall girl now entering the corridor. She felt trapped. Stepping halfway into the room, she met the lizardgirl''s gaze.

    ¡°Now, what do you have for Elise?¡± the lizardgirl inquired.

    ¡°I''m sorry, but it''s only for Elise,¡± Noviel replied stubbornly.

    The lizardgirl sighed. ¡°Close the door behind you. I am Elise.¡±

    As the tall girl entered another room, Noviel sighed in relief and closed the door before turning back to face Elise. She swallowed nervously.

    ¡°Sorry. We haven''t met yet. My aunt Alice had advised me to come to you in case of need.¡±

    ¡°Alice? Alice, who?" Elise inquired, her big brown lizard eye focused intently on Noviel. "The Archer from Lilitown?¡±

    Noviel nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°She is your aunt?¡± Elise''s tone held a hint of surprise.

    Noviel affirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alice Sevenbrunn?¡±

    ¡°She is not allowed to use that name anymore. Neither am I. I am Noviel.¡±

    ¡°Noviel Sevenbrunn.¡±

    Noviel shrugged, acknowledging the truth of Elise''s statement.

    ¡°So what is the need you are here for, Noviel? May I call you like this?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It is my name.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. As Elise is mine, Elise Schattenwolf.¡±

    A shiver ran down Noviel''s spine. Alice hadn''t mentioned that. Did she forget, or did she think it was unnecessary? She had heard the name, and not in a good context. Schattenwolf was a name one would do well to avoid mentioning in the town''s respectable circles. Nor to the guards, for that matter. Noviel swallowed, realizing she would have never come here if she knew Elise''s full name. Perhaps that''s why Alice didn''t mention it.

    Elise seemed to relish the impact her name had on Noviel. She raised a brow, her reptilian eyes surprisingly expressive.

    ¡°So, what do you want from me, Noviel?¡±

    ¡°I have a book that I would like to have appraised and checked for tracking.¡±

    Elise grinned again, her wolfish smile apparent.

    ¡°Then I have chosen this room well.¡±

    She extended her hand, her claws open. ¡°The book?¡±

    Noviel hesitated but then extracted Ayra''s book from her inventory and handed it to Elise.

    ¡°Oh, I see!¡±

    Noviel''s brows furrowed. What did she mean by that?

    Elise''s attention immediately shifted to the book. She handled it with care, examining it from all angles, and then finally opened it. Only after about five minutes of inspecting the book and conducting various tests did she turn her attention back to Noviel.

    ¡°What I''ve done so far would typically cost 30 silver, but I won''t charge you for it. The book has a value of about one hundred gold, give or take. Probably less, so maybe closer to ninety gold, depending on where you plan to sell it,¡± Elise explained.

    Noviel felt a lump form in her throat. Thirty silver just for a five-minute glance at a book! Where had her aunt sent her?

    ¡°It''s not for sale,¡± she blurted out quickly.

    Elise nodded.

    ¡°Understood. There''s a tracking spell on it,¡± she added quickly, noticing Noviel''s reaction. "There''s no danger; this room is shielded. I can remove the spell, but it''ll cost two gold. Do you want to proceed with that, and do you have the money?"

    Noviel swallowed hard. What if this lizard girl was just pretending, doing some trickery, and taking her gold without removing any tracking spells? But Alice wouldn''t have sent her to a scammer. She nodded.

    ¡°So, should I go ahead?¡± the lizardgirl insisted.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she managed to say, albeit with some effort.

    Noviel felt a pang of regret at the thought of spending such a significant sum. One could eat well for a whole year with that amount of money. And now she was spending it on a book stolen by that stupid girl.

    She couldn''t help but shake her head in frustration. That girl''s actions had been beyond foolish. Running away was one thing, but absconding with a valuable stolen book was another entirely. Without her interference, that girl would have likely been captured by now and facing the dire consequences of her actions.

    Why was she doing it? Would she ever recoup this money from the girl? But amidst her concerns, she sensed that this girl might hold some answers. She was a piece of the puzzle. Who was Alice working for? Who was Spartacius, her former employer? What was his relationship with that mysterious Cala?

    Above all, Noviel believed in fate. She couldn''t shake the feeling that things didn''t just happen by accident. There must be some order, some threads of fate weaving through this world, and she was determined to find hers. Why did Cala save her? Yes, she knew that Alice had brought the antidote, but she also knew it ultimately came from Cala.

    Elise grinned, rose from her seat, and approached a wall where a chest sat on a nearby table. She opened the chest and placed the book inside, adding several ingredients from the table as she worked. While going about her task, she continued to speak.

    ¡°The book was stolen from an imperial mage. While I''ll remove the tracking spell, I won''t erase the ownership inscription from the imperial library, as it''s woven into the book''s pages, and removing it could damage the formulas. So, be cautious not to let it fall into any imperial hands, or you''ll need to explain how you acquired it.¡±

    Noviel nodded. Initially, she wanted to argue that the book wasn''t hers, that it hadn''t been stolen by her, but she decided against it.

    Elise went on. ¡°We received a quest about an hour ago. The description matches a girl who looks very much like you. You fit the description almost perfectly, except for your veteran category. The girl in question is a novice of the lowest level, not a veteran like you. So, I suppose it wasn''t you. I''m curious, though, who would pay ten gold for the capture of such a low-level novice. Do you happen to know anything about this?¡±

    Noviel raised her eyes and met Elise''s gaze. There was probably some kind of lie-detector spell in the room. She sighed and answered as truthfully as she could:

    ¡°I am not the girl they are looking for.¡±

    ¡°So you know what this is about? Because if a novice stole a book this valuable, it would surely be tracked and chased,¡± Elise remarked.

    ¡°The imperial mages shouldn''t think they can force their desires onto any poor girl just because she wants to study magic. Believe me, they can be pigs,¡± Noviel retorted.

    Elise didn''t seem impressed. ¡°Oh, I''m sure of that, but a deal is a deal. Nobody forces you to make it.¡±

    ¡°Right. Until someone does,¡± Noviel replied.

    They locked eyes for a moment. Elise grinned and raised her clawed hand: ¡°Two gold?¡±

    Noviel handed over the gold. Elise examined the coins briefly, grinned in satisfaction, and extracted the book from the chest: ¡°Tracespell is removed. You can open it and use it wherever you want.¡±

    As Noviel took the book from her hand, Elise added: ¡°We have a shop you may be interested in visiting. It''s for special guests, but you can say I allowed it for you... You know what? You want a badge from us! You can use it to pick up quests, too, from the green zone.¡±

    Noviel hesitated. She almost refused, as the way Elise had formulated it was awkward. Yet, it was true; she did want to check the quests and eventually visit that shop.

    ¡°Yes, why not?¡± she finally replied.

    She raised her eyes to look at Elise: ¡°Why are you offering me this?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Because you may not want to be associated with us. Why do I offer this? Alice is a name in this city. She has helped many orphans here. I remember, I was one of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Thanks...¡± Noviel said, surprised by this revelation about Alice.

    Five minutes later, with her new badge, Noviel entered the shop. It was located behind the door that the other girl had used in the interior corridor. Who puts a shop inside a building that you can only enter after passing through a corridor, a tavern, and another corridor?

    Despite the apparent lack of patrons, it was filled to the brim with valuable items. Or maybe due to that. Noviel browsed through the items and found many things that raised her interest: hair dye, spells to change eye color, false ears, and various scrolls with spells. She had heard about them but had never seen one before. Spells to change the color of your eyes?

    Very interesting but three gold? She deemed that too expensive, but hair dye for two silver? False elves ears for two silver a pair? She bought the hair dye and the false ears for Ayra.

    One particular scroll caught her eye: Identify skill for sale at four gold. You could buy skills like that? It sounded incredible, but the price was very high. Almost half of her gold for what seemed an almost useless skill. Identify?

    "Does it really work? What does it do?" she asked

    The sales clerk approached her.

    ¡°It is not for your class. You should not mix classes,¡± she said.

    Noviel was intrigued. ¡°Why not?¡± she pressed.

    The sales clerk shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. They say that if you mix skills from different classes, you may ruin your other skills. One wrong skill and you forget the good ones. But what do I know? Do you want it? Four gold! Do you have the money?¡±

    Noviel hesitated, feeling very tempted. What could that skill, "Identify," mean? She glanced around the shop, noticing several other skill scrolls with astronomically high prices. One scroll in particular caught her eye: the "Three-Point Stab," priced at fifty gold. She didn''t dare touch it.

    ¡°What does this Three-Point Stab do?¡± she asked.

    The sales clerk, a lithe elf, approached and examined the scroll with her. Peering over the clerk''s shoulder, Noviel suddenly noticed something else and exclaimed in shock,

    "An undead!?"

    The sales clerk turned, smiling at her. In the first moment, Noviel wanted to run, then she wanted to stab her, but then she realized the sales clerk was still smiling at her with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yes, that''s correct," the clerk replied. "How did you realize?¡±

    Summoning all her courage, Noviel responded, ¡°Your aura. I sensed it when you came near me.¡± Noviel braced herself, prepared to defend herself if necessary, while the undead girl seemed elated by her answer.

    ¡°Oh, good. I need to restrain my aura," the undead girl smiled, looking at Noviel. "You must have been trained by the nuns! So, nothing else in the way I look, move, or speak?¡±

    Noviel shook her head, still not quite believing this conversation was real. ¡°No,¡± she replied.

    The undead elf gave her a radiant smile. "Better now?" she asked, turning back towards the scroll. ¡°So, what do we have here?¡±

    She concentrated on the scroll, completely ignoring Noviel. Noviel couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. The undead girl seemed entirely focused on the task at hand, paying her no mind. Noviel could have struck her down or cut off her head, but she did nothing. Instead, she watched the girl''s thin, long neck, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°It is a spell that helps you conjure two additional knives to the one you stab with," the sales clerk answered, "Your target will be stabbed three times. The magical knives will ignore normal armor. Your thrust is not reduced by the additional magical knives; they have the same force. Unfortunately, this requires a higher level than yours. You are only at level nineteen, and this requires level twenty-eight.¡±

    Noviel''s mind raced. A skill with a spell? She could learn skills just like that? This was a revolution in her understanding of skills. But why was this only available in this shop? Or were there more such shops?

    Something else drew Noviel''s attention: ¡°What do you mean by level nineteen?¡±

    The undead girl explained happily: ¡°Yes, your magic level, as the identification skill reveals. The skill you just wanted to buy?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noviel nodded. ¡°I''ll buy it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± the sales clerk nodded. ¡°I can give you a discount. I can sell it to you for three-fifty as a first-time customer, but please be careful how you mix skills!¡±

    This undead girl seemed to be different, not like the undead Noviel had heard about. She had never heard of undead people you could talk to. It was always a fight with the undead. That''s what she had learned.

    The undead girl smiled. ¡°Anabella!¡±

    This was a surprising move. As she raised her hand, Noviel instinctively took it in hers. A shiver passed through her spine as she shook the cold, marble-like hand. Yet it wasn''t as dreadful as she had expected. She barely mumbled: ¡°Noviel.¡±

    ¡°Come and visit me again sometime. It''s so boring here, and I don''t have many friends in town.¡±

    I wonder why? But Noviel did not express her thought. When she had finished her acquisitions, she took the package from the undead girl and put it in her inventory.

 Chapter 81 - Identify

    Noviel went straight to the market. Both suns were up, and it was starting to get warm.

    ¡°Put your hood on!¡±

    Those were the first words she said to a sweaty Ayra. She was sitting behind the peasant''s carriage and was just trying to get a bit of fresh air. She put her hood on and pulled her tongue at her in a moment when she thought Noviel could not see her.

    Noviel sighed and checked the surroundings. Nobody seemed to have followed her. She turned towards Ayra, still staying a couple of meters away.

    ¡°Everything OK?¡±

    Ayra beamed, happy to have somebody to talk about her successes:

    ¡°I''ve sold two cabbages for two copper!¡±

    Noviel sighted. ¡°You gave him the money, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Mr Duragh was very happy!¡±

    Noviel nodded.

    ¡°Good. Now follow me. We leave.¡±

    Ayra watched her, surprised. ¡°But I should say goodbye to Mr Duragh. It is impolite to...¡±

    ¡°He knows. Follow me a couple of meters away and keep your head down, your hood on.¡±

    As Noviel left, Ayra hurried behind her. They walked through some shady streets and finally into a tavern. Once in, Ayra looked worried around and came closer to Noviel to whisper:

    ¡°What''s this?¡±

    Noviel just made her sit in a corner.

    ¡°Wait for me there.¡±

    She went to the counter and returned to Ayra after a few moments. She made her a sign to follow, and both entered a room. Once inside the room, Ayra exclaimed exasperated:

    ¡°Can I take the hood off? I''m cooked alive here inside?¡±

    Noviel nodded, preparing something in a bigger cauldron that she had just extracted from her inventory.

    ¡°You can do it. Remove your dress too and come here. This is our new home for the week.¡±

    Ayra undressed, looking confused at Noviel.

    Half an hour later, Ayra''s hair was dyed dark green. She had two long elven ears piercing through it. She watched herself appreciatively in a small mirror Noviel had given her.

    ¡°I do not feel comfortable that I did not talk with Mr Duragh. Did you really talk with him?¡±

    Noviel sighed. ¡°No. I did not. He does not know me, and it should remain like this. Nobody should be able to make a connection between you and me. Do you understand?¡±

    Ayra raised her brows. ¡°But then the way I left was highly impolite... you know, after he helped me get into the city to behave like this?¡±

    Noviel was fighting her exasperation. ¡°He will understand. You paid one silver and helped him. That was enough. Now, forget about him. You are a different person; your name from now on will be Consuela.¡±

    Ayra snorted. ¡°No, I don''t like Consuela... I thought about this. I prefer to be named Awa!¡±

    ¡°Awa, is too close to Ayra?¡±

    ¡°It does not matter. It is different then Ayra. Awa is good. I like it better. Plus, it fits better for someone with elven blood. Should I say I have elven blood?¡±

    Noviel conceded with a sight. ¡°Sure, with your new ears, you can say that. I hope they are durable. OK, you are Awa then. Awa or Aiwa? Come here before the bed.¡±

    Ayra came with an intrigued face. ¡°Awa, Aiwa is really too close. OK, I am here; why?¡±

    Noviel hit her with a perfect fist punch over the nose so hard that she flew on her back over the bed.

    For the first second, Awa was stunned, and then the pain from her broken nose made her scream. She started to cry. Sobbing, she mumbled:

    ¡°Why was that? I behaved myself; I did everything that you asked me to do...¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I am really sorry about this.¡± - Noviel sighed - ¡°We need to change your face more. Please just keep cool. Let me fix it now.¡±

    Ayra alias Awa struggled not to comment. Keep cool? Those were Spartacius'' own words. They did not make sense, but somehow Noviel learned to use them. Should she tell her? She kept silent, fearing getting punched again in the nose.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You will not punch me again? Hm?¡±

    ¡°I hope not.¡±

    All alarm bells ringed in Awa''s head.

    ¡°You hope?¡±

    Noviel pushed her back on the bed and let a couple of drops from a healing potion fall over Awa''s bloodied nose but kept her nose bent with her fingers.

    She ignored Awa''s nasal protest: ¡°What, what?¡±

    Noviel tried to explain. ¡°Alice told me once this story. Cala was so drunk that she held her nose tight during healing so as not to smell the vomit. That was after she had broken it in a tavern''s fistfight. That''s how she came to her bent nose. It fixed itself in a wrong position and remains so even if healed. Now you have a bent nose like your future mother-in-law! Happy?¡±

    Awa questioned with round eyes. ¡°She is not my... But.. but... why?¡±

    Noviel sighed. ¡°There is a ten gold reward for you. We need to spare some money to be able to change your eyes'' colour. Until then, the nose, the ears and the hair should do. You''ll wear a mask over the eyes; this is not unheard of for the elves. Does it still pain?¡±

    Awa sensed with her hand her new, slightly bent nose.

    ¡°No, it is ok. It can be fixed after this, isn''t it?¡±

    Noviel kissed her brow.

    ¡°Sorry for the punch. Yes, it can be fixed, but it would cost gold. If your next healing does fix it, I''ll have to bend it again until it stays like this.¡±

    Awa sighed whilst Noviel shrugged. The fresh christened Awa wiped her tears.

    ¡°I''m hungry!¡±

    ¡°We have this room for a week. I''ll bring you breakfast from below, and then we''ll go to our first mission. You need to grow fast in your magic class somehow. You''re a baby chick now.¡±

    She removed the book from her inventory:

    ¡°You can start studying the book, but when you do not study it, give it to me to keep it safe. Do not let anybody look at it, ok?¡±

    Awa''s eyes lit up at the book''s sight.

    ¡°OK!¡±

    She started to read.

    They got back only in the evening. Tired, dirty with Awa, still a baby chick. They''ve been the whole day in the sewer chasing slimes. Awa had learned to kill them with a stab, but the progress was slow. So slow, Noviel even wondered if she made any progress.

    They washed behind the tavern with cold water directly from the fountain. Two rows of hanging bed linen were protecting them from sight, so they could clean themselves well. All they''ve earned that day was 1 silver and twenty copper, just enough to survive, but the looks they''ve got in the guild when they entered stinking like the sewer to get their reward for slime cores were still haunting Awa.

    After dinner, Noviel let her study in the room as she went outside to wash their clothes. When she came back, she found Awa sleeping in her bed with the book over her bent nose.

    Noviel sat tired at the table in their room and checked inside her inventory box. She found the identification skill spell she had bought yesterday. She had hesitated long if to use it or not. Finally, she decided to use it. She unfolded it and let the spell envelop her.

    After a couple of seconds, the light dissipated. She felt the same. Did anything happen? Did she just lose two of her precious gold coins? A huge part of the scroll had cleared itself. It was blank now. Below it was a text.

    To use the skill, look at a person and think <<identify>>. If it does not work from the beginning, you should try to point and say the word until the skill is well ingrained in your brain.

    If it still does not work, you may need to use the...

    She pointed at Ayra and spoke <<identify>>. Suddenly something like a memory hit her back: level two, no class. It was as if she would suddenly remember it.

    She felt elated and confused.

    It was such a major difference from the raw pulse she had learnt with much difficulty to master. That pulse was something like a pissing contest, an ego measurement.

    This was better than even what the superior mother could muster. Decades of training to reach this level? And she got it for some gold? True, expensive, but... in reality, incredibly cheap. How can you pay with gold for decades of training?

    She looked back at the scroll. There was more text about class there, but she ignored that for now, very excited about what she had learned. Levels. So this is what Cala and Spartacius spoke about. Ayra was level two? That was better than one or zero. What level was she? She looked at her hand. She had to try a couple of times. It worked only when she looked at her belly: rogue archer, level nineteen.

    Ah, that was interesting!

    So she got not only her level but also the info on her class? Level nineteen? That is ¡­ ok, not so much. She was still a fox. Barely a veteran first level. It means Ayra was really low. What was written about class in the spell scroll?

    Identity returns the class corresponding to the skills that could be identified through the magic pulse.

    The class corresponding to the skills! So it was not the class that was identified but the skills!

    Caution when using, trained persons may recognize the spell and even the source.

    Suddenly a cold frisson passed through her spine. She remembered what that undead girl had said. What if she lost her skills? She had two that she had trained hard, the fire arrow and the sure hand skill. Sure hand ensured that she would hit exactly at the targeted point. The skill may evolve later in arrow steer skill.

    The problem was the nuns did not use scrolls. Did they not know about them, or were they too avaricious? They had to learn the skills the hard way, through exercises. Repeat and repeat and repeat until it becomes a skill. Some could simply not learn skills. Besides this way, there were many variations of the same skill.

    Did she just destroy her hard work for this skill?

    She secured Ayra''s book in her inventory and went outside. It was already getting dark, but she needed to find a place to test her skills. Finally, she arrived at the guards'' training area. There was nobody there, so she started to shoot arrows. Only after triggering her skills several times was she happy that they still worked.

    She sighed, relieved.

    On the way back, she started to identify people. She identified almost everybody. Nobody was so low as Ayra. The lowest she found were kids. Yes, kids were as low as Ayra. Some were higher. Here comes a butcher level twelve. Then a shopkeeper level eleven. A thief level thirteen. A thief? Lol. Next. Guard level eighteen. That was funny, just behind the thief!

    ¡°Hey, Noviel!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Ramdes!¡±

    None of them seemed to realize she was identifying them.

 Chapter 82 â€“ Try a Different Way

    "We need to try a different approach," Noviel said.

    It was early morning, and she and Awa were having breakfast in the inn.

    The dining room was relatively small, dark, and smelly. It was a cheap inn, with only two small windows letting in little light. Normal glass wasn''t expensive, but neither was it cheap, and the innkeeper cut costs where he could.

    There were about ten other guests in the dining room, mostly men from a woodcutting team, and several of them glanced at the two girls from time to time, especially at Awa.

    Two things bothered her about this. First, she was afraid they might recognize Ayra. And second... well, even though she and Ayra looked very much alike, Ayra had always been the one attracting attention before her transformation into Awa. Now, after the change, it seemed as if Awa was drawing even more stares. Certainly more than herself.

    Noviel sighed. She wasn''t really interested in those looks, but being compared to Awa and feeling like she was losing? That hurt.

    Awa continued to eat happily, unaware of everything that was happening around her. She raised her head and looked at Noviel with a questioning expression.

    "What do you mean?"

    "You''re leveling up too slowly."

    "Leveling?"

    Noviel grinned, realizing she was using phrases she had learned from Spartacius in the short time they had been together. She explained:

    "You need to become a veteran by tomorrow."

    "A veteran? But... even..."

    Awa stopped herself. She had almost mentioned the camp. There, they had said she would need at least three years to become a veteran, a fox, as they called it.

    Noviel understood what she wanted to say and shook her head.

    "We need to train harder, and for that, we''ll need to take some risks," she said, cleaning the last pieces on her plate. "As soon as you finish, go into the room and study. I''ll go to the guild, check for quests, and come back. Try to get something done by then. Don''t waste time."

    "But..."

    Awa looked at Noviel and sighed. Learn a spell in a day? That was an absurd request. It took months or even years just to unlock your spell power. She didn''t even know what kind of mage she would become, as she didn''t understand her affinities. But discussing this in the inn''s dining room might not be a good idea. She lowered her head and nodded.

    Soon, she was back in her room, staring at the book. She opened it again to the first page she hadn''t been able to get past. The book started with about twenty pages of exercises designed to unlock your affinities, but each one needed careful analysis and understanding. It wasn''t simple! If only she had someone to ask for help.

    After another hour of staring at the first page and attempting the first exercise, she started to panic. Noviel would be back soon and would ask if she had made any progress. She flipped through the pages until something caught her eye: a section on fire magic.

    Yes, she probably had a fire affinity. She had always enjoyed staring into the flames when she cooked those alchemical ingredients. Fire was like a living being; it needed to be nurtured, it could grow, and if you didn¡¯t feed it, it would die. That was much more interesting than earth, which was just dirty, or air, which was nothing at all. Fire warmed you in those cold winters, but it was also fierce and could burn your enemies.

    She read the spell description, then focused on the spell itself. The text was peculiar. You had to look at it from a certain angle to see the word "fire." But she observed that if you shifted your head even slightly, you saw the fire burning. She concentrated on the page, trying to understand. Now she could no longer discern the letters; there was only fire on that page. She tried again to see the letters, but all she saw was fire. Fascinating fire dancing freely, dancing as she willed it.

    "AWA!"

    Startled by the scream, she jumped and turned towards the door. The fire died, the room fell still, and a shocked Noviel stood there, staring at her. For a few moments, they just looked at each other. Then Awa shrugged and said, "Yes?"

    Noviel entered the room, closed the door behind her, and wetted her lips before finally speaking.

    "You were on fire. There was fire all over you, but now it''s gone."

    She examined Awa and her clothes carefully, then sighed in relief.

    "Okay, it seems it was a harmless illusion. Well done, at least you managed to cast something!"

    "It was..."

    Awa wanted to protest that it wasn''t an illusion... but what was it? She hadn''t even realized the flames had been in the air around her.

    "Sorry for yelling at you," Noviel said. "There''s a new quest, better than the last one. A pack of wolves has moved into the area with the destroyed farms. We need to chase them away."

    "A pack of wolves?" Awa''s wide, round eyes turned to look at Noviel in shock. She couldn''t be serious!

    Noviel shrugged and grinned. "We need to try something harder than those slimes in the sewer. Besides, wolves don''t smell as bad."

    Noviel seemed confident, dismissing the wolves as a minor challenge. Awa sighed. Maybe it wouldn''t be as bad as she thought.

    It turned into a disaster.

    They found a lone wolf, and Noviel shot an arrow at it. The arrow struck; however, the wolf didn''t flee but turned and decided to attack. It ignored Noviel and lunged directly at Awa, who tried to fend it off with her staff. It was a wooden staff about two meters long, a so-called acolyte''s staff that Noviel had given her. It was too long and too heavy for Awa. The wolf dodged the staff and bit her hands repeatedly. Awa struggled to fight it off, but the wolf bit her ankle, bringing her down.

    Noviel was too afraid to shoot and risk hurting Awa. She dropped her bow and lunged at the wolf with a dagger.

    Awa screamed in horror as the wolf tore at her right foot. Desperately, she conjured a small fire in her hands, which deterred the wolf for a few seconds. Probably, that saved her life. Noviel attacked the wolf, screaming furiously. The wolf turned to bite her, but she offered it her left hand while she slashed its belly with the dagger.

    She screamed again in pain as the wolf tried to break her hand, but she stabbed at its heart. The wolf fell to the ground.

    Noviel remained with her head low, panting hard over the dead beast, while Awa sobbed behind her. She had to use the dagger to free her left hand from the dead wolf''s jaws, still clamped around it.

    She poured a few precious drops of healing potion over her hand, then over Awa''s hands and foot. They had fought a level thirteen wolf. A lone wolf. A pack would have devoured them in two minutes.

    Noviel sighed and stood up.

    She helped the crying Awa to stand on her feet. As Awa sobbed and blabbered, Noviel decided they should head back to town.

    ¡°I don''t want... I don''t want...¡± Awa continued to blabber while Noviel tried to soothe her.

    ¡°Sssssh. It''s alright. Let''s go...¡± Before any other wolf comes, she thought, but she didn''t say that aloud. ¡°It was my mistake. I should have accepted the offer from that guy...¡±

    Awa, who was before almost freaking out, raised her head to look at Noviel. ¡°Offer?¡±

    ¡°There was a warrior in the adventurer''s guild who wanted to partner with me. He would attract the wolves'' ire, and I could kill them with arrows.¡±

    ¡°Doesn''t that sound stupid? Could he stand in front of a wolf?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he has steel armor. It was stupid of me to try it like this. I underestimated this wolf. Maybe I don''t understand how levels work. Come, I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°An idea?¡± Awa wondered. She was starting to fear Noviel''s ideas.

    ¡°There¡¯s a place where you can buy scrolls to learn skills,¡± Noviel explained.

    ¡°Skills from scrolls? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Aha,¡± Noviel nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find something for you.¡±

    She looked at Awa. After the fight with the wolf, Awa had been so shocked and afraid that Noviel feared she would refuse to fight further. Trying to kill another wolf now would certainly be too much for her. But if she had a spell that she could cast from a distance while someone else distracted the wolf, that could work.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    As they entered the shop, the undead girl behind the counter smiled, greeting Noviel happily, but when she saw Awa, she froze.

    She sighed and whispered, "You''re crazy."

    Though Anabella had spoken softly, Noviel still heard it. She raised a brow, looking at Anabella. "Why do you say that?"

    Anabella shook her head and asked with a half-smile, "Are you here to cash the reward with those ears?"

    A confused Awa looked at Anabella.

    "Oh, the wolf!" she exclaimed "But we only killed one," she turned to Noviel, "Did you cut its ears for the reward?"

    Noviel sighed. "No, I forgot."

    Anabella rolled her eyes. "I was speaking of these ears." She placed her hand on Awa''s shoulder.

    Noviel watched her, alarmed, while Awa put her hand over Anabella''s, wanting to protest but then exclaimed, surprised, "Hey... Your hand is so cold?"

    A grimace crossed Noviel''s face as she explained, watching Awa intently, "She''s undead."

    She expected a violent reaction from Awa, but nothing of the sort happened. The republic was much more tolerant toward other races, even the undead, and Awa was raised in a border town where many players of various races passed through.

    Meanwhile, Anabella watched Noviel, unsure. "You don''t know where you are, do you?"

    Noviel hesitated. Maybe coming here was a mistake. She thought Awa''s disguise was good enough, but Anabella had seen through it from the beginning. Well, she had bought the ears here, but she hoped the undead girl wouldn''t prove to be that knowledgeable. How could she know about the reward? Was she reading the wanted posters? Was she not just a sales clerk? How could she make the connections so quickly? Besides, there was no such poster about Awa at the adventurers'' guild!

    Noviel used her new skill on Anabella: Undead priest, level eighteen.

    ¡°You¡¯re a priest?¡± she asked.

    Anabella gasped, surprised. ¡°You learned that assassin''s skill yourself?" she chuckled, "You''re crazier than I thought!¡±

    Meanwhile, Awa looked thrilled, utterly unaware of the danger she was in.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met an undead for years! We had undead customers before, but now they don¡¯t come here anymore. Why? You are so cool!¡±

    Noviel, tense about the situation and the many questions in her head, almost exploded seeing Awa so unconcerned and using stupid Spartacius'' expressions.

    ¡°Stop using Spartacius'' expressions! You met him only once!¡± she snapped.

    ¡°Why should I stop using them? You use them too!¡± Awa retorted.

    Anabella looked at the two girls and wondered, ¡°Who is Spartacius?¡±

    Noviel couldn''t hold back any longer. ¡°Her crush!¡±

    Awa turned suddenly completely red. ¡°It¡¯s not true! He is my savior! He saved me from slavers!¡± She turned towards Anabella. ¡°He is Cala''s son!¡±

    Anabella raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°Cala''s son? Well, that does explain a few things.¡±

    After watching the children for another moment, she sighed. Cala''s name was well known in the assassin''s guild. If Cala and her son have saved this girl, then they had some protection, at least here in the assassin''s guild. She was not the one to antagonize Cala.

    She turned towards Awa.

    ¡°Look, your false ears are not good enough. One is already half damaged, and besides, they are too easily recognizable as false.¡±

    Noviel turned to her with a red face. ¡°Recognizable as false? You didn''t say that yesterday! They still look perfect?¡±

    Anabella sighed. ¡°Every trick can be recognized as a trick; the question is how hard it is and for whom. Who is checking it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°What did you expect for two silver? A perfect disguise? As a priest, I can see that there is no life in them; it is as simple as that; they are only two leather bits glued to her ears.¡±

    The two girls watched her, surprised.

    ¡°Look, I can propose something. I can provide you two ears that will be alive, nobody will be able to tell they don''t belong to you, but for this, you''ll have to take me out and spend every evening with me in a tavern for as long as you stay here. Do we have a deal?¡± Anabella suggested quickly.

    Noviel asked without hesitation, ¡°Who pays for what you eat?¡±

    Anabella rolled her eyes. ¡°Actually, I wanted to pay for my bill, but now I think you will pay!¡±

    ¡°Not more than one silver per evening!¡± Noviel countered.

    ¡°Two, and we have a deal!¡±

    ¡°Deal, if the ears are as good as you say!¡±

    ¡°They are.¡±

    Awa put her hands to her ears.

    ¡°Do you have something to remove these? They are pretty well glued to my ears?¡±

    Anabella answered with a naughty smile,

    ¡°Doesn''t matter, honey, I will need to cut your ears anyway.¡±

    Awa stepped back, outraged.

    ¡°Cut my ears?¡±

    Anabella shrugged.

    ¡°It''s the only way it works. You get real ears from an elf. I''ll heal them.¡±

    ¡°Is this possible?¡± Awa asked, bewildered.

    Anabella grinned. ¡°Yes, if you are an undead priest.¡±

    As Awa sat on a chair while Anabella performed her bloody operation, she asked,

    ¡°Why are you so keen to get out with us?¡±

    Anabella shrugged, explaining her situation,

    ¡°I don''t get many chances to get into town. I invite an assa... a guy from here from time to time, but most don''t know about me, and the ones who do wouldn''t like to be seen in my company. They fear that if I''m caught someday, it would have bad repercussions on them. You know the guards don''t like undead people here, so I spend most of my days in this building.¡±

    Awa was shocked, responding, ¡°Oh no! That''s horrible!¡±

    ¡°It''s not that horrible!¡± Anabella tried to downplay it.

    ¡°Yes, it is horrible!¡± Awa insisted.

    Noviel attempted to reason with her, ¡°But she''s an undead!?¡±

    ¡°Imagine being confined all the time to one building. It''s as bad as... as being a slave! Almost as bad! Let''s get out!¡±

    ¡°Wait, we wanted to find a scroll for you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, true!¡±

    As the ''operation'' was finished, Anabella healed her once again, and Awa''s ears twitched. Awa put her hands on her ears, surprised. Noviel exclaimed,

    ¡°Your ears twitched!¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought I felt something,¡± Awa responded, turning to Anabella, ¡°How come? I could never twitch my ears?¡±

    Anabella laughed softly.

    ¡°I told you, you get real ears. Probably the healing and the new ears helped your muscles.¡±

    Anabella removed the rag Noviel used to catch Awa''s blood, and the two started to talk about scrolls. Awa listened to them for a while, then, getting bored, started to look at the scrolls. The problem was that Noviel and Anabella were talking about levels and money. It seemed that almost all scrolls that Anabella had here required higher levels.

    Awa took a scroll in her hand.

    Spelling with your eyes.

    That was an interesting scroll. There was some text below, but most of it was hidden. She unfolded it to read it.

    All these scrolls had one short straight part. The straight part was the short description. The folded part was the scroll itself, and unfolding it executed the scroll.

    A light enveloped Awa.

    Both Noviel and Anabella screamed at the same time:

    ¡°Nooo!¡±

    They jumped at her, but it was too late.

    ¡°What did she do? What spell was this?¡±

    ¡°Another assassin''s scroll. Shit, this is for those who cannot spell at all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Assassin is a special class; they do not have their own mana; they use the ambient mana. At higher levels, they can accumulate it. This scroll was a helper scroll for those who need it, to enable them to spell.¡±

    Noviel bit her lip. ¡°Expensive?¡± she asked.

    With a sigh, Anabella shook her head.

    ¡°Not very, only four gold.¡±

    Noviel''s eyes bulged.

    ¡°Fuck! Only? That''s what you call not expensive?¡±

    Anabella shrugged.

    ¡°What did you expect? Scrolls are expensive, most scrolls here are over twenty, and these are the cheap ones. Do you have the money?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I am running low,¡± Noviel sighed. ¡°Why is she not moving?¡±

    ¡°It is so after reading a scroll. She needs some time, depending on her level. She is low level. What level is she exactly?¡±

    ¡°Two.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±

    Noviel identified Awa and exclaimed, surprised: ¡°Not true. She is level three now. Maybe that wolf that we killed? Mage level three says my skill. She is a mage!?¡±

    ¡°That''s an assassin skill that you use.¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep saying that?¡±

    ¡°Because skills are per class. You should not mix them; it is very dangerous!¡±

    Noviel shrugged. ¡°You keep saying that. We live in dangerous times.¡±

    Anabella sighed. Awa''s eyes turned red. She started to move. A worried Noviel asked her:

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Awa shrugged. ¡°I feel OK. Did anything happen?¡±

    Anabella spoke plainly:

    ¡°Your eyes are red. I''ve never seen this happening before.¡±

    ¡°Oh no! Oh no! Spartacius liked my blue eyes!¡±

    There was an explosion of laughter in the small shop.

    ¡°Why do you laugh?¡±

    Noviel sighed.

    ¡°That''s all that bothers you? You don''t have any other problem? I guess he will like your red eyes even more.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

    ¡°I''m sure.¡±

    Awa searched for a mirror to look at her red eyes while the two looked at each other.

 Chapter 83 - Skills and Players

    ¡°Stop staring into her eyes¡± - idiot, but she did not say that. She didn''t want to insult him.

    Geral raised his head.

    ¡°Sorry. I have never seen such purple eyes. I''ve seen you two a couple of times before, but I did not realize her eyes were purple.¡±

    Noviel sighed. Now that Awa and Anabella had gone to the outhouse, she could talk to him. He had spent the whole evening staring into Awa''s eyes. That nerved her. Should she tell him that he had no chance in hell with her? What did he hope? True, Awa''s eyes have turned purple as if the red would have mixed with the blue. Maybe it was just that.

    ¡°Maybe because she wore a mask before?¡±

    ¡°Oh, true. Was that the reason why she wore a mask? Stunning eyes. The colour seems to move inside them. Have you noticed that too?¡±

    Noviel rolled her eyes. No, she had not noticed that; she did not stare into Awa''s eyes.

    Was she angry that the sole man in their group had eyes only for Awa? She tried to be honest with herself.

    ¡°You''ll scare her if you''ll constantly look into her eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry, I did not mean that. So, what about that quest? Have you thought about us working together?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I talked with the girls, and they agreed. We want to do it together!¡±

    ¡°The four of us? But that would mean to divide the reward by four?¡±

    Noviel gave him a mischievous grin:

    ¡°Are those eyes no longer so beautiful?¡±

    Geral threw her a hurt glance.

    ¡°I understand Awa is a mage. You know we could be thrown out of town if the guards find that out? What can that other girl do? Anabella? Is she a mage too? She doesn''t seem to be the fighter type either.¡±

    ¡°She is a heal.¡±

    Geral huffed:

    ¡°A heal? Would we need one?¡±

    Noviel sighed. How could he ask that stupid question?

    ¡°Probably. Comes cheaper than using potions.¡±

    Geral looked alarmed around and whispered:

    ¡°OK, OK, you are right. Don''t talk loud about using potions. Everybody does that, but nobody speaks about it; somebody may hear us. My bad, actually a heal is good; she would help us close the quest faster and with fewer problems. Is she a priest or a druid? Druids are not appreciated here, but priests are accepted. If so, to what heal order does she belong?¡±

    Noviel whispered back:

    ¡°None of your... OK, not from any in the country. She belongs to a secret exotic order.¡±

    Gerald huffed again, unhappy.

    ¡°That may also be a problem...¡±

    Noviel shrugged.

    ¡°A mage is as much of a problem or more, isn''t it?¡±

    Geral sighed at his turn.

    ¡°Indeed. Is she also as low level as Awa is?¡±

    ¡°No, she is as high as us.¡±

    Geral answered, satisfied: ¡°Yeah, I had that sensation, but I wanted to be sure. That is good! She might even do some damage.¡±

    Noviel watched him slantwise. ¡°You did not identify her?¡±

    Geral took his beer and sipped from it.

    ¡°Warrior''s identify is not as precise as yours. You are a rogue archer, isn''t it? I did not know your identification skill was so good. Our identify upgrades at higher levels but still with some limitations.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t you take a better skill that would give you more info?¡±

    ¡°You mean the identify skill from other classes, or do you talk about spells?¡±

    Noviel nodded.

    "Skill from other classes. Are there spells too?"

    He watched her, alarmed.

    ¡°Oh, no, taking skills from other classes is a no go!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Geral took a deep breath. Noviel watched him: Is this so complicated?

    ¡°You know the legends that explain where the skill scrolls come from?¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Noviel shook her head.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That explains! The legend says that Hermantes, the greatest king that ruled over Spartonia, a kingdom that occupied much of the lands that now belong to the Golden Empire...¡±

    Noviel rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You don''t have to start from the beginning!¡±

    ¡°But yes, start from the beginning!¡±

    A happy Awa had just leaned over Noviel as she came back to the table whilst Anabella was going around the table to her place. Geral filled his lungs with air, looking at her lovely twitching ears with a grin.

    ¡°OK" - he looked at Noviel - "I''ll be short. Hermantes was anxious not to lose his best warriors. His kingdom was fighting a bloody war with a troll nation that was at the time ruling over parts of the continent. And then it happened, in the fight for the capital, his best warrior, Avramethides, was about to die. He had been turned into stone by a gorgone. Some people said that he was already dead, others that he was still living inside the stone statue. He had sacrificed himself and managed to severely wound the gorgone who died in the fight, but he was also as good as dead. There was no known cure for his predicament.

    It is then that the archmage Touramus proposed to the king to extract Avramethides soul and all his knowledge from the stone statue and place it in a different body. The mage was doing secret tests to remove and transfer souls from one person to another and hoped that he could buy the king''s support for his mad experiments. He was known under the name of the mad mage. Even today, his tower exists on the other side of the Golden Empire and is known as the mad mage''s tower. It is supposed to have many secrets, but very few people who go inside that building come out alive.

    Well, he tried, but something did not work. He did extract what he thought was Avramethides soul into a crystal. He received several ''test subjects'' from the king, but when he tried to transfer the soul from the crystal to their bodies, it did not work. He tried to transfer it to a dead body, but that did nothing. He was able to do magic backups of the crystal.

    The results of his experiments were that some people learned skills. Always the same skill for most, a couple of more evolved skills too for the other. Avramethides'' skills.

    With the time, it became clear that what he had done was to extract the skills that Avramethides had. He worked with several other mages from the kingdom''s academy, and they managed to separate all skills and find out that there was a magical level needed to learn a skill.

    After he learned that, the king wanted to have all his warriors trained with Avramethides skills. Even now, one line of warrior''s skills is named Avramethides'' line. This is what it is called. It does not make the legend true, but it is like this.

    They had found a way to teach people some skills, but the respective person had to level to veteran themselves to be able to learn the skills. The higher the veteran level, the more and better skills they could learn.

    Other sets of skills were produced in this way. Warlock''s skills, archer skills, mage''s skills. But all these skills come from different people. So when you mix a skill from Avramethides with a skill from a mage, that may conflict. Many idiots had tried that, and the results were again and again bad."

    Anabella chuckled but did not say anything. Noviel rolled her eyes. Geral continued, unaware that he had just made Noviel an idiot:

    "Since the mad mage died, nobody else was able to extract skills. The legend says that he died extracting his skills as he tried to transfer his own soul to a younger body.

    All existing skills are just copies of those skills he extracted from the best of each class during his lifetime.

    If we had better magic control, probably we wouldn''t need any skills; we could do everything directly through magic. However, with our limited magic control, we need to repeat a movement and try to add the magic effect to it, and sometimes we succeed in learning it as a skill. Your body and the magic inside it achieve that higher level of coordination and control. It is how most spawns acquire skills; however, that is slow, and you get many skill variations.

    The skill is this magic construct based on cells, muscles, nerves and magic itself. What he extracted was not the soul but this magic construct. If you have the needed requirement, your body can learn the skills. It is much easier to do it from scrolls, but if you mix skills from different lines, that would mean you combine magic constructs from different people, and then you put contradictory information to your cells, nerves and muscles that may screw you.¡±

    Awa grinned and looked into his eyes:

    ¡°You are not from this world!¡±

    Anabella put a hand over her face. This was Awa''s conclusion from what she''d heard? But it was an exciting conclusion.

    There was a moment of silence, and then Geral looked worried around:

    ¡°Don''t say that aloud. Why do you say something like this?¡±

    Awa continued to grin:

    ¡°Tell me, is it true?¡±

    Geral sighed and shrugged.

    ¡°People are very nervous about demons that infiltrate us. I am no demon. I do not want to destroy this world!¡±

    Noviel was observing him carefully. She whispered:

    ¡°I know that, but be honest to us if we want to work together.¡±

    Geral smiled:

    ¡°To kill some wolves, you want to know everything about me?¡± - he sighed again - ¡°well, even if you have some truth spell, I cannot tell you more. It is true that I sometimes dream of a different world. I don''t know where those dreams come from. A strange world. Does this make me a demon?¡±

    His hands were on the table, but he was ready to jump and fight. Anabella tried to calm everybody. She put her gloved hand over his.

    ¡°No, this does not. Everybody has his little secrets. As long as you do not try to harm us, we have no problem with your dreams.¡±

    She ended that with a grin. Noviel looked slantwise at him:

    ¡°You do have a card to use the adventurer''s guild shop, isn''t it?¡±

    He confirmed surprised by the sudden turn around in the conversation:

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I observed that all suspect people have that. How did you get that? They did not let me in! Do they have scrolls there too?¡±

    He smiled, surprised.

    ¡°They do not let you in?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They say you get in only with a card. How did you get it?¡±

    He watched her, confused. He shrugged.

    ¡°Ahm? I simply asked for it. The receptionists make one for you if you ask.¡±

    An unbelieving Noviel looked at him:

    ¡°You simply asked?¡±

    The three girls looked at each other. They did not ask. He added:

    ¡°Yes, they do have scrolls there¡± - he then turned to Awa - ¡°How did you know that?¡± - he then tried to reformulate his question - ¡°Why did you say that about¡­ another world?¡±

    Awa shrugged:

    ¡°It was the way you spoke, the things you know. The way you explained those skills. I recognized the way Spartacius spoke.¡±

    ¡°Spartacius?¡±

    Noviel rolled her eyes but then added:

    ¡°We are investigating him and his mother." - she then turned towards Awa - "I spoke today with a little city spy named Mertan who had seen them. He told me that it was Spartacius'' mother Cala who destroyed the market in a fight with a crazy, renegade mage, Grackak. He had also seen how she murdered four very high-level fighters who attacked her in the woods. He blabbered something about her being in cahoots with that beast, the lynx.¡±

    ¡°You speak about Cala the assassin? That''s her job, killing high levels. Did she take it up to Grackak? Respect! People say that you should flee when you see him, he is crazy, and nothing can stop him. So Cala did it?¡± - he huffed - "They are still working to fix the marketplace!"

    ¡°Cala the assassin?¡± Awa and Noviel looked at each other

    ¡°I don''t think players can have children here... but who knows?¡±

    ¡°Players? Are you a player? Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Psst... I don''t know. Believe me. I do not know, but I heard about her. She is very high level. I know they call themselves... we call ourselves players. I don''t know why.¡±

    ¡°Is this a surname? The assassin?¡±

    ¡°No. It is her class. I do not doubt she could kill four high-level. She could kill us four with her right hand bound back. About the lynx, I know the quest is closed; the lynx is no longer here. I do not know if that is possible about her being in cahoots with him. Some people said that she made it her mount. That can be.¡±

    Anabella watched him, surprised:

    ¡°The beast that was terrorizing the region? She made it her mount?¡±

    Geral shrugged:

    ¡°That''s what people say. It fits her random behaviour. People also say that the dragon''s attack on the region was caused by her. That may also be true. So what do you want from her?¡±

    Awa and Noviel looked at each other. It was Awa who spoke:

    ¡°We are just inquiring on her... and her son.¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep saying her son?¡±

    ¡°Because he called her ''mother''?¡±

    ¡°Oh. OK. That''s weird. Maybe she is not a player after all? I don''t know. Or it is her son in the other world?¡±

    He shrugged.

 Chapter 84 â€“ Questing

    It went smooth. At least in the beginning.

    Geral then Noviel ''pulled'' the wolf. Geral attacked it or simply yelled at it. That was enough to make the wolf attack him... or run.

    A couple of Wolves ran away, but most attacked. In both cases, it doesn''t matter who pulled it, Geral intercepted the wolf, and then the girls shot and killed it in a short time. Geral had to move to the side to allow the girls to shoot it. That needed a bit of coordination between him and them, but they were getting better at it with the time.

    Then it happened, when Noviel shot a wolf, it did not attack, but neither did it flee too far. It only hid behind some trees and bushes and howled. Other wolves answered. Geral tried to attack it, but the wolf retreated further into the woods, howling. More and more howls answered.

    They looked uneasy at each other. Anabella reacted first:

    ¡°We need to retreat to a position that we can defend!¡±

    Noviel wondered:

    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

    Awa did not say anything letting ''the big guys'' decide.

    Geral hesitated but then acknowledged.

    ¡°It would be probably better.¡±

    He looked a bit condescending at Awa, who was just eying the trees around: would she be able to climb one in time in case of need?

    As they marched towards the town, the howlings came closer.

    ¡°It is a whole pack!¡± - Noviel mumbled, listening to the howls. Even Geral felt uneasy:

    ¡°Yes, and they seem to have taken our track.¡±

    They looked at each other and started running. Anabella pointed towards a natural fort formed by giant rocks.

    ¡°There!¡±

    Geral hesitated.

    ¡°Should we not continue running towards the town?¡±

    Anabella shook her head:

    ¡°We are too slow, and they are too close! From here on, the terrain is flat with no other good defensible places. We either make it to the town, or we don''t. Here we could fight.¡±

    Noviel agreed. Awa wondered:

    ¡°Good place, but how do we block the entry?¡±

    There was an almost two-meter wide gap that led to the small enclosure. It was too late to think about dragging something there to block it. It was again Anabella who told them what to do:

    ¡°Geral will be our shield and block the gap. Noviel, you go up there with Awa. From there, you can shoot without hitting Geral.¡±

    Anabella pointed to a kind of stone porch that seemed accessible on the left boulder. Noviel shook her head:

    ¡°I can climb up there, but there is hardly room for one person. If we both go up there, I will not be able to shoot. Let Awa go up; she''ll be better protected and can shoot her fireballs.¡±

    Awa swallowed. She was barely able to shoot some tiny bolts that did not seem to harm the beasts, but it was not now the time to argue. She pointed at Noviel:

    ¡°You go better up there. From up there, you have a better overview. Do you have enough arrows?¡±

    Noviel nodded:

    ¡°I do. I have about one hundred in my inventory.¡±

    Anabella agreed:

    ¡°Good. That is a good position to shoot. Then Awa will stay here down with me. Geral, take your position... Oh, here they come!¡±

    They did not even get to their positions when a couple of grey shadows came out of the woods. More and more grey shadows. Gerald''s eyes went round:

    ¡°Oh, fucking fuck! There are many!¡±

    A big grey wolf came behind, and Noviel made the error of identifying it. Great wolf, level twenty-five. She did not say a word to the others, but her face became pale. Most wolves they''ve fought have been only level fourteen to sixteen.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Anabella saw her face becoming pale, but she could not see the big wolf from her position. She bit her lip and did not ask. She put her hand on Geral.

    ¡°Geral, I have set a link to you; I will heal you, don''t leave the entry; keep them away from us!¡±

    Geral lowered his visor, covering his eyes. He grinned, looking at the wolves, hitting his shield with the pommel of his sword.

    ¡°Come to papa!¡±

    As if having expected his call, about twenty grey shadows lunged out from the cover of the woods running towards their small enclave. It was such an explosive, coordinated action that they all froze for the first moment.

    Noviel''s first arrow whistled with no visible effect. Noviel cursed, taking her next arrow, but the wolves were already there. Three wolves jumped at Geral simultaneously, one over his shield, the other towards his neck, and the third tried to slip below to bite his ankles. Meanwhile, a couple of wolves tried to jump on the giant boulder that was to his left but missed, falling back, whilst more ran around looking for another way in.

    Geral made the error of lowering his shield to block the crawling wolf whilst slashing with his sword at the wolf that was jumping at his neck.

    The third wolf tried to bite him over his shield, trying desperately to find purpose with his hind legs, but a fourth wolf jumped now over Geral''s lowered shield.

    Geral raised his shield again, pushing the wolf backwards whilst slashing at the other one that was trying to bite his plated boots; however too late for the fourth wolf that was already behind him.

    Noviel shot an arrow that hit the wolf, but it still landed behind Geral and jumped at Awa.

    Awa screamed in panic, and a blast of fire erupted from her eyes, engulfing the wolf. Geral wanted to turn, but Anabella screamed:

    ¡°Don''t turn! Keep the others away!¡± - whilst she hit the burning wolf with her staff at the same time as an arrow struck it in the eye. The wolf fell with a yelp.

    More wolves were jumping at Geral, and at that moment, Awa ran at him and placed a hand on his back. High flames engulfed him.

    ¡°What? What?¡±

    Geral stood confused, almost afraid of those flames. It took him a couple of seconds to realize the fire was not hurting him.

    Sweat was running on Awa''s brows as she made efforts to keep up the flames around Geral, but the spell had its desired effect as the wolves retreated. It was then that the giant wolf came running.

    Noviel saw it:

    ¡°Oh fuck... Watch out!¡±

    Her warning came too late. The others saw it only when the wolf was in the air jumping over the giant boulder that was blocking the way. It landed with its paws on the boulder and jumped further straight at Anabella. An arrow from Noviel ricocheted after hitting its shoulder bone. Anabella had only the time to place her staff in front of her. The wolf bit the staff as she was pressed and pushed back. Her spell seemed to wash without effect over him.

    Awa turned, and her eyes flickered again, a blast of fire engulfing the wolf for a moment but with little to no effect. The wolf pushed Anabella further back, her hands too weak to keep him away. She crumbled into a sitting position fighting hard to keep the giant wolf away from her.

    Geral thought that everything was lost when Anabella slipped to the ground. But it was a calculated risk on her side as she could now touch the other wolf, the dead one, with the end of her stab. She whispered a spell, and the dead wolf jumped to its feet.

    The giant wolf lacerated her feet, but the undead wolf jumped at him without a sound. A ferocious battle ensued.

    Geral could not see that, as he had to turn to face the attacking pack in front of him. He screamed as the grey mass pushed him. Awa pressed her hand again on his shoulder, igniting her flames, but the wolves continued to press. Blood started running from her nose as she made the fire stronger.

    Geral heard Anabella''s scream as well as furious howls behind him. He stepped backwards, almost crushing Awa between him and the boulder when the giant wolf ran past him.

    A howl followed.

    He could not believe his eyes as he saw the grey mass suddenly breaking up and spreading in the woods as fast as they came. He turned to see a beast standing near him. He almost had a heart attack. He raised his sword, but a panting Anabella stopped him.

    ¡°No, no! It is mine!¡±

    Hers? He watched it. It was the dead wolf. As he made a step, Awa slipped and fell to the ground. She was already not by conscience for some time and was only kept standing between him and the rock.

    Anabella came to look for Awa.

    ¡°Is she wounded?¡± - as Noviel wanted to climb down, Anabella replied:

    ¡°I''ll check! Stay there and keep an eye on them.¡±

    Noviel nodded and climbed back.

    ¡°OK, boss.¡±

    Geral looked at Anabella.

    ¡°You are full of surprises.¡±

    He was also panting. A concerned Noviel asked:

    ¡°How bad is she hurt?¡±

    Anabella shook her head.

    ¡°Only mana exhaustion now. Keep watching for them!¡±

    Gerald pointed towards the undead wolf.

    ¡°Necromancer? But how did you heal?¡±

    Anabella shook her head tiredly. She was washing the blood from Awa''s face.

    ¡°This little mage here did some great spells, huh!¡± - She raised her head and looked at Geral - ¡°Undead priest. Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    He shook his head at his turn.

    ¡°No. Are you a player too?¡±

    Anabella laughed.

    ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 85 â€“ Boars Hunter Tavern Redux

    They were in the Boar''s Hunter tavern, and Noviel was getting a lot of bad vibes from it. Why did she accept Geral''s idea to enter here? Yes, it was the inn where he lived, and they had good and cheap food. And now, the last memories she had with Spartacius invaded her mind. She had thought she had brought it behind her but seeing the place where everything happened was taking a great toll on her.

    She swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on the conversation, cold sweat running on her back.

    They were celebrating their first successful quest. They''ve received fourteen silver for the seven wolves they managed to kill. That was three silver and fifty copper for each. It was not much, but it was the first day she and Awa had made more money than they''d spent. Plus, Awa was now a mage level five.

    Geral was just questioning her:

    ¡°I have not seen any mage casting with his eyes? I wonder why? How do you do this?¡±

    Instead of Awa, Anabella answered:

    ¡°Because it is not practical to cast through your eyes. The problem is that this impends your vision.¡± - she turned towards Awa - ¡°how do you see when you cast the spell?¡±

    ¡°True, I see almost nothing, but I still see some contours.¡±

    Anabella eyed her:

    ¡°Hm. That might be interesting. Try to concentrate on these contours when you cast that spell.¡±

    Noviel wondered:

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I have the feeling that those contours are not seen through normal sight but through magic. Not seeing at all would be normal. Seeing some contours is encouraging. You may gain some skill: seeing through magic. That would be awesome if it really happens!¡±

    ¡°But why could she spell such strong spells? Are you sure with her level?¡±

    Geral turned to Noviel, looking inquiringly at her. It was again Anabella who answered:

    ¡°She can currently cast spells above her capacity because she is using ambient mana. This will no longer make such a difference at higher levels, but now it helps her a lot.¡±

    Awa was not really happy being the subject of the conversation, but she had to endure this. They were now actually celebrating her level. Noviel was silent as she had eyes only for the group that entered the tavern. A group of six guards plus a nun: mother Agnes.

    ¡°There she is!¡±

    Mother Agnes pointed towards their table. Noviel hesitated whether to tell the others, especially Awa, to run, but more guards were probably surrounding the inn. She looked at Geral and Anabella. Will they fight for Awa or against her? Was she alone with the little mage?

    As the group approached them, mother Agnes could no longer contain her fury:

    ¡°You thief, you are now cornered!¡± - she screamed, looking at Awa and then eyed Noviel - ¡°I am so disappointed in you, girl!¡±

    Noviel was getting a feeling of deja vu. She almost felt as if Spartacius would be at her side. The ghost in her imagination turned towards her and grinned:

    ¡°Would you shoot now? You could not shoot them for me, but you''ll shoot them for her?¡±

    She answered a barely audible:

    ¡°Yes, I would. I am sorry!¡±

    Anabella watched her, surprised, but Geral did not hear her. He watched the approaching guards and asked with typical player indolence:

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Is there something?¡±

    Awa''s head turned from one to the other. She was afraid.

    ¡°You cannot trick me with this shit!¡±

    Mother Agnes gripped Awa''s ears, forcing her head down. Awa screamed in pain, trying to free herself, battering her with her hands.

    Anabella screamed, but mother Agnes took a knife, and before anybody could stop her, she cut one of Awa''s ears.

    Everybody jumped to their feet, but before anybody would have done anything, fire erupted from Awa''s eyes, enveloping the nun. As her head was down, the fire first engulfed the lower part of the nun, but as the nun released her, shocked, Awa raised her eyes, and the nun was completely engulfed in flames.

    Awa stood, blood dripping from her ear, two red charcoals replacing her eyes. The nun screamed in pain, covered by flames. She fell to the ground.

    The sergeant screamed.

    ¡°Stop your spell, mage!¡±

    All guards pointed their spears towards them but made a couple of steps back.

    Awa''s eyes lost their flame, turning back to their purple colour. She looked cold and poised, standing there without saying a word, but Anabella realized she was only shocked and baffled.

    A couple of guards could extinguish the fire covering the crumbling nun.

    ¡°She is still alive!¡±

    One guard told the sergeant. He nodded.

    ¡°Take her to the priest; he may save her life.¡±

    He sighed and turned towards the group.

    ¡°It was an unprovoked attack, we will not arrest her, but the mage has to leave the town. There is no place here in this town for her.¡±

    ¡°But sir, Mother Agnes has identified her as the fugitive!¡±

    Only now did Noviel see the other nun. The sergeant answered tiredly:

    ¡°Your nun made clearly a mistake. This mage is an initiate level two, not an aspirant with no knowledge. Nobody could have progressed so fast; besides, everybody can see that her ears are her own. I do not ask for payment for her injury as she did enough damage herself.¡±

    The nun did not give up. She came forward and pointed at Noviel:

    ¡°You! Swear that she is not the runaway Ayra! Swear it by your most holy thing!¡±

    The sergeant shrugged. As all eyes turned to her, Noviel leaned on the table, looking back at the nun. She spoke calmly:

    ¡°I am a renegade. I have been told to leave and not dare come back. I have been excluded from the camp. You have no right to ask anything from me!¡±

    ¡°Swear you wrench!¡±

    Noviel huffed:

    ¡°Mephisto should take you!¡±

    Probably not the kind of swear the nun wanted.

    ¡°You! I will... ¡±

    The guards removed the screaming nun. The sergeant turned back towards the group and pointed at Awa. Her ear and half ear twitched when he spoke to her:

    ¡°Before night, you should be out of town!¡±

    He left, followed by the rest of the guards. The four looked at each other. Geral looked confused at them:

    ¡°Does any of you happen to know what was this all about?¡±

    Anabella shrugged:

    ¡°Whatever this was about, we will leave. As the girls wanted anyhow to go to Silver Town, I think I will accompany them. I want to see what is left of the city and if the rumours are true. There is a reward of four gold for info about it. That''s a lot of money, you know?¡±

    Geral sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°What I heard so far does not sound good. I will not go there and advise you not to, but I guess it would be better to leave here for a while too. If you agree, I would like to accompany you on the first part of the road as I want to go to the province''s capital.¡±

    ¡° Gordogswar?¡± - Anabella shrugged and smiled - ¡°well, then we''ll be together for another day" - she turned towards Noviel and Awa - ¡°I need to make some preparations. What about we all meet in front of the gates in about one hour?¡±

    The girls nodded. She turned to Geral. He shrugged:

    ¡°I just need to pick up my things and am ready in an instant.¡± - he turned towards Awa and Noviel - ¡°with those crazy nuns, maybe it is not good for you two to go alone. If you wait just one minute, I''ll accompany you to your inn?¡±

    The two girls nodded, and he went to his room whilst Anabella left to make her preparations.

 Chapter 86 â€“ The Big (Bad) Black Dragon

    If I were in the lead, I would log out. I was stupid enough to let her in the lead. Why did I do that? We are in an impossible situation, somewhere inside a dragon''s lair with no way out, or at least the known way blocked through a magical barrier, and my avatar is controlled by my alter ego, who thinks she is a fairy and this is a real world. I''ll fucking die here.

    ¡°I am going to make some light. This is no attack, just a little light so that we can see each other.¡±

    Why is she talking loud? Does she think that the dragon understands her? Or is it for the tone? I felt that itchy feeling on the two sides of my head again. Growing horns. Why would she need horns here? There are no compu... OK, there are computers that control the game, but magic was never a problem here?

    ¡°Don''t.¡±

    To hear that voice was a surprise. A strange guttural voice made by a giant throat. Was this the dragon? Fucking fuck, it seems it can talk? Or is there somebody here controlling the dragon? What kind of beast are we facing?

    ¡°I would like to see you.¡±

    Why is she so stubborn? If he does not like to be seen, maybe she should leave it so. We should concentrate on finding ways to leave here as long as the beast does not attack us.

    ¡°I can see you. That should be enough for the two of us; there is no need for light.¡±

    How? Can it see in the infrared?

    White Flower is doing something. I got that itchy feeling now inside my horns. Gaaah, to feel the need to scratch inside your inexistent horns, I''ll never get used to this feeling.

    Then I was confused. Slowly I started to see something. What did she do? This is no light?

    Yes, strange lines appeared in the air, and the contour of a giant dragon was now discernable. No, not the outline, but rather the veins, the arteries, blood vessels and nerves? Maybe bones too? Yes, partially.

    She answered happily:

    ¡°OK. No light. I can see you now.¡±

    The voice took a mocking tone.

    ¡°Impossible¡±

    It made some noise like a laugher, and then the tail of the dragon moved lazily in my direction... and White Flower ducked, avoiding it. The tail stood immobile in the air, then came again, and White Flower stepped to the side, avoiding it with amused laughter. I am happy both are amused, as long as I do not serve as the main course. As it tried to pin me down, White Flower moved further to the side.

    He was not laughing anymore.

    ¡°This... this.. is not possible... How do you do this? Hey, wait? Where are you?¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°I am here!¡±

    I saw how he turned, surprised towards my position.

    What did she do?

    The dragon was now alarmed. Congratulations, White Flower, you have transformed the lazy dragon into an alarmed, aggressive dragon. It stood on its feet and was probably preparing for a fight when White Flower did the most unexpected thing. She turned me luminescent. I was now a luminescent target in the darkness. The only clearly visible thing in the whole cavern. He grunted:

    ¡°Oh. Much better so. Now stay like this and be quiet! I want to sleep.¡±

    The dragon put his head again on its forelegs and yawned. A huge yawn displaying a cavernous mouth filled with shark sharp teeth.

    He raised his head again.

    ¡°How could you see me? How did you disappear?¡±

    White Flower grinned and stepped forward, getting closer to the dragon. I tried to protest, but she was completely ignoring me. She started to talk as a teacher to kids:

    ¡°You can see the warmth of our bodies; that is why you could see us in the dark. But if I hide my warmth, you cannot see me. You think I cannot see you because you have no warmth. Black dragons are cold as rocks, isn''t it? But you are full of magic. I can see magic, little dragon.¡±

    He jumped on its feet instantly, his head coming dangerously close to my face. As he nervously spoke, specks of saliva flew to my face.

    ¡°Don''t you dare call me like that, you little insect! And stop talking to me; I don''t like talking to my food; that''s depressing!¡±

    Instead of jumping three giant steps backwards, White Flower put her feet on a stone and leaned on one elbow over her knee cleaning her face with her other hand.

    ¡°I did not know black dragons have an insect diet?¡±

    Is she trying to play smart ass with a dragon? To my surprise, he snorted, rolling his eyes, then shrugged and sighed:

    ¡°That was a form of speaking, not... Oh, did I not tell you to shut up?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Just let me heal my friends first, OK?¡±

    He sighed again.

    ¡°Do you really hope that with the help of the whole team, you can do something against me?¡±

    She smelled her hand:

    ¡°You have an unhealthy diet here, and my friend there has a bag with food. He could feed us all.¡±

    ¡°I doubt he has enough food for me. Look, I know what you are trying to do. You hope to make friends with me so that I will not eat you. Do you see that little dead goblin resting on the wall? Yeah, we''ve been friends, me and Edina. The orcs had not sent any more food inside here as long as she lived. You see how emaciated she is? I can live long without food, but you cannot. There is nothing to eat here in this cave, not even flowing water. You need to absorb water from the air. That she could not do. How long will his bag last for us? One day? I don''t want to watch another friend dying of thirst and hunger, do you understand me? I don''t want to be your friend!¡±

    Flo sighed and got even closer to him. She could almost touch his snout. His giant eyes were watching me warily. She spoke softly, with a surprising motherly tone:

    ¡°But we are already friends, my little dragon.¡±

    His eyes went round. White Flower was displaying something in the air around me, as he was looking shocked at me. Translucent wings made of magic were deployed behind my back, and two majestic horns were adorning my head. And he stuttered:

    ¡°This... this... this cannot be possible? Aunt Flo? Is it you in there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my dear little Sid, it is me!¡±

    And she went to kiss that snout. I was almost enthusiastically thrown in the air and subsequently transformed into pasta.

    ¡°Aunt Flo, Aunt Flo! You came to rescue me! Aunt Flo!¡±

    He started to jump frenetically. A miracle saved my life, or maybe Cala''s reflexes.

    Rescue him? At least he was not going to eat us in the next five minutes.

 Chapter 87 â€“ What Have I Done?

    After Sid calmed a little bit and we were no longer in danger of being trampled, we could sit down together, eat and talk. Even if Flo had assured me before that everybody was alive, I was happy to see them recovering after being healed. Healing is such a wonderful thing! And to think I can do this in real life!

    What are the implications of this? Should I heal everybody and its cat? As much as I can? What should I do?

    OK, I''ll think about this later when I am back in the real world. Concentrate, Dolores, concentrate!

    Interestingly, I do not see any limitations or any other problems with the game world. It is not as I thought it would be: a dying world. It is working perfectly. How can this be? Did they lie, and the servers have not been disconnected? Not only it is running without a problem, but it is running with perfect graphics and sound. As if all the servers and all those pcs running the game in the background did not make any difference. How comes?

    ¡°What will the orcs do when they see us?¡±

    A worried Tina looking towards the entrance brought me back to reality with her comment. White Flower, who was still in the lead, answered:

    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ve covered the entry with a false mirror. They cannot see us, and I get a warning if anybody enters.¡±

    As we did not have any wood to make a fire, Sid had heated some stones to look like burning charcoal. We were sitting in a circle at about a couple of meters around them, warming us and chatting. Circle... Well, Sid alone was taking half of it, and we, including the Lynx, were spread on the other half.

    "A dragon! A real dragon!"

    A completely overwhelmed Tina was practically molesting the poor dragon, hanging on him and touching his scales. I was afraid he would react badly, but Flo let it happen, and Sid did not seem really troubled so far. Well, she did ask him if she may touch the scales.

    Meanwhile, Spartacius was distributing food and drinks, mostly sausages and various juices. At Cala''s special request, I received a beer, and the Lynx asked me for a sample, but after having a sip of it, he shook his head.

    Hot sausages and beer. Cala was feeling happy eating and drinking and leaning on the Lynx. Something happened these days as she didn''t want to leave the Lynx for one moment. Strangely how this works, I was feeling that need too.

    ¡°So, how did you get here?¡±

    Spartacius asked the question, and all eyes turned to Sid. He shrugged.

    ¡°Some harpies brought me here!¡±

    Tina interrupted her patting to look Sid in the eyes.

    ¡°Harpies? How could harpies drag a dragon? What kind of harpies were these?¡±

    ¡°Through those tunnels?¡±

    Spartacius was shocked. White Flower spread my hands a little.

    ¡°Sid was this big when I last saw him.¡±

    Less than two meters wide? One meter fifty? Alice wondered:

    ¡°Are you since decades here?¡±

    Flo shook her (my) head, contradicting Sid, who was nodding.

    ¡°No, Sid, these were not decades. We last met several months ago.¡±

    Maybe this looked like decades for the little dragon. Tina tried to question:

    ¡°But how...?¡±

    Then they started to understand. Alice mumbled:

    ¡°Ageing water?¡±

    Flo nodded.

    ¡°Yes, indeed. And probably this explains why the harpies could win against the unicorns. Somebody helped them.¡±

    Tina exclaimed, shocked, hugging the dragon:

    ¡°Oh my god! You are still a baby!¡±

    Sid protested with his deep guttural voice: ¡°I''m not a baby!?¡± but still not moving to push her away. He turned his head towards me:

    ¡°Do you have news from mama?¡±

    I felt a sting in my heart as I heard that. Flo closed her eyes and sighed:

    ¡°No. I am sorry...¡±

    He watched me slantwise:

    ¡°Then how did you know I was here? How did you know that they kidnapped me and came to rescue me?¡±

    ¡°I did not. Not until we were in this dungeon with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    There was a moment of silence.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°So you''ve been chased by the orcs down here as food?¡±

    Another moment of silence.

    ¡°Oh. How do we get out of here? You do have a plan, isn''t it?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°Just as I feared. Worse than I feared. Will that foodbag work tomorrow too? Should we not start rationing the food?¡±

    He was getting worried even if Spartacius assured him that it could produce food in any quantities. The Lynx spoke for the first time since we gathered here:

    ¡°His worries are not unfounded. Any magic item has limits in what it can provide. I was wondering where the limits of this bag are?¡±

    Flo put her hand on his furry paw to reassure him.

    ¡°This bag pulls magic from all party members, not only from Spartacius. I can feel it pulling magic from me, but I would need my horns to examine how this works. Anyhow this means we will have enough food as nobody seems to feel drained by it.¡±

    The Lynx grinned happily:

    ¡°Oh, that makes sense. That is good. It means we will continue to have food unless it malfunctions. So the problem is how do we go back? We could push the orcs back with White Flower present, but we have two problems. The magic barrier at the entry and the size of the tunnels. Our new friend Sid would not pass through. I wonder what was the orc''s plan?¡±

    He looked at Sid, and the dragon''s face became even more menacing than it usually looked. And a black dragon''s face is really discomforting.

    ¡°Katan, that damn bastard comes from time to time and asks if I accept Mephisto''s oath. I imagine he would port me to him or open some huge portal.¡±

    Spartacius grinned:

    ¡°Well, if this makes you happier, we can inform you that Cala and the Lynx here have killed that orc.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    He turned surprised at me, and I nodded.

    Tina wondered:

    ¡°Could we use that in one way or another?¡±

    The Lynx shook his head:

    ¡°I am not sure how that may help us. If Mephisto finds out that Katan is dead, we might get into trouble.¡± - he looked at me - ¡°We should get out of here before that happens.¡±

    Spartacius shoock his head:

    "Katan is working for Mephisto, but he is some kind of a wild card. He does a lot of experimenting himself and reports only now and then. It may take long until he is found missing. So that is not the problem; the problem is to get out of here."

    Alice wondered.

    "How do you know such things over Katan?"

    Spartacius shrugged.

    "I simply know."

    White Flower sighed.

    ¡°I have a way out. I do know the lightfire spell. I will leave here and come back with a portal that we all could use. As simple as that"

    Spartacius was surprised:

    ¡°What? Do you have a way to evade here? What is lightfire? I do not know that spell?¡±

    ¡°It is an advanced spell that combines several magic classes. I can set nine different lightfires and can anytime go back to any one of them."

    ¡°Oh, this looks like the warlock''s recall spell. Or the druids. But the warlock works only for a limited distance, and the druids go only to their capital, Druidia. As no player has more classes, this cannot be a player''s spell?¡±

    ¡°True, probably not a player''s spell.¡±

    ¡°But if you leave, how do you come back?¡±

    It was the Lynx who asked the question, and Flo''s answer seemed to disquiet him greatly.

    ¡°I''ll put a lightfire back here.¡±

    ¡°No!? You would lose one of your lightfires? Those are the nine sacred places? Which one are you ready to sacrifice?¡±

    Flo shrugged.

    ¡°Lynx, it doesn''t matter. It is the only option that works. I knew it when I set the ninth; I''ll have to delete one of them. This is a good solution.¡±

    She smiled happily:

    "Well, I''ll solve first Cala''s problem, then I''ll leave. I hope to come back as soon as possible, but it might take a couple of hours until I find a decent portal that would suit Sid too."

    The Lynx watched me inquiringly:

    "Cala''s problem?"

    White Flower lowered her head.

    "Well, it was my fault. If you remember, I made a deal with Cala. Somehow I got Dolores instead; I did not know at the time that Cala was... how to put it... possessed by Dolores? When Dolores left to the other world, I was dragged with and took some part of Cala with me. Now Cala is whole again, and as I did my deal with Cala, I will make the connection with Cala. In this way, I try to free Dolores from me."

    I was unsure if to be happy or sad. I was starting to get used to White Flower, but in the end, was this not my wish? It happened as I thought it would happen; here, inside the game, I can separate. Is it happening now? Yes, it is! Should I postpone this? I hesitated a second. No better let her do it; it is probably the time to separate.

    First, White Flower did set up her lightfire, and then she concentrated on me.

    "Will this work?"

    "I hope so. This is your wish, isn''t it?"

    "Yes. You only hope so?"

    "I never did this before. I do not fully understand how you and Cala are connected. I suppose that connecting me to Cala will have the desired effect."

    I should have stopped her there. But I was thinking about Cala''s problems and how she had suffered before and trying to find a solution when it happened. Everything was suddenly blurred in front of my eyes; I felt an intense pain in my head and started to vomit... in my room.

    Frissons shook my body, and another wave of nausea came over me when I understood. Healing did not seem to work, and a confused Flo let me lead. I realised what the problem was.

    "The dream interface... Somehow it broke..."

    I ran to the bathroom and started again to puke. Ow, mama, such a dream-interface outage is truly a horrible thing to suffer.

    About a quarter of an hour later, somebody knocked at the door. I screamed:

    "No! Let me be!!"

    "You should clean your room!"

    "Yes, I will. Don''t go into my room! Let me be; I am not feeling well!"

    I heard Lola''s voice.

    "Clara, let her be."

    Fuck, the sisters are back home. I looked into the mirror and froze: I am Cala.

    "What have I done?"

 Chapter 88 â€“ A Different Kind of Threesome

    Healing helped, but I was still groggy and nauseated, feeling as if I were dead drunk.

    I struggled to maintain my balance while removing my boots, staring dumbly at those boots. Cala''s boots!

    The inconsistency of wearing my pajamas over Cala''s leather pants puzzled my foggy mind, but I urgently needed to get rid of those pants. They were much too narrow and uncomfortable.

    With a considerable effort, I undressed, finally feeling relief once both sets of pants were off.

    Why and how the hell did I end up spelling these boots and trousers? I examined them again, thoroughly confused. Were these things even real? How was this possible?

    I looked at Cala''s face in the mirror, taking note of her scars. I seemed to have messed things up royally now!

    Addressing my own reflection, looking into those grey eyes, I spoke aloud to my alter ego as if accusing myself:

    "You did this on purpose, didn''t you!?"

    However, it wasn''t my voice that responded. Instead, someone else spoke.

    "Dolores dear, are you okay? Dolores?"

    Oh, fuck! Mrs. Robertson was at the door. The girls probably informed her about my vomiting.

    A voice echoed in my mind: "Let me lead!"

    I sighed. Certainly not! I was feeling frustrated, tired, angry, and frankly, I didn''t care anymore. What could I do now with this face? I was already in deep shit!

    "You did this on purpose!" I exclaimed once again, leaning against the mirror, almost breaking it.

    How could I explain that it was still me behind those grey eyes? Who would believe me?

    "Dolores dear? Who are you talking to?" Mrs. Robertson''s concerned voice came from outside.

    "No! How can you think that of me? Let me fix this quickly before she comes in!" Flo urged.

    "You''ve messed things up! How could this happen? How can I live with this face?" I lamented.

    Her response, delivered with confidence, caught me off guard. "This is not a problem; trust me, I can fix it."

    Trust me, I can fix it. Yeah, right - trust me, I can fix it - the most outrageous phrase of the year! But what other choice did I have?

    ¡°Dolores dear, answer me!?¡± Mrs. Robertson''s voice persisted.

    I snorted. This was precisely what I didn''t want¡ªmore pressure and close examination.

    ¡°I''m just not feeling okay, Mrs. Robertson!¡± I replied, hoping this would satisfy her curiosity.

    She responded with a determined voice.

    ¡°I''m coming in, dear!¡±

    She tried to open the door, but I resisted, pushing back. It was surprisingly easy. I almost didn''t feel her pressure. Cala''s muscles. Were those real?

    ¡°Dolores, don''t be a child; let me in. I''m worried, dear; I need to see you!¡± she pleaded.

    My alter ego insisted: ¡°Let me lead, you fool!¡±

    Finally, with a sigh, I let Flo take charge. She adjusted my face to resemble ''Dolores with her wounds''.

    It was astonishing to witness how my features in the mirror transformed; the color of my eyes reverted to blue from Cala''s steely gray, and her black hair morphed into a chestnut shade in an instant, as if I were customizing my avatar in a video game.

    Flo watched my face in the mirror with a satisfied grin, still holding the door with one hand. In any case, Mrs. Robertson wasn''t pushing hard.

    Now, she moved away, freeing the door. The next moment, Mrs. Robertson opened it a crack and looked at me.

    ¡°May I come in? Do you have a fever, dear?¡±

    Flo opened the door wider.

    ¡°I was not feeling well, but I am better now.¡±

    ¡°You cannot be OK, dear; you look so pale!¡±

    I guess Flo did make me look too realistic!

    She raised a hand towards my forehead, and Flo moved my head slightly to make sure she did not hit my damaged brow. Actually, the wound from the fire still on my forehead justified her movement.

    I watched myself in the mirror. I was still flabbergasted by the transformation I''d seen: I looked like me, like Dolores!

    How did Flo do this in an instant? What will happen when Mrs. Robertson touches me? Was her hand on my brow enough to cancel the illusion?

    ¡°But yes, you do have a fever, dear. You need to go to bed and rest. Should I call a doctor?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°No, no, not needed. I feel already better. It was just a wave of nausea that passed now. I''ll wash that and go back to bed.¡±

    ¡°OK, dear, OK.¡±

    I saw her preparing a bucket to clean the disaster I had made in my room. ¡°Please, no, I''ll do that myself!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, dear, you are ill!¡± - she replied.

    Well, I take my hat off to you, Mrs. Robertson.

    As soon as she left, Flo undressed my panties and dispelled my t-shirt. Only now did I realize I was wearing Cala''s illusionary t-shirt.

    She went under the shower. I love the feeling of water running down my skin. It has a pleasant, calming effect on me.

    While Flo did some kind of meditation under the shower, I tried to put my thoughts in order. Now that the first shock had passed... I always felt good being Cala. It is like tasting the forbidden fruit. Even if my alter ego made it, it might have done it because, in reality, I secretly wanted it to happen. I dreamed about being Cala. Even this ''damaged'' Cala, as she is. I can hide that damage, and I can enjoy her power. Because I feel I have her power. I have her coordination. I can feel it. Yes, I know I need to test it, but I feel it as I felt it in the game. I recognize the feeling.

    I watched my lithe silhouette in the mirror.

    I''m a little taller now, but Mrs. Robertson did not realize it. I don''t have the belly that Dolores had. It was not big, but it was there. Cala''s belly is perfectly flat.

    My bosom is still rather small than medium as it always was, but it is somehow cheekier.

    My whole body looks trained, and it feels that way. My back is no longer bent down. My shoulders are straight.

    I washed my naked shoulders, looking at my reflection in the mirror. Flo''s camouflage was perfect. Water flows on my skin, and I look at Dolores, a better Dolores, but I cannot see any flaw. Nobody can say I am not Dolores. I move differently. Firmer and more efficient. Will this be a problem? I hope not. That calmed me a little bit.

    Flo wrapped me in a big bath towel, and I got out of the bathroom. Mrs. Robertson was just coming out of my room.

    ¡°I''m finished here. I changed your bedding, and I made some fresh tea. Do you think you can drink some?¡±

    ¡°You guessed my thoughts, Mrs. Robertson. Very kind of you; yes, I''d like to drink a cup.¡±

    I like how polite Flo is. It is always a boon to let her talk to the Robertsons, but I don''t think she expected Flo to go directly to the kitchen to drink that tea. Anyhow, she followed shortly and offered me the tea.

    The girls were not there; only Mr. Robertson was in the living room. I sat on a chair and got my teacup. The nausea was gone; that healing did really save me. I was feeling a little bit amused and curious. At first, I was confused by those feelings, but then I realized that they came from Cala.

    I was happy and congratulated myself that at least my brain did not explode after Flo''s new experiment, as it had happened to Cala before. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and filled my lungs, then I opened them and grinned at Mrs. Robertson. She smiled at me:

    ¡°I see you are feeling better!¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    My brain sensed something strange. This very small interaction, the way I moved, it was totally how Cala moves. How comes?

    ¡°Is now Cala in the lead?¡±

    ¡°Ahm, I thought it was you... I think it is Cala.¡±

    I think it is Cala? I was confused. Do we have now a threesome? Not even in the game did Cala have priority over me. What is happening here? How can Cala know people here and act... OK, in the game, I have her memory; if this works the same, she knows everything...

    ¡°Could you eat something? It is past lunchtime, but...¡±

    Oh fuck. The look Cala gave her! She answered.

    ¡°Ilon asotara!¡±

    What did she say? I heard White Flower:

    ¡°That''s Denik; speak English!¡±

    ¡°Ow. I''m starving!¡±

    Oh yes, we had been in the denik speaking area. You can learn a language from scrolls, which most people do, or you can use an interpreter. If you learn it from scrolls, it can be so perfect that you do not even realize you speak a foreign language; your avatar translates it seamlessly into your brain.

    It was not so perfect before. In previous game versions, it was just a trick: you heard some babble, and the interpreter translated into what you should have heard. Everybody spoke English to you when you bought the scroll and spoke directly English to them.

    Now it seems they did the work to put it out there completely, inclusive the language? When? How could they do that?

    What additionally shocked me was that I did not realize it until now. This is a level of brain manipulation equal to or above what I saw in those matrix films. And they put this in a game? This would revolutionize the whole translation business instantly: you take an avatar and can speak any language you want? Wow! Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian. Everything!

    Thinking about this, I almost missed the follow-up conversation.

    Mrs Robertson looked inquiringly at me.

    ¡°Do you think you could eat something?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, sausages. Do we have any?¡±

    ¡°Ah? I could make some... but are you sure?¡±

    Cala nodded, stood up and went for the fridge. She opened it.

    ¡°Of course and... beer. Oh! This sounds good! I''m happy!¡±

    Mrs Robertson watched me for a moment, surprised. Mr Robertson entered just at this moment and saw the beer bottle in my hand. He spoke dismissively:

    ¡°Kid! No alcohol for you!¡±

    He tried to take the bottle from Cala''s hand. He struggled for a while whilst Cala watched him amused, giggling.

    He gave up, looking weirdly at me and tried with negotiations:

    ¡°Kid, give it to me!¡±

    Cala shrugged and sat back on her chair with the bottle in her hand. She uncorked the beer with her fingers. Mrs Robertson had watched our struggle for a while whilst putting some sausages into a pan. She said nothing. Cala sipped, sighed and asked him:

    ¡°Please tell me honestly, when you would really feel the need to drink a beer in your kitchen and somebody would come to remove it from your hand, what would you do?¡±

    He watched, unsure:

    ¡°That''s different?¡±

    ¡°Different? Because?¡±

    ¡°Because you are ill!¡±

    Cala shrugged.

    ¡°And if you were ill? Just the same situation? Do I take any medication that would forbid a beer? No.¡±

    ¡°You are a kid!¡±

    ¡°Really? I am at least as tall as you are? And as we''ve seen stronger...¡±

    I would facepalm if I could. He gave me a strange look.

    ¡°I am twice your age!¡±

    ¡°Really? You look younger to me. Speaking of this, Mr Robertson, do you play backgammon?¡±

    He was taken aback by her question, yet he answered hesitatingly:

    ¡°Ahm? Yes, I do, but what does that...¡±

    I know he is a passionate player. He used to play with dad and drink a beer together. If I know this, Cala knows it, but why?...

    ¡°Why don''t we play a couple of games and continue the conversation in front of a board? With possibly some sausages as accompaniment for the beer?¡±

    ¡°Do you play backgammon? Do you know the game?¡±

    Cala shrugged.

    ¡°Sure¡±

    The memory of her playing with soldiers and mercenaries came to my mind, but she did not add that. Our characters play backgammon in the game when we are off? And she treats him as she would treat a merc?

    He watched me hesitatingly, not sure if I was mocking him, but at her sombre expression, he nodded:

    ¡°OK, I''ll bring the board. I''ll teach you some...¡±

    She yelled happy behind him as he left:

    ¡°I want to see that!¡±

    After he left, I saw Mrs Robertson smiling at me.

    ¡°Do you think these sausages would be enough?¡±

    Cala looked at the pan.

    ¡°Oh, lovely little ones! At least double if Mr Robertson is also hungry.¡±

    Mrs Robertson gave me another look.

    ¡°Are you sure your stomach is OK?¡±

    Cala grinned.

    ¡°That I guarantee.¡±

    Mrs Robertson laughed and prepared another pan. Fuck, Cala has a Cala hunger. What do I do? She will ruin me!

    ¡°Why does she not listen to anything I say?¡±

    ¡°She does not hear you; she can hear only me.¡±

    She cannot hear me; she can hear only Flo? What is this for a fuck-up?

    ¡°When will she give me the lead?¡±

    ¡°She says you should not worry. She will give you the lead as soon as she is full.¡±

    ¡°Why did you give it to her?¡±

    ¡°I thought I was giving it to you, sorry.¡±

    Mr Robertson appeared with a backgammon board under his arm. He set the board on the table, and they started to play. I''ve never played this or other board game, but it seems Cala did play a lot. She let him win the first time and beat him two times.

    It was a surreal scene. Me and Mr Robertson? Playing backgammon? Me? The dice flew, and they made the movements expertly, talking and joking.

    She''d already scarfed eight sausages and drank two beers when she won the second game. Mr Robertson had eaten two and one beer. He was now struggling at his second.

    Mrs Robertson was watching me with a worried look.

    The bell rang, and Mrs Robertson went for the door. As she came back, she looked inquiringly at me:

    ¡°A young man wants to see you.¡±

    Cala licked her fingers happily, turned her head and looked through the cracked open door.

    ¡°Matt!¡± - she raised her hand with a bottle in it - ¡°Do you want a beer?¡±

    She stood up and grinned:

    ¡°Good games, Mr Robertson; we should redo this when you have time and Mrs Robertson, I love you! Thank you for the sausages!¡±

    ¡°A pleasure Dolores. Maybe you should not drink any more beer?¡±

    Cala made a sad face and sighed:

    ¡°If you say so. OK, I will finish this and no more then.¡±

    I heard Mr Robertson grumbling:

    ¡°Why does she listen to you?¡±

    When Cala entered the living room to greet Matt, Mrs Robertson came behind me and pulled on my towel.

    ¡°Lady, you are not going to stay like this?¡±

    Cala turned to her and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°True. Who greets somebody in a bath towel? I''ll remove the towel.¡±

    And she opened the towel. Well, she was with the back to Matt, and she only unbound it, then laughed at Mrs Robertson''s shocked face and ran into my room yelling.

    ¡°I''ll be right back, Matt!¡±

    I heard Mrs Robertson laughing behind me.

    Fifteen seconds later, I had panties and leather trousers on.

    ¡°Cala asks if you want the lead?¡±

    ¡°Matt is your friend. Let her do her worst.¡±

    ¡°Then I''ll take the lead. He is my friend!¡±

    Oh, fuck! Hopefully, Cala will not find her own prince charming! I have enough trouble with Flo.

    Flo conjured a blouse on me, and I was back in the living room.

 Chapter 89 â€“ Meet the Horned Girl

    I did not even have time to think about the consequences of my abrupt logout, and I know that part of Cala''s somewhat erratic behaviour was due to stress.

    The stress of being into a new world, the stress of not knowing what happened to the Lynx, Spartacius and the rest. I know she feels responsible for them.

    I did not even have the time to think about all this, and now I had to meet Matt! What does the idiot want?

    To my surprise, Matt''s visit was not the pain in the ass I expected it to be. He was delighted to talk to Flo, she was happy to chat with him, and that happiness somehow took over my mood. He drank no beer, just some juice, which earned him praise from Mr Robertson, who stayed with us for about five minutes before leaving the room. Yeah, of course, he cannot forget that Cala pushed back against his moralizing stance.

    Matt informed me that some policemen had asked questions about the incident at Tim''s house, but it was not regarded as a big deal: some kids had played with crackers, and a curtain took fire. That was how the cops saw it, plus nobody was really hurt so they tended to close the matter without a follow-up.

    Well, I had been wounded; however, Matt had told them that I was not. He had cut his hand in the aquarium''s glass, and that''s where the blood drops came from. That''s what he had told them. No, it was not the other boy who''d hurt him.

    He even had made a cut to his hand to have something to show, a thing that impressed Flo greatly. He had thought about it, he did the cut, and he went with his story just to save me some trouble?

    In my opinion, he came here to brag about it, but I could not change Flo''s mind. Eh, whatever.

    When he left, he got a kiss on the cheek from Flo, and my naked breast touched him. That sent a shudder through my body. Fuck Flo and her illusionary shirts!!

    She told me that she was very disappointed because Cala was also not really impressed by him. She was not as dismissive as I was but not impressed.

    ¡°Why can''t I talk directly to Cala? I am Cala, so what have you done?¡±

    ¡°I haven''t done anything... Ahm, ok, yes, I did this. The problem is that I made that additional connection with Cala. It seems that had put your body in the background and Cala''s body in the foreground, but that did not change your connection to Cala.¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand? What foreground and background?¡±

    ¡°Look, you have first to understand how these things work. You and me, we are both possessing Cala.¡±

    Possessing Cala? She answered my unasked question:

    ¡°Yes, what you do in this so-called game is possessing people in the other world.¡±

    If I could, I would have sighed: that world is a virtual game world, but I did not voice that.

    She continued with her explanation:

    ¡°When you possess somebody, you are either an ethereal, or you become one, your body moves to the ethereal plane. You then connect to the real world inside your victim''s body, neutralizing his control over his body. Look, when you die in the other world, you are a ghost. That ghost is the possessing entity that can move in the ethereal world. Do you understand me?¡±

    I almost tuned her out. I don''t need her explanations about possessing. I know this is not how it works; Cala is my avatar. Yes, an advanced avatar that was given the faculty to think. Maybe too advanced.

    ¡°How can I get a closer connection with Cala? I want to be able to better coordinate with her if I am to live with her body?¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°I don''t know for sure. Now your connection to Cala is through me. All I could imagine is to strengthen the connection between us.¡±

    ¡°Would this mean that we will be unable to separate in the future?¡±

    ¡°No, we will still be able to separate. What this does is to bring us closer; we will influence each other even more than we currently do.¡±

    She cannot, or she does not want to explain?

    ¡°What does this mean in plaintext?¡±

    ¡°It would mean, for instance, that you or Cala would get a better connection to my magic and I, for instance, to Cala''s and your''s aptitudes and memory. A more powerful integration of our bodies, minds and magic.¡±

    I thought about it. I need to be cautious with Flo; things turn out to be a little bit different to what I expect them to happen. She says one thing, I understand it one way, and it happens... differently... to put it mildly. Well, I do not see what could be bad in this better integration.

    ¡°OK, do it.¡±

    I went to my room, and she did her hocus-pocus. Spell magic highlighted my body from the inside out, but did she really do something? I still could not communicate directly with Cala, but I got better feedback on her feelings. Or I only imagine this.

    ¡°Don''t be disappointed; this may evolve further; it is a process that I only started. Magic will work its way.¡±

    Yeah, for sure.

    Another big disappointment was to see that Matt had no dream interface. It seems they are relatively poor, he lives alone with his mother, and they do not have the money to buy one. Well, shit. I also do not have the money to buy a new one to replace the one Flo had just busted, and all her magic is not enough to fix it. Why can''t she cast a ''repair'' spell and fix it?

    Flo and Cala are putting a lot of pressure on me to help the Lynx and the gang, but I do not know how. The girls, Lola and Clara, are adamant dream-interface haters. I cannot borrow money from them or their parents as they would certainly talk with my parents about it. How can I explain to my parents that I need money for a new dream interface when they barely survive and are struggling to pay my fees?

    The impending catastrophe took its course when I got an email from Helen complaining that the proxy server that I lately used for my Mephisto login had been shut down. There is now no known solution to connect to the old game. Will I ever see the Lynx again? I need to keep the hope up else Cala would yank my hair in desperation.

    As long as she thinks the Lynx is OK and eating sausages trademark Spartacius, she is reasonably OK.

    Would a different Mephisto game help? The next day I sneaked out and went to a dream-interface shop and ''tested'' one of their new interfaces. It worked perfectly, there is a new Mephisto game, but it seems to be a reload of the old version. I could even login there and activate Cala. Another Cala. I also met Alice, but it was all fake. At least it helped Flo to better understand what I mean by a game world.

    ¡°This is a fake world. There is no magic in it. It is not real!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the same as your world. Your''s is only a little bit more elaborated.¡±

    ¡°This is not true! How can you say that!? Even Cala agrees with me!¡±

    Soon I was out of the game as the vendor allowed only a limited time for testing. Actually, there is no reason to push for a new dream interface without the real Mephisto game. I watched again unhappily the peppered price and left.

    There was also some good news, my driver''s licence was valid, and the Robertsons were happy to see the insurance company decided to pay. There was no other follow-up for Lola, which meant the only thing lost was Clara''s car.

    I learned that there was also an adjacent scandal as many police computers had been wiped out, and people talked of sabotage; somebody simply destroyed a lot of information. Well, I guess it was probably Flo''s ''careful work'' result, but all I got from her was that without real horns, it is difficult to fine-tune magic to this extent. Maybe it was somebody else, who knows? The discussion about hosting their servers was again opened, as they had a local contractor currently. If I think about it, maybe a cloud provider hundreds of miles away might have been too much even for Flo to manipulate. I don''t know what proximity she needs for her magic to work.

    Whatever, I have now my licence, and Lola is happy. As happy as she can be without a car.

    I had an itchy feeling for some time in my back, and when I scratched there, I encountered some hardened skin. Is this still from the burning? I do not remember having burnt my back, but it may be. The itchy, scratching feeling should also be on my face, but it is only a fake wound...

    Wait a minute, Flo healed me; there should be no itchy, scratchy feeling at all! I need to have a look in the mirror!

    It was Sunday, and I was just going to check my itchy back when the bell rang. As nobody seemed to hurry to open the door, I went there and found Gonzo with a broad smile.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Hey, lady! You look wonderful today!¡±

    I laughed happily. Gonzo and his compliments. He likes seeing me happy. What''s funny is that I know he is not after me, he is after Helen, and he would never dare say this to Helen. That makes it even more valuable. But I soon got bored talking about Helen. I let White Flower interact with him.

    ¡°Hey, Gonzo. How are you doing? Have you met Helen? What did she say about the flowers?¡±

    He was telling me everything enthusiastically. Yes, he did meet Helen. If she was happy? Yes, she was overjoyed to get the flowers. In my mind, I only shook my head: you idiot, you still do not understand?

    My attention was raised when he spoke about a bike. He was planning to make a photo campaign for his shop, and he would be glad to rent me a bike if I would accept to drive a bike with the company''s motto. A small electrical bike, easy to handle.

    OK, let me see it. He even had several photos with boys and girls on bikes which did not look bad. Am I interested? I could earn some money. It was not much what he could pay but still something. I laughed. Me as a model? Does he pity me and wants to help me financially, or was this a bad joke?

    I was not interested but then felt a strong desire to do so. Cala was interested. Since Flo''s ''connection strengthening'', I understand better Cala''s feelings. Well, if Cala is interested, let''s do it. It could be a good learning opportunity for her about this world, and I have some fun, nothing else to do today.

    So I informed the Robertsons and left with Gonzo.

    *

    Gonzo knew his cars and bikes. He knew engines, pistons, wheels and tuning chips. Everything had a logic and worked according to the laws of physic. Women? That was a problem. An insurmountable problem. That did not work with logic; not even the laws of physics were of much help.

    All the good tips and advice he had received so far had brought him zero results. It was frustrating and demotivating.

    It was by chance that he had met Dolores and decided to help her. He knew from the beginning that he had no chance with her. Besides, he was in love. He had a crush and nobody to talk about.

    In his despair, he had talked with Dolores about her and to his surprise, not only did she give him advice, but it was good advice. She really helped him. So how could he motivate her to help him further? He could not just pop up here and ask questions. That¡¯s why he tried to be inventive, to interest her and subsequently bombard her with his questions.

    For him, her advice was priceless; for Flo, it was fun, and she was glad to give it to him; the exchange was mutually beneficial.

    *

    His shop was closed for the weekend, and we were the only two living persons in about a mile around. I don''t know how he manages to survive with his shop here in the middle of nowhere, but he explained that the location was cheap, he could buy it, now owns it and huge swats of the ground around. He does all his advertising on his own site and a lot of services in the vicinity. Plus, it is in close proximity to the city, just a dozen of kilometres drive.

    Well, he took a couple of photos with me sitting on the mini bikes that he had prepared. He said that my wounds were not a problem; he would photoshop those away. Then Cala''s interest turned to one of his best machines.

    ¡°No, no, no, that is a heavy machine! That''s not for...¡±

    He did not finish his sentence when Cala moved it. He jumped near me, alarmed:

    ¡°Wow, easy lady, take care not to drop it on your foot. That machine is heavy, and it can break your foot like that!¡±

    Cala shrugged:

    ¡°I guess we can make better pictures with this one.¡±

    He hesitated for a moment, then asked if I could try with a different blouse? He has some with the company''s motto.

    Well, I don''t find that to be a problem.

    I was happy that I had an illusion blouse on me as Cala would have undressed it and dressed the other one without a problem. Cala does not seem to have this basic naked shaming feeling. She is no exhibitionist, just a natural. How did it come to this, I do not know.

    Flo had to take over. She made an illusionary blouse on the floor and dressed the other one after he turned his back to me.

    We took a couple of photos, and Cala raised the stakes:

    ¡°What if we make some photos in movement?¡±

    He hesitated, but Cala convinced him. So he explained to her what to do, and she tried. He was at first very reluctant and afraid, but with the time, he relaxed.

    Cala is a very fast-learning person. Especially when it is about physical activity. I could drive well, and I had a lot of practice, but with virtual cars, not bikes. Cala is definitively a bike lover, and her progress was evident from minute to minute.

    ¡°Wow, lady, you are a natural! Born a biker!¡±

    Cala only grinned, happy. What followed were more and more daring exercises. After two hours, she could jump with her feet on the bike, or stand only on her hands, one hand on the steering, one hand on the chair. She laughed. She refused to wear a helmet. Well, in the beginning, he managed to force her to wear one, but then she threw it away and ran laughing with the bike. Catch me if you can! He could not know she was practically indestructible, and this bitch only laughed at him.

    After a while, he had to accept it. Cala''s way or the highway. When he saw what she could do, he even changed his mind:

    ¡°Wow, lady. Let''s make a contract for four weeks. You can have this bike and drive it where you want. You pay your gas; all I want is for you to wear this ''Gonzo bikes'' t-shirt from time to time. Not always; the bike has the logo too. Do we have a deal?¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    ¡°Ahm, I forgot to mention, any ticket, park ticket, or speeding is yours to pay, OK?¡±

    She laughed.

    ¡°You forgot the essential, but sure.¡±

    I hope she does not think that I''ll pay for those? Is she planning to do a lot of traffic violations?

    He took at least a couple of hundred photos with her. We ate at his grill behind his shop. He was looking through the photos, wondering.

    "Look at this one! And here! Wow! You look good. You make my bike look like epic thunder!"

    I looked around. How can he live here alone in the wildness? What Sunday would he have had?

    After the grill, the party was over, he had to work.

    I took the bike and drove home. Cala took the helmet that he gave me and put it in the inventory box. She took a pair of glasses out.

    What? Inventory box? I do have the inventory box with me?

    Fucking yeah, at my belt, there is this innocent-looking leather rectangle that is my inventory box.

    ¡°Let me lead, let me lead! I want to check the inventory box!¡±

    ¡°Cala doesn''t want to wait now. You know what''s in there, and she is eager to drive. You''ll do it when we are at home. OK?¡±

    Well, she is right; there is no urgency. It was only a shock to realize that thing was here. She put the glasses on her head and drove. Gnome made glasses that look a little like skiing glasses.

    ¡°Hey, you need a helmet! You cannot drive a huge bike like this without a helmet!¡±

    After a while, I got the answer:

    ¡°Cala says she doesn''t need a helmet to drive this bike.¡±

    The bass roar of the bike filled my ears, and I had a lot of trouble stopping Cala from driving like a crazy bitch through the traffic. I was whining to Flo, and Flo was telling Cala, who was just confabulating about other things:

    ¡°I think I''ll let my hair grow long!¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    She had said that aloud. Did she want to inform me that she wants long hair? Do I have now to struggle with my alter ego(s) over my haircut? She continued:

    ¡°I think I would like to feel my hair fluttering in the wind when I ride this thing.¡±

    The girls were talking with each other.

    I know they are doing something. I can feel and fear that.

    She stopped, and she had long blond hair hanging over her shoulders in the next moment. She grinned happily and drove further with her long hair fluttering in the wind.

    "Why blond?"

    "Out of fun."

    ¡°Don''t you understand that I need to wear a helmet, not only glasses? They''ll take my license for this shit!¡±

    Well, I did not work for that license. She did. Actually, this is not true; I did spend my night in that police station! Cala only laughed. She does not hear me, and Flo does probably not tell her what I say. This is an alter-ego conspiracy against me! Of course, five minutes later, I was stopped by a police car.

    ¡°I told you so!¡±

    At least I have now the satisfaction of seeing it happening as I said it will.

    I was now expecting to lose my fresh, hardly won driver''s license. It was fun to see Cala grinning,... then taking off an illusory hairy helmet. A helmet with long hair. It looked so real in her hand? Wow, Flo is good! The policemen watched her and laughed:

    ¡°You should patent that thing!¡±

    They did not even want to control her license. They left, and Cala put her ''helmet'' back on.

    Well, the girls won this one, hands down. What would have happened if they had wanted to look at the helmet? But I guess Flo had something to do with the fact that they left me so easily. A little manipulating fairy, hm?

    When I arrived home, they were feeling great, and I had to accept that they''d handed everything OK. I parked my thundering bike near the house and went to take a shower. The itching in my back was now really disturbing.

    I did not have to undress much; I had only Gonzo''s t-shirt and the leather trousers on. Well, the boots too. I watched my back in the mirror, and my good mood turned sour. I had two small floppy things made of leather hanging over my shoulder blades.

    ¡°What the fuck? What is this?¡±

    Dead skin? Wounds?

    I slapped one hand on my forehead.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    I had a painful bump there.

    ¡°When did I hit my head so bad?¡±

    OK, yes, Cala did a lot of funny gymnastics on that bike, drew all kinds of narrow curves, and accelerated hard on one wheel. All kinds of stones had been propelled into the air and fell around; some landed over me. It was part of the show. It must have happened sometime there.

    I saw there was a symmetrical bump on the other side. Funny, did I hit my head in such a symmetrical way?

    As I was looking at my face in the mirror, suddenly, the two symmetrical bumps made sense, and it dawned on me.

    ¡°Fuck, I''m growing horns... and wings!¡±

    My feet slipped, and I landed hard on the cold marble.

 Chapter 90 - Throwing Curved Balls Is Fun

    I''m in school, and the stress is getting to me. I get this vibe that people are eyeing my horns and especially my tail. I know I don''t have a tail, but there''s this nagging feeling, perhaps because of those budding wing stubs on my back. Thankfully, Constance, my seatmate, radiates such a soothing aura that it helps calm me down. She''s an absolute gem; I can''t believe my luck in having her as my seatmate!

    I''ve got to figure out a solution for the horns. They''re tiny, around 1 cm long, but if anyone caught a glimpse, I''d be fucked¡ªlabeled as a freak, with who knows what consequences. The illusion I use to hide them has its limits; a touch could give it away. Even being too close might be risky, as the illusion could become too apparent.

    Sure, I can avoid being touched, but the think is stressing me out.

    My wounds are almost healed; there''s still some hardened skin visible, but not much. I''ll make that disappear in a couple of days. Flo keeps reassuring me that nobody can see my little horns, but I still feel uneasy when someone looks at me, especially the teachers.

    So much for no negative consequences if we integrate more! It can''t be undone; we have to separate to reverse it. Why didn''t I think to ask this before?

    Cala is getting restless and would prefer to do something else. I''m dreading the upcoming sports hour.

    During the first break, I overheard the girls. Nothing interesting was said, just some mindless chatter about who did what and who was wearing what. They seem obsessed with these superficial things¡ªhow people look and act, not what they say, but how they appear while doing it. It''s hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago, I might have found this kind of nonsense interesting.

    Bounty County is not discussed. Yeah, it is already a week old; the county is still inaccessible due to that chemical spill. What spill? Nobody knows exactly, but there are many versions. It was said it can take a long to clean it up. How long? Again nobody knows. Why is the army around? To catch the saboteurs. Nothing new to talk about it.

    How can the press get things so wrongly? I happened to be at that meeting, where a police officer told the audience something completely different at three o''clock in the morning. Where do they collect the info for their stories? Where is the truth? Could those police guys be so wrong?

    During our next break, I chatted with Constance. I wanted to get from her the last gossip. Yeah, I just said I am above that, but I wanted to hear what people were talking about me. I¡¯ve been with Joe at that party, there was that incident with the warlock, and I left with Matt, so I wanted to hear what were people talking about it.

    To my pleasant surprise, the fact that I left with Matt remained mostly unreported. Was I still interested in Joe? Yeah, you could bet the farm I was.

    I haven¡¯t seen him yet. He is in a parallel class, and I should get out of the classroom to meet him. Maybe later? I was a bit afraid to do that.

    Matt gave me a couple of glances, but he came to chat with me and Constance only during the third break. He needed that long to gather the courage? Or maybe he didn¡¯t want to disturb? Whatever.

    We chatted about many things and ended up talking about music. He seems to be a big music fan, and they both found a completely unknown to me artist to talk about. That was about it before the next hour came and then we went for sports.

    Interesting, I was not feeling as hostile toward him as before. There was some hostility from Dolores, who had only Joe in her mind. As Cala, I saw him with neutral eyes. A bit disdain as he is so weak and untrained, but this is how most people here seem to be, but I was not hostile. Only Flo sent some sympathy vibes. For whatever reason, my little fairy side seems to have a crush on him. Difficult to reconcile all these feelings.

    Hey, am I thinking now as Cala?... Fuck. I am Cala, but I can switch back to Dolores. Only she is so weak and ...

    So gym now. At least here I can have some fun. I know I should not exaggerate, I do not want to get too much attention, but some fun is allowed, isn''t it?

    I knew Cala''s body from the time when I played her, but this was different. This was real life. The feeling of having suddenly powered up my body was amazing. I knew I was an entirely different class much above all these around me. Eventually Superman could be a spare partner, but he was a fictional character while I was real and there is no better place to feel it than in the gym hours.

    We started with some warm-ups. Well, I didn''t even sweat. When I do push-ups, I should do them with one hand, not two? Same with pull-ups. Ow, there is a gym bar there. I''ll visit that later!

    Galia, our gym teacher, had the brilliant idea to put us to play handball. Being the trainer of the school''s handball team, she was probably looking for potential replacements for the current players who are now in their last school year.

    Three girls, Lena, June and Sarah, were in the school''s team, and of course, when they chose the teams, they chose each other. Galia should not have allowed that, but she ignored it, so I found myself on the opposite team with Constance and several others like Julie, who some called fatty-Julie and Helen, who was almost as tall as me but very thin, the typical anorexic girl. You were afraid to throw the ball to her, not to hit her.

    Well, soon, we were led 7-1, the one goal that Theresa shot almost through an accident at the beginning. But she was now sitting on the bench with a slight injury after a collision with Doria. That was mostly my role. I mean, sitting on the bench faking an injury, that''s what Dolores would do. Theresa did not fake it.

    Doria did not make it to the main school team, but she was close. She was a little too corpulent and not fast enough to be in the main team, but she was strong and had good reflexes and was thus mostly playing defence.

    I had no intention of showing off; I had my fun with the game and was not interested in shooting goals, so most of the time, I only played the ball to the others, trying to help them and motivate them. It was like watching toddlers. Both teams were slow and weak, only my team was even weaker and incredibly slow.

    The problem was that they were too fast countered. I got angry when Doria hit Constance. Milena, our goalkeeper, threw the ball towards Helen, our anorexic girl, who, of course, missed it but touched it just enough to change its trajectory. Constance ran to catch the ball, and Doria bodychecked her, swinging the little Constance against the wood bench 1 meter away from the line. It was almost comical to see the fragile girl literally flying as if after hitting a giant rubber balloon.

    I saw how one of Constance¡¯s fingers bent in the wrong direction, and I ran to her. Even before she managed to stand, I was there and healed her and I did not even strain me or force me to run particularly fast. Luckily it was a small heal, I was in movement, and sunlight came through the upper windows, all making it difficult to see the flicker of my healing light. She was confused and hurt for being thrown like this, and I helped her stand. She looked at me, then at her finger, and thanked me for helping her.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Galia came there too to inquire if she was ok and admonished Doria.

    Helen was asked to execute the penalty for the fault. She threw the ball feebly at me. She had hesitated a lot to throw the ball, and only once I came closer did she let it come my way. Lena tried to grab it, but I snatched it, made a fast pivot on one foot and instead of passing the ball further, I shot directly to their gate as I saw their gatekeeper standing a bit away. The ball flew like a cannonball at about 10-15 cm above the ground, touched the ground once and, due to the spin, curved directly into the goal behind Tina, their goalkeeper.

    I was starting to get the gist of it. Throwing curved balls is fun.

    Well, now Doria was given the task to ''control'' me. They started again from the centre. I had no intention to continue playing seriously, but interesting enough, ''my'' girls started playing more serious, even if it was only two to seven. I thought it would be instantly two to eight, but Milena saved miraculously, and fatty-Julie, pardon, Julie, captured the ball and threw it to me. It was a nice long ball she threw, and I was feeling guilty not to use it, so I did one feint, sending Doria running in the wrong direction, and I jumped high, higher than June and Sarah, who were trying to block me and threw the ball between Tina''s legs into the goal.

    They argued with Tina, but that was unfair. She could not have blocked it; it was too fast for her.

    And just like that, it was three to seven.

    Of course I was not using all my power. Like when you want to push toddlers to their limits, I was just using a little more power, moving a little faster than them. It was strangely both fun and satisfying.

    Lena started again from the middle with a pass to June on the right side, who then wanted to pass it to Sarah. It was one of their exercised manoeuvres that I started to recognize, so I expected the ball behind Sarah, captured it and went for the goal.

    Doria came like a bulldozer my way with Ann and Sogi behind. I made one sudden change of direction. A desperate Doria caught my blouse, but I only pushed harder. She tore my blouse on one shoulder, unveiling my bikini top partly, but I ignored it, jumped between Ann and Sogi and marked the next goal. Galia correctly recognized it even if it was a fault before.

    So good that Flo had additionally camouflaged my emerging wings, which kept close to my skin! Nothing to see here.

    It was not that they would have been revealed by the crack, but I had that peace of mind and did not panic when I felt the t-shirt being ripped.

    I got a lot of acclaim from a couple of boys who were watching our game, and Galia admonished Doria.

    I got a replacement blouse from Theresa. It was a bit too narrow for me, but it worked, and I was back to the play in one minute.

    Galia had anyhow stopped the game in order to have a chat with the other team. I guess she wanted to advise them on their tactic and also to break the dynamic. It is a used tactic by many trainers to try to break the goals series of one team when you observe that your team starts losing.

    Well, we observed immediately that they changed their playstyle. They started with more passes pushing us slowly in front of our gate. It was a couple of minutes of pressure, and then Lena tried to execute. She was in the middle and got the ball from June. Doria and Sarah were in front of her, so she jumped as the two protected her and shot; however, our maverick goalkeeper touched the ball, changing its direction enough to make it hit the bar and ricochet to me. I captured it and saw Tina too far away from her gate. With a grin, I shot a long shot over the whole terrain. Tina ran backwards, flapping her hands, trying to deflect the ball, but it was too late; the ball entered the goal in the last ten-fifteen centimetres between the upper bar and her hand. Damn, I am an assassin; I threw so many death stars; throwing things is second nature to me, plus assassins are masters at improvisations.

    I was surprised to see the joy and energy that engulfed my team and the despair and bad looks I got from the others. Come on, it is just a game? They were still leading seven to five.

    In the end, we won nine to eight, but at eight to eight, Doria tried to take me out. I mean, really, she did not come for the ball; she came right at me like a bull to a toreador, like a sumo ringer.

    I could have avoided her, I could have jumped over her head or simply slapped her head so that she would land on her nose, but any of these would require me to push a little bit above what a normal human would be able to do. Plus, I might break her neck if I''d slapped too hard. I had only a fraction of a second to decide what to do. On one side, I wanted to punish the bully, get her nose between two fingers and break it, but on the other side, I realized this does not really fit here.

    So I let her hit my belly with her shoulder, fell backwards, put my knee on her belly and rolled her over the side. Riding over her, I grasped her hands with my hands and looked at her.

    "Really?"

    I did not say a word further, and she also did not, but I don''t think she will try this on me again. You realize when the other is stronger when he pushes you so easily to the side when I did not even suffer when her shoulder hit my belly.

    Of course, Galia was there in an instant, screaming:

    "Girls, girls!" - she then admonished Daria strongly - ¡°What''s the matter with you?¡± - she then turned to me with angry eyes - "No fighting here!!"

    I raised only a brow. I did not deserve that? That was no fighting!?

    Then we executed the fault; a nervous Helen threw the ball to Constance, who almost missed it but redirected it towards me in the last second; I grabbed the ball, jumped in the air, and scored, and Galia ended the game.

    Of course, we celebrated with screams and clapping hands and whilst we were on the way to the locker room, Galia stopped me:

    ¡°Nice progress Dolores, nice progress. Well done!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Have you trained?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ no¡­ I just played with some friends for fun..¡±

    ¡°Oh¡±

    She hesitated a moment, then asked me:

    ¡°Are you interested in joining our school''s team? You showed talent; with training, you could really be an asset to our team, and you know this may help for college later?

    I sighed.

    ¡°I will think about this.¡±

    ¡°You better do. It was a very nice game; I see that you have potential; we have¡­.¡±

    And she started to explain to me all the advantages I would get, but I did not think I really wanted to do it. Being in the team would mean I would have to always control myself.

    No, thank you, that was stressful enough, and there is always a Daria who pushes things too far. Sometimes Cala might lose her nerve or attention and hit a little harder, and that would be it.

    We went for the showers, and I delayed in order to be almost alone there. I feared the illusions on me might get busted by the flow of water, even if Flo assured me they are beyond this, but it is not only my horns; there are also Cala''s scars, Cala''s face and those floppy stubs of wings. So I was left there with Helen and Julie. Probably they delayed for similar reasons. Not to be seen.

    They did not even look at me, so I enjoyed letting the water flow over my body.

    After the game, I was suddenly much more popular. I was surprised by the additional attention I got. Oh, speaking of additional attention, we went for lunch, and they all had the opportunity to admire Cala¡¯s appetite. I could not take three menus; two should be enough even if I knew I''ll still be hungry after two. Luckily Constance ate only half of her portion, and Helen just a couple of bites, so I finished those even if I felt guilty towards Helen.

    ¡°Where do you put all that in?¡±

    Julie was exasperated to see me swallowing that mountain of food with easiness.

    ¡°It¡¯s magically absorbed.¡±

    Cala¡¯s answer was serious, but she thought it was very funny.

 Chapter 91 - Sweating My Way Into The Ninth Heaven

    I finished my double portion just as the girls wrapped up their simpler meals. A scrawny young boy approached me as we stood in line to deposit our trays with the used dishes.

    "Hello?" he said, looking at me with a hopeful expression.

    I glanced at him, raising a brow as if to ask, "Who the hell are you?" But I responded more politely, "Hi?"

    While I was blocked by the young boy, the girls moved beside me, deposited their trays, and bid me farewell.

    ¡°Bye, Dolores!¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡±

    The girls and I didn''t have any further plans for the day, but I would have preferred to return to pick up my things with them in the class. Now, I''m left alone. I hope he has a good reason to stop me. Well, I could have ignored him, but I stayed.

    He seemed to have to gather all his courage to continue.

    "May I talk to you for a moment?" - he finally said.

    I stood there with the tray in my hands, looking at him. I almost snorted, wondering what this youngster wanted from me. His face was vaguely familiar. Yeah, OK, I was in the school''s canteen, where I saw everyone each day, it would be weird if it wouldn''t be so; however, there was an additional note to it.

    "I''m Michael Steward... we... ahm... we are cousins."

    Uh, oh... Unexpected. I watched him for a moment and sighed. My brain brought up some dusty memories of a family reunion. Two or three years ago, one of my cousins had gotten married. One of the few family reunions I participated in, the other one being when grandma died. He had been there with his parents, and my mom had asked me to talk to him. Family!

    "Oh. The little cousin who asked me to dance..." - and had no clue how to, but I kept that to myself - "Now I remember!"

    His face changed suddenly to red as if somebody had flipped a switch. Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. A girl snickered behind him. I tried to excuse myself.

    "Sorry, I did not mean..."

    I put my tray away and gave him my hand.

    "Nice to meet you, Michael. Are you studying here too? In what year?"

    Wow! Ma would be proud of me for how I turned it around! My friendlier tone brought him at ease, and we started chatting. Once he lost his initial blockage, he became much more voluble and even showed some wit.

    I learned that he was four years younger than me. I should have realized it, but it did not dawn on me until he said it:

    "You know, I am Spartacius!"

    "Oh, oops... sorry... ahm."

    I did not know exactly what to say. He continued:

    "I''m sorry; I should have told you before. I thought you did not want to talk to me."

    I raised a brow, surprised.

    "Why would I not want to talk to you?"

    "Well, you ignored me. I greeted you once, and you just went away..."

    "Did I not greet back?"

    "Oh yes, you did, but..."

    I sighed. Well, at least I greeted back.

    "Sorry, shame on me, but I did not recognize you." - I shrugged - "It''s been three years since we met, and you''re at least ten centimeters taller now. You''ve changed."

    He looked around at the continuous flow of people. We were in the area where students discarded their trays, and they were involuntarily listening to our chat.

    "Can we go somewhere else to chat a little?" he asked.

    We moved towards a corner of the canteen. I watched him.

    "Is there something?"

    He sighed.

    "Well, I wanted to talk to you, you know, after I made that blunder with Noviel, and I landed in that jail, I logged out, and..."

    He watched me with a guilty look.

    "I could not log into the game after that. I tried to contact you in Dreamland but could not."

    I laughed.

    "Pity. Spartacius did really well after that. He is no longer in jail; Alice did free him."

    "Really? She did that even if I caused... ah... Noviel''s death?"

    "Well, she is my merc, and I asked her to do it, but besides that, Noviel survived. You owe me a high-level anti-poison potion."

    "Ugh, I¡¯m glad to hear that even if I can¡¯t pay now. Those potions are expensive; you must give me some time..."

    I shrugged. I did it for Alice, but I did not mention that. So this is Michael: my forgotten little cousin.

    ¡°Hey, how did you come to me in Dreamland? How did you know Cala was me?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± ¨C he had that guilty look again ¨C ¡°I did not know. I searched images with your photo. It matched one of the photos in your Dreamland''s user profile. When we talked in Dreamland about Mephisto, you told me you have a high-level character there.¡±

    ¡°Zetta? Did I put some photos with me there?¡±

    He nodded, then added:

    ¡°Yes, you had some photos uploaded with that profile; that was enough. Well¡± ¨C he looked at his watch - ¡°I''m late. I have to run now for the next hour; thank you, see you!¡±

    He ran away. I had a couple of questions for him, but I¡¯ll have to postpone them for next time. I sighed.

    Well, my school day would be finished now, but I hesitated about what to do. Cala was not satisfied with the sports I had done. It was fun, but she said it was not enough. She needed more. I wonder if her body is similarly built to a human body? Do muscles shrink when you do not use them, even for Cala? Is her body a similar build to ours? Does she need to exercise her muscles? I tried to inquire about this through Flo:

    ¡°Why would she need more sport?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It is what she says. What you did until now did not really address her muscles. She feels her muscles unused, and she says that that is bad.¡±

    ¡°How can we do real exercises for her? If she does those at her speed and power, I¡¯ll be instantly identified as a freak.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know¡­ we know, but still, she needs to do more.¡±

    I would have shrugged it off, but Cala is stubborn and would not let it pass. Luckily Flo came up with a solution: she could put a curse on me that would negate Cala''s muscle magic for some time. The course lasts one minute, then after four minutes pause, she can repeat it. Cala should exercise intensively when the curse is on.

    So instead of going home, I should go back to our sports hall. On the way, I talked with my alter-ego.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°How comes that Cala is so well trained?¡±

    ¡°She trains regularly. Since she is here, you haven¡¯t done anything.¡±

    That was true.

    ¡°But this will not help? The environment here is low on magic; she will not make any progress.¡±

    ¡°That is true, but she needs to maintain her muscles, and besides that, I talked with Cala about an idea. I can block my aura at skin level. That would mean that I make a high-level magic saturated environment for Cala to exercise in it. About the same as what aura users do. I mean the basic.¡±

    I was surprised, and a bit shocked that the two collaborated together. After the first moment, I realized that, in the end, it was normal. It is my alter ego collaborating with my avatar. So why am I surprised? The only shock was that I was not aware of it.

    I went back to the locker room and took my sports clothes on again. As my blouse was damaged, I took Theresa''s that I kept with me to wash. I''ll give it clean back.

    The sports hall was almost empty now; just a couple of boys were working in the weight area. We were allowed to use it after hours with some limitations. Probably one of the boys had the key. They were both from the terminal year, so they were one year older or the same age as me.

    ¡°Hey, do you have a problem with me doing some sport?¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself, Dolores!¡±

    Fuck. Good that they know me, but I do not know their names.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    After a little warm-up, Flo placed her curse, and I came to push-ups. I did fast some twenty with both arms, then I switched to one-arm push-ups.

    I was surprised to see Cala trying to make this. Is this a thing? She was making them slow, but she did them.

    The boy that had answered before was now watching me. I hope Cala does not do some superhero thing. He smiled, seeing my one-arm push-ups.

    ¡°Nice workout Dolores!¡±

    Cala grinned, and I was happy. This does not sound like a superhero thing. Are there really people who can do one-arm push-ups? I wonder if Joe can do some. Cala, as Cala is, upped the ante:

    ¡°Hey! Could I borrow some weight?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I''d like to make some pull-ups, and I''d try with some added weight.¡±

    ¡°Wow, wow. You could make some tendi... tendo...tore your elbow tendons if you try too hard.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Daniel, she''s good; she can do better one arm push-ups than you!¡±

    The name Daniel shrugged:

    ¡°She has less weight!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You can do only eight. She did ten!¡±

    Daniel shook his head and turned to me:

    ¡°Look, there is no weight here that you could tie to you. I use Helen for the push-ups but not for pull-ups.¡±

    ¡°Helen?¡±

    Do they have a weight called Helen?

    ¡°I''m here! Do you want my help with the push-ups?¡±

    Helen, the thin Helen from my class, was here, reading a book on a mattress tower. Only now did I see her as she waved to me.

    I laughed:

    ¡°Yes, please! I already ate your lunch; part of the work is done!¡±

    She giggled and came, putting herself on her belly over my back.

    ¡°Do you think you can push me up?¡±

    ¡°Let''s see.¡±

    As I was just making my push-ups with Helen lying over me, I heard a known voice behind me.

    ¡°What are you doing to my girl?¡±

    I did not have to turn my head to recognize him.

    ¡°Joe? You fucking idiot, you left me alone with that bastard at Tim''s party!¡±

    Oh, mama! Joe came to meet me exactly when Cala was in the lead, and my memories are Cala''s memories. She knows what he has done. I was desperate but could not silence her. His face contorted when he heard that.

    ¡°Uh, oh, that hurt Doll, but I guess I deserved it...¡±

    I heard Helen from my back commenting:

    ¡°Huh, it''s getting hot up here; I feel more energy in her push-ups since you came, Joe. What have you done this time?¡±

    He stood there watching how I was scrambling to do another push-up. He finally spoke:

    ¡°It was another situation like the one Simon had a couple of weeks ago.¡±

    I wondered who Simon was?

    ¡°Simon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, here!¡±

    Oh, I got an instant answer; the second guy waved his hand. So, Daniel and Simon. At least now I know their names. I suppose I should have known them, as they know my name. They both must be in the same class with Joe. Why do I wonder? Dolores lives with her head in the clouds.

    As Helen had only said ''oh'' and did not comment further, I had to ask:

    ¡°What was that situation, Simon?¡±

    He sighed:

    ¡°A crazed guy had thrown red paint over Kate''s new leather jacket. I punched him in the nose, he flew backwards and broke something, and now I''m banned from all sports events. They want to push me out of the football team¡± - he shrugged and turned to Joe - ¡°What was it in your case?¡±

    I suppose Kate was his girlfriend or sister, but I did not ask listening to Joe:

    ¡°A crazed from the Heatvy school. Probably because we won the last game and I scored. I suppose that he wanted to provoke me; that''s why he attacked Dolores.¡±

    That was totally wrong, but what conclusions can he reach when his world revolves only around his ego?

    ¡°Attacked Dolores?¡± - he looked at me - ¡°is the guy still alive?¡±

    Joe also had to ask:

    ¡°Right, what did you do? You were suddenly nowhere to be found?¡±

    I shrugged and answered, ashamed. Yeah, Cala is ashamed:

    ¡°I ran away.¡±

    Simon laughed:

    ¡°I guess he was lucky.¡±

    Joe looked at me:

    ¡°Did you know him?¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Somebody said that you recognized him and called his name, but I see I was right; you did not know him. That''s what I also told the cop who came asking questions.¡±

    There was a mess in my head at this moment, Cala was speaking to him, and I was talking to Flo:

    ¡°I did not say his name. You screamed a warlock!¡±

    She protested:

    ¡°I did not scream; I was surprised but merely observed.¡±

    ¡°Observed? Observed with a loudspeaker? The whole shit would not have happened if you had kept silent!¡±

    Cala only shrugged, and that made Helen giggle in my back:

    ¡°Another one? Come on, you can do it!¡±

    She had obviously exercised with Daniel. To please her, Cala pushed another push-up. Meanwhile, Joe turned toward the boys:

    ¡°I am with some guys outside; we want to play handball. Could I convince one of you to come? We are missing one to play five against five.¡±

    Daniel shrugged.

    ¡°If we go, we go both.¡±

    Then Simon had the idea:

    ¡°You know something? We could take Dolores too, then we play six against six?¡±

    A surprised Joe turned to me.

    ¡°Do you play handball?¡±

    I did not have to answer as Simon did:

    ¡°I saw the girls playing; she is good. Maybe better than you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, don''t exaggerate!¡±

    ¡°Helen, you do not play?¡±

    Helen answered from my back:

    ¡°No, I''m with the book, but I''ll acclaim when you score!¡±

    And that''s how I ended up playing handball with the boys. Helen was happy to move outside and read her book there, so Simon closed the sports hall.

    We played for some two hours, and I was in the ninth heaven! I was reconciled with Joe and felt OK. Cala was happy that she did her sports, only Flo was angry that we let Joe escape too easily from the blunder with the warlock.

    It was evening when I walked back home, but I made a small detour to a construction shop not far away. I had seen some advertising for tools, and one of those caught my eye: a battery-powered circular saw to cut stones. It had a ten-centimetre wide disk and should cut any stone. My horns should not be a problem.

    Plus, it was now in sale, the price reduced by half, it would cost me only fifteen and I had the money in my pocket.

    OK, there was another ten to pay for the battery loader, which reduced a bit my enthusiasm, but I bought it. No horns, no problems, isn''t it? After that, I could even come closer to somebody. Maybe even kiss someone, Joe, for instance? Who knows, did he not say: my girl?

 Chapter 92 - Losing My Horns

    The Robertsons are gone, and it feels almost back to normal with Clara and Lola.

    My life is good. I am more or less officially Joe''s girlfriend, and he invited me to a concert: The Blue Cauldron is singing in our town next weekend, and he got tickets from his brother for it.

    His brother is a professional football player, makes a lot of money, has a sports car and¡­ Joe got his tickets, VIP tickets, and his car for the weekend, and I''ll go with him.

    That''ll be a show!

    Now, of course, Joe would like to kiss me and hook up with me. I want that too, but until now, I avoided any close contact, and he thinks it is because of the incident at Tim''s party. Whilst that is partially true, the real reasons are my scars, wings and horns.

    I guess it may not be so much postulating for our relationship to have him involuntarily skewered with one horn? Or him hugging me and feeling something in my back that should not be there?

    However, yes, I''ll say it again: I would like to hook up with him. So what do I do?

    My horns are now close to three centimetres long. OK, not very dangerous yet but still... How long will they grow? Yesterday I tried to cut them, but¡­ I encountered some... difficulties.

    The first problem was pain. I discovered that cutting one was an excruciating operation.

    Previously I thought you did not even feel when you cut a horn, like, for instance, cutting hair or nails. Not true. Rather, it was as intensive as the toothache you would get when trying to sever a living tooth or drilling into the nerve.

    The second problem was the noise. That circular saw makes a terrible noise. Clara was instantly in my room to inquire what was happening. She almost got me, good that I took some precautions, like hiding behind the wardrobe, but I had to explain to her that I was cutting... stones.

    What stones? Why? Where are my glasses and...

    Oh, get out of here! It is my room!

    And after all this trouble, all I had to show was an almost invisible scratch on one horn.

    Fucking adamantium horns I have!

    I''ll never be able to cut them in my room with the girls home. I have to wait for them to leave or find a better place.

    Next problem: my wings. They are about twenty centimetres long now and tend to look like butterfly wings. Lovely little butterfly wings on my back that look creepish and prevent me from sleeping on my back.

    Luckily I can fold them and keep them close to my back. I can move them! Another creepy thing I can do. I can even hide them under a blouse, but if they grow further, that might be no longer possible.

    As if this would not be enough trouble, I have to deal with Matt.

    Flo still talks with him, and even if it is now through the grapevines official that I am with Joe, Matt invited me for this evening to his house. It is not a party, but to meet his friends. Well, to hear them, they make what they call music. The problem is that Flo accepted it. She wants to go there, and she is right: I promised she could meet her friend, so what can I do?

    I don''t have to solve this case yet, but at a certain moment, I''ll have to do it as it will cause me trouble.

    Now I have a couple of hours until I should go to Matt, and I wanted to get rid of at least my horns before.

    I do not do it for Matt, but the last time when I played handball, I''ve already hit one boy with one horn. It is practically impossible to avoid body contact when playing handball.

    So it happened, and we collided. Now with these longer and sharper horns, the thing is starting to get dangerous. How long can I play ''oops, it was my finger, my knuckle, my elbow''?

    Especially when you are not supposed to do that.

    My wings are a different kind of a problem. I have to tie them under a kind of corset and put a t-shirt above. This requires some tiresome, difficult gymnastics in the locker room. Lucky me, when I play handball with the boys, I am the only girl in the locker room, but tomorrow I''ll also have gym hours with the class again.

    So the wings have to go.

    ¡°Don''t you want to grow your wings? Try to fly with them?¡±

    Yeah. Should I try? Can I hide grown-up wings? Is that even possible? I need to find a solution to hide them.

    Plus, now I have to be especially careful with healing, as full healing would now heal my wings and horns back. Tadaa!

    So, where can I find a place to cut these things down?

    There is only one place I can think of: at Gonzo''s place!

    Yeah, his garage is in the midst of nowhere. I could go there and make all the noise I have to!

    Happy that I found a solution, I packed my saw. The bike has a small cargo bay, but I was pleased to see that my saw fit inside, even if narrowly. Once done, I was on my way to Gonzo.

    Bye, bye horns! Hello, kisses! I was singing an improvised song on the way to his workshop.

    It did not take long to arrive there. When I passed by, I waved to the policemen, and they flashed their lights. Huh, I''m starting to make friends with them.

    Gonzo was not his usual happy, careless guy. Something was stressing him. All I got was that he was expecting a visit. OK?

    Well, I need to solve my problem today, and I don''t really have a different place to go. If I can work alone in his workshop, that would be great. He has enough room.

    ¡°Gonzo, I need some work done urgently. Can I use your workshop for half an hour?¡±

    He wondered:

    ¡°Is there a problem with the bike?¡±

    ¡°No, it is a school project; I would like to cut some stones with my circular saw. I''ll make some dust, but I''ll clean it up at the end. Don''t come in to avoid the dust. I promise I''ll leave it clean!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK. Use that plastic over there to cover the rest; you can make the noise you want for one hour, but please not later. I mean, you know I expect some guests...¡±

    ¡°Sure, I should be finished and gone by then!¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry I cannot help you now; I have to clean up inside. Is this ok with you?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°Have fun then!¡±

    He ran inside. Wow, there must be some inspection coming.

    I entered the workshop, and Flo made a mirror in the air in front of me and then she made the horns visible.

    ¡°Fucking fuck. Ugly things. But if I cut them, I will have two wounds there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought about this. I will try to drive the skin over and make a partial heal over it.¡±

    ¡°This works? Would this mean they will remain cut, like Cala''s nose?¡±

    ¡°No. Her nose is not cut but was forced askew. The skin does not hinder the horns, they will grow anyhow, but it will be temporary covering it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, could you do the same over my scars? At least the eye?¡±

    ¡°Ahm, yes, good idea; I think I could do it.¡±

    Cool! Aesthetic operations are possible! I could look less creepy than I do!

    ¡°Let''s try first with the scar on your eye!¡±

    ¡°Take your blouse off; you''ll fill it with blood.¡±

    ¡°Right¡±

    Blouse off. He has all kinds of cutters and saws in his workshop. I had only to cut my skin and Flo to link it over the scar, then apply a light heal. I had to try a couple of times until it worked to my satisfaction. The skin is hard, harder than leather, and not easy to cut; in the end, I used my circular saw for it. I did not have to make a deep cut, only superficial but fuck, to work with the circular saw above your eye gives you such a creepy feeling.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Well, it worked, and Flo could link the skin from both sides and heal it superficially. It looked almost perfect; the brow was a bit shortened, but it looked OK, and at least it would feel good at a touch. For the shortened brow, Flo could fix that with illusions or cosmetics. You had to know to see it, it was so good. I was happy.

    ¡°It is not healed but looks better; unfortunately, the next full heal will make the scar appear again.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it is an improvement! Let us try one horn. Start with the left one!¡±

    After five minutes, I was completely covered with sweat, breathing hard with three-quarters of the horn remaining.

    I had to take a break out of sheer stress. What are these things made of?

    I wanted to scream. It pained so damn hard.

    I breathed hard and pressed the circular blade against the horn again. Maybe I pushed too hard, the saw broke, and a piece flew against the wall and ricocheted back into my eye. I screamed an agonizing scream and dropped the machine.

    Out of shock, I did not know what to do for a couple of seconds, squealing like a stuck pig. Then I pulled that piece of iron out of my eye.

    "Fucking fuck!"

    ¡°Oh my God!¡±

    I did not expect an answer. Gonzo was in the door looking at me. Our eyes locked, and we stayed like this for a couple of seconds. I did not even try to cover my breasts.

    He came closer, looking at my eye.

    ¡°Your eye! You blinded yourself?! Oh, God! We need...¡±

    I grasped his hand, stopping him.

    ¡°No. It''s alright; I can heal it.¡±

    He remained mute, looking at me as I healed it.

    He blinked, looking now at my healed eyes, then at my horns, then back at my eyes, then...

    I sighed. Finally, he spoke:

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    Not the question I expected to hear.

    ¡°I''m trying to get rid of these... horns.¡±

    ¡°Uh. I see...¡±

    He now saw the broken circular saw. He closed his eyes again and breathed out.

    ¡°Well, I am ready with the clean-up; I could help you.¡± - he raised his eyes - ¡°I still have almost one hour to wait.¡±

    I did not expect that. I was expecting all kinds of screams and curses but not an offer to help. He did not even comment on my horns, did not even ask what kind of freak I was, and offered to help me?

    ¡°Would you do that for me?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Sure¡±

    Then he had double thoughts.

    "Should we not go to a hospital? This is an operation, not an auto mechanic thing?"

    "Gonzo, I thought you understood my reasons. Have you ever seen such a freak like me who, in addition, can heal itself? Where do you think I''ll land? Consider you are helping me to get a haircut. It is almost like that."

    "But you are risking your life with these things, lady?"

    "I''m resilient. Do you help me, or do you let me do it? We both want to close this as soon as possible."

    He nodded:

    "I''ll help"

    I took a deep breath. I know Flo could make him forget. That would be one way to go. Do I want to go that way? I looked at him. I decided to trust him. I wonder, are there many people like him in this world who would simply help you without straight out thinking, ''what does this bring me?'' Or was I so lucky to meet him?

    He coughed:

    ¡°Ahem, maybe you could put that blouse on? Not that¡­ I mean...¡±

    His face was red. I shrugged and turned my back to him.

    ¡°How would you cut those down with my blouse on? Besides, I want to avoid having blood over it. You should also think about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh... Do you want your... wings cut?¡±

    The horror resonated in his voice. I turned to face him with my hand covering my breasts and nodded.

    ¡°Yes, preferably after the horns.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°If you say so¡­ OK, let''s do it.¡±

    I looked into his eyes.

    ¡°How should I stay?¡±

    We talked a little about what would be the best way to do it. I ended up spread on my belly over one workbench, my head down, one horn up. He came on the other side of the workbench having perfect access to my head and horn.

    ¡°Cut it so that it comes a little below the skin level.¡±

    ¡°Below? But what will you do with the open wound?¡±

    ¡°I''ll solve that. Let it be my problem, but leave my brain intact.¡±

    He sighed:

    ¡°That''s not funny. OK, lady. I''ll start to cut." - then he hesitated - "Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, it does not; it is only stress.¡±

    He was visibly reassured by it.

    ¡°Oh, ok.¡±

    He had a bigger saw with industrial diamonds hardened cut, he started it, and then he stopped it.

    "I cannot do this."

    I sighed.

    "OK. Can I borrow your saw?"

    "You really want to do it?"

    "Gonzo, I cannot go like this to meet people."

    "Maybe with a hat?"

    I watched him slantwise. He sighed.

    "OK, OK, I''ll try to do it. Scream if it pains, OK? I''ll stop instantly."

    "You saw that I can heal myself, so don''t be afraid and cut it, OK?"

    He started the machine again. Even with his super-special saw, it took some five minutes to cut one down. I kept silent, but I was drenched in my own sweat and breathing hard when he finished. Blood was running on my temple. Not much, but enough to make him uneasy.

    "Are you sure it does cause no pain? You do not look like it''s painless?"

    "Gonzo, honestly, it pains like hell, but we are one down. You will not run away now?"

    He was looking with horrified eyes at me.

    "You lied to me?"

    "Sure. Would you have done it if I told you so?"

    ¡°Should you not take some pain killer if it pains so much? I''m sorry I do not have any, but I could drive fast...¡±

    "No, we are half done. The other half will be easier."

    He did not seem convinced. He looked a bit disconcerted at me.

    "Tell me, honestly, do I dream this?"

    Even with all the pain, I had to laugh. A pained laugh.

    "Come on, you did one; the other one will be easier."

    "But I mutilate you forever?"

    "No, if I am not careful, I''ll have them instantly back on."

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°Oh. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±

    He started the engine again, and I felt like I was put on the torture table. Blood was staining my face and now the table.

    I was straining my back, trying hard to endure, trying hard not to run away. Another five minutes of hell.

    I was crying; tears ran down my cheeks.

    ¡°What''s the matter? Are you sorry?¡±

    I could hardly speak but managed somehow to mumble.

    ¡°Ignore me. It is only the pain. Do the wing stubs now, too; please don''t stop.¡±

    He hesitated, but something in the way I''ve said it convinced him. He moved to my wings. It went much faster, but the pain was immeasurable.

    ¡°I¡­ I''m done,¡± - he said, putting the machine down.

    The pain from the wing had been so unbearable that I was simply muted, my back strained, all my muscles cramped, and I simply could not move. I could not even breathe. It was as if I would have been pinned down with two giant needles on that table.

    I tried to gasp air, and only a long pained something came out from my mouth.

    ¡°Dolores? Dolores?¡±

    Further moaning. I could not concentrate to even breathe. My world was an explosion of pain. Waves of pain made my body shudder. He tried to help me stand, but I could not. My feet were not sustaining me, I crumbled, and he had to hold me in his hands. Drenched in sweat, moaning and shuddering. I never thought somebody could produce so much sweat.

    "Flo, you lead!"

    Yeah, I idiot, I should have thought earlier to let my alter ego do the work. She or Cala could better endure pain than me. The transformation was instant; my movements became more gracious even in those circumstances, and the pain started to be bearable.

    He was trying to soothe me when suddenly I felt him freezing. He was staring at something. I turned with difficulty my head to look behind me.

    His hands grasped me, holding me tight. My troubled eyes saw a wide-eyed Helen who had just dropped a basket with something on the ground. I slowly turned my eyes to look down: a basket full of food that was now spreading on the floor.

    Not ''my'' Helen from the class, but the other Helen, Helen the gamer. Fucking fuck, he had a date with Helen. And she was early to her date.

    I don''t know how long did we stay there, not moving, looking at each other. I was still shuddering.

    I also know that Flo was halfway amused by the situation.

    She looked at him, and the next moment I heard the door being shut.

    ¡°Should I make her forget?¡±

    He put me gently on the chair. A note of fear flickered in his eyes.

    ¡°No. I should talk to her. Excuse me now.¡±

    He ran away.

    Fuck. Is there a script where I would bring bad luck and ruin to anyone who helps me?

    If I want to delete their memories, I need to do it now, when they are fresh and not stored in the long-term memory area. If you try to delete the long-term memory, the risk of making a mess is almost one hundred per cent. Much more might get lost in the process than only that memory you try to target. I don''t want to do that.

    When I came out, they were not there. I realized that his car was gone.

    Flo fixed my wounds and cleaned the workshop, removed all the blood stains, my severed horns and wings.

    I waited there for some ten minutes, then wrote him a note, left it on the table and left.

    ''Sorry for the mess and the problems. Please call me if you need my help. Dolores''

 Chapter 93 - An Act of Creation

    After the more or less dramatic events at Gonzo''s workshop, I was not in the mood to meet people. It was Friday evening, and I was invited to Matt. No, it was not a party, but just to meet him and a couple of his friends, talk to them and listen to their music.

    Meet more people? I am not good with people, and I met so many in the last few days that I was a bit overwhelmed. But as I was glad to be with my Joe, I had to let Flo meet her Matt. I had promised her this.

    Speaking of it, Joe did not invite me for this evening. Hm? OK, we are not that close yet, and he is free to do what he pleases, but¡­

    Ah, whatever. Do I not like my freedom? I do, so let''s let him also enjoy his.

    I was more worried about Gonzo. What will he do, and what will he tell Helen to get out of dodge? What can he tell? I was half-naked in his arms, but what about the blood on my back and forehead? Could my moaning be interpreted in different ways? What did she see?

    Better not think about it; the more I think, the worse it seems to get. So let me try to think of something else. Matt, for instance.

    The address was in a quiet neighbourhood. Only beautiful villas around. I thought they were poor and barely scraping a living?

    The garden door was open, and a short way led to a lovely house hidden under trees. My thundering bike rattled the windows and scared a flock of little birds that left the neighbouring tree without a fight.

    There was a sports car parked near the house and a Jeep behind.

    Is this the correct address?

    I parked the bike behind the car and disappeared my helmet. I did as I would have stored it in the tiny cargo bay. I stood aside and removed my glasses when he erupted through the main door.

    ¡°Hi, Dolores!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Matt! Hello?¡±

    Cala left Flo to have the lead, and Flo moved as she always did in her super gracious way. How the fuck does she do that is beyond my imagination, the effect being always instant: their eyes came pinned to my body.

    Their, because another boy came with Matt out of the house, a skinny brunet plagued with acne.

    ¡°Hi, Dolores! I am Hew! Pleased to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Hew! Nice meeting you!¡±

    ¡°Wow, what do you have here? Is it yours? Beautiful! Is it seven hundred fifty cubic centimetres? What a beautiful beast!¡±

    He was repeating himself, his eyes wide and round, inspecting the bike.

    I shrugged:

    ¡°I have it from Gonzo, a special rent, not bought.¡±

    Another guy came out of the house:

    ¡°Hi there!¡± - he turned to Hew - ¡°Oh come on, you pretend to be a connoisseur! That''s a thousand three hundred bike, my friend!¡±

    He came to shake my hand. Hew hurried behind him.

    ¡°What? Really?¡±

    A fourth guy swarmed out of the house. I looked at Matt.

    ¡°Dolores, these are Hew, Mike and Tom!¡±

    Hew and Tom were now aligned to shake my hand. None had pretty faces or nice muscles like Joe. Hew and Mike were a bit smaller than me, my super Cala-long-legs making me a bit taller than I was before; else, we would have been the same height. Tom was taller. He was very tall and thin. Yes, I ''grew'' since I am Cala; I am almost one meter eighty now, just a couple of centimetres smaller than Matt, but Tom was still some ten centimetres taller; however, he must not weigh much more than I do. OK, maybe a little. Mike had a round face and was the most corpulent in the group, but not outright fat.

    After they ceased admiring my bike, we entered the house where I met Matt''s mother, a small, frail woman not reaching to my nose. You wondered how she could have given birth to that neanderthal. Yeah, true; I recognized some of her traits in his face, especially the eyes.

    She left soon thereafter, and we were in the living room eating chips, drinking soda and talking about the real reason for our meeting: they were a music group struggling to make a name for themselves, and their first public performance was scheduled for next week. And Flo accepted to be kind of judge and adviser for them.

    Mike came closer to me, asking, interested:

    ¡°So you are a performer yourself?¡±

    Flo shrugged:

    ¡°Not really. I told Matt I love music and took some music lessons. That''s all.¡±

    What did she tell him? OK, I took some piano lessons when I was a little girl, but that would hardly recommend me as a music guru. Matt came closer:

    ¡°Did you not say that you used to sing?¡±

    She sighed with a betrayed look:

    ¡°Matt, that was only in family circles.¡± - she shrugged again - ¡°anyhow, let me hear how you perform!¡±

    That''s not true? I never did such¡­ Oh fuck me, Flo had told him about her life, not mine. What does her game life have to do with us? My voice was as melodious as a cock''s crowing: I could be loud and wake up the dead with my voice, but that was the only quality one could check at my singing performances.

    Hew drew a face:

    ¡°We don''t want to chase her right away with our noise?¡±

    They laughed, but Matt stood up.

    ¡°Dolores, grasp the pop-corn and follow me; our instruments are in the other room on the garden side.¡±

    It was kind of a second living room with a vast library covering part of a wall. Several hundred, maybe even one thousand books neatly arranged in rows above rows. I love books, and seeing them woke my interest, but Flo postponed the book study hour for later.

    She put herself comfortable on a sofa with chips and drinks aside, standing near the fireplace, the library behind and to the left, and huge windows in front, towards the garden.

    A beautiful room; however, the parquet was old and in dire need of replacement or at least maintenance, especially in a couple of corners that seemed to have suffered from water spillage. The same for the walls. Actually, the whole house gave that feeling of old, clean but a little decrepit.

    They had the instruments in front and to the right of my place. I did not even have time to make myself super comfortable when they started.

    The first song was a disaster. They were not concentrated and tried to impress. A lot of false notes, Mike drummed a couple of times out of rhythm, Tom''s bass did not synchronize with Matt, who played the main guitar and Hew''s organ playing was not bad, but by itself, not integrated with the rest.

    Hew''s voice was almost as good as mine, I mean good to awake the dead, whilst Matt''s was with indulgence acceptable but too hushed. The song by itself was not bad; an original piece that had some excellent ideas in it.

    Flo spoke frank with them:

    ¡°That was dreadful! The song might be interesting, maybe even good, but I do not get to enjoy it when you do not coordinate?¡±

    As she stood up, Hew jumped.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Wait, wait, don''t go! We can do better!¡±

    Flo towered several pillows to make herself comfortable and sat back. Typical Flo. I almost could see her flapping her wings and spreading herself in the newly constructed fluff-fortress. She laughed:

    ¡°Hew, I am not the type to run away at the first cacophony. I only prepare myself for the next round.¡±

    Uh. Oh. Cacophony¡­ That was a brutal verdict but a fair one.

    Their second try was a little better, but the vocalists were still needy. In my mind, they would remain so; they do not have what is needed to be a singer. You have to face it; you cannot make a songbird out of a duck.

    Flo had grasped the melody and understood what they were trying to produce, so she explained it with an example.

    ¡°Not la, la, laaa, Hew, you missed the tone almost every time; you need la, la, laaa!¡±

    The fuck? First, she impersonated him almost perfectly and then she sounded so melodious that I was stunned. How could she do that with my voice? It was Mike who drew the same conclusion:

    ¡°Could you sing together with him; that might possibly help?¡±

    Flo sighed, but I know she likes singing. I don''t know how I know it, but I know it. I did not stop to analyze the implications of this incongruence between my alter-ego and me. She hesitated a moment. She got the notes from Hew. Why is she hesitating? She had excellent control of my voice.

    She finally shrugged:

    ¡°It should be OK to exercise¡±

    They repeated with her, and the overall sounded much better. Now even I grasped more of the song. It was an interesting original song, not a copy or a rehash of I don''t know what masterpiece. It was a lovely work of art and sounded great with her singing. If only Hew would not add his falsehood to it.

    Tom was the one who said it bluntly:

    ¡°What if you just stop singing, Hew?¡±

    ¡°What? But how do I exercise if I stop? Who would be the vocalist?¡±

    Tom looked at me:

    ¡°Would you sing it? Just for us here? To let us get the idea how it really sounds?¡±

    OK, and then? Who would sing at your performance?

    She accepted:

    ¡°Ahm. OK¡±

    So we did it again. There were minor points to improve here and there, but it sounded good. Even Hew was better as he did now concentrate on his instrument. It sounded so good that Matt looked at me when we finished:

    ¡°Would you consider singing with us?¡±

    I knew it would come to this. She probably too, yet she hesitated.

    ¡°Why do you hesitate?¡±

    ¡°Because I do not play fair. I imbue my voice with magic; that''s why it sounds good. I make it sound as I want it to be.¡±

    I thought for a moment about it.

    ¡°Is there a risk of blowing up the phones around? Did you just blow them up here?¡±

    ¡°No. Who do you think I am?¡±

    I did not answer that. If there is no risk of blowing up phones, then where is the problem?

    ¡°What is fair? Everybody does the best they can. I do not see the problem. If you like to sing in that tavern for one night, you can do it. Why not?¡±

    Mike had arranged through an acquaintance to perform in a tavern. The whole meeting was a rehearsal for that performance, and with what they were showing now, they would go down with flying colours.

    That tavern was a kind of a pub specialized in launching young music bands. They''ve made a name for themselves through it and had a loyal and numerous audience coming to their weekly shows. One would start with one or two songs. If the audience liked what they heard, then the group or performer could sing as much as they and the audience wanted to hear. If not, one could be booed from the first song. Yeah, you had the right to finish it, but hey, you would need a lot of courage and motivation to finish a piece when somebody is booing you. Each Thursday, there were a couple of groups who tried to perform, and then the pub switched to records, mostly a potpourri of older performances. If you performed well, you were asked to come back at a later date, on the weekend and could even cash good money.

    Flo shrugged.

    ¡°Well, I could try...¡±

    She stood up and took her jacket off, facing them with the notes in her hand. They played the song with Flo singing again.

    Whilst she sang, I watched them. It was interesting to see how this had evolved. Gone were the looks at my hips, legs or breasts. They concentrated now on the music, and the music sounded great.

    I could tell that the same transformation had happened to me. These were no longer some ugly losers. No, they were my new companions in creation.

    Could I say creation when it was only interpreting their song? But the way she interpreted, the way she helped the cadence, the way she sang that was creation too. We were creating something, something fragile and beautiful, like a flower. Each line was another leaf, each note another colour added to it.

    When we finally stopped, I took a deep breath. We looked at each other, grinning happily. After a while, Mike broke the silence:

    ¡°That was good! That was really good!¡± - he turned towards Hew - ¡°Can we hear a replay?¡±

    Oh, they were recording?

    Hew pushed some buttons, and the loudspeakers started to resonate with the very song we sang. Hearing it, I saw that flower in front of my eyes again. It was not perfect, but it was beautiful. There were some minor blunders here and there, but the overall feeling was good. Is that voice I hear from the loudspeakers really me? I was flabbergasted listening to the song. I had the feeling I could listen again and again and never get full.

    ¡°You understand why I hesitated? It is magic!¡±

    How can there be magic? Magic on a recording? Music is always a kind of magic.

    ¡°Should we try again?¡±

    Tom had said that as if he was afraid we could destroy it if we tried to sing the song again.

    Hew brought me a microphone, and we did it again and again. Almost every time it sounded better, Flo found her rhythm and had more courage, and they lost their hesitations and fear. She added her ideas and interpretation to the song, and indeed it sounded better.

    After a while, when we thought it was perfect, Mike came up with a new proposal:

    ¡°Let''s try my ballad.¡±

    We did that and several more. We sang the whole night through until their fingers got wound, and I could not keep my eyes open anymore. Flo had carefully healed my throat a couple of times, and then we listened again to the recordings.

    We could not stop. It was as if we had discovered a new world. A world of creation. Nobody wanted to be the first to stop.

    It was morning when Matt''s mother found us still gathered there. I was one of the first who fell; I was sleeping on the couch between those many pillows, and Tom was sleeping on the floor near the sofa on one cushion, dragging on my blanket whilst the other three boys were still working, reviewing the records.

    The bond that formed between us in that short night was already surprisingly strong. I did not expect that. The point was that in addition to that creation feeling that we shared, working on these various songs, I started to understand them better and what they tried to communicate, even how and what they''ve seen from life. Their songs tried to convey feelings and emotions. Some were naive, even childish; some were elaborate and surprisingly deep thoughts.

    I understood more of their beings than I would understand spending weeks talking with them. I am already friends with this band of losers. OK, they are no losers; they only look like.

    During breakfast, I got a phone call from ma. She was nervous as she had called home and had found out that I was not there. Not even ma''s phone call did disturb my peace of mind. I just explained to her that I was with colleagues, that we worked together and did not realize how the time went by. What did we work at? Music. I was not answering in panic, but I had to give my phone to Matt''s mother, who then confirmed that we had been there the whole night making music. To her surprise too.

    Ma was at first confused, not knowing how to react. I heard the two mothers talking to each other, a bit confused but not really disturbed by their children¡¯s activities.

    I shrugged. We are not children anymore, even if we still go to school.

    Well, I was then admonished why did we stay the whole night, and I should know better than to let the poor people rest, but at least she was happy that I was not doing other nonsense. Matt''s mother even made her listen to one of our recordings so I could finish my breakfast.

    We agreed to go to sleep at home and come back in the evening to exercise more. At least I think we can make an acceptable performance on Thursday if the boys or Flo do not get a panic attack in front of the public.

 Chapter 94 - Ten Minutes To Fix a Love Story

    It was a lovely sunny morning when we got out of the house. The sun was already up in the sky, and the sunrays pleasantly warmed my back.

    I found out that the jeep belonged to Hew. He would bring Mike and Tom home first, but they were all three living not far away; they could have walked the distance. Only I lived on the other side of the town. I wonder why is Matt going to that school far away from home?

    When I started my bike, the flock of little birds abandoned the neighbouring tree in panic again.

    I didn¡¯t want to show off, but only after the second or third intersection did I realize that I had lost Hew and the jeep since the beginning. Maybe I should have driven slower. Cala was driving completely relaxed, but even this loose driving was too fast for Hew.

    Neither Flo nor I are competent enough to ride the bike properly, so we let Cala do the heavy lifting. She likes to do it, and it is a pleasure to see the elegance with which she is driving.

    Flo moves are gracious and elegant, but riding a bike requires a different kind of elegance, and that is what Cala provides.

    Cala and elegance! This sounds like a contradiction in itself, and yet, she does ride the bike with elegance. The elegance with which she would make a decapitating movement or execute a training kata. There is elegance in those acts of power.

    The bike devoured the asphalt like a hungry monster sneaking between cars, trucks and buses. Cala is always grinning happily when she drives, and her Mephisto leather armour and boots are gathering looks. They did that on purpose in Mephisto to make the characters look gorgeous. Good that she can ignore all those looks and concentrate on her fun.

    I would fail here. Why do I always feel when somebody looks at me, and then I move unnaturally, like having a broom up my ass? Why can she ignore everything and move so freely? There must be a reason why I did split my mind into another alter ego. I need to learn from them and try to make their boons be mine.

    She stopped at the petrol station to fill in the tank. At least five different guys came to admire the bike or talk with her. She only grinned happily, answered frankly about Gonzo''s bikes and behaved naturally with a simplicity that I always admire and know that it is not mine.

    Will I ever be able to move like her? This world is not fair!

    Speaking of Gonzo. I did not go straight back home.

    I went straight to his workshop. The thought of the situation I''ve put him in did not give me peace. I needed to speak with him and try to make amends.

    From the main road to his house and workshop was a short way of about sixty to seventy meters, and the entry for cars was closed. I parked my bike in front and walked to the house. The small gate for persons opened, so he probably closed the main gate during the night.

    The workshop was silent. I wondered if he was still sleeping and thought about leaving when I heard music coming from the other side of the house.

    I walked around the house, and to my surprise, I saw there two lovebirds having breakfast on the sunny terrace. They were both dressed in some large bathrobes enjoying the early sun rays.

    ¡°Ahm, hello?¡±

    They both were shocked and surprised to see me, as surprised as I was seeing her. A wide grin spread on Cala''s face. I mean my face.

    As soon as he saw me, Gonzo almost panicked:

    ¡°Hi! Do you have a problem?¡±

    I grinned. Well, the existing grin enlarged itself.

    ¡°Oh no. I was afraid that I caused you a lot of trouble and wanted to apologize. I see you are fine, so...¡±

    Helen gave me a funny look. I wonder what did he tell her? She hesitatingly pointed towards the table.

    ¡°Are you hungry? We are just having breakfast?¡±

    She interrupted me. Plus, she spoke about food. I was just going to leave.

    There are rules in this universe, and one of the rules is: that you should never talk about food in front of Cala unless she is really full or face the consequences.

    ¡°You don''t mind if I join you?¡±

    They looked at each other. I jumped over the small hedge with easiness and came towards them with that grin. Cala was hungry. That breakfast at Matt was since long already digested, and on the table, I saw they had eggs and bacon and vegetables and sausages and cheese and¡­ wow! Somebody had filled the table with goodies!

    ¡°Tell her to stop! Let them eat in peace! She just had breakfast, damn it!¡±

    Cala is worse than a bulldog when it is about food. She ate and told them that she had sung with a band the whole night and that there would be a performance coming Thursday. They wanted to hear me singing, but Cala just laughed and said it would be a surprise, they should come there. I told them about that tavern.

    The conversation was between Cala and Helen. She hesitatingly tried to understand me and probably the relationship with Gonzo. After being silent for the first ten minutes, he asked me about the bike and how it was going.

    Helen was still looking now and then at me. I know she still has some questions. Whatever he told her, she believes him; however, she does not know the whole story and would like to know but hesitates to ask. After I exterminated their food, I left feeling slightly better. At least I did not manage to destroy their emerging friendship¡­ yet.

    Arrived at home, Lola informed me that my parents had called, well I already knew that. She also complained that I had not instructed her what to tell, so she had just mumbled something about me being with colleagues.

    I told her that it was ok, and then I went straight to bed to make my digestion.

    I woke up in the afternoon and went to Matt, where we continued our rehearsal. The boys were already there. There were additional songs they wanted to exercise.

    In a break, I found I got a message from Helen. All my messages come in silent mode except those from my parents, and I check my phone only now and then. I do not like when somebody else is pacing my activity, but when we made the break, I had nothing to do and checked for messages. When I saw the one from Helen, I wanted to read it immediately.

    What could she be mailing me about?

    It was not about Gonzo and me or any questions; it was a piece of information:

    ''It appears the game we spoke about is up and running (?!). We have no explanation of how this can be true unless somebody is interested in keeping it up. We now have connectivity; I''ve put the details in a separate email to you. It works through our servers. We are not sure how long it will last.''

    I hesitated for one moment. They did their piece of hacking and are now again connected. How long will this work? Are there any risks? Well, I already used that proxy, and it worked for a while; probably, it will be the same again. If I intend to do anything for the Lynx and the others, I should do it now.

    Does it matter? Does it even make any sense? It is just a game, is it not so?

    Do I have again to pass through this?

    I sighed. Singing can wait until tomorrow. I just need to take the Lynx, Sid and the gang out of that cavern, and then I can sleep better. I''ll never forgive myself if I do not try now to connect. Even if it is only about my pixelated friends. I''ll go for my peace of mind.

    I stood up and stopped with a sigh.

    Of fuck. I neglected the dream interface issue! I should have checked the used interfaces market, even if I am a little reluctant to buy a used dream interface. These are without guarantee, and there can be all kinds of problems.

    ¡°Guys, does anybody have a dream interface to borrow?¡±

    But the moment when I asked the question, I knew the solution: a coffin! Yeah, a rented coffin. Not far away from my home, there is that hotel also known as the vampires'' hotel. Well, it is called the vampires'' hotel or the zombies'' hotel, because people sleep there in coffins called ''dormitories''. Those are just larger drawers with ventilators to give you enough air. It is a very cheap kind of hotel, popular with workers who need a cheap place to sleep for several hours, and some of those coffins are upgraded with dream interfaces.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Those dream interfaces had proved to be a bad investment for the owner, as the workers just want to sleep and are not interested in gaming, but it could be an affordable way to get what I need now. Payment is per hour.

    I called the hotel, and they do indeed have a couple of coffins with dream interfaces free.

    The hotel is not far away from school so I¡¯ll have to drive back through the whole town.

    I left the boys exercising, promising I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. After a little more than half an hour, I was home and could explain to Lola that I¡¯ll leave for a pyjama party.

    With whom?

    With some gamers. It will be a big party.

    Is somebody coming to pick me up? No? Why?

    Gonzo was there.

    Oh, fuck it, Gonzo! Anytime would be OK, but not now? This idiot comes to visit me unannounced Saturday evening? I could be anywhere; it was only a stupid coincidence that he found me there.

    I wanted to tell Lola to get rid of him, lie that I just left, but I could not. Let me see why did he come all the way here?

    ¡°Hi, Gonzo!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Dolores! I¡¯m so glad I found you home!¡±

    ¡°Gonzo, you should have called; I¡¯m actually leaving. I¡¯m already late¡­ to my appointment.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh, really sorry¡­ Ahm¡­ Could you give me ten minutes? Please? I really need your advice!¡±

    ¡°My advice?¡±

    White Flower clarified it for me:

    ¡°It is my advice that he is looking for. Let me lead.¡±

    Oh. Gonzo wants to talk to my fairy.

    Whilst she took the lead, I watched him: he was not his usual self. He looked unkempt, was nervously clamping his left hand and had a slight tremor in his voice. He was sweating. I think it was the first time I saw him sweating.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk in my room.¡±

    He followed me into my room under the scandalized eyes of Clara. I ignored her. I closed the door to my room and invited him to sit on the only available chair at my desk. I took off my shoes and made myself comfortable sitting cross-legged in my bed.

    ¡°So what happened? Is she angry because of me?¡±

    He gave me a distressed look.

    ¡°No. I mean, I do not know. I mean¡­ May I tell you the whole story?¡±

    I sighted. Exactly what I need now. I am in a hurry, and he wants to tell me the story of his life. Yet I knew that if I cut it short, he would feel betrayed. So what is more important for me?

    He saw my reaction and already bowed his head defeated.

    ¡°Gonzo, look, come tomorrow, and I¡¯ll have all the time we need. I¡¯m in a bind now, I am not going to a party, but I really need to help some friends. I need to hurry up!¡±

    I decided to tell him the truth. He gave me a hurt look and sighed:

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    He stood up, yet I didn''t want to let him go like this.

    ¡°Look, I should be able to spare some ten minutes. Tell me what you can now, and we resume the talk tomorrow? Is this OK with you?¡±

    His eyes lighted with new hope. I am no good at extracting sentences from nobody; I let my fairy take the lead. Interesting, the moment she had taken the lead, he suddenly felt more comfortable and started to talk:

    ¡°The problem with Helen is not as simple. OK? I have known her since I was in school. She was in a class one year younger than me. I always admired her. It is.. yeah, it is ten years since I first saw her, and from the very first moment, I knew I loved her.¡±

    He raised his eyes. Flo did not say a word but nodded, so he continued:

    ¡°I am no good with girls, and we were kids, ok? Until I gathered my courage to talk with her, my best friend was faster than me. What could I do? The two started meeting, and I could not interfere. Well, what hope did I have? She was the leading cheerleader. She was the prettiest girl in school. Honestly.¡±

    He sighed.

    OK, the classical: nerd loves the beauty. Probably all nerds in that school were in love with her.

    Probably even with Flo in the lead, he felt my feelings as he added fast:

    ¡°OK, OK, It¡¯s stupid, I know, but I could not change my feelings. I tried to live with the fact that she did not even look at me. After we finished school, I concentrated on my shop and work. The first years were hard. I¡®ve also met a couple of girls, but I did not find in them what I was looking for.¡±

    That''s also a way of saying it. He chuckled:

    ¡°It sounds cliche, but this is the truth: I¡¯ve never met a girl like her. My friend went to university, and we have met only a couple of times since then. In one such meeting, I was surprised to learn that he ditched her about a year ago. How could he have ditched her? I could not imagine it, but it happened!

    I immediately tried to find her, and with some luck, I met her in the gamers community. I was lost, not knowing how to talk with her and what to do, so I was very grateful for your ideas and what you told me to do. To my surprise, it worked, and I was meeting with her, even briefly.¡±

    ¡°Was? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know, after that incident, after she saw us¡­.¡±

    OK, it was me. He continued:

    ¡°we two left. We went to a party where I had invited her. It was in a cabin in the woods, about half an hour drive away with another two pairs from the gamers community.¡±

    ¡°Another two pairs?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She accepted it, and I was in the ninth heaven. I met my friend, and I told him. The surprise was that my friend also came to the cabin. I told him I''ll go there with her, and I thought he might come with his new girlfriend, but he came alone and even asked Helen to leave with him when he left. He told her that he would gladly drive her home if she so wished.¡±

    ¡°What an asshole! Is this what you call a friend? Your best friend?¡±

    He gave me a pained look but then continued:

    ¡°She stayed. She did not leave with him. That was the best moment in my life. Honestly, I never felt happier.¡±

    I watched him askew:

    ¡°Buuut?¡±

    ¡°Well, after that, we went to my place where you found us in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡±

    OK. Was that the reason? That I went to make amends? He continued:

    ¡°After that, she talked to me about pregnancy. That she fears that she will remain pregnant.¡±

    Oh. She had other worries.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I did not say anything. Why would a beauty like her accept to get out with a nobody like me? I guess that she might have gotten pregnant before, and she tries to dump her kid on me. You know abortions are prohibited in this state.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± - I watched him ¨C ¡°Did you have safe sex?¡±

    Me asking a man if he had safe sex. He shook his head:

    ¡°Certainly not.¡±

    Certainly not? He continued:

    ¡°I love her. I would be glad to marry her even with a child. Marriage is for life, and I would gladly raise her child even if not mine, but I would like her to be honest with me and tell me if this is the case.¡±

    ¡°Can it be that she really is afraid?¡±

    "So fast after we did it? Her uncle is a gynaecologist; he must be able to tell her if this is the case.¡±

    Because she wants to go to her uncle?

    ¡°So what happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, we met the afternoon, and she told me that it is probably time that we go separate ways.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Well, if she wants to separate, I will accept her decision. I want the best for her¡­.¡±

    I put my hand in my hair. No, this level of fuckery is not possible.

    ¡°Gonzo, do you love her? Yes or no?¡±

    ¡°I do¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Sure? I was always sure.¡±

    "If she is really pregnant with your child? Is that a problem for you?"

    "What? Nothing in this world would make me happier than having a child with her but can you feel instant that you got pregnant?"

    I watched him as he told me that.

    ¡°You idiot, go and tell her this!! The first part of it. I don¡¯t know what you told her and how you explained to her what happened between us, and I see that she trusted you. She trusted your brained explanations, and you do not trust her? If you love her, go and do what you can to get her back!¡±

    ¡°But, but¡­ what should I tell her?¡±

    I watched him dumbfounded. There is only one sentence that he needs to tell her. That one sentence that he already told me. Is this a general men thing or is he a special case? Why can''t he find the right words at the right time?

    ¡°Tell her exactly what you told me about her child. That is what you should have answered. Don¡¯t let anybody else stop you from telling her. Gonzo, consider that she is going to die if you do not tell her this because the love she nurtured for you will die. Do you want to save her? Then do what you must. Do you understand me?¡±

    Well, metaphorical speaking, in this multiverse, a version of her together with him lives or dies depending on what he will succeed or fail to achieve.

    He left in a hurry. I watched the door after he left. Were there other aspects in this story that I did not grasp? Were ten minutes too short, and I did not get the message? Or was he so blind that he could not see what was under his nose?

    Either he finds her now and clears his soul, or he will be left for his whole life to think about this fuckery where he lost her.

    Does he even deserve her?

    But I have no time now to think about his problems, his little love story. What if I fail to rescue the Lynx and the others because I lost ten minutes with him?

    I left in a hurry.

 Chapter 95 - Back to Level One

    Oh, fuck!

    I had to step back and hide behind a column; then, I went slowly back out.

    There is a small but coquette cafeteria in the hotel''s lobby, and who camps there right now? Tim and Lola, together with several colleagues. I almost ran into them. I went hiding behind bushes and thought feverishly about what to do.

    I do not want Lola and my colleagues to find out that I am going to rent a coffin. I could wait for them to go away; however, that may take between five minutes and five hours, and I don''t have time to lose.

    It is a cheap hotel, but it has a nice cafeteria. All public areas are decent and pleasant, and the consumption is relatively inexpensive; therefore, the gang may stay for a while. What do I do?

    It did not take long to find a solution, lucky me, I have Flo. The next moment when I entered the hotel''s lobby, I had the face of a middle-aged woman that looked a little bit like that frog-lady that tells the weather. I rented my coffin for ten hours and hurried up... to my ''pyjama party''.

    The setup that Helen had sent me was not simple, and it took some time and work to convince the stupid computer to use it, but after fifteen minutes of contorted typing, it worked. It is annoying to work in these coffins. Hell yeah, they are not designed for work, there is barely enough place to sleep in here, and I was working lying on my back with my hands in the air on the virtual screen. I had to shake my drained hands repeatedly to stimulate the blood flow. Fifteen minutes of hands-up work! Yuk!

    But now it was done. As soon as I started the newly defined application, the computer plunged me directly into the new world. It was not the gradual immersion you usually have with the dream interface and Dreamland''s login but a sudden transition to the virtual world.

    After the surprise and shock had passed, I was able to look around and take in the situation. I was inside the Mephisto game world but at the setup area.

    ¡°Call Calamity Lara¡±

    ¡°Avatar not available. Select other/Create new.¡±

    What? Is this the right game?

    ¡°Call Spartacius¡±

    ¡°Avatar is not available for your credentials. Create new?¡±

    ¡°Status Calamity Lara¡±

    ¡°Avatar level 95. Avatar logged out.¡±

    ¡°Recall¡±

    ¡°Avatar Calamity Lara not found on Dreamland servers.¡±

    Oh, fuck! The day of: oh, fuck! This is the right game, and I had taken Cala out. The fact that the system had registered that surprised me. Stupid system! How could I place the avatar back in? How did I take her out? The fact that I materialized her in the real world should not delete the avatar from Dreamland''s servers?

    I was unhappy, but maybe I could find a way to make it work. Why would I need their avatars? I asked Flo:

    Flo hesitated one moment with her answer:

    ¡°We are now a ghost in this world. What can we do as a ghost?¡±

    I looked attentively at my hands: they were transparent! Baffled, I looked around:

    We are currently in that particular area reserved for setup/start-up. I am in a kind of a cabin, like an elevator. A futuristically designed zone with all sorts of controls and a couple of huge mirrors that work as displays.

    ¡±Fuck, if I make a new avatar, that would be a level one character?¡±

    ¡°Is there no way to bring Cala in?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. All this fucking computers can do is project this ghost image of me. The ghost looks like Cala, do you see?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Not even like the frog-lady we have made her look like. The computer took your physical image.¡±

    ¡°True. Strange!¡±

    <Select race>

    ¡°What race should I select?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°I always wanted to play a dark elf, but I was not allowed. See how nimble, how gracious they are?¡±

    ¡°Why not an orc?¡±

    ¡°Lol, that brute with huge canines?¡±

    ¡°The orc females do not have those huge canines! Are we not in a hurry?¡±

    ¡°We have paid for ten hours. Ten hours to play, so we can at least spend a couple of minutes choosing the avatar if we need a new one. What should I choose?¡±

    ¡°Don''t you want to play a male character?¡±

    ¡°Me a male character? Hm? No. An elf? Nah, that is the first choice for all noobs!¡±

    The image of an elf village appeared in front of my eyes. A lovely elf girl was gathering fruits in the forest.

    ¡°Look, we can change everything: the skin colour, the hair colour, the eyes colour, make her taller or smaller. Everything is possible... well, within limits. I cannot make her smaller than one fifty or greater than two meters. Lol, a two meters elf-girl!¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Aren''t we going to discard her anyway?¡±

    ¡°A goblin girl? A vampire! No, those have severe daylight problems... A human?¡±

    Each time the mirror changed to a new environment, a new village.

    ¡°A beastkin? What kind of a beastkin?¡±

    There were all kinds: different types of cat-like, dogs, bears, mice, centaurs and buffalo-like that looked like minotaurs to caprine types looking like dryads.

    ¡°Oh, come on, we are only losing time.¡±

    ¡°OK, OK. Then a dark elf. I always wanted to be a dark elf.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes!¡±

    <You have chosen dark elf; customize?>

    A pale greenish skin nimble girl with purple tainted red eyes appeared. Her dirty silver hair was cut short. She was almost naked, covered with some scraps and was wandering through some stone tunnels.

    No time to customize. She is pretty as she is.

    <System name: Andorra; rename?>

    ¡°Rename Andy¡±

    <Andy, you are a dark elf that grew up as an orphan to the age of seventeen in the house of Dorthum. You are to be sacrificed to the Gortha God in seven days at your eighteens birthday. Escape your guards and the Dorthum caverns to reach your liberty>

    The next moment I was there in the cavern, grasping with my hands the humid stones. Two guards with electrified spears were casually talking behind me.

    OK, so the dark elves start with an exciting escape quest. Only I do not have now time for exciting escape quests. And maybe I should have chosen a different dark elf; this girl looked lovely but was too weak.

    ¡°Flo, can you teleport us away?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I''ll use the lightfire; let me lead!¡±

    As soon as Flo took the lead, she started her lightfire spell. One of the guards saw me:

    ¡°What do you do!?¡±

    Just when I expected Flo to grin victoriously, waving them bye-bye, a sharp burst of pain in my left collarbone made me crumble to my knees. The guards hurried up to my place.

    ¡°Did she find some spell scroll? What was that?¡±

    An electrified spear touched me, and all my muscles contracted, sending me on a spasmodic trip over the humid stones.

    ¡°What did you try to do, you piece of shit!? Should we drag you like a bundled sausage?¡±

    Flo stood up with a sanguinary look in her eyes. The left guard laughed.

    ¡°Huch! You have angered the little pest! Give it some more juice; make her dance!¡±

    A thunder shook him, but the collarbone again pained so hard that I fell to my knees.

    A thunder? That was a pathetic bolt!

    ¡°Ohohoh! The little beast has claws!¡±

    He came closer to me and put his spear on my back.

    ¡°You are lucky that we need to deliver you in one piece to the altar house, but do that again, and an accident will happen; we''ll need to look for a replacement! Do you understand me?¡±

    I nodded between tears. All her memories invaded my mind. Fuck, dark elves are not for the faint-hearted. Also, certainly not for under eighteen. Fear and desire for revenge invaded my heart.

    ¡°Oh fuck!¡±

    To hear Flo swearing like me would have been funny if not for the situation.

    ¡°What is it now?¡±

    ¡°I am not here physically. It is only my projection here. So I do not have my spell power. I know my spells and can spell them as much as Andy has mana. Do you understand me? We are Andy now. OK, Andy-with-our knowledge, but still Andy.¡±

    OK. I''ve said it; it is the Oh-fuck-day. I stood up on my shaking feet and walked further in the direction of my future slaughterhouse. The guards were now closer to me, and from time to time, the spears came dangerously close to my back.

    Memories came to my mind. Andy''s recollection. Her innocent hand scratching on the walls was not wholly innocent. She was looking for some roots that could help her defuse the lock fixed in the left collarbone.

    ¡°What do we do? Should we try another character?¡±

    This time Flo surprised me with the answer:

    ¡°No. Dark elves are physically weak but one of the strongest caster species. We need spell power to be able to cast the lightfire spell. It would not have worked; I do not have enough spell power now, but maybe sooner than with other species. Unless you think we can find a better place to level?¡±

    ¡°Level?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we need to level and that fast.¡±

    Andy was happy and entirely agreed with us about evading and killing the guards. I suppressed a grin as my hand found suddenly the root I was looking for. A small, about ten centimetres plant with several millimetres thick roots hiding in cracks in the cavern walls. I snatched a root without dragging attention to me.

    Where the root snapped, it released a viscous white liquid that I applied to my left collarbone, there where the small ring had been drilled into the bone.

    It was a simple device to control me, a small silver ring that went through my collarbone. The guard had only to press a button somewhere to command the ring to strain against my bone. The mana intrusion and the pain caused by the straining ring were enough to bring me to my knees.

    The white liquid coming out of the plant''s root was highly corrosive, and it took only a couple of minutes to dissolve half of the bone and free the ring. I needed to be careful; if I''d drop too much, I''d simply melt my collarbone. It did pain, but Andy had a high pain tolerance and a target in front of her eyes: free herself from the ring.

    Tears were in my eyes as I left the ring in another small crevice on the left wall. Tears caused by pain and the relief of having it done. The guard admonished me:

    ¡°Stop wandering against the walls and go faster!¡±

    The spear hit my butt, and I was thrown ahead, falling on all four.

    "Huch, have you seen how I made her jump high?! We could make her jump all the way to the altar house!"

    They laughed and the other guard struck me too, to make me jump.

    A deep hatred for all humans invaded my heart as I hurriedly stood up trying to get some distance from them. Fuck no! Not all humans are like these guards? Huch, this will be hard to control. Could the guards not have been orcs?

    Good that he did not check the wall. Unseen by them, I grinned happily and slowly healed myself preparing for the fight. Freed from the ring, I could run and shoot small thunderbolts at them. About seven to twelve bolts might be needed to kill one.

    As we walked some sixty to seventy meters from the place where I''d left the ring, a sharp tone followed by an explosion shattered the cavern. The ring had reached maximum distance from the guards and exploded. I darted away when I heard the tone, using the first moments of confusion. When the guards realized what had happened, I was some ten meters away.

    Good that I looked behind as one guard was just throwing his spear, and I could barely avoid it. It still touched me, and the sparkle of electricity shocked me and made me lose a precious moment, but lucky me, the second guard had not used it to throw his spear. I ran again as soon as I could, disappearing from their sight behind a corner.

    Good that I am faster than the two idiots.

 Chapter 96 â€“ Meet the Slime Girl?

    The place where I have left the ring to explode was not randomly chosen. A thin wall had been built there to separate the corridor from a chamber full of slimes. Murderous slimes about level one or two. I ran down the tunnel as fast as possible and reached a bifurcation. Good that Andy knew the caverns well. To the right, in another spacious cavern, stood a solitary slime. A giant of its kind, probably level seven. I shot a thunderbolt towards it and ran back with the king slime following me. The guards appeared on the left, but I reached the opposite wall and started climbing it towards an upper platform about five meters above the ground.

    I was partially hidden from the guards by the bumpy wall. The danger was that they would shoot me down with one of those spears before I would reach the top, but they did not take the risk. The spear might have ricocheted and hit the giant slime. Or it might have simply missed me, and they would be disarmed.

    As they hesitated and even retired, I finished my climbing.

    ¡°The king slime will lose its aggro, and you''ll have to come down from your perch! You''ll get the beating of your life, cunt! Come down now and repent, and you may escape the worst! I won''t beat you if you come down now!¡±

    He not, but his partner will do it.

    Just to make sure, I shot another thunderbolt towards the king slime. It barely felt it but bubbled angrily.

    The guards stood there examining the wall. The only good way to climb to the platform was where I did it, and the king slime was now stationed there.

    I had enough stones up there to defend myself from the guards if they tried to climb, and now I heard the sloshing sound of the many slimes that were coming from the back. Yeah, my plan had worked, and the wall to the slimes chamber had collapsed.

    All I had to do now was shoot at the guards whilst the slimes did the rest.

    As the guard had said, the king slime will lose its aggro with the time and go back to its chamber; however, that should be after the guards had died. That was my plan.

    As one of them tried to climb the wall, I threw stones at him. I did hit him, but he managed to hold even if it was a difficult or impossible place to climb there. How does he do that?

    He transformed.

    Oh, fuck me! These are werewolves!

    I picked up the heaviest stone I could lift and hurried to drop it on its head. I thought it would break him; it hit his head with a thud. He sacked in himself and against the wall, then growled with fury. He was entirely transformed. I started sweating. I hurried up to pick another stone with trembling hands when I heard a maddened growl. He was now in a frenzy. A berserker skill? He must have been at least level three to get a skill!

    The moment when I dropped my little stone on his head, I realized I had no chance. He shrugged it like an annoying fly, fixed his claws into the wall, probably into some crevices and pushed hard with both hands propelling himself up towards the platform.

    I shot an icebolt at his face. It was well-timed and made contact when he was in the air, but to no avail, it did not change his trajectory, and his claws grasped the platform''s rand.

    I turned on my heels and shot another icebolt at his face as he propelled himself on the platform with a victorious growl. I am done. I ran a desperate dash along the platform, feeling his breathing on my neck.

    I jumped in the air, trying to get over the giant slime. Up there, I realized it would not work. That sinking feeling of flying directly into the mincer grappled my heart.

    In his frenzy, the werewolf jumped behind me. His claws almost touched me, but an interesting, confusing thing happened when my foot touched the slime. Something helped me, pushed me, and I simply slipped over the giant slime surface like over a slide. Its ''skin'' was not as corroding as I feared, and I landed beside the slime on my butt, hearing a terrified growl above me as the werewolf sank inside the giant slime. His mad flailing did not help him, and a moment later, agape, I could discern his dark silhouette inside the slime.

    I did not lose any moment admiring that feat. I healed my injured butt and dashed along the corridor to land face to face with a patrol of four.

    This was so unfair!

    I stopped as fast as I could and turned back, shooting bolts as I retreated. I heard their screams and curses.

    ¡°Escaped slave!¡±

    "There she is!"

    I avoided a thrown spear and reached the slimes. What should I do? I hesitated for a second; however, that was enough. A spear penetrated my back, the tip bursting out below my left breast.

    The impact threw me to the ground. I heard a victorious yell:

    "I got the cunt!"

    With the balancing spear in my back, I screamed all my pain and sorrow and continued on all four between the advancing slimes.

    I fell on my belly. I couldn''t hold any more. Each and every movement was too much; each balance of that spear brought excruciating waves of pain. Let them finish me. This will be my end. I was sorry and angry but also a little bit proud of what I''d achieved in the short hours of my existence. Pity that it did not work to the end.

    The pain troubled my vision and thoughts. There was no pain suppression; the gamers had done something wrong with the setup.

    Do I try now again with a different character?

    I fell to the ground and hearing the sloshing around, I closed my eyes.

    Fuck it. The next avatar will not be a dark elf.

    I waited. I moaned and waited to die, breathing hard. Each breath was painful.

    Probably I lost my conscience for a moment. I opened my eyes.

    Surprised, I realized I was still there. I was still alive? A pool of blood was forming under me. Behind me, the patrol has engaged the slimes. They were trying to keep them away with their spears. Why am I still alive? Not being devoured?

    I raised my head a little and looked around. There were slimes all around, but none attacked me. Slimes are monsters; they are not intelligent. But even if they would be smart, why would they not attack me?

    Huch that may be the reason. They think I am part of the king slime?

    To say ''think'' was maybe too much. Feel is probably the right word.

    I stopped thinking about it and suddenly started to fight for my life. First, I need to get rid of this spear. My left lung must have collapsed as I had great difficulties breathing, but was it any wonder?

    First, I thought about pushing the spear back, but then how to extract it?

    I turned my head as much as I could and looked at the spear. It had no longer protrusions or anything else that would hinder it from slipping, the thicker part was already through, so I put my hands on the tip of the spear and pulled.

    At first, it did not work, but then when I used all my power, I could make it slip a couple of centimetres.

    I screamed my pain and healed, just to keep myself alive, and then I did it again.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Slow, centimetre by centimetre, I pulled that spear through my thorax.

    I don''t know how long it took. Maybe one hour? Maybe less? But it looked like hours to me. The beginning was hard, but after a while, I got it, and it went faster. At each movement, I almost fainted, but I healed, which helped me keep doing it.

    Only when I finished did I look behind. The noise had decreased but now increased again. At first, the slimes must have pushed the four further down the corridor. But now, the four had received reinforcement, and they were pushing the slimes back.

    I wiped the sweat from my brows and had to grin as I encountered two bumps on my forehead.

    ¡°Congratulations, Flo; your horns are growing!¡±

    As she was in the lead, she flapped my mini wings on my back.

    The extra push that helped me to over-jump the king slime.

    ¡°How comes those little stubs could help propel me?¡±

    ¡°The wings work with magic as a multiplier. With fully developed wings, Andy should be able to fly.¡±

    ¡°Really? Cala too?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing now?¡±

    ¡°Increasing that congruence spell. We need it to work faster!¡±

    ¡°But will that not strain the puny mana resources Andy has?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the horns also help with mana regeneration. With bigger horns, your mana regeneration is faster, and your mana control better.¡±

    ¡°I hope you will not make Andy have two meters horns?¡±

    She laughed:

    ¡°Above ten to fifteen centimetres, there are diminishing returns. Mature horns are at ten centimetres, after which they grow very slowly or even stop. It does make sense to grow your horns bigger.¡±

    ¡°That is very reassuring¡­ What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The slimes are losing. I need to help them.¡±

    ¡°Help the slimes?¡±

    ¡°On which side are you? So yes, we help the slimes!¡±

    She advanced between slimes towards the ''fighting line'' and shot an ice bolt in the face of an attacker. The timing was such that it made him miss the stab with his spear; the attacking slime passed under his spear and snatched his foot.

    He screamed as he was overwhelmed, but the others became again aware of me.

    ¡°That damned slave has survived!¡±

    "How can she stand already? Is this the same one?"

    ¡°Bring a mage and archers!¡±

    Oh well, until then, I''ll continue to help the slimes.

    They tried a couple of spear throwing in my direction, but I had high mobility, and my emerging wings helped me move even faster. Mana regeneration was becoming good, and I could shoot almost continuously my little bolts, and with the death of the next spear wielder, I got one level.

    ¡°Finally!¡±

    I ran away from the fighting and tried the lightfire spell. The spell started and failed again.

    ¡°We need more mana, more levels.¡±

    ¡°Will one level be enough?¡±

    ¡°No. I don''t think so.¡±

    Oh fuck. One level per night was a fantastic performance. Two or three levels? That''s impossible. But none of us spoke that word. Flo went back to the fighting area.

 Chapter 97 â€“ Definitively a Slime Girl

    ¡°How come the horns grow much faster than Cala''s at the time?¡±

    ¡°Because Andy is attuned to magic at a much higher degree. Of all species, dark elves are one of the closest to magic. They are closer to magic than any other elves, elves being one of the most magic attuned species.¡±

    Hm. OK. And I still could not use that lightfire spell. Well, at least not everything was terrible with my character''s choice.

    How much time do I have in the game before they close this access?

    Considering the duration of the login proxy I had used before, I might have about a week until this connection is cut off. Maybe more, maybe less.

    That the system is up and running is a surprise. That it is not entirely separated from the internet may mean that it was impossible to do so or that they do not have the resources needed.

    ''They'', who the hell they are? A company? A consortium? A billionaire, some oligarch or some dark club? Oh, well... Maybe better not to find out, ''they'' is good enough for me now.

    Furthermore, it looks like they are trying to rescue the environment; else, why not scrap it? Why do they keep the servers running? That must be costing a lot of money. Can it be that they will re-enable the login after some tests?

    Another possibility might be that they want to use it for experimenting... If the dream interface and this particular Mephisto game help trigger the ''witch-genes'', somebody will want to study it. But if this is the case, there may also be some agency which works in collaboration with some oligarch(s), and they will want a controlled environment. It means they will want us out as soon as they find out we are in. Then I have even less time.

    Why do I insist on saving these virtual friends of mine?

    This does not make any logical sense! I cannot justify it to myself, and yet I simply have the feeling that I must do it. I have the feeling that they are more than just computer-generated puppets. I know it is not rational, but I cannot fight it. Probably it is only my subjective feeling after meeting them in this ''more real than real'' environment.

    Can they be some kind of AI that achieved sapience and sentience? Or is it something else?

    You have such a ''this is real'' feeling here in this world! There is a difference to any other game environment I feel from the very first seconds I am in. I wonder what this game has that the others do not?

    I was fabulating about all these whilst Flo kept fighting. Her fight here is a pure mage fight; I do not have much to say. Andy is too weak to risk a close one-on-one encounter, even if I could try to teach her some of Cala''s tricks. Andy needs to keep her distance all the time. The wings are now half-developed, and I jump like a frog or rather like an annoying flea. Bite and jump.

    Maybe I''ll try later.

    There was a force of about ten spear-wielders, a couple of archers and one mage that I was facing, but even the slimes learned new tactics to rotate at the front. I was baffled when I realized that the seriously wounded and depleted slimes retired whilst others took their place on the ''front'' line. The king slime stays in the background. Is that thing controlling and coordinating them?

    We''ve reached an enormous cavern, and the werewolves seem to have decided to make their stand here. They are baffled that I am not being attacked by slimes. I even stepped on a slime by mistake, not only once, and they did not attack me.

    There are various types of slimes; I think the difference comes from the magic elements they are being formed with. A brown-coloured population is predominant, probably having the earth element dominant in their structure. Some of the slimes are reddish, and from what I saw, they are hotter and burn when touched. Fire element? Some are blue or green, or a mix of these. Greenish-brown is the second significant population of slimes.

    One could make a whole slime study here! Dolores'' slime research papers! Maybe this could become my next school project?

    Kidding, but really somebody must have thought about it and made all these populations, isn''t it? Or was it some computer learning algorithm?

    Oh, well. I could have abandoned the slimes and tried to make it on myself, but I think that this is one of the best opportunities to level faster.

    It is a war of attrition, and the humans/werewolves try to minimize their losses and maximize ours. They do not seem to have a healer, but from time to time, I saw them use healing potions. They use their spears to shock the slimes trying to immobilize them and then destroy their core and are more efficient at it than the slimes are. However, now and then, the slimes manage to corner one spear-wielder and finish it.

    I duel most of the time with the archers and the mage but help the slimes when I can. This is a tricky job, and what I feared happened. At one moment, Flo was not careful enough, and a fireball engulfed me. It was a massive fireball that not only burned my skin but threw me meters away directly into a fire slime.

    I cannot take two such fireballs on. If they hit me now, I am gone.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I rolled away from the slimes, hard-pressed to avoid an arrow, and I saw the slimes around coming to attack me. Oh, no! To my luck, they stopped and hesitated. As I healed myself, I was wondering what did happen because if the slimes attacked me, I would be done. I cannot possibly avoid everything.

    Flo had the right idea:

    ¡°The coating is gone!¡±

    That might explain it, but then what do I do?

    I looked behind at the giant slime. Is it the one halting the slimes from attacking me? Are giant slimes wiser? Could I try and repeat the ''coating'' experiment? And survive, that''s the point, isn''t it?

    Oh, uh, there were now two giant slimes here; which one is mine?

    Another fireball exploded at the place where I was a moment before. The slimes around make strange zig-zag courses, to me and away.

    Flo healed and ran towards the giant slime.

    ¡°What do you do?¡±

    ¡°I need a new coating!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? Have you not seen how fast it engulfed a spear-wielder?¡±

    And how fast it did disappear? But I did not say that.

    Anyhow she did not listen to me, she ran directly to the giant slime, and the moment I was there, it made a sudden movement and engulfed me. I thought that was it. The second or third time this night? I even heard some cheers from the werewolf camp.

    But after less than a second, it spat me out, and I got a slap on my back.

    ¡°What was the slap for?¡±

    Flo laughed. Probably as encouragement or as direction? There is the enemy; go and fight? Or as punishment for the little bolt that escaped me out of fear inside the slime?

    I''ll never again look at slimes the way I did before. A temporary alliance was possible? Not being devoured by a slime is possible?

    Back at the fight, the archers were a pain in the ass. Literally, as I was just hit in my butt this time, with all of Flo''s jumping and avoiding. I shot back but with little chance of killing one.

    ¡°Heal the slimes that retired; heal them; they recuperate too slowly.¡±

    ¡°Do you think my healing would work on them?¡±

    ¡°Try¡±

    It did work, and suddenly, the dynamics changed. The slimes kept now pressing on all sides. The archers had separated and went to the sides to better harass me, but now that proved to be counter-productive as they had been cut from the tunnel and had no way to retreat.

    With the sudden push by the ''slimes team'', the werewolf half-circle crumbled into several pieces, which were subsequently eliminated one by one.

    ¡°Level, level! I think I got a level!¡± Flo jumped from stone to stone happily, feeling the income of magic energy from ''our'' kills. Level three!

    The tools that come with the game did not seem to be available, so I got no hard confirmation of the level, but the feeling was there.

    She rested a bit to replenish her mana and remove that damn painful arrow, then tried her spell. Failure again, but at least the spell seemed to work halfway.

    ¡°Probably two more levels, and we get it.¡±

    Two more levels? I sighed. I watched around, surprised as I was surrounded by slimes.

    ¡°What does this mean? Am I a prisoner?¡±

    ¡°Probably they wait for healing?¡±

    Oh? Indeed. Slime healer. Lol. I wonder if I do get any experience from it? Oh, well, whatever, come to healer bubble babies...

    By the time I finished with the healing work, another giant slime had appeared, even bigger than the one I had called the king slime. Emperor slime? So there were now two kings and one emperor here in this vast cavern. Maybe it is time for the little healer to disappear.

    Yes, but not before looting. I went around the cavern, keeping a respectful distance from the giant slimes that I did not ''knew'' and inspected the loot. I did not find much of the fighters as the slimes dissolved a lot of things, but some pieces remained. I found one ring, a knife, an armband, several swords, belts, disparate clothes, a shield, spears, more spears, another ring, another sword and an inventory box. Also, various coins, copper and silver.

    It was a rudimentary inventory box, and it contained only three slots, but I was happy with it.

    The brown slimes seemed to prefer to devour flesh, leaving most items on the ground, but there were other slimes which seemed to select various things, and I had to compete with them. For instance, I found a very nice-looking knife, but after struggling with a blue slime for it, I had to give up. Its grip on it was firm, and when it had already melted part of the metal, it won. There was no use in three-quarters of a knife. When I let go, it went triumphantly with the captured knife up, looking for a quiet corner to finish it. I swear it was looking from time to time at me to make sure I did not try to snatch its prize by surprise.

    I continued cleaning the slots in the inventory box; there were some herbs and some bottles inside. Oh, and one amulet. No healing potion, just some alcohol.

    From the way they dressed and from their possessions, I think these were some kind of cultists. Most were males, but there were females too. I mean men and women. Humans. Werewolves.

    In the end, from all my treasures, I kept the inventory box, a broad belt where I needed to make a new hole to be able to fix it on Andy''s very thin waist. It went two times around, so I had to cut out most of it.

    I also kept the knife that I used to cut the belt. It was a very sharp, good knife. I also kept a sword and a mantle. The sword was too heavy for me to handle, but... ok, I was a bit greedy. The spears were even heavier and did not pass in the inventory box.

    I put on the two rings, the bracelet and the amulet. There were also some small books, which seemed to be copies of the same, so I took one. All other clothes were too big, too dirty or already partially decomposed, so I gave up on further improving my apparel.

    I had no shoes, but I wrapped some fabric around my feet as all shoes I found were much too big for me.

 Chapter 98 â€“ Emperor Slime

    Just as I wanted to leave, I saw the mage''s staff near the emperor slime. It was lying on the floor, not far away from it. Take it or leave it? I advanced slowly toward it, and the giant slime stirred. I think it became aware of me.

    Uh, oh. What do I do? I bowed my head... OK, this does not help with slimes. Should I give up? I watched the staff again: that is as much as one or two levels for me.

    I''ll try to fly back at the first danger sign. So let me try to retrieve it... I approached it, and the giant slime just stood there unmoved. Slowly, hesitatingly I put my hand on the staff. Just when I gripped the staff and thought I could safely retrieve it, the slime moved an appendix over the staff. Uh ok? I lifted my hand, showing that I capitulated, and the slime only stayed there.

    Hm, should I give up on that staff? At least it did not jump on me to kill me. I wanted to retire, and it raised the staff. The slime raised the damned stick in the air! Oh, fuck it! As if it would handle it to me!

    I put my hand on it, but it did not let go. OK?

    Does it want something in exchange for it? Animals do have an understanding of trade and bargaining, but these are slimes? The lowest monsters?

    Hmm, let me try something. I went to the side and collected several spears. If it likes the stab, maybe it would like a spear in exchange? Most slimes did not seem to appreciate them, but what do I know? Maybe because most spears have that crystal at the top that sends an electrical shock? But will the slime not think that I want to attack it if I give it one spear and it gets shocked? And why does it not collect the spears itself?

    I went back with my spears, put them down, then took one in my hand and demonstrated the shock from the crystal on my hand. I did it several times. It must be funny to see how I electroshock myself repeatedly; lucky me, nobody is here to take some snap-shots of me jumping and screaming.

    In the end, it also sent a probe, a kind of slime tentacle and got electrocuted.

    I gulped, looking at its reaction. Will it now jump at me? Was the staff even worth the risk? It tried repeatedly, and then the crystal lost the charge and was inert. It poked the crystal again, then I raised my hand, and it ''looked'' at me. I took the spear in my hand again and the crystal recharged from my mana. I showed the grip on the spear and demonstrated the electrocuting crystal again. The thing poked the chrystal again, not even waiting for me to put the spear down, and then, in one go, it swallowed the whole spear. It almost dragged me to it as I did not expect the movement. Plus, it dropped the staff.

    Did I just teach a slime to use electroshock spears? Well, it devoured the whole spear and the crystal in mere instants.

    I took my hard-earned staff and went away. Yes, it is a good staff; it improves my mana capacity significantly, so I can now tell more potent spells. I can feel it. Cool!

    I tried the lightfire spell again. It almost went through. Almost. The ring and the staff add as much as about two to three levels in spell power. The downside is that I must keep this cumbersome staff in my hands. Oh, well. I can use it as a club when need be.

    I went along one tunnel. This was now an area that Andy did not know, so I was walking carefully. Is something following me? I looked back but could not see anything. The moss that grew overall in the cave and gave that strange luminescence was becoming rarer and the light dimmer.

    I turned now suddenly, and there it was. Indeed something was following me: a little slime.

    ¡°Go back to mama, k?¡±

    It looked at me... oh well, it stood there. I raised my shoulders and continued my exploration. Later on, I froze when I heard voices. It was probably a group of at least two coming in this direction. I went several meters back to a point where I could climb up on a platform. It was a similar climb as before with the two werewolves and the king slime. Once up there, I concentrated on hearing the voices. Yes, some people were coming. I looked down and saw the little slime trying to climb behind me.

    Of course, it cannot; it is too steep. They will come and kill it. Oh well, a little slime...

    I went down to pick it up. I''m going to get killed because of a slime! The moment when I put one foot down, it climbed on it! Yikes! It went around my ankle and rolled up on the leg. I did not know slimes could do that!

    I managed not to scream. I stayed there on one foot for a second, thinking about what to do. Well, in the end, I wanted to pick it up, isn''t it? I just did that. I climbed back up with the additional weight on that foot. At least it had the decency to stop above my knee. I think it got the feeling. As soon as I was up, it slid along my foot as on a slide in a fun park and landed there on the high perch near me. I could say it was smug.

    Feelings. It can share feelings. Do slimes have feelings? They seem to be sentient.

    As I stood there meditating about slimes, I saw them coming. It was a spear wielder and an apprentice mage. I guess they both were level one, but I cannot gauge them. My assassin identify spell would be excellent here.

    Oh well, I am a level three mage with a good staff; I can jump like a flea and shoot all kinds of bolts. I should be able to finish two level one humans. As they just passed my perch, I concentrated on a dark spell. OK, Flo was in the lead, and she was trying to spell now some kind of a black bolt. I''m not sure it would be so efficient against this cultist but let her try.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    She concentrated; a strange light passed my hands when she had cast the spell. Can there be dark light? Because it looked like dark light passed over my hands and staff, and... the spear-wielder crumbled once the dark light hit him.

    A moment ago, he was a vigorous man holding a spear and talking feverishly with his companion, a lovely mage apprentice. Maybe there was even a romance there. Or maybe they only chatted about the recent events. Next moment he was no more but just a crumbling skeleton. Most of his flesh transformed into a kind of dust. No, not dust, but a black cloud?

    ¡°Wow, what kind of a spell was that?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, kind of a dark bolt. Death bolt. It was about a percentile of the power of a black angel''s blast, but it seemed pretty efficient.¡±

    ¡°Pretty efficient? Fuck me, that guy was gone in one hit!¡±

    She shrugged.

    Talking with me, talking with myself is not good in a fight. As a result, it gave time to the apprentice mage to react. She turned agape, saw her crumbling companion and then saw me. Instantly she spelt a mini thunderbolt towards me whilst the little slime jumped from its perch and fell directly on her face. I must give it to her; the poor initiate had courage if not much brain. I guess I would have run away from an enemy that just eliminated my companion in one spell. As it was, she just turned to get the little slime on her face. Wow, like in that movie with aliens! Urgh!

    The thunderbolt shook me and reminded Flo that the fight was not over yet.

    I did not know slimes could jump, but I knew that they could make sudden movements. The little slime seemed to be a very mobile one.

    The apprentice flailed wildly with her hands and screamed, muted screams, as the slime was devouring her face. The death bolt that Flo had said before had emptied almost completely my mana reservoir, but Flo still found enough mana to spell a firebolt. Tiny, but it perforated her thorax exactly where her heart was, and the mage fell like a carpet with a sloshing sound. OK, the sound was from the slime that got spread over her face again. As I love jumping, Flo graciously let me take the lead.

    I jumped... and fell hard. I should have waited a couple of seconds. As it was, I had no more mana for my wings to sustain me, and a four-meter jump on the humid stones had not been a brilliant idea.

    ¡°Oh fuck, I think I broke my leg! You could have told me to wait!¡±

    I felt how she rolled her eyes. Was this possible? To roll your eyes when you are not in the lead? OK, that was just a feeling.

    My wings are now twenty by forty centimetres, four beautiful butterfly wings, completely useless without mana. I slapped my forehead angrily and stabbed my hand. Five or six centimetres sharp horns!

    OK, stupid move. I will refrain from slapping my head in the future.

    ¡°That''s a performance! We finished the two without a scratch, and now you are half dead from self-inflicted wounds!¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Oh, shut up! Shit happens. You are only angry that you are not in the lead!¡±

    I stood there watching the little slime devouring the mage''s head until I had enough mana to heal me. It did not take long. Both actions. Devouring her head seemed to have healed the slime from the wounds she had inflicted it when she flailed so wildly with her hands.

    I watched my leg carefully. No, probably not broken but just a crack. I healed myself and stood up.

    Oh, I almost forgot: loot! I found some more coins and an apprentice staff. Thirty-seven silver and 65 copper so far. I put the new staff in my inventory box. It was weaker than mine, but if I lose it, I''ll have at least some replacement. Unfortunately, holding both in my hands did not seem to add capacity, so I need to level further, or maybe I can find an even better staff?

    Another ring and shoes! She had my size! Yai! Almost. A number too big, but that does not count, isn''t it? The robe she wore was OK. It was a little large, especially over the bosom, but much better than my scraps. As I took her robe off, I saw she also had a medallion. I replaced the amulet I was wearing with that medallion. I''ll have to identify these things to see what they are good for, but I trust they do not harm me.

    I had to make a deep d¨¦collet¨¦ in the back to allow for my wings. To my luck, the robe had a small cut there to enable the owner to dress it and also a button to close the gap once dressed. So I just enlarged that cut making it the new deep decollete, and closed the button.

    She must have been from a rich family or probably had some high-ranking support. Even her bra and panties were cool, but I could not take them... I know, I''ll be sorry for those seemed to be high quality, but...

    Fuck me; she had an inventory box! Yai!!! It was strapped to her left thigh. Why that? Doesn''t matter; it is mine now! It was a bigger one with five slots, each slot a little larger than the slots of my three slots inventory box. Unfortunately, you cannot wear two such spacial items as they may inter-react, the most common thing being accelerated decay. You end up finding yourself suddenly surrounded by all your objects. That, in the best case.

    Worst case explosions or weird temporary spacial strings. You don''t want to risk that.

    I dropped the thick belt with the inventory box, moving the items I cared about into the new box, which I strapped to my right thigh.

    Cool! I found panties and bras and other clothes stored in one such slot. About forty by forty centimetres space in one slot. That''s how much you can put in a piece of luggage and what is cool with these slots is that the volume counts. You are not restricted to a forty-by-forty space. I could even cram some spears in these slots.

    Now, this looks much better. I watched, satisfied with how the robe suited me. It was not one of those standard robes the initiates wore, but it looked similar to them and was a huge improvement from the dirty scraps I wore before. Finally, I felt I was looking good. OK, the robe was a bit large, but it had a pleasantly loose feeling. And I think it had some weak protection charm bound to it. Not that it helped the previous owner much.

    Gold! She had one gold coin in the inventory! That''s a pretty rare find here.

    Energized by my new capture, I looked back at the little slime.

    Four hours gone, six left. It looks like I am going to have to play the whole night. Hopefully, I manage to save the Lynx, and then I can go happy to bed. To my real bed and get some sleep.

    ¡°Let''s go!¡±

    The little slime followed me happily. I know it is happy, drats, I am feeling its feelings.

 Chapter 99 â€“A Most Un-Glorious Fight: Paying the Price for Being Pretty

    I cleared a spot and laid my old rags over the slab¡ªno way was I dirtying my lovely new robe. Then, settling down, I focused on meditation, trying to turbocharge my mana.

    After a while, the little slime beside me stirred. I could feel its agitation but didn¡¯t understand why. Unfortunately, I only reacted when it touched my ankle¡ª but by then, it was too late.

    I heard voices. And they were talking to me.

    ¡°Hey, hello! Why are you alone? Did something happen?¡±

    Two cultists were approaching. I didn''t know what to do. Frozen by panic I kept my head low. From the way they looked at me, they must have mistaken me for that girl.

    ¡°This is not Delia!¡± one of them suddenly yelled.

    I looked up. Oh well.

    At least now I knew her name was Delia.

    Too bad they figured out way too soon that I wasn¡¯t her. Maybe it was the horns. Or the wings stirring behind me.

    As my instincts took over I jumped to my feet and fired two quick firebolts in succession.

    One of them hit, the other one was parried.

    Whoa. Good reflexes!

    The guy deflected my firebolt with his spear.

    I was so pleased with myself for aiming both bolts almost perfectly¡ªand this clown just knocked one away like it was playing tennis... with a rod in his hands.

    Aiming firebolts with this cumbersome staff in my hands was a nightmare. It wasn¡¯t like a rifle¡ªwhere you just point and shoot.

    No, this was awkward sorcery. I had to hold the staff at ninety degrees and aim with hand movement, not by lining up a shot.

    Or¡­ maybe there was something else entirely?

    My best hit rate always seemed to happen when I wasn¡¯t focusing too much on it. Like right now.

    I shook my head in frustration.

    I was never going to make a good staff-wielding mage¡ªunless, of course, it involved clubbing people with it. But for that, I¡¯d need more muscle... and not be a mage.

    Meanwhile, the wounded warrior screamed, writhing in pain, while his companion charged at me.

    I jumped aside like a flea, my wings beating briefly against the air, propelling me high. As I soared, I fired another bolt at the injured one¡ª and then¡­ for a split second, the robe acted almost like a parachute, billowing out behind me¡ª before nearly yanking itself off.

    Oh, fuck me.

    I landed hard, my robe tangled over my head.

    I had flashed them.

    If I¡¯d at least stripped entirely, I¡¯d be able to see.

    ¡°Flying demoness! HELP!¡± the wounded warrior shrieked.

    Under other circumstances, I might have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

    But this was a life-and-death situation and I was blind. I could hear his companion stepping closer.

    I gripped my staff in my left hand while my right hand flailed desperately, trying to free my face from the fabric disaster.

    I managed to pull my head partially out¡ª only for the damn thing to get even more tangled. Something had caught.

    Oh no. A horn!

    I must have pierced the robe, and now it was somehow half-strangling me, wrapping tighter around my neck like some traitorous, sentient scarf.

    But at least I could see!

    A spear rushed toward my chest, perfectly aimed¡ª and it would have hit me, if not for my wings.

    They suddenly battered the air, and for a split second, the effect was immense¡ªlike a creature with a fifteen-meter wingspan taking flight. Well¡­ actually, it was a wing and a half. Because at least one of my four wings was still trapped in the damn robe.

    The sudden movement saved me from the spear thrust, but it made things worse, tightening the fabric noose around my neck.

    A gurgling sound escaped me as I lurched backwards and sideways, completely off-balance. Instead of a clean retreat, my trajectory twisted into an unintentional circle, spinning me¡ª right back toward the standing warrior.

    Oh fuck, I¡¯m getting closer.

    Panic surged as I could see him only over my head. I fired a bolt straight at his face. Meanwhile, like a drunken sailor, I was half-flying, half-falling, careening toward him backwards, head first.

    With my staff clutched in my left hand, I hit the ground at an awkward angle.

    A screeching noise tore through the air as the staff dragged against the floor, yanking me into an even wilder spin.

    I don¡¯t know what shocked him more¡ª the screeching sound of my staff grinding against the ground, the sight of my horns barreling toward him, or the firebolt to his face.

    Whatever it was¡ª He gave up. He turned and ran.

    Another flap of my wings barely kept me upright¡ªa swaying, unsteady Tower of Pisa, flying further backwards. My face burned red as I fought against the tightening noose around my neck, but I still managed to fire off another bolt at the second warrior, who was scrambling to stand.

    He¡¯d noticed my struggles¡ªand he was ready to take advantage of them.

    My shot partially missed¡ªjust grazing his shoulder with barely any effect.

    He charged at me, screaming something to his fleeing companion.

    In panic I flapped my wings again and skidded wildly across the stone floor. My legs flailed as I desperately tried to get my feet under me. I shot another firebolt¡ªthis time, straight at his face and scored a direct hit.

    He stumbled¡ª but was too close.

    I flapped again, just as he lunged and was sent even further into my backwards flying, spiral flight, my legs skidding wildly over the wet stone, my poor ass slamming into the ground more than once.

    I flapped my wings desperately, trying to lift myself mid-flight¡ª and then¡ª WHAM - my horns stuck into something¡ªand darkness swallowed my vision as whatever it was collapsed over me.

    It took me some time to understand that it was the other warrior who fell on top of my head and almost broke my neck in the process, slamming my own chin into my chest, making me bite my tongue while his sword crashed into my staff.

    All I could see was bloodied scraps covering my vision as my back hit the cold stone floor and fresh blood splattered across my face.

    Somewhere above me, the warrior let out a strange, wet, weeping sound. I felt his left hand clutching my left leg, struggling for balance.

    Desperate to escape, afraid he¡¯d slice my legs open, I flapped my wings again¡ªtrying to disengage.

    Instead¡ª The force of the push slammed me harder against him, tilting my head to the side.

    He whined.

    A metallic clatter echoed as his sword hit the stones.

    Then¡ª He collapsed onto me completely, pressing me down into the ground and more gore splashed over my face.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    A disgusting stench filled my nostrils¡ª Shit. Blood. Piss. And¡­ something else. Bile?

    He moaned in pain, shifting¡ª And agony shot through my neck.

    I screamed.

    My horns were tangled deep in his lower abdomen, and every slight movement strained my neck further. I yelled, the metallic tang of my own blood mixing with the warm, sticky filth covering my face¡ª and instantly, I vomited. My stomach heaved, shaking my entire body¡ªand my head with it.

    Each jerk made him whine.

    I dropped my staff, spitting, my hands scrambling against him, trying to push him off¡ª but he was too heavy.

    I yelped, a choked sob escaping¡ª and I started to cry.

    He must have grabbed a blade¡ªstabbing blindly into my thighs and I couldn''t escape! I couldn''t move!

    Each cut burned like hellfire.

    I screamed again, choking, spitting gore, tears streaming down my face and did the only thing I could¡ª bolt after bolt blasted into the mass of flesh pinning me down.

    I didn¡¯t need the staff to cast¡ª and thank the gods for that.

    His hand clamped down on my right arm, trapping it.

    Fine. I fired with my left hand.

    Most shots probably missed¡ªbut a few struck home.

    His body convulsed, then, finally¡ª he stopped moving.

    Only his bowel fluids continued to trickle over me.

    I tried to inhale¡ª and sucked in nothing but blood and filth.

    Choking. Gagging. Drowning in it.

    I tried again to push him off¡ª but he was simply too heavy.

    My heart pounded wildly, my breathing ragged¡ªI could only take in small gulps of air at a time, but at least¡ª I had survived.

    I tried again to push him off, but¡ªno use. He was too heavy.

    Almost out of mana, I forced a partial heal on my thighs when I heard a sloshing sound. Something touched my left foot.

    The little slime.

    What is it trying to do?

    I ignored it, still struggling to shove the lifeless mass off me¡ªto no avail.

    Frustration burned inside me. I wanted to blast him apart, to reduce him to nothing¡ª But that would take far more mana than I had left.

    I fought against the rising panic, trying to think, to plan¡ª

    Then, suddenly¡ª A vision.

    A strange, distorted picture, as if I were looking through water.

    A foot.

    My foot?

    And behind it¡ª something moved.

    Oh fuck.

    The other warrior.

    He was alive and was struggling to stand.

    Is this real? Is this telepathy? Can slimes project their vision?

    Desperation. Not just mine¡ª The slime¡¯s too. I could feel it.

    The warrior was up now, leaning heavily on his spear.

    Then he took a step. Then another.

    Huch! I¡¯m pinned under this mountain of flesh! I can¡¯t move!

    He only had to stab downward a few times. That was all it would take.

    I tried flapping my wings, but they were trapped beneath me, battering uselessly against the ground.

    It kicked up some wind¡ªbut nothing else.

    I kicked, flailed¡ªnothing helped.

    Then¡ª He moved to strike.

    I fired a firebolt.

    I had to rely entirely on what the little slime let me see. The vision was warped, making it impossible to judge the distance properly. It wasn¡¯t well-aimed¡ª So I was damn happy when it hit him.

    Right in the lower abdomen.

    His spear still jabbed my thigh, but it had no power behind it.

    He screamed, his knees buckling.

    I shot him again.

    This time, he collapsed completely¡ª

    Like a sack of potatoes.

    Right on top of the other idiot already crushing me.

    The impact smashed the air from my lungs.

    I let out a forced, strangled croak¡ª I couldn¡¯t breathe, I couldn¡¯t move.

    I struggled desperately, trying to escape¡ª I was trapped. Suffocating.

    Fuck, what do I do now?!

    I struggled desperately to escape, but now¡ª Even my legs were pinned down.

    I heard a noise.

    Someone was coming!

    Should I play dead?

    My mind slowed, sluggish from exhaustion¡ª Had I blacked out for a moment?

    Something changed. Something even heavier pressed down on me. Or¡­ was that just my imagination?

    There was a sloshing sound.

    My slime?

    No. My slime was still at my foot¡ªnot where the noise had come from. And it was¡­ Trying to send me reassuring feelings?

    Can it be?

    Oh fuck.

    More slimes. There were slimes here!

    Uh-oh.

    At least a heavy slime was pressing down on me. Hard.

    I was crushed beneath its weight, my chest straining, every breath shallow and desperate.

    I expected my thorax to cave in at any moment.

    Slippery bodies slithered over me.

    I had to fight the urge to shoot at them¡ª To thrash, to scream, to fight.

    But¡ª my little slime was still sending me reassuring feelings. And they were not eating me!?

    I was alive!

    But I had almost no air left. I still couldn¡¯t move buried alive in slimes.

    Would they eat me?

    Or¡ªif not¡ª were they smart enough to know I needed to breathe?

    I am not a slime! I need air!

    It took them less than a minute to free me, but in my mind it was hours. If need be, I could have held my breath this long, but there was no need. Finally, I could sit and look around. I was surrounded by slimes who were busy digesting... ah, cleaning the place.

    Speaking of clean, I was cleaned like probably never before in my whole life. I mean Andy. OK, the back was not entirely neat, as it had been pinned to the cavern''s floor, but the rest was squeak-clean. As I was sitting now, I did not even bother with the slimes that came to clean my back. Ahm, actually to eat the gore that was still hanging on it. As afraid as I was thirty seconds ago, as calm I was now. Tired calm.

    I watched the small slime still clinging to my foot.

    ¡°You did call them, eh? And you are soothing me?¡±

    It was again smug.

    ¡°You got yourself a familiar.¡±

    ¡°A familiar?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is a magical bond between you and Bubble.¡±

    ¡°Bubble? You named it?¡±

    The slime bubbled whilst I was talking with myself. Does it know I am talking about him? I healed myself and stood up. The robe had been partially decomposed, but I could not be angry at the slimes. I undressed the remaining scraps, finally freeing my wing in the process, ignoring the slimes nibbling at my legs.

    ¡°I''ll never ever wear a robe again. Not in this lifetime! How could I be so stupid?¡±

    ¡°You almost strangled yourself! Are you sure you don''t want to let me lead?¡±

    ¡°You screamed all the time in my mind. That was not helpful!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it could be that I panicked too; sorry for that.¡±

    Lucky me, there were no witnesses to my fabulous fight. I sighed, looking for some panties and trousers in my inventory. It was such a mess that I would have to pick them out, but I was afraid the slimes would clean them too much if I put something down.

    I watched the small smug slime:

    ¡°You haven''t seen anything!! Eh?¡±

    It bubbled. Does this bubble mean anything? OK, she will hopefully not be able to tell anybody what she saw. There were no trousers in my inventory box, but I could recuperate the trousers of one of the warriors. It has been cleaned, and the material was partially weakened, but I could cut a pair of shorts out of it.

    No. Too large. No way I¡¯ll wear that.

    In the end, I went for a mini skirt. A longer skirt that I cut to make a mini-skirt out of it. In no way will I let some material in the future entangle me. Yeah, in a fight, they might see my panties, so what!?

    Instead of a blouse, I went for a kind of bra. It was covering well enough my underdeveloped breasts. I found a belt and strapped my inventory box to the belt. Better than at my thigh. I kept only the shoes from before.

    OK, I lost enough time with the last fight. Most of the slimes, meanwhile, had dispersed from the cavern. Unfortunately, I cannot use them as scouts, and my little slime seems able to show me something only when it has a direct connection to me. Maybe this will improve with time, but this is it now.

    I flapped my wings to check if everything was ok. I examined them for a moment. No butterflies do not have four wings; are these rather dragonfly wings? I never had the occasion to see how my wings would mature, and now I was closer to that case than ever. Two bigger wings above and two smaller and more elongated lower wings. It was strange to see how good control I could have over them; even if they did not have muscles or nothing visible the way I understand muscles, I could bend them or use them almost as a member. Almost like a leg or a hand. How does this work?

    I flapped my wings, and I was raised in the air! Not as elegantly as Flo did at the time when she was a flying fairy, but similar to it. Well, I am heavier. I grinned: soon I¡¯ll be able to fly!

    I touched my horns. Sharp, seven to eight centimetres horns. OK, not ideal to use as a weapon, but I got my first horn-kill. I grimaced, remembering the fight. I shuddered. Oh well, try to forget it, Dolores, try to forget it.

    Untangled, equipped, with the broad belt over my naked belly, I raised the staff and hesitated if to follow the tunnel or not. It was pitch black; there was no more luminescent moss illuminating it. Only the torches that the two had carried made now two flickering spots of light where they¡¯d dropped them.

    ¡°I know some spells to make light. Let me take the lead at least until you learn the spells.¡±

    ¡°No, I think you were right. You are better at fighting as a mage. I''ll let you do the next fights.¡±

 Chapter 100 â€“ Suck On It!

    When you¡¯re in a hole, stop digging.

    After my glorious battle¡ªwhere I nearly strangled myself with my own robe¡ªI decided it was time to keep a low profile and let Flo handle the fighting for a while. Truth be told, she was the real mage. I was just an impostor.

    She started by lighting the way, replacing the missing glowing moss.

    I watched her carefully, studying the process. She was creating something tiny¡ªlike a grain of dust¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t solid. It was a small magical field, delicate as a snowflake, floating slowly through the air until it hit something. Then, it just stuck there.

    About thirty seconds later, it began to emit light¡ªsoft, flickering, and after two minutes, it faded away.

    I frowned, unimpressed. She felt my reaction, and Andy''s shoulders moved as she shrugged before answering.

    ¡°That¡¯s about all I can manage with the available mana¡ªand Andy¡¯s mana control. That''ll do it.¡±

    She sent a few more of those luminescent snowflakes drifting down the tunnel, carefully observing the area. After two minutes, when both lights faded, she launched herself directly into the darkness.

    I barely stopped myself from screaming.

    She landed¡ªjust barely¡ªon a stone, completely drained of mana.

    Oh, my. Three seconds. That was all I had. Three seconds of flight before I¡¯m empty.

    Okay. My dreams of soaring through the skies? Postponed. Indefinitely.

    She repeated the process, moving forward slowly, waiting again and again for my mana to trickle back. Now and then, she simply ran short distances, but most of the time, she relied on small jumps¡ªor, when possible, brief bursts of flight.

    "Does Andy have so little mana?" I wondered.

    Flo shook her head.

    "On the contrary. For her level, she has too much mana. I have a feeling my mana somehow trickles up to her. That might explain her unusually fast recovery¡ªand her rapid leveling."

    I huffed but considered it. She might be right. It wasn¡¯t normal to gain several levels in a single night, even for a low-level beginner.

    As I stood still in the darkness, waiting for my mana to replenish, I heard a song. A timid voice, a girl¡¯s voice, drifting softly through the tunnel.

    The tune was na?ve, yet sad. Moments later, I saw her.

    Barefoot, she strolled along the path, a candle flickering in one hand, a basket in the other. Her gown was semi-transparent, swaying with her movements. Her hair was jet black. Her skin¡ªpale as moonlight.

    She was obviously singing to keep herself from panicking. Then she stopped, her head turning slightly as she looked around. Her melodic voice carried through the silence:

    ¡°Hello? Is anybody here? Hello?¡±

    As no one answered, she shrugged and walked on, moving closer in my direction. Then¡ªabout ten meters away¡ªshe stopped again, this time looking directly at me.

    ¡°Oh. Hello.¡±

    Her voice was soft, uncertain.

    ¡°I thought I saw lights in the corridor earlier. Why are you just standing there in the dark?¡±

    I said nothing. She looked down, shifting awkwardly.

    ¡°Are you mute? Or¡­ do you just not want to talk to me?¡±

    She hesitated.

    ¡°Do you¡­ want to kill me?¡±

    I remained silent. A tense pause followed, then, lowering her head, she stepped closer¡ªjust a couple of steps¡ªher posture submissive, uncertain.

    ¡°Is it¡­ you I¡¯m supposed to meet here?¡±

    Her voice trembled slightly.

    ¡°They told me I should bring food and drinks¡­ and¡­ and¡­ tell you that you can do whatever you want with me.¡±

    I released another snowflake of light, sending it drifting upward. It glowed instantly, illuminating the entire cavern.

    For the first time, I saw her clearly. She was thin, frail, her delicate frame half-swallowed by her flowing gown. I briefly considered joking that I was hungry, but... she didn¡¯t have much flesh on those bones.

    I kept the joke to myself.

    ¡°We are alone.¡±

    She stepped closer, a slight tremor in her voice.

    ¡°No one dares to enter the cavern anymore. I was sent to ask you to spare us. Is my offering good enough? Would you like more? Food? Girls? Boys? I can go back and bring you whatever you desire! I swear¡ªI¡¯ll return!¡±

    Why would they think I wanted to abuse other slaves?

    She was probably sent to spy, to learn who had been killing their people.

    She let her gown slip from her shoulders, the fabric sliding down her body. I immediately protested.

    ¡°Put that back on.¡±

    She didn¡¯t. Instead, she knelt in front of me and took my hand in hers. Her hands were soft, satin-like, unnervingly delicate against my skin.

    I pulled my hand back and shook my head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any offerings. I don¡¯t plan to kill anyone!?¡±

    She lifted her head, her wide, innocent eyes locking onto mine.

    ¡°Did you leave anyone alive?¡±

    Ah. No. But¡ªthey attacked me first. So that was that.

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    She reached up, gently kissing my hands.

    I grumbled, irritated.

    "Enough. Just stop. I just want to get out of this damn cavern."

    I took a step back. She remained on all fours, her gaze flicking up at me, slanted and cautious.

    ¡°This is the wrong way out. You should have taken the other tunnel at the bifurcation. Why did you take this turn?¡±

    What bifurcation? I hadn¡¯t seen any. I sighed, frustrated.

    "Forget that!" I snapped as she reached toward my legs.

    She froze, her hand hovering in the air. Head still bowed, she stared at my feet.

    "I¡¯m sorry. Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me? Do you¡­ want to punish me?"

    I rolled my eyes and looked around. The spark of light I had sent up had already faded, leaving only the faint glow of her candle.

    The whole scene felt surreal.

    The cavern was silent¡ªso unnervingly silent¡ªexcept for the sound of my own heartbeat. Then she spoke again.

    ¡°What is your name, young demon?¡±

    I hesitated.

    "I''m not¡­ Andy."

    A demon? Why would she call me that?

    ¡°Andy, do you want to take me?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. At this rate, I¡¯m going to develop an eye-rolling disorder.

    ¡°I have no intention of taking anything or anyone.¡±

    She sighed. Relief? Or disappointment?

    Then, still on all fours, she crawled closer.

    Okay. Either the lunatics who sent her thought this would appease me, or she was utterly broken by fear. Or both.

    ¡°May I kiss your legs?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Please?¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°They¡¯ll kill me if I don¡¯t appease you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±

    She hesitated.

    Then, barely above a whisper¡ª

    ¡°Probably. Because what would happen instead¡­ would be much worse.¡±

    This time, she was probably telling the truth.

    Flo had her ways of sensing lies, but the spells she could cast while wearing this ¡®Andy-suit¡¯ were limited.

    ¡°Please, let me kiss your legs.¡±

    She said it so softly, so naturally, as if it were the most ordinary request in the world.

    Oh, whatever. This crazy girl wasn¡¯t going to stop. Fine. I could let her do it while I got some information out of her.

    ¡°Okay. So, who sent you?¡±

    ¡°The Grand Master himself.¡±

    Her lips brushed my skin, and to my own surprise, it was¡­ soothing.

    Now, she touched my left leg, her fingers barely grazing the surface¡ªa faint, delicate touch that sent an odd shiver through my mind. I frowned.

    ¡°Hm. What exactly do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m supposed to do. Serving you.¡±

    Her voice was calm, steady, unquestioning.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Thirsty?¡± - she asked.

    Her hand kept tracing along my calf, and strangely¡­

    It didn¡¯t feel invasive or wrong. It was, in a way¡­ soothing.

    That realization unsettled me more than her touch.

    ¡°Who is the Grand Master?¡±

    ¡°The one who decides over our life and death, over our well-being or suffering, the light and the darkness, the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± I cut her off. ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°He is called many names. Our Light. The one who gives meaning to our lives. The¡ª¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°What does he want?¡±

    ¡°I was sent to learn what you wish.¡±

    Her voice was soft, unwavering.

    ¡°How could I possibly know what the Grand Master desires when I don¡¯t even know what you want? And you are right here, in front of my eyes. So¡­ what do you wish?¡±

    I opened my mouth to answer, then¡ª

    ¡°Oh¡ªwhat are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Is this unpleasant?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ but that¡¯s not¡ªeh?¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I could give you a massage? Would you like that?¡±

    Her tone was eager, almost playful.

    ¡°I¡¯m very good at it! Your muscles feel exhausted¡ªso tense, so much in need of release! I can feel it!¡±

    I tensed.

    Her magic aura was weak, something a level one or two would emit.

    But auras can be tricked. I had no identify skill, so I had to trust what my senses told me.

    And this close? It was probably accurate.

    Her hands glided gently over my thighs. I felt embarrassed¡ª

    But also¡­ Good.

    She was undoubtedly skilled. Too skilled.

    Okay. This was more than what a level one should be able to do. Or¡­ Was it? Maybe just practice?

    A sigh escaped me, and she lifted her head, her eyes lighting up. She looked¡­ pleased.

    She had succeeded in getting a reaction out of me.

    It¡¯s a trap. It¡¯s a trap. It¡¯s a trap - My brain repeated the warning in an endless loop, but¡ª I decided to let her continue.

    If she had intended to attack me, she would have done it already.

    I caught a glimpse of movement. The little slime watched me from a shadowed corner of the cavern, moving slowly, inspecting the chamber.

    Then¡ª

    ¡°Would you like to sit?¡± - she asked me.

    A pillow appeared out of nowhere. Then another. Then a third.

    ¡°Please, sit down. It would be more comfortable. Or¡­ do you prefer to continue our conversation like this?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    She continued her gentle movements, undeterred. Then¡ªagain, soft, insistent¡ª

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I exhaled.

    ¡°As I said, what I want is to leave. I need a portal to a city. Then, I want to help my friends. Can you get me either of those?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure! Of course, I''ll have to ask the Grand Master, but¡ª¡± she answered happily, ¡°I think I can get you a portal to any city around. Where would you like to go?¡±

    Alright, we¡¯re getting somewhere. She¡¯s probably just a slave negotiator.

    Do I really want to clean out this cultist nest? Not necessarily.

    There are probably better places to level up¡ªand at this point, who knows what else is waiting for me here? The lunatics are warned now. They might attack me in force.

    The last two¡­ Okay, I don¡¯t want to remember that.

    I sighed and lowered myself onto one of the pillows. She beamed, clearly pleased by this small victory.

    ¡°Do you wish to drink something?¡±

    A glass and a bottle appeared in her hands.

    She poured the drink right in front of me, lifted the glass, and drank half of it before offering me the rest with a smile.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°No?¡±

    She looked mildly disappointed, then set the glass beside the bottle before resuming her attention to my legs.

    ¡°So, which city can you get me a portal to?¡±

    Her smile returned.

    ¡°Oh, to many cities.¡±

    ¡°What city is closest to us?¡± I asked.

    She watched me, surprised, then smiled again, pressing a soft kiss to my left leg. She took another sip from the glass, then kissed my right leg.

    I raised a brow.

    She answered smoothly.

    ¡°Stoneborrow, Terwania, and Coredra are the closest cities. Stoneborrow, to the north, is the nearest¡ªbut it¡¯s very small. Terwania, about twice as far to the east, is the best choice. The Coredrans, to the south, may be¡­ not so welcoming to your race.¡±

    Oh, fuck. I didn¡¯t know any of these cities. Am I on a different continent?

    ¡°What about Constancia?¡±

    She blinked, surprised.

    ¡°That¡¯s far away¡ªbut possible. Any city on this continent can be arranged. But¡­ are you sure you want to go there?¡±

    She resumed kissing my calves.

    Okay. That confirmed it. I was on a different continent.

    The continent with Constancia.

    I protested.

    ¡°That tickles!¡±

    She giggled, tilting her head.

    ¡°Really? Are you ticklish?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try.¡±

    She giggled again but didn¡¯t push it.

    I exhaled, shifting slightly. She was here to negotiate, not trap me.

    And the fact that she showed concern over me going to Constancia?

    That was a good sign.

    I leaned back slightly, making myself more comfortable, letting her continue her soothing movements.

    Now that I was sitting, the massage actually felt¡­ Nice.

    Damn, she really knows her work.

    My head droned, a dull, rhythmic hum echoing in my skull.

    Why am I lying on my back? On these pillows? What¡¯s happening?

    My mind felt bleary, foggy, lost in a haze of ecstatic warmth, waves of pleasure rippling through my body.

    I was so damn sleepy¡ªand it felt so good¡­

    Where am I?

    Then¡ª A moan. Not mine.

    What is she doing?

    A surge of light flared in my palm, bright and sudden.

    She screamed¡ª Then vanished.

    I struggled to sit up, my limbs weak, trembling, my head spinning.

    ¡°Fucking fuck! A vampire!¡±

    I glanced down. On my inner thigh, two small drops of **blood¡ªdark as black pearls¡ª**slowly swelled where her teeth had sunk into my skin.

    Then¡ª A voice. Soft, teasing, still carrying that unshaken amusement.

    ¡°Oh, come on! We were having such a good time! Did you have to scare me like that?¡±

    I turned toward the voice, struggling to stay awake.

    That¡¯s when the candlelight I had spelled flickered out.

    Shit.

    I sent another light high toward the ceiling, casting long, flickering shadows.

    Her voice echoed from another direction now, smooth, amused.

    ¡°You are such a sweet girl.¡±

    I gritted my teeth. The dizziness still hadn¡¯t faded, even after I healed myself.

    She was baiting me.

    ¡°Can we not just pick up where we left off?¡± she purred. ¡°You were enjoying yourself, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    I staggered, trying to shake off the fog in my head.

    ¡°I promise you¡¯ll feel better than you ever have in your life.¡±

    I forced a dry laugh.

    ¡°You just want to suck me dry, eh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, baby, not true. I¡¯m not the wasteful type.¡±

    Her voice shifted again, now from the opposite side of the cavern.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have some fun. A long time. Just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t lie.¡±

    I could barely think.

    Whatever she had dosed me with, it was still doing its work.

    Then¡ª A tap on my shoulder.

    I spun as fast as I could, summoning a firebolt, and launched it.

    Too slow. She was already gone.

    Her laughter rang out from somewhere deep in the cavern.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Is this how you repay me, darling?¡±

    Her voice curled around me, playful, mocking.

    ¡°I only took my due.¡±

    Then¡ª Darkness again.

    Where is my inventory box? Where is my staff?

    ¡°I promise I don¡¯t want to kill you. At least not now.¡±

    Her voice coiled through the darkness, teasing, mocking.

    ¡°I just want to have some fun! Oh, and drinks! Of course, drinks!¡±

    I fired another bolt toward where I thought she¡¯d be, then leapt toward a different spot, using the light¡¯s brief flare to reposition.

    Something sharp sliced through the air behind me and pain exploded through my back.

    My wings. She''d cut them in an instant.

    I screamed, crashing to the ground, rolling over jagged gravel.

    Her laughter curled around me.

    ¡°Tell me, do you have something to do with the escaped slave?¡±

    I gasped, hands trembling as I pushed myself up.

    ¡°Oh, we are going to have so much fun. It was so boring here!¡±

    Her voice was honeyed poison, delighted, cruel.

    ¡°So¡ªwill you come with me freely, or do I need to chain you? Your choice!¡±

    I forced a healing spell, feeling the searing pain subside as my wings regrew¡ª and got sliced again. Not cleanly this time, but enough to cripple them.

    Another blinding jolt of pain.

    I bit back another scream, gritting my teeth against the agony.

    She was too fast.

    I can¡¯t keep up.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop at one hundred, okay?¡±

    Her tone was sickly sweet, utterly gleeful.

    ¡°Are these wings edible? Oh! Or maybe I can make some potions with them!¡±

    My stomach twisted.

    ¡°Oh, sure. Potions! I will harvest you, baby!¡±

    She laughed, voice dripping with amusement.

    ¡°Come on, think about it! Cattle have it good, don¡¯t they? They get fed, they get taken care of¡ª¡±

    I summoned light¡ª And immediately took a foot to the face.

    The impact sent me tumbling back, pain jolting through my skull.

    Fuck!

    I retaliated, hurling an intense ball of light in her direction.

    She hissed in irritation.

    ¡°Tsk. That¡¯s so annoying.¡±

    Then¡ªdarkness again. Her voice curled through the void, mocking.

    ¡°Now, when you¡¯ve had enough, just raise your hands. I¡¯ll stop¡­ when I get bored, you know.¡±

    She darted behind me, her claws slicing across my buttocks as she passed.

    Fuck¡ªshe has claws!

    She laughed at my yelp. I spun, launching a blast of magic¡ª but I hit nothing.

    Another foot slapped across my face, whipping my head to the side.

    She was dispersing my light sparks as fast as I could summon them.

    I gritted my teeth. I was fighting blind and she was playing with me.

    How the fuck is she moving so fast?

    What level is this vampire?!

    ¡°Fuck you!¡±

    Her laugh curled through the darkness, full of amusement.

    ¡°Hm. Interesting proposal, but not interested, thank you.¡±

    Then a wave of sharp pain shook me, as she sliced through my freshly healed wings like paper.

    ¡°Three!¡±

    She sees me. I don¡¯t see her. She¡¯s faster. Stronger. She¡¯d been toying with me from the start.

    What can I do? Run? Shoot bolts randomly? Great tactics. Absolutely brilliant.

    I summoned light again, desperate to see where the hell I could run¡ªand got another foot to the face.

    The impact sent me into a backward somersault. I crashed onto my knees, a fresh wave of pain jolting through me. I cursed, healed myself again, and staggered upright while the light vanished.

    ¡°You¡¯re starting to enjoy kissing my foot, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Her voice was mocking, sweet with poison.

    ¡°It tickles, you know?... Four!¡±

    A fresh burst of agony tore through me. I screamed.

    Mana. I needed more mana.

    I tried to move away in the darkness with uncertain steps. She giggled.

    ¡°I can see you.¡±

    I barely had time to heal again before she struck behind me¡ª a renewed wave of pain made me cry out.

    ¡°Five!¡± - she yelled.

    Her tone was delighted, as if we were playing a game she enjoyed.

    ¡°Where should I put all these wings? My inventory is full, and I hate this! You¡¯ll have to carry them, okay?¡±

    I healed myself again.

    Should I raise my hands? And then what? Embrace my future as a vampire thrall? Cattle?

    ¡°Oh, by the way, is this little slimy yours?¡±

    Her voice curled with amusement.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cute! A pity to extract its core, isn¡¯t it? Maybe I¡ª¡±

    That was a mistake. Because I know where Bubble is! I felt Bubble¡¯s terror¡ªsharp, raw.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate. Not for a second. I lunged forward, every ounce of power and instinct driving me forward, my horns down, aiming just above Bubble.

    If I guessed wrong, I¡¯d break my own neck against the wall. But I didn¡¯t stop.

    I slammed into her.

    Her words cut off as I pinned her against the cavern wall and a choked croak escaped her lips. She hung there, stunned, her limbs twitching weakly.

    My head had struck directly between her breasts, forcing the air from her lungs.

    I felt Bubble clinging to my hand, trembling, terrified.

    I pressed harder, my wings pushing with all their strength.

    She gasped, struggling, her right hand jerking upward, struck Bubble first, then snapped a rib, just barely missing my heart.

    Even dying, she almost killed us both.

    A long, wretched wail tore from her throat as her body suddenly ignited, burning like paper catching fire.

    I clutched Bubble tightly, not letting him fall. We were still high in the air. In the dim, flickering light of her burning body, I saw the ground far below¡ªsix, maybe seven meters down, just as my mana ran dry and we fell.

    I ended sprawled over jagged rocks, a worried Bubble bubbling anxiously in my arms. I tried to move and pain shot through my leg, sharp and searing.

    Shit, I think I broke my leg again.

    And badly this time.

    It was bent in the wrong direction, an ugly, unnatural angle that made my stomach churn.

    Yet, the first thought that passed through my mind was¡ª

    "Two!"

    Flo¡¯s voice stirred in my head, puzzled.

    "Two times that you broke your leg?"

    I chuckled, despite the pain.

    "No. Two kills with the horns."

 Chapter 101 - Teleport Miscarriage

    I was lying over the uneven stones trying to recover. The energy flow from the dead vampire surprised me as it was pretty significant. That girl must have been high level. Well, compared to my current ''me''. Probably a two digits level, something like eleven or twelve.

    I wondered if I had made another level. Was I now at level four?

    It was a bit hard to evaluate, the game did not float me in the air and reset my wounds, so without the additional interface it was a bit hard to tell. Sometimes I knew it, but sometimes it was just guesswork.

    The combustion continued, the vampire disintegrating like a low-flame burning paper, and I was happy looking at it, just breathing in and out, trying to gather my thoughts.

    Watching those pieces fall down like burning snowflakes was a strange, beautiful sight.

    The bent leg was in front of my eyes; however, I did not feel anything. Did I break my neck too? Oh fuck, I really did it; it was not the case of: ''I almost broke it''.

    Strangely, I was still alive. Especially after falling down with a broken neck. Or did I break it when I fell on the hard stones?

    Being devoid of mana, I could not heal myself, so all I could do now was wait and see. The little slime was ''looking'' worried at me and poked me with a tendril. I knew as I saw it, but I did not feel it. I smiled at it.

    Heh, my face still works!

    I was lying on my back with the slime riding on my belly. I could not move nor even turn my head to look around; hopefully, nobody was going to find me before I recovered enough mana.

    How much time did I lose with this vampire? Why is there a hole in my memories?

    Blood flowed out from the two small holes in my thigh, one drop at a time, now meandering slowly up the thigh as my broken leg stood up. Oh well, the vampires must have something in their spit, like other bloodsuckers, something that blocks the blood from coagulating. I watched the trickling down blood, and the lights went out: the slow-burning vampire was only ashes now.

    The colour of my blood, was it darker than human blood? Do dark elves have a different blood colour or was it only the lighting?

    Flo clarified it for me:

    ¡°No, the blood is darker, almost black with blue notes.¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Heh, I have blue blood! I grinned, amused at the thought as she healed me, then she stood up hesitatingly, moving slowly in the total darkness.

    She sent a small light towards the ceiling, illuminating the stones around in the dark cavern.

    I was still dazzled and could focus only with difficulty.

    ¡°What is this? Why am I so dazzled?¡±

    I felt my face forming a snoot: she was angry.

    ¡°She must have doped me with something.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Probably the liquid and her kisses. She was probably immune to that shit, and I have ingested it through my skin. Probably not enough as I recovered too soon.¡±

    A shiver passed through my spine. I''ve been totally at the mercy of that vampire. I''ve been lucky!

    ¡°My error!¡±

    It was seldom that Flo recognized that she had made an error, so I did not comment, happy to let it be. Heh, I''m not the only one making stupid things.

    She continued:

    ¡°I was too sure of my capabilities, like, for instance, checking if somebody lies or not, but I did not correctly understand the limitations that come with Andy''s low level... Sorry... I haven''t been so low level since... uh, since very long.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, nobody is perfect. The bitch also underestimated you!¡±

    ¡°True. She allowed herself to be distracted by the slime for a second. That was enough. I think I can now spell my lightfire spell. What do we do with the slime?¡±

    She looked down at the little slime that was scrounging something. Or what was it doing with that thing

    ¡°Oh, wait a minute! You are a clever little slime!¡± - said Flo.

    It looked again smug at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She''d found the vampire''s inventory box! Wow, a seven-slot box. There is gold inside! Twenty-one gold!¡±

    ¡°And you ask what to do with it? You take it with us; it already saved our lives two times!¡±

    ¡°True!¡±

    I was still feeling dizzy and had a headache as if after a heavy party. I made a small inventory selection, crammed the most critical things in the new box, put on a new bra and panties, and arranged my mini and a blouse. I now had two pairs of shoes to choose from.

    I looked at the slime.

    ¡°Do you want to come to town?¡±

    It bubbled. Yeah, as if it would understand me.

    ¡°Where to hide you?¡±

    Hm...

    ¡°Can you stay on me like this blouse?¡±

    Fuck! It understood me!? As it wanted to climb on my foot, I helped it, taking it in my arm, and it spread around my torso.

    ¡°Good, good. Good boy! Can you change the colour to not be transparent?¡±

    Huch, almost perfect. It looked now like some high-quality armour.

    ¡°Can you stay like this?¡±

    It bubbled.

    ¡°Stay calm and don''t bubble when I talk with others, ok?¡±

    It pushed against my skin. Two taps. Heh, I have slime armour that can communicate through taps!

    ¡°So, trying the spell now?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I have the feeling that it will work!¡±

    ¡°Where to? To the boys in the grotto?¡±

    ¡°No. We need first to get a portal scroll!¡±

    She took a deep breath and started the spell. As it was a complex spell and I had a small amount of mana, it took longer to get the spell done.

    The lightfire worked, and... a sudden pain threw me on my knees. It was such a violent pain that I was mute for several seconds then a long wail escaped my lips. I dropped the staff.

    My first thought was that somebody had shot me just when I''d cast the spell. Being again devoid of mana, as everything went into that spell, I could not heal myself, so I stayed there, crumbled over the stones in a foetal position trying hard to concentrate on the surroundings.

 Chapter 102 â€“ Not a Bullet, Just an Ulcer

    I tried to look around to find my aggressor, but I did not find anything. As I twisted to look around, a wail escaped me, and I spat blood.

    I tried to move on all four to get under cover, but there was not much cover I could find between the too-small boulders. Lucky me, the light ceased, and I found myself again in the dark.

    I was practically incapacitated, but nobody tried to capitalize on it. Maybe they are afraid I would pull another vampire-killing blow? What should I do: should I try another lightfire spell or heal? I needed to heal; I felt horrible. Somebody had shot me in my belly... but I heard no bang!? With a lightfire, I would be gone from here and could heal in a relatively safe place.

    OK, so I will heal and have to fight whoever is here and shot me before.

    I was dizzy, and in addition, the pain made it hard to focus. The spell went through; that makes sense with it being in cooldown, but then why am I still here?

    When she made light, I looked around, trying again to find the shooter. I could not find anything. She healed me.

    I''ve spat a lot of blood. To make things worse, the vampire-made incisions did not heal; blood still trickled down along my thigh. That was a nasty surprise.

    ¡°Hm, strange. There is no blood on my belly where the bullet wound should be.¡±

    I sacrificed some clothes to make a bandage over the thigh to limit the blood loss. Does healing replace the lost blood? Not sure how this works.

    The other wound was only internal. There was no blood outside. How can that be?

    She laughed out loud.

    ¡°Maybe less, maybe more. The last time when we accumulated magic, we were in the zone around Silver Town when that magic storm happened. We would have perished in the magic storm, but I was able to keep us both alive with my healing. After the storm, we were stronger; a lot of magic accumulated during the storm in our bodies.¡±

    OK. That explains how a low-level raid target got high level. They are both evolved freaks that survived that magic storm like that fucking wolshi. Did she say maybe more?

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    So she was above seventy before she evolved? What monster do I accommodate? But I did not follow up on that line of thought.

    And with this, it dawned on me:

    ¡°Oh, fucking fuck, you may be right!¡±

    I had to chuckle hearing Flo using my repertoire and speaking it out loud. She did not use to swear before. My good influence, eh?

    ¡°I may be right!? I am right. Good that the spell sent something from my center of gravity and not a piece of my brain. So how much does Andy need to level to get the needed amount of mana, as much as you would need to cast the spell?¡±

    ¡°Ahm. About what you call level sixty or above? Just a rough estimation...¡±

    Here goes my dream of helping the Lynx through Andy. We need a new strategy. Either we log out and try to bring the real Cala with White Flower inside the game, or we find a different solution.

    But the message discussion gave me another idea.

    OK, there is a chance. It is not much, but I could try it. And to do that, I now need to get to a town as fast as possible.

    She shrugged. She really shrugged as she was in the lead, and now she grinned:

    ¡°And there is, the bifurcation!¡±

    Yes, indeed, there was a bifurcation. Bubble was sitting on my shoulder as I stopped to look at the bandage. It was now full of blood. I healed myself, but the little holes remained. The blood did not flow in streams but continued to trickle.

    The question was for Bubble, who came down from my shoulder and then wrapped itself around my thigh. Hmm, not stupid, the little slime; it was a better quality bandage as it blocked the blood loss and could adjust itself as I walked.

    It gave me two pulses. OK, I think two means yes. I sighed, relieved, and started walking again.

 Chapter 103 â€“ Daylight!

    Getting out of the cavern was not as difficult as I thought. Except for a couple at the entry, I met no other werewolves on the way out, and after a bloody and short fight, I was finally out and saw the sky.

    It was daylight. I fell to my knees, looking at the blue sky with white clouds. Two suns were hovering above me, one behind some clouds, the other a bit lower, bigger but closer to the horizon.

    Oh fuck, yes, I am Andy, a dark elf who does not remember having seen the sky in her life. I remembered I should not look straight at the sun as it is terrible for my eyes. Where does that knowledge come from?

    Interesting how this works. I know I am Cala playing Andy, and yet Andy''s feelings were authentic; Andy''s feelings were there in my chest.

    For Andy, it was a miracle, a dream that came true, and I had to stay there for some time just to enjoy the view.

    I had to calm my fast drumming heart and get used to the strong air, the different smells, the noise, and the broad, unrestricted view before I could finally make my first nervous steps inside the forest.

    I breathed deep, in and out. This is a forest, like many others I went through as Cala, and yet it was the first time I was in one. To my displeasure, it did not take long until the first beast attacked me, a kind of cat and fox mixture.

    I tried to run from it, but it followed me. I flew in a tree just to see with dismay how easily it was following me up there. When I first blasted it with a small firebolt, it screeched, unhappy about it but still continued to climb. I flew down using almost all my mana, and the beast followed me with a graceful jump, almost getting me.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I was able to fetch a spear from my inventory and keep the beast away from me for a while. That, until it made a couple of sudden movements, too fast for me to counter with the spear, and jumped towards my neck.

    I just had enough mana for another bolt, and I blasted it directly to the face as it jumped, the bolt sending it flying back. Now, deadly wounded, it tried to run away, but I speared it through and battered it on and on with the spear as a baton. I screamed in anger:

    "Fucking, fuck! Are you satisfied now!?"

    It was long dead, but I did not stop until I heard some kind of sad meowls from a nearby bush. Another beast to attack me? The meowls ceased when I stopped to listen, but when I was about to leave started again. This did not sound like a big beast, but one can err. When I carefully approached the bush, I discovered three little meowling ''catfoxes'' that could barely stand. Their eyes were still closed; they did not open their eyes yet!

    Oh, fuck, looks like I just killed their mama.

    I sighed, unhappy with the situation. Why did it chase me with that tenacity? Were those little kittens the reason why the beast attacked me? But even if they were her offspring... ok, they were her offspring; they looked too much alike.

    Well, that''s life. I decided to leave; however, I had to turn back after I made some hundred meters. I sighed again. Fuck me and my soft heart.

    I found them fast as the meowls were now louder, and when I got closer, I saw the reason. On one side, a couple of rat-like beasts approached; on the other side, a giant snake.

    I hurried up to avoid any further fights. I decided to pick the dead ''catfox'' too, put it in my inventory bag, then I put the three kittens in a bag made out of a shirt and left, flying up, observing the approaching snake and rats.

    What am I going to do with three kittens? Am I not burdened enough?

    It made no sense, and yet I was happy carrying my precious little package with me, seeing the starting fight between the snake and the rats.

 Chapter 104 - Wolves and an Orc

    I continued North to where the vampire had told me was the closest town, but I could not see anything yet. I climbed into a tree, but all I saw was a continuous line of trees. All trees here seemed to be of about the same height, so I stood up there until my mana replenished again, then I flew, or rather made a jump above the forest.

    Now I saw something. There were several towers in a distance, about ten to fifteen kilometers away. I could not stay up there and have a better look as I had to navigate my landing. I almost came crashing down as I missed the branch I was targeting, broke through some foliage, and spread my wings again just above the ground, narrowly avoiding a hard crash.

    I guess making my wings work as giant wings consumes a lot of mana. Oh, well.

    The crash had been anyhow painful enough, and the catfoxes had woken up and started to meowl.

    I have a little bit more mana with my staff, so I took my staff out of the inventory box again. I''ll have to manage with the staff in one hand and my kittens'' bag in the other.

    As I stood up and healed my scratches, I saw another beast eying me. It was a bigger one, some kind of a big bad wolf with brown fur.

    Uh, oh, fuck. I took the kittens'' bag in my mouth and the staff in my hands. I''ll need to blast it and block its attacks with the staff. That might be enough to make it leave me be.

    Maybe I should change the staff for a spear? The staff increases my mana and mana regeneration, but the spear is more efficient in fending off these beasts and has that zapping end.

    As I was facing the wolf, thinking about how to fight it, the beast approached me slowly. Then I saw another, then another one, both coming out of the woods.

    Oh, fuck. There are more!

    I did not move, waiting for my mana to replenish. Any second I gained was precious, giving me a bit more mobility. When I judged I had enough mana to escape, I did my jump high in the air without waiting for full mana replenishment. It proved that it was the right decision: the moment I flew up, I saw another beast jumping at me from behind, trying to get me.

    Fuck, the ones in front were only decoys; the real attack was the one coming from behind. The beasts growled angrily, and one jumped high, almost reaching my perch.

    Oh, fucking, fuck, I''ll show you who''s boss here! I waited again for complete mana replenishment and tried again that death bolt that killed the werewolf. I eyed the wolf that had attacked me from behind and shot it. The hit was a success as far as it angered the beasts immensely, but the beast survived. It must have pained as hell, the wolf rolling over with a pained yowl and disappearing into the bushes. The others followed. I still heard its pained yowls as it ran away and angry growls from the rest.

    I waited for my mana to replenish and made a ''jump'' to a neighboring tree. I was keeping watch for the wolves, and indeed I saw one hiding behind a tree. Still in flight, I sent him a firebolt. The wolf yelped, surprised, and ran away.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I continued the procedure another five or six times until I could see no wolf anymore. Did they give up? I jumped from tree to tree, trying to keep my direction, looking back again and again. This will take an eternity to the town. A couple of times, I went to the sides or even back but could not see any wolves. They must have given up. I even risked a short run and a subsequent flight in the next tree, but even with my run on the ground, they did not appear.

    I continued to advance north, keeping very alert and flying up now and then, inspecting the forest around. After about half an hour, I thought I was probably safe when I reached a clearing. It was covered with high grass, and a herd of some fifteen to twenty what looked like dark cows or bisons?

    I waited until my mana replenished, bound the kitten bag at my neck, then started slowly to advance. At first, everything seemed to be clear, but then I saw a damn wolf coming at me from the forest. I jumped in the air, not a full jump, just a small one to leave me some mana, but it was enough to clear the picture. At least another two wolves were running on the left to cut my way and one right. I could not see them clearly, but I saw tracks in the grass, forming two arcs on one side and one on the other, all intersecting some hundred meters in front of me.

    Fucking fuck. No way to run; they are faster than me. I could eventually overfly them for fifty meters, and that was all. I exchanged the staff with a spear and started a death bolt.

    Just in time, as the wolf that was running behind me made its appearance. I blasted it and struck it with the spear. It yelped and jumped backward with one foot visibly hurt but was not frozen by the spear.

    I was too far from the forest to try to reach it, so I ran towards the herd. Maybe the herd could give me some protection. The grass was here trampled, and I could see better. Besides, there was only one other wolf on this side.

    I ran as fast as I could, and the wolf appeared in front of me. For several seconds we were running head-on, me pointing the spear at it. Behind me, the crippled wolf limped as fast as he could, further behind the other two coming now out of the high grass.

    I stuck the spear in the wolf facing me and used it to propel me up, then helped with my wings. The wolf yelped in surprise, the spear almost breaking. Good that I did not try to spear it as I fear it would have overrun me. I was not strong enough for that kind of fight.

    I lost the spear, but it did not matter; I have some more in my inventory. I ran now as fast as I could toward the herd, which was circling now, alarmed.

    A shot resounded, then another one. I heard a yelp and risked an eye back. One wolf was rolling whilst the others changed direction, running towards the forest.

    "Now, now, that was an interesting stunt you did there, lady dragonfly!"

    From the right, a green giant approached me. His broad, almost square green breast was bare, with two powerful green arms on the side as wide as my thighs. He had one rifle in one hand. He loaded it and shot again.

    I was not feeling well as he pointed the weapon at the wolf behind me, which was almost in line with me, but he clearly did not point it at me.

    He loaded again, coming closer.

    "You are never sure with these brawolfs!"

    He shot it again. He was speaking a different language to the werewolves, but I understood it.

 Chapter 105 - Stoneborrow

    The orc spoke drusily; that was one of the main dwarf dialects. His name was Donut, and I could hardly explain to him why I was laughing. I only told him that the name sounded funny in my language and he should please pardon me, with an as serious face as I could muster. I was a bit surprised to find an orc-speaking dwarfish. He was a kind of peasant/settler at the border between the dwarfish Kingdom of Poronia to the north and the Rezantium Empire of Constancius to the South and West. To the East, a bit further away, was another Kingdom, inhabited mainly by humans but more tolerant of other races than the empire was.

    The coredrans to the South, the vampire had spoken about, were one of the human nations from the Rezantium Empire. Constancius'' aspiration was to unite all humans into one empire, continuing the work of his for-fathers.

    I learned all this whilst eating a frugal lunch Donat was sharing with me. He had a dog, a very clever little one that he employed to herd the bison type of cattle, but he had not allowed it to chase the brawolfs as it would have been utterly outclassed. He had a shack not far away from there and offered me to stay for the night, but I preferred to ask about the town. Yes, it was further to the north, about two hours walk, relatively close, and he agreed that I could reach it before the night. The road to there should be more or less safe, but he added: safer during the daytime, less so during nighttime.

    He offered to take two of my catfoxes that he called grellins. He said they were pretty precious, could be raised for fur and reach a price in gold, but he could not pay gold to me. He could offer them a home where they would be free to chase rats and other little pests, and he would pay me two silver for them.

    I took him on his offer. We fed the little grellins some bison milk through a milk-imbibed cloth, and I left with one little grellin in my bag. It was the smallest one, and he was afraid that it would not survive the day.

    He offered again to let me sleep in his shack as the night was getting closer, and he advised me not to sleep in the forest at night.

    I left, hurrying up for the town. I soon found the road and continued on it towards the city. I met other people on the road, some peasants coming from town, and we waved to each other, but without talking much, everybody in a hurry to reach their destination before nightfall. I accelerated my walk towards town with bouts of flying. The road was relatively safe now, so I could use my mana on it, and it was a damn pleasant thing to fly.

    I followed the meandering road cutting short just a couple of corners and arrived in front of the town still by daylight, bless those who decided not to synchronize night and day with Earth. However, it was getting late when I arrived in front of the gates.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The small town of Stoneborrow was surrounded by a sturdy stone wall about five meters high. The guards at the entry were some rough bearded wide-shouldered humans that made rude but funny jokes about my attire and my bloodied legs and strongly recommended the Pit''s Tavern, which should have good wine, good food, very good pillows, and a giant bath. That is if I have the silver, as it was one silver per night, including breakfast. I was happy to find out that there was no entry tax. Only after I passed through the gates did it suddenly dawn on me that the majority of the population were dwarfs, not square-shouldered, bearded humans. I should have known this based on what the orc had told me, but my excuse was that I was really tired. Stupid me, Andy being small, a little above one meter and a half, I felt perfectly at ease between the dwarfs; only when I saw the first rare humans did I realize my mistake.

    The town was densely populated with relatively broad, stone-paved streets between stone-built houses linked to each other with two meters heigh stone-built walls. Finally, civilization after the dungeon hours and the forest dash run; however, there were too few trees or anything green inside the town.

    They had an adventuring guild office that the guards had pointed me to, and I went straight there to get more information about the area. The receptionist, a very light-skinned dwarf girl about as tall as me, was just about to close and call it for a day, but she greeted me happily and invited me inside.

    She had a rattle mill with the gift of a gab, and all I had to do was to provide the direction; she would tell me anything I wanted to hear, including a lot of things I didn''t want to hear, all with an incredible rattle speed. It reminded me of those Irish dances, where the noise was coming from her mouth, not her ratling feet. I only had to swallow the torrent and try to digest the interesting parts. Her name was Loana, and she was the only receptionist at the guilt.

    I soon received an adventurer id from her as Andy, mage level five, race eladin. I was really surprised to see they had a crystal that could be used to read the level, and she told me I was level five, not four as I thought. Maybe the travel from the grotto to the town granted me another level?

    She told me a lot of news about my race, the eladen, a very elusive, almost extinct race. I did not protest and did not tell her that I was a dark elf. Not sure why I did that, maybe to hide the origin of my abnormal wings and horns? She observed happily that I did not have the usual sharp claws the eladen were portrayed with.

    I know that I somehow had a connection with the eladen through Cala, so this was not entirely wrong.

    She saw my little grellin and told me that I could sell it for one gold as long as it survives. Basically, their fur is worth one gold, having some mystical attributes to it, but it was now too small to retrieve it.

    When I asked her where I could buy a portal scroll, she recommended the shop of old Hanner in the jewelry district, but I should hurry up as all shops were soon going to close for the night. As I left in a hurry in the direction she had pointed me, she also added some words about the Pit''s tavern. She did not mention the bath, but she mentioned the food there must be exceptional.

 Chapter 106 â€“ Old Hanners Shop

    I was tired. I had already played for hours, and I feared that my online time was running short.

    I sighed. Should I call it quits and continue another day?

    But what if this was my only chance to fix it? What if I don''t find any other working solution?

    Maybe I need to restart this whole thing. What if I go to the gamers'' location and try to login there? Maybe they can even help me login with Cala? They may find her data on some backup server! I have given up too early on her! What if her not being available does not have anything to do with me ''becoming'' Cala and is only the result of some data lost? Or even if they cannot, maybe, I find somebody there with a high enough character that could help me out? Would that not have better chances to succeed than me trying to solve this with a low-level Andy?

    I felt a sting in my heart. Why do I feel this compulsion to save the Lynx? Is this because of that soul-fuckery?

    But it pained even more to think at what the Lynx had done as soul-fuckery.

    No, he saved my poor ass. I need to ask him about all other implications that the spell might have. It is not only him that I care about.

    I raised my head and looked at the sky. It will soon be getting dark. I better hurry up if I still want to do something today. Can I ever bring Cala back to the game if I removed her? How the hell did I remove her from the server?

    No, it was more probable that it was some data loss with the game''s status.

    But then, does it matter if I save them?

    I shook my head: Dolores, STOP running in circles!

    No. If I cannot find a solution with Andy, I''ll try to talk with the gamers and find a solution with them. Maybe I can still reactivate my connection with them; at least they still accept me as one of them.

    Rummaging on those questions, I found myself in front of a clean but old-looking shop: Old Hanner''s Emporium. A very original name written with barely visible white paint on grey murals above the entry: Old Hanner''s shop, written in old drusily.

    I rolled my eyes then my grin got wider: by the looks of it, ''Old'' had been added at a later time to the shop''s name. Probably some jerk''s joke.

    It was obvious that the owner did not give too much on appearances: there were several much better-looking shops around that all seemed to be specialized in various spellcraft items, so I wondered why Loana would recommend this shop above all.

    Some shops already had a ''closed'' banner; therefore, I was happy to see this one seemed to be open.

    As I entered, a bell rang, but there was nobody inside the room. I heard a voice from the back of the shop, so I waited patiently, inspecting various items. Finally, an old dwarf appeared. I think it was one of the oldest-looking dwarfs I''d ever seen, with a silver-white beard and a completely bald head.

    ¡°Good evening, miss; what can an old enchanter do for you?¡±

    He said that whilst going to the door and turning on the ''closed'' banner.

    He was in a surprisingly good temper. Not sure if this was his day-to-day mood or if I was only lucky.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Mr. Hanner, I hope you can help me with a quest I would like to complete.¡±

    He raised a brow:

    ¡°Help, I''ll try, young lady; however, good pay for good help is what I expect. You can call me Hanner or old Hanner if you wish so, no need for mister.¡±

    "Andy!" - I replied, giving him my hand to shake hands.

    This was an automatic Cala gesture, and I realized suddenly that his hand was about two times larger than mine; however, I was relieved to see how gentle his touch was, even if I felt a lot of power behind it. A very high-level enchanter. Well, let''s see what he can do. I did not lose any more time:

    ¡°I have some friends that cannot come out from a cavern. The way out is much too narrow. I was thinking of sending them a portal scroll or something.¡±

    ¡°Hrm. Sorry young miss, I do not know any spell for sending something. That is not within my specialty. Is it not possible to enlarge the entry? There are many mining specialists in this town that could do such work with ease?¡±

    He seemed genuinely sorry about that, but I still didn''t want to give up on the idea.

    "The cavern is far away from here, and the area is hazardous. There is little time left; I need to be fast. I might have a way to send them something if it is small enough.¡± - he raised a brow at that whilst I continued - ¡°How much would a portal scroll cost me?¡±

    He smiled, happy that he could answer this question:

    ¡°It depends on where your two portal points are: entry and exit. All portal scrolls I have are standard form, as big as a scroll is. I could make it as low as five gold if it is somewhere near this town and points to this town. It will work in a ten kilometers range around the town. From where to where do you want that portal?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°The entry would be on Terica.¡±

    He harrumphed and raised a brow, surprised at this.

    ¡°From Terica to here? That is a different continent!?" - I nodded, and he continued - "That would be several thousand gold, and I would need time to prepare it. I do not have all materials here for such a portal scroll. I suppose your friends are not very small? If they would be mice, that could come out a bit cheaper.¡±

    ¡°Ahm. Oh well, a couple of them are huge.¡±

    He chuckled and raised his brows:

    ¡°You just increased manifold the price, but this is useless talk. I do not have such a scroll. In the case, I could order one, how big is really big? Like a cow?¡±

    "Bigger"

    He harrumphed again:

    "OK, a giant Ogre?"

    I sighed.

    ¡°Oh well, something like a house.¡±

    "A house? A house?"

    "A two-story house."

    There was silence in the shop for several seconds, then he replied with a sight:

    ¡°That goes over ten thousand gold, young Andy. But why would you make the portal to here when you could make it closer to there? That would save you a lot of money; you see portals go with the range. You need an archmage''s power to make portals between continents.¡±

    I shrugged.

    "Can you make a portal for Terica to Terica?"

    He swallowed.

    "No. I''ve never been on Terica and could not bind it to any of their cities." - he sighed - "you need an archmage that had traveled there and a lot of gold."

    He sighed, and I echoed him. It seemed that I had no solution to my problem. Just when I was about to leave, he turned toward one of his exhibits.

 Chapter 107 â€“ Wandering Barn

    He took a small object in his hand, something like a flat ball, and turned to me.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± - he said - ¡°If you could send a portal scroll to your friends in the cavern, could you send this device instead?¡±

    As he drew it between his fingers, I saw that it had a hole, looking like a smaller deformed donut with a couple of emeralds on one side. I watched the device curiously while he continued.

    ¡°It is a ring, even if it looks a bit clumsy. It will adjust to your finger; therefore, it will become smaller. Is it small enough for you to send it?¡±

    "I believe so. Scrolls are too big anyhow; I wanted to buy a ring and put the scroll inside. What is that ring for?¡±

    He gave me a victorious smile:

    ¡°This is old Petra''s cattle''s stable.¡±

    ¡°Cattle''s stable?¡±

    His eyes became glassy as he started to explain:

    ¡°It is a wandering barn of some kind. Old Petra was a wandering cattle farmer who lived around these hills. As we are near the border, and as you know, neither the empire nor the kingdom was dwarf friendly, these hills have always been a dangerous zone, cattle thieves being only one of the many nuisances. This ring was Old Petra''s solution to these problems. It is a device they had for generations in his family, and they used it to teleport cattle. You might eventually use it to help your friends; however, the problem is that he sold the crystals that were used to power the spell when his wife died."

    "Teleport cattle? How does it work?"

    "You see, it has a recall spell inscribed on it. You need really good eyes to see it and understand the spell, but I have a translation."

    I refrained from mentioning that I''ve already seen it and understood it. He continued:

    "He used it also in case of emergency. Once he would see a raider group that looked dangerous, he would send a whisper spell to his wife, open the portal and jump inside the ring with the cattle following. He would then close the portal from the inside. His wife only had to recall the ring, preferably before the raiders would find it, but the recall spell would still work even if they had found it. This rng had saved him a couple of times from precarious situations."

    He sighed and furrowed his brows:

    "As I said, the only problem is that I do not have the crystals used to power the spell. His wife needed weeks to recharge the crystals. She carried them all the time for this purpose. People say that this was what consumed her, why she died so young. Oh, well, I think it is baloney, but nobody has so much mana to teleport a ring full of cattle, not even an archmage. You would need to buy a lot of spell-crystals or pay a mage battery to power the spell if you want to use the recall function."

    My eyes lightened. This seems like a solution; I''ll need to find somebody powerful enough to say the spell. Maybe I can arrange for this with the gamers. It is just another step.

    "Can one remotely open the portal?"

    Whisper spells work only locally; the problem would be how do I make them get into the donut before I have it recalled.

    "Yes, it has a small addition to the recall spell, but one still can close it from inside the ring."

    ¡°Would a dragon pass through the portal?¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    He watched me again with a new wonder:

    ¡°The two-story house is a dragon? Are we speaking of a real dragon? What kind of a dragon, if I may ask?¡±

    ¡°A black dragon...¡±

    He took a deep breath before he spoke.

    ¡°A mature black dragon?¡±

    It was my time to sigh:

    ¡°Well, yes, he is now mature.¡±

    After another pause as he tried to digest what I said then, he confirmed:

    ¡°Please do not bring it here. I... I... I would not pardon myself if I brought such a terror to this city. I mean it!¡±

    I smiled, thinking at Sid. Sid and terror?

    ¡°No, you are mistaken. He is very friendly and never killed a dwarf or a human, for that matter. Besides, I do not intend to bring it here.¡±

    He watched me silently for a couple of seconds.

    ¡°The ring''s portal might be able to accommodate a dragon. The ring is old. It has been in Old Petra''s family for some time. In the old time, they had all kinds of cattle. Smaller and bigger specimens. The portal can be adjusted; one just needs to load more mana to it. I could imagine that a dragon would pass through the portal if the device is fully charged.¡±

    ¡°How do you charge it?¡±

    ¡°As long as you are a mage, you either hold it into your hand, wear it as a ring or simply keep it in contact with your skin; it charges automatically."

    He shrugged, looking at me, and added: "But you need a lot of mana to open a portal big enough for a dragon, so you need to keep it longer on your finger before using it.¡±

    "What do you mean longer?"

    He shrugged:

    "Days? Weeks? I don''t know."

    ¡°How much does the device cost?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°It would cost a fortune to make such a ring, and yet it is on sale, cheap. It is big but cumbersome to use as a spacial-ring because you need to open the portal, enter inside it and take the things that you need out. That''s slow and a lot of mana consumption for just taking out one item. Now you need to charge it again to be able to take something else out or move in. I''ve just put a price tag of twenty gold for it because nobody wanted to have it for thirty gold. Well, it has to be cleaned first, but that''s not such a problem.¡±

    ¡°Cleaned? Is it cursed?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, not cursed. It has some manure that was left inside from a herd, you know? Old Petra did keep it clean, but still...¡±

    ¡°Could we open it?¡±

    ¡°Only outside; it might break the roof here.¡±

    ¡°Why would nobody want to buy it for thirty gold? That is really cheap for a big barn capable of hosting a dragon?¡±

    I was asking myself if there was some other catch to it. We went outside in his yard.

    ¡°As I said, you need a lot of mana for single items, plus it has that damn recall spell. It could be used to transport cattle, but then you need to stop from time to time, let the cattle out and have a mage to blow fresh air inside. Recharge the ring again to use the portal. To use the spell, you need either an archmage or to buy a lot of very expensive spell-crystals. In addition, everybody is afraid that someone else could learn the spell and steal the ring with the cattle inside. You can bind it to you simply by putting it on your finger. This unbinds it from the previous owner. People want the spell removed, but I don''t know how. I fear we will destroy the ring if we try to remove the spell."

    I opened the portal and stepped inside. He followed me:

    ¡°There is an emergency button there,¡± - he pointed to one side - ¡°from where you can open the portal from the inside. Old Petra always feared that he might remain blocked inside. It is a pity to sell this for only twenty gold, but I want it out.¡± - he shrugged - ¡°Too many memories linked to it.¡±

    I nodded. It was a spacious, big enough place to accommodate Sid and the rest. No need to waste more time. We got back out.

    ¡°How did it come into your possession?¡±

    ¡°Old Petra had no direct heir. When he died, his goods were divided between the people to whom he owed money, he had more outstanding debt than assets, and from his extended family, nobody wanted to take ownership for that debt.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, I''ll give you twenty gold for it.¡±

 Chapter 108 â€“ Guts Post

    ¡°Do you have so much gold or need a loan? Because...¡±

    ¡°I have it. Can you give me extra paper and a pencil and...¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Could I say a spell here in your room?" - at his enquiring eyes, I added -"There is a perfect ley lines symmetry here that would help greatly for my spell." - I sighed - "You know I have a bit of a small mana reservoir.¡±

    He watched me mesmerized:

    ¡°You sensed that? That''s exactly the reason why I built my house in this spot decades ago when the land was cheap. Well, I could even let you tell your spell in my basement. Don''t look at me like that; I do have a special room where I tell my important spells; the resonance is even better there!¡±

    I raised a brow as he said that. I followed him into his basement through a couple of heavily fortified doors. I was a little uneasy about following him, but Flo repeatedly assured me that it was OK.

    ¡°You said the same with that bloody vampire, and it ended badly.¡±

    ¡°It is different this time!¡±

    Yeah, sure.

    We made the transaction; I paid the twenty gold and got that funny donut with a button and a hole. It could be worn as a ring or as a pendant, but it needed skin contact to charge itself with mana.

    ¡°Do you have a sharp tool with which I could make an inscription on it?¡±

    He watched me, horrified:

    ¡°I am a spellcraft-jeweler! It is my pride as a jeweler I can make fast and perfect the inscription. What should I write and where? I''ll do it for the same price!¡±

    ¡°Oh, ok, much better, but then let me write on paper what you should put on it.¡±

    As soon as I wrote it, he took the note and looked at it.

    ¡°May I ask what it means? Just being curious, you don''t have to answer.¡±

    ¡°It means: ''Alice to wear. Push here to open'' in one of the adventurer''s languages. Put it please on the button.¡±

    Why did I choose Alice? Tina''s magic was the most compatible with the ring, but Alice had more magic, and even if the ring charging will be less efficient with Alice carrying it, it would go faster. I did not argue with Flo on magic and magic compatibility matters.

    The dwarf nodded:

    ¡°Oh, I got it. The letters are familiar. That''s not a button, that''s an emerald, and it is really small. The writing will be itsy bitsy tiny. Is this OK? I guess nobody will see it? Or?¡±

    ¡°It is OK; he will see it.¡± The Lynx.

    He raised a brow and nodded. As he wanted to leave to make the inscription, Flo added fast:

    ¡°Can I meanwhile prepare the room for my spell? Can I use this pain?¡±

    ¡°Sure... but that is no pain but a silver solution!? It is half a gold the bottle. If you use much, I''ll have to charge it to you.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Oh! Let me write a short note before, to put inside!¡±

    I wrote the note hastily:

    "Dears,

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I am not sure when I''ll be able to communicate with you again. When you see the portal opening, please get inside and wait there; it will be my signal to start the spell to retrieve you all.

    Love, Cala"

    I thought if to write Cala and Flo or Cala and Flo and Dolores, but they know it is me, all of us, don''t they?

    Once the letter was finished, we went out again, and Flo dropped the letter inside the ring.

    We returned to the basement, and Flo started to paint some hieroglyphs and signs on the floor. He stayed for a moment to watch me.

    ¡°What''s that?¡±

    She answered without raising her head, continuing her work.

    ¡°Mana boosters spells. It should increase the mana intake from the environment to help me with the spell.¡±

    "Oh?"

    He raised a brow and then left. When he came back, I was almost finished with the painting. He gave me the ring.

    ¡°Is this OK? The writing came out really small...¡±

    Flo just glanced at it.

    ¡°It is perfect!¡±

    "And you wanted to write all this with a sharp tool?"

    Flo answered with a grin:

    "No, I only wanted to put an arrow to it, but it is much better like this!"

    ¡°Oh, OK. May I stay here during your spell?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but please stay at the side, away from the painting, and do not interfere. If you stay in this room, you need to know that the spell might absorb some of your mana in the process. If you move inside the painted area, that may be really bad."

    "Bad, how bad?"

    "Think of big mana fluctuations with you as a source. Burnings would be minor effects. It might even kill you if you get inside exactly at the moment when I cast it.¡±

    ¡°Me? A high-level caster?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    He watched the inscriptions with wary eyes.

    ¡°These are very high-level inscriptions that I do not understand... or only gibberish?¡±

    Flo grinned:

    "Only gibberish!"

    She shrugged and took a knife. He was now in a corner, near the door, watching the happening interested.

    She took a deep breath and then plunged the knife into my belly with a swift movement. His eyes bulged; he gasped but did not move.

    The surprise pain made me scream in my mind:

    She laughed softly, a pained laugh as a line of blood started flowing over my belly, dripping on the floor.

    ¡°Have you not yet understood?¡±

    She shrugged, a pained shrug, placing the spacial ring into the cut and pushing it inside my belly with two fingers. She navigated it to exactly that point where I had that excruciating pain last time when she used the lightfire spell. She fitted it carefully with her fingers until she was satisfied with the position.

    She spelled at first a small healing spell, and I heard the dwarf gasping.

    Blood continued to drip, but then she slowly retired her fingers, spelling small healing spells that sealed the ring inside at the desired position and stopped the bloodletting.

    She drew a long relieved breath, took the staff in her hand, and started to concentrate, waiting for my mana to replenish. But it was not only waiting; slowly, the inscriptions on the floor started to lighten up like neon lights, one after the other, as mana flows increased. She then started to spell the lightfire spell, and I understood what she wanted to do.

    ¡°You are crazy! Do you want to send them my belly with the ring? What if it explodes?¡±

    If the ring is cut, will it not explode? This is a spacial construct; if you break it? Oh shit!

    She did not answer, concentrating on the spell. A pulse of light shook me, and it felt as if a beast had bitten my belly. Devoured alive!

    I fell to the ground, the inscriptions evaporating instantly with the spell burning the ground around. I heard him gasping. The pain of my maimed belly was insupportable, but Flo had some methods to attenuate it that allowed me to still think clearly.

    ¡°What did you do? Did you sacrifice yourself?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± - I could barely speak. I crumbled in the fetal position hugging my knees, trying to stop the tears running on my face.

    I was happy. The spell had succeeded.

    ¡°I did it! It worked! I''ll heal myself... I just need a little mana...¡±

    I lost my conscience.

 Chapter 109 - Misusing an Angel

    When your character loses its conscience in Mephisto, you do not see what is happening around you; however, something was now off with my setup. I still had an understanding of the environment.

    I think Andy lost her conscience due to the high blood loss. White Flower''s healing typically does replace the blood loss, but Andy was too low a healer, and her healing, even if based on White Flower''s understanding, could not and did not work as well.

    As Andy''s eyes were wide open, I still could see, but I could not do anything, not even move my pupils to follow a movement; I saw only what was in front of me. I saw how the dwarf came hesitatingly towards me to halt suddenly as Bubble started to move.

    ¡°What is this? A parasite?¡± - he said, taking a step back.

    He tried again to come closer, but Bubble blocked the way. He lost precious time quarreling with Bubble, and I was very afraid that he would kill the little slime. As I could not do anything, everything was just scary and frustrating!

    Then the picture froze and started to become blank. This was still not in line with how things should happen when your character is not by conscience, but soon my confabulation came to a stop as my thinking process got hampered. It was as if my mind would get slower and slower, as if walking through denser mud and then freezing in a blank stare.

    *

    Spartacius had been combining new dishes, now at Tina''s advice, whilst they were all playing jury in the quest of finding the best possible dessert.

    ¡°Mmmm. Not bad. Maybe you need more syrup?¡± - said the Lynx wetting his lips with his tongue.

    ¡°No, not syrup. I was thinking of adding more honey!¡± - countered Tina trying to concentrate on the aftertaste in her mouth.

    ¡°Buerk! It is impossibly sweet as it is, and you want to add even more honey?¡± - protested Alice.

    Sid was savoring the dish keeping his eyes closed. He had received a giant portion, fit for a dragon, as he had complained that previous pieces had been too small for him to give an appraisal.

    Spartacius took a small bite from his cake but instead of giving his ''cake opinion'' voiced one of the thoughts that had been preoccupying him for some time.

    ¡°You know, I think I have a way to leave this cavern. I could try to check if Cala has any problems and try to bring a portal myself.¡±

    As soon as he said that, his cheeks became red. Smelling a rat, the Lynx raised a brow and turned at him:

    ¡°Where is the catch?¡±

    Spartacius took a deep breath:

    ¡°Well, there is no catch... hm... it goes about misusing an angel...¡±

    Tina laughed as if hearing a good joke while Alice furrowed her brows, observing him carefully:

    ¡°You are being serious?¡±

    "Misusing an angel?" - wondered the Lynx - "This is a new low. Let''s do it!"

    Spartacius nodded at Alice and made a grimace at the Lynx.

    ¡°It is a minor exploit of the situation I am in.¡±

    The Lynx grinned:

    ¡°An exploit?¡±

    ¡°What situation are you in?¡± - wondered Tina - ¡°what do you mean?¡±

    Spartacius sighed, his cheeks becoming redder:

    ¡°Well, I am technically only fourteen; therefore, I am specially protected.¡±

    Tina tried to protest:

    ¡°Nonsense! I am not yet thirteen, technically and non-technically, or whatever you want! Where is my special protection? Besides, you must be twenty-something!¡±

    Alice interrupted her:

    ¡°I know how you feel, but we all know that Spartacius is twenty; however, Michael is fourteen.¡± - she turned towards Spartacius - ¡°so what about that?¡±

    ¡°That''s always confusing!¡± - mumbled Tina

    ¡°Let the boy explain!¡± - interrupted the Lynx

    Spartacius turned a bit aghast towards the Lynx at being called a boy, but the Lynx only shrugged, looking at him. You just said you are fourteen? He sighed again and started to explain:

    ¡°I think I''ve told you that if I am in any situation that is deemed inappropriate for my age, I would be pulled away.¡±

    ¡°You said teleported away!¡± - corrected Alice

    He nodded.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Well, that''s it, but the mechanism is a bit different. From what I''ve read about it, I believe there is an angel that is continuously by me. If anything becomes inappropriate, the angel would protect me and pull me away and place me in the next protected town. However, I have only 3 strikes, and then I would be banned from the world. That is to force me to try to avoid such situations.¡±

    ¡°Interesting thing. So how many such ''teleports'' did you consume so far?¡± - asked the Lynx.

    ¡°None¡±

    ¡°OK. So you could be pulled away by an angel. And what should we do to make it happen? Kill you? Torture you? Cut your limbs? Eat your liver?¡±

    Spartacius sighed and looked down.

    ¡°No, that is not protected, but if one of the girls would try to do something... ahm... sexually with me... ahm...¡±

    Alice started to laugh:

    ¡°Nice try! This is a new and original way I was never asked before! I give you that!¡±

    ¡°Don''t even dream of getting kissed by me!¡± - protested Tina

    The Lynx laughed, rolling on the floor:

    ¡°No limb cutting would do it, but being kissed by a girl is protected! That''s what''s called angel protection!¡±

    A red-cheeked Spartacius turned towards Alice.

    ¡°Well, maybe some sadistic torturing would do it too, but... but... OK, it sounds stupid, but it should work. For instance, if you would bare your breasts in front of me... It''s preferable to be tortured... Maybe even try to kiss me...¡±

    Even his ears became striking red.

    ¡°You can dream about it! But we can talk in more detail about which torture would do it,¡± - protested Tina crossing her hands above her lemon-sized breasts.

    Alice furrowed her brows again, looking at him while Sid finally gulped down the cake.

    ¡°Now, now, ladies, don''t kill him with your looks!¡± - laughed the Lynx, but then he turned towards Spartacius with a sigh - ¡°I''m with you, nice try, but look, Cala was almost completely naked when she came out of the wolshi. That did not seem to work for your angel; you are still here. It does not seem to work.¡±

    Spartacius shrugged, looking intensively at the ground.

    ¡°Maybe because she didn''t want to show anything, it just happened... There was nothing sexual in that; she was just hurt and bleeding...¡±

    ¡°Give me the food sack!¡± - said Tina - ¡°if you may disappear from here, we should still have something to eat!¡±

    Spartacius handed her his magic food sack:

    ¡°True, it is a good point. Why? Are you going to...?¡±

    He got a slap over his face that he didn''t try to block.

    ¡°No. Who do you think I am?¡± - protested Tina.

    ¡°Oh girls, that''s not such a terrible request. He may be right. If this works, he may at least be out of here! If it were about me, I would do it.¡± - said the Lynx looking askew at Alice.

    She sighed tiredly.

    "Oh well..."

    She slowly took off her blouse. It was no show, but she hesitated. Then she did it and turned to face him. Nothing happened. With a grunt, she bowed and pitched his genitals with her hand.

    ¡°Yay?¡± - yelled a surprised Spartacius bowing and smacking his face involuntarily against her bare shoulder and breast.

    ¡°It does not work!¡± - concluded the Lynx whilst a somewhat angry and redfaced Alice was picking up her blouse from the ground.

    ¡°Turn around and stop looking at me. If I find out you did this just to... ¡ì$%*#&/!!¡±

    ¡°No, no! I swear!¡± - protested Spartacius cutting her off. He then looked confused somewhere in the air, wondering - ¡°but if this does not work, it means I am no longer protected...¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the unprotected club!¡± - suspired Tina - ¡°why should you be protected and I not?¡±

    ¡°So you mean an angel should have intervened?¡± - wondered the Lynx - ¡°is this true when Michael is not here?¡±

    ¡°I think it is.¡± - confirmed Spartacius with some hesitation.

    The Lynx shrugged. An already clad Alice furrowed her brows while putting her blouse in order:

    ¡°Can this have something to do with the fact that angel resurrection does not work? You know that ghost, Ivar, he complained about that.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck! You may be right!¡± - exclaimed Spartacius - ¡°Can it be that the same angels are tasked with both things?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it is one and the same angel?¡± - wondered Tina, then she pointed at something inside the grotto, hitting Spartacius with her elbow in the stomach -¡°Maybe your angel was only delayed?¡±

    Strange lights were illuminating the grotto in a place not far away from them. As Spartacius turned to watch the lights, a slap landed over his head.

    ¡°That was for your stupid request!¡± - explained Alice, then added - ¡°That is our angel, Cala. I recognize White Flower''s spell.¡±

    Spartacius turned to look at Alice whilst rubbing his head, then exclaimed happily:

    ¡°Finally she is coming back!¡± - and then mumbled low voice - ¡°...actually it was worth it...¡±

    The Lynx grinned but said nothing.

    ¡°What took her so long?¡± - wondered Tina.

    As they spoke, they stood up and approached the place where the light show of the spell played. The Lynx grunted:

    ¡°Don''t get too close. I fear something is wrong with the spell, and that may be dangerous!¡±

    Sid looked worried at him, speaking for the first time:

    ¡°What do you mean? Why do you say that?¡±

    Instead of the Lynx, Alice answered:

    ¡°I think the spell takes too long...¡±

    The Lynx nodded:

    ¡°Yes, and it is weak. It is her spell, and yet it is not her; this is not White Flower!¡±

    They looked at each other just as the spell ended with a small blast. Drops of liquid flew in all directions, and something fell with a splash on the stones. Spartacius cleaned his face with a hand.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    A shocked Tina exclaimed, almost out of breath:

    ¡°Blood! I am full with blood! The spell backfired! She is dead!!¡±

    Instantly the Lynx licked his face clean.

    ¡°Keep cool; it was not so much blood, besides... No, this is not Cala. There is a different taste...¡±

    With round saucer eyes, Spartacius turned to him:

    ¡°Taste? Have you tasted that? Besides, how do you know how Cala tastes?¡±

    The Lynx shrugged:

    "I''ve been splashed with her blood already a couple of times, not to count when I''ve bitten her down from the wolshi and ran with her in my mouth. I cannot turn off my taste buds. Besides, how else should I clean my nose?"

    Sid pushed them to the side and touched the rests carefully with his tongue. A desperate Tina exclaimed:

    ¡°Gaaah. Why do you do that!?¡±

    She was trying to clean the splattered gore from her blouse with a handkerchief.

    Sid raised his head and moved his mandible as if he would be eating.

    ¡°Dark elf,¡± - said Sid after a while, surprising all

    ¡°Dark elf?¡±

    ¡°How do you know how dark elf tastes?¡± - wondered Spartacius

    ¡°Ahm...¡±

    ¡°It''s not the point now!¡± - protested Tina.

    ¡°It''s not what you think! I had a dark elf nanny!¡±

    ¡°A nanny? You used to eat your nanny?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, NO! I was small, I''ve bitten her many times when my teeth were growing... ¡± - he shrugged but did not elaborate further, then added - ¡°dark elf... and strawberries... half-digested.¡±

    They all looked at each other surprised. Tina exclaimed shocked:

    "Half digested dark elf?"

    Sid sighed:

    "No, silly, the strawberries."

    "I''m not silly!" - said Tina furrowing her brows.

    The Lynx lowered his nose closer to the gore on the floor.

    "Smells like gastric juices... and indeed strawberries. Why would somebody send us half-digested strawberries?"

    "Who and why would send us the content of a dark elf stomach?"

    Sid turned to the asking Alice:

    "And part of the stomach too!?"

    Spartacius twisted his nose:

    "This smells like a backfired spell - forgive the pun!"

    "And yet it was a long spell. It was much longer than how White Flower tells the spell, but it was the same spell" - Alice looked down hesitatingly "... and it did not look like it backfired. It seemed to close normally. Somebody targeted this point. Who knew of it?"

    Spartacius shrugged:

    "The orcs?"

    Tina shook her head:

    ¡°Maybe somebody else too. Who knows who was here before?¡±

    Alice pointed down as the Lynx was examining the clump:

    "White Flower had set up her lightfire precisely in this point..." - her eyes lit up - "There is something shiny on the ground under this stomach skin!¡±

    She bowed and picked up an object from the gore that looked like a somewhat bloated ring.

    ¡°Is that a ring?¡±

    "Looks like a ring..."

    ¡°Why would she send us a ring?¡±

    ¡°Not she, a dark elf!¡±

    ¡°No, she sent us the stomach of a dark elf including the content¡­ wait...¡± - the Lynx interrupted himself, looking at the ring in Alice''s hand - ¡°There is something written on that emerald!¡±

    Tina shook her head:

    ¡°No, those are only scratches!¡±

    Alice cleaned the ring on the arm of her shirt:

    ¡°Indeed, there is something written!... In one of the adventurer''s languages!¡±

    She read out loud:

    ¡°Alice to wear. Push here to open.¡±

    They looked at each other.

 Chapter 110 - Two Bed Stories

    When Andy finally regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a bed with a healer standing beside her and an agitated old dwarf watching her closely.

    The healer gave Andy a warm smile before turning to address Old Hanner. "You see," she explained, "the spell had backfired, causing a lot of internal bleeding."

    She watched them unsure, not used to receiving kindness from others.

    ¡°How do you feel, young Andy? OK?¡± - Old Hanner asked with a worried voice increasing her anxiety: something bad was about to happen, wasn''t it?

    Andy placed a hand on her belly. The insufferable pain was somewhat attenuated but still present. She felt dizzy and tired. She winced as she touched the barely patched deep wound. The healer noticed her discomfort and placed her hand over hers in a soothing gesture: "Take your time, young Andy. It will take a little longer for you to recover. I did what I could with my spell and placed some healing crystals under your bed. In a couple of days, you should be feeling better!"

    Andy looked at the healer, surprised. Nothing bad had happened yet. Are they really not going to hurt her? As the healer covered her with a white bed sheet, she still expected something terrible to happen, somebody to hit her.

    She was feeling confused and tried to make order in her head.

    She knew she was Cala, but not really her. It was such a confusing feeling. She knew Cala was a powerful mage; how could she be Cala when she was just a low-level mage and angry with those limitations?

    Limitations? A couple of days ago, she had been nothing but a slave ready to be sacrificed, and now she was a mage?

    Was it true that she knew more types of magic, something unheard of, or was it just a dream?

    She knew she was an escaped slave. Cala had freed her. Her breast rose as she took pride in that fact: a mighty warrior mage had taken her over and freed her. She still had Cala''s thoughts in her mind, but she knew she could not possibly be Cala. Cala had not been a slave!

    She was too busy with her thoughts to pay attention to the dwarf and the healer conversing near her bed.

    Why did Cala take her over? Then she remembered the spell she had just cast, the spell that was the cause of her illness, but she was happy for the trade. Yes, Cala had used her, but at the same time freed her and taught her a lot of spells!

    Then she remembered she could heal herself. Could she really heal herself? Since when?

    But she had done it, and that part of her who thought she was Cala knew it. Then she must know it.

    She closed her eyes and remembered the thought. Was it only a thought? Probably! It had worked like this:

    <heal>

    It was just a thought, a simple thought, and yet as she opened her eyes, she saw the silver light passing between her fingers and spreading over her body.

    She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. The thought had been the spell.

    She recognized it; it had been that feeling, and that had been the spell. Plus, she was feeling better; the magic had worked.

    It was not how healers did their spells; it was not how mages did their spells. They all chanted and vocalized their magic. She didn''t have to say a word; she only needed the thought.

    She grinned happily and thought at it again:

    <heal>

    It worked again.

    The healer had not seen her. She was on the cusp of leaving, still talking with the dwarf, but the dwarf had seen her. His brows had raised up, and his face showed a moment of surprise, but he didn''t say anything.

    The dwarf left the room behind the healer. She stood up. She was not yet fully healed, but another two <heal> spells were enough. She checked her belly with her hands: it hurt no more.

    At that moment, the door opened again, and the dwarf came back into the room. She turned to greet him and grinned happily, but the dwarf turned his face away as if shocked to see something.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He was not happy.

    A wave of panic washed over her. Oh, Gods, she had again moved freely without her master allowing her to do it! Years of training compelled her to fall instantly on her knees. She placed her palms down on the floor.

    "Oh, sorry, master, I''m ashamed my appearance did indispose you! I deserve punishment!" - she bowed her head waiting for the deserved punishment. Something in her rebelled against this, she almost stood back up, but the habit was too strong.

    The dwarf took a step back, surprised, and turned away from her.

    "Uh, no, young Andy, there is no master here?"

    "I know I''m too ugly to look at; I was told that many times; sorry."

    She curled up, trying to make herself small, but slowly her brain started to realize that something was off and the ''training'' that she had received was not applicable here.

    The dwarf hesitated, then answered:

    "You are looking marvelous young Andy¡± - he sighed - ¡°don''t let anybody tell you something else! That is not the problem."

    He moved awkwardly to reach for a blanket. She stood up even more awkwardly, realizing again she was no longer in that damn cavern. How easy was it to fall back into those damn patterns? She did not have to follow those rules. She still asked:

    "Then why can''t you look at me?"

    It was such a sincere question that he sighed in despair. He turned and looked at her:

    "When I say marvelous, I mean it!" - he shrugged, smiling weakly, trying somehow to fit the blanket on her back beside the wings- "It is only the convenience in this society. Look, there is your inventory box and..."

    She was now angry with herself. Why did she give in to that instinct to abase and prostrate herself? She was free! She had fought brutal battles to free herself. Yes, true, Cala did that, but Cala was her; Cala''s thoughts were still in her mind. Her body and her life had been on the line.

    When he pointed to the desk where her inventory box was, she saw the little slime and more memories from the previous day''s fight came to her mind.

    "Bubble!"

    She jumped towards the desk where Bubble was imprisoned in a glass container. Old Hanner wanted to protest, but she opened the container, and Bubble sprang instantly on her hand, then rolled to her shoulder.

    "So it is your... ahem... animal?"

    "Companion!"

    "Oh, I see, companion. Not familiar?¡±

    She saw his red face, but he did not abate his eyes. Maybe this was natural with dwarfs? At least he was not angry with her. She smiled, recognizing the appellation:

    ¡°Oh yes, she said it was my familiar!¡±

    ¡°Who said that?¡±

    Andy hesitated to answer. No, she will not rat Cala out:

    ¡°I... I... said it... "

    The old dwarf raised a brow but did not comment. She added, trying to explain:

    "When I saw through his eyes."

    "Oh. You should keep that secret; the powers of your familiar are yours and his secrets. I did not know they had eyes..."

    He smiled and added with a guilty look:

    ¡°Ahem... I had quite the trouble to... put it there..."

    She furrowed her brows:

    "He is outraged that you forcibly imprisoned him!"

    Old Hanner made an apologetic shrug:

    "Sorry. He did not want to let me approach you... I wanted to help, and then I feared it would harm you, so I closed it there."

    "Bubble to harm me?" - she laughed, a burst of happy laughter - "No! Never!"

    Bubble bubbled two times on her shoulder. She was finally dressing up, and old Hanner sighed, relieved. He shrugged, amused:

    "Please tell him my apologies; I only meant the best for you!"

    *

    I opened my eyes. I was in a hospital room. There was a nurse there and a lot of devices on the wall supervising my health. The nurse bowed, looked at me then pressed a communicator device:

    "Doctor, she regained her consciousness!"

    She came closer and adjusted the infusion I was getting.

    I wondered where old Hanner was. Did that old dwarf pick me up and bring me to a hospital?

    However, this did not look like a nursery from Mephisto''s game but rather like an emergency room on Earth. What was happening?

    I tried to check if I had horns, but I could not move my hand. It was tied down to the bed.

    "It''s for your own safety," - the nurse said, observing my movement.

 Chapter 111 - Why a Dark Elf?

    The group was gathered around a small stash of burning arrows that Alice had created. She was able to conjure one every so often, providing enough light for them to see each other.

    Tina also contributed by creating small fires to add to the illumination and practice her magic skills. She sat on one of the Lynx''s paws, and to keep warm, she leaned against his furry shoulder, and the Lynx gently accommodated her.

    Alice was standing next to Sid''s massive head, scratching him behind the left ear while examining a ring in her other hand, while Sid was emitting noises, like a pouring cat, that sounded like a distant tractor.

    On the other side, Spartacius periodically pulled different types of food from his magic bag, which disappeared almost instantly as the giant dragon or the Lynx claimed them. Interestingly, they never competed for the same food, even though everyone''s attention was focused on Alice and the ring she was inspecting.

    ¡°Push here to open!¡± - the Lynx said, pointing at the ring with a claw - ¡°we should do that!¡±

    Tina shrugged. ¡°But why does it say Alice to wear?¡± - she wondered.

    They looked at each other, not wiser.

    Spartacius interrupted his work with the food bag and pointed toward the ring. ¡°What if it''s a trap?¡±

    Alice raised a brow and looked at him. ¡°A trap?¡±

    ¡°Well, we got something from a dark elf! That excludes Cala and White Flower.¡± - Spartacius continued his idea - "Maybe it comes from some other prisoner in a nearby place? Who knows how many people have the orcs imprisoned here?"

    "But who would know that Alice is here?" - Tina asked

    Spartacius was not ready to give up on his idea. "Maybe they heard the name?"

    Sid shrugged but abstained from voicing his opinion. He only pocked Tina, who now had Spartacius'' food bag, for more cookies.

    "More cookies, please."

    His bass, rumbling voice rolled like an avalanche through the cavern.

    Tina nodded, grabbing for cookies inside the bag.

    "Nonsense, Spartacius. That''s too contrived to be a reasonable possibility. Where did the dark elf find the strawberries? They do not grow in caverns! Where from the fine tools to write that tiny message on the ring?" - the Lynx protested, looking at Spartacius.

    "Yes, and?" - Spartacius shrugged - "Maybe he got the strawberries from the orcs?"

    Tina rolled her eyes. "The orcs feeding their prisoners strawberries! That''s the best one!"

    "Or maybe it had some food bag similar to mine that''s making strawberries? We could have some!" - Spartacius opined.

    Sid shook his huge head. "No thanks. Smelling those half-digested had cut my appetite."

    As they continued debating, the Lynx lost his patience:

    ¡°We can talk for the next couple of hours, and we will not be wiser, or we can just push it and find out,¡± - then, with a shrug and a swift move, he pushed the button.

    As the Lynx''s claw pressed the emerald on the ring in Alice''s hand, a portal opened, swallowing Tina instantly. Spartacius jumped to the side, desperately screaming:

    ¡°Tina!!! Tina!!!¡±

    The Lynx watched the portal sheepishly and exclaimed: ¡°Oops!¡± - then jumped inside it, following Tina.

    Alice''s hand holding the ring trembled, but she did not throw it away. The three watched each other in silence for a moment.

    Alice''s face turned white as she spoke: ¡°Everything ok in there?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are here inside whatever this thing is,¡± - the Lynx replied from inside the portal - ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± - Alice answered - ¡°is Tina OK?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A bit scared but OK.¡±

    ¡°Idiot, you could have killed somebody!¡± - Alice said, looking towards the portal. It was extremely rare for Alice to admonish somebody like that.

    "Sorry, I was sure this must be something from White Flower; I thought it would open some small inventory box or a message," - the Lynx answered from inside the portal.

    ¡°They could have put up a warning message or at least an info that a portal is opening. Where does it lead?¡± - Sid grumbled in his deep voice, a bit unhappy that the cookies were gone with Tina, who had been holding Spartacius'' cookies-making bag lately.

    The portal was probably not pointing to a faraway zone for somebody to be able to talk through it. The more extended range, the stronger the sound attenuation was, about what the air would allow propagating. For them to be able to speak through, this must have been a very local portal, probably to a hidden room. This was confirmed a moment later by the Lynx.

    ¡°Nowhere... This is something like a barn... there is manure on the floor and traces of cows... It rather looks like a farmer''s transport ring!?... Oh, a letter!"

    ¡°Hey, the portal is closing!¡± - Sid interrupted the conversation - ¡°Can you get out?¡±

    ¡°The portal is right up above our heads but too high. Can you move it lower?¡±

    Alice shifted the ring carefully in her hand and wondered:

    ¡°How? Is it better now?

    The portal didn''t move much, only a little bit, but it probably shifted inside the ring as the Lynx jumped out of it with Tina on his back just seconds before it disappeared. The Lynx breathed a sigh of relief and looked guilty, with his ears flattened against his head.

    "The portal must have exhausted the ring''s mana reserves. The reason Alice was asked to wear the ring was likely to recharge it. I still think the ring came from White Flower and Cala.¡± - the Lynx explained.

    ¡°You may be onto something¡± - Alice nodded, then added - ¡°You''ve said something about a letter? That should clarify it!¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The Lynx nodded gladly. ¡°Yes, Tina has it!¡±

    Tina slid down the Lynx''s side and landed on the ground, with bits of hay in her hair and smelling of the dirt from the old barn. The Lynx bowed his head apologetically.

    "Sorry, Tina," - he said.

    She patted his side to reassure him and then raised her hand with the letter. "I think I might need some conjured water," she said, obviously aware of her new fragrance.

    Alice took the letter from Tina''s hand, unrolled it, and read it out loud while Tina and Spartacius moved a little further for her to wash her face and hands.

    "My dear friends,

    I am not sure when I''ll be able to communicate with you again.

    When you see the portal remotely opened, you must get inside the barn and wait there; it will be my signal to start the spell to retrieve you all. I don''t know when I''ll be able to do that, but I''m working on it!

    Love, Cala"

    ¡°Shit, should we be inside it now? Will the ring disappear?¡± - a big-eyed Tina said.

    The Lynx shook his head. ¡°I guess not; we opened it; it was not opened remotely. It says Alice should wear it, probably for mana, as we assumed. I guess she would be the most efficient mana factory here.¡±

    ¡°No. I would be,¡± - Sid said, then wondered - ¡°Is Cala now a dark elf?¡±

    ¡°It says I should wear it, so I''ll do that. Maybe it is a mana compatibility issue, or she simply misjudged... No, White Flower would not do that, she knows, so it must be a compatibility issue.¡± - Alice said - ¡°From the letter, it is implied the portal would be opened remotely. There is still some other magical inscription on the ring that I cannot translate.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± - the Lynx nodded - ¡°it looks like some kind of a spell part.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± - Sid said at his turn.

    "I don''t see that!?" - Tina wondered, looking at the others as she came back to the group, giving up on her attempt to remove the barn fragrance.

    ¡°So,¡± - Spartacius said - ¡°A dark elf sends us the content of his stomach, including this ring that just happens to have a letter signed Cala... Oh, fuck! I was completely wrong, and you were right Lynx!¡±

    "Your eyes cannot yet read magic runes." - Alice explained as she turned first to Tina and then to Spartacius, who was just sighing and lowered his head. ¡°You look as if someone had sunk all your boats!¡± - she said.

    ¡°Where do you have that one from?¡± - Spartacius asked, but as Alice shrugged, he watched them, then explained - ¡°This is no trap by some dark elf who ate strawberries and sacrificed his guts, but Cala, who had problems getting back into this world.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean with ''problems getting back into this world''?¡± - Tina wondered.

    Spartacius turned to her and involuntarily wrinkled his nose.

    "OK, we may sit down again and have some cookies. This conversation will take some time, and our escape from here will take much longer."

    As he spoke, he sat back on the stone he was sitting on before, and his hand was already in the air asking for cookies. His face was pale, and he had a tired look in his eyes. Alice exchanged a worried look with the Lynx.

    Oblivious to the mood change, Tina handed him some cookies and again made herself comfortable on the mountain of fur that sat behind her, which accommodated her gently. The others sat again around the fire.

    "So?" - Tina asked, raising her brows.

    "Well, as you know, Cala and me, we are players. We come from a different world to play into this one. As you know, my name is Michael, and I play Spartacius. This spawn, Spartacius, is my avatar in this game, as Cala is Dolores''s avatar. There is a possibility to take the avatar out of this world, what we call a complete logout.

    As you see, Cala is gone; she is no longer in this world. And now we got a message from Cala but sent by a dark elf. It was not sent by White Flower. Why? I can only conclude that she was not able to bring Cala with White Flower back into this world, so she had to take another avatar."

    "OK, but once you do what you call a complete logout, you can always come back, isn''t it?" - The Lynx asked.

    "True, but you cannot have two avatars active!" - Spartacius replied - "Besides, Dolores didn''t intend to take Cala away. Remember? Something happened, and Cala was gone. Where did she disappear? Exactly like White Flower before! Look, how does Michael come into this world?¡±

    ¡°It is you!¡± - Tina explained, pushing a finger onto his chest - ¡°So what do you want to say?¡±

    Spartacius sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Look, when Cala was here, she said that we were spawns, too, remember? She and me, we are spawns, isn''t it? And Dolores would then log out! But the surprise was that Cala did log out, too, with her. That was not expected. How can I explain this... Remember that first time White Flower disappeared, then...¡±

    ¡°She wanted to solve Cala''s problem,¡± - the Lynx said and nodded - ¡°Because Cala''s mind was torn when White Flower left with Dolores.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± - Spartacius said - ¡°When White Flower did that spell to fix Cala''s problem, she must have linked Cala to her. It did fix Cala''s problem, but she was taken away from here.¡±

    ¡°OK, but where is the connection to the dark elf?¡± - Alice asked.

    Spartacius turned to her.

    ¡°I speak now as Michael. When we come to this world, we come as some kind of ghost, and we take over spawns. We choose our spawns." - he pointed at his chest - "I have been chosen and christened by Michael. OK? He is, in a way, a spirit possessing me. Yes, that''s the way to describe it! OK? He comes from time to time here to play, but he needs me to act in this world. He even left an imprint in my mind. OK? When Cala was taken away, Dolores had no spawn to come back to, so she had chosen a new one, a dark elf.¡±

    ¡°Why a dark elf?¡± - Tina wondered.

    Spartacius shrugged.

    ¡°I don''t know. Maybe because they have high magic capabilities?¡± - he sighed - ¡°If my theory is correct, she couldn''t come here just because of her limited mana. Even though she knew White Flower''s spell, she could only teleport some small objects due to her low-level character''s mana pool. It was still a remarkable accomplishment! I assume the spell is focused on the center of gravity, which might have been painful for her to realize, and that''s why we got something from her guts. If you really think about it, she must have first tried, failed, realized what had happened, and then submitted herself to that painful experience again to send us the ring, which is likely her attempt to get us out of this prison."

    ¡°Hm. This is just a theory,¡± - Alice said.

    Spartacius shrugged and nodded:

    ¡°Yes. I haven''t been able to think of any other theory that makes sense so far. Maybe it is a dark elf who ate strawberries, wrote a message in Cala''s name, and exploded his guts to send us this ring to make us go inside it to ... I don''t know... imprison us? But that does not really make sense... "

    He shrugged again.

    ¡°You may be onto something,¡± - the Lynx nodded - ¡°Maybe only parts of it are true, but..¡± - he sighed - ¡°I wonder, could she pull the ring away from here the same way as she sent it?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Good question. Probably not the same way, probably that''s why there are those hidden runes on the ring.¡± - Alice said.

    ¡°It needs much more mana to pull the ring away with us inside. Well, we can wait and jump in when the portal opens,¡± - Sid said with a sigh.

    ¡°It cannot open now; the ring has no mana!¡± - a worried Tina countered.

    ¡°Don''t worry; if she tries now and does not succeed, she''ll do it again. With Alice wearing the ring, it will be loaded again soon,¡± - Spartacius said.

    Alice shrugged: ¡°And what should I do when this happens? Should I jump inside the portal too, or keep it on my finger?¡±

    ¡°You should jump inside, too,¡± - the Lynx decided.

    ¡°But what if we get trapped inside?¡± - Tina wondered.

    ¡°I think I saw some levers inside. You can probably control the portal from the inside, too, and open it. We have time to test it... yes, unless the dark-elf Cala calls it before, but I don''t think she will be able to solve the problem soon..¡± - the Lynx explained.

    Alice took Tina''s hand.

    "Come, I know a good place where we could clean you up properly, and you can exercise your magic to warm up some water. You need to change those clothes."

 Chapter 112 â€“ Looking For Another Way Out

    Was Spartacius'' theory correct? Was Cala now a dark elf? Was she no longer able to ''join the game'' as herself?

    ¡°What level should our dark-elf-Cala reach to be able to say a spell of this magnitude?¡± - Alice wondered - ¡°I mean, to get us out of here. Would a wolf level be enough? Or bear level? How long does it take to grow to bear level? Years?¡±

    "Maybe she can ask somebody else to do it for her?" - Spartacius tried to suggest but was ignored as Tina rolled her eyes and pointed towards Alice.

    ¡°Oh, stop with that peasants'' classification! It is stupid and confusing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± - the Lynx asked, intrigued.

    Tina took a deep breath.

    ¡°Look, the kingdom uses the military classification, which is clear and more straightforward. You have novices, trainees, and veterans. Everybody understands this.

    Now each class can be split in two. Each except novices. Higher-level veterans are also named hardened veterans. Some people get confused about which is better: first class or second class; that''s why hardened is the preferred denomination instead of second class. You have novices, first-class trainees, second-class trainees, veterans, and hardened veterans. Above them are the elites. Simple and clear, and you already speak of people with a higher level than wolf level, bear, or whatever other animals.

    All officers must train to become at least veterans, as all nobility does.¡±

    Alice raised a brow and watched her askew with a smile on her lips.

    ¡°Speaking of nobility, I have the feeling that you somehow missed those elite classes!¡±

    Spartacius huffed, but Tina rolled her eyes and sighed:

    ¡°Oh, well... There were two ways I could have gained power, as a cleric or as a sword warrior. Can you imagine me sweating in a stinking room with those ruffians and some mana crystals? No? Me neither! Or me praying for days on my knees in the same room? They do not open the windows, afraid that too much mana could get lost! As if mana cannot pass through walls and windows? Oh, I could have tried as a paladin too, but they said I had no talent. They wanted to make me a cleric. No, thank you! But I know how they work.¡±

    Alice wondered. "What about archer?"

    Tina shrugged.

    "Bows were not my friend."

    ¡°But why did you not try to learn to fight?¡± - Spartacius asked - ¡°At least to be able to defend yourself?¡±

    Tina sighed:

    ¡°I always had pa''s lieutenants guarding me. Do you think I could become better and stronger than them? No? Then why should I do that? When you fight, the risk of getting hurt is bigger than when you don''t.¡±

    ¡°And yet you ran from home to learn magic?¡± - asked Alice, now really wondering.

    Tina sighed again.

    ¡°Magic is different. I always dreamed of becoming a witch. But it was forbidden. Hey, we were talking about power classifications!¡± - Tina said, no longer feeling at ease with the turn of the conversation - ¡°What I wanted to say was that the popular classification is incomplete and covers only lower levels. They stop at bears, which are strong but puny in comparison with Cala or you, Alice.¡±

    Alice nodded: ¡°Lions, but still true.¡±

    ¡°What level would a bear-level fighter be?¡± - Tina asked, turning towards Spartacius.

    ¡°Bear-Level?¡± - he wondered, trying to answer. It was clear that his mind was not on the conversation.

    Tina rolled her eyes:

    ¡°I mean, in your adventurers'' guild classification!¡±

    ¡°Oh. That would be something about thirty-five, I think. But it varies from place to place.

    Tina nodded and then turned to Alice:

    ¡°And what level are you, Alice?¡±

    ¡°Cala said that I am level eighty-four.¡±

    ¡°See! That was my point.¡± - said Tina with a grin - ¡°The popular animal scale stops with the lion level. What level is a lion-level Spartacius?¡±

    ¡°Ahm, I think forty. But is your kingdom''s classification better?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. As I said, simpler, clearer, and better. Hardened vets are already lion-level and above, then you have the elites! So simple and efficient: novices, trainees, veterans, elites.¡±

    ¡°And where does Alice fit in this classification? Is she elite?¡± - the Lynx asked.

    ¡°Ahm. Alice and the like are outliers. I don''t know. I guess she would be legendary...¡± - Tina said hesitatingly.

    ¡°Then where do you put Cala and the Lynx?¡± - Spartacius asked with a burst of laughter ¨C ¡°not to talk about Sid?¡±

    Tina huffed.

    ¡°Are we talking now about dragons and other monsters?¡± - she asked with a shrug.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°More cookies, please?¡± - Sid-the-monster asked, poking Tina gently.

    Alice sighed.

    ¡°Sid, I wonder if you did not have too many cookies?¡±

    ¡°There can never be too many!¡± - Sid protested with a note of worry in his voice.

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± - the Lynx said in Sid''s defense - ¡°you need to multiply everything by one hundred if we talk about Sid''s food!¡±

    ¡°I am not against you talking about my food, but you should not talk about any limitations. You know nothing about what and how much I can eat!¡± - Sid mumbled with fake outrage.

    The conversation turned to cookies and what quantity would be too much. Spartacius stood up and walked a bit as if to stretch his legs. Alice watched him going further away. After a while, she stood up at her turn and walked closer to him.

    ¡°Do you want to be alone?¡± - she asked as she reached him

    ¡°No,¡± - he answered - ¡°just wanted to stretch my legs and think about things!¡±

    She smiled:

    ¡°That was a good idea you had with the dark elf being Cala. I think you are right about your theory. I did not think at it!¡±

    He gave her a sad smile in reply.

    ¡°Wow! Praise from Alice! Thank you! Well, it was easier for me to think at it, as I am one of those getting possessed, so I know a little how it works.¡±

    ¡°Are you angry?¡± - wondered Alice.

    Her blue eyes lit when she looked at him. He shook his head:

    ¡°Angry? No. Why should I be angry?¡±

    She furrowed her brows:

    ¡°Well, about Michael possessing you? Is this the right word? How do you cope with it?¡±

    He gave a chuckle in response, his eyes towards the dark part of the cavern.

    ¡°Oh! No.¡± - he answered, turning towards her - ¡°Interesting, but I am not angry. I think possession is the right word, even if, you know, I am at the same time also Michael?¡±

    He gave a sour laugh.

    ¡°I was complaining that I am not even a spawn! Well, I found out that I am a spawn, so why should I be angry?¡±

    He looked at her. As she did not say anything, he continued.

    ¡°I was a twenty years old man some time ago. Then Michael came, and now I am a twenty-year-old man with the mind of a fourteen-year-old boy,¡± - he sighed - ¡°Do you know that I had a girlfriend? Rosa was her name! We wanted to get married! I wonder what is she doing now? I left her. I left her in that quiet little village where nothing ever happened and went adventuring.¡± - his eyes became glassy as he tried to remember - ¡°I wonder what did I forget about her and about my life. You see, I was twenty. Did I ever have sex?¡± - he shrugged - ¡°I do not remember. Maybe I had none? Oh well. And yet I am not angry. I was a boy in a village somewhere in an obscure kingdom. Michael... took me over, and I became an adventurer. A warrior. I learned the skills of a warrior and have seen half of this continent already. Before Michael, my world was just that little village. Now I know that the world is far bigger. I would have never done this, so I have to thank Michael that he opened my eyes. To thank that part of me that is Michael because he is part of me.¡±

    He chuckled again, looking down, then he raised his eyes to watch her.

    ¡°But on the other side, I lost that life, and nobody asked me if I wanted or not. What Manchua the priest had said is... well, it is not so far away from reality...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± - wondered Alice balancing on her feet.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Devils. It fits perfectly to the description of devils coming from another realm to torment us.¡±

    As he said that, he was watching her intensively. She asked, surprised:

    ¡°Devils? You do not think you are possessed by a devil... or do you?¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°Oh no. I was just explaining that I understood why Manchua, the priest, came to this conclusion. Michael is an innocent kid if I can speak so about myself, but the truth is he comes here to play. For them, this is a game! Do you understand? For me, this is a game. For the Michael-me. But this is not a game.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± - Alice nodded with a sigh - ¡°This is what Cala had also said!¡±

    ¡°True, but you need to understand what this means. I''ll explain it to you.¡± - he made a couple of steps and then continued - ¡±I thought about this when I found out that I am no longer protected. That''s when I understood that it becomes really scary.¡±

    Alice raised a brow, but she let him continue.

    ¡°See, on one side, they do not feel pain like we do. Pain is, for them, much attenuated. On the other side, one of the reasons why this game is very popular is that here everything is possible. You can do anything you want in this game. You can live your fantasies, and some people have very dark fantasies. There is no limit to anything, including cruelty and gore. Slaves? If you have gold, you can buy them by the dozens. For them, it is a game, but for us, spawns, this is not a game. We get to feel it; we get to feel the pain.¡±

    ¡°So you are afraid? Cruelty and deadly acts were plenty in this world, even without adventurers! Cannibalism, slavery, torture, mutilation, gore, and mayhem exist, and I do not think the adventurers are the driving force in any of it. Most of them fight against it. Do you doubt this?¡±

    ¡°No. I just realized that it becomes more personal, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Is this why you got away from us? You thought we would look at you as a devil-possessed spawn?¡±

    He chuckled:

    ¡°No. I was wondering if there is no other way of getting out of the cavern. You see, I wonder why Cala did not put a portal in that damned ring. The escape would be so simple! No, she sends us a ring and will try to pull us away! To pull us away with a spell is a feat of an archmage. How should she be able to do that if she is only a low-level elf?¡±

    ¡°Do you doubt Cala?¡±

    He shook his head:

    ¡°No, but I doubt that she can perform miracles. She might need weeks, months, or years. Do we stay here and wait for her to do the work, or do we try to escape?¡±

    ¡°Escape? How?¡±

    ¡°I think I''ve seen a couple of smaller tunnels when I went last time around. I plan to explore those; maybe I can find another way out.¡±

    ¡°But you might get stuck in those narrow tunnels! Besides, even if you are lucky to find a way, you''ll probably end up caught by those orcs and killed. It is dangerous. Didn''t you say something about gore and torture? What do you think the orcs would do to those that try to escape? If anybody is going to try something, I should try. I am nimbler and stronger, but I would like to give Cala time. We are not pressed by time here.¡±

    ¡°You do not know what may happen and how much time we have. Besides, you cannot be the one to leave. You have the ring, and you have to bear it to load the portal. You have to stay where our people are. I do have some orc or goblin disguises in my inventory; I could trick my way with them if it comes to that; I did it already some time ago. Anyhow, first I''ll just inspect the tunnels around to see if they lead anywhere, then we''ll talk.¡±

 Chapter 113 - Give Me that Gold or Ill Burn You Down

    Alice watched as Spartacius walked away, the light from his torch slowly fading as he disappeared into the twists and turns of the cavern. He was marking his way with a piece of chalk, and she wondered if he would not end up losing his way, confused by the different markings from previous days.

    She hesitated about whether to stop him or not but ultimately decided to let him go. After all, he had good reasons to search for another way out, and maybe he needed some time alone.

    Alice let out a sigh and made her way back to the group.

    She found them sitting around a small mound of boulders that Sid had overheated with black breath. It was now their favorite sitting place.

    The first time they had tried this, a couple of stones had started to emit smoke, and they had to cool them down with conjured water and ask Sid to flap his wings to get rid of the toxic vapors.

    In the end, they found suitable stones that could be safely heated, and Sid found the right balance of black breath flames to bring them to the right temperature without overheating them.

    Sitting around the heated stones felt like sitting around a campfire, though they had to keep a little more distance from the glowing rocks than they would with a normal fire. Despite this, it provided more warmth than Alice''s flame arrows. While she could conjure arrows that provided more heat, they were explosive, and that was not really suitable as a campfire. Tina would use her magic fires if they needed additional light.

    They spent most of their time training; Tina had to complete her sports and magic hours daily, mostly under Alice''s supervision and was progressing nicely. The magic density in the grotto was high, and that would allow for fast progress; that''s why even Alice was training whenever the time allowed.

    They hadn''t heard any orcs lately, and Sid had mentioned that they rarely came to this part of the caverns and never entered except for the rare cases when accompanying Katan, but they had to remain careful.

    Previously food was thrown in about once in ten days. As the last ''delivery'' had been done relatively recently, they had time until the next, that is, if the ''prison-cavern'' would still be functioning now that Katan was dead. Depending on if and when the orcs would find out he is dead. So many ifs.

    Alice wondered if the camouflage that White Flower had set up at the entry to this part of the cavern was still active.

    As she approached the group, she walked in almost complete darkness; they kept no other light except the shimmering boulders. They were speaking in a very low voice; only a murmur was heard as she approached the group.

    She sat between the Lynx and Sid and looked at Tina, who was resting against the Lynx as usual. There was a point that was nagging at her, and she wanted to clarify it.

    ¡°One question Tina. The last time when I heard you talking about magic, you were outraged against everybody using it. Didn''t you say that people use magic in an impure form, and with this, they pervert nature with their magic instead of living in harmony with it? That mages and witches pervert and destroy the natural balance of all beings!? Was it not so that even the use of potions was not natural and would build devilish flesh? That flesh gained this way is prone to wicked wishes and carnal desire!? That only the priests with their holy healing are the natural healing that does not pervert the flesh and thus the soul?

    So how could you dream of becoming a witch when you thought like this?¡±

    Tina did not stop from producing roasted beef filets that she distributed between the Lynx and Sid, four for Sid, one for the Lynx, and raised her eyes to look at Alice, letting the tirade wash over her. She looked guilty but, at the same time, betrayed.

    ¡°You listened to me talking to Cala in the coach?¡± - she asked in the end.

    ¡°Maybe!¡± - Alice acknowledged, locking her eyes with Tina''s.

    Tina sighed:

    ¡°True, this is what they say. Using magic is a perversion against nature. It is what they teach us in schools and what they chant again and again in churches, but it is not true.¡±

    Alice raised a brow, surprised.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Ah? So you think they are not right? Then why did you say that to Cala if you do not believe it? You sounded very convincing to me?¡±

    Tina swallowed and looked down.

    ¡°I did not know Cala well enough at the time. I was afraid she would send me back... I...¡±

    Alice sighed. She did not know Cala well enough!? Did Cala not risk her life to free her? Did she not run away from home to stay under Cala''s protection? That and more were on her tongue, but she did not say it. Instead, she only asked:

    ¡°So, you do not believe that!?¡±

    ¡°That magic destroys nature?¡± - Tina shrugged - ¡°It is the church''s official position in the kingdom. The church is one of the main pillars of the monarchy. I could not speak against it.¡±

    ¡°Is it not the same as what the academy of science says?¡± - Alice wondered.

    Tina nodded. ¡°True,¡± - then laughed - ¡°our science academy has confirmed this finding and supports the clergy in this matter.¡±

    Alice placed her chin in her hands and wondered: ¡°And yet you do not believe it?¡±

    Tina looked very uncomfortable, then she sighed and continued:

    ¡°To say this is heresy of the highest level. You know what happens with heretics, don''t you? Haven''t you seen or heard about witches burning? After every heavy storm or earthquake, some guilty witches are found and end up on those piles of wood. Burned alive. Sometimes there is a bit of public torture before the burning to soothe the masses. In my case, it may be that I would be pardoned and end up in a monastery for the rest of my life. That is, if I am lucky, or maybe I would be packed and sent to the emperor if he would still want me."

    Alice''s blue eyes locked in hers.

    "What''s spoken in this cavern stays in this cavern. So is it not true? Are they not guilty of causing those catastrophes? I sincerely ask it. I wonder why you don''t believe it."

    Tina sighed.

    "Because it is too convenient to be true. Don''t tell this to anybody, it is not widely known, but it has to do with the power the church can harness from believers. I heard when my parents were talking about this between them. Most of the divine magic that the priests have comes from the many believers that go pray inside their churches. That''s why a priest without a church is so weak. My father was calling it ''milking the believers''. The mana of a mage, a druid, a shaman, or a witch, of all caster classes, cannot be harnessed by the church. Their magic is linked to their body and cannot be extracted. The believers have to be without a class to lose their mana like that.

    Imagine the church losing all that power. This would weaken them tremendously, and that''s why they fight so hard against what they call heretics. They have tried to harness their magic in many ways, but it does not work.¡±

    ¡°What about warriors, archers, all those fighters? What about them?¡±

    ¡°They are not casters; it is different for them. I am not good at magic theory, and these things are kept secret, but I think that only unstructured mental magic can be extracted and converted into divine magic. All those classes that cannot spell are usable. These people do not have much mental magic, only traces of it, but the numbers compensate for it. Probably high-level archers would be of no more use for them as they gain those faculties and can spell, thereby gaining control of their mana, but there are always trades off.¡±

    ¡°You mean that divine magic does not come from gods but is gathered from believers?¡±

    Tina shrugged.

    ¡°I don''t know. Possibly. My parents spoke in a low voice, and I did not understand everything they said as I was eavesdropping on their conversation. You see, this was the reason why I did not want to learn to use magic that is obtained in this way. I did not want to support their way of extracting power from people, and I didn''t want to be one of those people they extract power from; this was another reason why I wanted to become a witch.¡±

    Alice still wondered. ¡°But the academy''s results?¡±

    Tina shrugged. ¡°Money and power. Pigs at the trough, as pa said. Do you think it was so difficult to find a correlation between places struck by hurricanes or earthquakes and the number of magic users in that area? Depends on who was counting them, isn''t it? You know that Theodoculus at the academy contested the findings? Do you know that he was himself found to use magic and was discredited? He retracted everything, of course, and now lives a poor''s life, no longer a respected professor at the academy.¡±

    She sighed again. She put her hand on Alice''s.

    ¡°I hope you will not rat me out?¡±

    Alice hugged her.

    ¡°You are with friends here. Me, the Lynx, or Sid to rat you out? No chance.¡± - she sighed at her turn - ¡°This is all so incredible, but now that you say it, I see many things in a different light. However, I wonder what the clergy has against potions? At least that, they could accept!¡±

    ¡°Potions? - Tina asked and shrugged tiredly - ¡°The same schemes. Potions are brewed by witches who learn alchemy. First, they lose the mana of those witches. Many peasant wives were making potions in older times. Now not anymore. That many believers mana gained. Then those who used potions did not pay the high fees for the healing priests, and they lost that money. No potions, more money for the priests. As simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Humans!¡± - the Lynx exclaimed, looking horrified at Sid - ¡°They invent a religion and these rules; they say it is to keep nature clean, so they say, live in harmony with nature, so they say, but these are just lies said in order to extract power from their fellow humans? They do not care for the harms and problems that they cause?¡±

    Sid shrugged.

    "Well, dragons are at least more honest about wanting to extract money from you. They tell it like it is: give me that gold, or I''ll burn you down. They don''t need your mana; they have enough of their own."

 Chapter 114 â€“ Trial by Water

    I was feeling dizzy and had a terrible headache.

    Where am I? Was I not in a hospital? I could not see clearly, as if I had some prism glasses over my eyes. My head was heavy, and I could not gather my thoughts.

    ¡°Flo? White Flower?¡±

    There was no answer. I tried to raise my hand to my head but was restrained. Say what? Oh yes, there was a nurse here who had said that I was bound for my own security?! Oh, fuck, what is this shit about? Why should I be strapped?

    No, no, no, no, no, no!

    If I am not in Mephisto, then where the hell am I, and how did I get here? Why? How? A wave of panic was gripping my heart. No, it cannot be; there must be some mistake. Something happened. Or maybe this is inside the game? I was on the verge of starting to cry.

    I tried to pull my head up, but it did not work. Wait, what? My head is also restrained? How? Why?

    Where is that damn nurse?

    I tried to say something, and some kind of gurgling noises came out of my throat. Do I have something in my mouth? Yes, I vaguely feel something; that''s why I can''t close my mouth. I felt saliva dropping on my chin.

    But after the panic wave, something stirred inside me. Panic does not help; try to keep cool, Dolores!

    Cala? I am Cala. I heard my heartbeats stabilizing and my breathing slowing down toward normal.

    What is this? Where am I?

    My brain was running mad, trying to put pieces of input into coherent thoughts, but there was like a fog inside it. A dense fog that allowed for only small parts to come to light.

    I heard steps.

    "... conscience? ... she m...?"

    That was a male voice this time. I did not get the meaning, just some words. I tried to turn my head but again, no chance. I produced some gargled noises again.

    ¡°Why... by ...? Why... up?¡±

    ¡°... know¡±

    There were more people talking with harsh, rough voices. It was hard to concentrate.

    ¡°... here ... care... Give ¡­ that...¡±

    ¡°...rhinoceros...¡±

    Rhinoceros? What do they talk about?

    ¡°Double... now!¡±

    I heard something moving to my side. It sounded like some mechanical arm. Something sharp pushed into my skin. I heard the engine stalling. I tried to move, and something snapped, cracked, and splashed. I heard interjections and curses.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...skin... fucking ...pump ¡­ needed!¡±

    My head was heavy. It was as if my brain were made of lead. No, not lead, uranium. Heavy and radioactive... Each thought would give a free neutron that would blast somewhere into the rest of the brain...

    That voice was clear and precise, and if my brain was made of uranium, that voice started a chain reaction.

    Tenebra? Was this Tenebra? It sounded like her! I tried to scream in shock and fear, and I pushed hard to stand up. Something was moved; I heard something giving up; something was creaking. I heard a bang. Was that a shot, or did something broke?

    My head fell back again, and a liquid burned inside my stomach. If there are cold flames in this world, that was it.

    Everything was getting even heavier now.

    ¡°Lead... Let me lead... let...¡±

    I opened my eyes. I was feeling flummoxed and could hardly lift my head when I heard a voice:

    ¡°Hello, young lady. How do you feel?¡±

    I answered with a sight:

    ¡°I feel like coming from under a steamroller. My head is hurting bad!¡±

    "Don''t lift your head; you are still too weak; let me raise your pillow."

    My breathing accelerated. I slowly took in my new reality: I could move my head? It worked? Hey, I even talked, and it worked; no gargled sound came out of my mouth! I tried to move my left hand, but it was restrained. Ah! I turned my eyes, and I saw I had a transfusion on that side, and the hand was bound to the bed''s side. I moved my right hand. Yes, it was free to move it, but it was so very hard to do it.

    She smiled at me:

    ¡°Don''t overdo yourself! I''ve already called the doctor; he will be here in a couple of minutes.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Why am I so weak?¡±

    ¡°You''ve been in a coma, dear. They will be so excited to hear you woke up!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I''ve been in a coma? For how long?¡±

    My upper half was now elevated, and I was resting comfortably on a big pillow seeing the hospital room. A standard hospital room. I was alone in the room.

    The nurse was gently massaging and exercising my scrawny legs. She was now doing my right leg. Oh dear, am I skinny! Even with the pajama on, I could see how thin the leg was. How long was I in a coma? She had not answered my question yet!?

    ¡°Can you move your toes? Yes, good!¡±

    I did as she asked me, but it was hard; I was incredibly weak and uncoordinated.

    So what was everything I thought I heard and saw before?

    The thought hit me like an express train passing through a village station: everything had been just a dream. Not only the previous images but everything. Everything I thought I lived through.

    If this is my wake-up after the accident I had with Lola, then nothing happened!

    Does one dream while in a coma? I obviously did.

    Everything was a (coma induced?) dream, and now I''m waking up. All that magic story was made up?

    I breathed deeply, closed my eyes, and tried to think it through.

    Was everything just a dream? Since that accident, when I thought I had discovered my healing powers? Fucking fuck! Just a dream! Just a dream!

    ¡°Do you remember your name, dear?¡±

    She took me out of my thoughts with that question as she gently massaged my other leg.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    My name? Of course, I know my name! And Lola? What about Lola, is she OK?

    I wanted to ask about Lola; I opened my mouth to tell my name when I saw my face reflected in a glass. An empty glass of water was there, and my face reflected on it.

    Distorted but still visible. I remained mute with my mouth open. As if I''ve seen a ghost. How many times can you have your world turned upside down?

    I saw Cala. I saw the scar on my left eye, cutting the socket in two as the arrow had hit me long ago. I raised my hand slowly, finding the other scar on my neck.

    Did I really see that? I opened and closed my mouth several times like a fish out of water. I felt the neck''s scar under my fingers. I fucking felt it; it is there. How can Cala''s scars be there?

    She looked at me with a smile nodding her head.

    ¡°Yes, dear?¡±

    ¡°A mirror? Can I have a mirror, please?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure!¡± - she answered, a bit surprised by my request.

    She produced a small round mirror that I took in my arm. She helped me push my hair away to see my face. I was covered with bandages, but still, my face was recognizable: Cala. I put my fingers again on the scar on my left eye.

    Cala. I am Cala.

    How can it be that I dreamed everything?

    My brain was suffering a meltdown. Am I, in reality, Cala? Is this my true identity? Does Dolores even exist?

    Interestingly I was not panicking now. The thought of being Cala gave me power. I was still confused but less afraid. It was as if sediment would set itself slowly around me, giving me stability.

    ¡°Water, ask her for water!¡±

    I was so stunned that it did not even surprise me to hear a voice in my mind. I mechanically asked:

    ¡°Can you give me some water, please?¡±

    ¡°Oh sure, dear, here you are!¡±

    She smiled as if understanding why I looked at the glass. She took it and poured some water into it, then helped me hold it in my hand and bring it to my lips. Meanwhile, a doctor came into the room, but I concentrated on my task; I sipped some water from the glass.

    I drank slowly, tasted it on my tongue, swallowed, and felt ¡­ nothing.

    Water is such a long memory element; it remembers where it flew through, and if you close your eyes when you drink, empty your head from all other thoughts and try to feel only the humid touch within you, you have like a revelation and see the rocks, see the depths, or the swamps where the water comes from, even if it was thousand times cleaned and filtered. Oh, you can taste the sand filters, you can taste the pipes and the chemicals they use to clean it, but you can also go further.

    Only distillation kills the memory, but even distillation adds new memory to it. There is no water without a taste.

    So, why don¡¯t I feel anything now? What is wrong with this water? There is no such water with no taste. I know it; I have a fairy in me.

    It was still hard to think, but at least I had a conclusion. I raised my head and watched her in the eyes.

    ¡°This is fake, lady. Everything here is fake. Why are you doing this to me?"

    ¡°No! Don''t say that! Let me lead!! You don''t think clearly!¡±

    Then another voice, that dreaded voice, interrupted my thoughts:

    ¡°They are going to kill you! Help me, and I''ll help you!¡±

    No, it was not Tenebra, but a voice that sounded like hers.

    ¡°Let me lead!¡±

    This voice was desperate. This voice I trust. I was confused and shocked, so why should I not let her lead? I can retire like a tortoise and let her do the work.

    ¡°You lead!¡±

    I was now feeling everything more clearly, but I was even more confused. Where am I?

    The reality melted around me like in a surreal film, and another reality took shape. A reality where I could not distinguish anything around me.

    ¡°Help me, little fairy, and I''ll help you!¡±

    ¡°You are a black angel. You''ll help me to die!¡±

    ¡°I''ve always kept my word. Black angels never lie. You cannot succeed; you cannot escape. They''ll melt you with acids; what can you do against it? Heal? How long? How many days? What if they try to add something else to it? They already decided to kill you. It is your choice. I can help you or watch how you die.¡±

    ¡°What can I do? How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°I am like you; I am inside the boy not far away from you. You could separate us.¡±

    ¡°You are possessing a boy? Poor kid!¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to kill him. I promised. You can separate us. Once separated, I''ll free you.¡±

    ¡°And you won''t kill me?¡±

    ¡°No, I promise.¡±

    ¡°But then you''ll follow me and kill my friends.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°I am not that kind of black angel. I promise I will not kill your friends. If I know or learn that somebody is your friend, it will be spared.¡±

    ¡°And if I''ll follow you and tell you that everybody you want to kill is my friend?¡±

    ¡°Then you''ll lie, and our deal will be void. Don''t lie to me. As simple as that. Help me, and I''ll help you. But better hurry up; you do not have much time left.¡±

 Chapter 115 â€“ Freeing the Ultimate Evil

    Even with Flo in the lead, I had difficulties gathering my thoughts. Who knows what shit was cursing in my veins? The fact that I couldn''t see around and could not asses my situation was only aggravating things.

    The black angel (or dark angel as they are sometimes called) was now pushing images in my brain through telepathy. He was probably trying to clarify things or confuse me, as is a common tactic of these beasts? What was the truth?

    Black angels, the ultimate evil mob in Mephisto! Each and every one of them has the power of an endboss. Destructive mobs that live in a specific area in Mephisto''s world. How on Earth did one manage to appear here? Why?

    They are intelligent, curious, and evil; they kill for no reason and make all sorts of dubious deals. They may wipe a whole party and let the weakest member, mostly the healer, alive just for fun. Then they chase the poor sob all the way to the next village or town. In a way, they remind me of cats: they like to play with their victims as cats do. Overpowered kitties that look like dark gray angels with ethereal bodies that can pass through matter and can materialize themselves or part of themselves at will.

    They have both physical and magical attacks and are invulnerable against most physical attacks in their ethereal form and have very high resistance against magical attacks in physical form.

    They have wings but do not use them to fly as they can teleport in swift succession. Their wings are not wide enough to allow them to fly for real, but they can float, sailing from point to point if they so wish. That, combined with their teleportation capability, makes them very mobile targets. One of their weaknesses is that they cannot stay too long in their ethereal form as they would start to lose consistency, and in addition, the ethereal form is a drain on their energy. They have to become material from time to time.

    They have that ingrained tendency to make deals.

    I know Flo knows more about them, but it was not the time to ask her.

    The problem was that the black angel was probably right, and whoever was holding me imprisoned may have decided that it was too risky an endeavor to keep me alive.

    As if to confirm this, I was suddenly bathing in acid, and even my nerves - soaked in whatever they had fed me ¨C sent intensive waves of pain to my strained brain.

    Yeah, I got the message; now, please stop!

    Probably the tubes I was having in my mouth were pumping the same into my stomach, but I don''t know if my pain could be increased.

    ¡°It has been nice meeting you, little fairy; it''s a pity we can no longer talk; goodbye!¡±

    Waves of healing passed over me, and White Flower unleashed her aura. It was probably not intentional, but it happened as she suddenly changed into panic-healing mode.

    The results were surprising; the lights went out as soon as my aura was unleashed.

    I heard exclamations and curses and the flow of liquid ceased suddenly.

    There was still enough acid with me in that kind of tub I was in, but at least no new acid was flowing in. As healing passed again and again over me, the situation became clearer, possibly the healing neutralized some of the drugs inside me, or maybe the acid did that. I realized I was in some kind of glassy casket with multiple, probably steel shackles immobilizing me.

    My violent movements and pushes had not helped free me. I tried again, now more aware of what I was doing to break the bindings and force my way out, but with no immediate results.

    ¡°Impressing little fairy, you surprised me, but they are now manually controlling the valves!¡±

    Yeah, probably all chips around were fried when she unleashed her aura.

    She did that to make sense of the environment through her mana. Mana sense or aura sense is more like the tactile sense. As if I would be able to touch all that my mana touched with my fingers. It was confusing, as it went through things and was not reflected by them, but Flo could discern many things, and that helped me also understand. There was one sensation inside a plastic piece, inside a metal piece, or out in the air. The floor gave a different sensation, the tiles that formed the floor another one, even the cement between tiles or under tiles. The wires a sensation, the pipes a different one, bodies completely different.

    As if you would touch many different things and feel their texture. For me, those sensations were overwhelming, but Flo''s brain arranged everything in a kind of three-dimensional view. A gray world where I could see everything.

    As the horns were now healed, Flo had a very precise and clear understanding and, in a couple of seconds, was able to localize the kid possessed by the black angel. The black angel had shown us that, but she did not want to rely on him. She concentrated on the two different auras, and several seconds later, the black angel was freed in the middle of the room.

    I don''t think I will ever be able to forget the image that I saw in my mind at that moment.

    In that gray three-dimensional gray world, the materialization out of nowhere of the same time beautiful and horrible creature, the hideous gray angel slowly spreading its wings in the middle of a group of people.

    But it was only an instant; in the next second, he was away, and the dying started.

    Maybe I could have followed his movement as he teleported from place to place, cleaning the area, but I was too busy healing myself and trying to survive. Somebody had manually opened a valve, and acid was now flowing over me again, the casket getting full.

    Help me, and I''ll help you! The fucking fuck! I was now breathing acid, healing frenetically, knowing that I would be dead any second I stopped healing.

    Gargling furiously, shaking mad, I tried to free myself, healing as fast and often as possible.

    Then suddenly, the casket broke, and the liquid washed over me. He was standing there looking at me as if watching a bug curiously.

    ¡°Help me, and I''ll help you! Did you make a tour of the building? What do you understand by helping me?¡± - said Flo coughing and spitting acid.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He watched me askew:

    ¡°You did not make any deal.¡±

    He blinked, watching me seriously.

    ¡°I accept the deal!¡± - said Flo nodding and spitting further acid

    He shrugged:

    ¡°Oh. Good. I thought you might have changed your mind. It is still valid even if a little late.¡±

    He stood further there, looking at me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± - asked Flo, a bit concerned.

    ¡°I was just wondering, you are looking appetizing.¡±

    I stopped moving for a moment, unsure of what I heard.

    Say what? All kinds of thoughts passed through my brain. If I had any clothes on me, those had been long melted by the acid.

    ¡°Do black angels have sex?¡± - asked a horrified Flo

    He retired his head as if punched in the nose, watched me surprised, then smiled gently, happy to clarify, displaying a double line of very sharp teeth:

    ¡°Oh, I was speaking in simple culinary terms!¡±

    From the frying pan into the fire! I cringed, looking at his teeth. What the hell is wrong with this black angel?

    ¡°Culinary? Do black angels eat?¡±

    ¡°Of course! You know, undead can eat corpses and then regenerate. The same way black angels can eat magic creatures and regenerate.¡±

    ¡°Magic creatures? Hey! We have a deal!¡±

    I was shaking nervously inside my shackles. Fuck, will I end as supper for this beast? I could not really believe that. No, he was not talking seriously, but do black angels make jokes? Is this a joke? Do they have humor? Yes, they have some sick humor.

    But it was not humor.

    ¡°True!¡± - he answered - ¡°Good for you that you accepted it; now, we have a deal. Do you want that I free you?¡±

    He asked that looking slantwise at me. Where is the joke?

    ¡°Yes, please?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can heal.¡± - he concluded with a nod - ¡°Breaking your leg is less power-consuming than breaking these reinforced steel shackles.¡±

    ¡°It is not true!¡±

    Does he make this extra just to torture me? He nodded eagerly:

    ¡°But yes, if I consider the energy I gain after consuming the broken leg! This body of yours is full with mana, little fairy! Mana in a form I can absorb.¡±

    He said that, putting his clawed arms gently over my leg as if feeling the magic through them. Maybe he does that?

    ¡°Wait! Wait! No. Hah! Fuck!¡±

    His claws started to hack into my tibia.

    ¡°You can try to melt those shackles with some fire blasts?¡±

    ¡°Are you nuts? If I just touch him with fire, he will say that the deal is broken! We cannot fight this thing!¡±

    He shook his head aghast:

    ¡°Don''t heal before I''ve cut it; you are making it more difficult!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it was instinctual. I''ll...¡±

    She wanted to say, ''I''ll give you another one if you want,'' but swallowed her words. That would have been a pitfall. He might have taken it as a free for all buffet. Instead, she asked:

    ¡°Why do you need to do this? Is it for fun? You will recuperate anyhow while at rest?¡±

    He was now chewing happily at my right foot. My newly healed foot was now outside the shackle. He watched me as if considering whether to tell me or not and shook his gray head:

    ¡°You do not know a thing about black angels, do you?¡±

    ¡°I know many things, but I am not sure what you mean?¡±

    He swallowed, then took another bite, ripping skin, and spoke with a mouthful. My stomach was turning upside down seeing this, but Flo kept a straight face looking as peacefully as she could, as he spoke:

    ¡°We do not regenerate mana. Not like you do. I can see how your mana has replenished even after all those healing spells. I can see your beautiful mana flows. Yummy. What I tell you now is not a secret, but nevertheless, you are not to mention it to anybody, deal?¡±

    I nodded. He continued after another bite. He was progressing pretty fast and was now sucking the broken tibia. How can I unsee this?

    ¡°We receive our energy from the shrine. The shrine is our regeneration. If we go too far away from the shrine, the connection breaks, and we are on our own. If we do not return in time, we might starve. Dying without connection to the shrine means losing your memory. A new black angel may be born, but the old one is no more."

    He shrugged and continued:

    "You see, I am condemned to die here. I have no way to go back to the shrine, so I will lose all I know. It will not be me anymore. I did not know I would be stranded in this world. So before I die, I want to have my fun, and to have my fun, I need to fill as much mana as I can, so you will please excuse me as I will use as much of you I can. Yes, we have a deal, and I am freeing you in the most efficient and succulent way.¡±

    ¡°Would you be so kind as to take all you need first and let me free?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want to hurry up? You don''t like chatting? Of course!¡±

    He shrugged and started cutting my second foot. A fearful thought went through my mind.

    ¡°What will you do at my neck?¡±

    There was a shackle at my neck. That might be the moment when I''ll have to fight for my life.

    ¡°Would you survive if I''ll cut your head off?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. It... I don''t know...¡±

    He watched me slantwise:

    ¡°Do you want to try and learn?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    He took a deep breath, even if the fucking beasts live without breathing.

    ¡°Ow. OK, I guess I''ll cut then the iron at your neck.¡± - he said with a disappointed voice.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± - I mumbled.

    He raised a finger and then put a claw at my belly with a sadistic smile:

    ¡°But not at your waist. Here I''ll cut you along this line, just under your heart, ok?¡±

    I took a deep breath as his claw drew a line in blood over my waist.

    ¡°OK... But I''ll have to put some spells to stop the bleeding and...¡±

    He nodded:

    ¡°Sure! Do it! Don''t bother. I''ll have doubled your feet''s flesh with this. You healed them before I cut down your lower half! Pity there were no more shackles.¡±

    He said that with a grin. I breathed out:

    ¡°You can keep those as a bonus... You almost ate one through...¡±

    He nodded happily with that satisfied grin on his face.

 Chapter 116 â€“ The Walking-Meat-Supplies Has a Proposal

    I was listening to the surreal conversation between White Flower and the crazy black angel. Ice cold fear and certitude were gripping my heart. Certainty of what''s going to come. There is no way I could stop this monster.

    ¡°White Flower, if we leave this thing here, it will destroy everything it can.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It intends to kill for as long as he will have energy, and I intend to be as far away from it as possible. We need to lay down somewhere in the other corner of the world until it dies, or your flesh would just prolong the inevitable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fucking fuck! Do you think that he can do that!? But what about the deal?!¡±

    Not only that he will be a walking disaster, but I risk becoming his emergency food reserve.

    ¡°He will try to find a way to survive as long as possible. His problem is that only one teleport costs more energy than one of your feet contains. He would need one hundred Cala to get full again, and he cannot eat so fast. Even if he doesn''t do anything, he consumes energy. I hope he does not get the idea of making a lot of supplies. If he would know there are very few magical creatures here, we might get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck! I hope he cannot hear you!¡±

    ¡°No. Anyhow the equation does not work in the long run, else there would be black angels living in other zones, not only around their shrine. That must be their temporary survival trick but not more.¡±

    That gave me a ray of hope. I hope White Flower''s assumptions are correct. I would have breathed deep if I had been in the lead.

    ¡°Good to know that. So he will kill hundreds here and die? Thousands? How long can he stay active?¡±

    Instead of speculating, she asked him directly:

    ¡°When you move away from the shrine, how far away can you go? There is a huge area that is black angels'' area!¡±

    ¡°That is because we can go for days without connection to the shrine. I can cover a lot of territory in one day if I teleport every now and then.¡±

    ¡°For days?¡±

    OK, the worst assumptions are confirmed, the beast will survive long enough to inflict significant damage.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± - he pointed at the flesh he had gathered - ¡°Unfortunately, this does not add much, but it is still something. And the taste is ok. It will sweeten it for me, thank you!¡±

    The taste is ok! Oh, fucking fuck!

    While I was ruminating on his words, White Flower surprised me again:

    ¡°You know something? I can offer you a better solution!¡±

    He raised a brow looking at me.

    ¡°A better solution? To what problem?¡±

    I was now free, standing in front of him, and he was back at his chewing at my former foot. Now the toes were on the row. The other pieces of meat were aligned on the improvised table: another foot, two hands and a lower abdomen with two complete legs. Acid was spilt everywhere, but he didn''t seem bothered by it, even if I had to heal from time to time my aching soles. It all made a weird, sick and ghoulish scene.

    ¡°I''ll pack these when I go!¡± - he said as he saw my glance

    As if I would worry that he would be wasting those precious things! He had delicate traits and a relatively small mouth, but he had no problems taking small bites from the flesh and tendons, which were incredibly hard. Hardened by magic. Now he started to chew on a piece of even harder bone.

    I fought against the instinct that was telling me to run away.

    ¡°To your ''dying here'' problem.¡± - said Flo.

    He shrugged, unimpressed:

    ¡°My dying here? That''s a fact unless you can open a portal which I do not think you can. Do you know the way back to the other world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, what do you mean? Why don''t you leave as long as it is still possible?¡±

    Trust me! Fuck, I feared she would say that. I do not trust him!

    It was impressive to see how simple and serene he took the fact that he was condemned to die unless you understood that he was not human. No, he is a fucking black angel, a killing beast that would gladly attack a superior power just to inflict some casualties. The more, the better.

    ¡°I don''t know the way now, but I may learn it tomorrow. I will be looking for it. You can petrify yourself, isn''t it?¡±

    He nodded cautiously.

    ¡°Yees?¡±

    ¡°You could petrify yourself; I would bind the statue to me and move it to the ethereal space. So you will travel with me and be invulnerable. If and when I get to the black angels'' zone, I would put your statue there and wake you up.¡±

    He stopped chewing for a moment and watched me. His face displayed surprise:

    ¡°You can do that? Put me in the ethereal space? You would do that for me? No tricks?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can. No tricks!¡± - nodded Flo.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    He seemed to consider it.

    ¡°What would happen if you died?¡±

    White Flower shrugged.

    ¡°The statue would come automatically in the real world. In such a case, you would need to put a trigger on you to wake you up; I would probably no longer be able to do it before.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± - he nodded - ¡±I can do that. You could also feed me, and I could stay by you if you can find it tomorrow?¡±

    Oh fuck. I was afraid he would say something like that. White Flower kept her cool:

    ¡°That was a way of speaking, you know that. It would probably take a long time to find the way, tomorrow or one year from now, who knows how long. Having you by my side will be a problem. Feeding flesh is just the minimum subsistence for you, but not enough to keep you fighting, isn''t it? Your aura is powerful and can be felt over a wide range; we''ll get attacked because of it. So we''ll have to fight. How? That would consume your energy faster than you can replenish it. Besides that, the machines that were used to bring us to this world would be destroyed by your aura. So we cannot use them to get back. It worked when you were inside the boy, in the background, not leading the boy, but as soon as you came out, your aura was unleashed. I can control my aura and see if I can use them. I am offering you the best option to survive.¡±

    He was now chewing on the last toe, my little toe, from the right food. I was watching it with some kind of regret. He did not seem to be convinced by Flo''s arguments. Flo continued:

    ¡°They have many terrible weapons here. Even if you think you can try to hide and subsist, I don''t think I''ll survive if we stay together, so it will end the same way but a little later. I can hide by myself much better without you; I was caught because I made an error that I will no longer make.¡±

    That seemed to convince him. He nodded:

    ¡°You may be right, probably it is my best chance to relink to the shrine.¡± - he watched me for a couple of seconds without saying anything, then continued - ¡°I don''t see a reason why I should not accept this deal. In exchange, I can offer you free access to the black angel zone to scavenge what you need if you help me get there. I promise you that no black angel will attack you while I''ll be by your side, and I''ll stay there as long as you will want me until you get your fill. Do we have a deal?¡±

    He needed to offer me something, and it was no small offer. There are always things to scavenge from their area.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    ¡°So be it.¡± - he said and nodded in a kind of majestic way and, at the same moment, swallowed the last pieces of my former toe. I was watching how it went down along his neck with mixed feelings.

    He cleaned his mouth with a swipe of his backhand, spread his wings, lowered his head, watching me intensively as if to check how impressed I was and slowly petrified himself like a giant gargoyle. A shiver passed through my spine.

    I could not believe what I saw. Was the nightmare gone? Just like that? Or was this some kind of another sick joke?

    ¡°Oh, fucking fuck! You did it! Flo, you are the best! I cannot believe it!¡±

    She sighed, looking at the dark grey statue. I wondered:

    ¡°I suppose you do not intend to keep your part of the deal? Let''s go from here!¡±

    She shook her head:

    ¡°Oh, but I will. I don''t know what trigger he has for wake-up or what other spell he put on himself. It can be proximity to me, for instance. Best we do as I''ve said, we put him into the ethereal space and try to forget this ever happened.¡±

    ¡°Time has no relevance for him in this state. If by chance, we get in the future in their zone, we need to remember to put him down. That could even save our life. Now let''s put this sorry story behind us.¡±

    She put her hand on the statue, which became slowly transparent and then faded from view. A wave of glacial coldness gripped my heart.

    ¡°What the fuck? What is this?¡±

    ¡°Remnants of his aura. It will dissipate.¡± - she sighed - ¡°Now maybe we can look for Cala''s inventory, or was everything melted in that acid bath?¡±

    ¡°Probably, they would have retrieved everything before.¡±

    She nodded and spread her wings. Yeah, I have wings, and they work!

    ¡°I think so too. Probably they undressed you completely before putting you in that casket.¡±

    I flew from room to room, searching, my aura fully unleashed. I could ''see'' clearly through the walls, even a level up or down. I could distinguish even further, but that did not have the same clarity.

    The mana sight helped even more than the real view as the light was minimal, only a kind of emergency lighting was still working, and even these lamps were blowing up as I progressed. Leds. They used fucking leds for emergency lighting.

    Yes, I could make light, but that would give me away, and mana sight was good enough.

    The sight was depressing. Dead people everywhere. Some were only shadows on the walls, having been pulverized by strong dark magic blasts; others were simply butchered; only one of his clawed fingers was enough to decapitate a human.

    Shocking to see the area he went through in those minutes when I''ve fought the acid inside that casket. He probably had an eye on me and knew I would survive, so he was confident in keeping his part of the bargain while unleashing mayhem around. For whatever reason, it is important for them to keep their part of the deal; this thing is ingrained in their dna, if we can talk about dna in context with these magic beasts.

    Even if now, when I think back, he was at the time not linked to any deal as I have not said I accepted it. Fuck, I must give credit where credit is due; he came to help me supposing that I''ll accept his deal. He could have washed his hands and let me die. Yeah, black angels do have some kind of weird notion of honour.

    As I ruminated about the black angel, walking through the many rooms, I suddenly realized something strange: nobody came to check for victims and try to rescue survivors. Did he really clean up the whole site? Where and how far was the next ''help''?

    A couple of times, I''ve heard some noise and moaning. There might be some survivors that I did not discover yet. That or maybe something else. There have been several caskets like mine, and more people who had been kept in a coma to be interrogated were probably waking up. The black angel had not killed them. I don''t know what I should do with them? I need to think about it, but first, let me get my things. It was good that Flo was in the lead, as her mind was clearer than mine. The whole atmosphere, the whole site, was freaking me out. The faster and further I get from this site, the better I would feel.

    Finally, I found the area where my items were kept. Everything was there, even additional items that I did not know. As I took my belt in my hand and was thinking if to search for a passing outfit, a sense of urgency nagged at me. It was too quiet.

    In the end, irrational fear won over me. I bound the belt directly on my skin in a hurry and pulled everything I could inside my inventory without checking, and left with a beat of my wings. I knew the way towards a window, placed a hiding mirror over me and flew out.

    As I arrived at a hill dominating the valley, I stopped and looked back at the compound.

    I breathed deep in and out.

    Free! I was free!

 Chapter 117 â€“ A (Giant) Mushroom in the Woods

    Free!

    I closed my eyes and breathed deep, enjoying the feeling. I could finally wash away the fear and horror that had been gripping my mind for the last hours. I never ever want to relive this. My breathing started to slow towards a more steady rhythm. I did not even realize I was so much on edge.

    I''ll never be captured again!

    How the fuck am I to ensure that was not clear; however, I was sure I didn''t want it to happen.

    As my heartbeats stabilized, I tried to analyze with a cooler head what my following actions should be. Now that I gained my freedom, what do I do?

    Stop running away! Fucking fairy instincts! I should go back and take a look! There is no better place to find people like me than here. I can help them. Besides, there probably are survivors and wounded people that I can save.

    I took another deep breath looking at the location with the two thoughts fighting for my heart and mind: fear and panic against rational thought. At least, this is how I saw them.

    Oh fuck, am I really thinking of going back?

    My heartbeats accelerated just at the thought of it, yet I started preparations to fly back. I ensured the mirrors on me were hiding me from any possible and impossible sight, then battled my wings to raise in the air.

    Oh yeah, with Flo''s mana pool, flying is possible and is cool. I stood in the air, my wings outstretched, floating above the forest. With Flo in the lead, I could control my mana wings to a very high level. As if I would have actual wings. Pity they could not be entirely out of mana; I might be forced to cut them again to be able to hide between humans. To hide between humans? I need to chew a bit on that thought. Am I no longer human?

    Ah, Dolores, stop these useless self-conversations and do something.

    I watched the remote location again. Oh yeah, I feared going back, but it makes sense. I battled the air again with my wings and started flying towards the row of buildings hidden in the forest. To the left, there was the access road meandering between the forested hills. I saw no movement to the whole length of the road. Shouldn''t somebody come? OK, I and then the black angel destroyed with our aura the electronics, but won''t somebody realize the site is offline and come to check why? That, assuming that no message was sent before the chips were fried.

    I stopped my flight and looked up at the sky. An emergency team will probably come flying, not on that meandering road, but the atmosphere was tranquil.

    Up there to the left, there was a plane... but probably it was a routine scheduled flight. Any drones? Helicopters or whatever?

    As I was looking around, a giant pillar of dust and smoke raised up from the site. It was so sudden, and I was so baffled that I did not react, watching with round incredulous eyes how the tower grew silently towards the sky with thunderbolts crisscrossing it.

    I was maybe at a one-kilometre distance or less, but the blast wave came in less than a second to me. The next many seconds were an amalgam of strange noises, dust, pain, desperate healing and rolling. It sounded and felt like I would be inside the hell''s forges.

    I was thrown like a cannonball through a world of moving detritus, crashing through branches, trees, stones, and bushes. Like a tennis ball served by a powerful player hitting the dirt.

    I stood there where I finally landed, between branches and broken woods, coughing dust, healing and trying to understand what I had just witnessed.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Err... Fucking fuck? Waves of healing washed over me as I tried to extricate myself from the mountain of debris. Like random meteors falling debris struck around me, sometimes breaking branches and throwing further dust in the air. Where does so much dust come from? Another strong gust of wind, this time in the opposite direction, partially cleaned the view for a moment, to be plunged again into that dusty semi-obscurity next.

    After long moments of confusion, I raised up and started to fly towards the compound, and then I realized it was useless. There was no compound to fly to. After that explosion, the compound does not exist anymore. I stopped, turned my back to it and started to fly in what I thought was the opposite direction.

    I just guessed my directions as the sky was covered in grey dust.

    I stopped again. Running like a headless chicken through the fog does not make sense. Besides, if this area is surveyed, and I think it is, then a random appearance from the dust cloud would be seen and tracked. I might have all kinds of sophisticated mirrors made by Flo covering me, but my huge mana-wings are beating too much air. This dust swirls and twirls may be seen from above and could be tracked.

    So I decided to fly up until I saw the sun through the dust. I took a direction that I thought was away from the compound and let me slide through the dusty air almost without beating my wings. It is a different kind of flying, and the air swirls I created this way were minimal.

    Indeed it did not take very long for me to emerge from the dust.

    What was this? Was this a nuclear explosion, a mini-nuke or some giant conventional bomb? I don''t know, but as I flew over the first river, I flew down and let the cold water wash over me.

    Nuclear or not, I wanted the dust gone.

    What about what''s in my lungs already?

    Well, what about it. We''ll see.

    Can my healing heal radiation sickness?

    Healing cannot heal sickness, but radiation is damage to cells and tissues. Healing might be able to heal it.

    As I thought about this, I clenched my teeth, washing with ice-cold water until I realized I did not need to do it. White Flower has perfect control over heat and heat transfer. I don''t know how she does it, but next, the water felt warm and pleasant. It was still the same cold water, but she somehow insulated my skin against it. I think she could bathe in polar waters and feel good. I plunged my head under water and tried to clean my hair too as much as possible without soap.

    Would this help if this was an atomic bomb? I don''t know.

    So, what do I do now? The sun was about to set. Was it Sunday? When I left home to rent that ''coffin'' to play, it was Saturday evening. How long was I in the compound? Was I kept longer in a coma or not? I was obviously taken from that hotel and transferred here, and then the interrogation in that virtual space started. Who decided to bring me here? Why? What do ''they'' know about me?

    OK, I registered with a fake id into that hotel, but that could not have been the trigger isn''t it?

    Besides, where am I? Maybe I should have tried to follow the road that led to the compound. Now I was in a forest in the middle of nowhere.

    I came out of my improvised bath, Flo refreshed the mirrors that were hiding me, and I took off again. I decided to keep the same direction. Sometime, I will encounter civilization again.

    And yes, I found it. It was already late evening, I was tired, and my mana was dangerously low when I reached a highway. Which way now? I flew and landed on a trailer. After a while, I saw a billboard with directions. Wrong direction; I was getting further away from home.

    I hesitated if to keep going or not. Bye-bye Dolores, hello new girl? Was I overreacting?

    It was not so easy to just disappear. What do I do with my parents? How can I tell them that I am still OK? Then if Dolores disappears, her former persona would indeed become suspicious. But is Dolores as is already suspected? It might be that there is no connection done to me.

    Maybe I should turn back and try to live my regular ''Dolores''-life. At the slightest sign of danger, I would disappear, but I must not precipitate senseless the events.

    So I decided to turn back. I swung my wings, and that was enough to raise me in the air. I turned and landed on a trailer driving in the opposite direction. I passed again under the billboard and had to take care not to hit it with my head. One hundred seventy-three miles, and I''ll be home.

 Chapter 118 â€“ Humans! They Always Manage to Surprise Me!

    I watched the immovable stars above and sighed.

    I could fly about as fast as the trailer truck was guzzling the asphalt metres, but why work when I can lie and wait? It was not really pleasant but supportable. Besides, I needed to recuperate, so better to do it staying on the trailer instead of waiting in the woods or in one parking somewhere. Even with Flo''s giant mana reserves, I had to stop from time to time to regenerate, as her mana regeneration was not good enough to keep me flying all the time. Trailer surfing is recommended... at least from time to time.

    In addition, I was getting tired: flying is hard work. All my muscles were getting sore; it is not so trivial to keep your body under control while your wings beat the air. Especially muscles that I did not even know I had in my back were starting to ache. Not to count that it had been a long day, full of events and emotions, so it was logically that I needed some rest.

    To my dismay, I saw that the trailer I chose went into a parking place. Does this guy need an urgent piss break? Oh, whatever. There were not so many trailers on the road now, so I''ll stay here for a while; hopefully, he gets back on the road soon.

    The driver came out of the cabin and walked towards the rear.

    I curiously watched him until I understood that he was working with the plank! True, it did rattle a little in the wind, so he is securing it better. OK, that will not take long.

    He climbed a couple of times on the sides and looked over the trailer spanning the plank, and I waited patiently for him to finish his work. I saw his head appearing again on the side near me, but I stayed calm. I am well hidden under Flo''s mirrors; he cannot see me. And then, as I waited calmly there, I was suddenly awash with hot coffee.

    ¡°Fuck you, idiot!¡± - I yelled back, surprised.

    Hearing my voice, his head disappeared instantly, then appeared slowly back. He was looking now straight at me with big round eyes. Oh, for fuck''s sake, the coffee dripping on my face had made me visible. He hesitated to run and scream or to yell at me.

    Instead, he just stood there and babbled:

    "B... b.... b... but..."

    We looked each other in the eyes. I sighed.

    ¡°Oh come on, man, I like coffee, but not hot served in my face! And no sugar, please! Fuck!¡± - I tried to put things straight.

    ¡°B... B... You speak our language?¡± - he finally said as if he would suddenly find the speaking module. - "But you are an alien!?"

    He was not really asking. I sighed again.

    ¡°I am hungry, tired and now wet.¡±

    Speaking about food seems to be a universal accepted language. He promptly understood that and explained:

    ¡°Ahm, there is a fast food centre several kilometres down the road, but you must pass through the control before.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Control?¡± - I wondered.

    His eyes lit, and he started to explain feverishly:

    ¡°They said it on the radio, the feds are controlling all passing cars in a couple of kilometres from here with some sophisticated gear. They must be looking for aliens from the crash.¡±

    He nodded importantly.

    ¡°Crash?¡± - I continued to wonder.

    ¡°There was a big alien spaceship that crash-landed or an asteroid came down in the forests several tens of kilometres from here. The explosion was registered as a level 3.4 earthquake.¡±

    Oh! OK, that was the compound''s explosion... Asteroid!

    ¡°Did you hear that also on the radio?¡± - I asked.

    He nodded eagerly:

    ¡°Yes, on our truckers'' radio station, mam! Now, are you going to stay up there, or do you come down? Cause they are going to find you if you stay up there, and it disturbs my plank.¡±

    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± - I asked, curious to understand how my camouflage failed.

    ¡°I told you." - he explained with a wise face - "The plank behaved differently. As if something would be sitting on it.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You got me. I did not think about that. And you decided to throw your hot coffee over the plank just like that? How far did you say is the fast food restaurant?¡±

    He shrugged and corrected me:

    ¡°Sorry, it was instinctual. Centre. There are more shops. Just several kilometres down the road, but as I told you, they''ll find you before. Maybe it would be better if you would come into my cabin. You could almost pass as a human girl if you dress something instead of that enterprise stuff.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I rolled my eyes. OK, I did not have my jacket on as it is not optimal with the wings, but I had a pair of trousers, and Flo had spelled me something to cover my torso, but he had seen my horns and wings.

    ¡°Just go down the road; I''ll meet you after the control. I want to go to that fast food centre!¡±

    ¡°What do you do? You cannot let him go like this?¡±

    ¡°He already forgot about me; I''ve deleted his memory. He feels a compulsion to go to that fast food centre, that''s all.¡±

    That surprised me.

    ¡°You did that?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Low-level spawn, I could do anything to his mind; he is unprotected.¡±

    Low-level spawn... I tried to ignore the outrage and asked the real question:

    ¡°You are a mage mind too?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I can delete memories and give some low-level orders, like this compulsion to go to that shop. He may go, but he may even decide not to do that. Have I not told you before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you mentioned that you can make them forget, but I was still surprised. How do you do this? That compulsion?¡±

    He shrugged, watched the plank with a confused face, and then went back into the cabin and engaged the engine. The truck set itself slowly in motion dragging behind the two heavy containers.

    Humans. They always manage to surprise me!

    I took a deep breath.

    That thought put my mind into high drive. That thought was from White Flower... Huch, I know what White Flower thinks! Or maybe I get glimpses from her thoughts. Is it surprising? Our brains are even more interconnected now.

    To judge this, I need to understand what White Flower is? Or maybe more directly, what am I? I can let her act and take most of the action in my name as my own action. For good or for bad, I know I did that. I changed now even my body. I have Cala''s body, and Cala''s mind slumbers somewhere on the other side of White Flower. How does this work? Witchcraft. Magic.

    Is there any other explanation? Dreaming? Too long a dream, but maybe. They almost made me believe I dreamed all this there in the compound!

    Fucking compound!

    What was that black angel? A materialization of that kid''s thoughts? But then, how did White Flower separate him from the boy? Did she create him and delete it from his mind? Was the physical black angel my creation based on the template from his mind? Or was it a real thing even before? Was it a creation of his mind that I carry now as baggage?

    If it was his creation, it means there are more like me. Witches. It makes sense; I am not so exceptional to think I am the only one.

    And then the catastrophe happened. That huge blast.

    Did I cause it?

    Yes, it happened because of me. Without me creating that black angel, they would have had no reason to blow that location up. Was there any other way for me to escape? Why did I have to tell them that I knew they were interrogating me in a virtual environment? But was that reason enough to kill me? When did they decide to kill me? Were they really trying to kill me? Yes, that acid was not just to polish my skin. Could they know I would be healing myself? I don''t think they knew it, judging by their reaction.

    I had so many questions in my head, but now the truck had slowed down. Indeed as he had said, the highway was blocked, and there was a small queue to a zone where all cars and trucks were passing one by one, between an array of tubes. That must be some kind of scanner. Army units were spread on both sides of the road. Everything was illuminated with powerful projectors, and many drones were flying above and around. The line extended on both sides of the road as far as I could see. I spread my wings and took off. I winced, seeing how the wind blew under me, shaking the truck''s plank, but it was only for a moment. A blast of wind and then nothing.

    Right and left, a couple of kilometres away, two blimps were stationed at several kilometres'' height. I realized that normally I should not be able to see them with my former Dolores'' eyes but now I saw clearly their form obscuring the stars in the skyline.

 Chapter 119 â€“ The Gold Coin

    I was looking at that beaming, blazing, hastily built check-line and thought about how to proceed. Should I make a couple of tests before venturing through it or not? If yes, how?

    I watched the nervous drivers staying in line and thought about trying to conceal one of their passengers. But even if it worked, what would that prove? They could see it and ignore it, or they could come and check, but if they would find something foul, that would only raise their awareness.

    No, the best would be to go all in, put all the camouflage I could on me and try to pass through. If it does not work... then I''ll need to fly away and try to hide again. Could they be so crazy to detonate another bomb here just for some glitches? What if I get targeted by some crazy high-tech rockets?

    I could, on the other side, try to bust their electronics. Is that what I would call passing undetected? They would know something passed through here.

    I could eventually try to run around their barrage. I don''t think they have this kind of filter all around the former compound, but on the other side, they may try to make all kinds of checks for the inside area. Probably satellites and drones are checking it through. The longer I stay here, the more dangerous it may become.

    I took a deep breath. I''ll try to pass through. I swung my wings and flew up a couple of hundred meters, then let myself glide along the highway. Below I saw ''my'' truck coming in line. We passed at almost the same time the barrier.

    Nothing happened.

    It was somehow disappointing; all that tension built, and then nothing.

    Probably my camouflage was good enough. I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.

    Where was that fast food centre? The French have a saying, it goes something like: emotions are hungry work. They know what they say, the French: I was now starving.

    And there it is. I saw the lights from far away. I landed in the parking, behind some trucks and walked towards the food temple.

    And then I stopped in front of the door. Fuck, I have no money! What do I do?

    I could try to trick some menu-order machine there or a money machine. Flo had already played with my mobile and could make changes without necessarily burning it, so I might give it a try. What else could I do? Beg? Or?

    Just at this moment ''my driver'' came.

    ¡°You!¡± - I said

    He stopped looking at me with confused eyes.

    ¡°Are you speaking with me, mam?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you! You threw that hot coffee! Damn, look at me! I am still sticky from that damn sugar! Look, here, my face, everything is sticky! Who comes on the idea to throw hot coffee out the window!¡±

    ¡°I... I...¡±

    ¡°Aye, aye, aye! You owe me a lunch! No, I am not kidding! I''ll go into the washroom to wash all this sugar and then come to you. Hopefully, you have at least three big sandwiches for me, or I''ll... I''ll eat your ears!¡±

    ¡°Ahm... OK?¡±

    I enjoyed seeing him, and I was a little exaggerating, but truth be told, he really did throw that coffee in my face.

    When I came out of the washroom, I was surprised to find him sitting at a table with three giant sandwiches besides his food. He pointed at them and then said:

    ¡°John, by the way. I''m sorry about that coffee. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am sure. Lara.¡± - I rolled my eyes - ¡°OK, I kind of deserved it; I was in a place where I should not have been, but ¡° - I shrugged - ¡°it happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± - he said, surprisingly accepting my story - ¡°I do not usually throw coffee out the window. Are you sure you are not confusing me?¡±

    ¡°Look¡±, - I said, starting to munch the first sandwich - ¡°here, take this coin for the sandwiches. I have no money with me, and I do not want to remain in debt. You might have forgotten, but we already talked about that coffee!¡±

    ¡°Impossible! I would not forget a beautiful face!¡±

    Ho! He is a charmer too! He took the coin looking attentively at it.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°One? What is this? Is it a one-cent coin?¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°It is one gram of gold.¡±

    ¡°One gram of gold? Are you joking?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He watched me warily. I shrugged:

    ¡°Look, I don''t have my purse with me, but I kept that coin for some time. No joke, it is pure gold, worth some sixty or seventy?¡±

    ¡°Seventy-five, if it truly is gold.¡±

    I nodded, munching now at the third sandwich.

    ¡°Where do you go?¡± - I asked.

    ¡°Bumbletown. Wow!¡± - he said - ¡°I would have never believed you could eat one of those, not three!¡±

    ¡°I could eat another couple, to be honest, but people might look me askew if I do it. Bumbletown is my destination, too. Could I hitch a ride with you?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    He bet I was just bragging about the additional sandwiches, so I got another two sandwiches he religiously watched how I devoured before we left. On the way, he started to tell me about the aliens crash landing their spaceship and the road blockage, but to my shame, I fell asleep sitting. That damn chair was too comfortable, and the cabin was warm.

    I slept the whole way. I woke up as I felt something scuttling at my feet.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°I... I... ¡°

    ¡°What the fuck, man, what are you doing there? You...¡±

    He exploded in panic:

    ¡°I dropped the coin! I''m looking for it! It must be here! I do not need it! Please take it back!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    He was shocked and trembling.

    ¡°Honestly, I was doing nothing! I wanted to slip the coin into your pocket, but it fell.¡±

    I sighed. Well fuck, my pocket is only an illusion; clear it fell down.

    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± - I asked.

    ¡°We arrived. This is Bumbletown, and I wanted to put the coin back before you leave... I...¡±

    First, I thought it was some pervert with some leg fetish. He was too afraid and shocked as if I would have caught him with something illegal.

    ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± - said Flo taking his kin in her hand.

    I felt she did spell something, so I asked:

    "Wow, you know truth spells!?"

    "Sure"

    She answered as if everybody could spell such.

    He became suddenly calmer and started to speak:

    ¡°You forgot the light on after you checked those fliers we took from the fast food centre. I wanted to turn off the light, and then my arm got stitched into your horn lady, see, here, just a scratch and some blood, there is still some blood there on your horn, then...¡± - even now, under Flo''s spell, he hesitated then continued - ¡°then I was afraid that coin would bring me bad luck. If you are one of them, one of those...¡±

    "Your fucking sharp adamantium horns!"

    ¡°When was this?¡± - wondered Flo ignoring my rumble.

    ¡°Several hours ago. After we left...¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck, that''s bad; deleting the short-term memory might not help, and besides, it is not good to do it repeatedly.¡±

    ¡°He doesn''t know who or what I am. You have a different face, so you can just leave him with his memory.¡±

    Flo sighed.

    ¡°Look, that coin is a fair price for the food and travel. It has no repercussions; there is no curse or other consequences if you keep it. You can keep or sell it, do whatever you please with it, and even melt it. Just forget I was here, ok?¡±

    He nodded. I left the truck. A moment later, he recovered from his stupor and came out after me.

    ¡°Lady, lady, this is no good neighbourhood for a girl to walk!... Lady?¡±

    He looked around in the empty parking. He took a deep breath.

    ¡°Whom am I talking with?¡± - he shrugged - ¡°Maybe it would be good to find a different place for me to sleep a little.¡±

    As he turned to climb into the cabin, he saw the coin shining in the moonlight.

    ¡°Ah, there you were!¡±

    His hand hesitated, then he picked the coin up and murmured.

    ¡°I haven''t dreamed it after all... It really happened...¡±

    I was already flying towards home, below me the known town.

 Chapter 120 â€“ Johns Blood

    I landed in the park behind our house and scanned the area. Flo let her mana seep into the surroundings: no humans, just a few squirrels, some sleeping birds, hedgehogs, and a couple of stray cats.

    When she neared the first lampposts, she paused. Was mana dangerous to electronics, or even to electric devices in general? I remembered the warlock at Tim¡¯s party¡ªhis aura was strong, yet nothing exploded; the stereo worked just fine. Maybe I was overthinking it? But then, at the compound, all electronics fried when the black angel unleashed his aura.

    Alright, I reasoned, it must be about concentration. Auras with high mana concentration seem to burn out electronics, just like when Flo tried to probe my phone too hard. A weaker mana aura, it seemed, was mostly harmless.

    ¡°Can you let your aura be weak and still make your mana inspection?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that makes the area I can check smaller and the view less precise.¡±

    ¡°Do so; it is better to keep everything functioning.¡±

    ¡°OK, all I could find was a weasel in addition to those two cats; there is nothing else in this part of the park.¡±

    These damn horns were such a thrill to have! The mana sight they granted me was incredible: a spatial domain where I could "see" everything around me, even to some depth below ground or high above. It was amazing¡ªand a bit overwhelming. My brain was still adjusting, but thankfully, Flo was helping me train. I could zoom in on any spot within this range and see a tiny earthworm slowly tunneling through the soil beneath me. The sight was still a bit fuzzy, and too much mana might accidentally fry some electronic device nearby, but it was seriously cool.

    I figured I''d need to run a few tests to find the threshold where things started to short out¡ªbut I definitely wanted to keep these horns.

    And then, there were the wings. I''d always dreamed of flying, and now it was real! A few beats, and I could soar wherever I wanted. It was such an incredible gift!

    But, on the other hand, they were such a big pain in the ass in day-to-day life. How was I supposed to move around without drawing stares? Sit on a bench at school? Walk in line? Stand in the middle of a crowd without someone brushing against them? Not exactly easy.

    They were so flexible, though. Maybe I could find a way to wrap them up, keep them out of sight? Now that would be a game-changer.

    "Stop dreaming, Dolores!" I scolded myself. The priority now was figuring out if I could keep living as Dolores without them tracking me down. I needed to know if hiding my identity when renting that coffin was enough to keep whoever they were from piecing together who I really was.

    To get those answers, I had to understand why they''d taken me in the first place. What exactly did I do to make myself a target?

    It was risky, and I had to summon every ounce of courage for it. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself.

    It was time to make my appearance. Flo transformed me back into Dolores. I trusted she did a good job; no way was I about to risk using her magic mirror-light trick to double-check here. That might just expose me.

    Letting her peel away the layers of magic that camouflaged me¡ªshe could simply bend light around me, if you can call that simple¡ªI stepped out from behind the trees where I¡¯d been hiding. I walked carefully, keeping my pace steady, trying to look as casual as possible as I moved toward the house. I stopped by my usual tree near the back, took a last glance around, and closed my eyes, willing everything to be alright.

    ¡°Come on, Dolores, it will be alright,¡± I whispered to myself, steadying my breathing. Just as I started to climb, I heard a noise. A car door slammed. I turned, and out stepped a massive shadow from the car.

    I knew it. Damn it, this was a trap!

    Before I could spread my wings and fly away, I heard him:

    ¡°Dolores! Dolores! Pssst! Dolores!¡±

    That made me hesitate for another couple of seconds. Something did not quite fit with the idea of a trap. A sole person coming from the street saying my name? This was the trap?

    And then I recognized the shadow: Gonzo! It was a trap, but it was Gonzo''s trap.

    ¡°What the fuck, Gonzo? What is it?¡±

    He came running and started to whisper so fast that I barely understood him:

    ¡°Dolores, I need your help; you need to come to my truck, please!¡±

    I watched him intensively. I have life and death fears, and the idiot comes with another one of his love stories? I should be angry with him, but I could not. Probably Helen had told him to fuck off.

    ¡°Gonzo, it is late in the night. I''ll go to sleep, and we''ll talk tomorrow after school. Is this OK?¡±

    He shook his head desperately.

    ¡°No, no, no! It can¡¯t wait; I need you now! Please!¡±

    I knew I¡¯d give in¡ªI always did. Saying no had never been my strength. If someone asked me for something, my instinct was to say yes, even if I¡¯d end up fuming afterward. Why am I like this? Get a grip, Dolores!

    In life, you¡¯ve got to learn to say no. People need to understand you¡¯re not just available on demand. I had enough of my own mess without adding his to the list.

    ¡°No, Gonzo, this isn¡¯t happening. I¡¯m going home to sleep.¡±

    I turned to climb the tree, but he grabbed my arm firmly. I turned back, almost ready to swing at him.

    ¡°Please!¡± - he said. He had tears in his eyes, and his chin trembled.

    For fuck''s sake, Gonzo, what have you done? I wondered. I took a deep breath.

    ¡°OK, what is it?¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Please come to my truck. It is here parked; please come!¡±

    Was this an attempted kidnapping? I was strong enough to beat the crap out of him and some. He probably did not know that, but it was a fact. He came very close to my face, and I thought he wanted to kiss me. The way he behaved, I really thought he had gone mad.

    ¡°Helen is dying; please help me!¡±

    He whispered that in my ear, and I froze. As he saw that I no longer intended to leave, he released my arm.

    ¡°I didn''t know who else to ask; please help me!¡±

    My brain was kicked again into high gear, and I tried to imagine what could have happened. Did they have an accident? But then why me? Why is she not in a hospital?

    ¡°OK, where is your truck?¡±

    What did he think I could do?

    He turned and walked a couple of steps, then looked back to see if I follow. When he saw that I did, he started running towards the street that meandered along the park''s edge. I recognized his truck parked on the park''s side.

    He ran and opened the cabin''s door. I climbed in and saw behind the two front chairs, sitting on a kind of an improvised bed, a very pale Helen holding a hand on a bloodied bandage that tied her belly.

    ¡°She had been shot and does not want to go to a hospital!¡± - said Gonzo after having shut the door behind him. He was close behind me, almost pushing my ass, but I could not move for a couple of seconds, shocked by what I was seeing.

    Did they try to rob a bank? What on earth did they do?

    ¡°Hi!¡± - said Helen with a meek voice - ¡°Gonzo said you might be able to help me? I think I will be alright; I just need some rest.¡±

    She was speaking softly, keeping her hand''s pressure over her wound. I ducked and walked over to her, navigating with difficulty between the two chairs. Gonzo followed, so low as he almost was on all four. Why did he not open the back door?

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    They exchanged a look, and then Helen spoke:

    ¡°There was a raid in our location. A military raid. They started shooting at those who were fleeing. I saw how they shot Mike. Mike is dead! Hans was wounded. I ran, and a stray bullet got me. Gonzo found me in a ditch when he tried to get into the building. This crazy guy wanted to get inside to find me; this is how I got stranded in his truck. Somebody must have done something horrible to have the army crackdown on us like that. Not the police, not even the federals, the army!¡±

    At that moment, the wheels slipped into position and started to roll in my head. Now it started to make sense. I had been hooked on their servers. There was a raid on their compound; they have been a target, or maybe the target. I was a secondary target, probably because I was on their servers. Gonzo had driven to their compound immediately after talking with me. I looked at Gonzo:

    ¡°When did you find her?¡±

    ¡°After we met, I drove to the dreamer''s compound. The raid was already happening; I saw it, so I parked further away and approached the compound over the fields. I found her there in a trench.¡±

    So the raid happened before, and they came hours later to take me. Probably they took their sweet time to find and identify the gamer''s servers and their connections. The question still stands: why did they do that?

    Whilst he spoke, I came closer to her and put a hand on her belly. I never imagined Helen to be so valiant.

    I let Flo make her inspection then I talked with her:

    ¡°This will not heal by itself. The bullet is still in; you need an urgent operation; such belly wounds are life-threatening!¡±

    She hesitated, looked at me, and then back at Gonzo.

    ¡°And you know that after putting your dirty hand on my belly? Is this some kind of voodoo? I''m not going to a hospital! You thought she would convince me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should go to your uncle, the gynecologist?¡±

    ¡°No. If the wound gets infected, then I''ll have to take the risk. I don''t know what you expected from Dolores.¡± - she turned to look at me - ¡°No offence, but what can you do?¡±

    ¡°Can you heal her like you healed you?¡± - whispered Gonzo in my ear.

    I hesitated.

    ¡°She will most probably die.¡± - whispered Flo at her turn.

    She is probably wrong; she does not know modern medicine, and yet I saw his teary eyes.

    ¡°What... what... what are you?!¡± she asked suddenly and raised her hand to point above my head with difficulty.

    ¡°Your... your... horn...¡± - mumbled Gonzo - "is partially visible... it seems to be blood?"

    I sighed. I''ve forgotten about John scratching his hand in my horn. Part of the horn must be visible due to a couple of blood drops that must have crept along it.

    ¡°John''s blood, oh, fuck!¡±

    I put my left hand on her forehead, forcing her into a deep slumber while I took a knife in my right hand. Gonzo jumped with both hands, grappling my right hand with the knife.

    ¡°No, please, no!¡± - he wept, looking with wide, horrified eyes at me.

    I sighed while Helen tried desperately to move from under my left hand, her power dwindling fast.

    ¡°Calm down, Gonzo!¡± - I said, keeping my hand steady - ¡°I need to remove her bullet first.¡±

    ¡°You... you..¡± - he mumbled while his hands slowly released my hand.

    ¡°Sure, I''ll heal her, and she will forget. Is it OK?¡±

    I could hear his loud heart beating like crazy in his chest, but he nodded, finally reassured, calming down. Sweat was running down his temples.

    I sighed and concentrated on her. She had, meanwhile, lost her conscience, falling into a kind of forced sleep. The knife cut through her bandage and weak flesh, blood dripping around her wound. I plunged my fingers into her wound and retrieved the bullet that had been stuck in her pelvis bone. I had to push with the other hand down to unstuck it.

    ¡°Here.¡± - I said, giving Gonzo the bullet with a bloodied hand while I healed her.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± - he said, looking with wide eyes at the bloodied piece of metal, then after a pause, he asked, not daring to look into my eyes - ¡°Did you have trouble with ...John?¡±

    I rolled my eyes:

    ¡°That idiot scratched his arm into my horn when I was sleeping. He survived the commotion and was OK when I left him, even if I did not heal him. Now when I think about it, I hope he does not get an infection from that." - I sighed - "Do you want to know more about him?¡±

    I raised my eyes and looked at him. He breathed deep while an ashamed smile fluttered over his face.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± - he said - ¡°I know you, and yet I was such a dork to think bad about you. Please excuse me.¡±

    I waved my hand. I was used to people thinking bad about me. Hmm, why so, actually?

    He continued:

    ¡°What should I do now?¡±

    I shrugged again:

    ¡°I don''t know, Gonzo. She should be good now; you can let her free in the wild?¡± - he did not laugh at my joke. I sighed - ¡°She should recover in about ten to fifteen minutes from the forced sleep. That might give her a bit of a headache but nothing more. I guess she will forget the last couple of hours, maybe more. So you have ten minutes to think about what you want to tell her. What was that with the army?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know more than she told you. It was a huge raid; there were many people and tens of trucks there. I saw them removing all those that were using the dream interface. They did not even wake them up but took them like this. I could not see clearly as I was relatively far away when I found Helen and I left with her. After that, there was nothing notable in the news, but they mentioned a raid against a drug cartel, but I swear to you, nobody was taking...OK, maybe some did, but that was not a drug cartel there. I knew most of the gamers!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I knew them too. I was one of them.¡±

    I already regretted having said that, but actually, he knew it. He shrugged.

    ¡°I tried all day long to convince her to go to a hospital or to her uncle. She didn''t want to.¡±

    I watched him, and then I asked the question that was bothering me since I first met him:

    ¡°Tell me, do you know what did your parents think when they named you Gonzo? Is there any explanation for that?¡± - I tried then to correct myself; I didn''t mean to insult him - ¡°I mean, I have nothing against the name, but was there not a muppets character with the name... I mean, not if some character somewhere...¡±

    I was starting to sweat trying to explain myself. He sighed and then laughed.

    ¡°My name is Gonzales Gutteres, but when I was a child, I named myself Gonzo, so to answer your question, that was me. Everybody called me Gonzo, so I kept it like that.¡±

    I laughed and hugged him. I was relieved to find out that I was probably not directly targeted by the raid; he was relieved and happy to have his Helen back. If she decides to stay with him, that''s another story. He hugged me back, throwing his hands over my wings but not saying a word. He did not even recoil when he touched them nor when he felt my naked skin. There was only a moment of awkward silence as he stepped back, opened his mouth to say something then closed it again and shrugged.

    I stood there as I watched him going to his truck door and sighed thinking at my troubles. Fuck, another problem the wings bring is that I cannot dress a shirt or a jacket. However, I cannot run half-naked all the time. I should find some blouses that leave my back free. The problem was, the wings emerge precisely where my bra would be, but I should be able to fit one around them.

    I don''t like wearing bras, but being naked and covered in illusions can go only that far and stops at touching.

 Chapter 121 â€“ Hugging Problems

    I watched as he drove his truck away and sighed; what would come out of this? I was unhappy, but my options were limited.

    I hoped I did the right thing. I took a deep breath and turned towards the house.

    At least I learned a couple of things, and the most encouraging one was that I was probably not directly the target of the raid but became one through my connection to the gamer''s servers. The question is: why did they raid the gamers? The drug excuse was moot, so what was it? Did they raid them because they made that connection to Dreamland''s Mephisto game? Really? I mean, do you raid and shoot people for that?

    I stopped and covered my mouth with my hand.

    It makes no sense unless my assumption was correct, and they, too, came to the same conclusion: that the fucking game enables or triggers the ''magic'' genes. That may be an explanation.

    Are they so afraid of us witches? But as I had that thought, my mind brought in front of my eyes the image of the black angel. Ahm, OK, that is scary enough. Was the boy with the black angel a gamer?

    If my assumptions are correct, they took their time to check all connections and probably arrested all people that had a link to the gamers'' servers. They had to find us all. They assumed the worst, captured everyone and started to check us individually.

    Why are they so afraid? Because Bounty County happened! They want to avoid another Bounty County.

    Is Bounty County kind of a witch area? What did truly happen there? What I heard in that police meeting was outright scary. Was that the truth? All of it? Why would witches behave like that? It does not make sense. Was that a lie? Why would they lie? Was it a black angel type of character that ran amok? The black angel had told me that he was not in the lead, so he had some kind of understanding with the kid. How was that possible? Unless the kid created it like this in his brain!

    Things like this may happen when you can spell without knowing that you can spell. You cast spells accidentally and do not even know you did it, not to mention undoing them. You just know it happened and start worrying about that, and then you cast the next catastrophe.

    Little is known about the current situation in that county. The official explanation about a doomsday sect that caused an ecological nuclear catastrophe may be entirely fabricated. It changed several times, anyhow.

    Should I go to Bounty County to check? It may be difficult to get there and maybe even more challenging to come out of there.

    I had to yawn. Oh dear, am I tired! Let this be a thought for another day. I did enough today!

    I walked through the park back towards my house, arrived at the tree near my window and climbed it to enter my room. Everything was there as I left it, except Lola sleeping in my bed.

    Oh fucking, fuck, Lola!

    What could I do? She probably had an argument with Clara and took refuge in my room. This is not the first time this has happened.

    I undressed silently and put my pyjama on. Yeah, trousers and a mirage.

    "Mmmh? Dolores? Did you have a nice pyjama party?¡± - she mumbled when she felt me skipping under the blanket.

    ¡°Yes.¡± - I answered, trying to play my role.

    Lola is my sister, whom I never had. The first time she slept in my bed, we were seven. Later she used to come, and we chatted about all and everything, kind of late-night philosophy hours. Now she turned lazily to the other side, watching me with a sleepy gaze. She yawned.

    ¡°Wow, you need to tell me everything tomorrow. Did you spend the whole weekend in your pyjama?¡±

    No, I spent most of the time naked in an acid bathtub! I almost said that as the question unexpectedly hit my angry button, but she would misunderstand that, so I just mumbled something. She curled her hands around my right arm with a happy grin and almost instantly fell asleep. Lola, my heat vampire, she always has cold feet, and she tries to warm herself, parasitizing on my heat. I stood there, looked at the ceiling and tried to think.

    Can it be that the gamers have been brought to the same location as I was? That sounds probable. Then I remembered what Helen had said: they shot those poor fuckers! They killed Mike! They shot Helen!

    Yeah, they didn''t want to risk a free black angel. I wonder where the good guys are? The paladins, the healers, the druids? Are there some in Bounty County too? Do they fight each other?

    I wanted to turn on the left side, but then I remembered that I had wings on my back. Fuck! Wings and horns, I completely forgot about these; what if Lola touches them? I looked at the clock on my bedside table. Four-forty-five. OK, I can turn on the right side and not on the left side. Like this, I face Lola, and she faces me, not my wings.

    I watched her perfect traits. She was always the princess when we played. She was always the beauty between the two of us.

    I smiled at the happy memories and fell asleep.

    Ants crabbing on my arm woke me up. Well, it felt like.

    I tiredly opened my eyes. Lola was still there, unmoved.

    I turned and looked at the clock. Barely a couple of minutes had passed. How can it be that I have already slept and am again awakened, and only two minutes have passed? I feel as if I would have slept an hour or something.

    I freed my hand from her embrace. She protested with a moan but slept further.

    I sighed and turned back on my back, but I cannot sleep on my back! On the side or on my belly, but never on my back!

    I''ll stay like this another fifteen minutes, then I''ll slip out of bed. I cannot sleep here with Lola in my bed. Because of the wings. Fuck! Maybe I''ll need to cut my horns and wings again. At least I slept a couple of hours in that truck.

    At five o''clock, I stood up, and Cala wanted to do her sport now that I was awoken. I am not a morning person, and I have difficulties waking up, and now I should do some fucking gymnastics? But the urge became unbearable. I tried to temper her desires:

    ¡°Tell her that it does not work. Tell her that she cannot do here her assassin''s exercises; that would be a dead giveaway!¡±

    Soon White Flower''s answer came back.

    ¡°There must be some exercises in this world that she can do. What are those?¡±

    I knew what she was looking at. Those small memory chips with recordings were aligned near my library, and there was a small image visible on one with a karateka-kid flying that was looking a lot like Cala''s <<teleport kick>>. Of course, Cala''s eyes fell on that.

    ¡°Those are some karate katas.¡±

    ¡°Well, let''s do them!¡±

    I tried to temper White Flower''s and Cala''s enthusiasm.

    ¡°She does not know them. I do not know them. Those are just some recordings where you shortly see how it is done, but you need a trainer to correct you, or else you do some nonsense. I had the idea to practice karate years ago, but that was then.¡±

    ¡°Let her see them!¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    OK, I would have preferred to watch some manga but ok, let''s watch karate katas. I took the glasses and connected them to my mobile through wi-fi, then inserted the memory chip in the available mobile''s mini slot. The glasses can be connected to a pc or a mobile, and you can watch videos on them. I did not like them; I preferred wide screens, but I could not turn on my pc and monitor now, so I watched them on the glasses connected to the mobile.

    And it was like this that at six o''clock in the morning, I was sweating my karate katas outside in the park, against my will, and Cala was feeling great. She was exercising, watching small cuts from the video, and then exercising again. I was very much admired by a couple of early joggers and three or four dog owners with their pets on a leash.

    Before seven, I was back inside, went under the shower, took a cold one (yay, Cala!), then a hot one, and entered my room, steaming and fresh.

    ¡°Good morning, traitor!¡± - mumbled Lola turning on the other side - ¡°so early up?¡±

    She watched me dress my trousers and then went for the bath. That was good because I would have to hide to dress my blouse.

    I carefully put a blouse over the wings and checked how I looked in the mirror. Well, what did I imagine? Quasimodo greets you.

    OK, I had this problem before when my wings were smaller, and I could fix it; I only needed to hold them pressed against my back. I did that, and slowly, the extra bulges started to melt until they reached an acceptable form; however, when I tried to put the jacket on, it did not work, as the invisible parts of the wings kept it high above my shoulders.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    I could have tried to bend my wings, but that was painful and difficult to keep. The wings unfolded by themselves again and again.

    ¡°Just remove everything, and I will cast an illusion!¡±

    ¡°But I would be naked again!¡±

    ¡°Not really; just like yesterday evening, you''ll have trousers, belt and shoes, so technically not naked.¡±

    ¡°And what if I need to take my fake jacket off?¡±

    ¡°Why should you do that? I can simulate the whole procedure; however, what do you do with it once removed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, where can I put a jacket that cannot be touched?¡±

    In the end, I gave up on the jacket and had only a blouse on. Of course, the illusion of a blouse. The jacket illusion was too complex to maintain. If somebody had touched my arms, they would feel my skin, not the tissue of my jacket. It would be difficult to avoid any touch. For a blouse, that was more sensitive, and I hoped I could avoid any contact in those areas.

    This decided I went to the kitchen with a naked torso covered in illusions to prepare breakfast. Well, I had a bra on, even if that made a little bulge under my wings and stayed tense. I could not completely eliminate that, and it bugged.

    After five minutes of stress, I went back to my room and dropped the bra.

    Illusions it is.

    With these problems finally solved, I concentrated on my breakfast. I boiled eggs and put everything on the table: eggs with mayo, ham, tomatoes, little cucumbers and cheese. Just when everything was ready, Clara came in.

    ¡°Morning! Oh, Dolores, why did you boil ten eggs?¡±

    That, instead of thanking me for preparing breakfast. Yeah, this is Clara.

    ¡°There were only ten in the fridge...¡± - Cala explained as she was now in the lead. She is the happy one to down the food, so we let her do it.

    ¡°Only ten? That''s a reason to have them all hardboiled! Yeah. I''ll eat one and Lola one, so what do you do with the rest?¡±

    ¡°Eggs with mayo! I like that; I''ll eat all.¡±

    She watched me, a bit surprised.

    ¡°You''ll get sick. Don''t play the fool!¡±

    I shrugged. Fuck, do I have to eat in hiding my Cala breakfast from now on?

    ¡°I was hungry today. Are you sure I should leave only one for Lola?¡±

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Yes. What have you snorted last night?¡±

    I sighed. I ate, looking at her. I don''t like Clara; she is a snob and does anything that she possibly can to debase and humiliate me wherever and whenever there is an opportunity, and yet it is reassuring to see her and realize that this part of the world is unchanged. I almost hugged her for that.

    Lola came a couple of minutes later and started eating frugally, standing beside the table and checking her phone.

    While the two were making jokes about my newfound passion for eggs, I decided to look for different solutions to sate Cala''s hunger next time. If she exercised less, maybe, she wouldn''t need to eat so much, but she does not want to listen to me. Am I going to get fat? I hope not. Well, anyhow, it is her body; she must know what she does.

    Ten minutes later, we were walking towards the school, chatting happily as best friends.

    ¡°Aren''t you cold like this? Don''t you want to go back and put a jacket on?¡± - wondered Lola.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°No, it''s fine.¡±

    ¡°This blouse shows a lot of skin¡±, - said Clara - ¡°I wonder if Mrs Graham would have anything to say about it!¡±

    I rolled my eyes. I made it to show a lot of skin to avoid the touching problem. I hoped the old witch would leave me alone, there were always other more daring suits that she had to swallow, so I hoped she would not comment on my blouse.

    Interesting enough, a military car was parked not far away, and a small group of five were talking while watching the children entering the school.

    That made me feel nervous. Seeing them, I thought of Gonzo and Helen. I wondered what did Gonzo tell her and what parts of yesterday''s adventure does she remember...

    And then I saw them.

    Fuck, Helen was there waiting for me in front of the entry, Gonzo staying behind. What is this now for a circus?

    ¡°Excuse me, girls, I have to meet somebody!¡± - I said, walking away from Clara and Lola.

    I didn''t want the two to listen to our conversation.

    Helen came forward. Our eyes met. Gonzo behind her.

    ¡°Hi Dolores!¡± - he said

    ¡°Hi!¡±

    ¡°May I hug you?¡± - she asked, coming closer to me, her eyes full of gratitude.

    ¡°Helen wanted to thank you personally!¡± - explained Gonzo with a guilty face.

    Fuck, what do I do when somebody wants to hug me? What if she screams? How can I explain anything, especially with those in khaki uniforms not far away? Nobody should hug me! I closed my eyes. If I refuse now? What would she think of me?

    ¡°I.. I... I have a bit of an allergy problem...¡± - I said, opening my eyes.

    Gonzo gulped guiltily behind her. The fucker, why does he put me in this situation? Probably he did not think this through!

    She hesitated. She looked back at Gonzo as if she would request his help. I stepped forward. I screwed this. What can I do now?

    ¡°Look, I''ll come to visit you at your place! I hope you are OK?¡±

    I sighed. She looked even more confused. What did she understand from that? I wanted to ask her: what do you remember, but that would be telling too much. Fuck, every time I open my mouth, I make things worse.

    She finally answered:

    ¡°I... I... When Gonzo found me...¡±

    That start of the sentence rang my alarm bells. What does she want to say or talk about? Exactly what I didn''t want to have! How can people be so na?ve and talk freely everywhere? Maybe she wanted to say something clever, but I could not risk anything. I stepped forward, used the moment of surprise to catch her hands down, hugged her and put my lips over her lips. How else could I shut her mouth? Put a hand over it?

    She was so surprised that she froze. Then I whispered in her ear, still hugging her:

    ¡°Please don''t talk about that; that brings bad luck.¡±

    I wanted to say ''here in public'', but maybe that was also not wise to say. I pushed back my head and looked her in the eyes, still keeping her in my arms.

    ¡°But can I say thank you?!¡± - she lowered her head and whispered in my ear.

    Her warm breath on my neck, I kissed her cheek and freed her.

    ¡°Yes, sure! Take care! I will visit you and eat all your breakfast again!¡±

    She laughed and shrugged.

    ¡°I came here only to thank you. Thank you again!¡± - she said.

    Gonzo made now the two steps forward and came to shake my hand. The bell rang, and I had to hurry up inside the schoolyard. The five in khaki uniforms were still talking, not paying us any special attention, but it could have been that the observation was done from inside the car. Who knows what sensors they had monitoring the area, probably checking all kids entering the school.

    Without my wings, I would not have to behave so awkwardly, and I would not fear each and every contact. My paranoia and having to hide my wings and horns are making me too nervous. Magic mirrors are one thing, but they do not protect against touching. If I continue this, I''ll have to invent something as an excuse to avoid touching. Allergy? Allergy to people or what?

    Oh no, do I have to cut my wings again? Maybe I can still find a way to hide them. It was easier when they were small, but now they are too big. Oh, fuck!

 Chapter 122 â€“ Sweetheart Under the Shower and a Deal with Matt

    School... I was back in class, listening to a tired teacher drone on about something she probably cared about even less than we did. She was just reciting her lesson, hardly noticing if anyone understood a word of it. Normally, I¡¯d try to pay attention, but I could barely focus today. After barely escaping that facility intact, I''d been living under so much stress that survival had become my only thought.

    But gradually, I realized no one was after me¡ªnot yet, anyway. The relief was overwhelming, so much so that I almost forgot about my horns and wings problem.

    I just need to act normal, I told myself. Do your thing, Dolores, and you¡¯ll be fine. They don¡¯t have my ID, they don¡¯t have Dolores¡¯ face. And as Dolores, my genetic info is in no database.

    After all, I was still ¡°wearing¡± Cala¡¯s body.

    "They" might have Cala''s genetic material, and that could spell trouble for me down the line. Wearing her body meant I¡¯d need to be extra careful and have an escape plan ready. But where could I even run? The thought of living on the run wasn¡¯t exactly appealing. For now, though, I seemed safe enough.

    I glanced at my seatmate. Naturally, Constance had already asked me about the girl I''ve been with at the school entry. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I replied, ¡°Can you believe I was the one who brought those two together? I gave Gonzo a bit of advice, and, judging by how things turned out, it must¡¯ve worked. They¡¯re officially a pair now¡ªshe even came over to thank me personally.¡±

    Constance laughed and suggested I should open a matchmaking agency: Dolores & Co.

    The funny thing was, it was true. It was one thing I could genuinely add to the list of good deeds I¡¯d managed in my life.

    I spent a lot of time chatting with Constance. She was always a sweetheart, keeping me up to date on all the gossip I needed to know.

    "Behaving normal" meant, of course, I caught the teacher''s eye, and we both got admonished, told to stop talking during class. So, I let the hours drift by, giving the flow as little resistance as possible.

    During the breaks, Matt came over and asked if something was wrong. He told me they¡¯d been practicing all Sunday and had sent me at least twenty messages, wondering if I was mad at them or if something had upset me. Of course, I couldn¡¯t tell him I''d been kidnapped, so I just apologized, saying I couldn¡¯t make it.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how to put their minds at ease, but Matt made me promise I¡¯d join them to practice in the afternoon.

    As an unplanned ''bonus'', Constance found out about me singing at Stavros¡¯ place. Well, so be it.

    I¡¯d heard from Constance and Matt that people were buzzing about the raid on the gamers'' compound. The latest gossip claimed they had ties to the gang responsible for the nuclear/chemical catastrophe in Bounty County, and supposedly, the army had barely prevented a similar disaster here. No one could say exactly how they¡¯d pull off such a thing, but with no official explanation and barely any coverage in the national news, rumors were running wild.

    I wanted to skip the last couple of hours and head home for a nap, but as I wandered into the canteen, I spotted Joe. He was there with some guys in sports gear, and I couldn¡¯t help but let my eyes linger on his toned frame, feeling my heart race just looking at him.

    ¡°Dol, sweetheart!¡± he called out, spotting me. ¡°We¡¯ve got a friendly against the Ipswitch College boys, but we¡¯re one short. Wanna join us?¡±

    I cringed a little when he called me "Dol." I hate that nickname¡ªit makes me sound like a doll, which I am definitely not. But then, he¡¯d also thrown in ¡°sweetheart,¡± and that warmed my heart. It was a bit of a bold move from him, and I was completely won over by it. Playing handball with him right now? Very cool. Even Cala was giving off positive vibes, though I realized there was a snag.

    ¡°Uh, but the girls'' locker room closes at noon,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You can use my locker for your stuff! C''mon, please?¡±

    I felt a little conflicted, but my heart was already racing. Was this really happening? I mean, I was Joe¡¯s girlfriend, wasn¡¯t I? Could I actually say no?

    So, instead of going home to get some sleep, I found myself gearing up for another handball game.

    The moment I stepped onto the field, it hit me: I¡¯d done it again¡ªtypical Dolores, making a snap decision without thinking it through. I handed over control to Cala since, let¡¯s face it, I¡¯m a total zero at sports. Weirdly enough, Cala had adapted fast to this world, almost like she was made for it. I could rely on her completely, even if communicating with my "other half" (or third?) was a bit... tricky. But, anyway, back to the game.

    I love playing with these guys. I love their rough, intense style, the way they don''t hold back. But then, I remembered¡ªwings and horns. I had to keep my wings firmly pinned to my body, avoid any stray hand that might brush against my horns. It was so stressful! But I tried to reframe it: a complex exercise in awareness and avoidance, a game within a game. Only with that mindset could I keep playing¡ªand actually start to enjoy it.

    In the end, we lost by just one point. I lingered by the door, waiting for the guys to finish changing, when Daniel walked out, the first one dressed.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem fully in the game today¡ªwhat was up?¡± he asked.

    I shrugged. What could I say?

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you out there; come on in!¡± Joe called from the locker room.

    I sighed. ¡°Let the boys have their peace.¡±

    ¡°You can head to the showers now; everyone¡¯s done!¡± Daniel assured.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we''re all done!¡± Simon chimed in from inside.

    The showers were to the right of the entry and the locker room on the left, with a corridor in between.

    As I went towards the showers, Simon, who was just coming out, asked me:

    ¡°Daniel was right, Dolores; you were not in the right mood today, else we would have won.¡± - I heard some protests from the other team. He continued - ¡°Do you come with us for a consolation lunch? There will be extra sausages and chips, just as you like it?¡±

    ¡°And beer!¡± - yelled Joe - ¡°it''s going to be a loong day!¡±

    ¡°Oh boys, I''m really sorry, but I''ll have to go to Matt''s place and exercise!¡±

    Oh fuck, this is what happens when you let Cala lead. She tells everything like it is, and I cannot even talk to her; I can only talk to White Flower, who can relay it to her! Why do I have this damned setup in my head?

    There was a bit of silence in the locker room after that.

    ¡°If it''s not too indiscreet, what do you exercise with Matt?¡± - asked Daniel.

    Now some bloody, noisy comments came out of the locker room.

    ¡°Yes, truly?¡± - asked Joe, a bit miffed.

    I shrugged. Is Cala oblivious to the situation, or does she make fun of it?

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Matt has a band, and we have a performance at Stavros'' place Thursday evening, and I don''t know the songs by heart. Should I read from the notes? Besides, we still sound like crap most of the time.¡±

    I was now undressed and went under the shower.

    ¡°What? Did I hear this right?¡± - wondered Simon

    "Speak louder; I cannot hear you!" - I said from under the shower.

    ¡°At Stavros?¡± - asked Jonathan, another guy from Mike''s class - ¡°Don''t tell me you are Fata Morgana? I go there with Linda Thursday evening? Would we hear you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s the name the boys came up with!¡± - I confirmed, yelling from under the shower - ¡°Hey Joe, do you happen to have a towel? I forgot mine in the girl''s room.¡±

    There was laughter and all kinds of gallant proposals. Yeah, fuck me, I forgot it; what can I do now?

    ¡°Sure!¡± - he said and appeared in the door frame with closed eyes balancing his hand with the towel in the air. Of course, he may be cheating, but that did not disturb Cala, and at least he was doing as if.

    I took the towel, and he turned away.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Wow, that''s great, Dol, sweetheart. Boys, do we go there to ask for a replay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± - screamed Simon - ¡°Replay, replay!¡±

    Now my trousers were in Joe''s locker. Should I put the sweaty sports shorts on again?

    ¡°Hey, are you finished there in the locker room? I would like to dress?¡±

    Someone answered:

    ¡°You can come; the boys don''t mind!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± - a choir of five or six agreed.

    Cala rolled her eyes. This is not much different to the assassins guild team.

    ¡°They''ll be ready in a minute!¡± - said Simon, who was the cooler head between them.

    ¡°You spoilsport!¡± - said Joe.

    ¡°When is your performance scheduled?¡± - asked Daniel

    ¡°It is planned after 19:00, isn''t it? There are only two groups planned; you are the second one.¡± - said Jonathan, who obviously had read the program.

    ¡°Yep!¡± - I confirmed

    ¡°We''ll be there!¡± - confirmed Joe

    OK, well done, Cala. So now I''ll have a vocal gallery and possibly a lot of stress once we finish our performance. How will Matt digest this?

    As soon as the boys evacuated the locker room, I went to equip myself while Joe was guarding the door while chatting with Daniel.

    Once I was ready ¨C and it did not take me more than two minutes ¨C the noisy group of about fifteen boys left towards a fast food restaurant, and I went towards the entry to take my bike when I met Matt.

    ¡°Hey, Matt! Waiting to be picked up?"

    His mother usually comes to pick him up in her sports car. He shook his head:

    ¡°No, I''m waiting for the bus, ma just called me, she cannot come to pick me up so I''ve sent all a message that I''ll be late. Haven''t you seen it? We can go together if you want?¡°

    Oh. OK. The clever thing would be to ride the bus with him... Hmm, and try to avoid any touching with all those people in the crowded train and buses with my naked torso and my wings in the back? Fuck, no. No way! I shuddered at the thought.

    Besides, he knows I am a witch; I don''t have to extra hide from him. Cala should take him for a ride. Should I fly over there? I imagined myself as a dragonfly Dolores carrying Matt in her fangs. Well, it would be funny; however, I''m not sure my wings are strong enough for two, but I grinned at the image.

    ¡°With the bus and the train? That''ll take ages. If you are a brave man, you can join me on my bike... Is it still valid that we''ll eat at your place? Because else I can go with the boys and hurry up...¡±

    He nodded dutifully:

    ¡°Yes, that''s still valid, but you know we just have sausages, chips and beer?¡± - I grinned at that. He continued - ¡°I wonder, why do I have to be a brave man to drive with you? Are you such a lousy driver?¡±

    Cala raised a brow, but her grin only grew wider:

    ¡°You forgot to mention cucumbers; I hope you have those! For the ride, I need to mention that I don''t have a helmet. I don''t use such a thing just for riding a bike, and no extra for you, but I''ll make an illusion of it. So you''ll be on the bike with an illusion of a helmet.¡±

    He nodded at the cucumber part of my answer, and then his face became a little pale:

    ¡°Err? Are you joking?¡±

    ¡°No, and this is the easy-peasy part. So do you come with me or do you go with the bus?¡±

    ¡°Er. OK. And the rest? You said this is the easy stuff? What comes after?¡±

    Cala shrugged.

    ¡°This should be enough to help you decide.¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°If you go without a helmet, I''ll go without one too.¡±

    We were approaching the bike. Cala''s brows rose:

    ¡°Matt, let''s put it like this, you are a fragile china vase, and I am an iron statue. I''ll take care of you, but still, the risks are different, are you still decided to come?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to scare me?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, in a way.¡±

    ¡°Since when are you such of an iron-girl?¡±

    ¡°Since I drank some powerful elixir. No, joking, but trust me, it is like this.¡±

    ¡°The fragile china vase sits here.¡±

    He climbed on the bike and then looked a bit uncomfortable at me:

    ¡°Or should I wait and climb after you?¡±

    ¡°It can work like this, but normally you should have waited.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°Is this your first time on a bike?¡±

    ¡°No, my pa took me on his bike when I was a kid. I still have his bike, but ma does not let me drive it.¡±

    ¡°I see. I guess that she will be very pleased to see you riding the bike with me.¡±

    He sighed, nodding.

    Flo took over and placed a fake helmet over his head.

    ¡°Everything OK?¡± - she asked.

    The way she talked and the way she asked, he must have felt it was a different person. I heard his heart beatings changing. His whole posture changed. Before he was tense, now, he smiled, and a warmth appeared in his eyes.

    He nodded:

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    She bound her hair, and I saw his hungry eyes looking at me. It was not necessary; Cala''s hair, which is now mine, is short enough. I guess she did it for him, for the show; she can be damn sexy when she wants, but then Cala was back in the lead. She heaved the motorcycle with him standing on it from the stand and climbed in front.

    ¡°Now, don''t scream, and if you feel something hitting you, keep calm, I may not be able to keep my wings still.¡±

    She quickly slipped a leg over the bike, taking the seat in front of him.

    ¡°Wings?¡± - he wondered, confused. It must be damn confusing for people to suddenly be aware that there are things they cannot see.

    ¡°Rule number one, hold tight, don''t fall!¡± - she yelled as she started the motor.

    The bike roared, and we were on the road. At the next red traffic light, his face landed on my neck.

    ¡°Upmf. Sorry!¡± - he mumbled

    ¡°No, problem. You can keep closer!¡± - said Cala

    ¡°What do I feel here? Are these really wings?¡±

    ¡°Rule number two: don''t talk about them.¡±

    Cala laughed, the bike snaking through the traffic, the noise making any conversation now impossible. Oh my, as much as I hate bikes, the more she loves them.

    ¡°You said you have sausages, cucumbers, chips and beer? I insist on the cucumbers!¡± - asked Cala at the next traffic stop.

    ¡°Yes. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to be sorry.¡±

    ¡°But I need to arrive in one piece home for you to get them!¡±

    ¡°We have a deal!¡± - said Cala with a zeal that reminded me of the black angel

 Chapter 123 â€“ A Freak and a Coward on the Butchers Table

    It did not take us long to arrive at Matt''s home, and before the other boys came, we had time to empty the fridge and roast all the sausages and french fries. Maybe he imagined our first time alone at home differently, but I allowed Cala to annihilate those things as she pleased.

    Carnage ensued.

    Does Cala always eat like this? Like four to five human portions? Matt just watched me, surprised, while eating his mini part; I guess he thought I was famished, but to tell the truth, I was. I really felt that hunger.

    Oh, well, I''ll have to increase my budget for food...

    When the boys arrived, we were drinking beer. There were some pickings for them, but they seemed to be happy with it.

    I took a nap while they ate and made preparations, and then we started to make noise; however, I had a problem: I was never good at learning poetry. I can remember numbers or stories very well, but poetry? No. I tried my best, but we were talking about multiple songs. No way to learn all that in the short time I had. So I put it like this: either I use some cheat papers, or I''ll start improvising.

    Mike was totally against my improvisations, mainly because most of the verses were his creation, and my improvisations were not always top-notch, so we settled on cheat notes.

    A good thing was that Flo had a photographic memory, which helped a lot, but she could not memorize all of them like this, so before singing a particular song, I needed to glance at the cheat notes.

    We exercised a bit, putting us in the limelight and moving on the scene, to not be completely static, but in the end, Tom concluded that the boys should do less movement; they should leave it mostly to me. It looked better on all test recordings when they stopped monkeying around; besides, White Flower has her particular way of moving that drives not only male minds crazy.

    So, the conclusion was that I''ll move from one to the other and Tom and Matt should stay with their guitars and just sing. Anyhow Mike and Hew could not move with their instruments.

    As the team''s name was Fata Morgana, we decided I should wear a mask to increase a bit the mystery note. The dress was left to my imagination, what I loved.

    We exercised until late in the night, but at a certain moment, I could no longer concentrate; I was too sleepy. Mrs Cutler, Matt''s mother, or Kate as she introduced herself, but I still hesitated to call her, insisted on me not driving during the night but to stay and sleep there. I gladly accepted. She then prepared my bed, and I could finally sleep happily spread over the bed without fear while the boys continued for some time.

    Life can be simple and rewarding, yet I dreaded the morning as I took my decision regarding the wings.

    In the morning, the boys were gone, and Kate made breakfast for the three of us. I ate bravely only three eggs. She looked surprised and raised a brow when I said three. Really? I''m starving! In a moment of inattention, when she prepared the coffee, I skimmed another pair of sausages on my plate to Matt''s amusement.

    When I proposed to take Matt with me on my bike, she was against it. Now I understood why Matt did not even mention that he came with me from school. I almost made that argument when I saw his desperate look, so I stopped short of saying it.

    We left almost at the same time, but I lost them soon in the traffic, even if I was in no particular hurry. Fuck it, I am going to Gonzo to ask him to cut my wings.

    Even thinking about it was turning my insides upside down, and yet I am going to do it. Why can''t people accept me for how I am? WHY? I started to get used to my wings; it was such a boon to be able to fly like a bird in the sky! Oh yeah!

    And the horns? They allowed for incredible mana manipulation that was manifold beneficial. For example, I had such a vision with them, a domain around me where I could see as far as my mana allowed through people, walls, trees, through everything. It is true that most of the time, I was not using it, afraid of being discovered, but in case of need, I could do it. I could see. Without my horns, it was as if my resolution would be reduced to four times four pixels. Yeah, pretty useless.

    It pained my heart, but it was too dangerous. Thursday we had the performance in a probably crowded restaurant, Friday I planned to go with Joe to that concert, all places where a lot of voluntary and involuntarily touching might and will happen. I had enough trouble already with them; I knew it would not work; unfortunately, there was no place for wings and horns.

    To my surprise, there were about five or six strangers in their garden who were looking curious at me. I did not know what to do, but I saw Helen between them, and she waved to me, calling my name.

    As I parked my bike, she came hesitatingly to greet me, but then she came and kissed my cheek without daring to hug me.

    I learned that the visitors were gamers, and later on, I even recognized a couple of them. They wanted to prepare a demo in support of the arrested gamers and were expecting more to come.

    Uh, oh, not something I wanted to get myself involved in.

    I took Gonzo to the side.

    ¡°Gonzo, can you spare half an hour? I need... an operation!¡±

    At first, he did not understand. Then his eyes went round.

    ¡°Now? It is not possible; we expect a lot of people to come and...¡±

    ¡°When would you have time?¡±

    ¡°Uh, the whole week looks bad. Probably there will be gamers meeting here as they try to understand what happened and put pressure on the authorities to free the arrested guys. Can we postpone this for later? I guess not today or tomorrow, but maybe the day after tomorrow? I''ll let you know when it is possible.¡±

    Fuck, this is all I need. I already felt my resolve melting, but on the other side, I knew I''ll get in trouble with my wings.

    ¡°Let''s do it now, Gonzo!¡± - I sighed.

    He sighed at his turn, watching my puppy eyes. He could not let me down.

    ¡°OK, bring your motorcycle to the workshop; I''ll fix it now.¡± - he said with a nod, turning and heading towards the workshop. I went to take the bike and headed for the workshop under the aghast eyes of several people.

    Helen, who heard the last sentence, looked surprised at him.

    ¡°But Gonzo, did you not say that you close the shop for the week?¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°Dolores is a special case; this cannot wait. I''ll be ready in half an hour.¡±

    I did not further listen to their conversation as I brought the bike inside the workshop. I pulled the big doors shut and eyed the workbench where I''ll be butchered. Gonzo entered, and behind him, Helen.

    ¡°What''s this?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°She''ll stay here and watch the door. We have Susan to take care of the others until we get back.¡±

    "No, she should stay outside!" - I tried to protest

    "Dolores, I cannot possibly ask her to leave." - said Gonzo while Helen raised a finger.

    "Ahm, you two, I am here!" - she said while closing the door and pulling the lever to block it.

    He took the electric sewer in his hands as her eyes went round.

    I closed my eyes and sighed. What do I do?

    ¡°OK, enjoy the show.¡±

    I dastardly dismissed the mirrors that were hiding my wings and horns and the fake blouse and placed my torso on the workbench spreading my wings high so that he could cut easier. The saw went fast and deep, surprising me. A pained moan escaped me.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Fuck, I was ready for the pain, I knew how bad it was, and still, it was so heavy that I started instantly to sweat, my heart went bumping like crazy, and my hands crushed the iron bar I was holding.

    ¡°One¡± - he counted while tears were flowing down my face - "Do you need a break?"

    "Give me a piece of wood, something to bite, or I''ll scream," - I whispered, breathing hard.

    He gave me a hammer and wrapped the wood handle in cloth.

    "Is this good so?"

    "Yes, but you may need a new handle."

    "It''s ok." - he said

    I took the handle in my mouth and nodded.

    Thick blood was slowly dripping on my back. The sew engine sneered high tones, and my back cramped in expectation for the next cut.

    I almost pissed myself; it was so bad. My hands and legs started shaking uncontrollably, and I struggled to stay stable on the workbench. He came around the bench.

    ¡°Two¡± - he said and then added in a low voice - ¡°Now the hard part comes. Should I go on, or do you need a break?¡±

    I nodded. I could not speak, so I only nodded.

    ¡°Are you sure you want these also gone?¡±

    I nodded again, the hammer hitting the workbench.

    I ended up twenty minutes later trembling and mute-crying in Helen''s arms. So much for guarding the door. But after another five minutes of crying and, bit-by-bit healing, the pain subsisted, and I was again able to talk.

    ¡°Should we check what''s with the people outside?¡± - asked Gonzo

    ¡°Let Susan organize them! She was very keen to take the initiative.¡± - answered Helen, then she turned to me - ¡°Excuse my question, but what are you? Gonzo just tells me that you are a special girl and doesn''t want to let me know more. Are you some kind of x-people? Alien?¡±

    As she saw that I was hesitating, she added.

    ¡°It is not that I must know. I just need to understand how to behave with you. Now I understood why you didn''t want me to hug you. Do you understand where I come from?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Look, Gonzo is right. I am a girl. A bit...¡± - I hesitated about what word to use.

    ¡°A girl with horns and wings?¡± - wondered Helen.

    ¡°Well, yes.¡±

    "Aren''t those called succubi? I... I... I don''t know, but this is something that my brain has a problem grasping."

    "Look, Helen, I did this to myself by mistake. It is no devilish work."

    ¡°You did this?¡± - she asked, surprised.

    "Besides, succubi have a tail, too." - said Gonzo.

    We both looked at him, and he shut his mouth. I turned to Helen.

    ¡°This is the consequence of a spell that went wrong... even if it did not really go wrong. Actually, it worked as intended but had some collaterals...¡±

    ¡°A spell? Collaterals? You can spell?¡±

    I shrugged. I did not like the situation; I did not trust Helen to the level to open completely, but what could I do now? I was angry with Gonzo, but I also understood his action. Then I had an idea.

    ¡°It is not really me. It is this ring I got from the game. Ring of seven wishes. This is what the ring is called. After the previous Mephisto session, I had it on my finger. I don''t know how it happened, but it was the same ring I had inside the game."

    "This is linked with the game?" - wondered Helen, intrigued

    "Yes," - I nodded - "and something like this may be the explanation for the raid on the zone."

    "Oh. This may explain things. Would you come and talk with the others? Maybe we can even make a demo?"

    "No. The ring has three wishes left. What I''ve seen that it does correctly is healing a person. It worked OK on me and also on you. With other wishes, you can get some unwanted results as these" - I pointed at the wings and horns on the floor - "I think something like this, on a much larger scale, happened in Bounty County. It has to do with the game, and that''s why they raided the zone."

    She watched me with round eyes and an open mouth. Gonzo, too, even if I think he already understood part of it. I gave her time to understand.

    ¡°I thought that the ecological catastrophe story was a canard!¡± - said Gonzo.

    I nodded.

    "You knew about this before? That''s why you wanted to connect to the game?"

    I did not like her accusatory tone.

    "Yes. I wanted to try to recharge it or see if I get anything else."

    "And?"

    I shrugged,

    "Nothing, this is what I have. Please don''t talk about the ring with the others. I will not make a demo or let anybody have it."

    "But if you did this to yourself by mistake, why did you not remove them with a wish?"

    "All I achieved was to make them invisible for as long as I had the ring on my finger. It is like the story with the fae and the wish. I did not want to take further risks."

    Even I was impressed by how fast and prompt that lie came from my mouth.

    She sighed.

    ¡°Thank you again! Do you know what the army does with the people they arrested?¡± - she wondered.

    ¡°I don''t know. Probably they check for artefacts or if they can cast spells or not. I would guess that the non-casters will be freed at some time. What should they do with them?¡±

    It was a bit harder to say this lie, even if it was only a partial lie. I swallowed again.

    "Spells? Casters?" - she wondered.

    "Well, I consider this" - I showed the ring - "being magic." - I shrugged - "What would you call it if not casting magic? Who knows what happened in the county."

    She took a deep breath:

    ¡°We plan to organize demonstrations and acts of protest until we have our friends freed. Will you join our movement? The more we are, the better we can make our voice heard!¡±

    I looked her in the eyes and shook my head.

    She did not take it gently and protested:

    ¡°But they were your friends? Would you not want other people to fight for your rights? To free you if they arrest you?¡±

    ¡°Look, Helen, I''m afraid of this shit. I don''t want to get arrested, and I don''t want to give away the option I have to heal my loved ones in case of need.¡±

    ¡°The more we are, the fewer chances are that we get arrested. We make lists and check on each other well being.¡±

    I harrumphed. I don''t want to be on their fucking lists.

    ¡°All of you, each and everyone, will get i.d.-ed and tracked. You understand that all your social media activity, all your emails all your chats will be scanned throughout. All your walks in the park or movements inside your own homes. All the cameras in your home or in town will track your every word, movement and gesture?¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°Don''t be paranoid. Don''t they do this anyhow? We need to fight for our rights, and that goes only when we are together in it, else we will be all under it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they do it, but I am not in focus. When you are in focus, the magnifying glasses are on you and every small gesture counts.¡±

    She lost her patience with me.

    ¡°You''re a freak and a coward! You should gather some courage and fight for people like you! My friends have been swatted and are unjustly held hostages. We need to have them freed, and you hide behind your finger!¡±

    They are already dead.

    I could not say that.

    I sighed. That pained. A freak and a coward? I wanted to scream, but I swallowed down. She is right, I am a freak, and yes, I am too afraid to go to a fucking demo! At the last moment, before she left the workshop, Gonzo stopped her:

    ¡°You take that back! The freak healed you. Is that not enough courage for you?¡±

    I was surprised to hear that from Gonzo. He spoke in a low and pained voice. I know how much that had cost him. He is crazy in love with her.

    She stopped at the door and turned at Gonzo.

    ¡°Maybe she shouldn''t have healed me, but I take that with the freak back; you are right.¡±

    She left and slammed the door behind her. I watched him.

    ¡°Go Gonzo, go. I''ll clean up the place here.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± - he said with a tired voice - ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    And if I tell him now that the gamers are dead? If I tell him that I ran out of that prison and that was the reason why they all had to die?

    I started to cry again. Fuck. She is right; I am a freak and a coward.

    Gonzo tried to hug me, but I pushed him away. I don''t deserve to be consoled. I started to clean up the place, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. Nobody should see the butchery here and start asking questions.

 Chapter 124 - Should I Kill Him?

    I was in a small room at Stavros and didn''t want to come out. It was already our time to perform, we had already been announced, and suddenly I got cold feet. Cold feet? I had a monstrous, fucking stage fright crisis and went hiding in a kind of broom room.

    ¡°Dolores, they already announced us; Matt is trying to postpone, but little chance to work; if you don''t come, we''ll be out. We have another couple of minutes to start singing, or we leave without.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can''t...¡±

    ¡°Come on, you know the rehearsal went OK, you are looking gorgeous, it will be good! We just sing a couple of songs and leave! Ten minutes and we are done!?¡±

    He tried to appeal to my pride, but the problem was that I was afraid of people. I hate being in crowded places, and one of my most dreaded things is when they all look at me.

    There were so many people there, at least a couple of hundred people, if you counted all rooms adjacent to the central room with the stage, and both me and White Flower, we started to panic at their sight. And in addition, everybody will be looking at me.

    ¡°There are too many people here. I cannot come.¡±

    I had to cover my face with my hands. There were intrigued faces trying to look over his shoulder in the tiny room.

    ¡°Well...¡± - said finally Hew giving up with a sigh - ¡°We''ll start with Mike''s ballad, sung by Matt. We exercised a lot, so that should be a fine performance. I''ll be back once we are done, OK?¡±

    He left and closed the door. I breathed deep, relieved.

    There was the usual ambient noise that you hear in a restaurant, and then I heard how they prepared for the song. Tom spoke a couple of words, explained what they would perform and then the music started.

    It was not so bad, but you clearly felt their stress. I listened to the now very well-known song. It was a lovely piece that filled my heart, but it could be so much better! It was only after almost a minute that I realized that they will have a problem: there was that part where Matt''s voice could never cope with the notes. He had no chance to sing the coming high notes.

    For a moment, I panicked. Then I closed my eyes. I could still save them.

    I opened the door to my closet and stepped out. Lucky me, almost nobody looked at me. I advanced slowly towards the stage, and after the next corner, I saw them. The lights were only pointed towards the stage so I could focus on them and ignore the rest of the dimly lit saloon. It was like with the last rehearsal, and I felt like in Matt''s living room.

    My stage fright was gone, and I was able to sing, and before they arrived at the dreaded part, I started to sing. I do not really need a microphone; Flo can augment my voice enough. They raised their heads, trying to find me in the dark room. I was afraid I would cause some confusion, and they might stop singing, but they grasped the opportunity and continued.

    There was no master light specialist to put the lights on me, but that was OK. I even enjoyed it. I approached Matt slowly, and he ceded me his microphone.

    It looked as if staged, the transition was good, and I picked up the high notes with ease.

    The song was good. Good enough that we got roaring applauses and the right to sing more. And we just warmed up.

    The second song was better, and the roaring applauses encouraged us to continue. We got approval from the owner, so we went on with the third, fourth and fifth songs. I could even ignore the two cameramen. One was stationary, the other was walking between the tables. I thought they were from the restaurant filming to put the performance online, but later on, I learned that they were from the local television station. The group before had arranged to record the performance as they had hoped for a prolonged session and were very disappointed to be ousted after only two songs.

    I was feeling better, and the boys were already enjoying their part. That is when I first saw the table with Helen. There was a group of about ten people, and they had a slogan on the wall behind them: free the gamers! They must have learned about the television broadcasting parts of this evening and were trying to raise attention to their cause with the inscription unfolded behind them.

    They did not get the attention that they wanted, that''s why I did not give the microphone to Matt to introduce the next song, but I did it myself:

    ¡°I would like to dedicate the next song to my friend Helen and her group of friends who are here grieving and demanding answers for the disappearance of their friends from the gamers'' zone. I was one of the gamers almost a year ago; I learned to love and appreciate their community and I share their worries. The song we are going to sing was written by Hew and is named Despair and Hope.¡±

    It was a sad song with little hope in it, a beautiful piece. The inspiration for it came from Hew''s problems with girls, but I did not have to explain that. The song was about a loved girl that he had no hope to meet in real life, and yet he still hoped to be with her, but it could be interpreted differently, like some external power removed the loved girl from existence, and he still dreamed and hoped to meet her.

    Previously I''ve sung it technically correct but without feeling. Only now did I grasp that. Now, as I got the feeling and better understood it, the interpretation went much deeper on the feeling scale, and the end of the song was met with several seconds of silence. Only after that came the roaring applauses.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    We were asked to continue singing, and we happily agreed, but we made a five minutes break. We were sweaty and happy, enthusiasm and adrenaline flowing through our veins.

    The boys hurried for the toilet, and I used the opportunity to be alone to change my dress with a pair of leather trousers when Joe erupted into the room. I had just put my pants on and was handling the blouse when he came in.

    ¡°Hey, ruffian, I''m undressed!¡±

    He simply laughed came and embraced me from the back while I kept my arms with the blouse over my breasts.

    ¡°Wow, sweetheart, you are marvellous! You made the whole show! And that voice! It gave me goosebumps! The boys are crazy about you! Don''t forget that we go together to Sweenie''s after this, to celebrate the whole night!¡±

    ¡°Hey, I need to dress for the...¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± - he said, gave me a kiss on the neck that transformed my knees into goo and left in a hurry.

    As he left, Mike entered.

    ¡°Dolores, do you come... Ow, sorry, I thought...¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Give me a second, Mike...¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure...¡± - he said, retreating from the room - ¡°but I need to take my glasses; let me know when it''s OK?¡±

    ¡°You can do that, Mike; I''m almost done.¡±

    ¡°Sure?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡±

    He entered while I was putting on my high heels.

    ¡°Some fan?¡± - He asked while searching for the glasses.

    ¡°Oh, from the handball team. It''s the noisy group in the second room.¡±

    ¡°You play handball?¡±

    I shrugged. Yes, I do. He did not further inquire.

    ¡°You stay with us after this? We have a table reserved, and we need to celebrate!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure!¡± - I answered, realizing that the impossibility of being in two places at the same time would come upon my head. What do I do? Do I send Joe and the boys to Sweenie''s and tell them I''ll come later?

    I did not have much time to ruminate on what I just did as we had to rush to sing again. I did not want to hurt nobody''s feelings, but this was going to be a bigger problem.

    I tried to ignore the shit and concentrate on the next song that we hadn''t exercised much. It was a lovely easy piece created by Mike when a person entered the main hall. There were a lot of persons entering and leaving the main hall, but this one drew White Flower''s attention.

    He was tall, dressed in grey and stopped for a moment in the middle.

    She had felt his aura even before he entered the room.

    Magic aura. I almost stopped singing when I felt his aura.

    Then I felt the pulse.

    ¡°Should I kill him?¡±

    ¡°What? No! Are you crazy? But... but... Why is he so calm? Is he so high-level? Did you check?¡±

    Flo did not answer immediately, but continued singing, keeping me tense, and only later during the instrumental part of the song answered:

    ¡°His pulse gave him no answer; I don''t think he suspects anything."

    "What do you mean? You can block identify?"

    I had again to wait until I got an answer.

    "Yes, but do we wait to see if he can feel me? At the moment, he is blind; is it not better to strike now? If he attacks, don''t you have to kill him? And if you kill him, do we kill all?"

    Kill him? Kill all? Was she ready to kill everybody?

    ¡°Why do you say that? What is he?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. He is wearing a false face and mirrors. He is not what he looks like. If I check, he might feel me. What do we do then?¡±

    I was still singing, and I saw a glance from Matt. He felt something, so I concentrated on the song. The person finally sat at a table where several other people suddenly became suspect in my eyes.

    As soon as the song ended, I asked Flo:

    ¡°How did you do that? How was it possible that he could not identify me?¡±

    ¡°I can control my aura. It is now completely glued to me. He does not have such good control; that''s why I felt his aura even before he entered the room. His magic pulse would have echoed on any other magic giving him a response the kind bats have with soundwaves. This is the identification spell: the interpretation of the echo-response to a directed pulse. I can completely absorb the magic pulse when it hits my aura, and so he gets no echo. Simple as that. My magic aura being glued to me does not even radiate, so even with the mage''s-sight spell, he would not see anything different from a normal girl. But you know everything is a matter of levels and fine mana manipulation. A horned White Flower might see through my disguise.¡±

    ¡°How could you think of killing all? How could that thought even get into your head?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they would hesitate a second before detonating here another one of those bombs? Everybody here would be dead by now if they knew you were here.¡±

    Oh, fucking fuck! She is right, but still, this is nonsense!

    ¡°Of course I would save our friends, they would only get heavy amnesia. What would be your solution if we are unmasked?¡±

 Chapter 125 â€“ Celebration

    What would my solution be? I would probably run away and try to build myself a new existence somewhere else, but what shocked me was to realize that I was endangering everybody by simply existing.

    Yes, the crazies have blown up that compound, including everybody who survived the black angel there, but would they do it in a town?

    Well, nothing would happen as long as they did not find out about me, so all I had to do was keep a low profile... OK, I cannot call what I was doing keeping a low profile. Keeping a non-magical profile would be better. Oh, fuck, I did heal Helen, isn''t it? Will the story with the ring be any good to help me?

    But I did not have much time to ruminate on these thoughts as we were done with all songs that we exercised, even with those popular songs that we only sang once or twice. Our performance was celebrated with roaring applause; now was the time to relax and feel great.

    I watched how the caster was scanning through the crowd testing people right and left. The problem was that I didn''t want him to get the feeling that I was watching him. I tried to ignore him and casually chat with the boys, but I was not good at pretending.

    On the other side, what do I do now that the performance has ended? We retired behind the scene, in an improvised behind-the-scene room and congratulated each other, but I was not in the mood to celebrate. Not with that fucking caster walking here around.

    I should stay here with Matt and the boys. Flo had been adamant about it, and I reluctantly agreed with her before, but now? Will that idiot leave or stay?

    As I saw Joe trying to force his way to me, I hurried up to him and told him to go and wait for me at Sweenie''s. I promised him I''ll be coming soon.

    This was the plan White Flower had to get rid of him and the handball team and not create a conflict here. She planned to stay with Matt and the group at least until Stavros was going to close its doors. Tom and Jane Sween were very successful with their restaurant, which was one of the best in town, very popular due to their excellent food, quite accessible prices and very long open hours. They stayed open through the night, and you still could get soup at five o''clock in the morning. I knew Joe would not be pleased with me coming there later, but that was the best compromise I could think of.

    Stavro''s greek restaurant used to close one hour after midnight. Now it was still early, only past nine o''clock. So I had plenty of time to celebrate with Matt and the boys; however, the ''masked'' caster guy made me nervous. I got even more worried when I saw him moving around. He was interested in Helen''s group but not only.

    ¡°There is a guy from the television, and they invited us to their table, and Matt agreed¡±, - explained Mike - ¡°see where that guy in grey is? They are making room for us there! It may be a good opportunity for us!¡±

    Fucking fuck, the guy in grey is my nemesis, the caster with a magic mask.

    ¡°You know Mike, I''ll be leaving.¡±

    ¡°But, but? So soon? Are you sure, or is it again a panic attack? What about if we get an offer?¡±

    I shrugged. An offer that is valid ''only now'' is rather a trap and not an offer.

    ¡°We''ll meet at Matt''s place to talk things through this weekend, isn''t it?

    ¡°Yes, sure, but...¡±

    ¡°Just give the boys a big hug from me. I''ll be leaving through the back door before Hew finds out and stops me, OK? See you!¡±

    Hew would hang on me and insist so long that I''ll lose hours just to convince him to let me go.

    I sighed at the thought, hugged Mike and hurried up before the others got wind of what I intended to do. No way was I going to stay at the same table with that damn caster.

    When I got to my bike, I was surprised that the handball boys had not yet left; they were still arguing about something when Simon saw me.

    ¡°Yeaaaah! Dolores!!¡±

    And that''s how I ended up celebrating with Joe, not Matt, to my personal satisfaction and Flo''s disdain. There were another three bikers in the team, so we left in a column of four bikes and two cars and arrived, making a lot of noise at Sweenie''s, where the party started immediately after.

    On the road, I had time to chat a little with Flo about our situation.

    ¡°Do you love him?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Matt!¡±

    ¡°I like him.¡±

    ¡°But do you love him?¡±

    She did not answer immediately.

    ¡°I cannot tell that I love him, but I know he loves you. He is just a kid in comparison with me. I am much older and more experienced than you; you should trust me.¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°You are, at best, a couple of years old, but how old you feel is not the point. The point is that you do not love him. You like him, but I love Joe, so I have priority. It is the love of my life, as simple as that!¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°You do not even know him. You desire him; that''s not love.¡±

    ¡°And he loves me.¡±

    ¡°He desires you. You are just one on the list of trophies he wants to have on his wall of fame.¡±

    ¡°How can you talk like this? You do not know him?¡±

    ¡°I know him better than you do.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Can desire not become love? Is love not desire? You do not desire Matt.¡±

    ¡°No. I like him.¡±

    ¡°That''s OK; I can accept him, but as a friend.¡±

    ¡°Joe will never be your friend.¡±

    ¡°How can you know that? Never mind. So let''s be friends with Matt, and let me enjoy Joe! OK? Deal?¡±

    She was silent for some time.

    ¡°You make an error. You lose true love for your desire and fantasies.¡±

    ¡°It''s my desire and fantasy. Deal?¡±

    ¡°We don''t need to make a deal, but OK, deal.¡±

    It feels good to be reconciled with your other half. In addition, the idiot caster was far away. There was only one point I was dreading: Helen, but I tried to ignore it as much as possible. I could not do anything about it. Or could I?

    ¡°You know, I told Helen that I had that ring. You came up with the idea. What if she asks me to give her my ring?¡±

    ¡°I can make such a ring for three healings; we just need to check what ring can bear the spells.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡±

    ¡°Sure. That''s why I suggested it.¡±

    ¡°Cool¡±

    That sounds like a solution. Now, I could enjoy myself. Let the party start!

    It did include some touching, beer drinking, even more touching, stupid games, drinking and kissing.

    There was no real long kissing and makeout; there was no room for that, but short happy kisses on my neck, my naked shoulder or my and his cheek. I also gave some kisses.

    It was my first real party. Yeah, I''ve been to several parties before but never with a friend that I cared about and never got so involved.

    I was drunk with alcohol and emotions. We left after five in the morning and were wise enough to leave our cars and bikes there. It was anyhow close to the school and to my home.

    There was on the way an incident with a gang of marauders, and some fists were exchanged. As a result, I got a punch in the face and flew on my ass, but I still don''t remember who and why started the fight.

    Well, Whatever. Once we got in front of my house and we said our goodbyes, Simon and Joe helped push me up the tree, and I waved happily from the window to land later over a shocked Lola in bed.

    I slept like a log until ten. Lola woke me up as she extricated herself with difficulty to go to school, but I went back to sleep after that.

 Chapter 126 â€“ The Sunglasses Trio

    I went to wash and tried to remember the night. It had been a good party, and I was now very officially Joe''s girlfriend. I watched my face satisfied in the mirror and froze. Oh, fucking fuck, I had a black eye. Oh fuck, that must have been a hard hit to cause Cala a black eye. What do I do now?

    How could I, super-Cala, have been beaten last night?

    ¡°You were drunk.¡± - countered White Flower flatly

    ¡°And you did not help much!¡±

    She did not answer immediately.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don''t seem to be able to handle much alcohol. I completely blacked out.¡± - she confessed.

    Was she embarrassed by it?

    I dressed hurriedly while the eggs were boiling for breakfast, and then I ate fast my eight eggs with mayo, ham and cheese.

    ¡°This is not normal! Why does Cala need to do sport and eat so much?¡±

    After a couple of seconds, I got Cala''s answer through White Flower:

    ¡°Cala says that without training, her muscles will grow weak.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. Her muscles are strong because there is magic in them! That magic does not disappear!¡±

    ¡°True, the magic density in your muscles stays the same, but the muscle mass will be reduced if you stop exercising. This is a common human trait. Orcs are different. So you will have less muscle and thus less power. Simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit. But then, why does she need to eat so much?¡±

    ¡°Because the food here is low quality. If you would eat high-quality food as in the other world, then you could eat smaller portions. She thinks the muscle mass is somehow denser in her muscles than what normal people here have; that is why she needs more food.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Oh well, maybe she has a point, but I''ll need to hide this higher consumption somehow. I''ll have to invent some kind of cosmetic treatment as the reason for my higher egg consumption. Oh yes, that is something Clara can understand, but then I''ll need to eat them in hiding. What about salami and cheese?

    With these thoughts in mind, I took a pair of sunglasses to hide my black eye and got out of my house and hurried towards the school.

    At the entry, I found Daniel and Simon sitting on the fence and talking. Both were wearing dark sunglasses, and when they saw me, they waved and started to laugh. I could not do but laugh seeing them.

    ¡°If I see those bastards again, I''ll teach them a lesson!¡± - said Simon, finally.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°May I see your eye?¡± - asked Daniel

    I took off my glasses and let him have a look.

    ¡°Oooh, almost nothing. Look at mine!¡± - he said proudly, taking the glasses off at his turn, revealing a very swollen closed black eye that he could not even open.

    ¡°Bastards!¡± - mumbled Simon again

    ¡°How is Joe?¡± - I wondered

    ¡°Fresh as a baby. Somehow he escaped unscathed.¡± - laughed Simon.

    ¡°He always does that!¡± - added Daniel rolling his eye.

    I laughed. Yes, that looks like Joe.

    ¡°Are you coming to the blue cauldron show too?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± - said Simon shrugging - ¡°the tickets are too expensive for me. Besides, your show yesterday was much better!¡±

    I rolled my eyes. To compare our performance with that of those celebrities was an unexpected compliment. Or is he making fun of me?

    ¡°You''re kidding!?¡±

    ¡°No, trust me. I loved it!¡±

    ¡°I would go; I like the Blue Cauldron''s music.¡± - said Daniel - ¡°but I got no tickets. I missed the opportunity to buy online when they were cheap. Now they ask a fortune for a ticket.¡±

    ¡°Can''t Joe get some more VIP tickets?¡± - I wondered, feeling a little guilty.

    ¡°No, he was lucky his brother gave him those two tickets. It''s a pretty small concert hall, only about two thousand places, and the tickets were gone in a couple of hours.¡±

    ¡°Small? Two thousand?¡±

    Simon shrugged.

    ¡°What do you want... Blue Cauldron is a name that drags masses! They could have rented the stadium for the concert.¡±

    We went in as the bells rang the end of the break.

    The English teacher ignored my sunglasses. The math teacher asked me to take them down and then asked me if I wanted to talk about my black eye. What happened? I explained that I''d hit the kitchen door in the morning. There must be a kitchen door epidemic, he answered, shaking his head with disdain, but that was it.

    I ate at noon together with Daniel and Simon in the canteen. The music teacher came and asked us to remove the glasses, and Simon said no. Why should we? He left us mumbling something about kids and no respect and gangs and whatever.

    The sports trainer came later and asked if there was any problem that he should know about or could help with. Simon said that we were advertising for sunglasses, so he had a good laugh and left us to our devices.

    I was feeling happy. Strange, yesterday night I had been beaten by some marauders, yet I was pleased with my little life here. I had friends, I had a boyfriend, I was successful, and I''ve reached peace in my inside world.

    At two o''clock I went home and started preparing myself for the concert. That took me several hours. Everything had to be perfect. I had a lovely red dress that I wanted to wear for this event, a pair of high heels, and a red satin scarf over my naked shoulders. I tried first the dress without a bra. It was much too revealing, so I had to wear a bra.

    In the end, I was happy with my apparition. Take this, Clara! I''m going with Joe to the concert. As soon as he parked his convertible, I left the apartment. My heart was beating in the tact of my high heels. Tock, tock, tock, tock, tock. Oh, I kept those shoes only for such events.

    I asked Flo to take the lead to further refine my movement. I know she was making me look gorgeous; besides, I would undoubtedly faceplant myself at the first little gravel encounter with me in the lead.

    Did my skin become softer? Did my eyelashes grow? Are my traits becoming more delicate? Are my lips more sensual? I felt a warmth coming from deep inside me, spreading further through my body, the same sensation I had each time she took the lead.

    Is this only my imagination? But if it is, why do I see the reaction in his eyes, the same reaction I see in their eyes again and again?

    He met me halfway, and we kissed. My heart was filled with joy singing like a happy little bird.

    I''m sure Clara was watching from behind the curtains but in the end, who cares?

 Chapter 127 â€“ From Beauty to Doormat

    The hall was packed, and it was a struggle to get to our places, but Flo''s radiance helped: like Snowwhite navigating a sea of dwarfs with prince charming in tow, she brought us to our reserved seats. Once seated, the first half an hour was spent waiting for the show to start, which was not very pleasant. The problem was that Joe did not have any conversation, and when he talked, it was about things that neither Flo nor I found interesting. What do I care who scored last Sunday or who does the better ball trick in a stadium? Urg. I tried to propose some more intellectual themes through Flo, like books, games or movies, but he blocked those completely. Well, except for a shooting game where I was a null.

    As a consequence, I completely lost interest in the conversation.

    I was happy that Flo was in the lead; I could enjoy looking at him and letting her do the work. Flo could have told him anything she wanted, as long as he was looking with those eyes at me.

    I was so ensnared by simply watching him that I was surprised to find out that a couple of guys had meanwhile appeared on the stage. They were making some checks together with the band''s drummer. I realized they were there when Joe started to yell and whistle.

    It was refreshing to see how near they were, or rather how close we were to the stage; they could simply give me a hand and pick me up. These were really VIP places. They waved and talked with us. They all looked at me, and I think that even the camera was pointing more at my d¨¦collet¨¦ than at the band. Or maybe the cameraman abused the time when he was not on? I was happy and enjoyed letting Flo do the heavy lifting in the conversation. With this very revealing, sexy red dress, I would feel half naked, what I was, and thus feel intimidated, timorous and constipated. Not her. She was doing it with a natural grace that I always wanted to possess but knew was not mine. A dream that now came true in an interesting and funny way.

    However, soon there was trouble, as another pair came reclaiming our seats, and a vivid discussion ensued. They seemed to have paid an exorbitant price just to get tricked, but the girl asked in the end if we could not arrange ourselves, me sitting on Joe''s lap and she on her friends''. The hall was hopelessly overbooked, many people were sitting on the stairs and between the chairs; there was simply no chance to get somebody to clarify the ticket issue. Joe asked me if I was ok, and I agreed, so I ended up on his lap.

    This will be anyhow soon irrelevant as the chairs will be removed in the second part of the show and the people from the gallery will be allowed to come down. I wondered how they''ll do that with so many people here.

    His hands were now resting on me all the time, but I did not mind, and Flo was happy to oblige all my wishes. In reality, nothing could have made me happier. Drats, I am irrevocably, irremediably enamoured in him.

    To touch without having to do the touching, to move without having to make a movement, to enjoy without flipping out crazy, my alter ego, my split personality, allowed me to enjoy and feel things I could not dream of. Whilst Flo was talking, moving, and doing all that, I could concentrate on feeling, relishing and savouring.

    The new neighbour offered us something to drink as thanks for the place, they had a set of mini-bottles with them, and then the boy asked if Joe played football. A vivid conversation ensued; both were fans, even if of different teams.

    Finally, the band came and soon after they started to sing. They have several heavy metal songs that I really love, and they began the show with one of them. It was maybe a bit too loud even for me, but terrific bass. I was feeling the vibrations deep in my spine. The crazies around started to scream and wave, but the noise was so deafening it covered everything.

    The neighbour girl was a blonde named Sandy, looking a bit like Lola, with a lovely azure dress, and she was making a lot of noise engaging Flo all the time, so we became something like an additional attraction, almost like cheerleaders at a game.

    In the moments when I was sitting quiet, Joe was cuddling me, kissing me behind the ear and joking with me. I was in the ninth heaven.

    It could have gone on and on forever. And to think that after this we will party all night! Drats, I''ll be drunk only from feelings.

    I did not even realize how the first half of the show was gone in the blink of an eye, or so it seemed to me. A short break ensued, and we hurried for the toilets while the ground floor hall was being refurbished. Now comes the part with more movement and dance. We chatted with the neighbours and returned to our place to have a good position for the second part before they opened the gates for the gallery.

    As soon as the music began, Flo asked me:

    ¡°Would you like to take the lead?¡±

    I was just resting my back on Joe and feeling his warm body behind me, his hands embracing me gently while we were enjoying a slow song.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Why would you do this to me?!¡±

    She laughed softly. I was afraid Joe would ask what was so funny.

    ¡°Joe is your friend. Would you not like to be yourself? Would you always want to hide behind me? What would you do after we separate? I can keep doing this if you want...¡±

    I felt how she shrugged, and Joe instinctively held me tighter.

    Oh, well, maybe she is right. Maybe it is time to come out of hiding and be me? Perhaps this is the true purpose of my alter ego? Help me finally come out of my shell?

    ¡°OK, but you take the lead back as soon as I ask you.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You have the lead now!¡±

    The place was crowded now, and I could not avoid contact from the sides either, so all I had to do was rest even stronger on Joe. Yes, it is Joe and me, no intermediary, not even my alter ego!

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The next songs were not so peaceful anymore.

    All around us, everybody screamed and yelled, the cacophony of voices regulated and streamlined by drums and the electric guitar created one of the most exciting atmospheres I have ever enjoyed.

    Joe''s left hand stayed on my belly while his right hand wandered dangerously close to my left breast. I felt his breathing warm on my neck. I wanted to embrace him; I wanted to kiss him and tell him I love him. Oh, baby, I love you so much! He is mine, and I am his. Yeah!

    The singer came towards us asking:

    ¡°Who wants to fly? Who wants to fly? Do you want to fly? Do you want to fly? Into the darkness!!!¡±

    At first, I did not understand, but Sandy raised her hand and screamed: me, me, take me!!

    I did the same, waving my hand, and to my surprise, the singer pointed his finger at me:

    ¡°You, red beauty! Come to fly, the flight into the darkness!!¡±

    He called me red beauty!! HE CALLED ME RED BEAUTY!!!

    I was a bit confused about what was about to happen, but then I remembered they did the same at the previous performance, where several girls were let to ¡°fly¡± on the hands of the audience around the stage. It''s the ''Into The Darkness'' song, and I am chosen! In the end, I will be brought behind the scene that symbolizes the black hole, the flight into darkness.

    OK, I did not expect to be one. Not when I was not being impersonated by Flo. I hesitated a very short second and looked at Joe, but he only grinned and said go, go!

    I felt Joe''s muscular hands straining around my belly while he pushed me up, my ass resting a moment on his pectorals; I caught the singer''s hand; another stage manager was there to pull my hand, Joe pushing up my bones, and I landed on the stage near the singer. He presented me to the hall, like meat at an auction and then the song started, and the hall literally exploded:

    ¡°Fly, fly, fly!! Into the darkness! Fly, fly into the darkness!¡±

    I felt a little dizzy, so I did not have a very elegant presence; luckily, there was no such request from me, as the lights were dim, changing all the time. All I had to do was stand straight at the rand of the stage, get a kiss from the singer and then fall on my back in the hands of the audience. At standing straight like a broom, I can win any contest.

    For the kiss, he did a pose like at a tango where I was bent backwards, and then he just let me fall:

    ¡°Into the darkness!! Thousand of hands gripping you, dragging you into the darkness!¡±

    For a moment, I was panicked that I''ll really land hard on the ground, but many hands grasped me, and I remained suspended there on my back, floating over the mass of humans. I was feeling good, the light was on me, the music was fabulous.

    Up there, something like an explosion happened, and thick clouds of vapour started descending towards us.

    ¡°This is Mephi¡¯s dark fog! Run!¡± - screamed Flo in my mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly; these are stage effects. CO2. Good that I am in the lead, you silly girl!¡±

    ¡°No! Believe me!!! Run!¡±

    I giggled as the clouds enveloped me, but then the grips became harder and unpleasant like they would want to rip souvenirs out of my skin. I have hard skin, so that will not be easy, but what is happening? If they insist, I''ll get some purple marks there.

    ¡°Fly, fly, fly, into the darkness!¡±

    Everybody sang, and they pushed me up with each ''fly'', throwing me up in the air by the end. My heart was drumming crazy with each flight, and now confetti was descending.

    But something was off, the yells became animalistic, and the music descended into a cacophony of screams. The masses below me moved; somebody held me on the right side, but the left side missed me, and I rolled to the ground, losing one shoe.

    Lucky me, I have Cala''s power, and I pushed myself back up.

    Something was off with the people; they were pushing too hard, this was not fun anymore. Plus, I lost one shoe. I was feeling angry and confused.

    The fog was just too dense, and I could not clearly see.

    I care for these shoes! Lucky me, I have Flo, who will find it!

    ¡°Flo, take the lead; you lead! Help me! Find that damn shoe!¡±

    My vision got suddenly wobbly, and I realized I had made a terrible mistake. Flo was not by conscience. Not fully.

    I fell.

    Can it be that she was right? Can this be Mephi''s fog?

    But then, are these kids going to descend into some kind of brutal madness!? No, this is not possible!

    But then, what''s wrong with Flo?

    ¡°Flo! Give me back the lead! Flo!¡±

    I had a vision of feet coming out of the darkness and trampling over me again and again and again. I thought it would never end. I felt each and every kick, each and every footstep, over my fingers, over my belly, over my face. Somebody fell over me, then stood again up, pushing his knee into my neck.

    ¡°Joe! Help me, Joe! Please help me!¡±

    I could not scream but in my mind.

    Cala had an incredibly robust body; I would have been dead otherwise, but how long can she take this kind of abuse? It was like a nightmare where you could not move; you could not do anything but see and suffer.

    Again feet over my face, over my lips, crushing my fingers, my breasts, knee in my belly, feet over my legs, all at the same time, again and again. My nose got crushed, and my ear was trampled. My neck was crushed again under a heavy knee. Somebody did try to raise me up but then fell over me, then he dropped me and pushed me down to raise himself, then more people came, and I was again pounded, then I partially lost sight as my eye was trampled over. I could see only with the other eye that was closer to the floor.

    Blood was running from my broken nose and broken lips. When will this end?

    There was a cacophony of noises that made no sense, probably because Flo was under that damned influence. My vision, as far as I had it, was not clear but continuously wobbling.

 Chapter 128 â€“ Careful What You Wish For!

    I regained consciousness in the ambulance and declined to be admitted to the hospital. I was now wrapped in a borrowed blanket, using a borrowed mobile phone to call for assistance.

    Flo was reluctant to cast any spells. She mentioned that as long as her magic was tainted by that cursed fog, it would backfire badly. Although she was still feeling partially incapacitated, at least she had recovered enough to give me the lead. Cala''s resilient body and swift recovery had empowered me to stand and prevent the paramedic from taking me inside the hospital.

    Not wanting to traverse the streets in those tattered clothes half-naked, there was only one solution left: seek help.

    So, whom did I call at midnight for help? Matt. Not Lola, not Clara, not Constance, even though I contemplated reaching out to her. Not Helen or Gonzo. Yes, I did attempt to call Joe, but I ended up leaving a message on his voicemail.

    ¡°Matt? It''s me, Dolores.¡±

    ¡°Dolores? You are not at the concert?¡±

    ¡°Hew, is Matt there? Can you give him the mobile, please?¡±

    I heard him yelling:

    ¡°Matt! Dolores on the phone!¡±

    Then I was glad to hear Matt''s voice:

    ¡°Hello? Dolores?¡±

    ¡°Matt? I am at the Saint Anna Hospital. Can you please come here fast? I''m in the park just near the entry on the left side?¡±

    He hesitated a short moment.

    ¡°Ahm, Yes? Did something happen?¡±

    He sounded worried.

    ¡°Please bring me one of your training suits!¡±

    ¡°One of my training suits?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I need a pair of trousers and a jacket... Ahm, a blouse would be fine too." - I hesitated, then added - "Maybe a pair of panties. How fast can you be here?¡±

    ¡°Thirty minutes! Panties? I could take some of my mother''s panties... but... ¡±

    I heard Hew behind him wondering.

    "Panties?"

    I sighed and then answered.

    ¡°No, no, your mother''s panties must be way too small for me. One of your underpants should be fine; please hurry up!¡±

    I don''t believe I''m asking Matt for panties, but damn, what else should I do? I cannot think of wearing trousers without panties.

    I gave the mobile back to the paramedic. He gave me another worried smile.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to come inside for a check? A radiograph to ensure you have no broken bones or internal injuries? The insurance covers it! Only a small 5 percent part is not covered, and there are special programs you can enroll in to cover that."

    ¡°I only got some bruises; nothing is broken. You saw that I can move well.¡±

    He watched me incredulously.

    ¡°There could be lesions, internal ones. That would be very dangerous.¡±

    I shook my head.

    He sighed and shrugged.

    ¡°If you change your mind, just come in, OK?¡±

    I nodded.

    I did ask him about Joe, but they had no patient with that name and none who would match his description.

    I breathed a sigh of relief when he left. I don''t want them to start making all those analyses for me. That could lead to a lot of problems; I have no clue what they could find. Lucky me, Flo recovered in time.

    Waiting for Matt, I learned from White Flower that Mephisto''s dark fog reacts strongly with white magic. It had been specially designed as a weapon against white mages and unruly masses during the human revolts in his domain.

    The uprisings in the human villages had been organized and led by priests. With the help of the fog, a small mercenary group could quickly pacify a vast area.

    I did not know this. As an assassin, I did not have that much of a problem with the fog. It was no exaggeration when she said run. Even my hard skin and body were affected by its combination with White Flower''s white magic. At least the paramedics did not have much difficulty putting a transfusion into my veins, so it had its plus points.

    Soon, Matt came. He was riding his bicycle with a bag balancing over his rear wheel. As soon as he saw me, he waved and came closer, his eyes looking worried at me.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    After a short greeting, he handed me the bag, and I went barefoot to the toilet to dress. I fucking forgot to ask him to bring me shoes.

    I handed the blanket back and came back to him. It was late in the night. I hung on his arm. I was still feeling a little groggy; Flo said it was the fog in my veins.

    ¡°Can you bring me home?¡± - I asked.

    "Did they allow you to go home?" - he wondered - "Are you OK?"

    I raised my browses.

    "Home?"

    ¡°Sure,¡± - he said, nodding, then asked - ¡°Should I leave the bike here?¡±

    That''s why I called Matt. I knew he would not panic, would not ask stupid questions and do fast what I asked him to do.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°That''s not a bike, but a bicycle." - he shrugged at my correction. I continued -"We walk; I have no money for the taxi.¡±

    He looked at my bare feet.

    "I lost my shoes." - I answered.

    "You did not say anything about shoes." - he retorted, ashamed, probably asking himself if he should offer me his shoes. I shrugged.

    "I forgot."

    There were no late buses in this part of the town, so we walked silently towards my house while he was pushing his bicycle.

    ¡°Does your ma know you are out?¡± - I asked with a tired grin.

    He shook his head:

    ¡°No, she thinks I am still there in the other room with the boys. They sleep at my home today.¡±

    I laughed and stepped on a sharp stone. I cursed, jumping on the other foot.

    He looked at me:

    ¡°I could take you on my bike.¡±

    I laughed then I saw that he meant it seriously. Oh well, why not?

    Soon I was sitting on his bicycle''s bar, and he embraced me with his hands to get to the handlebar. I held myself with my right hand on the handlebar and my left hand around his back. I rested my head on his shoulder, balancing my bare feet in the air.

    There must be a power up there taking care of the distressed, drunkards and all those people that return late at night to their homes. Nothing bad happened, and we arrived about half an hour later in the park beneath my window.

    ¡°Should I help you climb?¡± - he asked when he saw me hesitating.

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    He was surprised to hear that but even more surprised when I asked him to climb too. I whispered in his ear.

    ¡°I just need you to stay with me. Will you do that? Please?¡±

    Soon he was in my room. Lucky me, Lola was not there. I think last time I was too heavy on her. I asked him to make himself comfortable, and then I went to take a long shower. Finally, I was starting to feel almost OK. I could probably even try to heal myself, but Cala''s regeneration had already done most of the work.

    When I came back, he was reading a book. I turned the light off, dressed in my pyjama and pushed myself near him.

    ¡°Can you please just hold me tight?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± - he finally asked.

    I was afraid I would relive the nightmare if I told him. The agony of seeing how I am trampled and not able to move. I only asked him:

    ¡°Just hold me tight, please.¡±

    He did that and did not ask further questions.

    Surprisingly, I slept well. In the morning, Lola came running into my room with a newspaper in her hand.

    ¡°Dolores! Dolores! Have you seen, there''s been a stampede at the concert! Have you been there?..¡±

    I raised my head to look at her, with Matt still sleeping, embracing me.

    ¡°Oh!¡± - she giggled, seeing I was not alone and left, dropping the newspaper as she hurried out of the room.

    Five minutes later, Matt left in a hurry as the boys called him, telling him that he needed to appear at breakfast soon or they must say something.

    I went to the toilet and then came lazily back to my room with the intention of going back to sleep. I collected the newspaper to have a look.

    What a difference a day makes!

    After our success at Stavros, I dared hope that we would make a name for ourselves. I hoped that now at least some local media would put a picture of Fata Morgana on their site, that an online or paper newspaper would publish an article about us and put there a photo with me. I am photogenic, so it would come out good.

    That was yesterday.

    I was thinking of sending an email to ma and telling her proudly: ma, look, this is me, ma! Can you believe it?

    And indeed, I got my wish fulfilled. My picture covered half of the first page of a major newspaper! The image was a work of art; the photographer was undoubtedly a person who could grasp the moment and transfer it into that picture. Or maybe he had been lucky with that photo?

    My picture in the red dress remained ingrained in many people''s minds as the symbol for the Blue Cauldron stampede.

    I must say the photo looked... special. I was not looking sensual ¨C how I thought the red dress was making me look - but fragile, vulnerable and... OK, I can say beautiful and even sexy. No, not sexy, even if it revealed much. The red dress, or rather what remained of it, covered some non-essential parts of my body. The rest was naked but covered in so many bruises, traces and dirt that they looked like a tattoo. OK, that was probably blood that came from my broken nose, not dirt.

    I was barefooted, my right foot tense, in symmetry with my right hand that was pointing towards the entry with a small puddle of blood and other liquids around me.

    Very few people know that it was me who ''posed'' for that picture where I was transformed into a doormat, inclusive of what remained of my beautiful red dress.

    My face was not recognisable. Too much blood, dirt and hair were covering it. Probably how I was stretched there, I was the most photogenic of all trampled girls and guys; that''s why my picture was top of the article.

    103 wounded and 13 dead. Some people said those numbers were not just happenstance but a symbolic sacrifice. I call BS. It just happened.

    I could not sleep anymore after looking at that picture and the memory of the night came back to my mind.

 Chapter 129 - Gerals Forced Marriage -G

    To Geral''s and the two girls'' surprise, Anabella came with a carriage to their meeting. At their inquiring looks, she shrugged:

    "I''m not going to walk to the Silver Town, not to talk about carrying all these things that have no place in my ring!"

    Several bags with clothes and materials were spread inside the wagon. Noviel shrugged and bound her horse behind the carriage. She unstrapped her bags and moved them inside the carriage.

    There was a caravan going to leave soon for Gordogswar, and Anabella left the carriage in Noviel''s care while she and Geral went to negotiate their inclusion into the train. It would be for only one day, but that would offer protection for that part of the journey. It would cost them four silver, but Anabella deemed it worth it.

    Geral also decided to bind his horse to the carriage. He went to sit on the bench near Anabella while Awa and Noviel went inside the carriage.

    He seemed to have few bags with items; probably his spacial tool had more room, or he was used to travelling light.

    An hour later, the caravan advanced slowly on the meandering road, and they were starting to adapt to the slow flow. The conversation had died out, and Geral let his thoughts wander. What should he do?

    He sighed. He was alone now, looking for a team. His former team had decided to settle into the empire. They had bought their own farms and rented slaves for menial work. Slaves. This had been one step too much for Geral. As soon as they were accepted as citizens, they would be able to buy their own slaves.

    These are only NPCs; they do not feel, they do not have a soul. Only they were different; they were players!

    However, the more time passed by, the more confusing everything was. Especially now since he was alone between NPCs, and the memory of the other world slowly faded.

    Reluctantly he had left the group. And to think that they had played together for almost a year!

    Was he isekaied into this world? Were all players isekaied here? He almost asked himself why did they call themselves players!

    As the carriage advanced slowly, he risked a glance to his left again. Anabella was sitting beside him, deep in her thoughts. She was such a beautiful elf! He sighed. He always had a bit of a problem concerning women. They have been fifteen in their group. Not fifteen women, fifteen in total. Fifteen, that was an odd number, and that was because of him.

    He did not know how to talk to women. Why do you need to know how to speak with women? Well, men neither, actually, but he was not into men. Questions like: do you want to come to my place, did not yield the expected answer, or in the rare cases when they did, he did not like the result.

    Mephisto''s world, where everything is possible! Then why was he still alone? His friends have told him to take a slave or even several. He could rent one to his taste and later buy what he wanted!

    He shook his head in horror: this was not what he envisaged to do here.

    Anabella turned and raised her brows.

    ¡°Is there something?¡±

    He turned and looked into her elven eyes and swallowed.

    ¡°No. I mean... it was just a thought...¡±

    ¡°A thought?¡±

    He shrugged.

    "A bad thought."

    Anabella smiled and opened her mouth to talk.

    His eyes lit looking at her. She had a strange aura to her, she was at the same time attractive, but he also felt repulsion. Her pale skin looked too smooth, too perfect. If she were a player, he would be interested to know more, maybe invite her to his room... No, maybe that was the wrong way to start a conversation; maybe invite her for a drink?

    But an NPC? What could an NPC want? And yet?

    It was at that very moment that the caravan was attacked. It was a well-organised raid where most of the caravan''s guards had been plants, disguised raiders. The fight ended mere seconds after it started.

    Geral stood up, instinctively deflecting an arrow with his gauntlet. He took the sword in one hand and the shield in the other and looked around: there were no pockets of resistance, just people trying to fight against being shackled.

    ¡°Slavers!¡± - he muttered in a low voice. Anabella''s eyes lit with alarm. He heard hasty movements inside the carriage.

    The caravan leader and two of his men were lying dead with their throats cut; they did not even have the time to pull their weapons.

    He gasped. What should he do? He looked to the right towards the forest just to see further slavers coming out of it. They were cornered. Die or be made a slave, that was the question. A riding raider pointed his sword at him.

    ¡°Descend your high throne and come here with your hands up if you still want to live!¡±

    He looked at the slaver, and a sliver of hope lighted Geral''s eyes: these were imperial slavers, an imperial raid. He was on good terms with the empire. Maybe he could use his imperial allowance to get free, but what about the girls? He hesitated. These were only NPCs.

    ¡°Don''t try anything!¡± - another slaver screamed at Anabella, pointing his crossbow at her.

    A couple more came from the sides with a kind of magical lasso in their hands.

    ¡°I have an imperial allowance!¡± - said Geral sheathing his sword and trying to show confidence. There was no chance to fight an escape; they were outnumbered and outclassed.

    The slavers near him hesitated.

    All around, the merchants were being robbed, and people were put in chains. The situation was resolved in less than a minute; they were the only ones not yet chained or dead.

    Geral''s breathing accelerated. What could he do for the NPC girls? Seeing the slavers hesitate, he was almost sure his allowance would let him walk free. But the girls? They would be chained. Could he hope to free them? He bit his lip; he did not have the money to pay for one slave, not for three, if they would even accept talking about selling them.

    Anabella glanced towards him, trying to understand his plan, but he had none. Was there any chance to escape? Noviel was silently cursing inside the carriage, preparing her bow. Geral heard her and knew what she was going to do: that stupid NPC would try an escape and would die or even cause them all to die.

    ¡°Noviel, desist!¡± - said Geral - ¡°Put your bow down; we do not shoot against the empire!¡±

    The slaver near him harrumphed but nodded.

    ¡°That was wise!¡±

    Geral took a deep breath, thinking feverishly. Why was this problem bothering him? What could he do? Nothing! His allowance was for him and his family. His close family. Could he say they were his wives? No, the empire allowed for only one wife or husband; more could be only slaves. You could have as many slave wives as you could buy, but he was not a citizen. This would mean he could save one of the NPC girls. Which one? Noviel? Anabella? Awa, the most fragile of them?

    But the other two would be broken once made a slave. He had seen what a slave of the empire meant. Those NPCs were broken in so many ways. As humans would be.

    There was a bit of commotion around. More slavers came this way, looking at him and the pale half-elf at his side. Inside the carriage, Noviel cursed, putting her bow down.

    ¡°Geral, you idiot!¡± - whispered Noviel as slavers jumped inside the carriage.

    He sighed. At least she will live. Live to what? Maybe she could be freed later, but once broken...

    ¡°What happens here? Why are they not in chains?¡±

    A taller slaver, probably the leader, came. He was accompanied by two grim-looking warriors. Noviel watched them worried. <slaver master, level 28> <slaver guard level 27> came the identify answer. She took a deep breath and bowed her head. Geral was right; too many wolves around.

    ¡°Cutuza, this one pretends to have an imperial allowance!¡±

    Cutuza was the term for chief or commander in the empire. The leader of the raid.

    He turned towards Geral and pointed at Anabela.

    ¡°And the girl?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Geral raised his head and spoke fast. Instinctively.

    ¡°She''s my wife!¡±

    He breathed hard after saying that. He had made his choice; the two others would be taken away. Anabella watched him, surprised. This was his plan?

    The cutuza turned his head to the side and spat a thick phlegm.

    ¡°Let me see your allowance!¡±

    Awa and Noviel were being dragged out of the carriage. About ten slavers were now around them. Geral pulled something from his inventory box and put it in the chef''s hand. It was a silver eagle circled by a ring with an inscription. His heart pained when he saw the two girls.

    ¡°My girls! Don''t harm them!" - protested Geral, then screamed at Awa, who was struggling hard - "Awa, NO!"

    He feared she was going to spell something.

    ¡°A silver allowance!¡± - the cutuza nodded, surprised - ¡°let me see the girls!¡±

    Awa and Noviel were forced to kneel in front of him, their hands bent at their back. Gerald hoped Awa would not blow him one of her fire glances.

    The cutuza took Noviel''s cheek in his hand.

    ¡°Ahm, beautiful girl. What do you mean they are your girls? Your allowance does not allow for slave possession, Geral Shatterbock!?¡±

    Geral looked at the two kneeing teenage girls and cursed the moment he had chosen this name. Laughter came from the slavers. A shiver passed through his spine at the thought of what will happen to them. But what could he do? Only NPCs, isn''t it?

    "NPCs? Whom am I trying to fool?"

    ¡°They are my wife''s daughters, and so my daughters!¡±

    He was breathing hard as he said that. Why did he say that? He felt responsible for them, but this is not how this game ran. The cutuza raised a brow and turned towards Anabella, then grinned:

    ¡°Oh, true, a half-elf! I thought she would be too young to have grown-up children. I see.¡±

    The cutuza spat again and turned to him:

    ¡°Do you swear by your allowance that they are your family?¡±

    ¡°I swear!¡± - said Geral

    ¡°Very well!¡±

    The cutuza sighed, handing him back the silver allowance. A couple of slavers muttered but did not dare say anything aloud once the cutuza had spoken.

    ¡°Where were you going?¡± - asked the cutuza after making a couple of steps as if remembering something.

    ¡°To the Silver Town.¡± - answered Geral

    The cutuza grinned:

    ¡°That fits well!¡± - he nodded - ¡°We are going there too, so you''ll not make a detour. Take your place in our caravan. We get moving.¡±

    He turned away.

    Geral exchanged a look with Anabella: ''so you''ll not make a detour'' clarified that the cutuza was not planning to let them go free. At least until Silver Town. He made a sign to the shocked girls to climb back in the carriage. The new caravan took a sharp curve to the left, heading towards the republic''s side of the border. Probably the republic was now at war with the empire, and raider troops were all over the place. Even here over the border in the kingdom.

    The carriages started rolling, whips motivating some people to keep in line. Murderous glances were thrown at them. Geral swallowed and tried to keep his head high.

    After a couple of minutes, Anabella called Noviel to take the reins and pulled Geral inside the carriage. Once inside, she made him sit and suddenly put a knife at his neck.

    ¡°What is your plan, slaver?¡± - whispered Anabella in his ear - ¡°or should I call you husband?¡±

    The knife cut into his skin. Sweat ran down his brow.

    ¡°What else could I have done?¡± - whispered Geral back

    ¡°Help us escape? Traitor!¡± - whispered Awa in his back - ¡°Let''s kill him and try to run!¡±

    ¡°You don''t need to kill me if you try to run; I won''t do anything to stop you.¡± - whispered Geral trying not to move as the carriage was shaking and the knife was digging into his skin - ¡°But even if I try to help you, we have no chance to escape. There are simply too many slavers.¡±

    Anabella sighed.

    ¡°He is right. What was your plan? You know this will not work?¡±

    ¡°I... I just wanted to postpone... maybe we''ll have a chance later!¡±

    ¡°How did you get that imperial allowance, slaver?¡± - asked Awa from behind him.

    ¡°I was questing with a group inside the empire." - he shrugged - "You can go to the border and ask for an allowance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but those are bronze allowances, not silver!¡± - countered Anabella

    ¡°True!¡± - nodded Geral looking worried at the knife -¡° but after several successful quests, you can get the silver allowance.¡±

    ¡°Silver allowance is to allow you to settle inside the empire. You thought you could take us like this to the empire? As your wives and slaves?¡±

    He shook his head.

    "Ow!" - he muttered as the knife cut further into his skin.

    ¡°My friends settled. We were a bigger group, and I processed my allowance along with theirs, but I didn''t want to remain there.¡± - Geral sighed and shrugged - ¡°I abhorred having slaves. You can be gentle with them, but they are still slaves. My friends have farms and work them with rented slaves. I didn''t want to settle and become a citizen of the empire; that''s why I left.¡±

    ¡°Your friends settled?¡± - wondered Awa - ¡°How could they...¡±

    ¡°All of them. All fourteen. In the Cadassian plains¡± - he shrugged and looked Anabella in the eyes - ¡°I thought that maybe we could escape in the evening; they need to stop for the night before reaching Silver Town.¡±

    She removed the knife from his neck and healed him. She shook her head.

    ¡°It will not work. The chief knows that you lied. We are being closely watched. He either expects you to try an escape, or he waits for a truth stone, or probably in Silver Town, there is somebody who can tell a truth spell. He is just playing with you. In either case, we are done, and he made you lose even your allowance as he made you swear on it.¡±

    She sighed, then raised her head again to look into his eyes.

    ¡°Why did you choose me?¡±

    ¡°Choose you?¡± - asked Geral, confused.

    ¡°Chose me as your wife?¡±

    ¡°Oh... Ahm... You were sitting near me... and you were the first one he asked about... and... ahm...¡±

    Anabella rolled her eyes and then covered her face with her hands. She breathed deep, then raised her head again.

    ¡°We still have a chance. Take off your shirt.¡±

    ¡°Take off my shirt?¡±

    She nodded. Awa watched her, questioning, but Anabella grasped her hand.

    ¡°Stay here; we need you!¡±

    She turned to Geral.

    ¡°Do you want to marry me?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Does this work?¡±

    ¡°Say it!¡±

    ¡°I do¡±

    ¡°Say all!¡± - she let out an exasperated sigh.

    ¡°I want to marry you!¡±

    She shook her head and whispered:

    ¡°I, Geral Dunderhead, want to marry you, Anabella Darkwing.¡±

    He whispered back:

    ¡°I, Geral Shatterbock, want to marry you, Anabella Darkwing. Is this your name?¡±

    Anabella turned to Awa.

    ¡°You heard him, yes? Now go take Noviel''s place and send her here.¡±

    As soon as Noviel was inside, she made him repeat.

    ¡°And this works?¡± - wondered Geral again.

    ¡°It''s not yet finished,¡± - said Anabella - ¡°You can leave us!¡± - she said to Noviel, who hurried back outside. She pulled the curtain back behind her.

    Anabella started to carve runes on Geral''s breast.

    ¡°What do you do?¡± - whispered Geral wincing as the knife cut into his skin

    She put two fingers on his lips.

    ¡°Shht. I''m making it real. Undress completely!¡±

    He hesitated, but when he saw her nodding, he did just that. She pushed him on his back. Moments later, she was carving runes on her naked body. Black ichor seeped from her wounds.

    Her body was so perfect! He wondered how dark her blood was, but it was relatively dark inside the carriage. He wanted to ask her:

    ¡°What...?¡±

    She put two fingers again on his lips.

    ¡°Shhht.¡±

    He felt her naked, cold body over his. A shudder passed his spine.

    ¡°Are you...¡±

    ¡°Your blood is mine, and my blood is yours,¡± - she whispered, sliding slowly over him, and then her lips kissed his lips - ¡°your breath is mine, and my breath is yours.¡±

    Her breath smelled like juniper.

    She smiled and added - ¡°I am your wife now, and you are my husband!¡± - as he started to shake involuntarily.

    He felt confused, tricked and even afraid. This was some kind of ritual, but are they married now??

    She covered herself with a blanket and let herself lie beside him.

    ¡°A wood elf ritual. As they live in tiny communities in the woods, they also have simpler rituals for getting married...¡±

    ¡°But you are not... or...?¡±

    ¡°I was a wood elf before."

    So she is an undead? She ignored his shocked face and continued:

    "The ritual works; as you see, your wounds are already closing, as do mine. We are married by the wood elves'' ritual. We have two witnesses and have completed it. Now husband, dress on and send the girls to me; they must become my daughters.¡±

    ¡°But you won''t kill them!?¡±

    She watched him, surprised and sighed.

    ¡°No, of course not. Not more than I killed you.¡±

    What did she mean? What did she do... did she make him an undead? He put a hand on his chest. Does he still have a pulse?

    She rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 130 â€“ Judgement Time

    The transformation from a lonesome adventurer to a father with two teenage girls plus a beautiful wife with a dark secret in the middle of a hostile slaver caravan made Geral take the reins with a shaking hand and gulp with difficulty.

    ¡°Go inside to your mother!¡± - he told the two girls who watched him uneasily.

    Awa hesitated. Should she say ''yes, father''? She only nodded and entered the carriage behind Noviel.

    A hand drew the curtains behind Geral. He shook the reins to make the horses keep pace with the train. He tried to ignore the hostile glances from both parts, from the new slaves and from the slavers. They all thought of him as a traitor. They all hated him. Some because he didn''t share their fate, the others because he was the impediment that stopped them from taking three slaves. Not any slaves, but probably the most beautiful and expensive, but the cutuza didn''t want to be the one who broke a promise to a silver allowance. That would be dangerous and could be used against him. Too many people have learned about the allowance, and one does not break the empire''s promises without consequences.

    Geral sighed. If the cutuza could show that he had lied, he could not expect clemency. He would be enslaved immediately. Would it have been better to try to escape? Or just let the girls to their devices and try to save them later?

    Save them later? With all the slavers around? Once they had disappeared inside the empire, any chance of finding them would be nil.

    Did it really matter? He had known them only for a couple of days; what was so important that he had risked his life for them?

    But on the other side, he was feeling good and excited.

    He reviewed the scene in his head, trying to think what would have been the best course of action. Deep in his thoughts, he realized with surprise that they had joined another caravan.

    He looked around. It was a caravan that comprised about one hundred slaves and another twenty to thirty slavers with some twenty carriages and many horsemen between them. Where were they headed?

    As he looked around, he saw the cutuza coming his way with several slavers and a person who seemed to be a high mage.

    At his sight, the cutuza yelled with a grin:

    ¡°Geral Shatterbock!¡±

    Geral sighed.

    "Oh fuck!"

    The moment of truth has arrived.

    ¡°Honored Cutuza!¡± - he said, nodding to the captain.

    The cutuza stopped in front of the carriage with the mage beside him. Left and right slavers aligned themselves on both sides of the carriage.

    ¡°Is there something?¡± - asked Geral eyeing the captain

    ¡°Just a formality. High mage Douhran would like to ask you a couple of questions.¡±

    ¡°High mage¡± - Geral bowed his head.

    The mage answered his bow and smiled. An arrogant, cocky smile.

    ¡°Adventurer Shatterbock, I am going to ask some questions. Please answer as short as possible, preferably with yes or no. Is this clear?¡±

    Geral was tempted to answer with a long diatribe, but in the end, he complied. What a pity that he did not have twenty or thirty levels more. That would make things a lot more fun.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    The mage grinned, satisfied.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Are you married?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Geral nodded and saw how the mage looked at one of his rings again. Without raising his eyes from the ring, he asked the next question.

    ¡°Is your wife inside the carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡± - he nodded again and was surprised to see how the mage nodded at his turn. Whatever Anabella had done seemed to have worked. Or maybe it was just that he was convinced that they were married?

    ¡°Are there two girls inside the carriage?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are three¡± - he started to explain, and the mage raised his eyes and watched him askew.

    ¡°I mean, yes, there is my wife and two girls.¡±

    The mage nodded.

    ¡°Are those girls your daughters?¡±

    ¡°Well, they are my daughters...¡±

    ¡°There is something false in the statement!¡± - the mage said, interrupting him.

    He started to sweat visibly. Was Anabella not ready with what she was doing for the girls?

    ¡°They are my wife''s daughters and thus my daughters!¡± - he spat that statement as fast as he could, trying to look as confident as he could.

    ¡°Bring the girls out!¡± - one of the slavers said.

    ¡°Not needed!¡± - the mage shook his head, and Geral almost had an infarct but what the mage said next eased him - ¡°this statement was completely true. This man had told the truth.¡±

    Geral took a deep breath, almost not believing it. Was it something that Anabella had done, or was it the way he had said it? Or maybe the spell does not work well on players? The cutuza spat and turned away without saying a word. The mage bowed his head slightly before leaving.

    ¡°Adventurer¡±

    ¡°High mage¡±, - Geral answered, nodding at his turn

    One slaver approached him.

    ¡°You can search for a place to set up camp. We will stay here for half an hour, and then the train leaves; you should be ready and take your position in the train when you hear the horn.¡±

    He nodded and watched how the slavers dispersed. He wanted to shake the reins and saw how bad his hands trembled. Damn! He took a deep breath concentrating, then looked again. The trembling had stopped. He shook the reins and moved the carriage to the side, then gave the horses some food and went inside the carriage. There was no trace of what had happened there, just a bowl with something that looked like dark blood inside and several bloodied wraps and three girls looking intensively at him.

    ¡°Is it over?¡± - asked Awa

    He nodded.

    ¡°There was a mage with a truth spell, and we passed...¡±

    Anabella pulled him to her as if she would want to hug him, stopping him from further saying anything, and showed him a small bit of parchment:

    ''spell spying'' was written on it, and she made a gesture with the hand around.

    At first, he did not understand the meaning of the two words'' message, but then he nodded. So they were being spied upon. He breathed out:

    ¡°The train has half an hour break, then we''ll start moving again.¡±

    ¡°Do we have to go with them?¡± - asked Noviel.

    He hesitated, unsure how to answer, knowing they were being spied on. He shrugged.

    ¡°I guess the cutuza would not like to see us going away; the train is moving through enemy territory. We should keep our place in the train; by tomorrow, it should be over.¡±

    ¡°OK...¡± - answered Noviel nodding unhappily.

    ¡°I''ll go to pick up some wood for the fire; maybe later, we do not stop near a forest.¡±

    ¡°OK.¡± - answered Anabella, then added - ¡°Don''t go too far.¡±

    He left wondering why she''d said that. Was she role-playing the beloved wife? He saw there were more people that had the same idea and were already returning with some branches, so he would have to look a bit further to find good dry wood.

    After a while, he had to stop. His head had started to pain. He never had a headache; was he now starting to have some? He walked further and felt the pricking on his skin. What was happening? He opened the shirt and found his wounds had reopened. The runes that Anabella had carved on his skin were now bleeding. Not much, just a little, but it was uncomfortable and will spoil his shirt. As he walked further, the headache grew.

    He stopped suddenly. Was this why she had told him to not get too far away? Maybe he should return towards the caravan. As he turned, he realized that he had deviated a little from the way. He knew exactly where Anabella and the girls were. He started walking in that direction, and the headache slowly faded. He looked under his shirt. The runes were no longer visible, but the shirt was still tainted with blood.

    ¡°Oh fuck, what does this mean?¡±

 Chapter 131 â€“ On a Tight Leash

    Back at the caravan, he had to postpone his questions as the train set itself in motion. They asked Noviel to take the reins, and he went inside the carriage with Awa and Anabella.

    As the spying spell had not been lifted, they could not talk freely, and a lot of info was exchanged through short sentences written on paper.

    Anabella thought that the spying spell was probably only sound and raw images, but there was a certain risk there, so they abstained from exchanging too much info.

    What he slowly started to understand was that the spell ''marrying'' them was a strong spell giving benefits when they were close together and deficits when they were separated, both of them suffering during separation.

    They could not break the spell themselves; only a high-level druid could do that. It slowly dawned on him that he was really married for an indefinite time, married to an undead elf and had two teenage girls as daughters.

    This was a little bit more than what he had initially planned...

    He did not dare inquire too much about the girls and what spell Anabella had done to make them her daughters; the only important thing now was that it was made true; they were bound in a similar way to her until maturity.

    Considering that Awa was about twelve and Noviel fifteen or sixteen, they were talking about years!

    He breathed deeply. No, probably after all this agitation with the slavers was gone, he will be again a free man. Fucking fuck, he was nineteen in the other world and had certainly no plans to marry in the next decade or so.

    After a while, he had enough and went outside to sit near Noviel on the bench. He glanced at her and quietly giggled: a couple of hours ago, he was stressed about the question of which one to declare as his wife! What if he had named Noviel his wife, Awa as her sister and Anabella as Noviel''s mother? That could have worked too? Or Awa? That small defining moment! Would Anabella have been able to pronounce them man and wife? Why not?

    ¡°What? Papa?¡± - asked Noviel with a small ironic grin, getting his glance but not understanding why he giggled.

    He sighed and then hugged her under one arm.

    ¡°You can go inside; I can take over the reins...¡±

    She shook the reins and shrugged.

    ¡°I prefer to stay here.¡±

    ¡°OK.¡± - he said

    ¡°What will happen to these people?¡± - wondered Noviel looking at the walking line of slaves.

    He sighed again but did not answer directly.

    ¡°I don''t understand why the caravan is headed for the Silver Town. We are in enemy territory, and anything may happen.¡±

    ¡°Enemy? You mean the republic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We are an imperial caravan; the republic may attack, but the imperials seem to be quite confident, so I would think that there are no republican troops around.¡±

    ¡°And the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I don''t believe the kingdom wants to enter the war, even after small provocations like the caravan''s raid. The empire has many troops, and it could easily face both, so the kingdom might protest, but they will not come over the border to attack. So, these people will go through triage, the promising elements will be educated to become brave slaves, the recalcitrant will probably end up in a salt mine or some other mine or simply be tortured and killed.¡±

    ¡°Tortured and killed? But then they lose a slave?¡±

    He let a small, tired laugh and shrugged.

    ¡°There is always a small percentage that is being tortured to death as an example for the others. That is a very efficient way of ensuring compliance.¡±

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°Don''t forget that I lived inside the empire for about a year.¡±

    ¡°Huch!¡± - she exclaimed but did not ask further.

    She threw him such a glance that he felt like hiding under a rock. How could you! - her glance yelled at him. As if the serfs in the kingdom would have it much better!? A noble has the right to fuck your bride before marriage? A noble can kill a serf, and the worst penalty would be to pay for the deed some money.

    He shrugged.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    The night that came was horrible. Some of the slaves had tried to protest and revolt, and they were condemned to watch how the revolt was suppressed without being able to do anything. Exactly as he had foretold.

    They ate something in a hurry and went to sleep, and Geral ended with a shocked, crying Awa in his arms.

    That was a new experience for him. The sobbing teenager was anything but sexy at that moment, and worse, he did not know how to calm her. Only holding her tight seemed to help, and interesting enough, that did not arouse him, even if her slender body was clenched to his. No, he could not think with his penis this time around! Only the thought of it send shivers through his spine. He cleaned her nose with a handkerchief he found in his inventory box and patted her head.

    Her fear went deep, there must have been something that she had seen or lived through that added to it, but all he could do was try to soothe her.

    She slowly calmed down in his arms, but only after more than one hour was she finally sleeping, still whimpering from time to time in her sleep. He stood tiredly up and went outside. Anabella was stirring something in a huge cauldron on the fire. Was she preparing their soup for the next month, or was this another undead witch''s brew?

    He sat by the fire with a tired look in his eyes.

    ¡°You cannot sleep?¡± - asked Anabella.

    He shook his head. He looked at her, acknowledging her maybe for the first time. She was svelte, as tall as he was, with a pale white skin tainted blue, mostly covered by her dress with long arms, a practical grey dress that went down over her knees. She had half-long silver hair coming over her shoulders and strange golden eyes that lit in the firelight. She wore practical boots that went above her ankles, leaving just a couple of centimetres of her slender legs to be seen.

    As she bent above the cauldron, he saw her rather slender but firm ass sculpted beneath the robe. She tasted the mixture with a wooden spoon holding her left hand on her tight as if suffering from back pain.

    He had never looked at an NPC when looking for sex or friendship. Well, maybe like looking at objects. Some were even objects of art, like this undead elf. NPCs came as mercenaries or servants. Doing it with an NPC would have been like doing it with a tool, isn''t it?

    ¡°Maybe this would help!¡± - she had left the cauldron and came closer with something in her hand.

    She was holding in her hand a glass with something dark inside. He took it hesitatingly while she covered his back with a blanket. Was she role-playing for the slavers? Was this from the cauldron? No, it was not hot. He smelled the drink, then took a sip of it. It was a strong alcoholic beverage with an attractive peachy aroma! Not bad!

    He let his thoughts wander.

    Noviel had been the one that had raised his interest. At first, he thought she had been another player. She was the first NPC he had seen looking for quests at the adventurer''s guild. He had joined their group expecting players and found out there were more NPC girls. Awa was even sexier than Noviel when looked at like an object, but she was a tad too young. Noviel was a bit too boyish to his taste. Anabella was... well, maybe she tried to stay in the background? She was beautiful but not the beauty that sprang into your eyes.

    And now? Yeah, you join a trio of beautiful girls, hope for the best, and end up raped by a cadaver and with a psychic labile teen crying in your arms. Well, that was not really rape, but neither could he call it ''having sex''. He sighed.

    He had suspected something foul about her ever since she had made that undead wolf, but not that she was an undead. Rather some dual class with a necromancer disguised as a priest. Dual classes were possible, but you had to carefully choose your skills to avoid clashes; in reality, a big pain in the ass.

    He downed the drink in one gulp and felt the incendiary liquid slashing down his throat towards his stomach.

    He shrugged, defeated: he felt responsible for them! Fuck! Was this her spell, or was this him?

    He handed her the empty glass, and she asked:

    ¡°More?¡±

    He nodded.

    She took the bottle from her inventory and filled the glass again. He took it from her hand and sipped from it again.

    ¡°Maybe we should stay guard for the night?¡± - he said

    She nodded.

    ¡°You can go to sleep; I''ll stay.¡± - she answered.

    ¡°Oh yeah, she does not need to sleep.¡± ¨C he thought somehow with envy. How was life when you did not need to sleep?

    ¡°I''ll sleep tomorrow in the wagon!¡± - she added for whoever was listening.

    There were so many things he wanted to talk about with her, but he knew he couldn''t. Not now when they were actively spied on; it was a miracle they were still alive and free. One error would destroy everything.

    ¡°Please keep an eye on Noviel.¡± - said Anabella - ¡°She is too impulsive and may do some stupid thing!¡±

    He nodded. Was she talking about now, during the night? No, probably about tomorrow and about the slavers. Yeah, Noviel would gladly shoot arrows at the slavers.

    Was this still a game? He had long lost the feeling it was a game, but now and then, such stupid thoughts passed through his mind. He watched as Anabella stood up and walked towards the guards with the heavy cauldron in her hand. What was she doing?

    She chatted a while with the guards, gave them something and then went to the rows of half-sleeping slaves. He sipped again from his drink and observed her. She was walking between them, handing down bowls of soup and carefully healing left and right. Not making much noise, collecting back the empty bowls and spoons after a while. He watched her fascinated, like a dance in the darkness, another small ritual designed to bring a little bit of comfort.

    Why was she doing this? Was she programmed to be a charitable NPC, or was she following some darker targets?

    About half an hour later, he felt tired and went to sleep. Awa woke up and came to nest herself on his side, all wrapped in her blanket. When Noviel came on the other side, he warmed a little up. Was she seeking his company? He thought about what he could do, but then he heard her: she was silently crying under her blanket. He sighed. This was not exactly how he had imagined it.

 Chapter 132 - Zera

    It was warm under the blanket, and the carriage rocked him gently. He was feeling good. He stretched and suddenly realized two things: he was not alone, and... he... he had a bulge... ahm... what is called a boner. OK, this is a normal thing to happen in the morning, but... he opened his eyes and saw Awa''s grinning face.

    He panicked for a moment until he realized he was well covered with blankets, and Awa was halting a bowl in her hands.

    ¡°Morning, Geral! Breakfast?¡± - she asked, showing him the bowl.

    He nodded, then carefully sat to avoid disturbing the blankets. He took the bowl in his hands and looked around.

    ¡°Thank you! Where''s Noviel?¡±

    Awa shrugged.

    ¡°On the bench with mother!¡±

    With mother. Why would she say that, were they still being spied upon?

    He did not know that Awa had been an orphan since she could remember. For her and Anabella, that adopting spell had changed how they saw and felt for each other. It was a long-term commitment with profound implications. And it implied him, too, even if he did not realize it yet.

    He started to eat. He had an urgent need to go to the toilet. Somehow she guessed.

    ¡°For the toilet, you''ll have to either use the pot or wait for the next caravan stop in one hour... ¡°

    ¡°What?¡± - he grumbled, surprised.

    What a stupid thing. He shrugged. He''ll find a way.

    ¡°I saw they did not let anybody leave the caravan, but you might try...¡±

    She smiled happily. Was she trying to make conversation?

    He wondered how come he did not wake up earlier. The girls must be since a couple of hours up. Well, truth be told, he had never been the morning type.

    There was a sudden bounce; the wheel must have passed over a bigger boulder. He barely kept the bowl in his hands.

    He heard Noviel cursing, and then she came suddenly in.

    ¡°Morning, Geral!" - she greeted in passing.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± - he answered dutifully with a mouthful.

    ¡°I''m all wet!¡± - she said, taking her jacket off, then, with a slick movement, the blouse. He choked on something and started to cough.

    She continued mumbling:

    "Tea with honey! Urgh!"

    She was with her back to him, cleaning herself with the discarded blouse, her upper half naked.

    Unfortunately, he was choking; he got tears in his eyes and had to bow his head, trying in vain to swallow, not being able to follow the very interesting happening.

    He heard her shuffling through her package for another blouse.

    He continued coughing, fighting with a piece of meat inside his neck, and Awa gave him a slap on the back of his head, and he finally spat.

    "Gross!" - said Awa

    ¡°Thanks!¡± - he said to Awa wiping his tears

    ¡°Sorry, I''ve just spilt my tea over my blouse.¡± - said Noviel turning to face him while she pulled her new, clean blouse down - ¡°everything OK?¡±

    Awa laughed at her misfortune.

    ¡°Ma told you to let her hold the reins when you drink tea!¡±

    He took a deep breath and cleaned his face with the back of his hand.

    Noviel showed a surprisingly long, red tongue to Awa in a remarkably childish gesture, then took on her jacket over her shoulders, gave him a pale smile and wanted to leave but then suddenly stopped and put a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± - she mumbled.

    ¡°Ahm, why?¡± - he wondered, glad to feel her fingers on his shoulder.

    ¡°For last night. For letting me sleep near you two. I was so distressed about the slaves that I thought I would go mad.¡± - she breathed deeply - ¡°Sleeping near you and Awa helped¡± - she shrugged with a sheepish smile.

    Before he could answer, she went through the curtains to sit on the bench.

    He took another deep breath. OK, that was random!

    He finished his breakfast, trying to understand the signals he had been given. Were there any signals? Was he so low on Noviel''s attraction scale that she ignored him? Or was there something else to read in her show-off? Maybe choosing this somewhat older character was a mistake. He had chosen Geral to look at around thirty; he wanted to have a more mature look...

    Did Awa say something? He smiled at her and gave her his empty bowl.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    Now he needed to pee. Urgently!

    The carriage started to shake heavily, and he heard Noviel scream. Another tea catastrophe? He had to halt himself not to be thrown down. Was the road so bad here? Awa, who was closer to the front, went to see what was happening. He followed.

    There were more screams, people yelling, and then some strange barks. The carriage came to a sudden stop, and he flew to the ground.

    He heard Awa''s scream of fear, which instantly kicked his blood pressure one hundred notches up.

    He hurriedly grabbed a sword with his right hand. The next second he was pushing himself beside the girls looking out. A vicious scene unfolded in front of his eyes: giant wolves were jumping around them, their carriage being a bit away from the caravan. Two slaves were on the ground, and he just saw how one wolf started to drag one slave by its ankle.

    The imminent danger chased any other thoughts from his brain. He realized instantly that the carriage was stuck in some bushes while wolves were attacking the horses. Luckily the right side was protected by those same dense bushes that blocked the right front wheel, but the left side was completely open, and one giant wolf was preparing to jump at them.

    He cursed. He was dressed in pyjamas and with only a sword, no shield. It would take too long to go back inside, find his inventory box, take a shield and come back. He should have slept with his armour on!

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Without hesitation, he jumped, yelling, trying to chase the wolves away from the carriage and from the horses, drawing circles with his sword.

    As the nearest wolf tried to bite his left hand, an arrow struck its eye even before he could hit it with his sword. The wolf fell with a yelp, but another wolf used the moment to bite his right ankle. He screamed in pain and anger, decapitating the wolf with a stroke of his sword. As more wolves approached, a wall of fire engulfed him as he felt Awa''s trembling hand on his back.

    ¡°Shield!¡± - he screamed, but then he realized that nobody had access to his inventory box.

    To his luck, the circle of wolves retired several steps while another arrow struck the nearest beast. He felt his wounds healing as Anabella''s staff touched his shoulder.

    The next moment the wolves ran away. The fire that was covering him died, but it was too late for his pyjama: he was covered in smouldering rags that were rapidly disintegrating as he looked at them. Behind him, an almost fainting Awa was gripping his skin with a cramped hand.

    Of the two slaves, one has been dragged away by the wolves. Also, the two dead wolves were gone. A caravan guard came closer.

    ¡°Idiots attacking ningo-dogs!¡± - the guard laughed them up - ¡°They will remember you!¡±

    ¡°Ningo dogs?¡±

    The guard shrugged.

    ¡°This pack has been stalking our caravan for days. We already lost ten slaves to them.¡±

    ¡°But why do you not defend the caravan?¡±

    ¡°If you have an army, you do it. If you fight and they feel that you are weak, they''ll call for more packs, then more and more, until you go under. Better give them some food until you pass through their territory. Good that we are arriving soon at our destination, or else, the cutuza would have left you here. Go back and take your place in the caravan. I''ll have some slaves sent to help unstuck your carriage.¡±

    Another couple of woman guards approached. One of them grinned at Geral.

    ¡°Nice show you pulled up here!¡± - She said, showing him a thumbs up.

    He snorted as the last pieces of his former pyjama fell to the ground. He felt his cheeks going red while Awa was still clinging to him.

    ¡°What''s happening here!?¡± - one of the cutuza''s main guards came - ¡°Take your place back in the caravan and stop this circus!¡±

    ¡°But what about her?¡± - Anabella pointed at the slave that was still on the ground.

    ¡°She''s terminally sick and was discarded for the dogs. As the dogs have left, you can take her as your prize, but be aware the dogs will chase you. Better leave her there!¡±

    ¡°No way. Geral, we take her!¡± - said Anabella.

    Geral nodded. He bowed to take the slave, an action that was made more complicated by the sword he had in his hand. He wanted to give Awa the sword but realized the girl was somehow on autopilot. Mana exhaustion! She was only clinging to him not to fall. Anabella had to help her back to the carriage as she visibly wobbled.

    Noviel jumped down to take his sword and gave him a pair of trousers. He sighed when he realized it was one of her larger skirts, not trousers, but nevertheless, he put it on. She helped him climb back inside the carriage with the slave in his hands, and then Noviel took the reins while they all helped unstuck the carriage. He had to chop some bushes and got more scratches.

    As the carriage set itself in movement, he climbed inside with Anabella, where they had left Awa and the slave. The two pulled the slave onto a carpet, and while Anabella started to check on Awa and the slave, he was finally able to dress.

    As Awa slowly recovered, she raised her head, looking with a tired but satisfied smile at him. He smiled back and nodded.

    ¡°You saved my ass, lady!¡±

    Awa giggled, but Anabella sighed.

    ¡°I''m sorry! It was my fault!¡±

    He looked at her, surprised.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    She bowed her head.

    ¡°I saw the two slaves aside from the caravan and drove to take them. I did not know they were left there to appease the wolves, and even if I had known, I would have tried to save them. Then the wolves came, and... I''ve put everybody in danger.¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°I am so sorry!¡± - she put her hands to her face as tears came to her eyes.

    He shrugged. Can undead cry? He finally sighed:

    ¡°No. It is OK. You did what you thought was right.¡±

    ¡°You are not angry at me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± - he shook his head - ¡°Certainly not!¡±

    She looked at him, swallowing each of his words. It seemed to soothe her. He did not though she had done something wrong.

    ¡°What''s with the slave?¡± - he wondered while putting on his shirt.

    He looked at her: she was dressed in rags that Anabella and Awa were now removing. She was still not by conscience. Her eyes were deep in their orbits, with dark lines under them. Her skin was dirty and sick with many pustules. Even on her face, she had several, with a big one behind her left ear.

    Her nose had been broken and completely flattened. A big ring had been fixed on her nose, and it was obvious that it had been used to guide her. Her ears were a bit pointy, with some hair strands near the points. Her teeth were yellow with dark taints. Her front teeth were missing.

    Was she one hundred years old?

    She must have been a head smaller than him and very light. He could lift her with one hand! She had two small horns on the sides of her head, dirty green hair, and very small, almost non-existent breasts. She looked mostly human. A malnourished, abused, and battered human.

    ¡°I think she is human with some dryad or satyr blood in her. She looks beaten and poisoned to me.¡± - said Anabella.

    ¡°Poisoned?¡±

    ¡°Yes, maybe that''s why the wolves did not take her.¡±

    ¡°Dogs. They called them ningo-dogs. Do you think they tried to poison them?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but it rather looks like long-term exposure to some chemicals. Maybe her whole little life. Some dangerous work.¡±

    Little life? - he wondered. Maybe from her point of view? How long do undead live?

    The slave opened her eyes and looked around.

    ¡°What, where... where am I? What happened?¡±

    She spoke softly and mumbled her words. It was very difficult to understand her.

    ¡°You are with us; you are safe!¡± - said Anabella.

    ¡°Us? Who are you? But, but... Master Heran will want me back! I need to go to master Heran!¡±

    ¡°Master Heran had discarded you. You are poisoned.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. True.¡± - she bowed her head as if ashamed she was no longer useful.

    She relaxed and then remembered something.

    ¡°What happened to old Hannah?¡±

    She raised her head again. Geral wondered:

    ¡°Old Hannah?¡±

    ¡°Is she the other slave you were with?¡± - asked Anabella

    She nodded.

    ¡°Yes, she took care of me!¡±

    ¡°The wolves took her.¡±- said Geral

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    She covered her face and started to cry. He wondered if he had been a bit insensible saying that. Anabella sighed but did not say anything.

    As the slave lost her conscience, he came closer to Anabella and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Will she survive?¡±

    Anabella shrugged.

    ¡°I don''t know. I have some substances that could keep her alive for a while, but it would be good to know what she was poisoned with¡±

    She put a hand on his shoulder:

    ¡°Thank you again!¡±

    He looked into her undead eyes. Those golden eyes had more life and compassion in them than most of the human eyes he had seen.

    He nodded and left to sit in front between Noviel and Awa.

    He looked at Noviel, and she grinned. It was a mischievous grin. He watched her, surprised.

    ¡°You looked sexy in my skirt! You should keep it!¡±

    He laughed and hugged both girls. He felt good. Noviel hugged him back, and Awa leaned on him on the other side.

    Then he remembered he had a very urgent need.

 Chapter 133 - Master Heran

    During the next caravan stop, Geral decided to visit a certain Master Heran. After inquiring a couple of guards about him, he found the wagons belonging to the respective master.

    As soon as he saw him approaching, the master greeted him full-throated:

    ¡°Oh, Adventurer Shatterbock! Are you looking for some alchemy products?¡±

    Master Heran was an alchemist and had several products that he hoped to sell with a good yield in Silver City.

    Geral groaned inwardly at the greeting. Only those blasted dwarfs and some imperials used to call people by their second name. Now that the cutuza idiot had spelt his second name, all imperials will use it.

    ¡°Master Heran, may I inquire about a former slave of yours?¡±

    ¡°A former slave? Which one would you mean, master Geral Shatterbock?¡±

    ¡°There was one left for the wolves?¡±

    ¡°You mean the ningo-dogs? I donated two to the caravan for that purpose!?¡±

    ¡°I mean the small one with horns.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean Zera? The poor child had an accident last time and ingested too many alchemical vapours. A quick death was a boon for her!¡±

    Poor child? Were they talking of the same person?

    ¡°She is not dead; we rescued her from the dogs.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you took great risks for one slave! I wonder what did you see in her? If you want to pay the obol for collected slaves, there is no need for such."- Master Heran shrugged - "She will die anyhow. Can you use her horns for something?¡±

    Geral cringed at the question but tried to ignore it.

    ¡°Obol?¡± - he wondered.

    ¡°You know the mite, or how do you call it? When people collect discarded slaves to use them in some way or another, there is the use to pay a small amount of money to the owner who discarded them. Some people don''t want to take any gratuities. I can transfer ownership to you if you have any legal worries.¡±

    Geral could hardly control his appearance, but he did his best.

    ¡°I''m not sure we talk about the same slave; the one that survived is old.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you talk about old Hannah? But she has no horns?¡± - wondered Heran

    Geral shook his head.

    ¡°No, no, the slave definitively asked about old Hannah, so it was not her!¡±

    Master Heran nodded.

    ¡°Just as I understood. So the little Zera, the horned one, survived?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are correct, but she is old?¡±

    ¡°No, no. She is fourteen. It may lie with her species ageing faster. I have had her since she was six, so I know precisely. The poor child developed an early passion for alchemy, but she never excelled in her work; she tried hard and was often involved in stupid accidents. Oh well, that''s a problem with many slaves. So what can I do for you, adventurer Shatterbock?¡±

    Geral swallowed and worked hard to compose a somehow neutral face. If that girl was fourteen, then either her species has a very short life span, or she had been... he did not even try to think how she was treated. Transfer ownership? OK, that might be good if this bastard thinks later about taking her back, that is, if that poor girl survives.

    ¡°Master Heran, you may be right; maybe we should do the property transfer formalities. Also, I would ask if you could tell me what chemicals might be affecting the girl?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are interested in trying to save her? Yes, I think that could be a good exercise for your esteemed wife! I understood that she is a healer? So let me put this on paper. Zera Heran sold to Geral Shatterkopf for 1 silver¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Was she not discarded?¡± - wondered Geral

    Master Heran sighed and raised his shoulders.

    ¡°Should I put gifted? You know the imperial tax authorities demand a five per cent tax for any slaves sold for more than one gold. If they see a transaction ''gifted'' or ''discarded'', they may start making inquiries and their own estimations. It does not come to it in most cases, but it may happen. Do we want to go there?¡±

    Geral sighed. Tax men. The horrors in all universes.

    ¡°OK, you are right.¡± - nodded Geral - ¡°One silver is OK. Can you tell me what chemicals she was working with last time?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that will be one silver.¡±

    ¡°You mean the girl?¡±

    Heran sighed.

    ¡°I thought that we had clarified the girl. I am talking about the information.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So you want one silver for the information about the chemicals?

    ¡°Precisely. One silver for the girl and another one for the information of the chemicals she had worked with last time.¡±

    Geral sighed.

    ¡°OK¡±

    Geral reluctantly paid the two silver and received the information, but just when he was about to leave, master Heran stopped him with a thinking face.

    ¡°If you would ask me, I fear it is not the chemicals that she used last time that are killing her.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No, she had used mercury before and... ahm, that would be one silver.¡±

    Geral wanted to strangle him but tried to keep his cool.

    ¡°You mean I should pay another silver to know that she worked with mercury?¡±

    ¡°Oh no. Mercury is an ingredient that many alchemists use. I mean, there is something else that you may want to know.¡±

    Four silver later, Geral went out of master Heran''s coach. The caravan had already started to move, and he waited in place for Anabella to come with her carriage, trying to calm himself. He had the feeling Heran had enjoyed ripping him. At least feeling how Anabella was coming closer had a calming effect on him.

    When the carriage passed by, he climbed in. Noviel was again on the bench, and Anabella waved at him. He saw Awa smiling at him and felt good. He could finally breathe freely.

    They did not arrive for Silver City that day as was planned. Many slaves had to walk, and the cutuza had refused to force the pace or to continue advancing during the night, so they made another halt for the night about four hours away from Silver City.

    They made their own fire and ate, and Geral learned what Anabella had learned from the slaves: why the caravan was heading for Silver City. The new city administration had inquired the Empire about slaves, and this was the first caravan to test the new market and establish a relationship with the new administration. A certain Grackak, a very powerful mage, was the new consul.

    He went to sleep, and Anabella graciously borrowed him one of her pyjama dresses as his only pyjama had been scorched in the morning. Not long after he set his head on a pillow, Awa came and pushed herself to his side.

    ¡°Come on, tell me a story.¡± - asked Awa.

    ¡°Oh, come on, you are a big girl; you do not need stories?¡±

    She pouted and pushed herself into his side.

    ¡°Please, Geral. You are an adventurer; did you not do some heroic things?¡±

    He almost laughed, thinking at his not-so-heroic adventures. OK, why should he not tell her some of those?

    ¡°Heroic things? No, but I''ll tell you about our first visit to the three horns dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡± - said Awa with a happy grin, making herself comfortable.

    Just seeing that grin on her face was reward enough for him. To his surprise, a minute later, a Noviel-in-pyjama stood beside them.

    ¡°May I?¡± - she asked

    ¡°Sure¡±

    She put her blanket on the other side, but this time she put herself facing him and closed her eyes. He watched her gentle traits and her beautiful face until Awa poked his side.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Oh, true!¡±

    And he continued to tell the story. Outside Anabella was cooking something in her giant cauldron.

    ¡°You know mom has levelled?¡± - asked Noviel, suddenly opening her eyes

    ¡°Leveled?¡± - he wondered, observing at the same time that it was the first time he had heard Noviel calling Anabella ''mom''.

    ¡°Yes, she is level nineteen now!¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice!¡±

    Ah, he wondered if that was the reason why she was healing all those slaves? Is she levelling also by cooking? That''s pretty slow levelling, but it seemed to work; she was now at the same level with him and Noviel.

    Speaking of Noviel, before he had the impression that she was the consummate mercenary. Now not so much, even if she had the same level as he had. She was still partially a child. Level does not make one mature.

    He shrugged. He had been nineteen in the other world, just three years older than Noviel, and yet he felt old.

 Chapter 134 â€“ Silver Town

    The next day they arrived in Silver Town at about noon.

    The last three to four hours of their travel had been taxing, and they were glad to be finally at their destination. Here, there was a small oasis of light, but all around this place was a wild zone of depressing grey where strange magic beasts lurked. The caravan had been attacked several times, and now the guards had fought. Even if it was said that they had been lucky, not meeting the really dangerous monsters, they still lost one guard in one encounter before finally arriving at their destination.

    There was a queue to enter the city, and it took some time until they had been taken care of.

    In the end, a warrior came to talk to them. Warrior level 39 - whispered Noviel - a high-level warrior, but several others were so high level that she could not identify them. Geral had checked them with his warrior-identify spell, which was not so precise but could work on higher levels. He could tell that they were around level fifty, plus or minus five levels.

    The warrior who came to talk to them was named Kawak and greeted them tiredly. He asked them what they were looking for and why they came to the city and gave them some good tips and information.

    What he told them confirmed some of the rumours they had heard, mainly that the Silver Town had been struck by a magical storm that had utterly annihilated the population. He added that a council headed by consul Grackak was now working to rebuild the town.

    They could find a place to camp or request to be allocated a house if they wanted to settle or stay longer in the city.

    He tried to tell incentives to stay: there was much work to do, and the city''s council was putting good money rewards for many quests; they could earn good gold doing those. One of the tasks for adventurers was to clean up the city''s surroundings, that grey area that they''d seen from those magical beasts.

    He explained that since the storm had struck, the area around the city had started to generate various magical beasts, which grew worse with time; therefore, their continuous culling, if not elimination, was needed to avoid their multiplication. Some of the monsters were already high-level. They should avoid fighting those monsters and call for reinforcement. If they would like to take such jobs, they could go to the adventurers guild and ask Dalia for more information.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    All kinds of work were needed: from cooks to couriers to merchants or guards. If they wanted to settle, they could ask for citizenship.

    He informed them that for any transaction if they bought or sold something, they had to pay a ten per cent tax to the tax office, led by someone named Cara. With that, he left after making a short inspection of their carriage and goods.

    ¡°Strange place!¡± - said Noviel - ¡°I do not like it.¡±

    ¡°Ten per cent tax if you buy or sell something? This is worse than the kingdom; why should anybody want to settle here? In the kingdom, you do not pay anything!¡± - protested Anabella.

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder how they''ll check that.¡± - said Geral

    ¡°They may ask randomly with truth spells, and there might be harsh penalties. Don''t try to not comply,¡± - said Anabella - ¡°Let''s find a place to put the carriage, and then you can go with the girls to have a look through town.¡±

    ¡°You don''t come?¡±

    ¡°No, I''ll stay with Zera at the carriage.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, true, I almost forgot about her.¡± - said Geral

    Anabella took the two girls, Noviel and Awa, by the shoulder:

    ¡°Careful what you do in town and stay with Geral, don''t forget there are slavers and all kinds of people around. Be careful what you talk about; I think there had been an ugly fight between a certain woman and this consul in Lilitown.¡±

    ¡°Oh, true!¡± - said Awa.

    They parked the carriage in front of a two-story house that looked abandoned, and Geral left with the two girls in tow. Anabella checked shortly on Zera before she went to take care of the horses. They needed to be unharnessed and then fed and cleaned.

    As she was cleaning the horses, to her surprise Zera appeared out of the carriage on vacillating legs, eager to help.

    She didn''t want to go back inside the carriage, but in the end, Anabella convinced her to just sit beside the carriage on some blankets, where she soon fell asleep.

 Chapter 135 â€“ Petting a Dragon

    Geral approached the central market, half listening to the girls'' conversation behind him. They were talking about some guy named Spartacius, and he sighed inwardly.

    All that guy seemed to have done for the girls was to hold Awa in his arms while his mother had killed some slavers, then he had hired Noviel and almost caused her to kill herself, and the two were seriously discussing bleeding for him, wanted to search the world for him and throw themselves at his feet.

    How can this world be so unjust?

    He had worked for them, saved them from being enslaved, risked his life for them not only once, and had not made any blunder to cause them any grief, and what did he get? More troubles and work!

    Life was so unfair! He almost wanted to scream his frustration to the sky when Awa''s scream brought him back to reality.

    ¡°Yaiii! A dragon! Yaii!¡±

    There was a joke in the kingdom that sounded like this: do you know anybody who had seen a dragon? The general answer was: no. Why? Because you have to survive the encounter to be able to tell stories about seeing it.

    Why did this stupid joke come instantly to his mind?

    He turned and saw a giant black dragon''s head about twelve meters away, looking at them. He almost pissed himself. He had just looked there a moment ago, and there was nothing but a huge mound of rocks and an orc! Now Awa was hiding behind him, almost climbing on him. As if climbing in his arms would protect her!

    ¡°Don''t scream like a bitch, or Fify will eat you!¡±

    The huge orc spat in Awa''s direction.

    ¡°Whom are you calling a bitch!?¡± - countered Noviel, full of adrenaline after seeing the dragon, trying instinctively to put an arrow in her bow. She moved her hand to take her bow from her shoulder and cursed silently, not finding it there. Anabella had made Geral take it in his inventory.

    ¡°Don''t bitch, bitch, Fify is hungry!¡± - the orc said with a sigh and turned his back with disdain, continuing his work. Noviel''s eyes went wide with anger.

    ¡°Geral, give me my bow!¡± - muttered Noviel in a low voice.

    Geral sighed. Why is Spartacius not here to fight valiantly for his two admirers? If the dragon was not enough, one glance at the orc was enough to convince him that there was absolutely no reason to escalate.

    ¡°Calm down, everybody.¡± - he turned to Awa - ¡°You should not scream; that only attracts the beast''s attention to you in case of trouble...¡±

    ¡°But, but a real dragon? I''ve never seen a dragon in my life! It... it... it is said that if you see one, it is the last thing you see...¡± - she babbled, hanging at his arm.

    Geral sighed:

    ¡°I don''t know, but I am sure he does not like hearing people yelling at him.¡±

    ¡°Only when he chews them, then he loves them screaming!¡± - the orc said with a grin continuing to clean around the dragon - ¡°Isn''t it Fify?¡±

    ¡°Gramph!¡± - answered the dragon nodding and placing his head back over its giant paws. Awa''s eyes grew only larger, but the next moment changed everything.

    The orc patted its head, and the dragon made a sound like purring, closing its eyes. Noviel''s eyes shot daggers, but Awa reacted differently. As if standing under a spell, she started to grin, mesmerized, forgetting that she should feel insulted.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I... I... I would like to pet him too...¡± - said Awa with glassy eyes.

    Geral''s hands fell down synchronously with his jaw, but the orc heard her too and turned to look at her with a different grin. This one was more joyous. Geral hated the way he eyed her.

    ¡°Her! You may earn the right to pet her... if you give me a kiss here!¡± - the orc said, pointing at his green cheek.

    ¡°Really?¡± - said Awa, and surprising everybody, she sneaked around the rocks and debris that formed a kind of barrage around the dragon''s zone.

    ¡°Wait!¡± - said Geral trying to catch her hand but too late.

    ¡°Stop! One inside is enough!¡± - the orc said, raising his palm towards Geral.

    Awa stopped for a moment, then seeing it was not meant for her, she got closer. The dragon raised its head and looked at Awa. Geral''s heart froze when he saw the gigantic head hovering above the girl.

    The dragon breathed in and exhaled, causing Awa''s hair to flutter. Geral did not dare say anything, afraid it could cause a harsh reaction. The orc grinned and pointed at his cheek.

    Awa came closer and realized she was too short. She tried to send a kiss to the orc, but he shook his head.

    ¡°No, that''s not good enough.¡±

    She looked at the dragon, then embraced the orc pushing herself on her toes to give him a proper kiss on the cheek.

    ¡°Almost good!¡± - the orc said laughing - ¡°but only almost. You have one last try!¡±

    Several people have stopped walking, looking at the incident. A group on the side was just betting if the dragon would swallow Awa or not. The bet was fifty-fifty, pro and con, and Geral was starting to feel panic gripping his heart. What could he do?

    Awa almost jumped the orc, dragging him to her height as much as possible and gave him a long, very loud kiss on the cheek. If Geral had not been so afraid for her life, he would be jealous of the orc.

    ¡°Now, that was a proper kiss!¡± - the orc laughed softly with a satisfied grin, then added - ¡°Olomuc!" - and shook her hand - "and you are?¡±

    The girl answered with big round eyes on her face:

    ¡°Awa!¡±

    ¡°Beautiful name! Well, Awa, let me introduce Fify to you. Fify! This is Awa. Fify, Awa is not food, got it?¡±

    Awa''s eyes went even rounder at being introduced as no-food, but Fify snorted and shook her head. The orc whispered in Awa''s ear:

    ¡°Let me tell you a secret; she understands each and every word, isn''t it, Fify?¡±

    "She? Is she a girl like me?"

    Olomuc laughed at the comparison but nodded.

    "Yes, she is a girl! And she has very good ears!"

    The dragon shook her head bravely. Olomuc took Awa under his arm, much too tight, to Geral''s displeasure, grabbed her right hand and pulled her towards the dragon, who lowered her head to let her reach it. It was not enough, and the orc put his right hand under Awa''s waist and raised her in his hands. Geral winced, seeing how he had grabbed her, but Awa had only eyes for the dragon. She threw her hand towards the dragon''s head, and as the dragon lowered her head further, she petted it.

    ¡°Oooooh!¡± said Awa, almost synchronous with the dragon''s purr.

    For Awa, it was a fascinating immortal moment that should not end. She almost closed her eyes, feeling the dragon''s skin under her palm and giggled.

    After a couple of seconds, the orc put her back on her feet away from the dragon.

    ¡°So, anytime you want to touch Fify, you know the price. Now go away; she is hungry and wants to eat in silence; I''ll give her her food now, and I don''t want her to get confused, you know what I mean?¡±

    Awa needed a couple of seconds to come down from the excitement of having touched the dragon to understand what the orc had said, she snorted, and she had the feeling that Fify winked at her. She giggled and went away, then turned and exchanged another look with the dragon once she got by Geral, but then the dragon concentrated on the orc who was pulling huge pieces of flesh out from his inventory.

    ¡°Fuck, that monster would have eaten that girl and still be hungry!¡± - she heard one slaver talk to another whilst they were eyeing the meat being thrown her way.

    Geral sighed, watching the loser pay the other one as he had lost the bet.

    ¡°You risked your life for that?¡± - wondered Geral

    Awa watched him with glassy eyes:

    ¡°But I''ve petted a dragon!¡±

    As if that would explain everything.

 Chapter 136 - The Adventurers Guild

    The skies were covered, but through the white clouds, one could see the contours of the two suns. The atmosphere was relatively pleasant, not too hot or too cold.

    Geral raised his eyes and thanked all gods that Awa was coming back in one piece. He sighed and put his left hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Let''s go!¡±

    ¡°I cannot believe you kissed that brute after he insulted you!¡± - whispered Noviel with an angry face - ¡°and you allowed him to touch you like that?¡±

    Awa shrugged. It was worth it.

    ¡°He needed to lift me; I was just not tall enough!¡±

    ¡°He should have made his beast bow its head more. Such an ignoble animal tamer!¡±

    ¡°Fify is no animal! She is a girl like me!¡±

    Noviel snorted and rolled her eyes.

    Geral preferred not to say anything; he just sighed. He judged it wiser to keep away from the conversation else he would risk getting mobbed by both sides. It already happened when he tried to intervene between the two girls.

    There was little to see in the market. Only about a couple of hundred people lived in the town, and almost all were now around the slavers'' caravan, talking and looking at the slaves. A big slave market opening was planned for tomorrow, and one could already inspect the ''goods'', which left those few shops closed.

    There was one inn, and the lights were on; however, Geral decided not to go inside but rather go with the girls in the adventurers'' guild. He pushed the door open, but apparently, there was nobody inside.

    ¡°Hello? Anybody here?¡± - wondered Geral, but then he found a table with some quests. As he was reading the quests, an angry woman entered.

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡±

    ¡°Hello!¡± - said Geral nodding - ¡°I was just looking for quests.¡±

    She almost fumed, looking at him. "There are many dragons in this city!" thought Geral.

    ¡°I hope nothing is missing, or you''ll have a real problem!¡±

    ¡°What should be missing?¡± - wondered Geral, and the woman pointed at a table covered with objects that were currently ''inspected'' by Awa and Noviel. Geral swallowed. Preoccupied with the quests, he had forgotten to watch for the girls.

    ¡°Girls? What are you doing there?¡±

    He sighed. Actually, they are almost grown-ups and shouldn''t need his surveillance.

    Awa had a light in her eyes as if having found gold:

    ¡°Papa! Look at this! It is a cup that keeps tea warm! It has a powerful spell in it! These were done in my village, but somebody changed the crystal! I used to assemble these for Ama!¡± - yelled Awa, then seeing the foreign woman added - ¡°Oh, Hello?¡±

    Somehow this seemed to appease the dragon.

    "Papa?" - the woman asked, raising a brow.

    He shrugged and addressed Awa:

    "Awa, put that cup down, will you?¡±

    The woman rolled her eyes but spoke more friendly.

    ¡°If something is missing, I''ll feed you to Fify!¡±

    Awa snorted:

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I''ve petted Fify! She knows I''m not food; we are friends!¡±

    The woman rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Did that idiot let you pet his dragon? There is nothing left here to scare nosy children?¡± - she sighed and turned to Geral - ¡°so why are you here, papa?¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Geral, and these are my daughters Noviel and Awa. We were looking for jobs or quests. Kawak had told us that we could find some good ones at the guild?¡±

    ¡°I am Dalia, so hello. Yes, we do have some quests, but those are too high level for you and your girls.¡± - she saw his disappointed face and added - ¡°However, there is work for your level. You can participate in the culling of the monsters. It would come at about fifty silver per day for you three, seventeen silver per person. As the little one has a low level, we could round it to fifty for all three. You should come in the morning at about eight, and I can give you a zone that you need to clean up. Interested?¡±

    Geral nodded. That was a generous offer, especially considering Awa''s low level.

    ¡°That would be one gold in two days; sounds good to me!¡± - said Geral looking at Noviel. She nodded.

    ¡°OK!¡± - said Dalia - ¡°Are you interested in the slave market tomorrow, or do you want to start questing as of tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°We would like to start questing!¡±

    ¡°Then come before eight in the morning tomorrow. I will look to buy one or two helpers. When you scan your area, you should enter all houses and gardens. Most should be open. If one is closed, don''t break the doors, just mark it with red paint. You can take a pot of paint from there." - she pointed at a corner - "If you see any interesting items, you should keep in mind that everything belongs to the council. If it is something that interests you or you think it is a valuable object, you may bring it here." - she pointed at the table where Awa and Noviel had done their ''inspection'' - "I may sell it to you, but I need to see it and evaluate it. Is this clear?¡±

    Geral nodded:

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, one more point. Where do you stay? The inn is full. Do you have some accommodation?¡±

    ¡°We have our carriage; it is parked down the street. We sleep inside it.¡±

    ¡°Carriage? Where?¡±

    He moved to a point inside the room from where the carriage could be seen through the dusty windows.

    ¡°There!¡±

    ¡°By that brown house? I see. If you are interested, I can give you the keys to that house; it is currently vacant.¡±

    ¡°Really? You can do that?¡±

    She shrugged and pointed at another table covered with various keys aligned in rows.

    ¡°Sure. For the moment, we just handle the keys free of charge. You can stay there unless a citizen requests that house for his accommodation.¡±

    ¡°A citizen can request a house just like this?¡± - wondered Noviel.

    Dalia nodded:

    ¡°Yes, we are currently giving houses for free to citizens, but only one house per person... or family.¡± - she added, looking at them.

    Awa licked her lips:

    ¡°How can somebody become a citizen? Can one?¡±

    Dalia laughed:

    ¡°Sure. Your papa needs to fill out an application and be endorsed by at least two citizens.¡±

    "Not me?"

    "But a slave, I could have become?!"

    Geral somehow knew what she was going to say and put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. It was not the right time and not the right person for this.

    To his surprise, Awa listened to his unspoken demand and turned to look at him.

    ¡°Ahm, then, can we get that key? Are there beds inside the house? Other furniture?¡± - asked Geral.

    ¡°There must be some furniture, but don''t forget it belongs to the council, including everything else that''s in the house... ah, here... that must be house number 45 on the third road. Here you are! If you want to leave the town, even if for a couple of days, don''t forget to bring the key back!¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± - Geral nodded and took the key - "But is it not a dangerous place to live in? I mean, there was a magic storm that killed the population! How many did live here before?"

    Dalia sighed.

    "It is true that magic storms happen from time to time, but we think that there will not be another one like the big one that killed the whole population. More than one hundred thousand people had lived here before."

    "One hundred thousand? And all are now dead? Oh my!" - exclaimed Noviel shocked. Awa was looking at Dalia with big round eyes.

    Dalia shrugged again:

    "Well, all except a couple of very high-level who withstood the storm, like big G, our consul. I am positive that there will not be another such storm, and I''ll explain why. The town had a Silver shrine before. I guess it worked like a kind of magical dam that stopped all those magic storms; however, I think that all that energy accumulated inside it. It worked like a giant accumulator and, at a certain time, was overcharged and exploded. That must be what happened. As you have realised, the area is saturated with magic due to the many ley lines that crisscross it, but there will be no more giant accumulation and, thus, no more giant storms. And you know something? It is perfect for levelling! This high magic density is what you find in dungeons or what rich people or noble houses do in their training rooms, spending a lot of money on it. Here we have it for free. If you stay here, you''ll level much faster! Is this not a good reason to become a citizen? Think about it!¡±

    They left shortly thereafter, talking between themselves, Geral holding the key happily in his hand. Maybe it was a good idea to stay here for a while?

 Chapter 137 - House 45 on the Third Road

    The house was surprisingly big and pleasant; each of them could take their own room, and there were still many empty rooms left. There was a main room with a library on the ground floor and another big one on the first and second floors.

    Geral chose the second big room with a giant double bed for himself on the first floor. A decision that he later regretted. He helped Anabella carry Zera to a small room on the ground floor.

    Anabella had chosen two smaller rooms, one for herself and another one for Zera, on the ground floor, close to each other, with a double door in between. On the opposite side were that big saloon and, a bit further away, a relatively big kitchen. To their amazement, they found out that there was working canalization in the kitchen and in the bath and a toilet with flushing water that Awa happily flushed about twenty times.

    ¡°Running water! Toilet with flushing water! Bath with warm water!¡± - Geral exclaimed, pleasantly surprised - ¡°I did not know that I missed these so much! They have all these amenities in Silver Town in a commoner''s house! When I compare this to the toilet in Lilitown''s inn!? Oh, dear!¡±

    Noviel was admiring the bath.

    ¡°Warm water? Do you think there is warm water here? Ma? Can I take a bath?¡±

    Anabella shrugged, busy with Zera. As Noviel could not see her, she finally yelled:

    ¡°You need to wash everything well before using it! Geral, will you pull the carriage in the courtyard and the horses in the barn? Awa, stop flushing that toilet, please!?¡±

    After a while, Geral came to her room. He looked at Zera and was surprised to see her looking back at him. Zera''s eyes were now active; there was a difference in the way she looked back, as if a small fire had started burning behind them.

    ¡°How is she?¡± - he wondered looking at the girl.

    Anabella sighed:

    ¡°She''s a fighter! She''s gonna make it, isn''t it, Zera?¡±

    The girl nodded. Anabella turned to Geral.

    ¡°I''ll need your help. We are going to remove the nose ring and the other implants and then gradually cut all wrongly healed wounds anew. It will be a couple of bad days for Zera." - she turned to the girl -"Are you still OK with it?¡±

    Zera nodded.

    ¡°She''s a brave girl!¡± - said Anabella smilling at her

    ¡°Can''t she speak?¡± - Geral wondered

    ¡°Of course, she can, but she is not used to it. Tell me, can you speak?¡±

    ¡°Yees?¡± - Zera answered weakly, spelling a long ''e'' with a strange melodious voice.

    Anabella smiled and caressed her head.

    ¡°She is only a little coy.¡±

    She sighed. What followed were two hours of horror for the poor girl. Even Geral had tears in his eyes, but he was surprised at how strong the girl was and how much she could endure. After two hours, they looked like two butchers, but the girl was done.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°We are finished today. Tomorrow will be much less work, and soon you''ll be fine. Rest now!¡± - said Anabella and undressed the bloody apron being left only in her standard robe - ¡°can you go and let some water for me in the bath?¡±

    Geral grumbled. He did not know if he should be excited or aghast at the task of putting water in her bath. He has not yet warmed up to the idea of making love to her. It was, at the same time, exciting and revolting.

    He closed his eyes, put his hands over his face and pressed. He took a deep breath. What was his philosophy, or rather way of thinking? Well, all he had looked for was some adventure but not too much, the occasion to meet and learn to know some good girls and boys, have fun and have sex. Possibly with the sexiest and prettiest girl, he could imagine. Was this a bad thing to do? Mephisto''s world where everything was possible. It should be possible to find his dream girl?

    One problem was that after a while, the sexy girl was no longer as sexy. Maybe he hadn''t yet met the right one?

    He looked horrified at his bloody hands, realizing his face was now as tainted as his hands, and sighed. He urgently needs to wash.

    He cursed and walked towards the bathroom.

    Was he now isekaied to this world? Well, then what? Everything was still possible after all, wasn''t it?

    What about NPC girls?

    The NPCs were looked upon by players as possible helper tools. You could have fun with them. Do what you want with them. But not love them. You do not love your dildo.

    But now, after knowing Awa, he could not look with those eyes at her. Yes, she had a slender, beautiful body and a lovely face, but... she was just a girl that looked at him as a fatherly figure. After she had jumped there behind him to face the wolves, he learned to think differently of her. She was ready to go down with him there. She was prepared to sacrifice her little self for him. She trusted him. She trusted him with her life. You can say it was an NPC''s life, but it was hers. Her life. He could never look at her that way, like at a meat auction.

    Worse, he was starting to feel attached to her. Really attached. As you feel for a younger sister or... daughter? Fuck, he was too young to have a daughter? Was he?

    He sighed. It was hard to admit even to himself that he cared for her as for a person. But if she was a person, then Anabella and Noviel were persons, too, not tools.

    In this case, how does he look at Anabella?

    He could not warm himself to her cold body. She is an undead! Do undead feel? Do they make love? It did not make much sense to him; they do not have children, isn''t it?

    It would be unfair to ask anything from her. How could he ask her to satisfy him if she could not feel anything? Use her like using a tool? Even if she would accept it out of duty feeling, that was not fair to her.

    So he was left with Noviel. She was about compatible with him, theoretically three years younger, but she is an NPC. Made like this, OK? But... how to get to her? Should he try his chances with her or look somewhere outside?

    But she was here; why should he not try?

    Is this not against all rules? He is theoretically married to Anabella.

    Oh, come on, that was just to save them from slavers, just a trick! Should he forfeit his chances because he saved them?

    He had been in front of the bathroom door for some time, meditating on how to open it without completely tainting it with blood. He pushed his arm around the door opener and, with a smooth movement, opened the door... and found himself eye in eye with a completely naked Noviel... and Awa. A wet sponge landed on his face, and his ears were suddenly assaulted by strident yells.

    ¡°Girls! Geral and me, we need to wash!¡± - Anabella yelled from the end of the corridor.

    He stepped back, shocked, but soon two squawking young girls wrapped in bathrobes ran beside him. He did not say anything, still blocked by the image he had just seen: oh, what a perfect body Noviel had!

    He sighed. He had seen a goddess. A more ideal body cannot exist. Impossible. He closed his mouth and went inside the bathroom.

 Chapter 138 â€“ Having Your Own Slave

    Geral had problems again. OK, the usual morning thing.

    He stretched and tried not to wake up the two girls near him. Awa was sleeping on the right side, well covered under her blanket.

    He watched her lovely face covered partly by her blond mane and smiled. He thought about caressing her temple but abstained: that would wake her up. He moved slowly to avoid making noise.

    Noviel, on his left side, was riding her blanket with her back turned to him, partly covered in her semi-transparent nightgown.

    The same view that he had learned to love and hate each morning. Love, because he loved the two girls, each in their own way, hate because Noviel had kept her distance; she had not done anything to encourage him, so he dared not touch her beautiful marble body, just look but don''t touch, a thing that he hated.

    Of course, the two girls would not let him sleep alone, and he had to tell them stories every evening. That''s why he regretted having chosen this big room with an extra large bed.

    He sighed, looking at Noviel''s perfect body. Maybe sometime he will make it into her pants; hope dies last.

    He went to the bathroom after a short visit to the toilet. As he started the shower, he heard Sarah coming in. Sarah the slave and the newest inhabitant of the house. As she locked the door behind her, he turned to her.

    She was a dark-haired good looking woman about thirty years old. Her skin was white, and she had hazel-brown eyes. Her calloused hands showed that she was used to working hard, her back hunched, but the smile on her face displayed her satisfaction with her new masters.

    Anabella had bought Sarah a couple of days after they moved to the new house to help her with the daily work. There was so much to clean, wash and cook, and Sarah had gladly done all that. She had been a slave all her life, born as a slave from slave parents inside the empire.

    Nobody is born a slave; everybody is born free, Geral had said, and Sarah had just shrugged. Tell that to the collar that she had on her neck. A slave''s collar.

    As she kneed in front of him, he smiled expectantly.

    It first happened several days ago when he was alone in the bathroom and started pleasing himself. After seeing Noviel again, he jokingly thought that he had to ''take the matter into his own hands'', and Sarah had come in by accident and surprised him.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    After the first moments of shock, after she threw herself at the ground, asking for his forgiveness, not daring to raise her eyes, when he came to finally make her stand, she pleaded to let her help him, please, oh please. He should not chase her away just because she was a slave.

    He had tried to help her, and she started to kiss his fingers frenetically.

    She wanted to help; may she just touch him? A little? To see how it is? She ended up giving him a hand job, and after that, she removed herself, bowing and thanking him.

    The second time it was easier for him to accept it, and after that, it became routine.

    All he had to do was to go into the bathroom at a moment when anybody else was busy in the house, and she came there to wash his back or do whatever he wanted. A slave is a nice thing to have, isn''t it?

    As she did now, she did her work. She was doing it with such efficiency and dedication! He patted her head.

    They were going to free the slave. Anabella had said it, but the law did not allow them to free her instantly; the law allowed to only free a slave that was yours for ninety days. Stupid laws, but that was the law.

    However, she was not forced to give him blow jobs. She did it freely. She would be freed anyhow.

    Happily afterwards, he went for breakfast and then prepared to go to the field. They were going, he, Noviel and Awa, to clean specific areas. The payment was good: fifty silver per day. One gold in two days, and the expenses were just several silver per day for food and amenities.

    Well, not counting alchemy products like healing potions and other things, but they had Anabella, who healed them for free.

    Anabella was staying home with Zera, that was slowly recovering. It was really disturbing to see how lovely Zera started to be. Each time when he saw her, he thought of her former master and deep dark hate boiled inside him. Murderous thoughts.

    ¡°Not now. Don''t kill that bastard!¡± - Anabella had said - ¡°It is not worth it. We''ll get more problems if you do it! There will be a time.¡±

    As if she would have infinity on her side. He sighed. Each time when he had met that bastard, he had spent an effort to stop his hand from taking the sword. Each time he felt older and angrier. As if not doing anything would take years from his life. Looking at what Zera was and could have been and remembering how she had looked merely weeks ago was driving him mad.

    Good that he could kill some stupid mobs.

    It was becoming moot now as the caravan was going to leave today; they''d sold all slaves they brought with them. Only a couple of handlers would stay longer to sell their goods, but master Heran was not between them. His alchemy products had sold pretty well.

    After breakfast, they left - he, Awa and Noviel - to clean the next area assigned to them. It had become routine, and he started to love this city. He knew he was close to getting a level up, and then he would be able to buy a new skill!

    Awa had already levelled. Twice! She was now level seven. Noviel had also levelled, being now level twenty but she had postponed looking for skills until he would also have his chance. They should go together to inspect the skills shop. He was still at level nineteen. He did not understand why but he knew it would not take long.

 Chapter 139 â€“ Rumours and Stories

    Anabella had come home with some surprising news.

    She continued to offer gratis healing and an extra portion of soup for whoever wanted to take it. There were surprisingly many people who passed by her improvised stall in the market. Word was that her soup was giving a minor boost to endurance. She did not sell her soup, but she accepted payment. She even had a separate tax collector bin where she gathered the tax money to keep things clean, but slaves could have their soup or healing for free.

    What she got from slaves was information. Most of the time, she did not ask any questions; she just let them talk about what they wanted, but sometimes through subtly hints or answering in a certain manner, she changed the conversation to get to the points she wanted to hear about. And it was surprising to see how many slaves could find a way to pass by the market to receive a bowl of her soup.

    This way, she had learned that Cala had been in the city about ten days before their caravan arrived. It was said that she came to take revenge on Grackak for a fight she had lost in Lilitown. She was here with a carriage that she had blown out and killed some of Grackak''s people, then she had run away and got away with it.

    She had been here with a guy that was probably Spartacius, with her bodyguard Alice and another girl. Some people had tried to make a connection between that girl and the missing governor''s daughter from the nearby kingdom province, but that was only an unconfirmed rumour.

    But, the rumour about her and the Lynx was confirmed; a Lynx had been seen trotting behind her carriage.

    One of the slaves had told her a different version of the story: in that version, Cala was the victim as she had been forced to come here because Grackak wanted to recruit her against her will for his guild.

    There was, however, something else that Anabella had learned, a much scarier story that only two slaves dared tell or maybe knew about. A story they had heard from Grackak himself when he had spoken about it with the council members: the storm that had hit the city was not an accident. The storm that had hit the city had happened when Grackak had dismantled the Silver Shrine, as one angel had told him to do.

    It was true that he, Grackak, had won all that the angel had promised him he would; it was true that he did not die, as the angel had promised, but what the angel had not said was that the storm would kill anybody else in the city. Only one slave had dared tell Anabella who the angel was: the Angel of Death.

    Why would an angel tell that to Grackak, one could only speculate. The fact was that nobody dared to speak openly about it.

    They should also know that it was verboten, strictly forbidden, under penalty of death to talk about it.

    It was coded as the Death Touched paragraph in their code of law, and until now, three persons had been sentenced under it.

    The paragraph contained only that, the name: Death Touched, and there was already a legend circulating among the slaves: anybody who mentioned or talked about this story would be soon touched by death. Death touched. That was even the reason why that particular slave had told Anabella the story: he wanted to die.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Was this story true? Was anything of it true? They could not know, but the fact was that the Silver Shrine had been destroyed, that Grackak had gained some miraculous attributes. How did he suddenly become so strong? How could he not be affected by any spell cast against him?

    But there were still unanswered questions, like how could he and his close lieutenants spell much more powerful spells than almost anybody else. Another dark secret?

    ¡°There may be more to the story!¡± - said Geral

    Anabella raised a brow: ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Geral sighed. ¡°You know that I am a player.¡± - Anabella and the girls nodded. He continued: - ¡°There was the possibility to pay for reincarnation here in the Silver City.¡±

    Noviel wondered, agape:

    ¡°Reincarnation?¡±

    Geral shrugged:

    ¡°Well, revival, reincarnation, how you want to name it. A player could contact the priests here, and once the requested amount was paid, he could be resurrected.¡±

    ¡°Resurrected? Do you mean really die and be brought back to life? Have you been...?¡±

    Geral shook his head.

    ¡°No. I did not have the money to pay for it, so if I died, I would have died for good, but some people with higher levels than mine did. Normally only people with levels at least above thirty can gather that much money to pay for resurrection. I think it was limited to once or twice a year, but I haven''t bothered to inquire about it as the cost was ten thousand gold, much too much for me.¡±

    Noviel wondered: ¡°I don''t understand; it is interesting, but what does this have to do with what we talked about?¡±

    Geral grinned: ¡°Well, try now to pay for resurrection! The shrine and the priests do not exist anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Anabella raised a brow and bit her lip: ¡°Could this have been what the angel of death wanted to achieve?¡± - she turned to Geral - ¡°Who would have resurrected you? I mean, if you had the money. The priests? Did somebody have to bring your body here?¡±

    Geral shook his head:

    ¡°No. A silver shrine angel would have appeared to take your soul to a safe place and resurrect you.¡±

    "And the body?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe the body too. It would anyhow disappear in the process."

    Noviel watched him pensively:

    "So the priests would have done the deal on behalf of some angels? Or were the angels contracted by the priests? What angels? Are there silver shrine angels?¡±

    ¡°Well, the silver shrine is the shrine of the God of magic. So they are the angels of magic?¡±

    ¡°As if the angels would have fought each other?¡± - wondered Zera, who had been silent until then.

    They all looked at her and then at each other. Could there be such?

 Chapter 140 â€“ Meeting Other Players

    Finally alone!

    Geral grinned, walking the streets in Silver Town. The girls were cool, and he was happy with them, but... everybody needs their time alone, isn''t it?

    As Noviel and Awa had decided to use the free day to hone their skills, and Anabella was still busy with Zera, he had used the opportunity to go for a walk. Alone.

    Unfortunately, the atmosphere was a bit depressing. He raised his eyes and looked at the sky: if at least the suns would come out from time to time, but both were continuously hidden by a layer of clouds. He sighed.

    Well, what can a lone man do in a town like this to raise his mood? Visit the tavern!

    He went for the tavern and, to his disbelief, was blocked from entering. His eyes bulged in his head when the huge warrior blocked the way and asked him:

    ¡°Your id!¡±

    Geral hesitated. What does the crazy guy want? There was no id in Mephisto?

    Annoyingly the warrior pushed him back to send him gently on a different trajectory. As if he were an NPC.

    ¡°This place is restricted. There is another tavern on the main street open for all; go there.¡±

    Geral felt his blood boiling in his veins. The desire to visit this particular tavern had suddenly shot up in the stratosphere! Since when do they do dirty tricks here? Restricted? He will not let some... level thirty NPC tell him who the boss is... or... maybe there was a way to work this out?

    ¡°I have my adventurer''s card? Is this enough for an id?¡± - said Geral pulling it out from the inventory box. If this place was restricted, then he absolutely wanted to see why.

    The warrior looked at it and nodded, somehow disappointed:

    ¡°Ah. OK, you may get in.¡±

    Interesting. Why would they restrict entry to adventurers? He knew of no NPC with an adventurer card. Oh, yes, Noviel, but she was some kind of an exception to the rule. Another reason to be interested in the girl.

    As the warrior had completely lost interest in him, he put the card back into his inventory and entered.

    It was darker inside, and his eyes needed to get used to that. He stood at the entry for a moment, trying to see.

    There were few people inside, only the innkeeper, a barmaid and five or six customers. He nodded at the innkeeper and turned his attention to the customers.

    Three were gathered around a table, and then he recognized Dalia sitting at another table with the orc drinking something.

    First, he wanted to sit alone at a table, but he saw her waving his way.

    As he approached their table hesitatingly, she smiled and nodded:

    "Geral, do you join us for a drink? Where are your girls?"

    He shrugged:

    "Exercising..."

    Olomuc grinned:

    ¡°The mysterious father joins us. I haven''t introduced myself last time: Olomuc!¡±

    ¡°Geral¡±

    As he took a seat, Olomuc watched him slantwise:

    ¡°How comes you are pater familias? You are a player, isn''t it?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Yes. Adopted. My wife''s children!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± - exclaimed Dalia - ¡°That makes sense. That the two are sisters is obvious, and they even look a bit like you. We were wondering how you did do that. How is life with NPC''s as wife and daughters?¡±

    Geral sighed.

    ¡°I''ll appreciate it if you wouldn''t call them like this!¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± - said Dalia with a shrug.

    Olomuc laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°I like you. That''s my theory, too: this world is real, and we are stranded here. All players are isekaied in a real killing world.¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes.

    ¡°There are other theories¡± - Olomuc shrugged and pointed at the other group - ¡°They think like our Dalia that we are in a high-level computer simulation and somebody takes care of our bodies in a giant experiment.¡±

    Olomuc grinned. Geral shook his head.

    ¡°No. It is too big, and everything is too perfect to be a simulation. It cannot be.¡±

    Dalia harumphed:

    ¡°But we were playing in this simulation Geral!... Until recently, at least. Why would it suddenly be no longer possible?¡±

    Geral stayed silent for a while after taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Good question. Is it still virtual if we cannot discern the virtual from the real? But the problem, as I see it, is that the requirements are rising exponentially. It is one thing to make a perfect environment for one person. We all know that such stretches at the limits of our computer power, so how come we have here perfect imagery for everybody? For each and everyone, including NPCs? Don''t forget about them! They see the world as we do; they feel it as we do. Ask them.

    It is perfect in any detail; it doesn''t matter how you look at it. I even looked at things with a magnifying glass. You know something? We should invent the microscope! I bet that we''ll see microorganisms.¡±

    ¡°Hah. Good idea!¡± - said Dalia - ¡°Who knows what we''ll see? I''ll follow up on it. I have all kinds of crystals and even the technology to polish them. I might be able to build one.¡±

    Geral grinned:

    "You''ll be the Leeuwenhoek of this world!"

    Olomuc shrugged, unimpressed.

    ¡°What would that prove?¡±

    ¡°The simulation story would be invalidated. At least that would be my take away.¡± - said Geral - ¡°The computer power needed to control things at that level everywhere in this world is above all our poor little planet can muster.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Maybe it is something scalable? Maybe the microorganisms appear only when you look at them; else, they are treated only at a statistical level?¡±

    Geral shrugged:

    ¡°Yeah, you can say the same for any reality. What is real, then? Why is real more real than this?¡±

    ¡°So, how''s your life then? You treat the girls as real persons?¡± - asked Olomuc

    Geral sighed and looked him in the eyes:

    ¡°Sure. Haven''t you done the same?¡±

    Olomuc laughed and nodded:

    ¡°Yes. Your little one is funny, but the older one is stupid. Typically NF.¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes, exasperated:

    ¡°Olo! Please? Can''t you behave at least once?¡± - she turned to Geral - ¡°Sometimes I wonder if he is an orc in real life too.¡±

    ¡°Noviel is just too impulsive and very protective.¡± - said Geral and shrugged - ¡°NF?¡±

    ¡°I''m an orc!¡± - Olomuc answered laughingly, then turned to Geral with a nasty smile - ¡°You''ll figure that one alone. The same goes for boys, too; they need the first fuck to be able to think of something else. By the way, how is it to do it with an undead? I must acknowledge that I do not have that experience! Can you imagine that?¡±

    ¡°Undead?¡± - wondered Geral, then sighed - ¡°Oh, you''ve seen that...¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, anybody over level forty had seen it. She is hiding it pretty well, but you don''t trick higher levels. So how is it?¡±

    Geral shrugged. What could he say?

    ¡°OK?¡±

    ¡°You don''t sound convinced. You should come and visit the Satin Touch one of these evenings.¡±

    ¡°Satin Touch? What''s that?¡±

    Dalia laughed.

    Olomuc shrugged:

    ¡°Yeah, it is a brothel. The only one here. You too, Dalia, you should come and visit. I have to handle you a personal invitation; Petal has bought two slaves just for you!¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes and then looked slantwise at him.

    ¡°Are you involved financially in the brothel?¡±

    Geral had to ask:

    ¡°Petal?¡±

    Olomuc laughed at Dalia''s question and winked at Geral:

    ¡°I convinced her to move to this city. She''s a dark elf, but don''t tell the others; they all think she is an innocent elf. She is level forty-five. I worked with her in the empire, and she broke some laws there when she raised a couple of undead; they wanted to execute her. I freed her, and she followed me here. She is a brave girl, and she now has seven new girls in her establishment. You should visit her. Just for fun. Or does your wife not allow it?¡±

    Geral swallowed.

    ¡°Oh sure, good idea. I did not know there was a brothel here.¡±

    Dalia shook her head.

    Dalia sighed: ¡°Men... ¡±

    Olomuc tsked.

    ¡°And orcs! Don''t forget us orcs!¡±

    ¡°You''re a man.¡± - countered Dalia

    Olomuc shrugged:

    ¡°You''re invited, too!¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 141 â€“ Death Touched

    Geral and the girls were chasing a borghest, a kind of magical squirrel that could shoot nuts and pebbles at them. The problem was that in their evolved form, these beasts could easily kill a normal human with their projectiles, so they had to be eliminated from the town''s area.

    This one was particularly fast and nimble and had already avoided Noviel''s arrows for a third time. It couldn''t care less about Geral''s taunts. All Geral could achieve was to make it throw the nuts and pebbles at him. Awa was not able to come close enough to be able to target it with a spell. It somehow knew to keep its distance from her.

    ¡°Damn! Where is it?¡± - Geral yelled angrily.

    ¡°It ran this way!¡± - said Noviel, running around the corner of a house - ¡°It ran this street up!¡±

    She stopped and looked around.

    ¡°Where did it disappear?¡±

    She looked behind and realized she was not in the same place. She had passed through a portal, and the borghest was behind her. She turned and just as she wanted to shoot at the borghest a running Geral materialized suddenly in front of her. It was too fast for him to be able to stop, and they collided, with Geral''s shoulder hitting her in the face; she was thrown down with Geral falling on top of her, her knee hitting him hard between his legs.

    Noviel yelled, trying to push him away: ¡°Ouch, you idiot!¡±

    Geral groaned, not able to move due to the pain, his nose planted between her breasts:

    ¡°Umpfuhui!¡± - was all he could muster.

    She realized he was in pain.

    ¡°Geral? Are you OK?¡± - she wondered, trying to look at his face. She pulled gently on his hair to lift his head.

    ¡°Uhuh!¡± - he said, staying cramped over her, resting on his shoulder now, holding his precious parts in his right hand, still pinning her down.

    As she moved her legs, she understood.

    ¡°Oh, dear.¡±

    Blood started to drop from her nose, but Noviel started to laugh.

    ¡°I did not expect to be the first casualty in the fight with a squirrel, but it stroke you even harder!¡±

    ¡°Ouch, please don''t laugh, you are hitting me again...¡±

    They both started to laugh, and Geral rolled to the side, freeing her.

    ¡°That was not a squirrel but a borghest!¡± - Geral tried to protest.

    He wanted to stand up but only managed to do it halfway. He looked at her, still spread on her back.

    ¡°Maybe it would be better for you to stay like this until your nose stops bleeding.¡±

    Noviel nodded. He looked around:

    ¡°Where the hell are we?¡±

    ¡°Either the fucking borghest-squirrel could open a portal, or there was one naturally open. I think we are still in town. Am I still bleeding?¡± - she asked as she tried to stand.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    He nodded, looking at her. Please stay like this for the next couple of hours! - he thought.

    ¡°Yes, you should lie longer. I''m sorry; I didn''t mean to hit you!¡±

    ¡°Me neither. OK, if you say, I''ll stay like this...¡± - Noviel answered with a glint in her eyes.

    He watched her beautiful face. Was she trying to flirt with him?

    ¡°What''s that?¡± - Noviel wondered, pointing at a small black patch that was moving their way.

    ¡°Oh fuck! Wolshi!¡±

    He tried to hit it with the sword, but the wolshi avoided the hit coming closer to end up stomped by Noviel. Even on her back, she had managed to stomp it.

    She sat and tried to clean her boot.

    ¡°Heh, got it! I hate these beasts!¡± - she said and suddenly froze.

    The whole street in front of them was not dark as it seemed; it was covered with a dark, living, moving mass that had suddenly become aware of them. Myriads of small wolshi.

    ¡°Oh fuck!¡± - said Geral, realizing they were in an impasse. The only way out was over that dark street.

    He grabbed her hand as she reached out and instinctively pulled her up. They looked at each other.

    The borghest had climbed the wall, but what could they do? The dark mass started moving towards them.

    *

    Awa turned the corner and looked around.

    ¡°Geral? Noviel?¡±

    She suddenly felt alone. She felt in her heart through their connection that they were not there. She looked around, scared.

    ¡°Geral?¡± - she spoke louder, but there was no answer. She knew there could be none. She still yelled louder, not believing it:

    ¡°Geral!! Noviel!!¡±

    Nothing. Just some beasts barked not far away, making her hair stand. A ningo-dog. No. Several ningo-dogs.

    ¡°Geral?¡± - she now whispered, afraid.

    *

    Anabella felt a sting in her heart. She stopped eating and tried to concentrate on her feeling. Almost instantly, she felt another pang of fear, then another one. Her eyes went round, and her hair stood on her head.

    ¡°My children! Geral!¡± - she said, trying to stand, but her feet were weak.

    She wondered what could be happening.

    She rested with a hand on the table, forcing her body to stand, and her eyes fell on the saucer she had just eaten from. Was there something with the mushrooms?

    It was as if the saucer would wobble in front of her eyes.

    ¡°Sarah? Sarah?¡±

    The slave came hurriedly.

    ¡°Sarah, help me to my room. There was something with ¡­ with...¡±

    She was finding it difficult to speak, to concentrate. Sarah pushed her gently back. She wanted to fight it but could not. She raised her eyes. Sarah smiled. A smug smile that confused her:

    ¡°Yes, I know, dear." - Sarah said, pushing her down with one finger - "Don''t worry, it goes fast and does not hurt. This is how these mushrooms work, first, paralysis, then... death.¡±

    Anabella slipped slowly back on the chair. She had no power in her feet or hands. She could not keep her mouth closed, saliva dripping on her chin.

    ¡°Why?¡± - whispered Anabella

    Sarah cleaned her face with a malevolent smile.

    ¡°Oh, silly you. You are not good enough for him. I''ll take your place, as simple as that and I will be finally free.¡±

 Chapter 142 - Not Enough

    Awa felt a sudden pang in her chest. She raised her face and looked confused at the rows of grey houses and dead gardens, magic swirls appearing here and there in the air. She whispered:

    "Geral? Noviel?"

    She sighed. Now she knew where they were!

    Yes, she knew they were there somewhere further away; she knew the direction and roughly the distance, and she knew they were in danger, but how did they get there? Confused, she looked around, afraid to make noises. Those ningo-dogs that she had heard were much closer to her.

    How did the two get so far away? Something must have happened. The best would be to go to them; together, they were stronger. There must be a way how they got there. As she was looking around, she suddenly felt another sharp pain in her heart that forced her to stop.

    Her eyes went round, and she put her hand over her heart. She could barely intake air.

    "Ma?"

    Something terrible happened. She turned towards the city.:Anabella was in danger of death.

    Her indecision, her doubts vanished. Even her fear of the ningo-dogs vanished. With determination in her eyes, she started running.

    "Ma!! Anabella!"

    From the side, a giant ningo-dog took the chase. It sprang out of the shadow like a greyhound freed to chase a running rabbit.

    She barely looked at it, and the dog burst into flames. She felt the magic from the kill gathering in her veins. She clenched her fists and started to run faster.

    "Ma!"

    Another couple of dogs started running behind her. They were fast! Faster than her. She barely turned her head, and the two ignited like running torches. One of them fell instantly while the other followed her with another two jumps before it crumbled.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    She took a deep breath, then drank a mana potion in small gulps continuing her run.

    Tears ran down her face. Her lungs started to burn, but she forced air into them and her feet to run faster. A group of three ningo dogs appeared from the side. The leader barked viciously while the two on its sides started running towards her.

    She wondered for a second: how intelligent were these dogs? She knew she did not have enough mana for all three, even with the mana potion she had just ingested, and it seemed the dogs knew the same. Are the two sacrificing themselves just to let the third kill her?

    She let them come closer, thinking about what she could do. Try to barricade herself into a house? But she must help Anabella! Even... even if she would die for it... but dying here to the dogs does not help... As the fast dogs came dangerously close to her, she grinned; she knew the answer: ambient mana. She could use ambient mana! That skill that she had learned had taught her to use ambient mana, and there was plenty of it here. She did not stop running while she ignited their fur. A second later, they were running torches.

    The third dog, a step behind, yowled, a long caterwaul, then jumped at her, but its fur was already burning. It did not reach her.

    She felt more magic gathering in her as she forced her feet to run faster. There were more shadows running, but she ignored them. Too far away. She had eyes only for that house that she could now see, but the pang in her heart intensified. She knew she was too late!!

    She should be there at the door! A wave of emotions passed through her body as she pushed herself to give even more. A vein burst in her eye as she teleported straight in front of the door. She hit the door with the shoulder and was almost thrown back. Luckily she grasped the door latch, and the door opened. She entered the house like a drunkard hitting the door and then the wall, unsteady on her feet.

    However, she did not wait for a second; she knew to run to the right and then the next door left.

    Her vision was troubled, and her left eye was in pain. Blood was running from her nose as she had over-strained herself. She was low on mana and feeling nauseated, wobbling on her feet.

    A terrible image came in front of her eyes: Anabella was lying in a chair, her head to the side, foam dripping from her mouth. Zera was writhing on the floor, losing blood from a wound in her belly. Sarah stood in front of her with a knife in her hand. She was also bleeding from a wound on her leg.

    Hearing her, Sarah turned and raised her knife. She raised her trembling hand, but nothing happened. Not enough ambient mana.

 Chapter 143 â€“ Exploding Her

    Awa watched her hand and gulped. Sarah sighed and stepped towards her raising her knife in the air.

    ¡°Damn stupid girl! Did you have to come home now? You are only complicating my task...¡±

    There was a glint of craziness in her eyes. Awa''s eyes ran from Anabella to Zera to Sarah and back. She made a step back, horrified and confused.

    ¡°Why?¡± - she asked, not understanding. Sarah muttered:

    ¡°It had to be! You could have been my daughter! Now, what am I going to do with you?¡±

    She hit with the knife, trying to stab her, and Awa grabbed her hand with hers. To her luck, Sarah was not a fighter, but she was still stronger. The two fought, and Awa was pushed back.

    She knew she had no chance against the almost two times heavier woman. Physically. But she had her magic; however no mana.

    If only she could intake the mana from the air she breathed! If only she could!

    Her mind was working feverishly as she struggled to keep Sarah at bay. She had command over the ambient mana; she could use it!? If she could spell with it, why could she not intake it? It was not enough for a spell, but every little bit counted, so why should she not be able to intake it?

    She willed it, and the foreign mana obeyed, entering her body. It was a strange sensation that she could not compare with anything she had lived through. As if a worm, a foreign being, would enter her lungs.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Sarah hit her over the face with the left hand, and she had to slip along the wall to avoid her grasp.

    It was then that Sarah screamed as Zera bit her ankle. Sarah kicked her, but Zera cramped herself against her leg.

    Awa could have freed herself now, but she did not dare leave Sarah''s hand with the knife. She would stab Zera again! Holding Sarah''s hand and stepping backwards, she inhaled air again, drawing even more mana into her. It was as if her soul would become the centre of gravity for the ambient mana that started to stream toward her. It was nauseating, and her tongue prickled as if she would taste an electrical current.

    With a hit and a hard push, Sarah finally freed herself, sending Awa stumbling against the wall. She raised her hand with the knife to hit Zara with it.

    Having lost her balance, Awa fell to the side while her eyes met Zera''s. They both knew that Zera was going to be stabbed, and yet the little horned girl smiled defiantly. She would die fighting for Anabella!

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± - Awa screamed from all her lungs, turning her face to Sarah, ordering the mana to burn, and Sarah literally exploded. The hand with the knife fell in front of Zera''s shocked round eyes.

    Mana was still storming inside her, and Awa tried hard to stop it. Her eyes lit, and a flash of fire covered the ceiling. For a moment, Awa thought she would not be able to stop the inflow and she herself would be burned, but then suddenly, the mana flow stabilized.

    She had only the time to breathe once then she started to barf. Zera, a couple of feet away, whispered, holding her bleeding belly with her hand.

    ¡°Ana...¡±

    Awa breathed through, raised her eyes and looked at Anabella. There was a glint of life in those eyes! She was still alive! She tried to stand but could not, so she advanced on all four until she reached Anabella''s feet and pulled herself up, resting on her chair until she was at her level.

    She heard the barely moving lips:

    ¡°Zera. Give Zera a healing potion!"

 Chapter 144 - The Healing Ring- D

    I yawned and started to read the newspaper. Nothing outstanding was there. Well, except for the mention of the stampede and the number of dead and wounded. However, there was no info about any magical or non-magical chemicals. There was also mentioned that gangs of fans have rampaged through the city. Gangs. They used the term gangs as if fans would spontaneously form gangs.

    How could Mephi''s fog possibly appear in this world? Mephi cannot manifest himself here, so what on earth happened? Who brought that thing here, and how? Who thought it was a good idea to spread it during a show with two thousand people and why?

    I wondered what had happened to Joe. Did he lose me in the human mass? Did he look out for me, or did he leave me just like that and... and what?

    I hesitated to heal myself or not and then decided to leave it as is. Cala has fast regeneration anyhow; I do not have to exaggerate with additional magic healing. I let Flo prepare the healing ring for Helen, and while she did that, we chatted.

    ¡°You did not tell me that you have a weakness against Mephi''s fog?¡±

    ¡°We never talked about these things, and I did not expect to encounter it here. It is not my special weakness; Mephi''s fog reacts badly with white magic; it is a known fact. All white magic casters ¨C this includes mostly priests and paladins have this problem. The fog was designed in this way. It has an additional component to stimulate aggressive behaviour, confuse normal people and sap white magic. There are ways to fight it, but I do not possess that kind of magic. How can it be that we encountered Mephi''s fog here, that''s what I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°Me neither. Why was it released? Who did that?¡±

    ¡°I don''t think it was Mephisto himself. It does not sound like him, he always does things with a purpose, and I cannot see what the purpose of this act was.¡±

    ¡°It may be a reason that we cannot understand yet, but it will be clearer with time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that may be it.¡±

    ¡°What other weaknesses do you have?¡±

    ¡°Well, you discovered one already; it is alcohol. If you want to knock me out, you just have to drink a couple of glasses.¡±

    ¡°Lol. You did not tell me that either!¡±

    ¡°I almost forgot about it. I do not drink alcohol. Will you abuse it?¡±

    ¡°Me and abuse it? Why would I?¡±

    ¡°Well, what do I know? You want me not to be aware of something you do... you just take a couple of glasses, and you have your solitude.¡±

    ¡°Lol, good idea; unfortunately, that will not work, as Cala is certainly very much aware and can drink me under the table if she so wants.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Cala, she wants to make her morning gym!¡±

    ¡°What? Are you crazy? I am traumatized and tired! I just lived through those horrible hours and...¡±

    And... Cala prevailed, and her wish was fulfilled. I was sulking in my own body while Cala was doing her morning exercises outside in the park.

    This is where Gonzo and Helen found me making pull-ups on a branch of an old tree. A sweating and grinning Cala. Pardon, Dolores. As soon as he saw me, Gonzo yelled:

    ¡°Hey, glad to see you''re OK!¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Like a chimp, I held myself with one hand on the branch, put a foot on the tree trunk and waved and greeted them happily:

    ¡°Hi!¡±

    Then continued my work.

    As they came closer, Helen watched me doing my pull-ups and wondered:

    ¡°Gonzo sought that he recognized you in one of those photos from the Blue Cauldron disaster. Did you hear about it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    I did not elaborate further, and they did not ask. They exchanged a look. Helen leaned against a tree and sighed:

    ¡°We have a problem.¡± - she said.

    I raised a brow. Gonzo asked:

    ¡°Do you have your mobile with you?¡±

    Interesting question. I raised my shoulders:

    ¡°No, do you need it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± - said Helen, then took a deep breath and raised her eyes to look into mine - ¡°Can you come with us? We found out that there are more injured gamers and...¡±

    She has such beautiful black eyes you get lost looking into them. I may start to understand why Gonzo is so crazy about her. I sighed:

    ¡°Wait, what? Why should I come?¡±

    Helen watched me askew for a moment as if surprised by my question.

    ¡°They need to get better. We cannot let them down and neither bring them to a hospital. They need you!¡±

    She was trying to answer without saying the words, and then finally, she said it.

    ¡°They need healing urgently!¡±

    Do I want to be ''the healer''? But even if I don''t, can I avoid it? If one person knows about me and my healing, then they will certainly ask me to heal at least their family or close friends. Can I say no? Is it morally correct to refuse to heal? But if I do that, when can I draw a line and say no? Never?

    I sighed. I knew about this, and I knew Helen would ask me later to heal somebody. That''s why I prepared the ring. Do I now have second thoughts? Her eyes were imploring, and she was searching for words to convince me. How could I say no to those eyes? I gulped.

    ¡°No, I won''t come, but...¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°I can give you the ring. You can use it as best you can.¡±

    I shrugged. Was this fair? At least it would give me a respite.

    I took the ring from my finger and handed it to her. She took it in her hand hesitatingly. I knew it would come out like this, but I did not expect it to happen so soon.

    ¡°This works? How does it work?¡± - she asked - ¡°Would it not be better for you to come?¡±

    I shook my head and breathed relief.

    ¡°If it worked for me, it will work for you too. You just need to rub the emerald and say the words: I want to heal you. Oh, your hand should be on the shoulder or some part of the person you want to heal, or else the spell may backfire. You can rub the emerald with your thumb or the other hand. That''s all.¡±

    ¡°That''s all?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is a classic Mephisto ring, you know?¡±

    ¡°But how did you get it?¡± - Helen asked, taking a step back and looking at me as if wanting to measure my size.

    I had my story prepared:

    ¡°Last time when I was in the zone, I played in one of those bunks that are there for visitors. Do you remember the incident when several people were thrown out of their sessions?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I do! And you found it on your finger?¡±

    ¡°No, it was inside the bunk when I got out.¡±

    ¡°Inside the bunk? So you stole it from us? How did you come to the idea to take it?

    ¡°Wow, wow, hey!¡± - Gonzo interjected, trying to temper her.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°It''s a tin ring. I recognized it as I had a similar ring in Mephisto. You know the seven wish ring?¡±

    ¡°But that''s a valuable ring! I mean in Mephisto. And you stole it!¡±

    ¡°No, it was a drop!¡± - I answered with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah, it dropped into your bunk when you just happened to walk by." - she sighed - "You''re not going to see it back!¡±

    I shrugged:

    ¡°Keep it!¡±

    She was visibly upset by my supposed burglary. I don''t know if Gonzo bought it. Why did I tell that story? I wanted to remove any traces that would lead to me being the source of anything magical. I started to dislike Helen not so much for what she did but for what she represented: trouble. At least, that was the association my brain made.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± - asked White Flower

    ¡°Me? Jealous of her? Why should I be?¡±

    ¡°If it''s really something like the ring of seven wishes, then it could be rechargeable.¡± - said Helen

    I nodded.

    ¡°It would recharge with your mana...¡± - which must be null, but I did not say that.

    ¡°And it should do more than only heal. Did you try firebolt?¡±

    I shook my head. She wondered:

    ¡°What did you try?¡±

    ¡°First time it was a heal. It was for a scratch, and I did it for fun. I was surprised that it worked. The second time I wished to fly like Katana, and I got wings and horns instead. You know that Katana has those. Then I wanted the wings and horns to disappear, what they did, becoming invisible. Then I wished to heal you. That''s all.¡±

    She harrumphed:

    ¡°Why fly like Katana? That was stupid!¡±

    I shrugged. She watched me askew:

    ¡°How did you make the wings appear in Gonzo''s workshop?¡±

    I knew she would ask that.

    ¡°By removing the ring.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it worked only when the ring was on. Hmm, maybe that spell did consume more mana from the ring. So, if I want to fly, I just have to rub the ring and would get wings?¡±

    ¡°I suppose? I don''t know exactly how it works. It did not trigger from the first time, only when I specified like Katana, then it triggered. I''m sure Gonzo will be glad to remove any horns or other appendices that you might get.¡±

    Gonzo threw me an alarmed look. True, I was a bit mean, but she seemed to have that effect on me.

    I got a somewhat condescending smile from her.

    I hope she does not wish herself the same. Anyhow, it would not work. She can wonder all the time why. I know Flo had packed a firebolt, a thunderbolt and three healings in the ring, I would have gladly packed some funny transformation spells, but unfortunately, Flo was a disappointment in this direction. She also didn''t want to put any other more dangerous spells. I wonder how Helen would look as a succubus?

    ¡°Healing is too precious to waste the ring''s power on anything else.¡± - she finally said, nodding.

    For a second, I hesitated. Why do I do this? Why don''t I tell her honestly that I did the healing? But then again, I thought how unwell I felt, knowing she might at any moment rat me out, even accidentally. Now with this excuse, I had at least redirect the suspicion to that ring. Will this hold in case of any inquiry? Maybe, maybe not. So, does it make sense? Well, I tried, at least.

    ¡°OK, thanks!¡± - she said, then turned to Gonzo - ¡°Come, we should hurry up!¡±

    At least she thanked me. He came and hugged me.

    ¡°Thanks, Dolores!¡±

    Maybe he was not duped, but he accepted the version without comments.

    I watched as they left, then turned towards my tree. Another round of pull-ups, then I should go for a good breakfast outside. I''m hungry!

 Chapter 145 - The Other Helen

    Walking the streets around my house searching for a good place to have breakfast, I meditated about my new ''Cala schedule''. I used to say that I was not a morning person, that I needed at least a couple of coffees and a couple of hours before being suitable for any activity on my free days.

    Also, sports was not my cup of tea, but if I did more than just walking, that was in the evening.

    Yet now I felt good, completely activated and happy after Cala''s morning sport. As if my mind would be clearer and my thoughts sharper. Oh, and I felt ravenously hungry!

    Just as I walked, I spotted a redhead reading a book.

    ¡°Hi, Helen! Daniel!¡±

    This was the other Helen, the one from my class with Daniel. They were eating breakfast at a small tavern, and I glanced with envy at Daniel''s double portion. Hi grinned, greeting me, then added, seeing my glance:

    ¡°Pay one get two; they have a promotion here. Care to join us?¡±

    ¡°Yum, yum!¡±

    ¡°I''ll take that for a yes, but I''m not sure you will get two portions if you go alone... maybe if you go together with somebody...¡± - Helen tried to temper my enthusiasm.

    Daniel turned his head and raised a brow looking at her, but he did not say a word.

    ¡°Oh!?¡± - I voiced my disappointment - ¡°However?¡± - I wondered as she had left her sentence unfinished.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°If you give up on the litchis, I am willing to be your partner for a second portion!¡±

    ¡°Have you not done that already for Daniel?¡± - I wondered.

    She shrugged.

    ¡°I''m sure nobody will try to stand between me and my litchis.¡±

    I grinned happily:

    ¡°Oh. I think I start to love you, Helen!¡±

    Finally, a Helen that did not send me bad vibes.

    ¡°Don''t forget what you said!¡± - she grinned back, closing the book and standing up to come with me to take my food and her second dessert.

    We took our trays and went to the cook. There were only a couple of people in line; therefore, we did not have to wait long. Helen just showed grinning two fingers to the cook, and he nodded, filling the trays in front of me. She chatted a while with him whilst he served my tablet, and then we went to pay while she took the juice glasses.

    As we came back heavily loaded with food and took our seats, she just showed Daniel her hand, and he handed over his other dessert portion.

    ¡°Oh, poor Daniel, you don''t leave him any dessert?¡±

    She shook her head, and Daniel shrugged.

    ¡°It''s only fair; I''ve lost our bet.¡±

    ¡°What did you bet on?¡±

    He delivered his answer with a straight face without grinning:

    ¡°That she''ll have you buy her one dessert only for her presence.¡±

    Helen grinned happily, looking at the two fresh litchis deserts in front of her, and we started to laugh. I still had one desert, but Daniel had lost both.

    ¡°Do you still love me?¡± - Helen asked, with a crooked smile on her sweet lips, her long eyelashes fluttering while she was looking at me and then she sighed - "litchis will be my downfall."

    Now when I think about it, when did they have time to make a bet? I watched Helen with a much more respectful glance.

 Chapter 146 â€“ Hitch-Hiking

    We ate and chatted happily. The two asked me about the concert and if I was there, and after I confirmed, they wanted to know more details: did I got there my bruises? Had it been really so bad as the news was making it look like? What did really happen?

    I told them a sanitized version: yes, I was there with Joe, and yes, the concert was great until they did that ''hands surfing'' thing. Then it became wilder and crazier; I said that I got separated from Joe and went out. Yes, there was a brawl, I got some bruises and... well, that was it.

    After we finished breakfast, we separated, they went to the gym, and I went to pick up my bike.

    Walking the peaceful streets towards Sweenie''s, where my bike was still waiting for me, I thought again about the whole tragedy.

    Who, why and how could have made that Mephi fog attack? Was it Mephi himself? It was exclusively Mephi and his handlers doing it in the other world, but... not here!? He could not be here!

    If not, how on Earth did that thing appear here? Did somebody create it in the way how I ''got'' my inventory box and all those items inside it?

    There were rumours that one could find ways to join Mephisto''s fraction inside the game, was this proof of it? Never confirmed but never denied. I mean, people having access to that kind of substance? And those people did it now here on Earth?

    But why spread it over a bunch of kids? Just for fun?

    It did not make sense to me!

    What was the description in the game about it? If I remember correctly, it was designed explicitly to incapacitate white magic but had some side effects as a stimulant and hallucinogen for the rest. Something about blocking empathy and unleashing the reptilian brain. People became more violent and were easily manipulated. One needed a solid character to withstand its effect.

    So what was the game? What was the reason? Was it a test, or was it an attack?

    Have there been white magic casters at the concert beside me?

    The more white magic one possessed, the worse the reaction to it. I felt it on my own skin. In the game, as a healer, you need some protection to survive, protection that you get from other team members. Alone you are lost.

    If there truly were white mages inside that building, they were probably between the trampled victims. Did somebody target me specifically with that fog? But then, why did they not use the moment when I was incapacitated?

    Was somebody else targeted, and I was only some collateral damage? But why not use a smaller charge in a smaller room and not risk driving thousands of kids bananas, like apes on steroids?

    More than one thousand of those kids had spread through the city, committing various acts of vandalism. What use would that be to anybody? And I guess the numbers have been played down.

    To what purpose has this been done?

    Was this a campaign against the Blue Cauldron music group? But to risk killing those kids? No, that would be too crazy.

    I had the feeling that I was missing something, not only in this Mephisto-fog story but in the overall picture.

    For instance, if I am a witch, why on Earth can I do only Mephisto-related tricks? Why can I spell only through my alter-ego? Why do other people seem to have the same relationship between magic and Mephisto?

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I know, I know, my explanation is based on the influence of the dream interface and the game, yes, but now with the genes unleashed, should it still be that case?

    These things are linked, there must be some unifying theory, and I was looking at each as a different picture. But how could I bring these together?

    Maybe I need to try to tackle my witch story from a scientific point of view. I could do some tests. For instance, to avoid going on a mobile phone killing spree and get a better understanding of how I can interact with computers.

    I heard a car honking behind me, and a woman''s voice called my name, interrupting my thoughts just when I was about to get a migraine from too much thinking. It was Kate, Matt''s mother, who was just in the area. There was an open market that she had visited and was now driving back home.

    ¡°Dolores! Are you on the way to us? Don''t you want to join me? I know from Matt that you''ll be visiting us today, and you seem to be late?! Come on, I promise I''ll bring you back, and we can chat on the way!¡± - said Kate with a bright grin.

    Okay. This is weird. It was the first time in my life that the potential mother-in-law offered to drive me to my appointment... with her son. There was no escape; I could not do as if I did not hear her, and nothing came to my mind to say to avoid it. My shocked brain was blocked.

    I stood there for another second with a wide, stupid grin on my face, then sighed and tried to hide it.

    Chat on the way was something I was not particularly interested in, but I could not say no, so I ended up in her car.

    She was chatty and drove extremely slow; I think she was making everybody that had to drive behind her mad. She didn''t seem to realize it, or she simply did not care. That was another reason why I love bikes...

    She had no clue that Matt had slept by me last night; she was convinced he had been home with the boys. ''Matt is such a goof with girls!'' - was her repeated motto. ''Not only with girls, but generally, he is at the level of an idiot in social networking'', but she was doing everything she could to help him. Unfortunately, he was stubborn and refused to tell her everything, and she had to learn from others again and again how cumbersome he behaved.

    Uh, OK. What could I say? I mean, I may be even worse than Matt at socializing. And she was admiring me! How wise I was to avoid all those sharks that tried to prey on us after our performance!

    It went on and on, so I asked White Flower to take over and let me think about my problems. White Flower, at her turn, put Cala in charge, and the result was ¡­ not exactly what I wanted to have.

    ¡°You know that I was there in the second room and listened to you?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± - wondered Cala.

    ¡°Yeah! Imagine that I had to do it in hiding; Matt did not know I was there. He is so emotionally unstable that he would blabber nonsense and not let me help him. I wanted to work out with him a set of prepared sketches and sentences that he should tell at the opportune moment. I could signal him which one to say and when, but he simply refused. He also refused to take a headset from me so that I could whisper to him the proper answers. So I said, OK, it looks like you do not want me to come, and you know what he answered?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°If you say so, then don''t come. Then don''t come! Can you imagine he told me that?¡±

    ¡°Frankly speaking, I can hardly imagine him telling that!¡±

    ¡°True! I did not expect that from him. I thought it was the influence of someone he met¡± - she glanced at me shortly - ¡°but it must be his hormones playing crazy. Hey! What are you doing!¡±

    We were already in the drive before the house, and Cala simply unlocked her belt, put a hand on the door and the other on the chair and jumped out of the cabriolet.

    ¡°Wow! That''s dangerous! That was crazy!¡± - protested Kate stopping the car dead.

    Cala simply laughed, cartwheeling away. I now know why she likes cabriolets; it''s so easy to jump out!

 Chapter 147 â€“ Brunch and Spilled Coffee

    Hew watched mesmerized how Dolores jumped out of Jane''s cabriolet. The crazy girl had jumped out of the running car and cartwheeled through the parking. She waved to them, ignored the small door to the garden and jumped over the one-meter-high hedge as if it would be nothing.

    Is this the same girl that hid in the broom closet and refused to come out to sing? Or was that only theatre?

    He watched her again, trying to see what was so special with her. She was rather average, not a beauty. She had a nimble, athletic body, not too much muscle on it, but well formed. There were moments when she looked gorgeous. For instance, when she sang, not now. Now she looked rather like... like Pipi Longstocking or something. He sighed. To be fair, she still looked good.

    ¡°Hi, guys!¡± - yelled Dolores waving at them, visibly happy to see them, then came and shook their hands. A thing most girls don''t do. Not like this. She patted him on the back and watched him with a raised brow:

    ¡°I''ve heard you want to buy a bike?¡±

    Her inquiring eyes were locked into his. He tried to smile, shaking his head in denial:

    ¡°Ahm. No. Who told you that?"

    He bit his lip. He was here with his friends and could not lie. He bowed his head and continued: "Mother does not want me to drive a bike.¡±

    That was hard to admit. Damn, he didn''t want to look like this: a boy controlled by his mother. He looked at her and rolled his eyes: "She thinks it''s too dangerous."

    ¡°Kate told me.¡± - she shrugged - ¡°Sorry to hear that, Hew. I guess your mother wants only the best for you! Sometimes they are overprotective. When I asked my mother about bikes, she started to explain to me that most organ donors are bikers, you know? I did not even dare mention that I was interested in bikes; I only talked generalities...¡±

    Was this condescending? Ahm, no, it did not sound like that. He breathed. Mike was surprised to hear that:

    ¡°So, how could you finally convince your mother?¡± - he said, wondering.

    For a moment, he thought he saw incertitude in her eyes.

    ¡°Shhht!¡± - she answered with a guilty face - ¡°She does not know about it.¡± - she shrugged and added - ¡°She would not even allow me to ride a bicycle outside, so that''s it.¡± - she turned back at Hew and grinned - ¡°See, you have it better. You at least can drive your jeep with parental blessing!¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    It was as if she would try to accommodate him.

    ¡°And aren''t you afraid she would find out?¡± - said Tom.

    She turned at him:

    ¡°Of course I am. Stop mentioning that, will you?¡± - her face turned sad - ¡°She would get disappointed and sad.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you do it?¡±

    She shrugged, but her face became red.

    ¡°Because it''s fun and... " - her eyes locked on him with a slightly furrowed brow - "Hey guys, you''re worse than Clara; if you keep bothering me, I''ll punch you! It''s not funny!¡±

    ¡°They are only teasing you, don''t bother!¡± - said Matt putting a hand on her shoulder. That seemed to calm her. He added: - ¡°Would you like to join us for a late breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Late breakfast? This is brunch!¡± - said Tom from his place with fork and knife in his hands.

    Dolores''s eyes went round, and a wide grin appeared on her face, her burgeoning anger forgotten:

    ¡°Sure! What do you have? Oh, those delicious sausages! Cheese, cucumbers, ham and eggs with mayo! Did your mom decorate them so?¡±

    ¡°No, those come directly from the shop; Hew and Mike did the shopping for today''s brunch.¡±

    They sat at the table and started to eat. Hew wondered: how did Matt make it to grab this girl? She was too good for him! Were they really a pair or not?

    He watched her eating: not the best eating manners; she was rather fast and efficient. She had a healthy appetite. He sighed: she would probably get fat soon. Four eggs? Now really! He had seen his sister putting five kilos on in one year, and he had seen how difficult it had been for her to get rid of those kilograms. Well, it was her perfect body that she was ruining. A pity.

    The coffee was cold, and he watched, surprised at how she spun the coffee with a finger in her cup. He saw how her eyes met Matt''s. Was this some kind of a secret sign between the two? She rolled her eyes and took a spoon in her hand, whirling the coffee absentmindedly.

    He chuckled.

    She put the spoon on the table, and it stuck to the plastic. She then took it fast in her hand and winced. Was it so hot? His coffee was cold; where did she get that hot coffee from?

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Oh dear, did she rip Jane''s plastic tablecloth? That would anger Jane!

    ¡°Hew?¡±

    He raised surprised his head and saw Jane talking to him.

    ¡°Tea or coffee?¡± - she asked

    ¡°Oh, the coffee is cold, can I...¡±

    ¡°Let me bring you another cup. You don''t warm up coffee; it will not be good.¡± - said Jane, and Hew wanted to roll his eyes but abstained. He knew Jane was bleeding at the idea of having to make more coffee, even if it was from the beans that Mike had brought.

    He saw Dolores was keeping a hand over the hole she had made in the plastic tablecloth.

    He sighed. Cheap plastic tablecloth, but he knew Matt''s mother had financial difficulties and would be angered by that hole.

    He raised his head. What were they talking about? Oh, Tom was talking about karate. He was a brown belt and very proud of it.

    As bad things are prone to happen, Jane came with a fresh pitcher full of hot coffee, tripped over Tom''s bag that was left somewhere in the middle of the way and almost fell over, spilling the coffee. Most of the hot coffee was not lost as it landed on Dolores'' back.

    With a surprised yelp, Dolores jumped on her feet and undressed the blouse in one movement.

    "Huch, that was hot!" - she chuckled.

    The boys were staring while Jane was sweating and excusing herself profusely. Matt was the first one to react:

    "Are you alright? Did you burn yourself?"

    She stood sheepishly there, clad only in her trousers, trying to dry her back with a paper towel.

    "No, it''s ok, it was not so hot!"

    Finally, she became aware of their stares and covered her breasts with her left hand with a roll of her eyes.

    ¡°I''m so sorry about this. You should go inside and take one of Matt''s blouses!¡± - said Jane in a panic about her faux pas - ¡°I''ll have your blouse washed and cleaned before you go home!¡±

    ¡°No need to hurry; it is actually Matt''s blouse.¡± - said Dolores with a shrug, trying to calm her down.

    "Oh, and your trousers too, there is coffee over them!" - said Jane, having not yet processed the girl''s answer.

    ¡°Matt''s blouse?¡± - Hew wondered, sincerely confused. He thought she just took it shortly before. He didn''t mean to ask that, but he had stupidly spoken his thoughts aloud. He bit his lips after having said that, but her answer was even more dim-witted. She shouldn''t have answered him; she did not have to.

    ¡°Yep, he gave it to me last night; my dress was a mess.¡± - was her inconsiderate answer with a shrug.

    Only now did Jane react. She turned to look at Dolores instantly then she looked furtively at Matt.

    ¡°Let me show you where the bathroom is." - said Matt stepping forward, trying to ignore the conversation while Jane followed them.

    "Put everything in the washing machine; they''ll be dry in less than two hours." - said Jane from behind them.

    Judging by how she was now looking at Matt, Hew got goosebumps.

    Oh dear, there will be some interesting follow-up conversation! He would very much like to be a fly on the wall for that.

    He wondered why did Matt say nothing happened last night when he came back early in the morning? Why did he not brag about it?

    After Dolores went into the bathroom with a new blouse in her hand, Jane grabbed Matt''s hand and pulled him into a room.

    ¡°Tell me that she was not here last night!¡± - said Jane with a dark look in her eyes.

    Matt shook his head but spoke with a guilty face:

    ¡°No, she was not here.¡±

    She rolled her eyes: ¡°Don''t lie to me, boy! God had made me spill that coffee so that I could see what lies beneath that character!¡±

    Matt sighed. He wanted to comment about seeing what lay beneath the blouse but didn''t dare. Instead, he told her:

    ¡°She was not here. I was at her place.¡±

    Jane looked at him, weighing his words and found him wanting:

    ¡°And you took a spare t-shirt with you to give her? Have you seen how she stood there naked? She had no problem showing them her boobs! Is this what you expect from a potential future wife? She''s a floozy, a tramp! I''ve told you several times, don''t bring women into my house! Did you do it in front of your friends, or did you share her with them?¡±

    ¡°Ma! Please don''t talk like this! We haven''t done anything!¡±

    ¡°Don''t you dare tell me how to talk in my house, and don''t lie to me, boy! I can see through your lies!¡±

    When Dolores came back, she was dressed in one of his blouses, barefooted and wearing a pair of his shorts. Her socks, trousers and blouse were tumbling in the washing machine, and she hated to wear tennis shoes without socks.

    She looked around:

    ¡°Where''s Matt?¡±

    Mike rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Inside. He''s getting dressed down by his mother...¡±

    ¡°Uh, the poor bloke!¡± - said Tom

    Dolores wondered: ¡°Is it always like this?¡±

    Hew nodded and grinned: ¡°Yup. Let''s go to my place!¡±

    Dolores raised a brow: ¡°Your place?¡±

    ¡°My parents have a cabin in the woods, not far away. It is isolated, and we do not disturb anybody!¡±

    ¡°Yep! As soon as Matt comes out, we''ll move. Look, he comes!¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait, it''s a pity for all the food! I need to finish these eggs and the sausages!!¡±

    Mike shrugged: ¡°Pack the food if you''re still hungry.¡±

 Chapter 148 â€“ Finally Stripped - G

    Geral breathed, relieved. They had been able to close a couple of doors behind them whilst climbing to the second floor of a building, and it looked like the mass of wolshi had lost their track.

    Well, the mass of the wolshi had lost their track, but not those already slithering under their armour.

    They did not dare talk aloud, afraid that would attract the rest of the beasts, but still, Noviel could not contain a pained whimper as she removed one bigger wolshi from her belly. It came away only with bits of her skin. Her fingers trembled as she picked the glitching, twisting worm-like beast that was now wriggling in an effort to bite her fingers.

    <<identify>>

    <wolshi, level three>

    She trembled, filled with fury and horror as she squished it. It practically exploded between her fingers, spraying bits of dark liquid whilst a gelatinous mass remained sticky between her fingers, and she fought not to retch. She shook her hand to get rid of the slime.

    But what was one? They were covered by many small beasts! Especially her, as her leather armour was too loose, leaving too much room for the beasts to slip under.

    She removed the jacket throwing it to the floor, and then the blouse and shook with horror seeing the wiggling grey mass that almost formed a second skin on her. She continued to undress as fast as she could. Geral grumbled:

    ¡°Be sure to remove them before they dig under your skin. The small ones are the worse!¡±

    Noviel ground her teeth. She knew it already; he did not have to remember her. She shuddered: there were so many, and they were everywhere! Many, just a couple of centimetres long, others as long as a finger or even longer, navigating over her skin, trying to avoid her hands, finding places where they could not be taken away easily and trying to dig themselves fast in. Like hundreds of octopus tentacles sucking the skin and cutting it with their many triangular mouths.

    In mere seconds they were completely naked, their skin covered with innumerable small bite wounds between the dark patches of beasts still clinging to them, Noviel about three times more than him.

    ¡°Help me!¡± - she said with tears in her eyes - ¡°Please! The fucking, fuck! It''s trying to enter my ear!¡±

    He was not so impressed. He found the situation even a bit amusing but abstained from laughing at her desperate face. He was using a knife and tackled fast the wolshi from her ear, first pinning it and then dragging it back.

    She was removing the beasts from her belly and breasts as fast as she could. Some were under her armpit! She turned her back to him - ¡°My back, my back! Please!! I feel them!¡±

    She was picking now the beasts from her legs, from between her toes. How many were there? Tens? Hundreds?

    He started collecting the beasts from her back and from everywhere where he dared touch and saw one. She was but grateful.

    ¡°Faster!¡± - she whimpered impatiently, drumming the floor with her legs, turning to let him see the rest of her body. - ¡°Do you still see any?¡±

    ¡°I think I have all!¡± - he answered, turning her around.

    She was still shacking:

    ¡°No, no, no, I still feel them; please check, check everywhere! Please, please, please!¡±

    Her hands were trembling as she feverishly scanned her skin, picking now and then some very small ones.

    "I swear, the big ones brought the small ones with them!"

    She raised a hand and picked one from behind her ear.

    ¡°Fuck, I knew it! Another one!¡±

    Their relatively higher level compared to the beasts made their skin and flesh harder to penetrate, but given time, the beasts succeeded.

    She was searching through her hair with both hands. She drummed the floor with her feet impatiently.

    He chuckled as he checked her skin patiently. She let him look everywhere, but really no restrictions, without even a note of protest. He could not believe it. Was she flirting with him, or was she really that spooked?

    ¡°Everything gone? Sure? I still feel them! I feel them everywhere! Are you sure?¡±

    She leaned herself in his arms. His heart started beating even faster. Was the adrenaline speaking in her now? Did this thing turn her on?

    She was trembling in his arms, with her naked breast shaking against his body. She behaved as if she was drunk. She whispered in his ear:

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Please check again. I dread them so!¡±

    He made another methodical check of her anatomy while she leaned on him. She was soft and pliant to his hands. He let his hands run smoothly over her skin.

    ¡°You''re clean!¡± - he finally said

    She breathed deeply.

    ¡°Thanks, Geral! Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, I hate these wolshi so much... Do you have a healing potion? I could use one now.¡± - she asked, hugging him tightly.

    ¡°No.¡± - he answered, shrugging - ¡°Awa has the potions.¡±

    The wounds were superficial, mere scratches. Hundreds of little scratches, but what really mattered was that she was still in his arms.

    She stood there for quite some time until she stopped trembling. He didn''t dare kiss her or do anything but was happy to oblige, happy to hold her tight.

    After a while, she whispered:

    ¡°I''m feeling dizzy.¡± - she sighed, then added - ¡°I have an ointment. It is better than nothing. I still feel as if some would be wandering around me, especially in the worst places¡± - her cheeks got red as she said that - ¡°the ointment should help against.¡±

    She bowed, searched her clothes on the floor, found her inventory box and took out the flask. She shook the flask to get some ointment in her hand. It had the consistency of honey. She sat, splashed some balm over her left shoulder above her breast and mumbled:

    ¡°You too.¡± - she said, pointing at the flask - ¡°Some of these beasts can be venomous.¡±

    ¡°Ah, OK.¡± - he said

    They worked separately for a couple of minutes. He could not abstain from glancing from time to time her way. Her perfect body was driving his hormone production through the roof. Only looking at her as she spread the ointment was enough to give him heart tingles, but she seemed oblivious. She spoke softly:

    ¡°You know that something happened to Anabella; we should go there!¡± - she raised her eyes to look into his. He could not un-see her breasts wobbling in front of his eyes as she did that.

    He tried to concentrate on what she had said. Anabella! He also had felt the pang, but now it subsided.

    ¡°I think she is no longer in danger.¡± - he said, trying to gauge the feeling.

    She watched him askew, and then a smile spread over her lips.

    ¡°Yes, you are right!¡±

    She breathed, relieved.

    ¡°Should I apply the ointment on your back?¡± - he finally asked the question he had wanted to ask for some time.

    She nodded bravely and turned her back to him. She was surprisingly submissive. Did he finally succeed?

    He started to apply the ointment. Once done with her back, he looked further. There were a lot of places that she had missed. Why had she been so superficial? Was it to allow him to do it?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± - she wondered as he was working at her legs. He thought about kissing them.

    ¡°You missed a lot of bite wounds! You should have spread the ointment everywhere!¡± - he answered

    She chuckled and nodded, exposing herself to him:

    ¡°You do the ointment; I''m too dizzy. Maybe it is better if I lay down?¡±

    She was speaking slowly. Slower than usual. He nodded. Yes, this is it! She smiled and rested on him as she lay with slow movements on her back. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Everywhere?¡± - he wondered

    She nodded and whispered:

    ¡°Yes, please... It''s so good to know they are gone, and you''re with me...¡±

    He took a deep breath. He was allowed not only to see, but he may even touch everything! Was this not clear enough?

    He continued to spread the ointment on her legs, advancing slowly up. It had a refreshing and slightly numbing effect.

    She let him work. He took his time, continuing to focus on her wonderful body. So many tiny bite wounds everywhere! His heart''s beatings accelerated, and his mind was dreaming of her. Finally, she is his! His eyes were drunk seeing the unattainable beauty spread naked in front of him! She was letting him do whatever he wanted to do with her. She just moaned as he slowly navigated up on her body.

    He wanted to kiss her. He caressed her face, and she smiled but did not open her eyes.

    He stopped and looked at her face. Really looked, and a frisson passed his body. Something was off. He saw her eyelashes trembling.

    He froze, and his hand started to tremble lightly.

    ¡°Noviel?¡±

    He got only a moan as an answer.

    He felt a sweat drop running down his temple as his heart beatings accelerated.

    He took her hand.

    ¡°Noviel?!¡±

    She just hugged him weakly while her head fell to the side. She was no longer by conscience. He realized that her skin was burning hot.

    His eyes went round with fear. A wave of shame, disgust, desperation and anger washed over him. Obsessed with his damned fixed idea, he had misunderstood everything.

    ¡°Oh fuck!!¡± - he grumbled, his hair rising on his head.

 Chapter 149 â€“ How Did You End Up In Hell?

    For a moment, Geral stood frozen in place, looking at Noviel. He did that with different eyes: as if he had been freed and a veil lifted from him.

    He took her pulse.

    Obviously, those wolshi had been poisonous, and the poison continued to numb her even more, minute by minute. What was even worse was that he was also starting to feel the poison''s effects.

    His time to act was limited. How long would he last? He did not know. Would he be able to beat the poison by himself? Would he also lose his conscience? Then what? He looked again at the girl. Would she survive?

    His heart ached, and he knew Anabella''s heart felt the ache too. Poor Anabella!

    The only solution he could think of was bringing Noviel home to Anabella. But it was a long way, and he did not know how much time he still had. What if he lost his conscience on the way?

    He put on his trousers in a hurry. His hair raised on the back of his head, but he kept his movements fast and precise. Not a second was wasted. He strapped his boots as tight as possible.

    He looked again at the girl: her muscles were having spasms from time to time as if somebody would randomly put them under an electrical current.

    Self-incriminating thoughts flooded his brain: He had utterly misunderstood her submissiveness. She was dying in his arms, and he was focused only on his damn sexual obsession. How could he not see what was happening? How could he have misunderstood everything so badly? He would knock himself unconscious if he did not have to hurry to save her.

    His heart beatings accelerated even more. He buckled his belt and looked at his trembling fingers.

    Not now! He ground his teeth, chasing the thoughts away: not now! He will have plenty of time to think things through when and if he saves her. Now there was room for only one thought: save her.

    He took a deep breath and concentrated on what he was doing.

    Putting on the rest of the armour was irrelevant; maybe it would even worsen things. The wolshi would slip under it, and it would be more difficult to remove them. At least his boots and trousers have almost completely spared him from the beasts.

    He raised her in his arms. She was so light!

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    His heart ached again, feeling her burning body against his skin and his heart beating accelerated even more. He felt pity, panic and a burning worry. He started running down the stairs with the naked girl in his arms, trying to step as fast as his heart beatings went.

    He stopped for a moment to look at the sea of wolshi through a window in front of the last door. He took a deep breath, kicked the door, and started running through the dark mass. His boots sank as if he would be stepping in quicksand, and he struggled to keep his balance. Falling now would be a catastrophe.

    He continued walking as fast as he could, trying to shake the beasts from his legs. He placed Noviel on a shoulder and shook down the fastest climbing beasts with the other hand. Maybe he should have wrapped her in his sleeping bag. He ground his teeth again. Now it was too late to think about it, and anyhow the beasts would have found a way. He needs to protect her!

    Run faster!

    He knew the direction, he knew where Anabella was, but she was so far away! Will he be able to reach her? Will he save Noviel? If not, he will die trying.

    He felt some wolshi biting at his flesh and wiped them away with his free hand.

    Each step was a challenge, each step a dare. He could not see what was hidden under the mass of beasts.

    He did not know how long it took him to get where he was. It was like a dream where he had seen the same house again and again, but when he got closer, he found out that it was not the right house, not his house.

    Deep in his heart, he knew the direction. That knowledge kept him going. He knew where to go, and he ran in that direction. He knew he had to make it to the end. There was no other option. He growled and yelled, running further.

    How long would he run? An eternity if need be.

    He knew he was in hell. He grinned, finally understanding!

    Yes, this was the right punishment for his sins: to carry her naked body through a mass of flesh-eating worms and keep them away from her.

    He grinned: he will never let them have her!

    He was out of the wolshi zone for some time, but he had not realized it. In his mind, he still saw them slithering everywhere, and he felt them biting his back.

    When he entered their house, he was no longer discerning between dream and reality. He yelled at an imaginary Anabella to come help her, even if Anabella was there, still confined to a chair.

    Little Zera screamed when she saw the wolshi hanging on his back, but he could not see who was crying. He saw a charred zombie on the floor and thought he was in a dream. Was this his house? He shook his head and tried to look around. His body was an open wound, blood dripping over his trousers.

    He fell on his knees, placed the naked Noviel as gently as he could on the floor, moaned something to the imaginary Anabella, and then fell beside Noviel, head first. A couple of helping hands did not let him hit the floor hard. His body started to shake uncontrollably as he completely lost his conscience.

 Chapter 150 â€“ One NPC Goes to Party

    When Geral opened his eyes, it was five days later. A young girl''s voice greeted him:

    "He''s awake!"

    She spoke in a sweet way, lengthening the e every time.

    He slowly turned his head to the left and saw Zera''s smiling face jumping up and down. He was surprised to see how beautiful the girl really was.

    Noviel entered the room. She was dressed in a simple bathrobe. He was happy to see her beautiful and smiling face. Did he dream about her again?

    "How are you feeling?" - she asked as soon as their eyes met

    He moaned. ¡°I could feel better. What is wrong with me?"

    He lifted the sheet that covered him to look at his naked body.

    Noviel explained expertly: ¡°Pustules. You''re covered in pustules all over!¡±

    He moaned again, greatly displeased. She shrugged:

    ¡°I had the same problem for two days. I''m almost fine now."

    Lifting the robe, she allowed him a more than generous look at her legs.

    "See? Hardly a trace. Anabella said it would be completely gone in a week. Oh wait, I want to show you something!"

    She left. Zera shrugged and looked at him. "Are you hungry?"

    He nodded and watched as she hurried off to get him some food from the kitchen. Noviel appeared shortly after, wearing only a mini skirt, covering her breasts with her hands.

    "So what do you say?"

    His eyes were bulging in his head. Was this another trick of his overheated imagination? "Ahem?" She sighed, dropping her hands unceremoniously.

    ¡°Can I go out dressed like this? Say something! Is it too short?¡±

    He swallowed hard, trying to make sense of it. He realized that she was in no way flirting with him. She just didn''t consider it in the realm of the possible. She really wanted his advice and that, oddly enough, made him feel better.

    "I assume you''ll be wearing a blouse on the way out?"

    She rolled her eyes, laughing, ¡°You''re worse than Anabella! Sure I''ll have a blouse on, but can''t you imagine it now? I''m not sure which one would fit; I''m asking about the skirt now, not the blouse!? Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Maybe a little too bold? Does anyone want to introduce mini skirts here? Plus, it''s best to wait until your skin is completely healed to reveal it. It would look better."

    She pouted. ¡°What''s wrong with mini skirts here? You''re no fun!¡± - she left.

    He sighed. Yes, he had earned the right to see her bare skin, but it wasn''t quite what he had imagined. She looked at him like at a .. brother? No...worse...a sister? Yeah, something like that. A parent? A father? Worse? What could be worse than that?

    What did she ask?

    "Where do you want to go?" - he shouted to be heard.

    "It''s a party tonight!" ¨C replied Noviel from the other room.

    He swallowed. A party? He sighed. Well, she''s a young girl, and she should be going to parties.

    She came back with a set of dresses, pants and blouses.

    ¡°This is all I have. I want to be well dressed for the party, so I rely on your expert opinion. I mean, I want to look good, please!¡±

    ¡°My expert opinion? Party? And who are you going with?¡±

    "I''m going with some friends! Anabella knows them and has already allowed me to go!¡± ¨C Noviel hastily explained to avoid that conversation as she undressed and put on her next set.

    He gulped down the food Zera had put into his mouth, forgetting to chew. "Wait, I can do that!" ¨C he protested, taking the spoon in his hand.

    He shook his head at Noviel - "No, that dress is too revealing!"

    "That''s the point! You''re worse than Anabella!¡± - Noviel tried to protest but still threw the dress away with a sigh.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    They finally agreed on a blue dress to match her blue eyes and straw-blonde hair.

    ¡°These colours match perfectly, and the cut is great. You look gorgeous in it!¡± he said as she took a few steps.

    "Yay!" - she admired herself in the mirror, doing a pirouette and then came to his bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek - "Thank you, Geral!"

    He smiled, looking a little worried and proud at her.

    "More Soup?" Zera asked, taking the empty bowl from his hands. He nodded and watched as she hurried to the kitchen.

    He sighed and put his hands under his head.

    "Where''s Awa?" - he asked, realizing she was missing.

    "She still hasn''t returned from today''s round!" - shouted Noviel from the other room.

    "What round?"

    "She''s working with a monster cleaning team. Imagine she''s a level twelve mage now!"

    "What the fuck? How come? Impossible!"

    "Yeah, everyone says that. You know I''m level twenty-one? I was with her team today, but I came back early to get ready for the party!"

    "But¡­ but¡­ How come¡­"

    He sighed. He was still level nineteen. Noviel answered from the other room:

    "Anabella says the high magical density around the city helps!"

    ¡°But it''s still not normal what Awa did. Such rapid levelling is impossible!¡±

    "Who are you telling this to! And yet she did it; she must have some secrets. She had told me that she can use ambient mana, and thus she can spell more often than others, but I don''t know if that''s all. Does this make sense to you?¡±

    She returned to his room. She was wrapping her hair with a hot iron rod.

    "Where did you learn that?" - he asked.

    ¡°The girls in town use hot rods like this. You can make your hair stay the way you want it to be!¡± - she explained expertly.

    "Awa taught me a spell!" - said Zera proudly, handing him the bowl of soup.

    "A spell?" - Geral asked, turning his eyes to the little girl.

    "From her spells book! Look!" ¨C said Zera showing a small electrical discharge between her thumb and forefinger.

    "Cool!¡± - he nodded appreciatively.

    "Am I looking good like this?" Noviel asked, turning to look at him. Her eyes, with long eyelashes, smiled at him lovingly. There was nothing boyish about her now; the dress beautifully emphasized her perfect body. His heart beatings accelerated. He was feeling proud of her beauty. He had never seen her in a dress.

    "Wow!" - he exclaimed sincerely - ¡°You look gorgeous! Where did you get those shoes?¡±

    ¡°Anabella bought them! Thanks! I love you! Bye! Bye Zera! Bye!"

    He sighed, watching her as she left. He knew she hadn''t lied. He tried to digest what had just happened. It felt good and right. He took a deep breath.

    Zera shrugged, then grinned.

    "Do you want to tell me a story?"

    That took him by surprise. "A story?"

    "Yes. I listened when you told Awa a story last week. I have good ears!" - she tapped her ear proudly - "but I missed part of it... You know when you entered the cave and Cornelia broke her leg?"

    He chuckled. ¡°Oh¡­ OK¡­ It was just the two of us and¡­.¡±

    After a while, she fell asleep on his side. He sighed and covered her with a blanket he found on his bed.

    Family life. Is this what family life is like? He hadn''t been prepared for this, but here he was.

    He sighed again. He had realized that he had no chance with Noviel, but absolutely no chance of getting romantically involved with her, but curiously, he wasn''t sad about it. The relationship they had now was... simply beautiful. She trusted him, and he could trust her.

    But that was an oversimplification; their relationship was much more profound. He cared about her to the level that he did not hesitate to risk his life, and she loved him back in her own way. Yes, he was sure she cared about him. Didn''t she say I love you?

    There was no way he was going to risk destroying this relationship. For what?

    Same with Awa. He was worried about her. Let''s hope everything will be alright with her. He was concerned and proud. Why was he proud of her? He shrugged. He simply was.

    His thoughts returned to Noviel. Party! Damn, this is a players'' town, and he didn''t tell her to be careful! Will the bloody players respect her or abuse the NPC?

    He tried to stand up and groaned. No, he wasn''t ready to go out yet. He had to stay and hope that everything would be fine. He would speak to Anabella as soon as she returned; finally, she could check on Noviel''s well-being.

    He wondered where she could be. He took a deep breath, and his eyes fell on Zera.

    How Anabella had managed to transform this girl so quickly was a miracle! Not only bodily, but she must have suffered some soul damage before. And now she slept happily as if this had always been her world.

    He sighed.

    He wondered where Sarah was. Not that he wanted her services, he was too battered for that. He shrugged: she was probably with Anabella somewhere.

    He fell asleep.

 Chapter 151 Mephisto Talk â€“ The End of an Era -D

    <u> </u>

    It was a tight spot where I ended up in Hew''s car, squeezed between Mike and Matt with a huge pack of food in my arms. His jeep was for only four people, and I was sitting between the two seats on a small pseudo table.

    "Are you okay there?" - Hew asked from the driver''s seat.

    I nodded.

    "Where are your shoes?" - Matt asked with a raised eyebrow looking at my bare feet.

    I shrugged:

    ¡°In your bathroom. Your mother insisted on washing my socks too...¡±

    He rolled his eyes.

    Hew chuckled: ¡°Did she spill that coffee all over you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And it was already sweetened!¡± - I snorted - ¡°Who does that?¡±

    Matt tried to defend his mother:

    ¡°We don''t have a coffee machine; ma brews her coffee with the sugar in it from the beginning. She says it tastes much better this way.¡±

    I rolled my eyes as they laughed over my misfortune.

    Matt tried to comfort me: ¡°Everything should be dry by the time we get back."

    I shrugged: "Where are we going?"

    Mike explained, "Hew''s parents have a cabin in the mountains about 17 miles from here."

    That took me a bit by surprise: ¡°In the mountains?¡±

    "It''s not really far. It''s a shack in the forest at the foot of the mountains,¡± ¨C Hew explained as he drove ¨C ¡°it''s a pretty quiet place,¡± ¨C he shrugged ¨C ¡°the best place to practice. Nobody for miles around! The cabin is basically empty; it hasn''t been used over the winter. Good thing you picked up the food; we might need it if we get hungry!¡±

    I nodded, satisfied.

    ¡°Hey, Lores? I heard you have a character in Mephisto! Is that true?¡± - Mike grinned inquiringly.

    ¡°Lores?¡± - I wondered, raising a brow

    "Ahem!" - Tom chimed in from the front seat.

    He got that seat being the tallest and needing legroom, which I envied him for. For the legroom, obviously not for being the tallest. Once he got my attention, he continued:

    "Since you were in disguise at the show, we thought we wouldn''t use your name to keep the suspense a little longer, so we talked about Lores and not Dolores..."

    I shrugged and smiled back. The new nickname didn''t sound bad. I hate it when people call me Doll... unless Joe does it.

    ¡°It''s okay; thanks for baptizing me. I have a character in Mephisto; why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°We haven''t agreed on a family name for your alias. Lores who? So Tom proposed to use your Mephisto title. What''s your title there? Freeman? Swashbuckler? Lores Freeman? Eh?¡±

    ¡°Ahm. Do you mean the military title? It is warlord, and no, that''s a title, not a name.¡±

    ¡°Looool! Don''t tell me you are a warlord!! Is that not almost impossible to get? Lol, Lores Warlord!¡±

    I protested: "No, no, no!"

    ¡°Let''s name her Lores Doomlord? She doomed Matt already.¡±

    Matt snorted: ¡°Not funny, Hew!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you have to be back home in a couple of hours. You are doomed! Lol¡±

    I ignored Hew teasing Matt and answered Mike''s question:

    ¡°It''s difficult but not impossible. Do you also play Mephi?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Everybody did. Our characters are twenty-something, but the game is unfortunately gone.¡±

    ¡°Gone? You don''t think they''ll fix it?¡±

    Mike, sitting right of me, shook his head:

    ¡°No. It cannot be fixed.¡±

    Now, this is getting interesting!

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Oh, well,¡± - Mike sighed - ¡°I suppose it is not such a big secret anymore.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Secret?¡±

    Tom raised a brow: ¡°Don''t tell me this has something to do with your father?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± - I wondered

    Matt explained from my left: ¡°Mike''s father is some big number in the army.¡±

    ¡°Oh. What has the army to do with the game?¡±

    The car engaged on a shady forest road and shook us badly. I was repeatedly sandwiched between the two.

    ¡°Well, it does!¡± - Mike said - ¡°Let me explain. We all know Mephisto''s game is the core around which Dreamland was built. More than ten years ago, there had been that big crowd-sourced project to build a world based on Thorwal''s book.¡±

    Hew wondered: ¡°Do you have to start with the beginning?¡±

    He was driving now slower, the road slithering between trees.

    Mike nodded:

    ¡°Yes. At the time, we had the first real AI programmes and a lot of Mephisto''s world programming was done by newly conceived AI. It was the greatest project of the time. I don''t know if there has been any greater project since then.¡±

    Tom shook his head: ¡°No, it has not been, but come to the point!¡±

    "Well, the core has been fully coded and compiled by AI. On a funny note, not everyone knows that much of the rest of the project was controlled by AI, including buildings, server rooms, and connections. Crowdfunding has enabled a lot! That''s why we have that strange architecture there.¡± - he shrugged - ¡°One still can visit the core server area. Well, whatever, the problem is that we cannot duplicate or fix the core programs.¡±

    Tom snorted:

    ¡°You want to tell me that ten years old technology is still the creme de la creme, and we cannot even update it? There have been many updates to Mephisto''s world. We''ve made a lot of progress in AI programming too! Whoever sold you that theory was making fun of you! There are various other implementations of Mephisto''s world!¡±

    Mike shook his head:

    ¡°No. Listen. You know that there are a lot of spin-offs and alternative versions, versions designed for children and so on, but none works as perfectly as the good old original, isn''t it? The old hardcore version is still unparalleled! I am talking about the core programs that run the events and run the whole world. What you have seen as updates were only the interfaces between that core and the dream interface itself. Let me ask you one question: Why has there been no story update or change in the hardcore version? It just goes on and on; even the characters age, there''s no reset, no updating of the world!¡±

    Interesting, that is true, but...

    Matt wondered:

    ¡°Now that you say it, yes, true, but was that not a gag? A marketing thing?¡±

    ¡°No. It was a well-kept secret, and they''ve been trying to figure out how it works ever since. They still don''t understand it in full! For instance, how did AI eliminate the lag problem? The hardcore version is the only one that has it completely eliminated. There can be no inconsistency there caused by lags. Why and how does it work?¡±

    There were a couple of moments of silence. In the end, Hew asked:

    ¡°How can that be? How can old technology be better?¡±

    Mike shrugged.

    ¡°You know, a lot of people talk about the singularity that computers will bring when artificial intelligence overtakes us. Other people say it already happened. Well, when was the last time a human could beat a computer in chess? Long ago. It is history. Mephisto''s world was a singularity. The problem is, it is still working, but some functions went bust.¡±

    "OK, not so perfect after all! So the AI made a programming blunder after all! Good to see that they are not unfailing!¡±

    We arrived, Hew parked the car, and now we had to walk about one hundred meters up the hill to the cabin. Mike sighed and explained further:

    ¡°No. It is actually working as designed. I mean, the program itself works, and the world itself works, but some functions added to it no longer work. You know we had those saints introduced to make resurrections. Those are additions to Thorwal''s book. Some events happened inside it that disabled those functions, and we have no control over it to re-enable them. The resurrection does not work because of it. Somebody destroyed the things that were supporting it. Children''s protection does not work anymore, and it cannot be enforced. Main NPC resurrection was not working for some time.¡±

    ¡°And they gave up on it because of that? What if they recompile the whole set from the beginning?¡±

    ¡°And reset the whole world? They even tried that, as stupid as it sounds. It does not work; nobody understands why. Even upgraded and more modern AI are not able to tackle it.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I can see why they are keeping that secret, but how can that be? How can technology be lost?¡±

    ¡°Well, just search lost technologies on the internet, and you''ll see there are some very recent, even from the moon landing there are lost technologies. Shit happens!¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Don''t come with the moon landing now!¡± - protested Hew

    Mike shrugged. I was watching him attentively. Can this be true?

    ¡°So you say all that was updated was only the interface? Was the core always the same? I mean, the NPCs were always like this? So real like?¡±

    ¡°I think that it depends a lot on the point of view, on how you see them. If what you see is a cartoon, you think that they are cartoon characters. I don''t know all the details. All I know is that nobody understands how to change back the functions that have been modified. That is one problem, but there is also a second problem. It seems that the core program can somehow infect the human brain.¡±

    ¡°Infect human brains?¡±

    ¡°Now, this should remain between us¡± - Mike looked around. It was obvious that he was not comfortable with sharing this information, but we were in the middle of the woods - ¡°All I know is that it has some relationship with Bounty County. Those guys over there don''t think straight anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Probably once the evacuation is completed, that zone will be cleaned up by the army.¡±

    Tom was taken aback:

    ¡°You mean the terrorists? Were they not negotiating with them? No hope of closing the negotiations? The infection story is new to me...¡±

    ¡°Look, there is a lot I do not know, and my father does not tell me. All he told me some time ago was to not play Mephi anymore, and when I asked why he told me about infection and Bounty County, but maybe he just told me that... I don''t know why...¡± - he sighed - ¡°The point is that the game will not come back.¡±

    Matt shrugged: ¡°Well, sounds like the end of an era...¡±

    Hew asked: "So, we stay with Lores Doomlord?"

    Matt shook his head.

    "No. The band''s name is Fata Morgana; Lores Morgana sounds better."

    "Lores Doomlord Morgana..."

    "Hew..."

    We arrived in front of the cabin. It had one big room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a huge terrace.

 Chapter 152 â€“ Kumite?

    At the edge of the terrace was a simple wooden table with two plank benches on the sides. I walked on the soft grass and plopped down on one of the benches.

    The air was a little cooler than it had been in Matt''s garden, even if it was pleasantly sunny without a cloud in the sky.

    Waiting for them to bring their musical instruments, I enjoyed the view and thought about our earlier conversation while chewing on some of my precious food and letting the sun warm my feet.

    The new information didn''t change much in my understanding of the events. Yeah, OK, some AIs did some super-duper programming, but that didn''t explain the ripple effects it had in the real world. I call nonsense on that theory of infection of the human brain. No, I still thought my explanation about unleashing the witch genes made more sense. Yes, maybe the programming done by the AI was something that helped facilitate it. Mike interrupted my thoughts.

    ¡°We''ve been invited to play at Stavros again in the coming week. We should be the main course after another band tries a few songs. What do you say? That comes with an offer of two hundred for each of us.¡±

    He looked around and saw grinning faces. Tom expressed our agreement:

    ¡°Two hundred for each of us? Not bad! What are we going to sing? Are we singing the same songs again?¡±

    Well, that was the question. Matt wrinkled his nose and spoke with hesitation in his voice:

    ¡°I don''t think we should just do a repeat. We might want to add some hits. I have several ideas to remake a couple of older hit songs. What do you think about this one?¡±

    *

    Hew sighed, looking at Matt. He had hoped but also feared that they would be asked to sing again. It was great that they were asked to do it; it meant that they had been appreciated, but now they had no ace hidden in their sleeves. What should they sing? A plain repeat with nothing new would be a weak performance.

    It seemed Matt had thought the same, but he also had worked on a contingency. As Matt handed over the manuscript he had been working on, Dolores grabbed it. Hew groaned, unhappy that she had taken it before him but watched with curious eyes how she literally transformed once she had the paper in her hand. His eyes went round.

    ¡°This girl lives for music!¡± - he thought, forgiving now her hastiness and watching her traits with interest.

    It was as if he was finding himself in front of a different person. The cheeky warlord became a shy beauty in an instant. Her movements were no longer those precise, fast and effective cuts but smooth and elegant swipes as she scrolled the manuscript. As if she would incorporate the music in her veins.

    She nodded, holding the manuscript in her hands: ¡°Oh, yes, this might come out really good!¡±

    Matt wondered: ¡°Do you think you could sing it like that? Would it not be too difficult?¡±

    She seemed dumbfounded that he was questioning her abilities.

    She snorted and raised a brow: ¡°Sure! We could try right now!¡±

    Matt nodded and turned towards the others: ¡°Cool! Can we try some of my ideas before I have to leave?¡±

    Tom grinned: ¡°We can make it full blast here; we do not disturb anybody! But we have only two soft guitars, Hew doesn''t have his organ, and some of Mike''s drums are missing!¡±

    ¡°Let''s try it. Soft guitars should do it. I''ll drum the table and the chairs and whatever I feel like when needed. The problem is Hew.¡±

    ¡°I have my harmonica and a synthesizer!¡± - said Hew shrugging it off - ¡°We can go for it.¡±

    She watched them as they took their places, and then Mike drummed a rhythm. She closed her eyes, and her divine voice gave him goosebumps.

    Hew closed his eyes. The way it sounded, the way it filled his heart, her voice could only be considered divine.

    She was not loud, more a whisper at the beginning, and then her voice grew slowly stronger. The guitars came after a while, and Hew nodded appreciatively. What Matt had done here was genius. It was an old famous song, but now it sounded even better, as if a beautiful butterfly would transform itself into the king of all butterflies!

    He focused on not missing when his turn came; that would be a real sin. He felt with his soul as the melody slowly unfolded, and his heart beat stronger.

    Wow, the original creators will be at the same time proud and envious when they will hear this. It was so much better than the original, which was a masterpiece at its time.

    After they finished, they just stood there for a while, staring at each other in amazement.

    In the end, Mike nodded happily:

    ¡°Wow, that was good!¡± - he turned to Dolores - ¡°You added some of your own modifications?¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes.¡± - she agreed with a shy smile - ¡°Was that not OK?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that was good. You understood where I wanted to go and went even further!¡± - said Matt with a grin.

    They continued with renewed enthusiasm to further elaborate older songs for several hours, and then Tom rose.

    ¡°I need some exercise. Would you mind if I do my katas?¡±

    Hew agreed:

    ¡°No, it is good to make a break. I''ll stop the recorder, and we can analyze what we produced so far to choose for the next performance.¡±

    Dolores hesitated:

    ¡°Hm, would you mind if I joined you, Tom? I''m also learning some karate katas and would like to copy the work of an advanced player if possible?¡±

    The gracious maiden was again a cheeky warrior. Hew sighed.

    She was not beautiful; she looked rather plain. She had an average face, actually. Why did she look so marvellous when she sang? Probably that passion that made her eyes shine...

    ¡°Well, why not? But don''t interrupt me, OK? Would you not have a problem with your bare feet?¡±

    ¡°Sure, master. The grass is OK for the lowly apprentice!¡± - Lores nodded, grinning.

    ¡°Sensei!¡± - said Tom with a wink.

    Sensei... Hew chuckled. It was funny to watch them both. He sighed. He had to revise his opinion again. She was certainly not plain. The way she moved, the way she copied his movement and executed, was... refreshing? No. Perfect? Almost, but that was not the point... Gracious? Well, a certain grace. The gymnast''s grace, not the ballerina''s. Not gymnast''s... ninja''s? Something like that...

    He had the feeling she was doing the movements somehow better. Could that be? After repeating the two katas, Tom nodded.

    ¡°You are not bad, lady; your movements are good. Kumite? Do you trust yourself for a small sparring match?¡±

    Dolores shrugged.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    Tom grinned:

    ¡°Cool. No contact to face or neck, just stop one centimetre before, but hands legs and body are fair game... OK, I won''t hit to break yours, trust me.¡±

    Dolores answered with a sweet smile:

    ¡°OK, me neither.¡±

    Tom snorted.

    ¡°Rei.¡± - said Tom - ¡°This means bow!¡±

    ¡°Oh, OK¡±

    ¡°Yoi!¡±

    She raised a brow:

    ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡±

    ¡°No, silly, this means ready, and hajime means to attack or begin. Hajime!¡±

    They stepped forward.

    Tom had the size advantage, but she was faster and nimbler. He attacked, and five seconds later, he was on his knees, trying hard to breathe, holding his belly with a pained face.

    ¡°You got me. Huch! Beginner''s luck!¡± - said Tom forcing himself back to stand on his feet.

    Mike wondered: ¡°Maybe it was not such a good idea?¡±

    The three boys were no longer talking music, watching the sparring fight with interest.

    Matt sighed: ¡°Please, have pity on him!¡±

    Tom gave him a stinky eye, and Dolores rolled hers. Mike turned to him:

    "Do you know something that we do not know?"

    She avoided the next attack with a simple step to the side. Tom followed up with a yoko-geri ¨C a sidekick. She either was too slow or underestimated his reach as his foot made contact with her stomach pushing her two steps backwards.

    ¡°Ha! One to one!¡± - said Tom with a happy grin - ¡°Do you need a break?¡±

    She seemed unconcerned:

    ¡°No, I''m OK¡±

    ¡°Sure? That was hard?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    He raised a brow. He tried again a similar attack using his long legs, but this time she blocked him with an age-uke (rising block), sending his leg high and followed up with a kick to his other leg.

    It wasn''t a heavy blow; however, he lost his balance coming with both feet in the air. He landed hard on his back as she knelt down and dropped her fist to his stomach. She didn''t hit him; she just put him there with a perfect move and a grin.

    ¡°Huch. You tricked me; you are a black belt! Why did you not tell that?¡± - said Tom as soon as he was able to talk, looking now angry at Matt, then he turned to her again - ¡°would you like to visit our dojo?¡±

    Dolores shrugged.

    ¡°Sure, if it is possible? I''m mostly self-taught and would like some feedback from a specialist.¡±

    ¡°Self-taught? When we have time, we should organize it!¡±

    ¡°Hey guys and lady, I need to leave.¡± - said Matt standing up with a sigh.

    Hew wondered: ¡°Can''t you stay longer? Would it help if I went talk with your mother?¡±

    ¡°No¡± - said Matt shaking his head - ¡°She''s mad at you too, you know for last night...¡±

    ¡°Last night?¡±

    ¡°You covered for me, and she knows something was fishy about it¡±- Matt shrugged, then turned to Dolores - ¡°I''ll give your clothes to Hew.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool, thanks! This sport raised my appetite. Are you OK with us finishing the food?¡± - Dolores asked with a famished look.

    Matt rolled his eyes, and Mike only laughed whilst Hew slapped his face, not believing it.

    ¡°This girl eats more than my fat sister...¡± - he thought.

    Tom, however, agreed:

    ¡°I''m hungry too!¡±

    Hew rolled his eyes:

    ¡°Sure, I''ll bring some more food for the evening and maybe some drinks.¡±

 Chapter 153 â€“ Innocent Strawberries

    We spent some time telling stories and joking until we finished our food. It was a pleasant sunny late April afternoon. We were basking in the sun and drinking the last drops of juice when Tom had a brilliant idea:

    ¡°Hey, how about we eat some berries?¡±

    This took me by surprise:

    ¡°Berries? So early? Here?¡±

    Tom grinned back:

    ¡°Sure. Wild strawberries. I know a place where there are lots of them. I guess some are already ripe!¡±

    Mike wasn''t so excited about the idea. He eyed me:

    ¡°Can you walk barefoot through the forest?¡±

    I was getting to know them: Mike was the quieter, reserved type, and Tom was the more active, exuberant, and unrestrained type. I shrugged: a little activity would do me good.

    "I should be fine. Let''s go get those berries!¡±

    We walked for about fifteen minutes on a wild path through the forest until we finally found the promised berries in a clearing. It was not such a bountiful harvest, many berries were still green or pale green, but some were ripe and tasted good, with a distinct aroma.

    ¡°There''s another place about five minutes from here. Should we check on that too?¡±

    Mike looked at the sky:

    ¡°I don''t know, it looks like it''s going to rain sooner or later. Shouldn''t we go back to the cabin?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I guess we still have more than one hour before it starts raining. Most of the sky is free of clouds.¡± - Tom said, yet he asked me for my opinion, too - ¡°Lores, what do you think?¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°I''m OK each way...¡± - as Tom''s face fell, I corrected myself - ¡°Well, OK, let''s go for the strawberries!¡±

    We followed Tom on another winded path through the forest. It was smooth and pleasant to my bare soles, and indeed in another glade, we found lots and lots of wild strawberries.

    ¡°Yai!¡± - said Tom, satisfied, but just as we started to eat, the first raindrops began to fall.

    ¡°Oh fuck! I''ve told you!¡± - Mike grumbled, looking at the suddenly darkened sky - ¡°Let''s go back!¡±

    ¡°You don''t think it''s going to stop?¡± - Tom wondered, looking up at his turn.

    As if answering him, a real deluge fell over us.

    ¡°Fucking fuck! I guess that''s a no!¡±

    Heavy drops drummed all over me.

    We started to run towards the cabin. After the first ten seconds, I was completely wet, water flowing under my blouse in small cold rivulets, and I started to tremble. I do have Cala''s strong and fast body, but that does not include any special cold protection. OK, she did have cold resistance, and that helped me better endure it.

    Five minutes later, the deluge subsided to a drizzle, but it was too late to save the day; we were already completely drenched. In an inconvenient show, my nipples clumsily tried to pierce the wet blouse, I had a hard time keeping my balance in the cold, slippery mud, and my teeth were chattering a staccato.

    At that moment, Tom, in a show of bravado, spoke through chattering teeth:

    "A photo! A photo, please; we have to immortalize the moment!"

    Well, if he''s thinking about taking pictures, it means he''s not really that cold. As we stood there, I saw Mike checking his mobile too. He shook his head.

    "What?" - I asked him. Does he want to take some pictures too?

    "I thought about asking Hew if he is on his way, but there is no connection in this damn forest."

    The visibility decreased dramatically, and we nearly missed the path a couple of times. As the way was harder to find, Tom became more nervous and hesitant. When a thick fog settled over the forest, and it began to snow, he lost his way.

    He was leading us now in the wrong direction, and I could not convince him he was wrong.

    My feet slipped again and again on the muddy ground, and I fell a couple of times, but they fared not better. I winced when I heard their sloshing shoes. They were visibly drenched and shivering. Tom slipped and fell again, dragging Mike with him. Cursing, they both stood up, their eyes red from tiredness.

    ¡°Fuck, I did not know it would be so cold!¡± - Mike cursed and looked around - ¡°Is this the right way?¡±

    I protested:

    "No! I told you we are drifting away; we already passed the cabin."

    Tom shook his head:

    "It cannot be; I know the way!"

    I snorted. Going so slow, forced to keep their pace, I was not generating enough heat to keep me warm, and Flo was not much help. She had no spell to simply keep warm. Yes, I could have burned down a tree or lit a giant fire. Transform stones into lava...

    Tom''s yell interrupted my musing. I turned to see him strewn in mud.

    "What happened?"

    "I sprained my ankle. Fuck!"

    "Can you walk?"

    He tried to stand and sat back in the mud with a pained grunt.

    "Nope. Leave me here. You two go and find help!"

    I watched his purple lips.

    "You are not looking better!" - he said as if he knew what I was thinking. He looked around, trying to find a place to sit that was not wet.

    I''ll have to decide what to do. Do I reveal myself? Or do I try to solve it as much as possible as a normal human being? Cala was sure she knew the way to the cabin, so I let Cala take the lead.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Let me carry you!"

    "What? You can''t?"

    "Let me carry him, I..."

    "Look, Mike, we''ll carry him in turns, OK? I start. Tom, be so kind and help me."

    To their surprise, I could carry him. True, I was walking now with a wider gait with him in my back, but at least he was keeping me warm. He tried to protest from my back:

    "That''s the wrong way!"

    I snorted:

    "You have no voting right; you are being carried!"

    It should still be daylight, but everything was nuances of grey and dark grey around us. The ground was not freezing, but here and there, small patches of white appeared along the path. It was difficult to keep my balance, and I had to kneel a couple of times.

    "Shouldn''t I take over?" - offered Mike

    I hesitated.

    ¡°No. We are close!¡± - I said to encourage them. It was about a five-minute walk, but now it would take about ten minutes.

    All in all, when we finally reached the cabin, it was after more than one hour of walking through the mud, and we were utterly drenched, tired, and shivering. I don''t think it was below zero degrees Celsius, but the humidity made it appear that way, and I was afraid we might get hypothermia. My hands and feet were feeling numb, but with Cala''s resistance to cold, I was more afraid for the boys.

    The much-expected car was not there. I placed Tom on a bench and entered the cabin. I heard them talking from outside:

    ¡°Where''s Hew?¡± - Mike grunted, staying in front of the cabin

    ¡°Maybe the road was too bad for him to get here?¡± - Tom said, looking at the newly formed streams flowing around the cabin.

    ¡°He has a fucking jeep!¡± - Mike yelled as if trying to conjure the car through sheer anger.

    Inside the cabin, it was just as cold as outside.

    I searched with my numb hands through the drawers, but there was not much to find. Some dishes, cutlery, and a couple of pots. Wine and some alcohol. No clothes to change into, one blanket over the only available double bed, and a couple of towels in the bathroom. Of course, no warm water.

    By the time I got back in the room from the bathroom, the boys were already there, shivering, sitting on two chairs. Mike had found a bottle of whiskey and drank from it. He handed it to me:

    "Drink! It would help put your blood in circulation!"

    As I drank, he wanted to sit on the bed.

    "No!! Undress! Don''t go to bed with those wet clothes!"

    "What? I don''t want to go to bed?"

    I sighed. There was a fireplace but no wood, and I''ve seen no hatchet. There was only one solution I could see:

    ¡°Guys, take off your clothes and get under the blanket."

    I was horrified by Cala''s proposal, but she ignored my feelings.

    Tom''s head bobbed up and down with the shaking as he replied:

    ¡°But? Should we not wait for Hew?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°We wait under the blanket. You don''t want to stay in those wet and cold clothes! Only in this way could we escape without pneumonia. All the clothes on the chairs to dry.¡±

    I undressed my wet blouse and pants, giving an example, and started to dry my skin with a towel. For a few seconds, only the sound of the rain was heard. Then they followed suit.

    I vigorously rubbed my scalp with the towel, trying to warm it up. I sighed:

    ¡°Shorts, too, Mike!¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    I threw him another towel:

    ¡°Those are wet, Mike; I don''t want anything wet under the blanket. Take them off and go under the blanket, but before, scrub your skin dry!¡±

    I did not expect them to be so shy. They looked at each other, then took off their pants and, without looking at each other, went under the blanket, where they began to tremble so that I could hear their teeth chattering. All this under Cala''s amused eyes.

    Tom cursed:

    "It''s so damn cold!"

    I took the bottle of whiskey and went under the blanket between the two.

    "Come closer!"

    I took my towel and scrubbed Tom''s scalp.

    "You''re still wet!"

    They were even colder than me.

    ¡°Wow, you''re warm,¡±- Mike managed to whisper between chattering teeth.

    I took the bottle and gulped down some more whiskey.

    ¡°All that food she swallowed has to pay off somewhere.¡± - Tom pondered, teeth chattering from the other side.

    He got the bottle as a prize for being able to make a joke. I made a kind of turban out of the towel, trying to protect my brain from freezing completely.

    We laughed at Tom''s joke and continued with another round from the bottle, but Mike started coughing hard. Tom echoed. Fuck, they''ll get seriously ill. What could I do?

    After about half an hour, we were feeling a little better, but it was still cold, and Hew was nowhere to be seen. Our body heat won''t be enough unless I display some magical powers I don''t want to show. Or should I? But then what? What spell could I use?

    I extricated myself from their embrace, under their protest, and hurried outside. Tom wondered:

    "What are you doing?"

    "I''ll be right back!"

    It was still drizzly with some falling snowflakes now and then, visibility under ten meters, and getting dark. I ran as fast as I could inside the forest. It was a weird feeling to run naked through the grey landscape and finally let the power be felt. My heart finally started to properly pump blood into my veins.

    After about five minutes, I stopped and let Flo conjure a thunderstrike on one tree. The poor old tree practically exploded.

    I gathered a handful of half-burned branches, broke several to the right size, and ran back with my charge to the cabin. Vapors rose from my skin as if I had come outside a sauna.

    Tom cocked his head and looked at me.

    "What did you do?" - he asked.

    As if he could not see the branches.

    "I ran and collected some wood for a fire."

    "But there are no matches?"

    "I found some."

    Mike seemed to have been awakened by our talk:

    "Should I help?"

    "No, stay put; I''m almost done."

    I didn''t want them to watch me start the fire.

    I put more twigs and branches in the fireplace, let Flo conjure up a minor fire, and then wiped my body with the towel.

    The branches did not burn well, sizzling and making a lot of vapors, but at least they burned.

    I rejoined the boys under the blanket; we took another couple of turns at the bottle, and then slowly, we all fell asleep as it got warmer.

 Chapter 154 â€“ Deer in the Headlights

    I woke up several times throughout the night to tend to the fire or use the restroom. After the stressful trek through the cold and rainy woods, enjoying the soothing sound and warm glow of the fire felt good. Even the rattling sound of the sleet pouring over our cabin''s roof added to the comfort; however, my companions started coughing, and Mike''s fever worsened.

    Despite this concern, the rising temperature inside the cozy cabin lifted our spirits, providing a refuge from the chilly mountain air. The lack of electric lighting meant we had to rely on the fire''s flickering illumination, but that was not a life-threatening problem. Well, as long as one doesn''t call the absence of social media life-threatening; however, we knew it would be like this since we first came here. What we did not know was that we''ll have to stay overnight.

    Unfortunately, our clothes remained damp, and we were uncertain if they would dry by morning, even if spread over the few chairs arranged near the fireplace to aid the process.

    Hew did not come. He probably had to give up as the road became unpassable, and he was waiting in town for the rain to stop.

    When Tom needed to go to the bathroom, I woke Mike up to help him. After that, we talked for several hours by the firelight, drinking some more whiskey. It was no longer needed ''for medical reasons,'' but it suited the warm and fuzzy atmosphere well.

    Mike got tired first and turned on his side to sleep because he wasn''t feeling well. Tom and I continued to talk until we emptied the bottle, there wasn''t much left in it anyhow, and then we went to bed, too, with the fire burning peacefully in its place.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    In my slumber, I thought I needed to close the window to shut out the noise from the street. However, before I could realize that I was not at home, the sudden opening of the door jolted me awake, and some dark figures rushed into the room.

    Startled, I jumped to my feet and hit my head on a beam, causing me to cry out in pain. I ended up standing, blinking furiously in the intense light coming from several flash-lights while rubbing my freshly-earned bump on my head.

    A voice spoke to me, saying, "Oh dear, be careful!"

    Another voice observed, "Looks like we didn''t have to panic after all!"

    Mike moaned and tried to shield his eyes from the light. "Pa?" he called out.

    Tom grumbled something and pulled the blanket over his head, revealing his feet in the process.

    It took some time for my groggy mind to register what was happening: we were being rescued by what appeared to be a military rescue unit. They gave us dry clothes and blankets to warm ourselves up.

    As it turned out, Hew had his own little adventure. He had to leave his car stranded in the woods and walk back to town in the rain. He eventually made it home and told his parents, who then informed the other parents. Since they were unable to come to our aid, Mike''s father pulled some strings, and the next thing we knew, there were two military vehicles parked outside the cabin.

    Oh, well, never underestimate what the parents would do when they do not hear from their offspring...

    As the sun began to rise, we arrived at the base of the mountain, where their families had set up an improvised base camp to greet us. It was a bittersweet moment, as we were relieved to be safe and sound but also a bit embarrassed to be the center of attention.

 Chapter 155 â€“ Capital Gossip Wound

    Upon my arrival home, Lola was already in the bathroom, and Clara was in the kitchen. I greeted her when passing in front of the door, and she seemed to have noticed my army uniform - I saw the glance she gave me - but she didn''t comment on it. I couldn''t help but wonder what she thought of it and how I came to possess it.

    I was still meditating in my room, thinking about the strange night I''d lived through when Lola yelled to me from the front door that they were leaving.

    I briefly considered going to bed to finish my interrupted sleep, but I mustered the willpower to attend school. Despite the rough night, I had spent in the cabin, I managed to change into my school uniform in just a couple of minutes and rush out the door to catch up with the girls. It was a feat of willpower that I was proud of!

    Although I did consider first skipping some classes, I didn''t want to give the school principal any more ammunition to shoot at me, so I trudged on. I have the feeling that the old hag is hating my guts for whatever reason.

    As I entered the schoolyard, feeling sleepy and with bloodshot eyes, I realized that my accomplishment was somewhat diminished by the external pressure to attend school.

    In the schoolyard, everyone was talking about the Blue Cauldron concert and the riots that followed. I didn''t want to draw attention to myself, so I stayed quiet and let others do the talking, even though most of them hadn''t even been there. Luckily, the bell rang, and we had to head to our first class.

    During the first break, I went to a quiet corner to eat my sandwich.

    Just as I was enjoying my breakfast, Matt came up to me, looking a bit nervous. As I saw him scratching at his scalp, I chuckled, realizing that he had something to say but didn''t quite know how to say it. I was starting to know him.

    Suddenly, I knew what it was about: me and the boys! What else could it be to make him behave like this?

    "I... I wanted to tell you something, but it''s a bit awkward," he said, his cheeks turning red.

    I raised an eyebrow and asked him directly, "What have you heard?"

    He seemed surprised by my directness and looked at me sideways. "That you were in bed with Tom and Mike... naked?" he said, his voice trailing off at the end.

    I knew that this kind of gossip traveled fast, but this was lightning fast. Even though I was ready for any kind of scene, I decided to stay calm and just sighed. I appreciated that he came to talk to me about it.

    "And if that were the case?" - I answered with a sigh - ¡°I thought girls like to spread gossip! It turns out that boys are worse! Why did Hew have to babble about it? Or was it Tom or Mike? Did they call you first thing in the morning to tell you this? Actually, I don''t mind¡­.¡±

    I shrugged. I guess I was the one making a scene.

    His eyes went wide, and he shook his head.

    I took an angry bite of my sandwich.

    "Oh." - he moistened his lips and looked at me awkwardly - "I thought I should tell you what is being said about you. I''m sorry, I¡­ I mean¡­ I don''t mind¡­¡± ¨C he sighed and looked up ¨C ¡°Shit! It bothers me, but it''s your business and¡­.¡±

    It was actually amusing to see how he was getting himself cornered. Watching his struggle had, in a strange way, a calming effect on me.

    ¡°So, you don''t mind if I would sleep with the two?¡± - I chuckled and raised a brow.

    There was a start of panic in his eyes.

    "I told you I do mind!"

    I thought about what I said and found that statement to be true. I decided to grill him a little bit more:

    "Actually, I did it." - I shrugged my shoulders, confessing - ¡°I slept with the two of them. Tom told me that I did snore, but I think that he''s talking bad about me. You know how Tom is. By the way, we were all three completely naked under one blanket, and it was my idea.¡±

    I saw his face change colors. He looked hurt at me. Was he going to cry? Maybe I was overdoing it.

    I continued wearily: "So who else did Hew inform?"

    He sighed and spoke softly:

    ¡°Hew did not tell me anything. I heard some girls talking about it and thought it was nonsense. I only wanted to let you know.¡±

    That took me by surprise. Did Hew talk with some girls before talking with Matt? With whom and when?

    ¡°Girls talking about it? Who would Hew contact here? Or was it Tom or Mike?¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I thought the two idiots were incapacitated. Tom had an ankle problem, and Mike had a fever. OK, this would not stop them from making calls or just typing shit on social media. Depending on how high Mike''s fever was.

    Matt wondered:

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    I shrugged:

    ¡°I don''t know. To brag?" - I sighed - "Actually, we were just wet and cold after being blasted by sleet for over an hour and trying not to die of hypothermia, but who would believe me?¡±

    Just as I said that I saw Constance waving at me from behind him. OK, the gossip mills are running at full blast. I gave her a tired smile and nodded. She glanced at Matt as she approached us.

    "So you''ve heard the rumors too?" - I jumped straight to the core.

    She nodded with a grin, looking at Matt and then back at me before she answered:

    ¡°Who did not hear them? A certain Sandra Miller overheard her parents talking about her brother being found in bed with you and Tom. Apparently, her brother was missing from home yesterday night, and her parents went to look for him, and as a result, she was left by her aunt. She was very unhappy about that. And then they woke her up early in the morning and brought her straight to school, and she didn''t have her homework with her, and she didn''t sleep well. So she told the teacher that it was not her fault that she did not have her homework; it was all her brother''s fault!¡±

    I covered my face with my palms. So my problem comes from an angry little girl. Oh, well. At least I know it.

    I could always rely on Constance, and she proved it once more. She knew the rumor and the source and served them on a silver tablet.

    Matt sighed.

    ¡°Sandra is Mike''s little sister. She is here in the school in the lower classes. Mike says that she''s a real nerd, and this was probably the first time in her life when she had not done her homework...¡±

    I sighed at my turn.

    ¡°Now I have to apologize to Hew...¡±

    Constance raised a brow but did not ask. Maybe I should explain to them what happened? I turned to Matt:

    ¡°Look, after you and Hew left, we ate, and for dessert, Tom had the brilliant idea that we should go eat some raspberries and wild strawberries. So we all went to a clearing he knew of. We found some, but a rather disappointing crop, then Tom took us to another glade further away where there was plenty.

    The rain came pouring down on us just as we started to eat. The visibility was suddenly almost nil, and later on, the rain turned partially to snow.

    We hurried back but lost our way a few times, then Tom sprained his ankle, and Mike and I had to carry him. It took us more than one hour to get back to the cabin. We were completely soaked by then. Actually, we were soggy after the first couple of minutes, and we were freezing. To make things worse, inside the cabin was as cold as outside.¡±

    ¡°What happened with Hew? Because he left as soon as he dropped me!¡±

    ¡°His car did not make it up the hill, so he turned back and tried again later. He tried several times until his car got stuck in the mud. After that, he walked back through the rain towards the city and called his parents to pick him up. He was probably wet and cold and tired himself. It was already late in the night when they picked him up, then they called the Millers and the Trinkmans.

    Well, whatever. In the cabin, we had only one bed and one blanket, and a couple of towels. No dry clothes. I ordered them to undress, line their clothes on the chairs and get under the blanket. Later on, I managed to light a fire. Oh well, that was it... Oh, almost forgot, we drank Hew''s whiskey.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Oh, You had only a t-shirt and shorts on! I gave your clothes to Hew. Did you get them?¡±

    Constance raised a brow at that but abstained from commenting. Well, not entirely:

    ¡°It''s April, Dolores! How could you? T-shirt and shorts? You''re crazy!¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°It was warm when we got there, and it was not planned that we spent the night there.¡± - I turned to Matt and nodded - ¡°No, not yet. We passed by Hew''s car, but they did not stop. They woke us up very early in the morning in order to save us just when it finally started to get nice and warm inside.¡±

    Constance laughed.

    ¡°Could you not make a fire from the beginning?¡± - Matt asked, wondering.

    I sighed: ¡°No. There was no dry wood in the cabin or around, and we could not find anything to light up a fire, but I managed to do it later...¡±

    He threw me a glance, and I shrugged. Constance placed a hand on my shoulder:

    ¡°Look, Dolores, sorry, good that you are not ill, but there is nothing that we can do now about this story. What did you think you did? The damage is done. If you explain you only wanted to warm yourself, it becomes even more fun, you know?¡±

    I nodded and shrugged. My reputation was not really good anyway, mainly because of Clara and her sharp tongue, but also because I didn''t care. To think I was a freaking virgin, probably the last virgin in our class except maybe our history teacher, and I managed to have the worst reputation by far.

    We were interrupted by the bell and had to go back inside for the next hour.

    During the next break, I got a call from my mother. Love my ma; she knows when I have a break and calls only then if she calls in the morning. No, it was not about this particular night, but almost as bad. A certain Mrs. Cutler had called her to talk with her, from mother to mother. It seems I was bothering her son. She did not say it directly, but it could be understood from the way she talked and the questions she asked. So my mother wondered, is this boy worth the trouble? Do I like him? Is he OK? That''s what I should care about!

    ¡°Love you, Dolores!¡±

    ¡°I love you, mom! Bye!¡±

    To put salt in my wounds, I met Joe during the other break. He greeted me in passing, and from the look he gave me, I knew he knew about my ''threesome'' experience.

    The idiot was obviously in good shape, sporting not even a scratch, not a bruised eye, and he didn''t bother to ask me how I got out of that concert alive! I might have died there, and he only greets me ''in passing''?

    That stung my heart.

 Chapter 156 â€“ Magic Tests

    Instead of giving me an explanation for what happened at the concert and helping me lick my emotional wounds, the brief encounter with Joe was a bitter disappointment that sent my mood to new lows. I knew it wasn''t directly his fault for succumbing to the influence of Mephi''s fog, but I still hoped that when he awoke from its effect, he''d worry about me. But no, he didn''t even feel the need to talk to me.

    I really needed to do something to help me change my mind.

    It was a fine late April day, and it would be sad to let my current state of mind fester it. The afternoon''s sun was warming my back as I was heading home from school.

    Should I go home and find Lola? She must have finished her classes an hour earlier. We hadn''t done much together lately, and I missed our shopping tours that mostly ended with visits to a coffee shop or restaurant. They used to be fun and enjoyable, but were they not kind of shallow?

    Shallow? That was a new thought I was trying to process when I heard somebody running behind me:

    ¡°Lores! Wait for me!¡±

    I turned with a grin: there were not many people who would call me like that. It was Matt.

    ¡°Is your mother not coming today to pick you up?¡±

    He sighed, not angered by my comment: ¡°No, I have to use public transportation. It will take me one and a half hours to get home.¡±

    I wondered:

    ¡°Is this some kind of punishment? Have you been a naughty boy?¡±

    He sighed and nodded: ¡°Indeed.¡± - he then smiled - "May I accompany you on your way home? It''s on my way to the bus station..."

    It wasn''t in his way unless he took a detour, but I wasn''t going to point that out. However, there was something else that I had to talk about with him:

    ¡°Well, do you know your mom called my mom to complain that I''m a bad influence on you? Do you still think it''s okay to come with me?¡±

    He paled at that.

    ¡°She shouldn''t have done that.¡± - was all he could muster.

    ¡°Indeed!¡± - I answered, raising my shoulders.

    Maybe I brushed that off too quickly. He tried to synchronize his walk with mine, walking beside me:

    "So, what do you plan to do today?"

    I shrugged:

    "I was planning to do some experiments in a quiet place away from civilization. Possibly I''ll drive somewhere in the woods."

    He chuckled:

    ¡°Quiet, tranquil place? Far away from the civilization and yet close enough? I know of no better place than Hew''s cabin! We could go there and wait for the rain to come?¡±

    I laughed at that. There was a glint in his eyes. Not exactly a thin-veiled allusion.

    ¡°Heh, you seem to be sorry that you missed the party! It''s not exactly the kind of experiment I had in mind, but the location could be suitable. Would Hew not be angry if we invaded his cabin? Actually, I do not need the cabin; just the woods around would be fine.¡±

    ¡°I have a key to the cabin. We all have a key, you know... It is our place where we meet to compose new songs.¡±

    "And how do you get there? I doubt that your mom''s car would make it there even if she wanted to give you a ride."

    "Mostly Hew or Mike take me with them, even if I made it up there with my bike a couple of times. About three hours ride from my home."

    So the cabin is kind of a headquarter in the woods for the boys. A bit too far away from civilization. Does any of them have a girlfriend? I haven''t seen any so far.

    ¡°What happens when you all go at the same time there?¡±

    He shrugged: ¡°Sing? Play a game of cards? Have fun? If I want solitude, I can send a message. First come, first served principle, but we never used it. Well, not true, Tom did it a couple of times, but we think he just went to eat some berries.¡±

    ¡°So you all abuse Hew''s cabin in the woods? And you have only one blanket, no woods for fire, no matches, nothing there? Not even electricity?¡±

    ¡°Hey, it was the first time we went there this year. I guess Hew was there a couple of times before, but none of us. It''s basically Hew''s place. The electrical installation is in work; we''ll make it sometime in the summer. Why do you ask?¡±

    His invitation was for the laughs, but the place would suit well for my experiments. I looked at him.

    ¡°OK, I might take you up on your invitation.¡±

    That took him by surprise. He watched me, unsure of what I was planning. I grinned:

    ¡°You''ll see. When do you have to be at home?¡±

    He shrugged:

    ¡°In the evening?"

    We walked into the park near my house.

    ¡°Give me your schoolbag and your mobile!¡± - I said

    As he handed those to me, he wondered.

    ¡°Mobile? What if my mother calls?¡±

    I shrugged, making them disappear into my inventory box. I answered with an impish grin:

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "She''ll get to your voicemail."

    He watched me dumbfounded as he saw the bag and the mobile disappearing:

    ¡°Wow, wow!? Is this a trick? What have you done? Where''s my mobile? My schoolbag?¡±

    ¡°Is it not better like this? You don''t have to carry that bag!¡±

    ¡°OK, but I need that bag when I get home, you know? Homework is still a thing for ordinary mortals?¡±

    ¡°I may consider giving it back to you. Now come!¡±

    We went to a toy store where I wanted to buy cheap LED toys. Toys with LEDs because of cheap electronics. There was a large box full of various glittering toys, priced between five and twenty cents a piece, that had caught my eye. He participated happily in the quest of choosing the funniest ones. It took us about ten minutes to get a sizable collection that amounted to seven dollars and fifty-five cents.

    With the capture secured in my inventory box, we went to Sweenie''s, where my bike was still sitting in the parking lot.

    Once on the bike, he hugged me and pressed his temple to my neck instead of holding on to the available buckle. I didn''t correct him because I was strong enough to hold him, and he warmed my back nicely. It soothed my poor soul a little after the debacle with Joe.

    I stopped at a gas station, filled the tank, and bought two ready-made steaks. Cala couldn''t resist seeing them hot on the grill.

    The bike meandered smoothly through the traffic, and we got to the forest faster than yesterday with Hew''s car. The forest road was still muddy, but nothing that my bike could not handle. We found Hew''s car still abandoned about twelve kilometers from the cabin. We stopped but didn''t force the doors. It would have been even easier to push the canvas covering the back of the jeep, but I was afraid I''d break something, so I looked at my clothes through the glass, shrugged, and left them there. I planned to ask Hew if he needed help getting his car out of the mud; maybe I could get Gonzo to help him.

    We left his car and continued through the forest. I didn''t even stop at the gate, managing to bypass it, much to Matt''s shock. The only minor problem was that we ended up covered in a layer of mud by the time we got to the cabin.

    The air was colder but very clean, with clouds covering parts of the sky. I laughed at his unhappy face once I parked in front of the cabin as he was examining his clothes. He covered his face with a hand:

    ¡°Wow! You''re crazy!¡±

    I put a hand on his breast. Indeed his heart was racing mad. Actually, I didn''t have to do that; I could hear it, but a bit of theater was useful, wasn''t it? I gave him a short kiss on his cheek.

    "This is payment for your emotions."

    His face lit up.

    ¡°That was worth the trouble I''m in. Look at my clothes, what can I say once at home? You should have warned me to undress before...¡±

    I imagined the scene and had to laugh:

    ¡°Bike riding with a nude companion is all I miss to my achievements. For that dirt, you can always make some ruthless driver guilty, but if you want, you can give me your clothes, and I can have them washed for next time.¡±

    "And what should I wear until then?"

    "I''ll give you a pair of socks and a blouse."

    He laughed and raised a brow:

    ¡°So what do you want to experiment with? From what you bought, I think it is a little early for Christmas decorations experiments?¡±

    ¡°OK. We''ll spread some of these on the hill above, one every ten meters or so, up to one hundred meters. Of course, we turn them on.¡±

    ¡°Should we not wait for the night for the best result?¡±

    I laughed and shook my head.

    ¡°Here is paper and pen. We''ll give them numbers, one to ten. I want to note when they turn off if they turn off, and the minute. Also, please note if you see any turning back on. I''ll make you sign when to start. Try to find the best place from where you can see them all, or else we need to run through and check.¡±

    "Oh, so you want to turn them on and off with the power of your mind?"

    I chuckled.

    "Not exactly that, but you are close."

    Matt is the only person who knows about me being a witch, but even with him, I did not dare yet to go with the full information. Just thinking about the way they ''closed'' that lab in the woods with a huge radioactive mushroom cloud chilled any thoughts of sharing too much information.

    Doing these tests should be OK and would help me understand how to better handle my environment. I could do them alone, but he knows of me anyhow, so why hide from him?

    The idea for the test came after thinking about my mobile-phone killing history, about that event with the gamers, and also about what the black angel had done in that compound with the electronics there.

    These toys with LEDs do have some electronics inside, isn''t it? Even a LEd is a simple transistor. The idea was to test at what magic intensity something happens.

    I expected to get a gradual result depending on the intensity of magic, some more or less linear dependency, but to my surprise, it did not happen like this. First, nothing happened. I was confused. Even when I unleashed my complete aura, nothing happened. Only after I concentrated my mana to a maximum did they start to flicker.

    OK, but that was not what I encountered before? Or were these toys more resilient? Am I weaker?

    I tried to investigate one toy, and it promptly went bust.

    Then I started to understand: it is not so much the quantity but the quality that creates the problem.

    A specific type of mana is the problem.

    When I investigate something through mana, things go bust. It is during the investigation process that mana is somehow ''charged,'' and that kills electronics. I could exercise this process to be less burdensome; then, the process takes much longer, but there is a good chance that the parts will survive. Interestingly enough, this ''mana charging process'' is not a simple process; it requires advanced mana manipulation capacities. I understand from Flo that most casters are not even able to investigate through mana.

    This was some good but also bad news. It might mean that some electronics survived at the compound during my presence there. OK, they did not survive the end mushroom, so I probably have nothing to fear.

    The good news was that I could unleash my aura without causing havoc if I did not use that charged investigation, the one that, according to Flo, gives the fastest and best results.

    A normal aura can be harmless; a dense aura would make electronics flicker up to 80 meters from me, and a charged aura would bust them even at ninety meters. Unfortunately, I could do that test only once. A directly charged test pulse would bust electronics further than one hundred meters. An unexpected result was to see Matt''s nose bleeding after one test.

    So not only electronics go bust...

    Fuck, I forgot he is the equivalent of a level-one character. Such low-level spawns have problems when subjected to high-intensity magic pulses. I never thought that my magic could be simply dangerous for your average person. But yes, high mana environments are damaging for low-level people, and everybody here is low-level. It''s like in the beginners'' zones in Dreamland.

    I healed him, then made one last test at one hundred fifty meters; that''s about the limit I could reach with one directed pulse of mana.

    ¡°So? Happy with the results?¡± Matt asked from behind me. He was sweating as I''d made him run up and down the hill with my tests.

    ¡°Oh yes! We have earned our picnic steak!¡±

    He grinned happily. I sat on a log and pulled the two steaks out of my inventory.

 Chapter 157 â€“ Dont Bring a Gun to a Magefight

    On our way back to town, Matt remembered that Hew used to leave his car keys in a leather pocket next to the gas tank in situations like this. I stopped and checked, and indeed the keys were there, so not only did I get my clothes back, but we decided to unstick his bogged-down car. Since I could lift half the vehicle, front or back, with sheer muscle power, it was not an impossible feat to free it out of the sticky mud. True, when lifting the heavier part with the engine, my feet got partially bogged down in the same mud, and I almost lost a shoe.

    Unfortunately, the shoe did not survive unscathed, I retrieved it, but I doubt it can be repaired. I really should have put on a pair of Mephi boots before. I would not have thought that they were of higher quality, but truth be told, they survived even more dire events. Well, I have them on now¡­

    As a side effect, I managed to greatly impress Matt, who was sitting in the driver''s seat until we freed the car. He began to better grasp the difference in power between the two of us.

    Oh, well. When I put my bike in the back of the jeep, he didn''t even pretend to help me.

    As soon as we got a mobile connection, Matt called Hew to let him know we had his jeep, and so we met a radiant Hew in Matt''s front yard.

    He was a bit unhappy about all the mud we had spread inside the car, although we had done our best to shake it off before sitting there.

    The two helped me unload the bike, Matt playing his role pretty well while Hew really tried his best.

    We chatted a bit there in front of the house, and I learned that Mike had been taken to the hospital with pneumonia but was going to be released home soon. Tom''s sprained ankle has been put in a cast which he will have to wear for a week. The big unanswered question was what we were going to do with the planned session at Stavros.

    We found out that Mike had already accepted the offer before even asking us. There had been massive pressure on him to come up with a fast answer, and he had been so sure that we would take it that he had answered positively.

    Now we were in a bind: we either had to find a solution or pay a penalty of several thousand.

    We could have blamed it all on Mike and left him to deal with it because he had made the deal before asking us; however, I never even raised that option, and neither did they.

    ¡°We need to improvise something, even if I''m going to play drums myself!¡± - Hew said.

    We shared the feeling but dreaded the outcome as Hew is a catastrophic drummer.

    *

    In the end, we found a solution: Tina and Sasha from a girls-only band called The Hachettes would temporarily replace Mike and Tom.

    Of course, the two new girls would also have to wear masks during our show to support the mystery of Fairy Morgana. We wanted to keep the mystery around the band and the masked singer a little bit longer. It wasn''t that much of a mystery, some people knew the truth very well, like Joe and the handball gang, and we weren''t under any illusions that it would be too long before everyone found out, even though Joe and the boys had promised that they will keep the secret. Hew and Mike thought it was a good PR gag, so we kept it going.

    Of course, I knew Joe would blurt it out at the first opportunity, so I didn''t even feel the need to tell Lola, as I knew she and Clara must already know. If I told them about it now, it would feel like bragging. Yeah, OK, I achieved the dubious glory of singing in a bar. That would be Clara''s answer.

    We didn''t have much time to prepare, so we were a bit nervous before the show, but it went well, the new girls performed surprisingly well, and we were a success again.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    *

    After the show, we went to a reserved room in the back of the restaurant and celebrated our second performance with the five Hachettes girls, their full band, Tom with his leg in a cast, and a few other guests.

    My boys were over the moon with so many girls around, and while Hachettes bandleader Cara tried to woo me to sing with them in another show, Emanuella, one of the girls, showed us an interesting video from an internet stream. It was from a local reporter interviewing a military man. Behind them, a battery of cannons started firing. Maybe they wanted to calm the population and explain what was happening.

    ¡°What the fuck is that? An exercise? Cannons?¡± - Matt wondered, looking over her shoulder.

    "Looks like they''re shooting at the terrorist area to get them to surrender!" - Emanuella answered.

    ¡°With cannons?¡± - Cara wondered at her turn.

    Hell, Mike had told us something about a military move to take back the county. I didn''t expect it to be so soon. I swallowed. Soon? In fact, they have waited long enough.

    While we were discussing this, the video suddenly cut out.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± - Emanuella cursed, looking at her mobile phone ¨C ¡°I think I lost my connection to the net...¡±

    ¡°Mine stopped too...¡± - Hew said, looking at his mobile - "I was watching the same thing..."

    I went to Hew and looked over his shoulder.

    "Can you rewind and redo a bit? Picture by picture?"

    He did just that, and I gulped. There had been an explosion just before the cut.

    ¡°Did you see what I saw?¡± - Hew raised his eyes from the phone and looked at me.

    ¡°It was too short, maybe just some bad pixels...¡± - I wondered

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± - Cara asked

    ¡°It looked like an explosion...¡± - Hew answered uneasily.

    We tried to find more feeds. If the army had really started an offensive, we might find something, and indeed it was Emanuella who found an interesting feed again. Somebody was filming from a terrace of a higher building, and we could see the light when the artillery fired. We could not see the artillery guns but the light of their fire. Maybe it was the same position seen from a different angle, or maybe a similar one. Then, suddenly, something exploded not far away. No fire was seen from that explosion but a visible distortion in the air, like a huge expanding bubble. No, a line of giant expanding bubbles because there were more. As soon as such a bubble passed over the area where the artillery fire had been visible, a sudden series of explosions shook it. Then suddenly, our new feed died.

    My cheek muscles twitched involuntarily when I saw this. It looked a lot like that wave I sent when I gave Matt a nosebleed. We exchanged a look. He had the same sense of deja-vu.

    What did we see? Was my understanding correct?

    In Dreamland, you do not bring guns to high-level areas.

    There is no artillery in Dreamland. Because the dangers of carrying that much powder increase exponentially. Guns are low-level tools. They give you heavy firepower for a little skill but are very dangerous in moderate to high-level areas. Not only does bullet resistance increase with each level, but a good mage can make powder explode easily.

    It''s true that you can fire at them from a distance, but they can fire back balls of mana at an enormous range that can make anything that can explode go boom. Those arcane mini-balls don''t do much damage; they''re mainly used as identification tools to magically highlight an area, but if an arcane blast like that catches you with some bullets in your pocket, you gain a new set of holes in your pocket and a Russian roulette ticket.

    The strange thing was that I was looking at that very thing, or maybe something very similar. I didn''t see such a case in Dreamland because no one was stupid enough to bring guns to fight mages. That''s why I didn''t even think about it before. It was the equivalent of bringing a knife to a gunfight.

    "What the hell did we see?" - Matt wondered, looking at me.

    I opened my mouth to answer him, but someone spoke over me:

    ¡°There are many wounded at the Saint-Anna hospital!¡±

    We looked at each other, and a shiver passed through my spine.

 Chapter 158 â€“ China Syndrome

    On a table in one corner of the room, several bottles of spirits and small glasses were waiting for the occasional customer. I pulled a chair from the side, monopolizing the table, grabbed one of the bottles, and filled a glass while refusing the help of the waiter who had approached me with a wave of my hand.

    This was Cala''s doing. Neither Flo nor I tolerate much alcohol, but Cala, with her constitution, had no such problems. In reality, the glass was somewhat symbolic. I needed a reason to retreat to a corner to think, and Cala liked to play with a glass or mug when doing it. Her dreamland habits, where meetings used to be held in taverns.

    I wanted a moment of solitude to be able to put my thoughts in order.

    Most of the others ignored me, continuing to search for more streams, looking over and over at the existing ones and trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

    Matt walked over to me, smiling at my makeshift desk''s small cluster of liquor bottles.

    "Wow, would you share something from your hoard with me?"

    He grinned happily as he took the glass I offered him and sat next to me, having dragged another chair to this table. I shrugged, looking at my hoard. Oh, well, after the ''whiskey party'' in the cabin, my reputation can only improve.

    He looked at me and then asked me:

    "What do you think?"

    I gave him a sad look and sighed:

    "I say we''re screwed. How best to describe what we''ve seen? I thought that the army would have the upper hand with their guns, drones, robots, and missiles, but it doesn''t look that way."

    ¡°What do you want to say? To be honest, I''m not quite clear on what''s going on!?¡±

    I stretched out my hand with the palm up:

    ¡°Mobile...¡±

    I didn''t need to spell it out. He rolled his eyes and handed me the cell phone without comment. I placed it in my inventory box from where it won''t ''hear'' anything and drew an isolating field around us. It wasn''t visible, but we were suddenly enveloped in silence. His eyes went wide:

    ¡°You learned some tricks!¡± - He said

    I shrugged, not wanting to detail him about myself: ¡°I exercised.¡±

    We now had something else to talk about: the defeat of the army. I sighed and began to explain:

    ¡°Do you remember our small experiment with my led toys? That''s what happens with those drones and all the electronic devices that are out there. Our smart bombs, rockets, and drones go through that field and become dumb.

    You''ve realized that there was a field there baring the view towards the enclave? That''s a magic field. An empowered illusion that destroys all electronics. There must be a group of mages there that work continuously on that field. Or eventually, they have set up some tools powered by mana crystals if such a thing exists here.

    The other thing that I saw were those expanding bubbles. Have you seen them? Those are some kind of mana bombs. Mostly harmless, but could cause nosebleeds or other such problems to low level... humans."

    I almost said spawns. I sighed and continued:

    ¡°Their main purpose appears to be to detonate explosives in addition to destroying electronics. So we''re up against someone who knows how to counter our technology... Imagine what happens if bullets detonate inside those guns before being fired? Or artillery shells in their shipping cases? The military does not seem to understand who or what they are fighting against."

    I shrugged - "As I said, we are fucked. Ahm, screwed.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    He shook his head:

    "The army will adapt! They will find solutions..."

    I shook my head at my turn:

    "They don''t even seem to understand who they''re fighting against! You know Sun Tzu''s: know your enemy!?"

    It sounds pretentious that I, a schoolgirl, dare criticize the military and quote Sun Tzu, but this is such an elementary thing, and it is obvious that they are not up to the task.

    He watched me, wondering:

    ¡°Who is our enemy? Whom are we fighting against?¡±

    I guess that''s what those poor soldiers ask themselves there on the field. Why does he think that I would know? I sighed.

    ¡°I don''t know. I have my suspicions, but I am not sure.¡±

    As he looked at me in disbelief, I scratched my scalp, trying to think of what to say. I hesitated about what I should or should not tell him. All I had were guesses and hunches, plus the things I overheard at that late-night police meeting. Could I possibly know more than the army? And yet it seemed so. I decided to tell him the truth:

    ¡°I did spy on a police meeting some time ago.¡±

    He raised a brow. I continued: ¡°It was after that party when I ran away from the warlock.¡±

    He chuckled: ¡°Do you use to do that? Spy on police meetings?¡±

    I snorted disapprovingly.

    ¡°Gosh. It just happened because I... I did... I don''t want to talk about that now, OK? I just happened to be there when they had their preparation meeting the first day after the Bounty County incursion. What I saw there convinced me that the incursion was done by people possessing magic. I told you that many things are somehow aligned with the Mephisto game. The spells and spell effects I saw there were aligned with the game. As if some creatures had come down from the game and attacked the county. As was the case now, the video streams were cut off. The same shit. Are we fighting Mephisto and his goons? I don''t know, but it looks very much like that...¡±

    He looked at me with a strained face: ¡°I''m not sure I get it.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Me neither, but what I see is our army being destroyed by a bunch of wizards.¡±

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    ¡°Because they can? Because they want to be the ones who decide their fate? Or our fate? Or maybe they are just crazy? Maybe their magic drove them crazy? I do not know. Have we heard anything about negotiations with the terrorist? What did they talk about? What were the requests?¡±

    As somebody was approaching us, I had to dismiss the field.

    "Well, you two lovebirds, what are you doing here in the corner?" - Cara asked as she approached us - "Can I stay with you for a moment? I guess I need a glass of something strong! May I?" - she added, pointing at the bottle I had captured.

    I nodded and filled one glass for her. She took the glass and sat down next to us after dragging another chair to the table.

    ¡°You know what people say?¡± - she asked without further introductions.

    ¡°About what?¡± - I wondered

    She rolled her eyes.

    "About that madness!" - she said, nodding to the group that was still watching the streams.

    ¡°What do they say?¡± - Matt asked.

    She answered with a broad grin: ¡°It is world war three!¡±

    ¡°World war three?¡±

    She nodded:

    ¡°Yes. It''s another superpower that has invaded us. They''ve invented portal technology and have invaded the county. Think about it: who else could maul the army so bad? A bunch of idiots with their gardening tools? I just read that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of wounded. The hospitals are already full. All this done by a handful of crazies? Really? Tom said that those were thermobaric bombs. Who has such? Have our local idiots done those in their garages? No, there must be some big state army at work! The Chinese or the red army or something like that! They are here, and they dare us. People say they gave us an ultimatum. That''s why we haven''t heard anything about the negotiations except some blabbing nonsense.¡± - she emptied her glass in one go - ¡°Do you think our guys are going to nuke the county?¡±

    ¡°Nuke the county?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± ¨C she shrugged and put her hand over the glass, not letting me refill it ¨C ¡°Oh, well,¡± ¨C she stood up ¨C ¡°Thanks for the drink!¡±

 Chapter 159 â€“ Why Do Witches Go Bananas?

    After Cara left, we exchanged a look. I was thinking about what to say and how to explain when I heard Hew propose a new theory he had read on the Internet: the idea of people from an alternate reality invading our world.

    I sighed and listened to their arguments for a moment when Matt turned to me and asked:

    ¡°What do you say? What Cara said is just as likely as anything you said."

    I rolled my eyes, but he continued:

    "I know you believe in witches, but if we''re going with the witch theory, isn''t it possible that witches on the other side of the globe could make portals? As crazy as it sounds, Hew''s idea has some merit too. Could what we interpret as magic be technology from another dimension? You know, I''m having trouble with the idea: why would our witches go bananas and destroy everything around them!?¡±

    I sighed. I was a bit upset that he was talking about witches without the shrouding field. Besides, what could I answer? What other arguments could I make without revealing more about myself?

    I shrugged and stood up. They were advancing theories based on facts they knew. But they don''t know what I know. The question remained: do I have enough data for my theory?

    "I''ll go check it out; the people over there might be able to tell me more." - I concluded.

    ¡°Wait! Don''t go!¡± - Matt grabbed my hand, pulling me back towards the table.

    I hesitated. I restored the silencing field around us and said something about people dying over there and that I could help. He rubbed his temples:

    ¡°This is a decision you might regret,¡± ¨C he said ¨C ¡°Please think about it because once you reveal yourself, there is no going back!¡±

    I sighed:

    ¡°I know, but I also know that I can significantly improve the chances of survival for hundreds of people. Fucking dilemma, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°If you can do that, you can get a permanent spot at the hospital and enter the Lores healing hours. You could make a fortune with it, but doesn''t it consume you? There is no such thing as a free lunch in the universe; if you heal so many people, there have to be some repercussions somewhere. What if you find it''s eating away at your life? If you start doing this, you may not be able to stop even if you want to. You may be viewed as a strategic resource, irrelevant to the theory that is correct. You can lose your freedom, and other people can start deciding what you can or can''t do. Are you sure you can heal so many? Are you sure you will be able to heal when they ask you to heal?¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    What he said was not wrong. I tend too much to make up my mind on the spot.

    ¡°Look, I try to do the right thing once in a while. Cost is just mana to me, mana that I continuously generate. It only goes to waste if I don''t use it. I plan to go to that hospital in disguise, and if I don''t like what I see, I''ll find a way out.¡±

    He sighed and looked into my eyes but didn''t add anything. I surprised him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

    "Maybe it''s better to wait until I contact you, ok?"

    He tried to protest: "But we are in a band together?"

    "Look, if I''m going to have to lay low for a while, I would feel better if you''re not going to make waves looking for me."

    He shrugged:

    "If you think so..."

    I left.

    I hope the multiverse theory is true and that in other realities, I went back and sat in that chair and talked to him. There must be some realities in which I revealed even more about myself, and thus we got even closer to each other, but in this reality, we didn''t. I left him there to go help the army and heal the wounded soldiers. Well, not before giving him back his cell phone.

    I took my bike and drove towards the Saint-Ana Hospital we''d seen in one of those social media videos. Once I got closer, I decided to park my bike on a quiet street and walk the last few hundred meters.

    It was late at night, and everything looked creepy. This brought up a few thoughts:

    "You know, I wonder why all the people who have magic seem to be evil? Why would our witches go bananas, he asked! I mean, where are the paladins, the healers? Why is nobody there healing the troops? It''s as if only black magic made it into this world, except for you, of course. Am I so exceptional?"

    White Flower sighed:

    "How did they get to this world? Through possession. That was the case for the black angel; that was the case for the warlock. And possession is a black magic spell..."

    "But warlocks cannot possess?"

    "True, but could be helped to it by a dark priest. Why would a dark priest help a paladin?"

    "Huch, you may be onto something!"

    I wonder, could this be the reason why those shadows were chasing the souls of players in Dreamland?

    That was an interesting line of thought, but I had to discontinue it once I got closer to the hospital and saw more activity around me.

    I changed my appearance to look like that weather lady I had already copied a few times and focused on my current quest.

 Chapter 160 - Doing Hospital Rounds

    I felt something like a sting on my left arm. It evolved a moment later to a lot of stings. Not really painful ones, but just like mosquito bites, enough to wake me up.

    I hastily removed my jacket to see what six-legged beast was tormenting me, flaring my killing intent at the same time. Then I realized that I am Cala; no earthly insect should be able to bite me? Was this some magic-enhanced beast?

    I did not find any six or more-legged beast on my arm, but there was a redder zone there. Watching carefully, I realized it had a design like a small circular tattoo. What kind of insect could do this?

    But the form was vaguely familiar. Upon seeing it, Flo exclaimed:

    "Interesting, this seems to be one of the Amazones'' runes!"

    Flo, with her infallible memory! And I had to admit she was right.

    It was a specific rune that I got tattooed on my arm a long time ago when I had the moon supper with their queen. It was never visible until now. Of course, she recognized it, she is my alter ego, and this is another proof of that.

    And yet my alter-ego wondered:

    "Do you know what that means?"

    "You do not know? It is indeed one of the runes of the Amazons and signifies a call to a crusade."

    "Are you going to answer it?"

    Answer it? It doesn''t make any sense. The amazons are not in this reality; that''s only a game. Can I explain this to Flo? But then, why did I get it? Or better said: why did it activate?

    I hesitated for a moment.

    Why did it activate? But yes, this is what I am doing! It is my one girl''s crusade! This must be the explanation. My body felt my excitement and activated the rune.

    "Well, I answer it in my own way; I''m going to heal these soldiers; that''s my kind of crusade, isn''t it?"

    My mind must have activated the rune. The pain was slowly dissipating, but the red scar seemed to remain. Yes, I was very stressed; that can explain some skin irritations, even if it takes the form of a rune.

    I hope everything ends well.

    As soon as I entered the green belt surrounding the hospital, I saw a lot of activity.

    It had probably been well organized and guarded at first, but now it was almost complete chaos, with about a hundred wounded lying scattered on makeshift beds or simply sitting on chairs or directly on the ground on blankets. Ambulances raced up and down the main avenue, stopping in front of the main entrance. There was a triage, and the lightly wounded were being guided out of the hospital, increasing the numbers in the green space.

    Two military jeeps were parked on either side of the alley, narrowing the road, and the soldiers looked at me carefully but did not ask any further questions. They were heavily armed but were not looking tense, only tired.

    I went to the wounded who were waiting their turn to be treated on the grass and let Flo start the healing.

    It must have been quite a show as she makes me look quite angelic when she heals, all sorts of light effects illuminating my body, skin, and the air around me, depending on the spell.

    She was walking fast between the lines, touching them, one after the other, as they looked in awe at me. A short touch followed by a spell, and it was done. One soldier hurried behind me:

    "Are you an angel?"

    Flo answered too quickly for me to influence her answer. I can tell that she felt amused to be taken for an angel.

    "No, a fairy."

    His eyes went round with worry:

    "Oh! What do I have to do to pay for the healing? We do not have a deal?"

    It was funny to see him starting to panic. Flo answered as if she would have expected it:

    "This is a good deed I''m doing to a stranger. But I''d do it even if I knew you, so you have to do a good deed for a known or unknown person. Do we have a deal?"

    I would even if I knew you! That was an interesting way of putting it. He hesitated for a moment, then answered:

    "Yes, we do. Deal."

    I thought about my first meeting with her. It seemed so long ago! I did not even think about the fairy stories at the time, but to be honest, she wasn''t trying to screw me with her deal, or was she? No... Whatever maybe I''ll have to talk with her sometime about this peculiar aspect.

    In a very short time, I had my escort; they were following but leaving me enough room to feel comfortable, like devoted guards. People already knew about the payment, and some refused her healing. She just shrugged and went further.

    Most of them were enthusiasts. There was a wave of wondering and exclamations as I passed by.

    ¡°Can you regrow my fingers? What would this cost me?¡± - A soldier asked

    ¡°The same. You need to do a good deed in the next twenty-four hours!¡± ¨C Flo said, touching him.

    ¡°Ha!¡± - he shouted, amazed, closing and opening his fist, not believing his eyes.

    ¡°What''s this with the good deeds?¡± - I wondered.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Why not have a little fun?¡± - Flo giggled in my ears - ¡±They pay for it; nothing is for free in this world, isn''t it? What''s wrong with requesting good deeds?¡±

    I had nothing to counter her arguments. Meanwhile, somebody started shouting behind me:

    ¡°Hey, you there, what do you do? What have you done? What kind of trick is this?¡±

    Flo ignored him, walking further. There were more who refused. Some even shouted when I came closer, and Flo let them be.

    It took me fifteen minutes to walk around the hospital. By that time, I had about fifty persons following me. Several doctors appeared to examine the healed, especially the cases where I had regenerated fingers, pieces of skin, or even limbs.

    I thought I would be accepted, but when I wanted to enter the hospital, I was stopped.

    I tried to negotiate with the people who stopped me, but while I was talking, an amputee managed to come out of the hospital. He was barely standing, sweat running down his temples as two friends supported him.

    ¡°Can you regrow my hand?¡± - he asked, showing me his fresh, bloodied stump.

    "Sure!" - said Flo and added - "But take off the bandages; otherwise, it will hurt you when it heals."

    He tried to do that. One of his friends started cutting them while a paramedic yelled at them not to. In front of their stunned eyes, I restored his hand in mere seconds. Well, it took about ten seconds to do it.

    ¡°And the payment? Is it still one good deed?¡±

    He was a little late in asking about payment. I hoped Flo wouldn''t take it too far, but before I could say anything, she answered with a shrug:

    ¡°For a full limb, the payment has to be two good deeds; I think that''s only fair, okay?¡±

    He nodded.

    "But what kind of good deeds?" - asked one of his friends

    Flo replied with a grin: "Anything you three agree is a good deed is a good deed."

    I thought she was overdoing the good deed joke, but Flo stood her ground, and I had to let her have her fun.

    After this, there was no way they could keep me out of the hospital, and I started my walk inside it. A young doctor who had been watching me from outside asked me how I was doing it. Flo answered as if telling him a very important thing:

    ¡°Simple, pure white magic healing!¡±

    ¡°Pure white magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± - she answered with her very candid blue eyes. I had blue eyes now.

    He didn''t comment on that but came up with a more reasonable question:

    "If there are impurities in there or shrapnel, as is often the case here, do you take them out?"

    Flo shook her head.

    "The healing process would push the impurities out, but if the wound is already closed or the shrapnel is stuck in a bone, it has to be manually removed to make sure it doesn''t stay in."

    ¡°Can you tell when something like this happens?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    "How? Do your eyes work like x-rays?

    Um. Asking about my capabilities¡­.¡± Flo nodded without elaborating:

    ¡°Something like that, but I have to look further for it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good, here we have shrapnel wounds in this saloon that are scheduled for operation. Can you start doing your magic on them?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if we check the results with x-rays?¡±

    Flo shrugged.

    ¡°No. Why would I?¡±

    I was surprised that these doctors were so receptive to the idea of magical healing. On the one hand, there was tremendous pressure from all those who had already been healed. On the other hand, they also saw it. How often do you get to see something like this?

    Besides, maybe someone told them to be receptive.

    Again there were some who did not want to be healed by me. People have already organized and asked in advance who wants or does not. Most wanted to be healed, and I was directed to those who were ready. There was a case of one with an amputated hand who did not want to be healed by me. I wondered how he came to that decision, but there was nothing I could do about it. Maybe he''ll get another chance tomorrow.

    Soon we were in another large room full of beds with suspected cases of poisoning. Flo explained that they were cursed, not poisoned. They were the first cases with magical wounds.

    Seeing her working, I was just wondering how much mana she really has. Any top player would have run out of mana long ago with so many healing spells, not to mention so many regrown limbs! No, Flo was a true monster healer!

    "Are all fairies as good as you?"

    I felt that she felt offended by my question.

    "Dolores, I am no ordinary fairy; I am White Flower!"

    As if that name should have told me everything. Until I talked to her, I didn''t even know she existed! Some are so sensitive if you don''t know how great they are. I sighed inwardly, letting her do her thing. Someday, when I have time, I''ll take a look at the Dreamland manual. I wonder how my alter ego will feel when I read about her in that fantasy textbook?

    Now I had a group of doctors following me, and I was doing something like a regular inpatient round with instant healing added when a group of military people approached us.

    ¡°Oh, oh, maybe we have to fight. Be ready to give me the lead, or do it right now!¡±

    They stopped about 5-6 meters from us. Then one with a bonnet in hand approached me. Flo answered, amused:

    "If we have to fight, I''d rather give Cala the lead, but I suspect he won''t attack me with his bonnet."

    "Lady, there are many more at the military hospital. Would you want to come with us and help?"

    ¡°It is what you want, Dolores, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Hell, yes, it is what I want!¡±

    As he thought I was hesitating, he insisted:

    "Please!" - he said

    "Of course, I will; just let me finish here. There are only a couple of rooms left."

    "If you can hurry? There are really desperate cases there; people are dying. There are only mild cases left here with broken bones and such."

    "No, no!" - a couple from the next room protested ¨C "please stay!"

    "We go in a minute!" - Flo said, hurrying up.

    She quickly finished the room and hurried down the stairs. The soldiers were waiting for me there and rushed out, forming an escort.

 Chapter 161 â€“ A Bird In a Cage

    They raced the two jeeps at full speed through the sleeping town, one jeep close behind the other like a twin unit. Why would they risk bumping into each other, I wondered. They didn''t follow any traffic laws when that would have slowed them down, but even with this mad dash, it took us some thirty minutes to arrive at the Military hospital.

    The soldiers were not very talkative, but even so, I found out that they had seen my activities on social media and decided to ask the lieutenant for permission to bring me to the military hospital. Permission was granted, and as they left to pick me up, the lieutenant went to the superiors for approval. Even under Flo''s truth spell, they didn''t change their version; at least these soldiers were genuine.

    I was expecting a lot of trouble, but to my surprise, we were let in without too many questions, and I was greeted by two doctors.

    After a very short introduction and questions about side effects, long-term consequences, and possible treatment mistakes, we started with the first cases. All were desperate cases, barely alive. One had been severely burned over 90%. It was a miracle that he was still alive. His healing took me about thirty seconds, but removing the bandages also added to the time. It would have been worth paying good money to see the doctors'' faces after that.

    After the first five cases, they were passionately sold on my cures; even though their hands and voices were trembling, they were talking about revolutionizing medicine.

    We continued to work hard for about an hour, going from room to room. At one point, we entered a smaller room with glass windows that was another disinfection corridor. We waited there for some time after disinfection, but the doors did not open.

    Pete, the younger of the two doctors, was just calling security on the phone as the cabin unit didn''t seem to be working when we finally heard a voice coming from the speakers, and a room on the other side of the glass wall was lit up. There were several people there, looking at us, some of them even sitting on chairs.

    "Good evening!" ¨C said the voice on the loudspeaker while a person waved at us.

    I sighed. Well, I expected that to happen, but I was hoping they would do it in a more elegant way. Max, the other doctor, saw fit to object to our imprisonment.

    ¡°General, this is not necessary; we were scheduled to go to the briefing room after we finished our tour. We have a few more rooms to visit!¡±

    The answer came hard:

    ¡°Doctor, you will have time to speak when asked. Madam, I assume you are a lady; please correct me if I am wrong. Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?¡±

    Since Flo was in the lead, I couldn''t answer right away, and she took her time. She ignored him for a moment and examined the cage we were in.

    ¡°Mmmm. Glass impregnated with anti-teleportation dust. The floor and ceiling material was impregnated with the same dust. That must have cost a fortune, hasn''t it, general? Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself first? I was expecting a more pleasant conversation."

    She must have cast some spell on me because my skin glowed slightly, giving me an otherworldly aura.

    ¡°Wait, please, it''s dangerous. If they do something, I have to be able to react quickly, but I''ll say whatever you want me to say; you tell me."

    Meanwhile, the general replied: ¡°The conversation is as pleasant as it can be. Ms? What should we call you?

    Flo sighed.

    ¡°General... Segreus¡±

    "Yes, it''s my name on my shield," - he replied, pointing to his chest - "what should be on your shield?"

    I was suddenly afraid that she would tell them my name under pressure: "Don''t tell them my real name, please do as we agreed, make something up..."

    "I am here of my own free will to help you. Is this how you respond to a helping hand?"

    ¡°Ma''am, please be advised that a nuclear device will destroy everything if you try to run away or take any aggressive steps. I want to specify this so that you understand the seriousness of the situation."

    My heart froze in my chest hearing this.

    Several people in the room looked at him in shock. Obviously, not everyone had been informed beforehand. To my surprise, Flo continued to watch him unperturbed:

    "And you would destroy the town and the people who live here in the vain hope of taking me down?"

    Gotta give it to her; she knows how to bluff. I know how scared she had been there in the forest.

    "This is the last resort if the other means are not sufficient. There is also a powerful poison that would instantly cover your area first.¡±

    "Before you unleash your arsenal, would you be so kind as to allow the two brave doctors to leave? I don''t want to have them on my conscience. I may not be able to save them."

    He shrugged.

    ¡°I''m sorry, it is not possible; they may be compromised. That is the level of threat you present, and that is why I am appealing for your cooperation.¡±

    Flo sighed again.

    ¡°Would you not call cooperation what I already did?¡±

    "It''s a start. To increase trust, it would be right if you would show us your face. The real one. We know you are under a false identity.¡±

    So they know Flo uses magic mirrors to hide her identity? They can see through them!?

    Flo closed her eyes for a few seconds.

    ¡°Ah, I think I know how they did it. I can feel it...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Is it now better, general?¡±

    He looked at one display and then looked surprised at me.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Flo shrugged:

    ¡°They got me. They used different wavelengths to scan me; I didn''t know it was possible. I think it was what you call radar or close to it. Now I''ve corrected my mirrors!"

    I exclaimed, shocked:

    The general shrugged.

    ¡°Amazing. Yet we know your true face!¡±

    "True. Point taken." ¨C said Flo wiping any mirrors that were hiding me and revealing Cala''s face.

    The two doctors made a step backward, surprised at my new apparition. Max, the younger doctor pointed at my scars; obviously, he had questions about them. Flo glanced at him, grinned, and shrugged. She turned towards the general:

    ¡°Can we talk now in a more friendly way?¡±

    "Friendly? Madam, we know what you did at the Atbaska compound. Many brave men and women died there. Your healing here was a step in the right direction, but it is not enough to erase your past deeds."

    "Atbaska? What compound? I don''t understand what you want to say!?"

    And yet I had a suspicion.

    "The labs you were transported to after being picked up from the Hesperia Hotel."

    ¡°The labs? Hesperia Hotel?" - Flo took a deep breath - "Oh yes. I was kidnapped, taken to a place, and tortured. So this was the Atbaska complex? I''m sorry, I didn''t do the slaughter there, although, to be honest, it was not totally undeserved."

    It was with a bitter voice that she said this. He ignored it and continued:

    ¡°Your face was registered there. Where did the other entity come from? You somehow conjured that entity that did the carnage. You have to explain the events in detail; until then, we consider that you are responsible for the deaths of one hundred and thirty-five brave men and women. That''s one of the reasons for all this security."

    "Ah, otherwise, you would have come with flowers to greet me."

    Fuck! This is bad, this is really bad! They got Cala''s face, linked her to that damn complex, and saw through Flo''s disguise! Do they know Cala is me? It''s just a small step to connect her to me. Besides, how can I explain to them that the black angel was already there?

    ¡°You did try your mushroom cloud magic over there. Do you think it would work better here?¡±

    His answer was almost as ironic as her question:

    ¡°Your accomplice seems to be missing. I guess it worked for him, and you were probably too far away for the mushroom cloud magic. The glass is here to restrict your movement until the mushroom takes its toll on you, lady. So my question to you again is, would you cooperate?¡±

    "You kidnapped me, and I escaped. That''s all there was in that complex. Since then, I have stayed hidden and lived my life. Unfortunately, I saw on social media that the army had big problems, and I came here to help. I said to myself that I could help dozens, maybe hundreds of people, to survive, and I came. Will you try the same shit here again, even though I came in friendship? What''s wrong with you?"

    ¡°What is wrong with us? You are not allowed to do what you want here! There are laws, and you must obey our laws!¡±

    ¡°But don''t I do that?¡±

    ¡°Not if you evade.¡±

    ¡°What law gives you the right to restrict my movements when I obey the laws?¡±

    "National security judged you a serious threat to society; that''s why you were interned. But let''s not debate that now. Let''s start with the introduction: what are you, who are you, and what do you want here?"

    ¡°You can call me White Lily.¡±

    ¡°White Lily?¡± - I wondered

    ¡°It is a white flower, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°OK, we have some progress. Mrs. White, or may I call you Lily? What planet are you from?¡±

    "No. We are not friends."

    ¡°Flo, let me talk with him, please!¡±

    She sighed, but she gave me the lead.

    ¡°Just give it back to me if you feel any danger, please!¡±

    ¡°OK!¡±

    I nodded. They must have asked themselves why am I sighing and nodding.

    ¡°General, I am a human like you and everybody else here. Well, not exactly the same; I can do some... let''s call it magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡±

    ¡°Well, as you have seen with the wounded soldiers.¡± - I shrugged - ¡° This is what I call magic. How would you call it?¡±

    ¡°Lily White, we cannot find any id matching the name and your face.¡±

    I put my hand on my face and felt the scar above my left eye, which reminded me again that I had Cala''s face.

    ¡°I will give you more information once we begin to trust each other. Now I fear for my life.¡±

    ¡°How it should be. How did you gain your magic faculties?¡±

    How it should be? I gave him an annoyed look but refrained from commenting. With these idiots, if I''m not careful, they''re going to blow me up, including this whole town. Damn, crazy lunatics!

    ¡°I believe there is a connection between the apparition of magic, the Mephisto Game, and the Dream Interface. I think that some game functions working through the interface were causing, under certain circumstances, the activation of our witch genes. In cases where they exist, of course. This might explain why this magic is somehow connected to the game and the random apparitions. Many people are probably not even aware when they cast their first spells and can involuntarily create the characters in their heads when being in-game. They may begin to think they are their own characters. Well, this is my theory, but what do I know, I''ve only seen a few cases.¡±

    He sighed, looking at me:

    ¡°You mean something like the apprentice sorcerer?¡±

    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±

    ¡°So that''s your explanation for it.¡±

    I nodded and raised my brows:

    ¡°Is there another explanation?¡±

    He raised tiredly his head and looked at me.

    ¡°And you truly believe it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± - I shrugged ¨C ¡°But I am open to any other explanation... I do not have the data and the info that you have...¡±

    He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

    ¡°Well, let me give you the explanation that I was given: you are a poor sob controlled by an alien. We suspected that aliens were already inspecting our planet, but it seems that our games and the human imagination were a hit in some alien worlds. We now understand that aliens started playing games, and Dremland''s Mephisto became a hit. However, the virtual world was no longer enough for some, like you. You needed it in real life! We know that you and others created the whole chaos for your so-called game. You want to play it here in real life, and we humans are backward enough to believe that your technology is magic. Was it too difficult to find a thrill otherwise? We finally got an understanding with His Highness, The Supreme Judge of this corner of the galaxy, and we promised to support him in finding and delivering the chaos players to get their fair judgment.¡±

    He delivered it all with pathos, it was obvious that this problem had been nagging at him for some time, and he finally could voice it. For many in his audience, this seemed to be the first time that they heard it. I had no words. It was impossible, and yet¡­ was it so? Was he right? I don''t think a hammer strike on my head would have knocked me harder. A poor fuck controlled by an alien parasite. Oh, fuck!

 Chapter 162 â€“ Delirium Tremens

    I didn''t want to believe what I heard. My brain refused to accept it.

    "The Supreme Judge?" - I mumbled, trying to understand. This reminded me of the hitchhiker''s guide to the galaxy story, where the area was administered by aliens for a long time, only we haven''t read the notice posted a thousand years ago in the Alpha-Centauri regional hub.

    It seemed so preposterous! A judge in charge of this part of the galaxy? It sounded so incredible, and yet the general seemed convinced it was real. What were the laws? Do these apply to me? Is there a sheriff coming to enforce the order? If he comes in the next millennium, I think I won''t care.

    Involuntarily I snorted with laughter. Do we live in the ''beam me down Scotty'' era for real?

    However, what was my lightfire spell? What were the teleportation spells if not some kind of beaming technology?

    He continued:

    "Yes. You and the other chaos players will be judged according to your laws. You may be downgraded, demoted, or whatever your punishment may be."

    ¡°This is absurd! I would know if I am an alien playing games!¡±

    Was Flo like that? She''s my alter ego...or isn''t she? So far, she seemed to want to be honest with me, so I asked her:

    Her answer was as honest as ever:

    "No. You know how long we''ve been together, but we''re separate people, just like Cala is a different person."

    Okay, I''ve always rejected her answers for good reasons. Obviously, Cala isn''t a person; she''s just my character in Mephisto, okay? But¡­ assuming what she says is true, what would that mean?

    ¡°Flo! Are you an alien?¡±

    She hesitated to answer. Why?

    ¡°Don''t you already know that? I am a stranger to this world, born in what you call Mephisto''s world, where orcs, dragons, and elves live."

    OK, Flo answering a question with a question... Was she trying to obfuscate? I thought she was my alter ego. Alter ego I myself created. She always claimed to be a fairy from Mephisto''s world.

    It wasn''t funny anymore, not when my livelihood depended on it. How could she be a character in the game when she was in my head? But she disappeared from the game. Did she really disappear? Yes, the others have told me that she was gone! How did that work? Oh, my head hurts so bad!

    The general watched me and snorted:

    "Chaos players have been known to download their memories, to start their characters with a fresh memory aligned to the game, so they think they are real characters. Only after their character dies will their newly gained memory be reunited with their true bodies. You know, we don''t have another body. We have nowhere else to go. This is our only body and our only existence. If we die, we die for good; do you understand that?¡±

    I put my hands over my head, trying to think this through. How could I verify what he was saying? Yes, that could be true. But could I kill myself to see if I woke up as an alien? What if it''s not true?

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Flo asked to take the lead back, but I ignored her, trying to solve my dilemma. I ignored her out of spite. There was a whirlwind of feelings in me, and I was very confused and agitated. By the time I smelled something, it was already too late. I felt violent pains and cramps in my muscles. I gave her the lead back, and at that very moment, I realized I was making the same mistake a second time.

    It smelled like Mephisto''s fog. I could smell it now, even though it was said to be odorless.

    Mephisto''s fog?

    I collapsed to the floor in a pitiful heap of uncontrolled limbs.

    I couldn''t control my body: tremors, spasms, and involuntary convulsions were all my body could muster. It was worse than last time; I even lost control of my bladder and felt the warm urine spread over my thigh. My mind wasn''t in much better shape, but the few neurons I could control were overheating as I struggled to think.

    Was Flo an alien? An alien playing for the thrill he got from the game? Erasing her memory just to allow for a better thrill seemed so extreme to me, but¡­I thought about the intense feelings I had when I woke up in my bed, integrating Cala''s memory after her two-day journey. It was only two days, but what an extraordinary experience it was to relive those two days! An unforgettable experience.

    Were the aliens doing something like that?

    Because of the damn fog, I lost my train of thought again and again, and only by concentrating hard did I manage to grasp something. I was now placed on some kind of table, and they were doing something to me.

    Probably. I couldn''t be sure of what I was feeling.

    Were they trying to separate us? I felt all kinds of sensations like being cut, burned, cut again, treated with acid, and more. I couldn''t see anything; there was something over my eyes, and I was wondering, were those sensations real or just phantom feelings caused by the fog? Ah, but I heard! They were doing something, so it wasn''t just my imagination.

    Something was blocking my throat, and I couldn''t speak or scream, but it hurt.

    Now it felt like some kind of acupuncture. Well, I felt stings, but it wasn''t as bad as being cut. I understood they were talking about checking magic power? How did they want to check it?

    "Mephisto''s Fog!" ¨C said a voice in my mind. Was this a thought of my alter ego? Is she still in her game idea?

    It''s stupid. What would Mephisto''s fog have to do with this? I must have been disabled by some extraterrestrial tools. Hmm, But I smelled the fog, too, didn''t I?

    No, the fog is odorless. The idea must have come from her. I have an alien in my mind; I''m being controlled by an alien entity.

    Maybe they manage to remove it.

    But this is Cala''s body. Not mine. What will they do with this body? May I keep it?

    True, Cala''s body has some scars, but she is strong and sexy in her way... and it is all I have. Will they let me live? What did the alien do with my body?

    This is not how I imagined the first contact. I thought they would be much better than us, superior in every way.

    And they are just game junkies!? Killing for a thrill!? What the hell!?

    I do not even know what they look like. Was Flo an alien in her true form out there in the game? She looked strange. Not what you''d expect a fairy to look like. A fairy! Why did she choose a fairy?

    How could she heal like that? Not only in the game but also in real life! She could rebuild limbs!? 3-D printing! Those were some impressive 3-D prints! You have such technology, and you use it to fake magic healing!?

    Since when have I been lying face down? I didn''t realize it when they turned me around. Ah, they must be sticking needles in my spine! I can feel it. Why do they do that? Or is it only in my imagination?

    The pains were duller now. Saliva dripped from my mouth, making a small pool under my chin. It winked at me unpleasantly. I was feeling tired. So tired. The world was spinning, and my head hurt. What were they doing?

    ¡°Keep the concentration up; you don''t want her to regain conscience!¡± - one voice said

    I heard that voice again in my mind:

    ¡°Damn Mephisto''s fog!¡±

    The thought was now clearer; it was as if she would get used to the crap. I would get used to it, or somehow consuming, destroying it?

    I was again lying on my back. There were cables in my mouth again or something.

    Did they cut my belly open? The pain was back, flashes of pain like waves of heat cutting through my body. Such a strange feeling, something touching the inside of my belly! But stop the pain! Please!

    They were talking with somebody external, but I could get only some disparaged words: power... keep her... dangerous... will be... shortly... retrieval team...

 Chapter 163 â€“ Transcending Reality

    Something happened. Something bad happened! Was it an accident? Or did they want to burn me alive? I was engulfed in flames. For a few moments, I admired their beauty. The flames are so beautiful when you look at them up close! It is such a fascinating thing!

    Oh, that thing covering my eyes was gone. Or was it burning? Then I felt the pain. I screamed. Pain is not beautiful! She''s ugly as hell!

    I was healed, but the healing was bad: malformed and incomplete. It hurt again. I screamed again as I burned again. Tremors of pain shook my body as waves of healing and fire covered it repeatedly. But the healing was getting better.

    Then a sudden explosion happened, and I was fully aware. Everything around me was dark. I was on a cold metal table, and some fat iron bands restrained my hands and legs.

    Everything around was in shades of grey: mana sight.

    A heavy metallic arm descended suddenly from the ceiling towards me, trying to inject something into my body.

    A set of thunder strikes blew it away and destroyed my bindings. I stood up and sat on the table, looking with mana sight around. My wings helped me stand. I had wings and horns. Oh yes, full healing brings them back.

    Small electrical discharges surrounded me, forming a halo around me and touching everything around me. She must have spelled a thunder halo.

    Spelled a thunder halo? Or is this some technology?

    A weak light illuminated the room. I saw a couple of burned heaps beside the table. I refused to think what those have been. A bit further away, a girl was pushing against a door. She was trying to enter a password that didn''t seem to work.

    I breathed deeply for the first time in a long time. Spells covered my body fast to grant me additional resistance, then Flo started the lightfire spell.

    Vapors were filling the room. It was some kind of spray. Poison? In a second, I''ll be far away!

    Something interrupted my spell. It was like a kind of minor earthquake that hit me. I turned towards the glass wall, and my eyes adjusted. Now I could see through. There were some humans and ¡­ orcs there!? Orcs and one goblin?

    Orcs?

    Do alien people look like orcs? Like dreamland orcs? And a goblin? A goblin?

    It was one of them who had cast the spell that had interrupted mine. If I were in the game, I''d think it was a shaman''s earth-stroke.

    I was feeling tired. With each passing second, I felt more tired, just as those kicks the girl was making against the door became slower and weaker, as if she was getting tired quickly. That picked my attention.

    I looked at her and saw how her skin was getting wrinkled. She was not a young girl but was old, very old. Why did I think she was a young girl? Her hair was long and completely white. Was it visibly growing? Her hands had become thinner, and her legs looked like spindly legs. She was getting older! She crumbled, scratching the door with her grotesque fingernails, an already mummified heap of flesh.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    My vision became blurred. I turned and looked down at my hand, and I saw it becoming thinner, exactly as the girls'' hand had changed, only slower. I looked back to see the girl, but I could no longer distinguish anything in the distance; five meters was now a distance.

    Then my vision changed again back to the grey vision, vision through mana. My mana vision which I had already learned to love, was now much clearer than my eyes'' vision. And in my mana vision, I could contemplate myself, and I realized that I was... old? I saw an old naked hag with horns and strange wings sitting on the metal table.

    Another spell hit me, and I turned my attention to the orcs in the other room. I shot a formidable thunder in their direction. It didn''t pass through the glass, the energy spreading back in a dangerous cascade into my room, nearly hitting me.

    I sighed, looking closer. It was a one-way glass; however, the thunder was not entirely lost; the crystal glass was cracked. Small cracks were spreading across it, and suddenly everyone on the other side began to panic.

    I grinned and shot another thunder enlarging the cracks.

    They were running away. Another shot, and it will break.

    I rejoiced at my small victory, but what could I do? They were already closing the door behind them, a couple of idiots being left in the room. I saw their imploring eyes as they turned to look at me. Sacrificial lambs. Some were screaming, and some fell on their knees.

    I almost heard Flo''s desperate thoughts: aging water, we need to get out of here at once!

    The next spell exploded the glass, and I saw them crumbling... getting old very fast while Flo moved for the door.

    Some heavy ventilators were started, and I felt the air moving around me. They were vacuuming the fog that had been here, and then finally, I understood what had been plaguing me, the same thing that had already killed those in the other room: aging water. Why did I not understand when Flo had already mentioned it? Because I could not believe it. It cannot be!

    But I''ve seen this phenomenon already. I mean the effects of it with the amazons. It was aging water vapor that I was breathing in, and I was already damn old; I could already feel the pain in each movement. Interestingly, it did not affect me as badly as the others, but it still did.

    That young girl there, that skeleton by the glass door, she had died of old age.

    I almost could feel how Flo was thinking: the orcs had fled now, but as soon as the air was breathable again, they would return and have the support of the army. I will be outmatched and overwhelmed. Or they''ll explode the bomb...

    My lightfire-recall spell had been interrupted, and now it was on cooldown. This would keep the spell blocked for hours. I needed to run and hide, but where? I was too slow to run away. Even if I were to say my speed spell. I laughed, imagining an old naked hag running using the speed spell and a support table, followed by a bunch of orcs. I am in the same condition as those old amazons at their camp. But that was in the game; that was not real? Where did this aging water come from? Did the harpies come to this world? How?

    My mind was confused, but I had no time to analyze this; things were happening so fast!

    It was so strange to see all of this, to live through it, to feel the pain, to smell the burnt skin and hair, and yet to be only a spectator in my own body... well, in my body, not sure if it is still mine.

    Was I dreaming all this?

    My eyes fell on my arms where the amazon''s rune lighted like a beacon in my mana sight. Not real? Or real?

    I was still wondering, but Flo did not hesitate a second; she pressed her other hand against the rune infusing it with mana, and reality transcended around me.

 Chapter 164 - Forever Young In Nowhere Land

    As I appeared next to a middle-aged woman who was holding a flag, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me. I was an emaciated old hag with prominent ribs, bony shoulders draped in long white hair, and breasts sagging like empty leather pouches. My skeletal hands and fingers were adorned with long, misshapen nails, and my body stood precariously on two bony legs. Completing my appearance was a pair of bug wings and horns on my head.

    Where am I? What is this?

    She gasped at my sight, yet she felt the active magic of my rune. Her expression transformed into a warm grin as she welcomed me.

    As I took a knife from her belt and started to cut my too long white hair she screamed, waving her flag:

    ¡°Harpies, Grandma, harpies above us!¡±

    About four or five amazons stood alongside me near the flag. Many more wounded warriors lay scattered around, drawing a trail of blood behind us. The last standing group left of the amazons army.

    An old hag to my left greeted me while shooting an arrow:

    ¡°Today, it''s a good day to die!¡±

    She had red and white hair, almost as if having colored it like this on purpose. Old hag? She looked at least a hundred years younger than me! She was half blind, one of her eyes completely white, and yet her arrow curved in the air, hitting a harpy in the eye.

    ¡°Ha! Take that!¡± - she mumbled, her hand searching for the next arrow in her quiver. There was only one arrow in that quiver, but as she took it, one remained.

    Some of the harpies could conjure a dark magical attack - a bolt of black magic that could inflict severe burns on their targets. All of the Amazons bore deep scars from these attacks. Near to my eyes, the flag bearer''s shoulders looked like a rare steak.

    I touched her hand and healed her, then I rested against her shoulder for support, trying to steady myself.

    With my other hand, I unleashed a barrage of thunder strikes from my fingers, not just one or two, but several at once. The powerful bolts of lightning shot forth, crackling and sizzling through the air, striking down any approaching enemy in their path, charred wings and body parts falling to the ground in a shower of sparks and ash.

    ¡°Live to fight another day!¡± ¨C was Flo''s answer to the red-and-white-haired arrow shooter, who nodded, laughing maniacally. Flo turned to one of the sword bearers that stood ready for the close fight ¨C ¡°Touch me and touch any wounded, you can make a chain, and they''ll get healed.¡±

    Another old amazon touched my shoulder.

    ¡°Warrina?¡± - she asked. There was hesitation but also admiration in her voice.

    ¡°Warrina!?¡± - several amazons exclaimed. A wonder, a hopeful exclamation.

    Who the fuck was Warrina?

    "Queen?" - Flo wondered, and the amazon nodded.

    While I pondered on the exchange, Flo continued to unleash her thunder strikes with remarkable precision, targeting harpies wherever they were, above, behind, to the left, and to the right with equal ease as if she were chasing mosquitoes.

    ¡°Grandma, a big swarm is forming in front of us!¡± - the alarmed flag bearer said.

    ¡°Point it to me!¡± - Flo answered, as they were still too far for my mana sight, but now even with my weak eyes, I could see a black cloud forming. It was getting bigger fast.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    With a sight, Flo unleashed a massive fireball that detonated in the midst of the enemy flock. The explosion was deafening, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and incinerating any remaining harpies in the immediate vicinity. The sheer force of the blast left the surrounding Amazons momentarily dazed, but they quickly regrouped and looked amazed at me.

    That was like a flock of birds flying into a raging volcano! Flo is a real monster, not only as a healer but as an elemental mage too.

    ¡°Getting old has its advantages; my firepower is manifold magnified, and my strongest spells don''t make a dent to my mana pool!¡± - a satisfied Flo whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Warrina, Warrina!¡±

    The yells became stronger.

    We were advancing slowly, and our group got bigger as we were collecting and healing the wounded amazons from the ground. As I saw the line of bodies, I realized they had to retire and had lost many fighters. Luckily many were still breathing and could be healed.

    What is this show? What does this mean for me? Where am I? Why does she let them call her that name?

    ¡°Only another couple of hundred meters!¡± ¨C said the flag bearer looking forward ¨C ¡°Up there is the fountain! Can you fly there, grandma? The flock is in disarray; now would be a good moment before they get reinforcement?¡±

    As Flo spoke, a shudder passed through my spine. Was this really my Flo? "There''s no point in going alone," she said firmly. "We''ll go together, even if they bring reinforcements. We need to quench this glade''s thirst for blood and restore the balance."

    I was seeing everything, hearing everything, yet my mind felt detached. Where was I? What was I seeing? Was this just another part of the game? If it was the game, then my physical body was there in that lab, and I only saw visions. But why? What purpose could these visions serve?

    At that moment, a colossal and ferocious harpy struck me with its sharp talons on my back, and I thought it was the end of me. But then, a barrage of thunder strokes and fiery blasts liberated me from the harpy''s clutches. The flag bearer had almost died in the fight, but I managed to heal her at the last second. The fight continued, and we continued our advance, but my mind could not follow. My mind was fried, blocked by the question: where was I?

    Flo drank water from the fountain up on the hill, and then I saw myself there, the centenarian Cala, a centenarian with grey hair and frail hands, struggling to lift the jar. As I watched, my hair gradually regained its black hue, my posture straightened, and my breasts lifted. It was a joy to see my legs regain their strength and form, my arms becoming supple yet powerful. My eyes returned to their unusual metallic grey and fluttered with long lashes.

    I was even younger than before; I was now a nineteen or twenty years old Cala looking pleased into a mirror made of thin air.

    I saw the amazons drinking from the fountain, and I talked to their now young queen. Then we successfully repelled another harpy attack, and yet I could treat everything only as a wiggle of my imagination. Everything felt surreal to me. A dream.

    I watched all these fine young women and wondered if there was some symbolism here? Achievement of eternal youth? But what did that have to do with me? Where was the connection between this and the army and Bounty County? Why was I there?

    The questions continued to swirl in my mind, leaving me with a sense of confusion and disorientation.

    I could not enjoy their happiness or celebrate their victory with them. They were chanting Warrina all the time, and all wanted to touch me, if just for a moment. Flo had told me they thought I was the return of their mythical founder, the first amazon, the one and only, the first mother, but what would that mean? What does this all mean in view of the alien invasion?

    Was this my prison? A golden prison where I will dream of being forever young in virtual reality? Was this the explanation?

 Chapter 165 â€“ Isol The Undead

    She let out a harrumph. "This is real. It couldn''t be more real than this!"

    Ignoring her anger, I got straight to the point. "You lied to me. Who are you really?"

    She gasped, clearly taken aback by my direct attack. "I told you, I am White Flower."

    "Yes, you said that but who exactly is White Flower? And how did you end up in this world?"

    There was a long pause after my question. Finally, we were getting to the heart of the matter. She tried to obfuscate.

    "How did I get to this world? I was born here, but the details of that were not part of our deal."

    I felt like exploding upon hearing her words.

    "You tricked me with a false identity and then have the nerve to tell me that this wasn''t part of our deal? You never revealed your true name or who you really are!"

    She seemed afraid to continue.

    "Look, to reveal my real name could be dangerous. It might get us both killed. Why would you even want that?"

    "Get us both killed? Are you kidding me? After everything that''s happened, after the army tried to kill me, you''re telling me this now?" I demanded.

    "Isn''t this something that I should have known before making a deal with you? Is this a fair deal?" I continued. "Now that we''re together, I need to know who you really are. Please be honest with me."

    She let out a sigh. "Promise me that you won''t freak out when I tell you the truth."

    "I don''t think I can freak out more than I already have," I retorted. "So just tell me. You''re not a fairy, are you?"

    She let out a deep sigh and finally confessed, "It''s true. I''m not a fairy. I''m Isolda."

    I would stare at her in disbelief if I could have seen her. Isolda? Who was that? Being as it was, I was only mute, but before I could ask, she added, "Please don''t mention this name to anyone. Do you understand me?"

    "Isolda, who?" I practically shouted in my mind, my frustration mounting. Why was she being so secretive?

    She warned me, her voice in my mind stern and serious. "Never mention the name Isolda again. Don''t even think about it during telepathy. It''s too dangerous, and you can''t control your thoughts. We need to practice this, or you''ll give yourself away. And besides, Isolda is dead. Everyone thinks she''s been dead for a long time."

    I was even more confused. "Isolda, who? What does that name mean?"

    And then she dropped the bombshell. "I am Mephisto''s sister Isolda."

    It suddenly dawned on me. She was still talking about the game and one of its characters: Isolda, Mephisto''s little sister, also known as Isol the Undead.

    How could I forget about her? She was one of the world bosses, known for being the most enigmatic one, but also the easiest to defeat by solo players if they could find her. Even low-level players could kill her since she was weak with few life points, despite having tremendous magic power. Isolda was known for her elusiveness, never getting caught but leaving mysterious kills in her wake. Yes, I knew her well. Isol the Undead. And she was supposedly killed long ago in the game.

    My frustration was mounting as all of this was overwhelming. "Can we please be serious for a moment? I''m not talking about the game. I mean, in real life!" I implored.

    But she seemed too caught up in her own story to pay attention to my request. "Even my best friend Lynx doesn''t know this about me, so please be careful with my secret," she said, her tone urgent.

    I could feel my thoughts racing as I tried to process everything. This alien chick thinks that she is a game boss! And which one? It is one thing to think you are linked to a fairy and another one to Isol, the undead, alignment: pure evil.

    She continued unabated:

    ¡°Dolores, this is my only reality; I told you everything about me. I don''t understand what else do you want from me?¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Back to square one. Oh, my! I needed to change tactics to get her to reveal more information about my situation.

    ¡°OK, how did we get together? Why do you say this spell cannot be undone? What spell was it?¡±

    "What we have isn''t just a simple connection or influence, Dolores. What''s happening is possession. If I were to leave your mind, it would burn you to ashes. Obviously, that''s not an option we want. We need an exorcism, a spellcaster who has the ability to break this possession."

    ¡°Wait, you said we can separate, but now you''re talking about possession? I''m confused,¡± I said, trying desperately to make sense of it all.

    ¡°Yes, we can separate, but not without the help of a skilled spellcaster. And if we try to separate without one, the act of leaving will burn you completely,¡± White Flower explained patiently. ¡°I always let you lead when you ask; I kept my word!¡±

    I would sweat buckets if I were in the lead. I am possessed? She is the one that lets me lead!?

    I felt a twinge of doubt creeping up on me. How could she be possessing me and having to ask back for the lead at the same time? It just didn''t add up.

    ¡°Then why do you have to ask for the lead back from me?¡±

    That did it for me. I don''t want anything from this pseudo-game; I don''t want to be part of this craziness. I explained it in very slow, clear words:

    ¡°I don''t want this anymore. I want my old life back; I want to go to school and not have anybody in my head. I want to be free!¡±

    Her answer again missed my point and brought up more nonsense:

    ¡°I don''t know the way back to the other world. I''ll have to find it; I have no lightfire set there!¡±

    Now, this.

    ¡°Stop it, please. Stop it with the other world. I don''t want anything anymore. I don''t want to see any game or any of this world. All I want is to be back to my old life. Let us separate, and let me be free!¡±

    ¡°I told you we cannot separate like this. I need first to find a special spellcaster who would work properly and not kill you or me, and this spell needs some preparation, especially after being together for so long. We are too interconnected. Remember when we accidentally left Cala here, and she was like lobotomized? That might happen to any of us if we do not prepare properly for the separation...¡±

    ¡°Stop it, please. I want out; let me free!¡±

    There was silence after this. A long silence that worried me. Then came the question:

    ¡°Are you sure? Is this really what you want?¡±

    This is like the computer coming back again and again: are you sure? Really? Are you very, very sure? Oh, gods in heaven, do I really have any chance to go back to my old life?

    ¡°Yes! Definitively! Format C: or whatever is needed!¡±

    Then, suddenly everything became dark, and I lost my conscience.

 Chapter 166 - To Be Or Not Be Nuts

    I woke up to find Lola in my bed. My heart pounded hard in my chest as I instinctively reached for my face, where Cala''s scar used to be, but there was nothing there, just the soft skin and my brow running smoothly over the temple bone, no deep scar dividing it. It took me a moment to register that. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. I was in my body, in my pajamas, in my bed. Why did I think this was anything out of the ordinary?

    ¡°Mmmmmmh!¡±

    Lola stretched and turned over, making a contented sound. Everything appeared normal, like any other morning after we''d come home from a party and talked until we fell asleep. We''d done that many times over. But why couldn''t I remember the last party? Instead, I recalled strange memories of being Cala, possessing superhuman strength, and singing in a successful band. I checked for other scars, but there was no trace on my neck or chest. Did I dream all of that, or was it real? Did I truly heal those soldiers and get captured by the army?

    Was any of it real, or was my imagination just playing tricks on me? Was I going insane? I took a deep breath and looked around, searching for any clues to help me assess my reality. As I stirred, Lola stretched again, and her head popped up, a satisfied smile on her face. Her satin pajamas hugged her beautiful curves as she leaned over me.

    "Good morning, Dol! Finally awake?!" she exclaimed, shaking me. "Now, tell me everything!"

    I stared back at her, unsure of what to say. My mind felt foggy, and I couldn''t quite grasp what she expected of me.

    "Tell you what?" I asked dumbly.

    She furrowed her brows and pouted. She looks sweet when she does that, and it always works with Tim, her boyfriend. I abstained from rolling my eyes and only mentioned:

    "I need a coffee!"

    She looked at me suspiciously, but I got up from the bed, put on my slippers, and headed to the kitchen, trying to postpone the inevitable: having to confess that I had no clue what I really did last night.

    As I walked down the hallway, I tried to gather my thoughts and make sense of what had happened. Had it all been a dream? But it all felt so real. I remembered everything so vividly, but it was so surreal and strange!. It was overwhelming, and I couldn''t think straight.

    I started the coffee maker and leaned against the counter, staring blankly at the wall. What was happening to me? Was I losing my mind? Or was there something more to it? The memories felt too vivid to be just a dream, but at the same time, they were so fantastical that I couldn''t believe they were real.

    Lola came into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and looking sleepy but still beautiful. She came up to me and wrapped her arms around me from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder.

    "What''s wrong, Dol? You look like you''ve seen a ghost," she said softly.

    "I...I don''t know," I muttered. "It''s just...I can''t remember everything that happened last night. It''s all a blur."

    Lola looked at me with concern in her eyes. "That''s not good. How do you feel now?"

    I shook my head. "I feel OK," - I shrugged - "Well, like I did many times after our parties."

    Lola giggled, understanding. "Okay. I''m here for you; we''ll deal with the mess together!"

    I gave her a small smile and turned to her, embracing her tightly. "Thank you, Lola. I appreciate that."

    Her warm embrace felt good and comforting.

    We sat at the table, each with a coffee in hand, and gazed at each other. Her piercing blue eyes were fixed on mine, searching for answers.

    "So, do you remember where the party was?" she asked.

    I shrugged and replied bluntly, "No."

    I glanced at my coffee cup, fearing the onset of a migraine. If this coffee machine ever breaks down, I''ll be doomed to a life of sloth. The warm black liquid swirling inside the cup gave me a comforting sensation. Taking a sip of coffee, I shrugged again. I couldn''t reveal anything about my fantasies. We had already gone through the tattoo panic; I didn''t need another one.

    Speaking of the tattoo panic, hopefully, I remembered that one correctly! I made a mental note to verify it later. She raised her brows, expecting more from me than just a blunt no.

    I sighed. "I''m sorry, I don''t remember anything," I said.

    She burst into laughter. "What? You must be kidding me!"

    I put my head in my hands and rubbed my temples. My voice unsure, I asked, "What day is it today?"

    She stopped laughing and watched me with a pitiful expression. "Thursday," she replied.

    I looked at the clock. It was eight-thirty in the morning. "And we''re not going to school because?"

    She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because it''s a holiday! Today is a school-free day."

    As she said that, she moved her hands too feverishly and spilled some coffee over the fresh tablecloth, but I tried to ignore that and focus on the situation at hand. "Uh-oh. So how many days have I been gone?"

    "Last time I saw you was on Sunday morning and..."

    As she replied, a song on the radio caught my attention. It felt like a hammer had hit my head, blowing away all other thoughts: It was my song. I recognized every note, even the background noise. It was from our second performance at Stavros. It was perfect, and even the background noise fit somehow into the song. My heartbeats accelerated as I tried to reconcile the song with my memory of me singing that song. That divine voice that I was hearing, was it mine?

    I couldn''t just ask that directly, so I wondered, "Who are they?"

    Lola laughed, realizing that I hadn''t been paying attention. "You have the attention span of a goldfish! The band is called Fata Morgana; they''re new around here."

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    My eyes fluttered in surprise.

    "Fata Morgana?" I asked, still trying to shake off the haze in my mind.

    OK, the band exists; that''s a primer! What else is accurate from what I remember about them? To my luck, she continued her talk enthusiastically:

    "Yeah, it''s a bit of a silly name, but they''re really good. And get this: Matt''s in the band!"

    "Matt?" I asked, surprised. This is now the second point I remember correctly, but how could that fit with me being the band''s singer?

    "That''s right, our Matt," Lola replied, clearly thrilled about the news. "Remember how you used to ignore him all the time? Well, now it''s too late."

    "I ignored him?" I asked, feeling confused. This didn''t fit with my memory of things.

    Lola laughed again. "Wow, you''re really out of it, girl. Do you remember Joe and The Blue Cauldron concert? You dressed yourself up in that ravishing red dress and met Joe outside, not far from the school''s entry. It just so happened that Matt''s hours ended at about that time, and he was picked up by his mother not far away from you. His face, when he saw you two kissing there, was priceless."

    "Oh, shit. Did he see us?"

    Lola laughed again. "Yes, he did see you. You really don''t seem to be very aware of your surroundings, do you?"

    I gulped. Well, at least now I knew that the Blue Cauldron concert was real, and I was there with Joe.

    I sighed. "The last two weeks are a blur for me..."

    I put my hands over my face. What parts are genuine or just fantasy, from what I remember? I thought my going with Joe to the concert was just a fantasy: Joe was my dream boyfriend for years, so how did I really manage to go with him?

    Lola let out a sigh. "Well, I''m afraid I can''t be of much help, Dol, honey. You''ve been ignoring me most of the time for the past two weeks. What I do know is that you came back from the Blue Cauldron concert with someone, and I initially thought it was Joe. But it turns out I made a mistake," she said, looking guilty. "I tried to tease him the next day by asking why he didn''t stay for breakfast, but he looked at me like I was crazy. So, it must have been someone else."

    "Oh!" I gasped, my eyes widening in shock, but she continued without giving me time to say anything.

    ¡°I was so happy that you escaped unharmed from that damn concert, with all those people trampled in that catastrophic riots at the end! You did not tell us what happened!? Frankly speaking, you''ve been very secretive the last few days. Well, I''ve seen you once with an auto-mechanic and then with Daniel and Helen and their gang. That''s about all I know; you behaved a bit like a stranger. Last Sunday, you told me you''ll go to a party. I was happy for you and expected now to hear how it was."

    Uh, oh. She seems a bit upset about that.

    ¡°Did Mom call?¡± I asked urgently, suddenly realizing that I may have bigger problems.

    ¡°Yes, she called on Monday, and I had to assure her that you were okay because you had mentioned going to a party on Sunday and might not be back until morning. But do you realize what you''ve put me through? That was four days ago, and you still won''t tell me where you''ve been!¡± Lola scolded.

    I searched for my phone but then remembered leaving it with Matt.

    "I need to take a shower," I said, trying to steady myself as I stood up.

    Lola laughed and said, "I''ll make breakfast. It''s just the two of us today; Clara''s on a trip with her colleagues. How many eggs should I put for you?"

    I thought of Cala and her insatiable appetite for eggs. "Three?" I suggested.

    Lola raised an eyebrow. "Hungry today, are we?"

    No, but Cala eats at least six, so I should be able to handle three.

    As I went under the shower, I tried to sing that song. I know it very well. Lola came into the bathroom to wash her face. She snickered:

    ¡°It''s a real earworm, isn''t it; but gosh, you sing so false, honey! I love you, but you''ll cause it to rain if you continue singing!¡±

    After my shower, I got dressed and sat down at the kitchen table. Lola had made a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and vegetables. I ate slowly, lost in thought but could not go half through my eggs. I think my liver would go bust if I''d force it. I am not Cala. What was real from what I remember?

    Lola looked at me with concern. "Are you okay, Dol?"

    Instead of answering her, I asked. ¡°You know who the singer from Matt''s band is?¡±

    She raised a brow, surprised by my question but then shook her head.

    ¡°No. Imagine some guys asked if it was you!¡±

    She laughed heartily, and I joined her.

    I''m not the singer, then? But why do I have this ridiculous idea in my head? I''ll need to go see Matt and try to get my phone back from him, assuming he really has it. Will he even talk to me? What should I say to him?

    "Why would they think it was me?" I asked.

    "That''s a great question. Nobody knows who the singer is except for Matt and his band."

    "But didn''t they perform in public? At Stavros, I mean."

    I hesitated to mention the restaurant, but I decided to give it a try.

    "Yes, they did, but she wore a mask."

    So the Fata Morgana band performed at Stavros. How did I get the idea that I was the singer? Perhaps I had some involvement with the band and accompanied them in some way.

    "Can you tell me if there was some...incident with Bounty County last Sunday?" I asked, struggling to find the right word.

    "Ah, so your memory is coming back, huh? Yes, there was a huge uproar on social media. Stories of war and wounded soldiers, and even a tale of a miracle healer at Saint Ana hospital. But can you believe it? It was all fake."

    "Fake?" I asked, confused.

    "Yes, fake. There were conflicting reports, but the official explanation is that the terrorists released hallucinogenic gases and then launched a media campaign on social media."

    "But how could hallucinogenic gases create fake video recordings?" I asked.

    She shrugged. "Those crazy lunatics made the fake videos. It''s not that hard to do."

    She looked at me and said, "You don''t look well. You''ve really done it this time. Look, I can''t keep lying to your mother. It''s not fair to her or to you. I would have told her the truth if she had called me yesterday. I would have said that you''ve been missing since Sunday. How could I ever face her again if something had happened to you? I understand covering for you for one night, but several days in a row is too much. Please don''t take those drugs. Just look at yourself - you don''t remember anything. Who knows what else might have happened that you can''t recall."

    That hit me hard. I sighed, walked back to my room, then lay on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. I needed to sort out my thoughts. What was real, and what was just my imagination? I don''t use drugs or drink. I don''t even smoke, so how could I explain the fantasies in my head? Had someone slipped something into my drink? I doubted it, but what else could it be?

    Maybe the simplest explanation was that I was going insane. I pondered that for a moment and closed my eyes, my heart beating, accelerating. Fuck, that''s a pretty shitty thing; how could this happen to me?

    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

    For now, I seemed to be fine - no hallucinations, no voices in my head, no dreams of having superpowers. Maybe there is still hope? Should I see a doctor? It might be the best option, but then I would be labeled as crazy for the rest of my life. Maybe I should try to assess my own mental state first. Did I do anything too extreme? Lola didn''t think I was crazy, so maybe I was just overthinking things. It was perhaps a temporary blunder.

    I decided to act inconspicuously and wait for more clues to come to me. What was the last thing I could remember? Chasing harpies and drinking the youth elixir - that was obviously not true.

 Chapter 167 â€“ Feeding The Wolf - G

    The disturbance jolted Geral awake; a cacophony of shouts, shattering vases, and crashing furniture filled the air.

    Initially, he believed his home was under attack, frantically searching for his weapons, only to realize he was defenseless, unclothed in his own bed.

    Later, after facing a barrage of inquiries, he grasped that he was the subject of an official investigation by Grackak''s people who had forcefully entered his home.

    Following hours of relentless questioning, he was eventually permitted to dress.

    In a new room, drained and exasperated from repeatedly answering the same questions with "I don''t know," Geral found himself confronted by Stella, the inquisitor, and two guards. Though Stella, a level thirty mage with long hair featuring pink highlights, had no need for additional muscle, she relished the opportunity to have some under her command.

    Once again, she asked the same inquiries Geral had heard incessantly. "Where are your girls?"

    He gazed into Stella''s frigid, black eyes and let out a sigh.

    "I don''t know! Noviel mentioned attending a party. Did something happen? Is Noviel alright? Where are my girls?" Geral replied, recalling Noviel''s outfit probing time before she left.

    That was all he remembered, but that had been two days ago. He had slept another two days! Probably the medicine with which he had been treated had also kept him sleeping, and now he was left alone with many questions. Where were Anabella and the girls?

    Only after Stella finally explained the situation Geral understood what was happening: Anabella and the girls were accused of freeing an important slave.

    Anabella had been caught, but the girls and the slave were missing.

    "This is not possible," Geral protested. "Anabella would never break the law, especially if it put the girls in danger. Can I talk to my wife?"

    "When the interrogations are over, you may be able to see her," Stella replied. "But based on how things are going, Anabella will likely be publicly displayed on the gallows for several days before being decapitated."

    Geral''s body shook with horror.

    ¡°Wow, wow, wow! Stop it! Take it easy! Decapitate Anabella? Are you crazy? Can''t you just let us go away?¡±

    A mischievous grin spread across Stella''s face as she shook her head. "She''s guilty as sin. We know she did it. If she cooperates and helps us catch the slave and any other guilty parties, she might only receive a penalty of several years. Otherwise, she will be executed."

    Geral couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "Several years of what? Prison?"

    Stella scoffed. "Why should anyone care to keep a spawn like her in prison? She''ll be a loyal slave for several years. That''s the penalty for spawns, Geral. If you can gather the money, you could even buy her. I wonder what her price would be."

    Geral''s eyes widened in shock. He sighed. "Aren''t you afraid they''ll try to escape, your slaves?"

    The inquisitor laughed softly and shrugged. "You have no idea how quickly they learn to behave. They were made for our entertainment! Those who don''t behave are put in chains and forced to work in dangerous places like mines or quarries. If they''re useless, they''re put out of their misery, but I''m sure she would make a fine addition to a brothel."

    "You monsters! You can''t do that!"

    ¡°We cannot? Careful Geral! Being one of us does not mean you cannot be punished!¡±

    Geral snored at his turn.

    ¡°Because what?¡±

    Stella only grinned.

    ¡°Geral, I''m an inquisitor; if you disrespect me, I will have you punished!¡±

    Geral almost went ballistic.

    ¡°Oh, go fuck yourself, Stella!¡±

    She laughed, satisfied as if this would have been the reaction she expected:

    ¡°I''ve warned you! Well, Geral. You have a one-day punishment for your insolence with a warning. You''ll ask Megan, the bar owner, what you have to do and be at the disposition of the bar. Maybe they need to sweep and clean the toilets. Don''t make me call the guards and have them force you to do your work. You know they''ll do it with gusto! Clear Geral?¡±

    ¡°What? You are the inquisitor and judge?¡± - Geral gasped, surprised at the turn of events.

    ¡°Well, aren''t you a clever boy? Yes, I am. You can write a complaint to Grackak if you don''t like it. I would take it and eventually forward it further if I deem it worth his attention; however, until then, you''ll have to do what I say. Do you understand?¡±

    Geral was stunned. He couldn''t believe that Stella had the power to order him around and punish him at will. He reluctantly nodded his head, looking into her eyes.

    Stella didn''t seem satisfied and raised her voice.

    "Answer me properly, Geral! Say ''Yes, madam inquisitor,'' or you''ll get three more days and lose any chance of talking to Anabella!"

    Geral gritted his teeth, feeling humiliated. He forced himself to look down and replied in a low voice, "Yes, madam inquisitor."

    Stella smiled, pleased with herself. "Good. Now, go to the bar and ask Megan what you need to do. You''ll work until sunset, and if you do a good job, I might consider reducing your punishment. Off you go, Geral."

    Geral turned and walked away, feeling defeated. As he left, he heard Stella''s laughter ringing in his ears, and he closed his fists until his knuckles went blank.

    *

    Geral was in the middle of scrubbing a dubious patch on the floor when Olomuc the orc walked into the bar. He glanced at Geral and sighed, then went to sit at a table and ordered two beers.

    Geral glanced in his direction and nodded. At this, Olomuc wondered:

    ¡°I wondered where you''d been while your NPC wife was getting beaten, and you took a cleaning job? WTF, man?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Geral dropped the mop and tried to reach for his weapon, only to realize it wasn''t at his belt.

    ¡°Getting beaten!?¡± - he mumbled, shocked.

    Olomuc raised his voice just a notch:

    ¡°Stay put! You did not answer my question!?¡±

    Geral realized again that he was totally outmatched and outclassed. There was no room to display anger. He sighed, bowed, and picked up the mop again, then spoke between his teeth:

    ¡°I''m doing my penalty for having insulted Madam Inquisitor Stella.¡±

    Olomuc was incredulous. ¡°You fucking kidding me!¡±

    Geral shrugged. ¡°It''s this or having no chance to see Anabella before being executed.¡±

    ¡°Come here,¡± ¨C the orc ordered, pointing towards the free seat at his table.

    ¡°If I''ll do that, Stella, pardon madam inquisitor, will add another day to my punishment. She''d been very clear about that¡±

    ¡°I''m higher in the ranking than Stella. You come and sit here, and this counts as working your day out.¡±

    Geral dropped the mop and went hesitatingly to Olomuc''s table.

    ¡°Drink!¡± - Olomuc said, raising his jar

    Geral took the other jar and drank.

    ¡°You care for Anabella?¡± - Olomuc wondered.

    Geral put the jar slowly on the table and sighed.

    ¡°Sure I do. She is my wife.¡±

    ¡°I thought you''d be by now fucking that older daughter...¡±

    Geral''s face became redder than a tomato.

    ¡°You call me here to insult me? OK, go on...¡±

    ¡°Insult you? You''ve been seen with that girl naked in your arms!

    Geral sighed.

    ¡°Oh, that...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that!¡± ¨C Olomuc laughed and drank half his beer with one gulp.

    Geral continued hesitatingly.

    ¡°Well, she had been swarmed by those damned wolshi that went under her armor. I had to take it off and clean the beasts, then I saw she was losing her conscience due to their poison. I ran as fast as I could with her home. Because of those beasts, I was incapacitated until now, and this catastrophe happened.¡±

    ¡°And nothing happened between you and the girl?¡±

    Geral shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Nope.¡±

    He sighed. That was the truth, even if a couple of his brain cells had overheated at the sight of the naked girl.

    ¡°Oh.¡± - Olomuc placed his empty jar down and ordered another two beers, then turned back to Geral. - ¡°Yeah, OK. I just wondered why you were missing the show of your wife''s public beating, but yeah, you have the perfect excuse with this cleaning job, so you have it officially from an orc: I am sorry.¡±

    Hearing again about Anabella''s beating, Geral sighed, looking beaten at Olomuc.

    ¡°I always wondered if you were an orc in your real life, Olomuc. You behave so naturally!¡±

    Olomuc exploded in a burst of laughter, involuntarily spraying Geral with some beer.

    ¡°You''ve put it much too kindly. You certainly mean being insensitive!? Well, you are not far away from the truth. I''m a native and lived on a reservation. But even between the natives, I was a pariah. I did not give a damn about their history, religion, and stuff and despised their mercantile gambling. You cannot be both, so I was neither. Yeah, being an orc suited me best. It is really freeing!¡±

    ¡°A native?¡± - Geral asked while cleaning the few drops from his face with the back of his hand.

    ¡°Probably three out of my thirty-two great-great-parents were natives. Does that make me a native? But yeah, I lived on the reservation. And where are we now? Not in a new reservation?¡±

    ¡°I fucking don''t know, but it looks like it!¡± - Geral answered with a shrug.

    Just when Geral was starting to feel more comfortable, a shrill woman''s voice made the hair on his neck stand up in alarm.

    ¡°Geral!! What are you doing there? That''s unacceptable! How did you dare! For this, you''ll have to come another day...¡±

    Stella, the inquisitor, furiously stepped towards their table, and Geral wanted to stand up, but the powerful, green hand of the orc forced him to continue sitting.

    ¡°Hi, Stella!¡± - Olomuc said with a calm baritone voice interrupting her verbal avalanche ¨C ¡°He is here on my order. He must stay and keep me company until I drink my beer!¡±

    ¡°But that''s no punishment! When are you going to finish your beer?¡±

    Olomuc shrugged.

    ¡°It can take very long. As long as I want it. Do you volunteer to take his place? Or maybe we should sit all three and talk?¡±

    ¡°I''m an inquisitor! You can''t force me to...¡±

    ¡°See, that''s why I took him. I''m glad that we all agree!¡±

    Geral was impressed seeing how Stella left the bar with the tail between her legs.

    ¡°You got some authority,¡± ¨C he wondered, looking at Olomuc

    The orc shrugged.

    ¡°Levels. I have at least fifty levels on her, and Fify can chomp her down with one bite if need be, even if she would get those magical crystals the guys are using to boost themselves. I am in Grackak''s high council and do my work. What he is trying to do is not an easy task; organizing and managing a whole town is hard work. Stella is his pick, she is doing a good job, but she sometimes exaggerates and needs to be shown her place. That''s my job; I''m an orc, you know?¡±

    He laughed. Geral rolled his eyes and sighed.

    ¡°Well, you were not so wrong about me and Noviel, but it''s just the neanderthal in me voicing his needs, and I try to correct myself. She is so fucking attractive and acts so confusing.¡±

    He shrugged. Olomuc laughed.

    ¡°I see, so you try to feed the right wolf! Good for you!¡±

    Geral wondered: ¡°Feed the right wolf?¡±

    ¡°Well, the one from the Chakotee legend.¡±

    ¡°A Chakotee legend? Are you Chakotee?¡±

    ¡°No, but yeah. It fits. It goes like this: an elderly Chakotee-brave tells his grandson about life:

    ¡°Son,¡± he says, ¡°There is a battle of two wolves within all of us. One is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, lust for possession, superiority, and ego.

    ¡°The same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too,¡± explained the wise Chakotee elder.

    Olomuc patted Geral on his shoulder:

    ¡°So brave Geral, don''t feed the big bad wolf and go see your wife, she is in the main square, but before you do that, I must warn you. Don''t try to free her! A group of guards is watching her all the time, and they are all higher level than you, but be informed that it is my task to guard her. I and Fiffy are to ensure that she does not escape. She will not escape her fate. Sorry to tell you that, but you must know!¡±

    Geral gave Olomuc a tired glance. He stood up and pointed at the empty beer jar.

    ¡°Thanks for the beer and everything. I owe you something!¡±

    ¡°You don''t owe me anything, just don''t make any stupid move, man!¡±

 Chapter 168 â€“ The Pillory

    As Geral walked towards the main square, his mind raced with thoughts on how to persuade Olomuc to give up on guarding Anabella and instead help set her free. He understood that the orc, with his high level and a dragon to help him, could be the key to Anabella''s freedom. He had the power to free her if he wished. But how could he convince him? And when and where could he have this conversation? He wondered what made the orc loyal to Grackak and what the gnome had done to win his allegiance.

    At first, he did not see her. As he reached the center of the square, he scanned the crowd, searching for Anabella. He saw several scattered groups of people and guards, but she was nowhere in sight.

    He knew she must be here somewhere; he felt her proximity.

    As he turned around and approached the group with the guards, he finally spotted her silver hair hanging down from a plank. Fear gripped him, and he wondered if it was her scalp or her head up there. Had they already killed her? But then he saw her frail white hands on either side of the wooden plank and her legs behind it and breathed a sigh of relief mixed with anger.

    His heart sank as he took in the sight before him. Anabella had been put in a pillory, her hands and head trapped between two wooden planks. His hand searched for the sword that was not at his waist. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Dalia''s worried face.

    ¡°Don''t make a scene!¡± - she whispered ¨C ¡°you''ll just make Stella happy and maybe give her reasons to further punish you.¡±

    ¡°But this is medieval torture! I thought we had those days behind us!¡± - he protested.

    Dalia sighed.

    ¡°We are a medieval society Geral!¡±

    He gasped at her comment and then sighed at his turn.

    ¡°Can I go talk to her?¡± - he wondered.

    Dalia nodded.

    ¡°It should be OK, but don''t go up there on the scaffold, or you''ll have trouble with the guards.¡±

    He protested again: ¡°But she needs to eat and drink and...¡±

    Dalia shrugged but didn''t dare look into his eyes as she spoke: ¡°She''ll be executed tomorrow, and she is not allowed to eat or drink until then. She already had her last meal.¡±

    Geral''s eyes went wide in shock. ¡°Tomorrow! But I was told...¡±

    Dalia cut him short again.

    ¡°Tomorrow it will be. It is the twin brother''s day" - she made a gesture towards the sky - "Go and talk to her as long as you still have time.¡±

    Geral wondered what did she mean by the twin brother''s day, but he could ask that later. For now, Anabella was the only person he could think of.

    As he approached the scaffold, she raised her head, and their eyes met, and at that moment, he was sure that he loved her. It was such a simple, clear, pure sentiment that washed over his heart that he gasped!

    God, how could he have been so blind all this time? Tears found their way out of his eyes and ran slowly down his cheek. People parted from his way, but he did not even see them. It was only her face that he was seeing. Her hand moved a little, trying to wave at him, and a light shone in her eyes.

    ¡°Hello, Geral¡±

    Even this close, her voice was barely audible.

    ¡°Hi, love!¡± ¨C he answered, resting on the scaffold and looking up at her.

    She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, then when she opened her eyes again, a small smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°Sorry that I cannot greet you how I should.¡± - she murmured.

    ¡°That''s only your fault!¡± - one of the guards said, then turned towards Geral ¨C ¡°You''re close enough!¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    They ignored the guard looking at each other for a couple of moments, then Geral spoke:

    ¡°The girls are... gone!?¡±

    He was not sure what he should convey and what not. Anabella smiled, then raised a brow.

    ¡°You''ll take care of them?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡± - he nodded.

    Her face lit hearing that.

    ¡°They should meet you in Hexopolis.¡±- she said.

    ¡°Is it not dangerous to tell me anything?¡± - he wondered.

    ¡°No, Grackak has no power over there. May I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Anything I can do!¡± - he answered eagerly.

    ¡°Please do exactly as I tell you. Once I am dead...¡±

    His eyes widened, and he seemed to want to protest or say something, but he held back. He realized how hard it was for her to even speak and knew that protesting would only tire her out further.

    She continued.

    ¡°Can you please bring my body to Hora''s temple in Hexopolis to be burned there? According to the legends, that would ensure you can meet my spirit when you visit the temple later.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°For the travel, please embalm my body. I have some embalmment material in my luggage; please wrap it immediately so that it does not decay; the road will take a week. In my carriage, there are also Noviel''s and Awa''s belongings. I guess the girls would like to have them back for their sentimental value. Please take the carriage with everything in it and let them choose what they want to have from my things. Will you do that?¡±

    ¡°Sure. How would I meet them?¡±

    "Promise, please!"

    He wondered why is she asking him to promise? Does she not believe him when he just says he will do it? But it was not the time to discuss things. He nodded:

    "I promise!"

    Her face lit, and a smile spread on her lips. She continued:

    ¡°There is an inn, the Red Cock, in the market with the temple. Take a room in that inn; the girls will find you.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°OK¡±

    She gave him another tired smile.

    ¡°That''s all from me.¡± ¨C she looked at him ¨C ¡°Do you have any questions that I may answer before they kill me?¡±

    He gasped. Questions? He had a lot. Where to start?

    ¡°I... I... I want first to apologize.¡±

    She raised a brow. She didn''t seem to want to hear apologies.

    ¡°Apologize? For what Geral? You are pardoned for whatever you may have done!¡±

    He smiled, understanding her, but as he had thought to apologize about Sarah, he remembered that he had not seen her yet.

    ¡°Did you free Sarah? I haven''t seen her!¡±

    A shadow flew over her face.

    ¡°Sarah is gone.¡± - she said.

    He sensed that Anabella was not willing to discuss Sarah any further. There seemed to be an unspoken meaning in her words, but he didn''t want to pry and exhaust her. Though he wanted to come clean about his relationship with Sarah, he knew it wasn''t appropriate to do so in front of everyone. Revealing the truth would only make things worse for Anabella, and he didn''t want to hurt her any further. Despite his desire to ease his conscience, he wouldn''t do it at the expense of her well-being.

    ¡°Oh¡± ¨C he said and changed the subject ¨C ¡°You think the girls would still want to stay with me? Noviel is almost a grown-up!¡±

    Anabella shook her head as much as her constraints allowed.

    ¡°No, no, no! She needs you now more than ever. Please think about it. She had been raised in that camp since she was a small child. She does not know anything about family, and she does not understand privacy. In some areas, she is an old fighter; in others, she is a naive and childish little girl. They were sixty in one dormitory and had a couple of common toilets and a common lavatory. She needs to learn and understand that the world is different from that military camp.¡±

    He nodded, listening to her. Oh, that might explain some of Noviel''s eccentricities. Anabella continued:

    ¡°Awa and Zera are still children. They''ll need guidance for another six or seven years at least.¡±

    He nodded, realizing suddenly that he was fully booked for the next years, and that did not disturb him.

 Chapter 169 â€“ Dont Say A Word About This!

    Geral let out a sigh as he gazed at Anabella''s body, contorted in the infamous pillory. He longed to unlock her and escape together but knew his level was too low to even dream of accomplishing the feat. Even the NPC guards had twice his level, making them too powerful for him to overcome.

    He pondered his options. Anabella appeared to still have an unbroken spirit, but with each passing moment in the pillory, the pressure on her would only increase. Geral felt the panic rising within him as he stood there, helpless to aid her. He knew that leaving her might be necessary to plan and prepare a rescue attempt, but the thought of leaving her alone, even if for a short period, was unbearable. Remaining there would provide her with moral support, but it wouldn''t help free her.

    While lost in thought and fixated on Anabella, Geral had not noticed Dalia approaching. He was startled to hear her speaking next to him. She directed her words to Anabella, saying, "I know you have bigger concerns, but you borrowed some books from the library a few days ago. Is there any chance I could get them back, or did you give them to the runaway slave?"

    Geral''s eyes glared at Dalia as he heard her trivial request. Anabella''s life was in danger, and this insensitive librarian was pestering her for some books?

    Anabella rolled her eyes and responded, "If your goons haven''t displaced them, they must still be in my room."

    ¡°Thanks; with Geral''s approval, I''ll go check.¡± ¨C Dalia said, then, as she wanted to leave, stopped and asked ¨C ¡°Just out of curiosity, what did you do with the city''s history annals and other such books? What could you have possibly used them for?¡±

    Geral just thought that nobody had asked for his permission before when they ransacked his house, but Anabella''s answer upturned all his thoughts:

    ¡°You mean for an NPC?¡±

    He exchanged a surprised look with Dalia, but Anabella let out a scoff and continued. "I highly doubt that sharing my research with you or anyone else will make any difference at this point, but if you must know, I was researching the history and lore of this world. It may not seem important to you, but to some of us, it''s fascinating."

    Dalia raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," she said, then sighed.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Well, I cannot force you to answer, but as you are condemned to die soon, your research will die with you if you do not share it.¡±

    Anabella shrugged. "I have nothing to lose at this point," she replied. "And who knows? Maybe my research will be useful to someone after I''m gone."

    Geral hesitated whether to tell Dalia to stop harassing poor Anabella, but the tone was friendly, and maybe talking about her research would help her think about something else, not about her imminent death.

    Besides, he was also curious to learn what kind of research Anabella was doing.

    Anabella let out a weak smile. ¡°If you can get the guards to unlock me for a while, I would gladly share my research with you!¡±

    Dalia shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, that is beyond my power. You are there by order of our lord Grackak, and I can do nothing about it.¡±

    Our lord Grackak? Geral raised a brow hearing Dalia saying those words, but probably that was the accepted denomination to be used in front of NPCs. Dalia has never used it while in private.

    Anabella chuckled.

    ¡°Well, it was worth a try. Well, I''ve made some interesting discoveries regarding the city itself, regarding the Silver Shrines, angels, and Cala.¡±

    Dalia gasped. ¡°Silver Shrine, angels, and Cala? That might be interesting!¡±

    Seeing her interest, Anabella smiled.

    ¡°Interesting enough to allow me to go home, wash for one last time, and make love to my husband for the last time before being executed?¡±

    Geral had no words surprised by the turn of events.

    Dalia came closer and replied. "It may be. You need to tell me, and if the information is important enough, I may be allowed to grant you these, but you will not be allowed alone with him for any moment."

    Anabella scoffed. ¡°Now, really, you would watch us when we would be doing love?¡±

    Dalia huffed. ¡°Perhaps something can be arranged for your privacy if what you would be telling is really earth-shattering!¡±

    Anabella chuckled. ¡°Earth shattering!? Oh, Well, you can say that the Silver Shrine story is earth-shattering...¡±

    But she didn''t come to tell anything as Dalia had suddenly changed her mind and interrupted her with an agitated voice:

    ¡°Wait! Don''t say a word about this until I am back!¡±

 Chapter 170 â€“ Anabellas Last Supper

    What could Anabella''s research have uncovered that would cause such a strong reaction from Dalia? Geral couldn''t help but wonder if she''ll try to silence Anabella in some way to keep her from speaking out. She might even use a scold''s bridle to silence her.

    Did she not say they were living in a medieval society? Given the medieval practices that were common in those times, anything was possible.

    Hundreds of worried thoughts raced through Geral''s mind as he waited anxiously for Dalia''s return. He observed the market and heard the boisterous comments of the approximately one hundred people who had gathered there.

    He had not realized that the city was growing that fast!

    He scanned the crowd, trying to determine if they were sympathetic to Anabella and her cause. However, it was difficult to gauge their feelings. He couldn''t count on a popular revolt to free Anabella as most of the people looked at her with aggression and anger, though he did catch a few sympathetic glances from time to time.

    Why would anybody feel angry for her for having freed a slave?

    He sighed, turned back his sight to Anabella, and gave her a weak smile. What could he do further to help her?

    To his surprise, Dalia came back after some twenty minutes.

    ¡°Your request has been granted.¡± - she said - ¡°In exchange for information, you may spend your last hours with Geral. You''ll be my responsibility until tomorrow. If I deem the information that you have unimportant, or if you try any foul tricks, you''ll be immediately brought back. Guards, by order of our lord Grackak, unbind her!¡±

    As Geral observed the guards freeing Anabella from the pillory, he pondered what secrets she could have uncovered. He was clueless about any research she may have conducted or her findings and felt a nagging feeling of shame because of that. As her husband, he should have known more.

    But he pushed aside his self-doubt and focused on the present situation. Why would Grackak and his gang go to such lengths to interrogate her?

    He supported Anabella as she struggled to walk, her body weakened from her time in the pillory. Geral hoped he could convince Dalia to remove the magic-absorbing cuffs from her or at least provide her with a healing potion.

    As Geral and Anabella walked along the paved streets toward Dalia''s house, they noticed a small group of people trailing behind their guard escort. Geral gasped in surprise, realizing that they were low-level NPCs, perhaps former slaves or even current ones. These were likely the people that Anabella had been helping, and Geral felt a flicker of hope that he wasn''t alone in his quest to help her.

    Once they arrived at Dalia''s house, the guards positioned themselves around the building while Geral, Anabella, and Dalia went inside.

    ¡°Let''s sit at the table, I''ll have my slaves bring us some food, and we can talk.¡± - Dalia said

    Geral couldn''t help but feel wary, wondering what Dalia''s true intentions were.

    ¡°May I use the toilet and wash before?¡± - Anabella asked, looking tiredly at her dejected appearance.

    Dalia nodded.

    ¡°Before you do so, you''ll have to put this chain to your neck. I''ll remove the cuffs after that." - she raised her hand, retrieving a long and thin chain with a collar at its end from her inventory ¨C ¡°It has been magically enhanced and would restrain your movements."

    Anabella reluctantly agreed, and Dalia fastened the collar to her neck, warning her of the consequences of trying to escape. The collar clicked shut, and Dalia attached the other end of the chain to a pillar in the room before removing Anabella''s handcuffs.

    "The chain will allow you free movement in the house, but you''ll have to leave the doors open.¡±

    Anabella nodded and left the room. Two slave girls entered, and Dalia turned towards one of them.

    ¡°Dothera, go and help Anabella to clean herself. Xithera, we need something to eat. It will be the three of us. I want to eat undisturbed; I will call if I need anything. Except for you, nobody should come to this room. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master!¡± - Xithera nodded. The other slave bowed and ran towards the bathroom.

    As the slaves left the room, Geral sat down at the table with Dalia. He couldn''t help but feel uneasy about the presence of slaves in the house. "You have slaves?" he asked cautiously.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Dalia simply nodded and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Yes, it''s practical," she replied nonchalantly.

    After a few moments, Xithera came back in, bringing a fresh tablecloth and starting to cover the table for dinner. The table arrangement looked worthy of a feudal lord. Geral watched, wondering about Xithera''s efficient and silent work. It was as if she had exercised on and on these movements. Maybe she had acquired a skill?

    Geral frowned and glanced at Dalia. It was surprising to see how fast did Dalia adapt to having slaves and be served.

    ¡°How many slaves do you have?¡± - he wondered.

    ¡°Three house slaves to cook, keep the house clean and functional. It is a big house, after all. Xithera is my best; she coordinates the house slaves. Then I have the slaves working in various areas, two at the guild and four at the library.¡±

    ¡°And they listen to you and do not try to flee?¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°Flee? Most of them are happy with their lives here. On the other hand, the beasts around the city would make a short process and happily feast on any fugitives. We currently have over one hundred city guards and expanding, but they are here mostly to guard against the beasts.¡±

    ¡°How many players are there in the city?¡±

    Dalia shook her head and spoke harshly:

    ¡°Don''t talk about certain things in front of slaves, Geral; you need to learn the rules and conform. Once Anabella comes, I''ll set up a privacy field around us.¡±

    Geral noted the change in tone and nodded, deciding to keep silent until Anabella was back.

    Once Anabella entered the dining room dressed only in a fluffy bathrobe, Geral asked himself what was going on, but Dalia clarified.

    ¡°Come, take a seat at the table. I''ve asked Dothera to have your dress washed.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± - both Geral and Anabella exclaimed, surprised.

    Anabella sighed and turned toward Dalia.

    "Well, what do you want to hear? Where should I start?"

    Dalia laughed.

    "Directly to the subject, eh?" - she gestured towards the table - "We''ll serve ourselves to better keep privacy, so please serve yourself!" - then answered - "Let''s start with Cala. What did you find about her?"

    "Cala, huh?" - Anabella answered while putting soup into her soup plate - "Well, Cala is the only registered player that was refused resurrection..."

    "Nonsense!" - Dalia cut her short with a derisively gesture - "I know of a lot of people who were refused resurrection as they did not have the money requested."

    "You did not let me finish," - countered Anabella with a smile. Geral was happy to see that she was looking much better now. He had to concede to himself that she looked ravishing. How could he even have looked at other women when he had her near him?

    "She was the only player that was refused the resurrection plan by Quetzal, the silver angel." - she said.

    Dalia was stunned while Geral tried to grasp what that meant; his eyes and mind only focused on Anabella.

    "Refused by Quetzal himself? But... but... Is this even possible?"

    Anabella smiled, seeing Dalia''s surprise, and swallowed the soup from her spoon.

    "The soup is very good!" - she nodded appreciatively.

    "But why would Quetzal refuse her?" - Dalia wondered

    "Interesting question, isn''t it? Unfortunately, there is no explanation, but the priest who had made that annotation in the temple''s resurrection registry has put a note with a question mark."

    Dalia raised her brows as she tested the soup and nodded appreciatively.

    "A note with a question mark? What was in the note?" - she wondered.

    Anabella ate, letting the tension rise, then spoke. "She is suspected of having destroyed Nohektas'' main temple and..."

    Dalia furrowed her brows and shook her head.

    "Why would the silver angel have anything to do with that? Nohekta is a different goddess. That''s only NPC nonsense, dear Anabella, but an interesting story. Is this all that is about Cala?"

    Anabella laughed, not angry about being interrupted, and called an NPC.

    "Well, you tend to come to conclusions a little too fast, lady Dalia!" - she countered with a grin - "The temple could be destroyed because somebody had killed Isera, the green angel. It was killed by an assassin, and Cala was seen there the day it was killed. She also knew the temple very well."

    "Wait! Isera, the angel? Killed? Is this true? How can one even kill an angel? One can see an angel only when one is resurrected, so how could one even kill it? But even then, it is a stretch to conclude that Cala killed it.""

    "Yes, but the high priestess of Nohekta, Awala, had directly accused Cala before she herself was killed. It seems Awala had felt betrayed; she herself has introduced Cala to the temple as a trusted friend."

    "Uh. Oh. OK, we can say that she is the main suspect. OK? The fact that the angel refused to accept her resurrection plan is another clue that would indict her, but it is not evidence. I wonder why would Cala do that?¡±

 Chapter 171 - What Is This Obsession With The Sacrifice?

    A slight grin washed over Anabella''s face as she watched Dalia''s reaction. ¡°Interesting isn''t it? But there is more!¡± - she said.

    ¡°There is more to the story?¡± - Geral wondered and got an upset look from Dalia.

    He wasn''t particularly interested in the angel''s story. After all, a high-level assassin would naturally target high-level targets. What could be higher than an angel? What he found intriguing was the intricate relationship between the shrines, angels, high-level NPCs, and the game''s general setup. However, he wasn''t sure if any of these things could be of any help in securing Anabella''s freedom.

    Anabella turned to answer him.

    ¡°As I said, there seems to be more to it, but I am not sure how these things fit together. That''s what I was trying to understand. For instance, the story with the Silver Shrine.¡±

    ¡°Careful what you say about the Silver Shrine! You may cause some trouble if you talk about that, and all you might achieve would be to get yourself silenced in some very inconvenient way. We both don''t want that to happen. I know you have already spoken with several now-dead slaves!¡± - Dalia said hastily.

    Anabella exclaimed, surprised:

    ¡°Several?" - she gasped, sighed, and then shrugged - "I do not plan to talk about the death-touched paragraph or anything around it, Dalia!¡±

    Dalia''s eyes widened in surprise, but Anabella continued:

    "I plan to talk about town annals, Dalia. The town annals hold some fascinating stories, even in this very town. For instance, it''s been recorded that the mayor has been killed numerous times, only to mysteriously reappear. I''ve come across similar accounts in the annals of Lilitown. What makes this story even more interesting is that the incidents began around ten years ago and ceased almost a year ago. There haven''t been any cases like this in the past year!"

    Dalia initially listened with tension but gradually relaxed and ended up shrugging with a hint of a contemptuous smile. "I can assure you that it worked as intended. It''s fascinating that you are interested in researching such things!"

    Dalia''s response didn''t discourage Anabella; she replied confidently, "I''m interested in understanding the connection between the strange events that have occurred in the last ten years. For example, the period of mysterious resurrections coincides with what I call Isera''s period."

    Curious, Dalia asked, "What do you mean by Isera''s period?"

    "I''m referring to the time when Isera existed in this world," Anabella explained.

    Dalia shrugged.

    ¡°Isera is a mythical existence, an angel of a God.¡±

    ¡°Yes, one thinks so, but if one checks the written history, there is no reference to her earlier than ten years ago.¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes, but Anabella continued.

    ¡°Same for the Silver Shrine. There is no documented mention of it earlier than ten years!¡±

    Dalia sighed and gave Anabella a pitied glance.

    ¡°Look, I know this might surprise you and confuse you, and probably I should not tell you, but this is so because this world is only ten years old. This world was created ten years ago for us to have fun in it. Yes, Anabella, this is the simple, damning truth.¡±

    Anabella interrupted her: "I am older than ten years! What am I?"

    Dalia just rolled her eyes, but Geral echoed her: "What are we?¡±

    Dalia shrugged and turned to Geral. "I think we''re just projections of our true selves, Geral. I don''t believe our souls have been pulled into this dimension, as some people speculate. It''s just a computer-generated world, and we''re playing in it! We believe it''s a test where our avatars can continue to play the game."

    ¡°We? Who are we?¡± - Geral wondered.

    ¡°We, the players here in Silver Town. You should come more often out of your house and talk with people, not only NPCs.¡± - Dalia grinned, looking at him.

    Anabella shook her head. ¡°Then why are there historical mentions that go longer than ten years? This city was founded almost one thousand years ago!¡±

    Dalia huffed. ¡°That must be just history that has been put in when they generated the world, Anabella.¡±

    To which Anabella watched her askew. ¡°If it is so, then why did they not put the Silver Shrine also into that history. Why was it omitted?¡±

    Dalia gasped, then shrugged. ¡°Maybe it was just an omission, an error at the world generation.¡±

    Anabella smiled triumphantly. ¡°Oh yes? And the same error happened with Isera, Tenebra, and Quetzal? They all appeared only ten years ago!¡±

    Dalia did not seem impressed. ¡°Interesting point, but if something like this did appear out of nowhere, people would have noticed. There would be a lot of fuss about the sudden apparition of the three angels, wouldn''t it?¡±

    ¡°True.¡± ¨C Anabella nodded, conceding the point, then took a deep breath - ¡±However, being a passionate historian, I did check annals and such documents before. You know, I am older than ten years."

    "You keep on saying that," - Dalia mumbled, but Anabella continued unimpressed:

    "I have a good memory of what I saw some twenty years ago, ten years ago, and now. I know I''ve seen these only in the last ten years, and yet I thought it was OK. It was as it should have been. Only now did I realize that it was not as it should have been!¡±

    Both Dalia and Geral watched her, intrigued.

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± - Dalia asked.

    Anabella sighed. ¡°That maybe there was more to the Silver Shrine. There was some spell that was keeping us blind and docile. Why did I not know about players before? Of course, I knew, but it was OK, you know? It was normal; that was the world. But now it is no longer so since the Silver Shrine is gone, and I''ve seen the same with other spawns like me, or should I say NPCs?¡±

    Dalia raised a brow.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You want to tell me that there was a spell that controlled your behavior? Interesting point of view.¡± - she looked pensively to Geral, then back to Anabella ¨C ¡°There is something in what you said; the NPCs seem to be somehow awakened.¡±

    Anabella gave her a bright smile.

    ¡°So whoever destroyed that Shrine might have done us, spawns, a big service, and to tell the truth, I suspect it was...¡±

    Dalia wanted to stop her, but she just spoke further.

    ¡°¡­ Cala¡±

    A surprised Dalia wondered:

    ¡°Cala?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She had been seen here before the shrine was destroyed. She also had a motive as the shrine had refused to guarantee her the resurrection, and she had the experience as she is known to have killed the other angel and thus destroyed the green shrine.¡±

    ¡°That''s an interesting theory. But why would she do that?¡±

    Anabella shrugged.

    ¡°I don''t mean the idiot who did his work and unknowingly participated in destroying the shrine; I think Cala did the hard work to kill the angel. If the angel were still alive, he would have fixed the shrine. Somebody had to kill that angel, and I know of only one person who had killed one.¡±

    Geral rested his chin in his hand, looking at Anabella. ¡°That''s a heavy accusation you make based on some clues but no hard proof. What game would Cala have? Just killing angels?¡±

    Anabella shrugged, finishing her soup bowl.

    Dalia smiled, seeing her finish it.

    ¡°You want some more? Or should we go to the next course? I want to warn you that Xithera is preparing a six-course dinner!¡±

    ¡°You shouldn''t have...¡± - Anabella instinctively protested.

    ¡°Oh, I do. It is your last dinner, unfortunately...¡± ¨C Dalia answered with a sigh.

    ¡°Is there nothing that can be done?¡± - Geral wondered, putting the spoon down after having also finished the soup.

    Dalia shrugged. ¡°Grackak is not a person who cannot be talked to, but you gave him no other choice.¡±

    Geral furrowed his brows, not understanding. Dalia pulled a cord, probably ringing a bell somewhere. The isolation through Dalia''s spell was so good that they heard nothing, but soon Xithera appeared and started to remove the used dishes and prepare the table for the next course.

    ¡°What do you mean by giving him no other choice?¡± - Geral asked

    Dalia sighed. ¡°Derona was to be sacrificed tomorrow, for the day of sacrifices, to the twin Gods.¡±

    Geral exclaimed, surprised. ¡°What? Do we make human sacrifices now? What''s wrong with you people?¡±

    Dalia waited for Xithera to leave and then answered.

    ¡°Geral, don''t forget that we live in a virtual world that was created to be as it is. Here Gods exist! Here sacrifices matter!¡±

    Anabella whistled. ¡°It''s interesting to see that you believe in Gods, but due to the wrong reasons.¡±

    Dalia sighed. ¡°Why wrong reasons? I simply know that they exist because it is how this world has been made!¡±

    Anabella shrugged. ¡°Are you sure? I''ve told you that the world is older. Here, below the Silver Town, there was a dungeon. That dungeon disappeared, and the shrine appeared. The dungeon existed because the magic ley lines have a congruence here. All that magic energy has been channelled into the shrine. Somebody did transform the world ten years ago.¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes. Geral rubbed his temples.

    ¡°What is with that sacrifice tomorrow? Can''t he choose another slave if he wants one so urgent?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now it is ok if it is another slave? The problem is: it must be a white mage or a priest with at least level twenty. You see, this limits his options a lot.¡± - Dalia''s voice became more serious. She turned from Geral to Anabella ¨C ¡°Anabella, you don''t have to die tomorrow. All you have to do is tell me where Derona is or give me some information about her escape plan. I understand that you were involved in it, so you must know more details. If your girls are also involved, we can overlook that for now. Olomuc and his dragon could easily find Derona, which would save you. I might even be able to persuade Grackak to let you live as a slave with Geral for a few years until your punishment is complete. That''s quite a generous offer. However, time is running out, and our chances of finding her are decreasing.¡±

    She turned again to Geral.

    ¡°Bring another priest for sacrifice, and she may be pardoned. Can you bring one until tomorrow morning?¡±

    Geral sighed.

    ¡°What is this obsession with sacrifice for tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°It is a rite in this world, Geral. We live here!¡± - Dalia explained.

    Anabella sighed. ¡°Tomorrow is the twin Gods'' day, Gomer and Ethea. The legend says that one day, long ago, after the twin Gods met in the sky like they will do tomorrow, Ethea birthed Eledor. Eledor brought years of famine and disasters until it found its place in the sky, which is why it is of use to make sacrifices to appease the Gods. Besides, priestesses know how to help avoid pregnancies, which is why a priestess is always sent to Ethea to help her avoid getting pregnant. By the way, the silver shrine is dedicated to the two Gods.¡±

    "Did you not say that the silver shrine was created only ten years ago? And now it is linked to an old religion?" - Dalia huffed.

    Anabella sighed. "I did, true. The Silver Shrine took the place of the old twin Gods shrine, which exited before."

    "Oh," - Dalia shrugged, then turned to Geral - ¡°What she tells is a legend referring to the giant gas planet Eledor. Probably it was added to the lore of this world. Can you believe that the natives have seen this cosmic phenomenon and given that information over generations? When, probably, at the time, only protozoa could have lived on the planet? Besides, that could not have happened that way, which contradicts astrophysics. Stars do not give birth to giant gas planets! This is another proof that this world was done, is not a real world, if you still need such proof!¡±

    Geral sighed. ¡°Oh, and because of some stupid lore, you plan to kill my girl?¡±

    Dalia shrugged again and spoke to Geral: ¡°As I said, she does not have to die. Especially not now, after the info she gave us about Cala. I guess Grackak will declare Cala an official enemy of the state and put a high reward for her capture."

    She turned to Anabella: "Even if what you say are only suppositions, the story seems to fit. Cala already had a price on her head since she killed six citizens of the city. That prize will now probably be raised. You two could happily live in this city as citizens. Just let us have Derona back.¡±

    ¡°It''s not healthy to live in this city¡± ¨C Anabella said to which Dalia raise inquiringly her brows.

    Anabella continued ¨C ¡°The magic density is too high. Due to it, the area will slowly transform into a dungeon. One can already see how wildlife transforms and evolves. Why do you have all those quests to clean areas that never end? People will start to be transformed, too. You do not know if the dungeon will start forming a core or how it will evolve. The moment it forms a core, it would be the end of you!¡±

    ¡°It is true that spawns are influenced by it. I don''t think it can affect us players. We play in these dungeons, Anabella!¡±

    ¡°You play, but you do not live in them! The dungeon will try to transform and adapt you too, to use you for its purposes.¡±

    Dalia shrugged, and then she stood up a bit abruptly.

    ¡°Well, that was an interesting conversation, and I got my info, so I will keep my word. I will leave now. There are still four courses Xithera has prepared for the supper. Please enjoy them. Have fun, you two! See you in the morning!¡±

    As soon as Dalia left, the two stood looking at each other for a couple of moments. Geral opened his mouth to talk, but Anabella stood up and put a finger over his lips, silencing him; then she let the bathrobe slip from her shoulders, revealing her marble-like, perfect body. Geral''s eyes widened in surprise. She approached him slowly, and he embraced her, feeling her lithe body close to his.

 Chapter 172 â€“ A Real Magical World

    They lay in bed together, with him on his back and her leaning against his side, her back pressed into him as she slept soundly with her head resting on his outstretched arm. It was a peaceful and trusting moment, with her slender body nestled perfectly against his and her hands holding his own. He gazed at her flawless profile and exquisite features, marveling at how stunningly beautiful she was. Could he ever grow tired of admiring such perfection, he wondered to himself. And to think, she was his wife - what a truly wonderful and beautiful girl she was.

    He had thought that her being an undead would mean she would be cold and not able to really understand love, but he had been proven wrong. Oh, far from it; she had been incredibly sensible, delicate, and kind.

    And then, tired but satisfied, she had fallen asleep.

    He lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. He tried to process the events of the night, but it all seemed unreal. She had refused to discuss anything important. Oh, she had talked with him about their daughters and what he should do with them and how to instruct them.

    And they had made love. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the warm memories flooded his brain.

    In a strange way, everything felt as if, finally, each puzzle piece of their lives had slipped into the right place. Everything had become perfect; everything worked as it should, and they understood each other perfectly and synchronized perfectly as if his breathing would suit them both as if his heart would beat for them both.

    Had they been predestined to be together? Was it meant to be this way? But then, for such a short time?

    They wanted to kill her the next day, and he couldn''t do anything about it! His lower lip started trembling again, and he had to make an effort to not jump on his feet and scream. His eyes wandered again to her, and slowly, peace returned to his heart.

    He was stunned by the realization that she had sold her secrets and asked Dalia for a respite only for him. It was not a ruse to get more time to be able to talk about some last-minute desperate escape plan. No. It had been meant only for him.

    And that hurt as he knew he did not deserve her.

    He pressed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder, and she moaned softly, still deep in her dream. He let out a heavy sigh, unable to muster the strength to wake her up, allowing her to relish in another moment of peace.

    Despite everything, he still held onto the hope of a miracle.

    When he heard the sound of the main door creaking open, he knew the privacy spell that Dalia had cast over the house was broken, and their time had come.

    Dalia stood in the doorway and grinned.

    "Hello, lovebirds. It''s time," she spoke casually, as though they were merely getting ready to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before exploring the town as if they were on their honeymoon.

    It felt like it. It was so absurd that he sat naked in bed and watched Dalia with big round eyes, his brain refusing to function.

    Two slave girls entered beside Dalia, laughingly in the room, to help dress Anabella for the festivity.

    Dalia rolled her eyes.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Put a pair of trousers on, Geral; you are shaming my girls, and come for breakfast. We need to move fast; we cannot be late.¡±

    As if they were going to a feast.

    The day had been a nightmare for him, like living through a terrible dream where the outcome was inevitable and unchangeable.

    The ceremony itself had been long and elaborate, with a whole array of magical effects and flower petals scattered over the scaffold, but the result was exactly as he had feared: he found himself kneeling before her decapitated body. They kept her body and severed head on display for an entire hour, chanting their meaningless incantations as he watched in horror as her dark blood flowed from the severed neck, first in a torrent, then in a trickle, until it finally stopped altogether.

    And they chanted and chanted, covering his screams. Had he even screamed?

    Finally, when he was allowed, he placed her severed head in her lap, lifted the lifeless body in his arms with ease, and brought her to the carriage.

    He now had a mission to complete.

    He took her to the wagon and started embalming her.

    With trembling hands, he sewed her head back and then embalmed the head too. When he was finished, he finally took a deep breath and looked around, and he realized that it was already getting late.

    The town''s doors would be closed by now, and he realized that he would have to spend another night in the city. They would not open the doors, especially for him; he had no such authorization, and besides, it would be really dangerous to try to navigate the city''s vicinity by night. He will have to spend another night in the town.

    Another night, just the two of them, him and Anabella!

    He huffed at the thought and looked at the embalmed body beside him. He asked himself what the sense of all this was? Was anybody outside in the real world looking at the game and watching him suffering? Was this some kind of new entertainment? Why was this whole environment still being maintained? Who paid for the entire set of servers, the hardware, and the energy consumption? What for? To watch him crying? It was so absurd!

    Were they enjoying their existence studying them like fishes in an aquarium? His stomach was rumbling from hunger, but he could not decide to leave her dead body and go eat something. He had refused to eat at the religious feast they had done when they''d murdered Anabella, but now he was ravenous.

    Did this matter? Did it matter if this virtual body would not eat? But he knew the consequences would be the same as if not eating in real life.

    A shout brought him back to reality.

    ¡°Hey, Geral!¡±

    He turned and saw Olomuc''s head peaking inside the carriage.

    ¡°Olomuc!¡± - he answered, then pointed at Anabella''s body ¨C ¡°Are you happy with yourself now?¡±

    Olomuc sighed, then hinted behind him.

    ¡°Do you hear the city still celebrating the great sacrifice? The twin Gods have been appeased for now. Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± ¨C Geral said while his stomach said otherwise

    ¡°I have some grilled sausages that I could save from Fify. If you are interested, come down and eat some with me. Anyhow you cannot leave the city now. ¡±

    Olomuc''s head disappeared from view, and Geral heard him as he made himself comfortable beside the carriage. He sighed and went out. Olomuc looked at his red eyes and nodded, not saying a word. He patted the stones beside him.

    ¡°Come sit beside me, or do you have some chairs in your chariot? You still could use those from the house?¡±

    ¡°I''m not going inside the house!¡±

    Olomuc shrugged.

    ¡°And where will you piss? Don''t tell me you piss on the street; that''s against the law!¡±

    Geral snorted. Olomuc had his way of unbalancing him.

    ¡°Well, you''re right. Let me just go in and wash myself.¡±

    Ten minutes later, they were sitting beside the chariot, eating warm sausages with bread. Geral sighed:

    ¡°I was wondering what the meaning of all this simulation is. Why is this fucking game still running?¡± Who maintains this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that your love is dead, it is a fucking game? I thought that you agreed with me that this is real?¡± - Olomuc questioned

    Geral sighed again: ¡°How can this be real? We both know that it started as a game. There is no fucking chance in hell that it is real!¡±

    Olomuc placed a greasy hand on his shoulder: ¡°Trust me, it is real. I knew it from the very first moment. I can feel it. This is not a game.¡±

    Geral watched him, wondering: ¡°From the very first moment? But even the image was imperfect at the time, and the NPCs behaved so constrained!¡±

    Olomuc sighed. ¡°Yes, and yet the world was too big. What we saw was imperfect, but if you studied a plant, you realized it was a perfect plant. Only our sight was limited, as if by a limited transmission. I don''t know. Maybe a limited receiver? Whatever...¡±

    ¡°And the NPCs?¡± - Geral asked.

    Olomuc shrugged. ¡°They still did all those complex works; they still interacted with each other. The contrived action was only in regard to us, but you had to observe them. The beasts were eating each other, and other beasts were eating grass, just what you expect to see in a real world. I have never seen something that would not pass the real-world test.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡±

    Olomuc laughed. ¡°Well, yes, magic. You can say a real magical world.¡±

    Geral huffed but did not comment any further. He had, for a moment, forgotten that Anabella lay dead in the chariot behind him.

    He sighed.

 Chapter 173 â€“ Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire -S

    <u> </u>

    Spartacius took refuge between a couple of massive rocks, forming a makeshift shelter, and attempted to regulate his rapid and uneven breathing. His lungs were on fire, his legs barely obeying his commands, and sweat trickled down his temples and back. He wiped the perspiration off his forehead with the back of his hand and listened intently to detect any sounds of his pursuers still on his trail.

    The silence was ominous. Spartacius couldn''t tell if his pursuers had given up or if they were trying to surround him. He was aware that he might have entered an area filled with dangerous beasts, and the orcs might have been cautious about pursuing him in such an environment.

    He glanced down at his left hand, which was covered in blood and missing a finger - the same finger that had held the ring.

    He cursed himself for what he had done. It was a colossal screw-up that had likely doomed Alice and the others to a slow and terrible death. He desperately tried to recall the path he had taken and where precisely the ring had gone missing.

    It all began when he discovered a narrow escape route from their prison. Upon his return, he suggested that they all hide in the ring''s enormous barn while he led them out. Alice disagreed, claiming that she was stronger and faster and would have a better chance of escaping on her own. However, he argued that a group escape would be unlikely to succeed. Even with Cala, they had barely survived and had been pushed into their current prison; how could Alice do it alone? Sid couldn''t assist them, as most of the passage was too narrow for him, except for one or two enormous caverns. Some parts of the route were too narrow, even for the Lynx.

    Where force would not succeed, a ruse might. He had a goblin transformation disguise in his inventory that could help him pass as a hobgoblin, and in the worst-case scenario, he might have to collaborate with the orcs for a while. The transformation spell was only meant for him, tailor-made for a specific quest. If he had to fight, he would open the portal and summon Alice and the Lynx.

    They debated for hours before finally agreeing to his plan. Tina had suggested waiting for Cala to rescue them. The Lynx was simply against it and believed they needed a better idea. However, after much discussion, he was able to convince Sid and Tina to support his plan. Alice and the Lynx remained opposed but ultimately agreed to go along with the majority. With Sid and Tina on board, they all entered the ring''s barn, and he set off on his own.

    Things went smoothly at first as he slipped through the narrow passage, but he soon found himself caught between two groups of approaching goblins, leaving him with no choice but to find a hiding spot.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    However, before he could find a suitable hiding spot, one of the goblins spotted him and gestured in his direction. He briefly considered fighting them off but ultimately chose diplomacy and waved back. The goblins approached him in a friendly manner.

    Despite not being able to speak the goblin language, he was well-versed in their sign language. It was a highly developed method of communication that was widely used among different tribes, as their spoken languages varied greatly. He had interacted with goblins before and had even struck some deals with them, although most of their encounters usually ended in violent clashes. But this time, he was disguised as a hobgoblin, so things should go more smoothly.

    Unfortunately, he had miscalculated their cunning and greed. He did not expect the smaller goblins to attack him. He had correctly judged that he would be victorious in a fight with them, but they did not intend to fight him, just to rob him.

    As they passed a very narrow passage between two rooms, where he had to slip with the feet first, one of the goblins behind him swiftly cut off his finger with the ring and fled. Of course, the damn goblins had seen the ring was of value.

    He pursued the culprit, but the others obstructed his path. He lost valuable time fighting and driving them away before continuing his pursuit. The goblins tossed the ring back and forth among themselves, attempting to confuse him. He would have lost the ring in the dark caverns if it hadn''t been for Tina''s spell. She had enchanted the ring with a simple light spell that would activate as soon as it lost connection with him. When one of the goblins had removed the ring from the severed finger, he triggered the spell and revealed its location.

    Upon seeing the light of the ring activate, he swiftly turned towards the little goblin who had been hiding in a crevasse behind him. With his sword in hand, he plunged it into the crevasse, hoping to force the little goblin to give him the ring back; however, to his dismay, the frightened little goblin yelled and dropped the ring, and tried to flee to the side.

    He ignored the little goblin watching with dismay as the ring fell deeper and deeper into the seemingly bottomless crevasse. The crevasse was getting narrower and narrower, the ring hitting against the walls but still falling, its light getting weaker and weaker.

    As he stood there, a goblin jumped on his back, attempting to slit his throat. He fought back, killing the goblin and a few others while the rest fled in terror. After the scuffle, he turned back to the crevasse, but he could no longer see the ring''s light.

    Soon after, the goblins returned with a vengeance, and he found himself running from their hobgoblin clan. The chase was relentless, and even the orcs joined in with their hounds. Only through sheer luck did he manage to escape the cavern and evade his pursuers.

    He made another attempt to recollect the spot where he had lost the ring, but even if the caverns were completely unoccupied, he doubted he would ever be able to locate that exact place again. He would need to search the caverns systematically, eventually with a team. He shut his eyes and vowed to himself that he would return. He would persist until he found a way to liberate Tina, Alice, the Lynx, and Sid. But the question was, would they be able to survive and endure until his eventual return?

 Chapter 174 â€“ Hope and Sausages for Breakfast - G

    Having spent the entire night either awake or sleeping beside Anabella''s lifeless body, Geral departed the city at daybreak when the gates were unlocked. A group of merchants had formed a caravan behind him while he waited for the gates to open, but he soon discovered that they were headed in a different direction and would only be accompanying him for a small portion of the journey through some ruined quarters of the city. Dalia had been present at the gate, but he tried to avoid her gaze. Too many painful memories were associated with her. She simply nodded at him when the gates opened but did not approach him to shake hands or say anything.

    As he rode on the west-headed road towards the heart of the republic, Geral could hear the caravan trailing just behind his carriage for the first few hundred meters. However, at the first bifurcation, the merchants turned left to take the southwest trek towards the border town of Komran, leaving Geral to ride alone.

    He progressed slowly through the spooky, silent city quarters, cautious of any noises. The area was unusually quiet, with the eerie landscape blanketed in a depressing grey hue.

    As soon as he left the eerie, desolate city quarters and reached the old city limits, a peculiar vegetation began to sprout.

    The magical storm had ravaged the land; what was once a thriving area of fertile fields and solitary farms that had once fed the city had been transformed into a depressing grey landscape.

    This new flora seemed to have taken over this part, some of them having beautiful and innocent-looking flowers contrasting with the grey landscape, others already giant and contorted, looking like wicked old trees frozen at the moment when they tried to grab you.

    The view was still limited to a few hundred meters, and strange noises could be heard intermittently, sometimes followed by violent clashes. Fortunately, the road remained deserted, and he was able to keep the horses at a steady trot.

    The road was in good shape, and his carriage continued to move swiftly along it. He wondered if the city was still maintaining it or was so from before? How long will it stay in good shape? Could they keep up with all those roads? Were they using slave labor, or some good mages were doing it?

    He had been traveling for hours, surrounded by a never-ending blanket of fog and a bleak landscape, when finally, as the first signs of green grass appeared, the horses lightened their pace, and Geral breathed a sigh of relief when the suns broke through the veil of clouds.

    The most treacherous part of the journey was now behind him, and he began to search for a suitable spot to stop and rest.

    As he gazed up at the two suns, which were closer together than he remembered, he raised his fist and let out a curse, remembering the Twin Gods'' day and the sacrifice.

    Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in the sky, and his heart raced as he thought a giant predator was coming for him. For a moment, he feared the Gods might be punishing him for his insolence; however, he soon recognized the shape as Fify, Olomuc''s dragon, and breathed a sigh of relief.

    To his surprise, the dragon came closer and, in the end, landed beside his carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust that enveloped Geral and the carriage. He quickly covered his face with his right arm to protect his eyes and soon heard the orc''s voice.

    "Early on your way!" Olomuc wondered.

    Geral nodded, spitting dust to the side, then waved to the orc.

    The orc laughed and looked down at him from the height of Fify''s back, where the air was clean.

    "Sorry for the dust!"

    The dragon stepped closer to the chariot, causing the horses to neigh in fear. Geral had to strain the lines to keep them from running away.

    The orc asked, "Time for a break?"

    Geral nodded again and pointed towards a small group of trees, where a creek was meandering through the fields and getting close to the road. Once he drove the carriage under the trees and freed the horses, Geral tried to calm them down and let them graze on some fresh grass. He approached the orc, who was already brewing coffee over an improvised fire.

    Geral inhaled deeply, the alluring aroma of coffee reaching his nostrils.

    "Coffee?" he wondered, glancing at Olomuc.

    The orc let out a soft laugh, "Not quite coffee, but a plant that shares a similar scent. It''s one of my personal endeavors. It might even have some additional effects, but it''s just as good as the real thing."

    Curiosity piqued, Geral asked, "Additional effects?" He then shrugged and raised a brow. "Do you still have some of those sausages?"

    Olomuc nodded in affirmation. "It provides a minor boost to vitality and a decrease in intelligence, but that won''t matter to a non-caster like yourself. Sausages, you say? Of course, I have some! That''s another one of my little projects. I have a couple of farms up north that produce them for me."

    Geral was taken aback by this news. "You''re a farmer?"

    Olomuc bared his teeth, revealing two rows of white and yellow teeth, and let out a hearty laugh. "You could say that! I helped some struggling farmers and resettled them up there. They handle the labor, and I oversee the planning and quality control, like testing the sausages, you know, and also marketing and distribution!"

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    As Geral and Olomuc munched happily on a mountain of sausages, Fify amused herself by playing with the horses. The dragon''s movements were so gentle that Geral realized the horses weren''t frightened at all; Fify must have been doing something right.

    Curious, Geral asked Olomuc, "Is Fify not going to eat them?"

    Olomuc shook his head, correcting Geral by saying,

    "She, not he! She knows you need them, and I don''t think she''ll volunteer to carry your carriage."

    Fify snorted and glanced at them, causing the horses to jump further away in surprise before calming down.

    Geral rolled his eyes, realizing the dragon could perfectly understand them, then brought up a question that had been nagging him since Anabella''s imprisonment.

    "Why do you serve Grackak?" he asked.

    The orc watched him with indignation in his eyes and replied, "I do not serve him; I am helping him. There is a difference!"

    Geral wasn''t going to let the matter slide so easily. "So, you don''t serve Grackak, your lord?" he pressed.

    The orc sighed in response. "That''s just a term we use for the sake of convenience, of impressing the spawns."

    Geral was taken aback by the response and almost choked on a piece of half-chewed sausage.

    "Wait, you''re the one person in this world who I thought wouldn''t call the NPCs ''spawns'' in a dismissive manner!"

    Olomuc chuckled softly and patted him on the back, nearly knocking him over.

    "Well, they do refer to themselves as spawns of this world. It''s easier than saying ''sapient beings of this world,'' but to me, it''s all the same. The spawns are used with a more authoritarian regime. They would not respect a weak leader, even in their republics."

    He shrugged.

    "But let''s not talk about spawns anymore. You were wondering why I support Grackak? He''s one of the few people from our world who''s trying to build up a society here, which is no easy feat. He has some controversial recruitment methods, but what he really does is force some players to come here, give them several tasks to help improve the town, and then let them decide if they want to join the society or leave. It''s mostly worked out okay, except for that stupid assassin who didn''t like his methods and decided to show it by killing a bunch of citizens. Technically, she had the right to fight back, but killing those poor sobs was a bit of an overreaction on her part."

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°I had not been here when she came, so I speak only from what I''ve heard. I had warned him that he was overdoing it, but yeah, that is Grackak. So, no, I do not serve him, but I support him... for the time being."

    Geral swallowed and took another sausage from the plate. "For the time being?"- he wondered.

    Olomuc sighed.

    "You know, funny thing. I am an orc, and I see the republic having attacked the orcs without reason, just because they are orcs. I was thinking of going to support them."

    "Support the wild orcs?"

    He shrugged." Maybe."

    ¡°What can a lonely person do?¡± - Geral wondered

    Olomuc raised a brow.

    ¡°I''m the highest level around. I am level ninety-two,¡± ¨C he said without Geral having to ask him ¨C ¡°And I have Fify. We certainly can make an impact.¡±

    ¡°What level does Grackak have?¡±

    Olomuc shook his head. ¡°That''s a state secret. You won''t know unless you''re able to see for yourself."

    Olomuc leaned in closer to Geral, his voice lowering to a whisper.

    "Well, I''m going to leave; I wanted to remind you something. You swore to do something for Anabella. I think you will do it, isn''t it?¡±

    Geral hesitated for a moment, his mind racing with the implications of such a question. Why would Olomuc question that?

    He answered instinctively in a whisper: ¡°Yes,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I will do it. Why do you ask?¡±

    Olomuc wet his lips and repeated himself.

    ¡°I mean, you will do it exactly as she asked you, isn''t it?¡±

    Geral nodded again, his eyes questioning.

    ¡°That''s the plan.¡±

    Olomuc gazed at Geral, considering whether to say more. Finally, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°You do know that Anabella was an undead, right?¡±

    Geral nodded. ¡°Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? I will still keep my promise to her, no matter what.¡±

    A strange glint appeared in Olomuc''s eyes. ¡°Are you not suspicious of anything?¡±

    Geral frowned. ¡°What should I be suspicious of?¡±

    The orc stood up and then sat back down. ¡°Okay. Under certain conditions, the undead can survive even if they are killed. It''s still relatively rare, but... okay. It''s possible that she gave you instructions to bring her back to life.¡±

    Geral''s heart rate skyrocketed. ¡°You don''t really think...¡±

    Olomuc shook his head. ¡°No, I don''t think so, but I did have my suspicions.¡±

    Geral''s eyes widened in fear. "Are you following me to kill her if--"

    Olomuc looked at him, surprised, then sighed and shrugged as Fify snorted again, scaring the horses.

    "No, Geral. I only cleared the roads near the city for you. They''re too dangerous for a level twenty player, especially when traveling alone. That''s why I followed you. Also, I wanted to say goodbye to a friend."

    He stood up and put the now empty plate in his inventory.

    Geral got up as well, his face red from shame, realizing what he had done. "Wait, wait! Thank you, and... do you really think there''s a chance?"

    Olomuc smiled and shrugged.

    "You''ll tell me when we meet again. Take care of yourself and do exactly what she told you. Maybe there is still hope!"

    He shook Geral''s hand and whistled. Fify stopped playing with the horses and came over with a happy grin on her dragon face.

    As they left, Geral''s heart was pounding heavily in his chest. Did Anabella plan her resurrection? But how could burning her body on the altar of a temple help with her resurrection?

    However, those were the instruction; maybe there was a way?

    He turned towards the carriage with new hope in his heart.

 Chapter 175 â€“ Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here - A

    Suddenly, their small world was jolted once more, causing Alice and the Lynx to exchange a concerned glance. It was clear that something unusual was happening outside. Though there was a stabilization enchantment in place for their world within the ring, it was of mediocre quality. While normal movements of the ring bearer were barely noticeable, sudden movements could translate into small tremors or even seesaw-like motions.

    Sid wondered aloud, "What does this mean?"

    Tina''s expression turned more anxious as she insisted on the idea that she had been trying to convey for some time, "Spartacius is probably in trouble. Shouldn''t we open the portal and go help him?"

    The Lynx let out a low growl, uncertain what course of action to suggest.

    Alice stepped in, shaking her head in disapproval.

    "We agreed with Spartacius that he would open the portal if he needed our help. We don''t have to jump out and create problems where there were none." - she said.

    Spartacius had been adamant that they shouldn''t open the portal from within the ring. Doing so would create hazardous circumstances that could jeopardize his safety as well as that of anyone attempting to exit through the portal. Even though the portal spell did provide some measure of protection for the ring bearer, accidents were still a possibility. For instance, the cord or the stairs could be accidentally severed if the bearer was climbing a ravine. Moreover, the spell didn''t offer any safeguard for those who emerged from the portal. If the portal opened above a gorge or ravine, then it would be a stroke of bad luck.

    "But what if he can''t open the portal?" Tina pressed, her worry palpable.

    "You mean he''s already been overpowered?" Alice exchanged another look with the Lynx. "But it''s quiet now..."

    "Maybe too quiet," Tina said with a sigh, then wondered aloud.

    "He was maybe overpowered and is now lying on the ground?"

    Sid shrugged and offered his opinion, "Or maybe he''s hiding in a corner?"

    ¡°And that''s a reason to open the portal?¡± - The Lynx wondered.

    They waited some more, looking worried at each other.

    Hours later, the Lynx sighed and spoke up, "OK, maybe we should get out and check!"

    He looked to Alice for agreement with his ears low on his head, a sign that he was feeling embarrassed. He was slowly getting the feeling that Tina had been right and they had made a mistake opposing her.

    Alice nodded, "True, it''s taking too long. Something is off... Okay, I''ll open it and jump out first; you follow after you hear from me, not before!"

    Sid interjected, "Shouldn''t I first launch a black breath strike?"

    Alice shook her head, "No. You might kill somebody who shouldn''t be killed. Let us check first!"

    However, Sid was still uncertain, "But then how will I know and help you?" Alice understood his eagerness to help. She came closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You stay here and listen. You are our backup! If we need you and there is room for you out there, we''ll call you."

    This said, she turned and approached the portal lever, exchanged a glance with the Lynx, then opened it.

    Just as she was about to step inside, a huge chunk of rock fell inside and narrowly missed crushing her but for her lightning-fast reaction.

    "What the hell?" Tina exclaimed.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Suddenly, their cavern started shaking again, and more rocks fell in.

    The Lynx yelled at Alice, "Turn it off!"

    They turned the portal off and waited, looking tensely at each other. The shaking stopped after another couple of shudders.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± - Sid repeated, looking at the large mound of rocks that had accumulated in front of the entry.

    ¡°Should I open again?¡± - Alice wondered

    The Lynx took a deep breath.

    ¡°Let''s try... If it''s starting shaking again, close it immediately!¡±

    Alice nodded and reopened the portal, and again some rocks fell in, but this time the barn did not shake. Then nothing.

    The Lynx breathed in relief and turned to Alice.

    ¡°Alice, do you have a spear or something? Can you poke through the portal?¡±

    Alice raised a brow but did as he had asked. The spear encountered something hard on the other side. She tried different points with the same result.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± - Tina wondered.

    The Lynx sighed. ¡°That the portal is facing a wall or something... No, a wall would have been broken by the portal; judging by all the stones we got in, we are facing the mountain...¡±

    Tina''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You mean we cannot get out?¡±

    The Lynx nodded.

    "How did you know?" - Alice wondered.

    The Lynx turned to Sid.

    "It means we just have to wait for some time. Can you please take care of Tina for a moment? I have a private problem to discuss with Alice."

    Sid wondered. "A private problem?"

    The Lynx nodded. "Yes, it won''t take long. Be a good boy and help me, please?"

    Sid rolled his eyes and sighed. "It reminds me somehow of my paps and ma. OK, OK, if Tina feeds me some sausages, I might be interested?"

    Tina smiled happily: "OK, here you are."

    The Lynx sighed and walked away. Alice followed him in the darkness until she almost collided with him as he stopped.

    "I think we have reached the end of the barn," - the Lynx whispered.

    Alice placed a hand on his shoulder and felt it strained. She tried to look into his eyes, but it was too dark.

    "So what is it?" - she whispered back.

    The Lynx sighed.

    "Keep your voice low. If I am right, we are sitting in our tomb. I suspect that the poor boy had dropped the ring, or he may have been killed, and the ring fell. That must have been the shaking. When we opened the portal, it shook and moved the ring, which must have fallen somewhere even deeper with the portal cutting the stone; that''s why we got all that bulk in here."

    He sighed again.

    "We have no way to get out. At the entry, I smelled only stale air. We must be in some narrow gap inside the cavern with not much air circulating through it. We might have only so long to live as much air as we have in here. That''s not very long.¡±

    Alice''s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°What about Cala and White Flower?" - she wondered - "They promised to pull us out of here.¡±

    The Lynx kept silent for a couple of moments, then after another sigh, he answered.

    ¡°Unfortunately, they will not be able to do it. The rocks that fell inside when we opened the portal contain a lot of magicore. This is a mineral that conducts magic. One of its uses is to defuse magic spells, and the rocks around us must contain tons of it. If White Flower tries the spell, it will backfire on her.¡±

    Alice kept silent for a moment. ¡°Are you sure?¡± - she whispered.

    He nodded, then realizing that she could not see him, he answered. ¡°I wish I wouldn''t be, but it is as I say.¡±

    He raised his head and looked at her. He still could see her even in the darkness.

    ¡°What do we do? Should we tell them?¡± - he asked.

    She did not answer. He continued. ¡°Tina is a kid. Sid is a grown-up dragon with a kid''s mind. Actually, Spartacius was a similar case, and probably, we condemned him to death when we allowed him to try to save us. It was wrong.¡±

    Alice placed her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°I still think that we should tell them, but not about the magicore problem. They should still be allowed to hope.¡±

    The Lynx nodded. ¡°Agree¡±

 Chapter 176 â€“ Death, Resurection and a Bloody Inquisitor - G

    After Olomuc departed, Geral quickly gathered and harnessed the horses to the carriage. He climbed up onto the carriage and shook the reins, urging the horses into a light trot. The carriage bounced and swayed in a steady rhythm on the paved road while Geral''s heart was full of hope once again. At least he had the restraint to not launch the horses in a gallop, even if he felt like it. It was still a long way to Hexopolis in the North of the republic.

    Geral''s mind was racing with questions as he pondered Anabella''s instructions. Why did she choose that remote town for him to go to? Did she want to ensure the girls'' safety, or was there another reason? There were many temples of Hora closer to their location, so why did Anabella specify that particular one? Geral wondered if he should take Anabella''s body to a different temple to speed up her recovery, but he was unsure how burning her body would trigger her resurrection, respawn, or revival. He wished Olomuc had given him clearer instructions on the available options. Why did the orc, too, have to be so secretive?

    Letting out a heavy sigh, he cursed the fact that he had never played as an undead race and had no idea how their resurrection process worked. He scolded himself to follow Anabella''s instructions without question. Trying to recall every word she spoke, he wondered if he had missed any crucial details that could render the whole plan useless.

    As his mind raced with these thoughts, he did not pay much attention to his surroundings.

    The sudden sound of his horses whinnying nervously startled him, and he swore as he noticed figures moving up ahead. Before he could react, riders appeared from both sides, blocking his path.

    As he looked behind, he saw another group approaching. Initially, he thought they were robbers, but to his surprise, he recognized some of them as soldiers from the Silver Town dressed in civilian clothes.

    Right, he thought, as they were already in the republic''s territory; if they had been wearing their military attire, they would have been easily identified as hostiles and attacked by the republic''s patrols.

    He wondered if they were robbing the handlers to make some extra money or if they were carrying out some shady activity on behalf of the town.

    Both cases were bad, and he found himself wishing they were just common robbers. He knew he didn''t have any really important valuables in the carriage, only some inventory items and some of Anabella''s and her girls'' clothes.

    He stopped the carriage, realizing there was no way to escape the trap that had been set for him. The fields were full of boulders, and the carriage would break in an instant if he tried to swerve it through them. He let out a sigh, resigning himself to the situation. He decided to let them take everything, as the only thing that mattered was Anabella''s body. If necessary, he would carry her on foot, hoping they wouldn''t kill him.

    Rage surged within him. If his previous team had been with him, they would have fought, but now he was all alone.

    The approaching troop halted, and he demanded answers.

    "What is the meaning of this?" he barked.

    "Geral! You left in such haste that you didn''t even bother to say farewell!" came the familiar voice of the inquisitor.

    He recognized her immediately, despite the hood that concealed her face. The mere sound of her voice was enough to make his blood boil.

    "What does the bloody bitch want?" - he muttered to himself.

    He made an effort to compose himself, knowing he needed to handle the situation tactfully.

    "Good day, Inquisitor! It''s quite unexpected to meet you outside of the city''s bounds. Have you taken up banditry now?" he quipped, immediately regretting his choice of words. His tongue had a mind of its own.

    Stella''s lips curved into a smirk. "That''s a pretty serious accusation, Geral. I''m only conducting a routine inspection on behalf of the town. You have nothing to worry about; we won''t take anything from your carriage."

    He glanced at her dark eyes and let out a sigh.

    "Madam Inquisitor, what can I do for you?"

    Ah, that was more appropriate. She seemed unimpressed.

    "Just step down from your carriage, Geral. We suspect you of attempting to bypass Silver Town''s laws. We need to inspect your carriage."

    He lowered his head and dismounted from the carriage.

    "Oh, come now, Stella. Bypass the laws? What are you talking about? I have already left the town''s jurisdiction, and you have no authority here. I am merely fulfilling the final wishes of my deceased wife..." he muttered under his breath.

    A few soldiers approached him, and he quickly surveyed his surroundings. With about twenty level thirty soldiers and Stella herself, he knew there was no chance of fighting them off. Talking was his only option.

    As Stella entered the carriage, he braced himself for the worst. When she emerged, she wore a mischievous grin.

    "Bind him!" she ordered.

    "Why? What are you doing?" he protested, but it was too late.

    Within seconds, he was overpowered, forced onto his knees, and his wrists bound to his ankles.

    She observed his struggles with a satisfied expression.

    "Resisting the authority of the state," she muttered.

    His breathing became labored as he struggled on his knees.

    "Stella, what is going on? Why are you doing this?" he asked, with a mix of confusion and anger in his voice.

    "You and your undead lover, did you think you could deceive us?" she sneered.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He gazed at her with widened eyes, unsure of what she had in store for him.

    "Set it on fire!" she commanded, pointing at the chariot with a hint of madness in her dark eyes.

    He let out a scream as one of her mages hurled a fireball at the chariot''s interior, where his dead wife''s body lay. He desperately tried to free himself from his bindings while Stella stood by, watching the flames with a wicked chuckle. Now, they were targeting the chariot''s wheels with fireballs.

    "You''re insane!" he shouted at her.

    She ignored him for a moment, then turned to face him.

    "She must have thought she was clever, and you played along with her game! Did you think you could bring her back? Anabella was condemned to death, Geral. It was a sentence that had been given. Death is final, you know," she said as she gestured towards the burning chariot, which was now crumbling.

    "We won''t have to deal with that wretch anymore!"

    As the chariot burned intensely, he could feel his breathing quicken due to the accumulated fury and the heat. He stared at the relentless flames consuming the chariot and Anabella''s lifeless body. As the canvas roof of the chariot had crumbled, her silhouette was now discernible.

    A soldier tossed something into the middle, over her body, and the flames rose ferociously several meters high.

    His anger boiled over as he confronted Stella.

    "Why did you do this? Wasn''t it enough to kill her? Did you have to mock me and my pain like this and take away any hope? Why? What did I do to deserve this? Aren''t you afraid that I''ll come back for revenge?"

    Stella exhaled deeply, her eyes fixed on the flames before turning to Geral with an emotionless expression.

    "So, my suspicions were true. You were planning to bring her back," she said slowly, then shook her head. "It was a mistake to threaten me, Geral. I don''t take threats lightly. But there''s a simple solution to this, you know."

    She turned to one of her soldiers.

    "You! Stay here with him. Once this fire has burned everything down, cut his throat. He must watch until the end."

    She turned to Geral with a smug expression on her face, as if she had just won a game.

    "See? Problem solved. You won''t be coming back!"

    She then added with a mischievous glint in her eye,

    "Well, unless you plan on coming back as a ghost, that is. Grackak is studying a way to help ghosts take possession of new bodies, and he''s been short on volunteers lately. Who knows, maybe he''ll succeed. Good luck with that!"

    Stella then turned to her troops.

    "Let''s go! We don''t want to be seen by any patrols."

    As the group moved to leave, Geral gritted his teeth. He was not going to die without a fight. He reached for the knife that he had concealed in his right boot and began to cut through his bindings.

    Luckily, the soldier assigned to execute him was busy checking the horizon nervously for incoming patrols and did not look at him.

    Geral shifted his legs to ease the numbness that had set in from his constrained position. The fire was beginning to subside, and the stench of burnt flesh mingling with the acrid smoke was making him nauseous.

    "You really screwed up, didn''t you?" the soldier suddenly remarked, turning to face him before looking back at the fire. "Your wife wasn''t such a bad person, you know. But she shouldn''t have freed that slave. She was promised to the gods, and you don''t mess with that."

    The soldier''s casual attitude gave Geral the opportunity he needed to work on the ropes binding him. Though the position was awkward and the ropes were tight, he eventually managed to free himself. He waited for the right moment as the soldier inspected the area.

    Geral knew he was outmatched by the higher-level soldier and would only have a chance if he caught him off guard. The soldier moved further away toward the dying flames and picked up a whole, undamaged plank that had been hidden beneath the burning debris.

    Geral recognized it; it was the colored plank that stood inside, at the end of the carriage, behind the driver''s seat. It had several lovely paintings on it depicting elves living in a forest and some dragons. He wondered, probably the painting was protected by a spell?

    The soldier exclaimed, annoyed.

    ¡°Huh! This damned thing did not burn!?¡±

    As he stood there examining the plank, Geral judged that was the right moment. He stood up silently and attacked the soldier.

    At the last moment, the soldier turned, surprised. Geral let the plank hit his shoulder as he planted his knife in the soldier''s right hand. It was not as he intended, he had to change from targetting the neck to the hand at the last moment, but he still could score a hit.

    The soldier dropped the plank, pushed Geral away, and retrieved the sword with his bloodied hand.

    Geral stepped back and retrieved a shield and a sword from his inventory. Good that these inventory boxes were soulbond, and nobody could rob the items from them. Stella must have completely forgotten about it, or she had ignored it, knowing it was useless to take it.

    The soldier cursed, annoyed.

    The fight was now more equal, but the soldier still had levels over him. He was stronger and faster, yet he grimaced each time he struck with the sword.

    Geral was forced into the defensive. He tried to use the environment to gain an advantage.

    But as Geral stepped backward, the soldier pulled a healing potion from a pocket. Geral jumped with a ferocious scream at the soldier as he brought the potion to his lips.

    Geral cursed. Soldiers trained by players! This would not have happened with a soldier from the kingdom, but they were obviously differently instructed here and used potions.

    Even though Geral had succeeded in spilling the remaining potion, the soldier had already taken a swig of it. He switched his sword to his left hand and smeared his bloodied right hand across his face, attempting to make the most of the potion.

    The two continued to exchange blows, with Geral struggling to find an opening while the soldier''s wound healed before his eyes. Geral knew he needed to end the fight quickly before the soldier fully recovered, but the soldier was not making it easy. Despite the soldier''s diminished ability with his left hand, he still managed to hold his own and even pushed Geral back with a powerful counter-attack.

    When the soldier shifted the sword to his right hand, Geral knew he was in trouble. He watched as the soldier drew a long knife in his left hand, and it was clear that he had lost the battle.

    Suddenly, the soldier was hit by an arrow, and although it wasn''t a fatal wound, it gave Geral a glimmer of hope. As he looked up, he was surprised to see Noviel emerging from the smoke.

    He couldn''t help but stare at her, and at that moment, the soldier attacked him like a madman. Geral struggled to block or dodge the flurry of blows raining down on him. Despite managing to wound the soldier, Geral was thrown back with a deep gash to his side.

    As the soldier turned to attack Noviel, Geral summoned all his strength, rose to his feet, and stabbed the soldier''s neck with his sword. A ball of fire engulfed them both at the same moment as blood spurted from the soldier''s jugular. Geral fell backward, pulling the dying soldier with him, and lost consciousness.

    As he felt gentle hands caressing his temples and healing magic flowing through his battered body, Geral slowly regained consciousness. He heard an angelic voice singing a magical song and realized that his head was resting in the lap of the girl who was healing him.

    "Anabella!" he mumbled.

    As he opened his eyes, the darkness enveloping him made it hard to see. He could only make out the contours of an elven head and the distinctive pointed ears illuminated by the strange light emanating from the waves of magic enveloping him. As he looked up, he recognized Anabella''s alluring figure, with her ample bust hovering above him.

    She only laughed softly and continued her sweet chant; her hands continued to work their magic.

    He felt still weak but no longer dying. He closed his eyes, feeling how his torn body recovered slowly, waves of magic enveloping him gently, fixing his wounds. While his mind tried to understand what had happened, for the moment, he was happy to feel alive, happy that he had somehow survived and that he was holding her in his hands. He embraced her, determined to never let her go away, and pushed his face against her, inspiring her sweet scent.

 Chapter 177 - The Darkwing Tomb

    <u> </u>

    As the healing magic dissipated, Geral awoke from his slumber feeling fully restored, energized, and powerful. He heard a woman''s voice sigh in exhaustion after the long and arduous task of healing him and wanted to show his gratitude.

    "Thank you, my dear," he said, lifting his head.

    In the darkness, he felt her body close to his face and breathed in her scent, planting a kiss on her breast. But to his surprise, he was violently pushed away. He froze in panic, feeling her sudden repulsion. Had he done something to upset her?

    "Is everything okay, my love?" he asked, wondering what had gone wrong.

    ¡°Something wrong? I just finished healing you, but I''m not here to cater to your whims, you ruffian,¡± the voice replied with a higher pitch than Anabella''s, and it was not her way of speaking: while Anabella''s voice was tranquil and level, this person''s voice added a chanted note, a strange accent when ending longer words.

    His vivid memory of holding Anabella before made him panic, realizing she was not the one with him now.

    ¡°Who are you? What did you do to Anabella? Where is she?¡± he asked, trying to peer through the almost complete darkness.

    As the hands kept pushing him away, he grabbed hold of her hands and felt two weak, warm, and satin-like hands in his.

    ¡°Where is Anabella?¡± he asked again, feeling a bout of panic and despair taking hold of him, starting to realize that maybe he had only imagined that he was with Anabella.

    "She''s right there!" the voice replied, and Geral breathed a sigh of relief.

    He felt her hand pointing in a direction, and he looked to where it was indicating.

    There was a faint light flickering in the darkness, so faint that he almost thought he was only imagining it. That light defined what seemed to be Anabella''s silhouette, which filled him with joy.

    "Anabella!" he exclaimed, dropping the hand he was holding and leaping towards her.

    But he tripped over something and fell face-first onto her belly.

    "No!" the voice behind him screamed in horror.

    He felt something move beneath his face. It was Anabella, embalmed just as she was the day before. How was this possible? Hadn''t the inquisitor burned her body? He felt her embalmed hand on his neck.

    "Papa?" It was Anabella''s voice, yet it wasn''t quite her voice.

    The other person pushed him aside.

    "No, no, no! It''s too soon!"

    "Mama? Is it too soon?"

    "Yes, my dear," the voice said. "Close your eyes, concentrate. You''re too weak to stand just yet. You need to build up more strength; let it accumulate."

    "Yes, Mama."

    The woman took Geral''s hand and pulled him along, leaving him feeling bewildered as he followed her. After a few paces, she came to a stop and spun around, causing Geral to narrowly avoid bumping into her.

    With an exasperated tone, she whispered to him,

    "What have you done, you fool? She is not ready for her rebirth yet! And why would you want to impose your authority on her?"

    "What do you mean?" - a dismayed Geral asked, not understanding her allegation, his confusion growing.

    He heard Anabella''s moans coming from a distance.

    The woman let out another sigh and tightened her grip on his hand before pulling him closer. In a hushed voice, she whispered into his ear, "Please, speak softly. Speaking loudly or angrily could disturb her and potentially affect her newly formed personality."

    The idea of a new personality for Anabella sent a shiver down Geral''s spine.

    Geral nodded, but realizing that she probably did not see his nod in the darkness, spoke in a whisper,

    "I understand!"

    He tried to think things through, trying at the same time to calm his accelerating heartbeats. It seemed that through some wonder, Anabella was alive. Besides her allegations, the woman seemed to be well-intentioned and to know much more than him about undead rebirth.

    He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and decided to ask some questions to clarify the situation.

    "Where are we? I saw Anabella''s body being burned; how is she here? And who are you?" he asked, his voice more steady now.

    The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering his last question.

    "My name is Algartavaretha De''Rona."

    "Derona? Are you the fugitive slave?" Geral asked, sounding surprised. Algar let out a sigh of frustration. She couldn''t believe how incompetent these humans were; they couldn''t even pronounce her name correctly.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    It felt like an unjust twist of fate that she, a superior and well-educated elf, was forced to rely on these humans in an impossible situation.

    At only thirty-three years old, she had barely lived three-quarters of a single long year, being the youngest daughter of a low-level noble family. To the elves, a long year - also called an ethean year - was a complete rotation of Ethea around Ghomer, which they referred to as Ahmer. They believed that only those who had lived through at least three ethean years could be considered mature, which would equate to almost one hundred twenty-one years.

    "De''Rona, not Derona." - she whispered.

    She had two sisters, one of them about to turn three ethean years old, signifying her coming of age, and her family was preparing to properly celebrate that.

    Algar had, for the first time in her life, left their province, not accompanied by her parents, to buy a gift for her sister''s celebration.

    Although the republic was amicable towards elves, and many of them shopped in the republic''s capital, her father had only allowed her to go to the border town and asked her to return the same day, as soon as she had bought her present.

    The trip to the border town and back was a five-day round trip, but her father wanted her to sleep only in what he called elf-secure land.

    Although she wasn''t allowed to spend the night in that border town, she found herself unable to decide which gift to purchase. When a merchant told her that a fresh shipment of goods from the empire would arrive the following day, she made the decision to stay put.

    She even convinced her friend Friga to stay with her for the night in order to not be the only one disobeying her parents.

    It was the next day that her life had suddenly taken a devastating turn.

    The caravan with fresh goods did indeed arrive, but with it came a band of raiders.

    The two mercenaries her father had hired to guard them had either run away or been killed, and Algar ended up being captured. Even though she had disclosed her noble name, De''Rona, as she had been instructed to do when talking with humans, they still imprisoned her and put her in chains. They even laughed at her.

    She could still remember the fear in Friga''s eyes as she watched from beneath her cloak, hidden in plain view under the water fountain in the center of the town. They both looked at each other, she in chains looking at the frightened Friga trembling under the running water, and yet Friga, the silly Friga, who was always second to her in everything they competed, had escaped the slavers while she had been caught.

    It had been three weeks since that fateful day, and Algar was still reeling from the horror and misery of it all. She couldn''t make sense of what had happened to her, reduced to being nothing more than a prisoner in the hands of humans.

    During the first few days, she had been cooped up in a carriage on her way to Silver City with the caravan. Though she had been treated relatively well, being confined to a cage was bad enough.

    But that was just the beginning of her ordeal. She was sold off like a mere commodity, with no one willing to help or listen to her pleas. Even worse, to silence her, she had been forced to wear a cage over her head that clamped down on her tongue.

    And then came the shocking realization that she was meant to be sacrificed.

    Sacrificed? No! That did not make sense! It was too much for her to process.

    The only person who showed her any compassion was the undead, Anabella, whom she had initially feared more than anyone else.

    As a trainee working to become a white mage, she recognized that Anabella was an undead.

    And yet Anabella was the only person willing to talk and listen to her. With time she had learned that Anabella had been a white mage too. White mages had similar spells to priests dedicated to life magic, but they did not draw their magic power from their flock of believers as priests did. She was aspiring to become a white mage of the third moon, exactly what Anabella was.

    Perhaps that was why Anabella wanted to help her.

    They had spoken several times in their elvish language. The guards were lenient with Anabella, and she had used it to talk with her.

    Initially, Algar thought that Anabella only wanted to extract information about the elves from her. In her desperation, she was willing to give any information hoping in exchange that her father would somehow find out where she was and buy her freedom.

    But as the date of her sacrifice came closer, she grew increasingly panicked.

    Slowly a nascent friendship developed between the two elves. As they plotted her escape, she learned more about Anabella and her strange family. Elves did have very strong family bonds. Was this how the undead woman tried to regain her humanity? Could undead care about other people?

    But Anabella was risking everything for her; was that not proof enough that she cared?

    ¡±If something happens to you, I''ll take care of your children, of course! I swear on my magic, I''ll do that!¡±

    That had been only several days ago.

    And now? Now she was completely over her head in this human mess. What could a youngling like her do? She was not even one ethean year old! But these humans seemed to be even more ignorant than she was. How could they possibly have a functioning society?

    She corrected Geral, knowing full well that he will again spell her name wrongly next time:

    ¡°Not Derona, De''Rona. Algartavaretha De''Rona. The particle De'' means that I am of a noble family, the Rona family! My father is Algarthorus De''Rona, and my mother Varetha De''Rona!¡±

    She took a deep breath. For weeks she had been wanting to say that, but the fear of that dreadful cage over her head had tempered her tongue. It was so liberating to be able to say it! It was bringing her closer to her true life, not this horror that was all around her. She closed her eyes and added.

    ¡±Anabella did save my life, and I am deep in her debt,¡± - she opened her eyes and looked straight into his - ¡°but this does not mean that I am your slave and you can do what you want with me!¡±

    Maybe the effect would have been greater if he had seen her.

    Geral sighed and shrugged. Why was she repeating her name? Alga-what Derona?

    ¡°Look, Derona, you misunderstood me. I have no interest in slaves. Would you be so kind and tell me what is happening?¡±

    Algar narrowed her eyes. Humans, they like to leave things unclear to then pretend it is how they see it.

    ¡°Why did you try to abuse me? Why did you force yourself on me?¡±

    Geral closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. One needs nerves of steel to be able to talk with this girl, he thought. He tried to explain himself:

    ¡°I did not try to abuse you. I thought you were my Anabella!¡±

    ¡°How can you say that? I do not look like Anabella? My hair is green with pink lines! How could you say you mistook me for her when her hair is completely silver-white?!¡±

    Geral snorted.

    ¡°I did not even see if you have hair on your head in this darkness, not to talk about its color?!¡±

    ¡°Phah, don''t pretend that you are that blind?¡± - she wondered. At least he did not continue to molest her; that was a plus!

    Geral rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Oh, come on! Would you please... Ouch! Hey! Why did you stick your finger in my eye?¡±

    Algar huffed, surprised. He did not even blink when she did stick her finger in his eye. Well, yes, he did blink after she had done it.

    ¡°You really are that blind?¡± - she wondered, then decided to explain to him - ¡°OK, we are in the Darkwing tomb!¡±

 Chapter 178 â€“ Tomb Chatter

    <u> </u>

    Geral let out a sigh of frustration as he rubbed his sore eye.

    "Can you please stop poking my eyes? And what do you mean by the Darkwing tomb?"

    He recalled Anabella mentioning that her surname was Darkwing. Could this be her family''s tomb? How did they end up here?

    Finally, Algar provided an explanation.

    "This is Anabella''s tomb." - she confirmed - "It''s where she was initially buried and later resurrected as an undead. All undead beings have a deep connection with their place of birth, and this tomb holds a strong resonance for her. If an undead person dies and their body is placed inside the tomb within a day of their death, there''s a high likelihood that they''ll be reborn."

    Geral scratched his brow, wondering.

    ¡°But her body was not burned in the Hora''s temple as she requested. Did it work, even if that inquisitor burned it in the field? Did you pick up the ashes?¡±

    Algar shook her head.

    "No, the part about burning her body in the Hora''s temple was just a cover-up. The ceremony is supposed to ensure a peaceful afterlife, but it was only a subterfuge to allow you to take her body and prevent it from being buried or burned there. Burning an undead''s body makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for them to be reborn. The tomb''s power plays a significant role, and this tomb may bring up that power, but the chances of rebirth are diminished, depending on the damage the body has suffered. As for the inquisitor, she didn''t burn Anabella''s body. It was Sarah''s."

    Geral let out a gasp of surprise.

    ¡°Sarah''s? Do you mean Sarah is dead? How?¡±

    Algar shrugged; she did not know many details about Sarah.

    "The story I heard from the girls was quite unsettling. Apparently, Sarah tried to poison Anabella and then attempted to kill Zera when she intervened to help. Fortunately, Awa arrived in time to save them both and ended up killing Sarah."

    ¡°Why would she try to...¡±

    Geral left the sentence unfinished. Could the fact that he had used Sarah to please him have anything to do with that? But even then, why would she try to kill Anabella? To him, it did not make sense. He shook his head in confusion.

    Algar observed him closely, sensing his inner conflict, but opted not to push the matter further, at least for the time being. Her only concern was to return home, back to the safety of the giant Morewa forest, where the elves lived, on the far side of the Denka Republic.

    "I have no idea," she said, "all I know is that we had a body that we embalmed just like you did, and then when the opportunity arose, we swapped them out. Anabella had instructed the girls on what to do in case of her death."

    He sighed, feeling a little pained. Anabella had instructed the girls but not him. Why? Maybe because of his illness, she hadn''t had the chance. "Okay," he said, "when can I talk to Anabella? And why did she call me ''papa''?"

    Algar shook her head and let out a huff. This human really didn''t know anything. How could you claim to be married to an undead and not know anything about them?

    "For an undead," she began to explain, "the first people they meet inside their tomb when they wake up are their parents. It''s like a chick hatching from an egg. They open their eyes and see you and say, ''Mama.'' That''s when they become ''impregnated''; that''s how it works. That''s how you can create very loyal armies of the undead. You should understand that she will no longer be the Anabella you know. She will lose much of her magical power and some of her memories, maybe all. Some memories may come back over time. This is the price to pay for being reborn. Since you woke her up too early, she may have lost more than she would have otherwise. Let''s hope she forgets that she met us."

    "Oh!" Geral exclaimed.

    He let out a heavy sigh; somehow, everything that was going wrong seemed to be his fault.

    He had hoped to find his Anabella; that''s what Olomuc had let him believe, and instead, he got this messed-up situation where she was calling him Papa.

    Algar continued.

    ¡°I owe her my life, I am in her debt, but I doubt I can make the border guards allow her to enter our kingdom due to her being an undead, but maybe we can arrange for her to stay at one border settlement. I must at least make that work. You could eventually stay with her there. I plan to help her and her daughters in order to pay my dues. I want to bring these girls that she names her daughters to my home. Father will help me.¡±

    Geral hesitated. This would mean separating him and Anabella from the girls. While their ''marriage'' had been just a stratagem to fool the slavers, it had evolved into more than that.

    He was aware that the thread that linked his heart to the girls'', the connection by which he could feel if they were feeling well, or if they were happy, or in danger, was the result of a spell from Anabella and that the strength of the thread depended on their true feelings. Anabella had explained this to him, and if the girls didn''t want the connection, it could be severed in a matter of days.

    However, he could feel the connection between them now more strongly than ever. There were mutual feelings on both sides of the thread. The girls loved him, and he cared deeply for them. It was an incredible feeling to be so connected to someone on such a deep level, to feel it in his heart and soul.

    So what now? Should he cut the connection? Were they better without him?

    "Listen, Anabella will return, and though she may be weaker, she will eventually regain her strength. It will take some time, but we will take care of the girls. I don''t believe she wants to be separated, and I don''t want that either. I''m confident the girls would agree with me."

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Algar let out a weary sigh, indicating that Geral''s understanding was still lacking.

    "You don''t seem to comprehend. Anabella is essentially a new person now, and a very unstable one at that. She''ll need time to process and understand the world around her, to reconcile her old memories with her new experiences. Moreover, if she sees you as her undead father, she''ll bend over backwards to please you. She''ll feel obliged to fulfill your every desire and can intuit your wishes just by looking into your eyes. I implore you to grant her some space and time to discover what she wants for herself. So, what''s your plan?"

    While Algar was growing increasingly frustrated with what she saw as Geral''s foolishness and obstinacy, Geral was becoming more and more impatient. Rather than focusing on finding out where they were and where the girls were, they were wasting time debating hypotheticals and uncertainties. What if Anabella regained her memory and everything returned to normal?

    He spoke up,

    "Listen, I made a promise to Anabella to take care of the girls, and I will fulfill that promise. And if she''s not at her best, I believe she will recover faster with us, with me and the girls."

    Algar let out another sigh and massaged her temples, growing increasingly frustrated with Geral''s stubbornness.

    However, she realized that his decision ultimately wouldn''t matter. They needed to return to the safety of the forest.

    They would probably have to wait at the border for her father to arrive and help find a solution. Geral would likely have to stay at the border in quarantine, as strangers were not permitted in the forest. Even with the girls, negotiations would be tough to allow them in, but Anabella, being undead, would have to stay with Geral. If the girls chose to stay with them, it would be their decision.

    After finally agreeing to postpone the discussion about the girls'' future, Geral resumed his questioning:

    "So, will you finally tell me where this tomb is? Where are we, and where are the girls?"

    "This tomb is a magical spatial construct that was attached to a plank in Anabella''s chariot."

    Geral was surprised by this revelation, but it did make sense to him.

    ¡°Oh, the plank that did not burn!?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Yes, the plank that did not burn. The girls are outside, carrying it.¡±

    His face lit up as he realized how close they were.

    ¡°Really? How do I get out?¡±

    ¡°No! Wait! They are currently with one of the republic''s border units. The girls are under their protection, but if the soldiers and, even worse, their superiors realize what this plank is, things might get very problematic for us. We should wait.¡±

    So close, and not being able to hug them!

    ¡°Then, can I see them?"

    "There''s a spyhole that allows you to observe the outside, but your view will be limited to what''s directly in front of the plank. You can watch without any worries, as nobody will be able to detect that you''re observing."

    "Great, let me find it. Where is it?"

    "Can''t you see it? It''s not completely covered, allowing some light to filter through."

    As he stood there blinking blindly, she gently directed his face towards a specific area, and now he could discern the faint glow emanating from it. "Ah!"

    With cautious steps, he made his way towards the source of the light, mindful of each movement. Without encountering any obstacles, he finally reached the spot and positioned himself to peer through the spyhole. To his relief, he was able to observe them. The plank must have been attached to a horse or a mule, hanging on its side with the right side free.

    He could see Noviel, Awa, and several soldiers walking and engaged in conversation. He then heard Zera''s voice from above; she was likely riding the mule.

    His heart had told him that they were fine, but seeing and hearing the girls relieved him of some of the remaining stress. From what he could see, they appeared to be doing well, chatting freely with the soldiers.

    Content with what he had witnessed, Geral turned his attention back towards the inside and saw Algar for the first time. She was a graceful and slender elf-girl, slightly smaller in stature than Anabella, clad in a flowing robe, perched upon what appeared to be a substantial root stemming from a colossal plant that partially obscured the scenery. A bit further away, he discerned the figure of Anabella, encircled by what resembled a nest.

    "Cover it up again," Algar instructed, her gesture indicating the spyhole. "Excessive light could disturb Anabella''s sleep."

    Geral couldn''t help but roll his eyes at the notion of her considering that faint glow as excessive light. Intrigued by the plant before him, he shifted his gaze towards it before complying with Algar''s request to block the spyhole using the leather blinder.

    Now engulfed in darkness, Geral remained motionless, hoping his eyes would adjust to the lack of light. He felt Algar''s presence as she positioned herself behind him, her gentle hands guiding his movements. Once they were both settled on the root, she began to provide an explanation.

    "What you saw is a black lotus, an exceptionally rare plant that thrives exclusively in highly magical environments. It must be several centuries old, if not older. Rest assured, merely moving around won''t cause any harm to it; despite its solid and iron-like appearance, it retains surprising flexibility."

    How will we know when it''s time to leave?" he wondered.

    "They will tap on the plank in a specific manner," Algar explained.

    "And we will hear it?"

    "Yes. The sound resonates throughout the entire cavern."

    He sighed, his attention turning back to Anabella.

    "Is there anything else I should know about Anabella?"

    Algar looked at him intently. "Just be aware that she will be fragile and will need time to reacquaint herself with many things. The extent of it, we will discover together."

    "About her name, Darkwing, is something special about it? The way you spoke about it, it sounded like a name that carries reverence and fear. Is there something about that name that I should know?" Geral inquired.

    She huffed, looking surprised at him. She raised a brow, intrigued, realizing that he seemed sincere. Married to a Darkwing and not knowing the legend?

    "Reverence? No. Fear? Absolutely," Algar replied. "Terek Darkwing was a monstrous figure, a dreadful winged undead that plagued the forests near my home for centuries. There are countless legends surrounding his cruel acts and heinous experiments. He was a relentless force. He had been hunted down and brought to justice, only to return and exact revenge on his captors and hunters. Anabella, I believe, was likely one of his instruments. She must have been a formidable white mage whom he killed in order to transform her into his own ''daughter.'' That would explain why she still possessed her white magic while delving into the realm of black magic. It''s an exceedingly rare duality within the realm of magic. Eventually, Darkwing himself perished, and Anabella was left as an undead orphan, unaligned with the undead empire. Darkwing was the epitome of such undead horrors, and there are some who still fear his potential return."

    "Oh, I did not know that!" Geral admitted, feeling a sense of unease wash over him upon learning about Darkwing''s gruesome legacy.

    "What do you know, then?" Algar asked, her tone tinged with a hint of desperation.

 Chapter 179 â€“ Checking My Wardrobe - D

    Now, what am I supposed to do?

    Confusion and fear were plaguing me, only intensifying the urgency and pressure to clarify the events of the past weeks. My conversation with Lola had failed to shed much light on the situation.

    My memories appeared to be a perplexing blend of reality and fantasy.

    So many things had happened, one more astonishing than the other. Starting with my unexpected journey as a singer, followed by the chaotic episode in the army hospital, and eventually culminating in a fantastical realm with harpies and a rejuvenating water source.

    Yet, if I were to strip away the elements of pure fantasy, anything involving magic, what remained were still extraordinary occurrences. I could label them as "realistic fantasy." However, if I were to discard those aspects as well, there would be almost nothing left.

    So, what was the true account of events? Were my recollections a distorted reflection of the truth, or were they partially, or worse, completely fabricated?

    Unfortunately, I hadn''t involved Lola much in recent endeavors, so it was clear why she was not able to be of much help.

    Where should I even begin to unravel this nightmare?

    It was as if I were trying to reconstitute the deeds of a foreign person. One point that did give me some courage was that Lola did not complain about me behaving like a lunatic, so at least I was not acting obviously crazy.

    Where do I start with the inspection of this unknown Dolores? As I was lying on my back in my bed, my eyes fell on the big wooden armoire as I glanced to my right.

    That''s a good starting point! - I thought to myself.

    I rose from my bed and opened the wardrobe, and to my surprise, I discovered a collection of items that didn''t belong there. I recognized them from the game, but why were they present in my real-life wardrobe?

    Among them was a dress, an enchanting purple dress that caught my eye immediately. My heart raced as I reached out to touch it, marveling at its exquisite quality. The fabric, whether satin or something akin to it, was simply divine. And the cut of the dress was truly remarkable.

    Without a second thought, I decided to try it on. After all, it was in my own wardrobe, so it must be permissible, right? As I slipped into the dress, it looked absolutely splendid, although it was slightly too large for me. I didn''t quite fill it out as I should have, and the length seemed a tad excessive, but that wasn''t a major concern. The same applied to the pair of shoes that accompanied the dress. I had seen such shoes in Dreamland, but I never dreamed about having something like them in my real life. As I stood there swimming in those shoes, dressed in a larger dress, and looking into the mirror, I remembered the time when I was trying on my mother''s shoes and dress, a touch of nostalgia accompanying the moment.

    I sighed, undressing the robe. Either my memory was accurate, and I used to be slightly taller with more pronounced curves, or... these items were cosplay materials that I had purchased from a taller girl.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    I let out a frustrated snort as the dress failed to magically adjust to my figure. In Dreamland, there were tailors who could use magic to perfectly tailor any garment to fit your body. They even had scrolls with spells specifically for that purpose, although their effectiveness was limited. But unfortunately, such conveniences didn''t exist in the real world...

    This pretty dress and shoes will remain confined to my wardrobe...

    Next, I picked up a leather suit. This must be Cala''s leather suit. The smoothness and quality of the leather were surprising, almost as if it were crafted from some exotic Dreamland crocodile. I know Cala''s suit is made of the skin of an exotic crocodile.

    I rolled my eyes, wondering what the results of a DNA analysis would reveal.

    Fuck, did I really imagine it all? But how did these clothes end up in my wardrobe?

    Next to the suit, I noticed a pair of boots made from snakeskin. OK, I know they were made out of some Dreamland snakes I killed almost a year ago. The leather was exquisite, unlike anything I had ever touched before. How did I manage to acquire such fine boots?

    Both the boots and the leather suit were slightly oversized.

    I carefully sat on the edge of my bed, holding one of the boots in my hand. I couldn''t resist examining it, marveling at its flawless craftsmanship and the comforting smoothness it exuded. But as my gaze lifted, I caught sight of the belt. It was a wide belt with three leather straps, and there, attached to it, was my inventory box. My Mephisto inventory box! My heart seemed to freeze momentarily, and then it began pounding in my chest, racing with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Could it be? This small box held the potential to validate my perception of reality. If it truly worked, then what did that mean? Was my memory accurate? Did magic truly exist? The answers I sought were within my grasp, waiting to be unlocked.

    I hesitated, unsure if I had the courage to touch it. Gathering my resolve, I reached out. The fear made me close my eyes as I let my fingers make contact with the leather surface. I could feel its texture beneath my touch.

    Slowly, I opened my eyes, hoping to witness something extraordinary. But to my dismay, there was nothing. A sense of disappointment washed over me instead of the elation I had anticipated.

    It was just a small leather box, too compact even for my mobile phone. There was no opening, no hidden compartments or menus to explore. It simply existed as a diminutive leather box with a tiny space inside where I could store my ID and a bit of cash. Nothing more. I could even bend it due to its elastic nature.

    As I released my grip on the box, my heartbeat gradually returned to a steady rhythm, but I couldn''t shake off the feeling of a letdown that filled me.

    I let out a sigh of resignation, accepting the answer before me. It became apparent that I had purchased these items for cosplay purposes. The only question that lingered now was how did I afford them? Had I taken out a loan, or were they surprisingly inexpensive? It didn''t make sense within the confines of my usual budget. Perhaps, the material wasn''t genuine leather at all but rather some form of plastic. Yes, that seemed like a plausible explanation to reconcile the situation.

    OK, that and the fact that I did not remember when and how I bought them...

    How could this shit happen to me?

    Should I talk with Lola about this? Should I call my parents?

    No. I already thought about that and decided not to.

    Lola would blame it on drugs, and my parents would send me to a hospital.

    Well, Dolores, let''s not get discouraged. It''s time to continue my research journey. Maybe knowing more about what I did would help.

    First, I should pay a visit to Matt. Unfortunately, all my contacts are stored in my phone, which is currently in his possession, if my memory serves me right. So, making a phone call to him might be a bit tricky. However, since it''s a holiday, there''s a good chance I''ll find him at home, eventually with the rest of the band.

    I decided to dress in practical attire for the journey ahead. I opted for a pair of comfortable blue jeans, a blouse, a jacket, and a sturdy pair of sports shoes. If I was going to walk a certain distance to reach his place, I wanted to ensure I was comfortable for the journey.

 Chapter 180 - A Dreams Fulfillement

    I made my way out of the house and hurried up, eager to reach the bus station in time for the next bus.

    As I passed by the school''s yard, my attention was suddenly captured by a familiar voice calling out to me.

    "Hey, Dol, do you have some spare time? We could play a game of handball. What do you say?" the voice beckoned.

    In an instant, all my previous thoughts and worries faded away. The doubts about my own mind, the ponderings about reality, and even my thoughts about Matt and the band became irrelevant and insignificant. There was only one thing that truly mattered at that moment: the warmth in that voice that had the power to weaken my knees. It was as if he was my ultimate weakness, my personal kryptonite. I could feel myself almost on the verge of falling to my knees.

    "Joe?" I whispered, feeling completely lost.

    Ever since I first arrived at this school, there had been one person who had captivated my admiration and secretly held my heart: Joe.

    He was making his way towards the school''s sports hall, hoping to find some fellow students in the schoolyard to play with. The sports teacher had his favorite students who were granted access to the key, and Joe was among them.

    The schoolyard was open to students at all times, a policy that had been implemented by the previous principal and remained in place due to its popularity.

    Typically, I despised ball games of any kind, but there was a peculiar memory lingering in my mind of actually enjoying playing them. Plus, it was Joe who was asking, so I would have agreed regardless.

    I quickly dashed back home to retrieve my sports equipment, and upon my return, I found Joe already dressed in sportswear, warming up for the game.

    In the schoolyard, there were a few guys who were planning to play football and were about to leave for the park. However, Joe wasn''t discouraged by their departure. He proposed that we start playing just the two of us, with the hope that others would join us later.

    Since Joe didn''t have the key to the girls'' locker room, I changed my clothes in the boy''s room instead. I left my belongings on the bench and joined him inside the sports hall, where we continued to have a great time playing together.

    Having the entire sports hall to ourselves was an amazing experience, and we had a blast. Not being a huge fan of ball games before, I discovered that I actually had some talent for it. While I may have lacked the strength to excel, my reflexes were on point, and Joe made sure to play gently, avoiding any roughness. The physical contact between us during the game added an extra thrill to the whole experience.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The atmosphere between us slowly shifted, becoming something more than just a friendly game.

    At some point, Joe excused himself to use the restroom, but I suspected he had actually gone to lock the main door to ensure our privacy. I didn''t mind his actions; after all, I had always dreamed of being with him.

    During one of our intense moments of pushing against each other, instead of pulling away, Joe stood his ground, and I did the same. In that charged moment, he gazed into my eyes, embraced me, and kissed me. I quickly reciprocated, and before we knew it, we found ourselves on one of the sponge mattresses in the hall, lost in each other''s embrace.

    To be honest, the following experience wasn''t particularly extraordinary. While I was thrilled to have him in my arms, it did hurt some, and that was the extent of it. It lasted precisely eight minutes. I know it because there was a big clock on the opposite wall that I had all the time in front of my eyes.

    Later, as we went into the locker room, he dressed up pretty fast.

    ¡°Uh, Dol, it''s late; I should bring the car to a repair shop in ten minutes; I need to hurry up!¡±

    I was feeling a bit tired and would gladly just relax with him together somewhere on a sofa or maybe in a cafeteria in front of a coffee cup? But yeah, you can''t have it all.

    ¡°But it''s a holiday?¡± - I pondered.

    "Yeah, that''s true, but they have a special arrangement for me at work," he replied. "Here''s the key. When you''re done, make sure to lock the main door and put the key in the geranium pot on the left. Got it?"

    I shrugged, thinking to myself, boys and their cars!

    ¡°Sure!¡± I replied.

    He grinned happily.

    ¡°Love you! See you tomorrow!¡±

    And just like that, he was gone. I felt a slight pang of disappointment, but at the same time, I was elated to be with Joe. He was my lover and had said "love you" to me!

    Lola had tried to discourage me from entertaining any hope of a relationship with Joe, but now, aren''t I here with him? Although Lola is my friend, she may be torn between me and her loyalty to her sister, or maybe she believes that I have no chance of competing with Clara?

    I sighed. It had momentarily distracted me from my quest for truth, but it was a feeling worth savoring. I took a deep breath and held onto the sports equipment tightly.

    What a wonderful day it had been! My dream had unexpectedly come true!

    Yet, despite the joy, I couldn''t shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach.

 Chapter 181 â€“ I Need This Day Like a Hole in the Head

    Yesterday, I found myself completely consumed by my dream-come-true experience, making it incredibly challenging to concentrate on anything else. The sheer excitement and fulfillment that had flooded my being had taken over my thoughts, leaving little room for any other considerations.

    However, despite finally being with my dream boyfriend, it felt as though a tiny worm of fear and uncertainty was determined to undermine my joy and contentment. It seemed like a cruel attempt to diminish my elation, but I fought back with every ounce of strength I had. I refused to let negativity tarnish the happiness I had longed for.

    The way things had unfolded didn''t align with any of the romantic scenarios I had imagined for such an important milestone as losing my virginity. None of my fantasies included a sponge mattress covered with plastic in a sports hall, where I was pinned on my back, my gaze fixated on a looming clock. The subsequent hurried encounter in the locker room only added to my sense of bewilderment and left a taste of disappointment.

    Furthermore, I found myself abandoned to clean up the aftermath alone as he rushed off to his car repair appointment, yet, the simple fact of being with him was overwhelming everything else. That feeling radiated within me like a brilliant sun, washing away all doubts and uncertainties.

    That had been yesterday.

    There was at least one positive aspect to the situation: my concerns about my sanity were nearly forgotten, being overshadowed by my romantic thoughts as if they had been washed away.

    The following day, I rushed to the school, eager to meet him, my beloved Joe. I had hoped to flaunt our newfound connection, but to my dismay, he was nowhere to be found. During the break, I approached Lola and inquired if she had seen him. She informed me that his class had gone on a field trip to the natural history museum, a piece of information she had received from Clara.

    That was the first blow of the day, but I attempted to downplay it. Perhaps, in his rush yesterday, Joe had simply forgotten to inform me.

    It seemed like a recurring pattern in my life; after a day filled with joy, there always followed a day of disappointment. Could this be what they refer to as karma? I wasn''t sure, but I was willing to accept it as the price for being with Joe.

    Matt''s absence from school, along with several others who seemed to have taken advantage of the holiday to enjoy an extended break, only served as a reminder of my own restrictions. Being on the principal''s blacklist meant I couldn''t afford such luxuries, so I impatiently waited for the hours to pass.

    I accompanied Lola for lunch but couldn''t bring myself to discuss Joe and my concerns with her. I longed to share everything with her, but Joe''s absence compelled me to remain silent. I wanted to walk hand in hand with him, to proudly show off our connection before revealing the truth.

    After lunch, I returned home, changed out of my school uniform, and opted for my usual jeans, jacket, and sports shoes.

    Originally, I had considered waiting until Monday to confront Matt, but the persistent worm of doubt within me had grown fat and insatiable. I needed to distract myself and shift my focus away from Joe. Why hadn''t he called me? What were his plans for the weekend? Where could he be? These questions gnawed at my thoughts, urging me to leave the house and occupy my mind with something other than Joe.

    In an attempt to find solace, I took a deep breath and attempted to pacify my racing thoughts. I reminded myself of Joe''s usual routine, envisioning our future encounters in the sports hall or schoolyard, engaging in playful games, and later joining the boys for a casual beer. Perhaps there would even be an evening party to look forward to. With these thoughts in mind, I reassured myself, repeating the mantra: "Keep cool, Dolores. He is my boyfriend."

    I took first the bus and then the subway, but while the train stood in the Saint-Ana hospital station, a sudden realization struck me¡ªI had left my bike nearby. The memory flashed in my mind, and without a second thought, I made a split-second decision. I swiftly exited the train just as the doors were closing, earning a few amused glances from other passengers.

    Ignoring the commotion, I hurried up the stairs and out of the subway station, eager to retrieve my bike.

    I arrived at the spot where I had parked my bike, only to find it missing. A mix of disappointment and relief washed over me. Disappointed because I had hoped to find my bike there, but relieved because deep down, I knew it didn''t make sense for me to have a bike. Although there were other bikes parked in the area, mine was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that the memories I had associated with the bike were likely false. It was becoming clear that my imagination had played tricks on me, conjuring up experiences that didn''t align with my reality.

    As I observed the bikes in front of me, I couldn''t envision myself pushing or maneuvering one of those machines. They appeared heavy and cumbersome, and I doubted my ability to even move one. Of course, I might look sexy sitting on one of those machines, but the sight of those solid and imposing metal structures intimidated me. The bike, from my imagination, was a grand, formidable machine, not a lightweight and effortless contraption, even bigger than the ones before me.

    As I made my way to return to the train, a heart-wrenching sight halted me in my tracks. There, on the other side of the street, stood Joe and Clara, hand in hand, on the cusp of entering a cinema theater. My mind and body seemed to seize up, paralyzed by the scene before me. A tremor coursed through my lower lip, and it took considerable effort to regain control and close my mouth. Swallowing became a struggle as if there was an immense lump lodged in my throat, constricting and suffocating me from within.

    The decision of whether to follow them inside the cinema or not weighed heavily on my mind. What purpose would it serve? To silently observe them from a distance? I dismissed the idea, realizing it would only bring more pain and torment.

    With great effort, I tore my gaze away from the theater''s entrance and began making my way back toward the subway station. Lost in my thoughts, I almost boarded the wrong train. Thankfully, I caught my mistake in time and boarded the correct one. As the train journeyed on, I had to endure two more stations before reaching Matt''s neighborhood.

    I walked like on autopilot for about twenty minutes, my mind consumed by thoughts of Joe and Clara. It was a bitter pill to swallow, even knowing that Joe had a reputation as a womanizer.

    Experiencing it firsthand was far more challenging than I had anticipated.

    Upon reaching my destination, doubts began to cloud my mind. While the house matched my memory of Matt''s, I couldn''t be certain if it was truly his. Should I take the risk and ring the doorbell? There was no label or sign indicating who lived there. I approached the fence and peered inside, trying to jog my memory. I recalled jumping over a fence in one of my fragmented memories, but as I looked at this particular fence, it towered above my belly button. Could this be the right fence? Uncertainty gnawed at me. I sure as hell cannot jump over this in one go.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    A woman''s voice interrupted my musings:

    ¡°Hello, Dolores! Looking for something?¡±

    I turned surprised and saw her: Mrs. Cutler. Ugh, Matt''s mother had seen me haunting the place and must have been wondering what I was doing.

    ¡°Ahm... Hello, Mrs. Cutler," - I stammered, caught off guard by her presence.

    "Is Matt at home?¡± - I asked.

    I couldn''t help but feel like a young Dolores, eagerly checking if Lola was available to come out and play.

    "No," Mrs. Cutler replied succinctly, but she didn''t immediately retreat indoors. Instead, she continued to observe me, her gaze piercing. After a brief moment, she inquired further,

    "Is there something wrong?"

    I struggled to find my words. "Um... my mobile... uh... I... uh... could it be that Matt has my mobile?" I managed to stammer out.

    Mrs. Cutler looked at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion, raising her eyebrows inquisitively.

    "No, I don''t think so,"

    She hesitated as if considering the possibility before making a decision. As she made a move to enter the house, she turned back to me and asked,

    "Was it a black mobile with some yellow lines? A black cracked case, held together with yellow glue?"

    A wave of relief washed over me as she described my phone. That was not yellow glue but a phone case artistically glued together with golden glue, but I was not going to argue about that now.

    "Yes, that''s mine!" I exclaimed, elated to hear news about my phone.

    "Oh, I''m so sorry," she said with a regretful expression on her face.

    I was momentarily confused as to why she would apologize for seeing my phone, but then she continued, explaining the situation.

    "I thought it was one of Matt''s old play-mobiles. It didn''t work at all, completely blank and cracked. I was cleaning up his old gaming board and some other electronic toys. He said I could throw them away. I didn''t realize your phone was in there too... I disposed of everything in that container over there a couple of days ago. That''s where we dispose of electronic waste. I''m truly sorry! Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea? Oh dear, how could this happen!"

    "Ahm, no, thank you. Do you happen to know where Matt is?" I asked, hoping for some information.

    She shrugged in response.

    "He''s gone with the boys to work on something. Are you sure you don''t want to come in for a cup of tea? He''ll be away for the whole day and probably staying overnight. Let me compensate you for the phone. How much did it cost?" she offered.

    I shrugged, downplaying the value of the phone.

    "It was really cheap. I bought it secondhand for practically nothing. Phones don''t usually last long with me."

    As Mrs. Cutler went back into the house, more or less dismissing me, I approached the large metal container placed on the side of the road near her house.

    I exerted some effort to push the heavy cover plate upward, revealing its contents.

    Inside, I found a few old electrical devices, discarded lamps, and various other pieces of junk, but it was mostly empty. My mobile phone was nowhere to be seen.

    Letting out a sigh, I pushed the cover to fully open the container and carefully looked around. I made the decision to climb over the metal wall, which was no easy task but not overly difficult either. Unfortunately, I couldn''t avoid coming into contact with the container, and I frowned as I noticed some grease had smeared onto my jeans.

    After searching for about ten minutes, I reluctantly admitted defeat. My mobile phone was nowhere to be found in the container, or perhaps I was suffering from some kind of selective blindness.

    As I made my way out of the container, a car suddenly came to a halt, and I heard a woman''s voice calling out to me.

    "Oh my goodness, Dolores, are you still here?" It was Matt''s mother in her convertible.

    I let out a sigh.

    "Well, I was trying to find my mobile," I replied.

    "Oh, I feel so guilty about it! They must have emptied the container; it was full before," she expressed with regret.

    Bitch, and you are telling me this now? I ground my teeth, but despite my inner frustration, I chose not to voice any complaints.

    She continued speaking.

    "Listen, I was actually on my way to an electronics store to buy a replacement mobile for you since you didn''t want to take any money. I wanted it to be a surprise, but since you''re here, would you like to come along?" she offered.

    Well, that was an unexpected gesture from her. I needed a new mobile anyway, considering mine was missing. I nodded appreciatively and struggled to climb out of the container. She glanced at my greased pants with a hint of suspicion but refrained from commenting.

    "That''s very kind of you," I responded gratefully.

    As we got into the car, it accelerated with an unexpected roar. I had grown accustomed to her slow driving, or perhaps that was just my imagination?

    "It''s the least I could do," she replied, acknowledging my gratitude.

    "I wonder if the shop is open," I pondered aloud.

    "Yes, they''re open every day, holidays included, except for Mondays. It''s quite a unique shop. They specialize in second-hand items, buying and selling. I enjoy it because you can find valuable things at bargain prices," she explained.

    Within a few minutes, we arrived at the shop.

    It was a weathered building that served as the front entrance and extended into a vast warehouse behind it.

    The place was filled with an assortment of recycled old items. Even giant outdated television sets and vintage radios were scattered about, placed haphazardly on old wooden shelves spanning five levels. The highest levels seemed to be only accessible via a ladder, or perhaps they were intended for towering giant trolls.

    The owner warmly greeted Mrs. Cutler by name, indicating a familiar relationship. We were the only customers in the shop, and a young girl, presumably the owner''s niece, came to assist us.

    I managed to find a mobile phone within five minutes, and it only cost me fifteen bucks. I intended to pay for it myself, but then I realized that I had left my jacket by the trash container.

    As expected, Mrs. Cutler paid the bill, but she took some more time browsing the shop, searching for a lamp while I anxiously waited, my thoughts consumed by the jacket and the money purse I had left behind. It wasn''t a significant amount of money, just twenty bucks, but the purse also contained my ID.

    After we concluded our shopping and Mrs. Cutler purchased her lamp, we drove back to her house.

    To my dismay, upon arrival, I discovered that my jacket had been taken. Farewell, jacket. Farewell, my weeks'' worth of pocket money. And farewell, school ID. I would need to request a new one.

    I was feeling on the verge of tears when Mrs. Cutler kindly drove me to the train station and insisted on providing me with money for a ticket. Clutching my new mobile tightly, I shivered from the cold, dressed only in my blouse without a jacket. Ignoring the stares from people who noticed my prominently visible and almost frozen nipples, I boarded the train, longing to escape the day''s disappointments.

    Reflecting on everything that had transpired, I couldn''t help but consider Mrs. Cutler''s behavior in light of my memories of her. Perhaps my recollections weren''t as distorted as I had believed. I sensed an underlying animosity in her actions toward me, even if, on the surface, she seemed to be kind, even too kind.

    In the grand scheme of things, it was an incredibly frustrating day, one that I wished I could erase from my memory.

    Little did I know that the worst was yet to come.

 Chapter 182 â€“ Relapse

    When the train arrived at the Saint-Anna Hospital station, it was as if the devil himself urged me to step off. It was around the time when Joe and Clara would likely finish watching their movie, and I felt the need to catch another glimpse of them to confirm their connection and seek further evidence. My mind struggled to accept the reality of the situation. Were they truly together? Was Joe truly capable of such actions toward me?

    Despite the looming risk of arriving too late, missing them entirely, or the possibility of being discovered first and having to confront them, I pushed aside these reservations and ventured forth from the train station, yearning for undeniable proof to believe what was unfolding before me.

    As I reached the front of the theater and found that the film was not finished yet, I crossed over to the other side, where a charming caf¨¦ was situated across from the theater''s exit, and made my way inside. I had enough remaining money from Mrs. Cutler''s contribution for the train tickets to treat myself to a cup of coffee.

    Sitting there, gently sipping my coffee, I found myself deep in contemplation, fixated on the darkened exit doors. It was getting dark, and the late evening had brought a haunting ambiance, with clouds veiling the sky and a few raindrops tenderly washing away the dust of the streets. Outside, the caf¨¦ window became a canvas for the droplets, engaged in a captivating game of sliding down in a zigzag pattern and collecting other droplets, even as the rain had subsided.

    Overwhelmed with emotion, lonely tears ran down my face as I silently wept. For about twenty minutes, I remained in that state, lost in my own world of melancholy. Gradually, people began to exit the theater, and among the last to emerge were Joe and Clara. They appeared genuinely happy and stopped to share a tender kiss. Seeing them together, it was evident that they were a blissful couple.

    And there I was, a foolish and solitary onlooker, observing them with a mix of sorrow and resignation. How could I have ever believed that Joe would be interested in someone like me when there were undoubtedly more attractive girls in his midst?

    When they stopped again in front of the entry, a wave of anxiety washed over me as I worried that they might enter the caf¨¦. My heart raced with anticipation of the impending and painfully awkward encounter. Fear rooted me in place, even though I knew they would spot me the moment they walked in. However, to my relief, they simply continued on, walking past the caf¨¦ without a second glance.

    Oh, well, yes, this was my life. I was a loser. A fucking loser.

    I lingered there for another ten minutes, wallowing in my misery, and then, in the end, I decided that it was enough. Enough of self-pity; I should face it, Joe had never been in love with me. I was nothing more than a trophy, a name that he had just added to his list of conquests. And now, undoubtedly, he was already pursuing his next prize.

    I stood up and made my way back to the train station, briskly walking through the cold and splashy streets to avoid being caught by another rain shower.

    I was relieved to reach the shelter of the station, but my relief was short-lived as I encountered a pair of ticket inspectors right away.

    They requested to see my ticket, only to declare that it was no longer valid because it was only meant for a single journey. Oh, fucking fuck!

    I tried to explain to them that I didn''t actually need a ticket as I had a valid student allowance. However, due to losing my identification documents, I had purchased a ticket to avoid any trouble. But it seemed like my explanation fell on deaf ears. My mind went blank as they asked for my papers, and a couple of neurons committed suicide instantly. Did I not just tell them that I lost my papers?

    In the end, they insisted that I follow them to the central station, where they could verify my student allowance.

    I hesitated whether to make a quick escape. I believed I could have easily outrun the two idiots, but I decided to stick with them. I was still far away from home, and the train was the fastest way to get there.

    They simply needed to verify my story.

    Unfortunately, I wasted a considerable amount of time following the two individuals, and then we ventured into the labyrinthine corridors and deep basements of the main station, which started to instill a sense of fear in me. I had never imagined that the station had such intricate passageways. However, upon encountering some policemen, a glimmer of courage stirred within me.

    I was instructed to find a seat among the four chairs arranged in an empty corridor directly facing a room. The atmosphere carried an unsettling undertone as the bustling noises from the station above reverberated and intertwined, forming a disconcerting symphony of sound. It was as if the original sounds were being transformed and molded by an artificial intelligence, creating an abstract composition.

    I didn''t have to wait for too long before I was summoned inside. Upon entering, I found myself in the presence of a technician dressed in white, accompanied by a policeman who seemed to be playing the role of muscle. I couldn''t help but wonder why they needed someone to exert force and why I found myself in what seemed like a police station or a similar establishment.

    "Miss, please have a seat," the technician said, gesturing towards a peculiar chair.

    Despite the chair''s odd appearance, a single glance at the policemen was enough to compel me to comply. I sat down reluctantly, my apprehension mounting.

    Just then, another technician emerged, and to my astonishment, I realized it was a goblin-like figure with a hologram masking its face.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    A startled cry involuntarily escaped my lips.

    "What''s the matter?" the goblin-like figure inquired.

    Oh, dear. Am I losing my mind again? I thought, panic gripping me.

    "I... I... I..." I stammered, struggling to find the right words.

    "Yes, go on," the figure prompted.

    "You appeared out of nowhere, and it frightened me... I... I''m sorry," I managed to utter, my voice trembling with unease.

    The goblin-like figure let out a sigh, exchanging a glance with the other technician while my mind raced, grappling with the impossibility of what I was witnessing. Was I hallucinating, or was this actually real? How could it be real?

    No, it was most likely just my imagination playing tricks on me. I must have been hallucinating. I mustered a feeble smile towards the goblin-like technician.

    "Have you checked my ID? Can I go now?" I asked, hoping for a swift resolution.

    Instead of responding to my inquiry, the technician instructed me, "Place your hands here and remain still," gesturing towards the armrests of the chair.

    Anxiety crept over me, and I felt my nerves intensifying. "What are you doing?" I questioned, feeling the urge to stand up.

    Without hesitation, the technician called for assistance from the muscle-like figure, even though he, too, appeared to be a hobgoblin. "Henry, please help!"

    Henry obliged, swiftly moving to aid the technician. To my dismay, I noticed that the chair had retractable restraints, which swiftly enclosed my hands, securing them to the armrests. Within seconds, the same restraints clamped around my ankles, leaving me immobilized.

    I started to scream for help.

    In the next moment, my mouth was tightly strapped shut, rendering me unable to produce anything more than muffled noises through my nose. The hobgoblin technician firmly clasped my nose shut,

    ¡°I''ll keep it shut for as long as needed until you''ll quiet down, understood?¡±

    My eyes went wide in fear, and I nodded in agreement.

    Reluctantly, the hobgoblin released his grip on my nose, allowing me to avidly gasp for air.

    He then pressed a button on the side of the wall, triggering a sequence of movements. The chair I was restrained in began to tilt and retract into the wall, transporting me into an unknown space.

    Inside, it was pitch-black, and I couldn''t discern anything in the darkness. Despite the lack of visibility, I was able to breathe freely.

    Hyperventilation took hold of me, and perspiration trickled down my temples. Trembling with fear, I whimpered and moaned, doing my best to stifle any excessive noise, though nothing seemed to occur.

    After what felt like an eternity of complete darkness, the chair balanced itself and reemerged back into the room, bringing me back to where I started.

    I frantically scanned the room, my eyes wide with fear, but to my dismay, everything appeared unchanged.

    The hobgoblin technician, engrossed in his instruments, made a comment that pierced through the air.

    "This chick possesses less magic than a stale potato forgotten in your basement," he remarked.

    The other technician chuckled in response. "Onzi, you always have such vivid expressions! So, what do we do now? Should we release her?" he inquired.

    The hobgoblin emitted a contemptuous snort. "Well, perhaps I could include her in my experiments first," he sneered.

    The technician laughed, seemingly entertained by the hobgoblin''s suggestion. Suddenly, the hobgoblin approached a table and retrieved a spoon from a vial, a sinister grin stretching across his face.

    "I will release your restraints, and you will boldly consume this substance without wasting a drop, understood?" he commanded, his tone laced with malice.

    My eyes went wide in fear, and I shook my head in negation. There was no way how I was going to swallow that. He chuckled and watched me with a pitied glance.

    ¡°Look, there are many ways how I could put this content inside your body. Do you opt for the fun way, or will you bravely swallow?¡±

    With a mix of fear and resignation, I swallowed the mysterious substance, feeling a wave of unease wash over me. The hobgoblin technician''s words lingered in the air.

    "No one ever chooses the fun part," the other technician remarked, his tone tinged with amusement.

    The hobgoblin shrugged nonchalantly. "No fun for us, just work. Alright, bring forth that spell, and remember to avert your gaze before I cast it unless you want to ask me for instructions again!" he exclaimed, a burst of twisted laughter escaping his lips.

    He received a spell scroll from the technician, and my eyes fixated on it, unable to tear away. How could I be witnessing goblins and spell scrolls once more? It had to be my mind playing tricks on me. This couldn''t be real. It never happened.

    "Now, look here!" he exclaimed, unrolling the scroll before my eyes.

    The room seemed to be engulfed in the ethereal glow of the spell.

    "Miss, miss! What are you doing here?" a voice called out, snapping me out of my dazed state.

    I turned to face the goblin, confusion evident on my face. What did he want from me? Did I forget anything? I do remember everything, but how could I know if I forgot anything?

    "I... I was just heading home and..." I stammered, my words trailing off. He chuckled, his laughter ringing in the air.

    "You''re free to go home. Take the left and keep following the left corridor. You''ll find your way back to the station," he replied a hint of amusement in his voice.

    I slowly rose from the chair, my gaze still lingering on the peculiar scene before me.

    "Can I go now?" I asked.

    He nodded, gesturing towards the door.

    "That way and to the left," he directed.

    I wasted no time and hurriedly left the room, my heart pounding in my chest, beads of cold sweat forming on my temples, and my blouse clinging uncomfortably to my back.

 Chapter 183 - Walking Through the Dark Side of Town

    As I made my way back to the station, I struggled to process the surreal events that had unfolded. It was utterly nonsensical! I couldn''t shake the feeling that my mind was once again toying with me, weaving an intricate web of illusions.

    Perhaps I should have mustered the courage to test the hobgoblin''s existence by poking at its holographic form.

    That should have settled it, one way or another, putting an end to the uncertainty that plagued my thoughts.

    The perplexing issue lay in the uncanny realism of it all. If what I experienced wasn''t real, then what on earth had actually happened? I struggled to conjure a plausible explanation, my mind grasping at straws.

    As I walked past a room filled with numerous monitors, my eyes were drawn to the array of images depicting various scenes from the station. It seemed there were quite a few individuals diligently monitoring the station, which, to some extent, was not entirely unusual. Although, upon closer inspection, I couldn''t help but wonder if the number of personnel was somewhat excessive for mere monitor observation. But who was I to pass judgment on such matters?

    Ah, facial recognition tools! Each person''s image was accompanied by additional information, but as one of the supervisors glanced up and met my gaze, I swiftly averted my eyes. I had no intention of drawing any unwanted attention to myself.

    Pressing on, I carried on my journey, ascending several flights of stairs.

    Finally, at the end of the next corridor, a partial view of the station came into sight. A wave of relief washed over me, prompting a small exclamation of joy.

    "Yeah! I''m out!"

    However, to my dismay, upon reaching the station, I discovered that it was in the process of closing down. The final train had already departed, and the display board indicated that the next train would not arrive until five-thirty in the morning.

    Five hours of waiting lay ahead of me!

    With the station closed for the night, the staff kindly ushered me outside, leaving me standing there in my perspiration-soaked blouse, devoid of my jacket, identification, and without money.

    What should I do? Caught in a whirlwind of thoughts and uncertainties, I pondered my options.

    Should I find a bench or perch myself on a stairwell for the entire night? Nope, nope, nope. I shuddered at the thought.

    Maybe I could hop into a taxi and explain my predicament, promising to pay later once I retrieved money from Lola¡ªassuming she was even home. But what if she wasn''t? I had already consumed my money for the week, and my student account would not let me take more.

    How could I settle the fare with an empty wallet?

    I ultimately resolved to embark on the journey by foot. As a light drizzle descended, I hastened my steps, striking a balance between a purposeful stride and an outright sprint. The raindrops served as a gentle reminder to maintain a brisk pace, warding off the chill that accompanied the late-night air.

    With a trek of two or three hours ahead of me, I had ample time to contemplate, analyze, and try to untangle the perplexing events that had unfolded.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The questions swirled in my mind, each one more perplexing than the last. Was the man truly a hobgoblin, or had my overactive imagination conjured up an illusion? It seemed peculiar that everyone else interacted with him as if they couldn''t see through his disguise, while to me, it appeared as a shoddy hologram, like a transparent mask.

    Was it a clever magical disguise, and I was immune to it, or was it simply a figment of my imagination?

    And then there was the matter of the chair. Did police stations even have such unconventional seating arrangements that automatically binds you and transport you into some dark space for strange magic tests? I had never heard of such a chair before, and no one had ever mentioned experiencing anything like it. It felt out of place, like an anomaly in the fabric of reality.

    But perhaps the most unsettling question was about the spell to forget. Was it a mystical incantation or a technological device? And if it was a spell, why hadn''t it affected me? Why hadn''t I forgotten anything? Or worse, had I forgotten something important and was not even aware of it?

    As I trudged through the rain-soaked streets, these unanswered questions weighed heavily on my mind, leaving me undecided, not being able to find a logical explanation for what I thought I saw.

    My mind grappled with the dissonance between two stark possibilities, neither of which offered a comforting resolution.

    The first option, the one that seemed most plausible, was that I had descended into madness. It would explain the bizarre encounters and the unsettling discrepancies between my experiences and the world around me. But accepting that I had lost touch with reality was a terrifying prospect, one that shook the very foundation of my being.

    Then there was the alternative possibility, one that threatened to unravel everything I believed to be true. What if my previous memories were accurate? What if the existence of White Flower was not a mere figment of my imagination?

    The implications of such a revelation were daunting; what was I doing as a simple non-magical girl in a magical world?

    Magical world? Did White Flower not bring me inside a different world populated with harpies and amazons?

    No, dear Dolores, such a world does not exist!

    I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

    Fuck! With a heavy heart, I reluctantly confronted the unsettling truth.

    "I am crazy,"

    I whispered to myself, the weight of the words sinking in. The realization brought a mixture of despair and resignation as I grappled with the realization that my perception of the world had become fractured, leaving me to navigate a labyrinth of delusions and uncertainties.

    I let out a heavy sigh, knowing that I would have to confront this overwhelming realization.

    In the morning, I would call my parents. I needed their support and guidance, as the weight of these revelations was becoming too much for me to bear alone. I couldn''t rely solely on my own judgment anymore. I needed help.

    A tear trickled down my cheek, followed by another. The emotions welled up inside me, a mix of sadness, fear, and uncertainty. It wasn''t an everyday occurrence to come to terms with one''s own madness. But despite the pain, I knew it was crucial to face it head-on and fight against it with every ounce of strength I had. At least I was still aware of my condition, and that gave me a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

    Lost in my own thoughts, I failed to notice the ominous presence lurking behind me as I ventured into a dilapidated neighborhood, a shortcut on my way home.

    Suddenly, two assailants pounced on me, swiftly overpowering me within seconds. A feeble yelp escaped my lips before it was abruptly stifled by an old sock forcefully placed in my mouth. In the blink of an eye, one of them seized my mobile and callously discarded it, severing my last connection to the outside world. Bound and helpless, my hands tightly secured behind my back, I was beaten into submission. With each blow, my hope dwindled as they dragged me away further into the darkness.

 Chapter 184 - Waking Up My Dark Side

    The area appeared eerily abandoned, devoid of any signs of life, save for a sparse scattering of solitary street lamps that intermittently cast feeble light. I mustered all my strength to fight and scream, but my efforts proved futile as I was mercilessly beaten. The desolate streets offered no solace, devoid of any witnesses to come to my aid. With callous determination, they forcefully dragged me into a dimly lit yard and subsequently forced me inside an ominous garage, the shadows closing in around me.

    My heart raced with an intensity I had never experienced before.

    Doubt seeped into my mind: was this brutal ordeal a harsh reality or yet another product of my deranged imagination? Though their actions mirrored those of goblins or orcs, these were not mythical creatures. Beaten and raped, that was the horrifying truth.

    As time painfully dragged on, the weight of despair settled upon me. Half an hour later, I found myself yearning for death, consumed by the depths of my anguish. And an hour later, as I continued to endure unimaginable torment, I couldn''t help but question why death had not yet embraced me, releasing me from this living nightmare.

    As their hands violated my body, a seething cauldron of hatred and despair bubbled within me. Never before had I fathomed that my heart could harbor such intense emotions. In that harrowing moment, I yearned for nothing more than to inflict upon them the same pain and horrors they had inflicted upon me. Yet, a peculiar numbness washed over me, and I began to detach myself from the grim reality unfolding before my eyes.

    Perhaps, I thought, this was simply another horrifying nightmare, and this body that bore the torment was not truly mine.

    The physical pain faded into the background, eclipsed by the consuming flame of my hatred. Resigned to my fate, I surrendered to the cruel whims of this twisted nightmare. I convinced myself that if I endured this torment until the bitter end, I would awaken once again in the comfort of my own home, free from the clutches of this abominable reality.

    In a bizarre twist, my detached state of mind seemed to manifest as a surreal experience. The pain gradually receded, and a peculiar sense of detachment washed over me as if I were merely an observer in my own twisted dream. It was akin to watching a movie unfold, disconnected from the reality of the moment.

    "This is just another one of my crazy, nonsensical dreams," I reassured myself, trying to make sense of the strange and disturbing scenarios my mind conjured. Yet, as the assailants grew increasingly feeble, one succumbing to slumber and the other following suit, I found myself still bound and lying on a worn-out mattress. Curiously, my body began to move of its own accord as if guided by an unseen force. In the logic of a dream, it made perfect sense; after all, dreams often defy the rules of the waking world. Curiosity compelled me to continue, to see what further absurdities awaited me in this perplexing dream realm.

    In the midst of this bewildering situation, a glimmer of hope flickered within me. In a desperate attempt to make sense of the inexplicable, I silently called out, "White Flower? Is that you?" Alas, the void echoed back, providing no response or reassurance.

    This was an entirely new level of absurdity; nonetheless, I clung to the belief that, eventually, I would awaken in the comfort of my own bed, just as it had happened before after the harpies'' dream.

    My body, seemingly under the control of some unseen force, moved with an eerie grace. Slithering along the floor, I rose gradually to my feet, my hands instinctively reaching out for a knife amidst the jumble of scattered tools on a nearby table.

    As I untied my bound hands, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind. Was this a twisted manifestation of my subconscious, a projection influenced by my experiences with Joe?

    I hesitated for a moment, watching the motionless figures before me, contemplating the symbolism behind their presence.

    Seeking solace from the haunting scene, my gaze shifted, landing on a corner of the room where a black rubber hose and a gully caught my attention.

    With a mixture of determination and trepidation, I made my way over, drawn to the idea of cleansing away the physical and emotional residue that clung to my being. As the ice-cold water cascaded over my naked body, a shiver ran down my spine, and a sense of liberation washed over me. It was as if the chilling water carried away not only the grime but also the pain, the suffering, and some of the weight I had been carrying in my mind.

    How could this be real? How could I find myself here, washing away the remnants of such a harrowing experience, in close proximity to the two men who had subjected me to such cruelty? The dissonance between the surreal nature of my circumstances and the raw power surging through my body left me bewildered yet strangely invigorated.

    My other half, the part of me that had remained calm amidst the chaos, worked swiftly and methodically. She scrubbed away the traces of trauma, drying my skin with the blouse, her touch firm yet gentle as she sought to reawaken my circulation. I dressed, hastily donning my trousers and shoes before slipping the now-damp blouse back on with a final sigh.

    As my alter ego surveyed the surroundings, an unsettling determination took hold. Her eyes were fixated on the row of canisters lining the wall. Curiosity mingled with a sense of purpose as she opened one, inhaling the acrid scent that filled the air. She grinned, and without hesitation, she proceeded to open each canister, releasing their contents in a cascading stream that coursed toward the scattered cigarette stubs strewn on a small metallic plate.

    A morbid fascination compelled me to witness the impending spectacle, contemplating how long it would take for the combustible elements to ignite. Would it be a mere twenty seconds? However, a flicker of rationality and self-preservation prevailed, urging me to abandon the scene. I swiftly closed the door, distancing myself from the impending chaos.

    With a considerable distance between us, I found myself approximately twenty yards away when a deafening explosion shattered the silence, the forceful blast ripping open the garage doors and unleashing a voracious inferno that devoured the entrance in an instant. The sheer violence of the erupting flames caught me off guard.

    Clutching a lighter in my trembling hand, a contingency plan in case the initial ignition failed, I instinctively hurled it into the blaze before swiftly retreating, navigating through the relentless downpour that drenched my surroundings. Familiarity struck as I recognized the path that had been forced upon me earlier, and with each step, a mix of adrenaline, fear, and a glimmer of hope propelled me forward.

    After a moment of uncertainty, my other self posed a question that jolted me from my thoughts.

    "Now, where to?"

    The fact that she was addressing me, engaging in conversation, sent a chill down my spine. Memories surfaced of a boy in our neighborhood who used to talk to himself, isolated from the other children. And here I was, doing the same thing. It only reinforced my suspicions of a fractured psyche, a manifestation of a split personality. I let out a resigned sigh, accepting the reality of the situation.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Where to? Home!" I replied, but she remained motionless. It was clear that I had to take the lead, guiding us toward safety and some semblance of normalcy.

    Then, a realization struck me.

    "Oh, wait!" I exclaimed, recalling that my mobile had been discarded by one of the assailants.

    A flicker of hope ignited within me as I ventured to the spot where I believed it had been thrown. Surveying the surroundings, I braced myself for the possibility of finding nothing but disappointment. However, to my astonishment, there it was, resting near a bench.

    The area where I found it was a small children''s park adorned with a couple of benches. It was in this tranquil setting that a fleeting gleam had caught my eye, leading me to my phone.

    Probably just a reflection of light on the phone''s smooth surface. Happy to have found it and surprised that it seemed to still work even in this wet state, I started jogging again through the downpour of rain.

    A surge of disbelief coursed through me as I recalled the harrowing ordeal I had supposedly endured. How could it be possible?

    Physically, I felt intact and unharmed, contradicting the vividness of the memories that haunted me. The thought that such a horrific event could have happened seemed unfathomable.

    Yet, as I turned my gaze toward the distance, my eyes widened in shock. Illuminating the night sky was a glaring blaze, casting an ominous glow over the surrounding area. My heart sank, realizing that it was indeed a huge fire. Dread and confusion intertwined within me, grappling with the realization that I may have ignited that inferno.

    Fear propelled my legs into action, propelling me forward in a desperate sprint toward the safety of home. With each stride, doubts and questions consumed my thoughts. Was this all real? Or was it another layer of the distorted reality I found myself trapped in? The pounding rain and my racing heartbeat served as a relentless soundtrack, echoing the tumultuous storm raging within my mind.

    I turned to my other self, seeking confirmation or perhaps even a shred of reassurance.

    "Did that really happen?" I asked, my voice laced with uncertainty.

    Her response came swiftly,

    "Sure, it did happen! Ahm, what part of it are you asking about?"

    Instead of providing an answer, I posed another question of my own, my voice trembling slightly.

    "Who are you?"

    Without hesitation, she replied with a single word that reverberated through the depths of my being.

    "Cala."

    The name hung in the air, resonating with that familiarity that sent shivers down my spine.

    Confusion engulfed my muddled mind as the name "Cala" echoed through my thoughts. How could it be Cala when I felt no surge of power in my muscles, no indication of an altered state. It was still me, the same weary and fatigued version of myself, struggling to maintain a light trot toward the solace of home.

    Before I could unravel the meaning behind this confusing fact, my attention was abruptly diverted as my phone began to ring in my trembling hand. I almost dropped it.

    Far behind me, in the distance, the blaring sirens of firefighter cars pierced through the night, traveling towards the blazing inferno unfolding somewhere behind me.

    Sweat and rainwater mingled, cascading down my temples, further clouding my already tumultuous thoughts. What could this phone call possibly entail? Only Matt''s mother possessed my new telephone number, but a call at such an ungodly hour from her seemed peculiar. I glanced at the screen, revealing a number that offered no immediate clarity. With trepidation, I mustered the courage to answer the call, my lips sealed as I silently listened.

    The voice on the other end of the line grew increasingly frantic as he pleaded for my attention. It was a voice that sparked a flicker of recognition within me, but I couldn''t quite place it. The urgency in his tone amplified my confusion and disbelief.

    "Dolores? Is that you? Can you hear me? Hello?" he implored.

    Caught off guard, I hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes?"

    The voice erupted with a mix of desperation and anguish, shattering the stillness of the night.

    "Dolores, Hew here! Something terrible has happened, Dolores! Matt has been in an accident!"

    The words hit me like a freight train, my mind struggling to process the gravity of the situation. Matt, the connection between Hew and me.

    How did Hew have access to this new phone was another question that I pushed back. Not important now!

    As I remained silent, my breath quickened, and my thoughts raced to comprehend the incomprehensible. Hew''s voice trembled as he continued, relaying the dire circumstances that surrounded Matt''s condition.

    "They say he may not survive! They''re considering an operation, but they''re uncertain if he''ll make it. They''ve even discussed the possibility of organ donation if he doesn''t make it! We need to convince them otherwise! I''m going insane here at the hospital. Please, can you come and see him? But you have to hurry!"

    Shock and disbelief washed over me, a maelstrom of emotions colliding within. Matt''s life hung in the balance, and I found myself torn between the urgency of the situation and the questions about my mind. Was this real?

    The implications of what I heard hung heavy in the air, overwhelming me. I could not answer, but my other half took over for me.

    "Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with determination. "I might be able to help him. Can you help me get there fast?"

    There was a sigh of relief on the other end of the line while I was mute, not daring to ask my alter ego the how, how was I going to help him?

    "Where are you?" he asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

    I quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for a street sign or any indication of my current location. It was a stroke of luck that the house nearby had the street name displayed beneath its number. I read it aloud and explained to him my predicament.

    "I am on foot, Hew, and I have no money with me. There are no taxis in sight. Can you pay for the taxi if I order one?"

    There was a momentary pause, and then Hew''s voice crackled through the phone with determination.

    "Wait! I know the place, you''re not far away! I''ll be there in less than five minutes!"

    As he closed the call, I looked at the dimming light of the phone in my hand.

    "How did you think that I could help Matt?" I whispered to myself, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

    And then, in response to my question, my own voice answered, speaking words that I couldn''t believe were coming from my own lips.

    "You''ve awoken my heritage and used it," the voice said. "That must have been what woke me up. As a succubus, you can extract and even overload health. That''s why you feel so good now. You could still push something back into him. It''s not much, but it may save his life."

    I closed my eyes, trying to process the enormity of what I had just heard. Succubus? It felt like a bizarre twist, an unexpected turn in the already chaotic journey of my unraveling reality.

    "As a succubus?" I repeated, my voice trembling.

    What did my crazy brain now do!

 Chapter 185 - Calas Heritage

    While I anxiously awaited Hew''s arrival, I seized the opportunity to engage in a conversation with my alter ego, hoping to unravel some of the mysteries that had unfolded before me.

    "You''re a succubus?" I exclaimed, taken aback by this startling revelation. I had never known this about Cala!

    She let out a soft chuckle.

    "Technically speaking, I do possess the heritage, but you activated it, so who is the succubus?" she clarified, a touch of amusement in her voice; then she sighed before continuing, "My great-great-grandmother was a succubus. I had no idea that her dormant heritage could be awakened. Yet, thanks to you, it has. But don''t worry, it saved you, and now you have the power to save him!"

    My eyes widened in sheer astonishment. This revelation completely shifted my understanding of Cala.

    "Wait! You''re the daughter of a demon from Hell?" I blurted out, unable to contain my surprise.

    After uttering my words, I glanced around, half-expecting curious onlookers to steer clear of the peculiar sight of me engaging in a conversation with myself, essentially embodying two distinct characters. Fortunately, it was late in the night, and the pouring rain had driven away any potential witnesses from the desolate streets, sparing me from prying eyes.

    She let out a resigned sigh, and I felt my shoulders involuntarily rise under her influence.

    "From Ha''Des. What you refer to as Hell is actually a continent in a different world known as Ha''Des or Ha''Deimos. And right now, we find ourselves on Ter''Ra."

    "You mean Terra?" I interjected, seeking clarification.

    "No! Ter''Ra, the third child-world of Ra. Ha''Des is the eighth child world of Des, also known as Deimos, the god of dread and terror."

    "What is this? Who fed you this nonsense?" I snorted, interrupting her.

    "My mother," she replied, her voice tinged with a mix of sorrow and melancholy. "She attempted to impart her knowledge to me but was killed on a dreadful night when I was just seven. It was after her true nature as a succubus was exposed; she was killed only because she was recognized as my grandmother''s daughter. But that''s a story for another time. My mother always spoke of multiple interconnected worlds, bound together by mystical threads."

    I let out a weary sigh, feeling the weight of disbelief settling upon me. I didn''t have the luxury of indulging in these fantastical notions at the moment.

    I rolled my eyes.

    Couldn''t her otherworldly lineage be traced back to angels, elves, dryads, or anything else? Did it have to be demons?

    "What about White Flower? Why isn''t she here?" I pressed.

    Cala shrugged, her expression carrying a mix of uncertainty and speculation.

    "She must still be in the ethereal realm where she transported both of us. Neither dead nor fully alive."

    I couldn''t help but feel a sense of frustration. Why did things have to be so complicated and convoluted? White Flower could have effortlessly freed me from those assailants in mere moments, and she possessed the power to heal Matt with a mere flick of her wrist.

    Why must it be so cumbersome? What options did I have now?

    "How am I supposed to heal him as a succubus? Should I... violate him in the hospital?" I blurted out, my voice tinged with sarcasm and disbelief.

    Cala chuckled, shaking her head.

    "No, silly. A simple kiss would suffice. You just need to reverse the actions you took before."

    Reverse the actions I took before!? I let out a heavy sigh, trying to process the perplexing situation. How on earth could I do that? I gave up on that line of thought.

    "Why would White Flower do that? Putting herself and you in the ethereal world, neither dead nor alive?" - I asked.

    Cala raised her hands in a gesture of exasperation.

    "It was because of the predicament we found ourselves in. Remember when you wanted to terminate the contract with her? You even screamed aloud: All I want is to be back to my old life! Let us separate, and let me be free!"

    She said that shaking her head and doing a decent Dolores impersonation. She then took a deep breath and continued:

    "We sought out the highest specialist to separate us, but we discovered that it wasn''t possible without the risk of at least of us dying. The problem was that White Flower was possessing two entities at the same time, you and me, something that shouldn''t have been possible, and there was no guarantee that we wouldn''t be lost in the ethereal plane during the separation. So we made the decision to wait, to bide our time."

    "Wait? Wait for what?" I asked, my voice tinged with frustration.

    Cala shrugged a hint of resignation in her expression.

    "Wait for you to live your life. Well, it did make sense, I am the person with the highest bounty on Prom''Ethea, and White Flower is the most hunted spellcaster there. Waiting for a couple of decades, or even a century, for you to live your life and for the situation to settle seemed like a better alternative than risking our lives in an impossible separation. After we remained just the two of us, separation would become possible, and nobody would have to die."

    "Prom''Ethea?" I babbled, struggling with the name.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "The fifty-fourth world of Ethea. The world where I was born."

    I protested, exasperated.

    "The fifty-fourth world of Ethea? That''s just made up! There''s no star system with fifty-four planets!"

    Cala sighed, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

    "I understand your skepticism, but it''s the truth. Prom''Ethea is the world where I was born, part of a vast network of interconnected realms."

    I protested, growing even more exasperated.

    "You''re just spouting nonsense. None of this makes any sense!"

    Just then, a car horn blared nearby, catching our attention. Cala turned and saw Hew''s car approaching.

    "He''s here!" she exclaimed, a glimmer in her eyes.

    I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed.

    "I don''t care. I''m convinced that I''m crazy. Right now, all I need is to call my parents. I''ll do it in the morning when it''s a more appropriate time."

    Cala''s expression turned earnest as she pleaded with me.

    "But what about your friend? Will you just let him die?"

    I hesitated, grappling with conflicting emotions. I didn''t even know for sure if he was my friend. Could any of this be real?

    But if there was even a small chance that it was, could I turn my back on the opportunity to save Matt?

    "I''m opting out," I finally said, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "You do what you think you need to do, but I won''t be a part of it. I''ll wait until morning to call my parents. I don''t want to alarm them in the middle of the night."

    Doubt and fear crept over me. What had I done to my own mind? I did it again! I transformed myself into... into what? An assassin and a demon? Oh my! I couldn''t help but shiver.

    Cala shrugged, stepping onto the street and waving at Hew''s approaching car.

    "Hey, Hew! Over here!" she called out, her voice filled with determination.

    He parked his jeep on the side, just in front of me, and I wasted no time in swiftly climbing inside the cabin.

    "Hi," I greeted him.

    "Hey, Lores," he replied with a weary tone, his eyes reflecting the weight of exhaustion with deep lines etched beneath them.

    "How is he?" I inquired.

    "Bad," he responded, his focus on the road as he executed a U-turn on the wide street.

    The car accelerated, and for a while, silence enveloped us. As the cold began to seep into my bones, I couldn''t help but shiver. I hugged myself in an attempt to ward off the chill.

    "You''re all wet!?" he exclaimed, glancing at me again.

    I shrugged.

    "It''s been raining for quite some time outside," Cala explained, her voice laced with a hint of irony. Then, she raised an eyebrow. "Do you happen to have any spare clothes?"

    "You can take my jacket to warm up; it''s on the back seat. Uh, well... I do have spare work clothes tucked under the seat behind, but those are a bit dirty from, uh, car work."

    Cala wasted no time in waiting for him to finish. She deftly maneuvered between the front seats, getting on the back seat through a maneuver that I did not think I was able to do, and then located the clothes beneath it. After a quick examination, she swiftly removed my damp clothes and replaced them with the spare ones, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. She then slipped on Hew''s jacket.

    All done in less than a minute.

    She took a satisfied breath, giving the clothes on me a brief once-over. She leaned in, planting a kiss on Hew''s neck and playfully ruffling his hair. "Thanks, Hew, you''re a lifesaver."

    He reached over to adjust the heat settings.

    "Is that better now?"

    "Much better!" Cala nodded approvingly, casting a glance at the wet front seat before shrugging. She leaned against it, positioning herself to get a clearer view of Hew''s face.

    "So, what happened with Matt?"

    "It seems there was an argument between Matt and his mother, and he left home in the evening without informing Mrs. Cutler. He rode his bicycle through town, unaware that his backlight wasn''t working, according to the driver who hit him," Hew explained.

    "Where was he heading?" I wondered.

    "He wanted to go to your place. We had been working late into the night on some new songs, and I gave him a ride home. Then I got back and went straight to bed.

    He must have been furious with his mother for not calling him when you were there.

    He left me a voicemail on my phone, and I got your new number from there. I assume he wanted me to drive to your place, but since I didn''t answer his call, he left on his bicycle. And then the accident happened."

    He took a deep breath, his frustration evident in his voice as he continued,

    "If either of us had answered his calls, maybe none of this would have happened. I''m so angry with myself! I woke up in the middle of the night and saw that he had called me. I tried calling him back, but he didn''t answer. So I called their home and spoke to his mother, who had just learned about the accident moments before my call. She was in shock, thinking it was another call from the hospital. I immediately called the hospital and rushed there as fast as I could."

    "I didn''t answer?" I murmured, disbelief and regret flooding through me.

    I picked up my phone and saw a list of missed calls from a few hours ago. I realized that I had been too preoccupied with being violated to answer his call earlier. I let the phone slip from my grasp and buried my face in my hands, overcome with anger.

    "We are here! Let''s go!" he said, parking the car.

    I quickly stepped out of the vehicle, hurrying up behind him with my tennis shoes sloshing with each step.

    The hospital we arrived at was different from the Saint-Ana Hospital, where I had recently been as Cala and healed all those wounded people. This one was known as the Brotherhood Hospital and stood amidst a cluster of gray apartment blocks, devoid of the lush green surroundings.

    Thankfully, Hew was acquainted with the layout, sparing us from wasting time asking for directions, and we swiftly made our way inside.

    When we finally arrived, a tense scene unfolded before our eyes as Hew''s mother was engaged in a heated argument with the doctors. As I scanned the area, my gaze landed on Matt, but we remained silent, attentively listening to their exchange.

    The doctors delivered a grim prognosis, stating that Matt''s condition was so dire that undergoing an operation would be futile. As a result, he was currently under observation and not scheduled for surgery unless there was a significant improvement in his condition within the next few hours. They explained that if the life support machines were turned off, he would not survive. However, since he couldn''t be scheduled for an operation, the doctors would soon have to make the difficult decision to disconnect the machines. Hew''s mother desperately pleaded with them, urging them to keep Matt connected to the life-saving devices in the hope that he would recover enough to undergo the operation. Despite her impassioned pleas, the odds seemed stacked against her, and her chances of success appeared slim.

    Cala swiftly removed my shoes and leaned in to whisper something to Hew.

    "Hew, please provide cover for me. I just need a few seconds," she pleaded.

    Uncertain but trusting, he watched silently as I made my way toward Matt. A wave of unease washed over me as I beheld his pallid face, my heart freezing within my chest.

    There had been a sister attending to the monitors just moments ago, but she had left the room. Taking the opportunity, Cala approached Matt, pressing her lips to his and closing her eyes in concentration. The kiss was brief, but as it unfolded, I felt Matt''s lips move, and he spoke my name, his voice filled with confusion. "Lores?"

    Suddenly, an alarm began to blare, its shrill sound piercing the air. I opened my eyes, meeting Matt''s gaze, but my vision started to blur, causing me to stumble as I fought to maintain my balance.

 Chapter 186 - (Almost) Full Disclosure

    As I regained consciousness, I found myself in another bed in the same room. Matt''s bed stood empty, causing a surge of concern to rush through me. A doctor was present, and he turned his attention towards me as he noticed my awakening.

    "You gave us quite a scare, miss!" he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

    He appeared to be a young man, possibly still in the midst of his medical studies, not yet a fully-fledged doctor. I gazed into his vibrant blue eyes and anxiously inquired,

    "Where is Matt?"

    "He is likely already in the operating room," he responded, his voice tinged with a hint of surprise. "Remarkably, he showed enough improvement to be considered for surgery. Let''s hope he pulls through until the end."

    The doctor''s attention shifted back to me.

    "So, young lady, when was the last time you ate?" he asked, catching me off guard with this question.

    I took a momentary pause, my mind struggling to grasp and piece together the details as if it were operating in slow motion. It felt as though my thoughts were slogging through thick mud, making it difficult to gather my bearings and make sense of the situation.

    "I don''t remember exactly, but sometime yesterday," I replied, a bit uncertain about the accuracy of my answer.

    He let out a sigh, concern evident in his voice.

    "Are you sure? By the results, I would have guessed that you haven''t eaten for at least a week or even longer. Either that or we''re dealing with a severe disorder. We''ve been providing you nourishment intravenously, and you do seem to be responding positively, which suggests it may be the former scenario. I strongly recommend that you remain in the hospital, allowing us to conduct further tests to determine the underlying cause of your condition, especially if you consumed something recently."

    Uh, oh, they must have already done some blood analysis. I shook my head.

    "No, no, I''ll be fine. Really. Is Hew here?" I asked, shifting the focus back to my friend.

    The doctor nodded. "Your friend? Yes, he is here. Shall I allow him to come in?"

    I nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

    "Alright," the doctor replied, then asked me again, "Are you still firm in your decision to not stay in the hospital?"

    Once again, I shook my head, reaffirming my choice. The doctor let out a sigh.

    "Alright, but I do urge you to let the transfusion complete. It will take another fifteen minutes. After that, you can have it removed or ask the medical assistant to assist you."

    He stood up and exited the room, leaving me alone.

    Moments later, Hew burst in, visibly agitated.

    "How did you do it?" he blurted out as soon as he entered, closing the door behind him. His gaze met mine, and he couldn''t help but remark, "Oh my, you look like a zombie!"

    I chuckled at his unfiltered comment, but then, thinking how to answer his question, a chilling memory flashed in my mind¡ªthe encounter with the goblin in the dark depths of a train station. A shudder ran down my spine, and I instinctively grabbed hold of Hew''s jacket, pulling him closer as he gasped in surprise.

    Forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed, I whispered urgently in his ear, my voice barely above a whisper.

    "Hew, you didn''t see anything. It just happened, and it has nothing to do with me, okay?"

    His eyes widened in astonishment, clearly intrigued by my cryptic words. I persisted, pleading with him.

    "Please, Hew, promise me!"

    He nodded, a mix of confusion and concern etched on his face.

    "Okay... I promise... but what did you do? It seemed like you gave him something from your own life..."

    I let out a sigh, finding myself once again being pulled into the realm of the paranormal. It was precisely as he had described it: I had indeed transferred some of my life force to Matt through a reverse succubus spell. But could I truly bring myself to say it out loud? And if I did, what would be the repercussions?

    My mind remained foggy and slow, even as I gradually regained some strength.

    One thing was certain, there was no way in hell I was going to say or let even the smallest hint about having gained any succubus heritage.

    I was looking at my transfusion as I was gathering my thoughts when to my surprise, I suddenly spoke:

    "Hew, maybe Matt just woke up when I touched him. The important thing is that he''ll be operated on now and has a fighting chance! "- I shrugged and raised my eyes to look into his - "Look, it''s already daylight outside. Once this is over, how about you treat me to breakfast? I''m absolutely famished!"

    A hint of color returned to my cheeks, but it was merely the embarrassment that flushed my face at Cala''s shameless attempt to get Hew to buy me food. To my surprise, Hew responded with a bright smile.

    "Sure!"

    Half an hour later, we found ourselves seated in a cozy little bistro that had opened its doors early. As I awaited my order, I caught the attention of the Asian cook and owner with a single glance, instantly transforming him into a doting servant. It was a surreal experience, and I found myself struggling to digest both my breakfast and the unexpected favoritism I seemed to have gained.

    Hew observed my overflowing plate, then glanced at his own with a puzzled expression.

    "Well, that''s the power of women," he sighed, defeated. "I''m the one footing the bill, yet your portion is twice the size of mine and looks far more appetizing. Not that I''ll go hungry with what I have, but it''s just the optics of it..."

    I shrugged, happily chewing away.

    "I don''t plan on leaving a single gram behind. It''s absolutely delicious, and I''m ravenous. So, what did the doctor say about Matt''s chances?"

    "He said he has about a fifty percent chance of survival."

    "Only fifty percent?" I exclaimed.

    Desperation tinged my voice as I processed the news.

    I had given Matt everything I could, yet it had only resulted in a fifty percent chance of survival? It felt like a crushing blow.

    Hew disagreed with my pessimism.

    "Just a few hours ago, they had given him no chance at all. They said only a miracle could save him. Lores, what you did was nothing short of a miracle! It''s a significant improvement!"

    I let out a heavy sigh, my spirits dampened.

    "But it''s still not enough..."

    As I continued to eat, my enthusiasm waned. Even if I managed to recover further, would I be able to channel more health into Matt?

    However, I doubted that it would work.

    ¡°Tell me, why did you disappear for a week? Did we do something wrong? Did Matt wrong you? Did we do something to offend you? You did not answer any of my calls!¡±

    His questions interrupted my train of thought, and I paused for a moment before responding.

    "No, Hew, it''s not because of anything you or Matt did. I had my own personal issues to deal with. And as for not answering your calls, my phone was actually with Matt. He didn''t mention it to you?"

    I took a sip of my drink, trying to gather my thoughts. It wasn''t the right time to delve into my own troubles, especially with Matt''s critical condition still weighing on my mind.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    He chewed thoughtfully on his breakfast for a moment before responding. "Well, he did mention something about waiting for you to contact us, but his mother informed us yesterday evening that you hadn''t requested to meet. Why not?"

    Feeling a slight headache forming, I instinctively pressed my left hand against the base of my nose, finding some relief in the pressure. Resting on my elbow, I tried to clear my thoughts. The increased blood circulation seemed to help.

    The animosity between Matt''s mother and me was insignificant and trivial. Even if I could not reproach her anything directly, I had the feeling that she was not really fond of me. There was something false in her acting. I let out a sigh, deciding to ignore that and be honest with Hew.

    "Hew, I wasn''t entirely sure if I truly belonged to your group; that''s why I didn''t ask directly. Can you please clarify once again, am I really your group''s singer?"

    He raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my response.

    "Is something wrong?" he inquired, his surprise evident in his expression.

    I let out a snort of frustration.

    "Of course, something is wrong. Just answer the question, please," I urged him.

    Hew shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Of course, you''re our singer. Matt has a decent voice, but he can''t compare to you. Why are you asking?"

    I didn''t immediately respond to his question, instead pressing further. "And all those memories of us meeting in Matt''s garden, then going to your cabin in the woods and being there with Mike and Tom... Are those memories accurate?"

    He remained silent, his eyes focusing as he watched me. After a moment, he nodded in confirmation.

    "Yes, those memories are accurate," he admitted. Unable to contain his curiosity, he couldn''t help but ask, "What happened?"

    My breathing quickened as a mix of confusion and relief washed over me. Could it be that all those memories were indeed real? Or was I just convincing myself of their authenticity?

    "Is any of this even real? Are you real, Hew?" I pondered aloud, my voice filled with uncertainty.

    Leaning closer, Hew reached across the table and gave my arm a quick pinch.

    "Ay!" I couldn''t help but let out a surprised yelp.

    "Was that enough to confirm?" he eagerly asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

    I snorted, rubbing my arm where he had pinched me.

    "Damn, that''s going to leave a bruise, but thanks," I replied, a mixture of annoyance and gratitude in my voice.

    ¡°Oh, fuck. And I told Lola that I was not the singer...¡±

    He raised a brow.

    ¡°That''s what bothers you?¡±

    I sighed and looked at him as we both laughed.

    "Was the fact that you could now help heal Matt, was that the reason to doubt your mind? But..." - he asked.

    "Not just that. There are other things... strange things that have been happening." I replied, releasing a heavy sigh.

    "But that was amazing!" - Hew exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement. - "Why do you react like it was a bad thing?"

    I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my racing heart. He seemed to confirm that much of what I had experienced was real. But it also meant confronting the possibility that my recent encounter with the goblin witchdoctor and my past as a casting witch were also true. The weight of it all was overwhelming.

    He regarded me with a mix of concern and caution.

    "You seem like you''re about to hyperventilate any moment. Take it easy, Lores. Stay calm."

    I locked my gaze with Hew''s green eyes, momentarily pushing aside the old adage about not trusting guys with green eyes. I needed his reassurance, his perspective. The weight of uncertainty was crushing me, and I couldn''t bear it any longer.

    "Hew, this whole witchcraft thing has thrown me off balance," I confessed, my voice filled with uncertainty. "I ended doubting my own sanity. I thought I was losing my mind. Some of the things I''ve witnessed... they defy logic. I''m struggling to make sense of it all. Am I going crazy, Hew? Are these just figments of my imagination?"

    His eyes widened, and he seemed eager to respond, but I raised my hand to halt him, urging him to listen.

    "Remember those viral internet feeds we stumbled upon, showing the wounded at Saint-Anna Hospital?" I asked, hoping for a positive affirmation.

    He nodded, and I continued, happy that that part of the memory was confirmed.

    "I went there to heal them. But that cannot be true, as that was not real, do you understand me? I imagined that I was there and healed all those people!¡±

    There, I said it!

    I was eagerly watching his reaction and saw his eyes widening in shock.

    "That was you?" he whispered, glancing around cautiously before continuing. "One of my cousins was there, witnessing the healing. He told me that it was real. He was only involved in transporting the wounded, but he saw it happen. Everyone who witnessed it was taken to Hammingway Airfield. They''re being held there, essentially imprisoned. My cousin managed to avoid it, claiming ignorance of the truth. He saw it from the outside and was deeply shaken, but he wisely chose not to mention it in his reports. He''s afraid of being apprehended like the others. No one knows what they''re planning to do with those people, but the story was fiercely suppressed."

    My heart pounded in my chest as the magnitude of the revelation sank in. I was left speechless for a moment, then mustered the words that echoed my disbelief.

    "So, you''re saying... it was real?"

    He watched me, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.

    "But... if you healed those people before, why can''t you do it now? Is it because you''re afraid? Can''t you at least try to help Matt, to give him a better chance at survival? Does it always consume you like this?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and hope.

    I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping. This was the worst possible scenario, and I dreaded having to admit it.

    "I can''t do it anymore," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Listen to this and tell me if this story is true."

    I sipped from my coffee cup and continued.

    "They gave me something to drink, and then I saw myself become an old hag. A hundred years old hag! I could barely move, and a bunch of orcs attacked me. After I escaped from that place, I landed in a world filled with mythical beings, like harpies. I thought I was losing my sanity. All I wanted was to return to my normal life, to be a regular girl again. And somehow, that wish came true. I woke up in my bed yesterday morning, and ever since then, I haven''t been able to do anything. No magic, no witchcraft. Nothing. I''m just plain, ordinary Dolores once again, just as I had wished to be. What part of this story is real? Now you understand my problem, but the fact remains, I cannot heal anymore."

    A heavy silence settled between us as my words hung in the air, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

    The weight of the consequences bore down on me, engulfing me in a wave of overwhelming emotions.

    But amidst the tumult, there was a glimmer of relief. I repeated it to myself like a mantra: I wasn''t crazy. I had never been crazy.

    The memories of healing those people were real, and I clung to that truth with fervor.

    As for the harpies and the fantastical world, they seemed to be twisted manifestations brought forth by the drugs they must have administered to manipulate me. It must have been a bizarre figment of my imagination, an aberration amidst the reality of my actions.

    Somehow, I had managed to escape their clutches.

    "You cannot do anything anymore?" - he finally questioned.

    I shook my head. We were looking at each other in silence, trying to digest what we had just learned. He was breathing hard.

    ¡°But what was it that you just did before with Matt? Can''t you repeat that?"

    There was hope in his eyes.

    Repeat that? Succubi-kill somebody?

    I took a deep breath and shook my head.

    "That was something else. Some kind of a one-off trick, like sharing my life force or something like that. I''m afraid that was all I could do.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you give him some of my life force then?¡± - he wondered.

    I huffed and rolled my eyes.

    ¡°No¡±

    There was no way I would even think of absorbing his life force. Good that he does not know what he is talking about. Some things better stay unexplained.

    At least I had clarified the fact that I was not crazy.

    ¡°Can I ask you something? Would you honestly tell me when and if I am acting like a crazy person?¡±

    ¡°You mean like hiding into the broom closet and not wanting to come out for the performance?¡±

    I snorted and gave him the evil eye.

    ¡°No, that was perfectly normal!¡±

    He grinned.

    ¡°Really? If you say so!¡±

    I was a bit aghast but also thankful for him that he could still make a joke.

    I took another deep breath.

    Hew started to eat again, and I followed suit but with less enthusiasm.

    "As soon as we''re finished here, I plan to go back and wait for the results at the hospital," he said, his green eyes meeting mine. "Would you stay with me? All I can do is hope and pray."

    I let out a tired sigh, the exhaustion weighing on me.

    "I''ve been awake since yesterday morning, and my mind is overwhelmed. I need some rest to process everything. But I promise I''ll come back. Before you return to the hospital, could you please do me one more favor? Can you drive me home?"

    "Don''t give me that look, Lores; I''ll do it regardless!"

    Strangely I felt that Cala was not happy with me. Why that?

 Chapter 187 â€“ Meditation Hour Under the Blanket

    Upon arriving home, I made a beeline for the bathroom, craving the solace of a refreshing shower. The water cascading down, blending the soothing sensations of hot and cold over my naked skin, was a balm for my weary soul. With each lather of shampoo and every lathering of soap, I felt a cleansing of not just my physical body but also my troubled mind. It was as if the abundance of soap bubbles held the power to purify me, washing away the dirt, pain, debasement, and suffering that had consumed my thoughts and soul.

    I let myself release the floodgates of emotions as tears and more tears mixed with some laughter cascaded down in the shower''s solitude.

    The presence of my succubus lineage, as Cala referred to it, my mutated demonic heritage, seemed to have played a role in preserving my sanity, at least to some extent. Nevertheless, my mind, battered and worn, struggled to process the events that had unfolded throughout the night.

    Oh, what a fucking night it had been! A night filled with tragedy and turmoil, a relentless onslaught of challenges and revelations that shook the very core of my being.

    Fortunate circumstances had granted me the solitude I needed at home. It was a stroke of luck that the girls were not present, likely still recovering from a night of revelry at a different location.

    This suited me well as I was spared the burden of explaining the tumultuous events to anyone else, and secondly, it provided me with the freedom to engage in unhindered conversation with Cala, my alter ego.

    An hour passed, and I emerged with my hair wrapped in a towel, making my way to the sanctuary of my room.

    Shutting the door behind me, I slipped under the comforting embrace of the blanket, burying my head beneath the pillow.

    There, in the sheltered confines of my room, I continued my soliloquy, engaging in a conversation with myself. But now, it was time to gather my wits and approach the situation with a rational mindset. The phase of distress and freaking out had run its course, but now I needed to try to use my brain to think rationally.

    One question that continued to haunt me was why Cala had resurfaced in my mind, even if in a different form. Now I did not have her powerful body and her assassin''s skills, only her mind and something from her strange demonic lineage.

    According to her own account, Cala''s presence was a result of my unintentional activation of her spirit when I absorbed magic through her body from the ethereal world. Our connection, she claimed, was a consequence of White Flower''s possession spell, which had relocated her essence to the ethereal plane, allowing me to manifest in the physical realm.

    On the other hand, in my own interpretation, Cala existed as an alter ego, a coping mechanism born out of the madness and anguish inflicted upon me through the act of violation. To maintain my sanity, I needed a construct to bear the weight of my suffering. The succubus narrative provided a vessel through which I could transform the pain and torment into a semblance of empowerment and vengeance. Though, whether I could still be considered truly sane remained a subject of debate.

    According to Cala''s account, White Flower had made an attempt to separate us, but the intricate circumstances surrounding our unique situation hindered her success. With White Flower possessing both my body and Cala''s, the coexistence of two distinct entities in the same space was deemed impossible. It was conveyed to White Flower that a choice had to be made between me and Cala in order to achieve separation, with the potential risk of her own life being endangered in the process.

    In my interpretation, White Flower is simply another manifestation of my alter egos like Cala. The concept of separation implies that one of us would cease to exist, leading to a sort of "death" in a metaphorical sense. So, in a sense, she is correct that the notion of separation would result in the loss of one of us.

    As I couldn''t determine which of the two versions held the truth, although I was inclined to trust my own perspective, I let out a sigh and turned my attention to the next pressing question that plagued my mind: How did I manage to escape from the army''s compound?

    If my recollection was accurate, and I was indeed at the hospital healing those individuals, it was highly likely that I had been captured and held captive at some point.

    According to Cala''s account, I was fortunate enough to utilize the teleportation ability known as "call for arms" possessed by the amazons. However, the sheer improbability of that coincidence occurring precisely when I needed it made me dismiss her explanations with a snort.

    However, I had no explanation of my own, as I had no recollection or understanding of how I managed to escape.

    It seemed that, at some point, I had lost touch with reality, possibly due to being drugged during their attempts to control me.

    The encounters with harpies and amazons, the sensation of "getting older," all those things might have been hallucinations induced by the drugs they administered.

    Nevertheless, despite the haze in my mind, I must have found a way to magically extricate myself from that situation and presumably return home. While I longed to comprehend the details of how I achieved such a feat, it is often in times of extreme stress that our bodies and minds can exhibit remarkable capabilities.

    Why would that not apply to magic too?

    So, what do I have now?

    First of all, I know that I''m not crazy; I mean, I''m not just imagining all these things. Magic is undeniably real, but it''s not something that can be easily researched and tested. It''s fucking magic, for crying out loud!

    And then I found myself confiding in Hew. Why Hew? Why did I choose to reveal all this to him when nobody else knew so much about me?

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Maybe it was because he happened to be there at the right moment, and I felt a sense of trust towards him. I can only hope that he won''t betray me.

    I nestled my head deeper under the pillow, seeking refuge in its softness and feathers.

    What should I do now? Should I talk to my parents, as I had considered earlier?

    Things have changed. What would I even tell them now? That I had become a succubus?

    No, that was out of the question.

    Or that I was a witch?

    While I knew deep down that I wasn''t crazy, how could I provide any proof if I tried to explain it to them now? The truth was, I had no evidence to back up my claims.

    Perhaps I could intentionally inflict wounds on myself and then heal them in front of someone, proving my supernatural abilities.

    I scoffed quietly from beneath the pillow, thinking of the only way how I could heal myself with my new witch self-iteration. That was hardly the kind of demonstration I wanted to perform for my parents, or anyone else for that matter.

    For now, it seemed more sensible to postpone that conversation until I had something concrete to show them, something that could provide tangible proof of my extraordinary circumstances.

    So what should I do?

    "You should try to help Matt. You cannot ignore him." -I told myself.

    I pondered my alter ego''s words and let out a sigh, raising an eyebrow in response.

    "How exactly do you suggest I help him? I can''t just go on a succubus-killing spree to gather life energy, can I? After he undergoes the operation, all I can do is pray that he pulls through."

    "Not true."

    I listened to Cala''s explanation and contemplated her suggestion. Extracting a fraction of life power from several individuals seemed like a little less drastic approach than resorting to taking someone''s life, especially knowing that they would completely recover in a week or two.

    "So, you''re saying I could gather the necessary life power by extracting a small fraction from multiple individuals? How many would I need for that?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

    Cala nodded.

    "Around ten to twelve people should be sufficient to replenish your energy and enable you to aid Matt," she replied.

    I was taken aback by her suggestion, almost choking on my own breath. "So, if I understand correctly, you''re suggesting that I... sleep with a dozen individuals? Are you insane?" I exclaimed.

    She let out a sigh, clearly exasperated by my reaction.

    "No, that''s not what I meant!" she retorted.

    I was confused. "Then how does this whole thing work?" I asked, trying to grasp her explanation.

    "The sexual act itself is not absolutely necessary. It''s just a means to an end," she clarified. "What you''re actually doing is a less potent form of life-stealing, and to accomplish that, you need to lower their natural defenses and awareness. Kissing can also work; you did something similar with Matt. You can utilize your succubus gaze to entice them and your succubus voice to command them, then extract their life power through kissing. It''s a feasible approach."

    I let out a scoff. "Succubus gaze? What''s that supposed to be?"

    She responded with a snort. "You''ve already used it with the cook and Hew. By the way, you shouldn''t use it with Hew! I thought you two were friends!"

    That caught me off guard.

    "With Hew? I used it with Hew?"

    "Yes, when you asked him to drive you home!"

    "Oh, so that''s why you were angry with me," I murmured, realizing I had unknowingly used the succubus gaze. I sighed and raised my shoulders in apology but quickly refocused on the main topic at hand. "Alright, so I have to lure some guys and kiss them? Just like that? And then what? Tell them to go away?" I swallowed, feeling uneasy. "Isn''t there any other way?"

    She shrugged nonchalantly.

    "It''s not that straightforward. A simple kiss won''t be sufficient, especially since you''re still a low-level succubus."

    "But it worked with Matt?"

    "It worked with Matt because you were performing a reverse spell, empowering him. When it comes to extracting life force, it''s different. It goes against their will and the natural order, so you need to break their resistance. That''s why it takes time. Succubi are actually one of the weakest life stealers. When you''re using kissing as the method, it''s even slower. With your level, it would take around fifteen to twenty minutes before you can properly extract some life power. If you take too much, you can give them a little bit back. That''s why the reverse spell exists. You''ll notice that they enter a kind of trance and are only partially aware of what''s happening."

    I felt a sense of unease as I processed the planned procedure.

    "So, I''ll be tricking them?" I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty.

    She burst into hearty laughter.

    "Are you feeling a bit let down? Well, you can always choose to sleep with them if you prefer. That would be faster and more efficient!"

    I let out a snort. That was not the cause of my objection.

    I turned and sat on my bed, burying my head in my hands as I rested my elbows on my knees. I needed to think this through.

    The idea of having to hook up with multiple guys sent shivers down my spine, but at least I had the choice in selecting them. Shouldn''t I do it if twenty minutes of kissing multiplied by ten poor slobs could ensure Matt''s survival? Was my pride and shame worth more than his life?

    Could I live with myself if he died after the operation, knowing that I had hesitated?

    A deep sigh escaped from the depths of my troubled soul. I had made up my mind.

    I would do it.

    But if it took around half an hour per person, I would need at least five to six hours to complete the task. Time was of the essence, and I needed to act swiftly.

    Strangely enough, I felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement bubbling within me as I prepared myself for this unconventional hunt.

 Chapter 188 â€“ I Broke Free With a Few Scratches As a Price

    Before leaving the apartment, I took a moment to glance at myself in the mirror for a final check. I was dressed in a daringly short, light blue mini-skirt that showcased my long legs. I couldn''t help but wonder if I appeared too thin or bony.

    The black blouse I wore left my shoulders bare, its embroidered design revealing more of my skin on my arms and upper torso while providing modest coverage for my relatively small breasts. Completing the outfit was a pair of simple sandals with slightly higher heels. It was a new experimental ensemble I had put together, aiming for a sexy but not too over-the-top look.

    The weather was still a bit chilly for such an outfit, but the temperature was rising, and I aimed to return home before evening.

    In my left hand, I held a small handbag that contained my new mobile phone and my last ten-dollar banknote. It wasn''t the ideal choice to complete my outfit, as the handbag seemed too high-class for the occasion, but I didn''t have any better options.

    The ten-dollar bill was my last reserve for special situations, as my cash reserves had run dry, and the bank had denied further withdrawals for the week. It had to be enough to get me through today and tomorrow. In the worst-case scenario, I would have to make do with whatever I had in the fridge until Monday.

    As I was about to leave the house, I was surprised to find something waiting for me in the postbox downstairs: someone had returned my ID and placed it there.

    I sighed; well, goodbye jacket and wallet, but at least my ID was back in my possession.

    It seemed that the person who found them was kind enough to go through the trouble of returning it and even left it in my mailbox, taking my jacket and wallet as a finder''s reward.

    Robber!

    I raised my fist in the air menacingly, but then I shrugged. Well, he was kind enough to return my ID; that was something.

    There was also a postcard from a company called Gonzalles Guterres Cars, featuring a picture of a sexy girl riding a bike with her hair flowing in the wind. At first, I almost dismissed it as another advertising pamphlet, but then I noticed something remarkable¡ªthe girl on the postcard bore a striking resemblance to... me?!

    Wow, was this a photoshopped picture of me?

    As I flipped the postcard over, I discovered a handwritten message:

    "Hi Dolores, Your bike was towed away for parking in a restricted zone." Me, parking illegally? But there were other bikes and cars there too, weren''t there?

    But the next line clarified things: "Torres Street is a no-parking zone during rush hours. I took care of retrieving your bike and paid the fine of $125, $25 for the parking violation, and $100 for the towing. You can pick it up at my shop.

    Also, there''s a concerning situation with Helen. Perhaps you could lend a hand?

    Best regards, Gonzo."

    No parking zone during rush hours? I snorted in annoyance: damn, who can follow up on all these regulation constraints? One hundred twenty-five fine was a hefty bill. Even if he did not ask for a refund, I intended to pay it, but that would be an impossible feat at the moment.

    Best regards? That sounded a bit too formal. What''s up with Gonzo? Or how should he have expressed it? Love? Yours?

    Oh well, I always struggled to find the right tone with him, and he probably has the same problem with me.

    Unfortunately, I don''t have time to dwell now on his Helen-related troubles.

    At least one mystery was solved: the bike mystery. Yes, I had indeed been riding a bike recently, so I hadn''t imagined that part!

    I let out a sigh. So now my picture was featured on Gonzo''s advertising materials and correspondence, but hey, the picture didn''t look bad, and I did borrow his bike.

    Then it dawned on me that it was no photoshopped picture; that must be a picture of Cala with my features, which is why she looks so good! I was Cala before! I took the picture and looked at it again. It was me, and yet not entirely me. That confident smile on her face, those sparkling eyes, that posture with her shoulders held high, unlike my usual hunched stance. The grace with which she controlled the bike!

    I tucked the note and ID into my purse with a sigh and walked away.

    As I ventured out of the house, the melodious songs of birds filled the air, accompanied by the triumphant rays of sunshine that now illuminated the cloudless sky.

    My steps exuded both nervousness and determination as if I were heading into an important exam. My destination lay in the West-End, an area known for its presence of prostitutes and motels that offered rooms by the hour. I deliberately chose a location far from home, not wanting to engage in any activities nearby.

    Opting for convenience, I purchased a tram ticket for one fifty. Walking would have taken far too long.

    As I drew nearer to my destination, my resolve began to waver, giving way to anxiety and uncertainty. I couldn''t help but feel uneasy, even though I had worn this dress on several occasions before. Was it the proximity of the area that heightened my discomfort, or was it merely my imagination playing tricks on me?

    Was it getting uncomfortably hot? Beads of sweat started to form on my temples, and I anxiously contemplated disembarking from the tram.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    It was at that moment that Hew''s call came through on my phone.

    He informed me that Matt was still in the operating room but might be released soon. He had managed to speak with a student who had been present in the operating room for several hours.

    The atmosphere in the operating room remained uncertain; they were still giving him a fifty-fifty chance of survival, greatly dependent on Matt''s post-operative response.

    Hearing Hew''s update bolstered my determination. Without his call, I might not have had the resolve to continue to my intended destination. Perhaps his intention was to persuade me to return to the hospital or simply provide me with an update on his friend''s condition.

    Upon reaching the West-End station, I clumsily made my way down the street until I stumbled upon an open terrace of a bar.

    A waiter approached, and I placed an order for a coffee.

    "Early start, huh?" he remarked as he brought me the coffee, attempting to strike up a friendly conversation.

    His words threw me off balance, even though he meant no harm. I was taken aback, almost giving him an instinctive succubus glance out of shock before stupidly nodding, inadvertently confirming his suspicion.

    Damn, was it so obvious?

    As I sipped on my coffee, my stomach growled, reminding me that I''d skipped breakfast. However, I resisted the urge to order something to eat and focused on the task at hand.

    Earlier, Cala and I had discussed the succubus glance, and I had attempted to practice controlling it. In theory, it was a simple concept: a glance infused with intent and magic. Simple, eh?

    I had practiced in front of a mirror, trying to understand its intricacies. It seemed to come naturally to me, but at the same time, forcing it to happen proved challenging, particularly when it came to infusing it with magic. It was like trying to control the rhythm of my own heartbeat - automatic yet elusive.

    Instead of striving for control, I decided to let the glance flow naturally. I focused on pouring intent into it and maintained a smile, contemplating the upcoming encounter. The rest would come instinctively.

    Determined to ignore the persistent waiter, who was asking if I needed anything else, I shook my head and concentrated on my coffee.

    This cup was a significant investment, costing me another dollar representing now more than ten percent of my limited funds.

    As I enjoyed the comforting warmth of the beverage, I was taken by surprise when a young man approached me.

    "Hello," he greeted me with a smile, gesturing towards my table. "May I take the ashtray if you don''t smoke?"

    Inadvertently, I responded with a burst of succubus glances as I blinked at him, taken aback by his directness.

    He audibly gasped at the unexpected reaction.

    Five minutes later, we found ourselves alone in a room, and he was contributing to Matt''s healing and providing financial support for my studies.

    He asked how much he should contribute, and I shrugged, replying, "Whatever you want."

    Perhaps next time, I would have to protect them from their own generosity, as he left the two one hundred notes from his wallet on the table in the room.

    I was taken aback to realize that I didn''t feel any repulsion and that everything seemed acceptable to me. Well, to tell the truth, the young man was someone of twenty-something, had a better-than-average look, and was probably not even seeking an adventure, given the early hour. Basically, a person I would not have been averse to dating, but still... I reminded myself that I was doing it for Matt, viewing it as a sacrifice to help him.

    OK, another couple of sacrifices, and I am done! - I told myself.

    Soon, I found myself back on the terrace, indulging in ice cream and sipping on an orange juice, having paid for the room and reserved it for a couple more hours while a maid was already being dispatched to clean and freshen it. Ten minutes later, I was again inside the room with a new ''guest,'' and as I excused myself to use the restroom, I couldn''t help but notice that I was starting to enjoy the situation. Strangely, my hunger had dissipated, and I felt revitalized.

    As I looked at my happily smiling face in the mirror, it suddenly dawned on me that this was no sacrifice at all. It was simply a manifestation of my succubus nature, if such a thing existed, feeding on others and deriving pleasure from it.

    A chilling shudder passed through my spine.

    Was this what I am? Was this what I wanted to become?

    A resounding NO was the answer. No fucking way!

    But what happens to Matt if I do not help him? Was this really a struggle to help Matt, or was I using Matt''s situation as an excuse to indulge in my succubus nature? Was there truly no other way to help him without resorting to such methods?

    But then, a realization struck me like a lightning bolt. Helen! I had completely forgotten about her and the ring I had given her. The name that kept popping into my mind since I read that note in the morning.

    Oh, fuck! Why did I not think about it before?

    Did Helen actually use it? Was the ring depleted?

    I highly doubted it. She was aware of the limited charges within it, so I couldn''t fathom her wasting them so quickly.

    Should I take the risk? What if I arrive too late only to find an empty ring?

    The opposite was also true; if I lingered here for another five hours to collect my tribute, I might miss my chance of saving him.

    But if I act swiftly, I could already be at the hospital with the ring in my hand!

    I took a deep breath, content with my decision.

    Should I not gather this unfortunate soul''s essence while he''s still in the room?

    No.

    But how could I make my escape? I raised my eyes and saw the small square window of the restroom.

    Pfuh! How was it? If my head passes through, I should be able to squeeze myself through?

    Was this verdict valid only for cats or also for humans?

    Taking a deep breath, I decided to give it a try.

    With some effort, I managed to squeeze myself through it and ended up tumbling headfirst into some bushes on the other side, clutching my shoes and handbag tightly in my hands. Fortunately, the room had been located on the ground floor.

    With a few scratches as a price, I broke free and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me towards the tram station.

 Chapter 189 â€“ Unfortunately, Your Journey Ends Here

    It was about an hour-long tram ride, followed by a bus ride, after having to wait for about twenty minutes at the bus station, before I arrived at the station vis-a-vis from Gonzo''s yard.

    Fortunately, I managed to secure a seat on both the tram and the bus. While the tram had been quite crowded, the bus was nearly empty. Holding my mobile phone, I put on my headset and started talking to my alter ego. In this day and age, thanks to mobile phones, you can speak freely to yourself without raising questioning glares.

    As I sat there, unable to do anything else but think, I made an effort to redirect my brain toward something productive. Instead of allowing myself to become consumed by restlessness and doubts about whether I would reach Matt in time and if my decision to take the ring was the right one, I focused on trying to think of something else, something useful if possible.

    One of the things that I tried to understand was the reason for having incorporated those succubus instincts, and I questioned why I, as the witch, had chosen to incorporate them.

    I know I didn''t consciously choose to incorporate them, but somehow my witch part did it.

    I know, I know, nothing comes for free in this world; there must always be a balance, but who defines that balance; who defines what a succubus is?

    I was trying to understand how this spellcasting process works.

    Was there a higher order in this world that defined what kind of spells existed? Or was it free for us to define?

    Unfortunately, Cala was not of much help in this conversation. For her, I had no choice but to use the package ''as is.'' Once I activated the ''package,'' or the succubus genes as she was calling it now (!), I had to live with it as it was.

    As if those genes would be real!

    Did I change, altered myself through this spell, or were those attributes mine but had only been suppressed before?

    Engrossed in my internal dialogue, I nearly missed my stop. Thankfully, I had previously spoken to the bus driver about my destination, as I was unsure if there was a specific station near Gonzo''s repair shop, and he informed me that I arrived at my destination.

    I quickly rose from my seat and exited the bus, thanking the bus driver with a warm smile on my face. As the bus drove away, I waved to him before finding myself at a deserted and dusty station along a similarly dusty road.

    I found it rather amusing to notice how my behavior had deviated from my usual self. Normally, I wouldn''t engage in conversations with bus drivers. I would have anxiously remained seated, fearing that I might miss my stop or disembark at the wrong station.

    Waving to the bus driver would have been out of the question.

    It seemed that something had shifted within me, reducing my anxiety and allowing me to be more open and communicative.

    Should I be worried about this? I shrugged. I have bigger troubles to think at.

    I had to wait for a large truck that cheerfully honked its horn as it passed by before I could safely make my way across and smiled. My mini must be the reason for the merry honk. Maybe I should have made a detour home to change my outfit.

    Gonzo''s repair shop sat just across from the station, its main gates wide open. The yard was filled with around thirty cars and an assortment of bikes. I couldn''t help but wonder how nothing ever got stolen, considering the absence of Gonzo or any other human presence.

    As I made my way towards the garage, I could hear some noise emanating from within.

    How did Gonzo manage to handle it all by himself?

    The expansive garage had ample space to accommodate seven or eight cars, equipped with various workbenches. However, it held an unpleasant memory for me¡ªit was the very place where Gonzo had severed my wings and horns. A shiver ran down my spine as the memory resurfaced.

    I took a deep breath, pushing the unsettling memory aside.

    "Gonzo? Are you here?" I called out, scanning the garage.

    In response, a loud bang echoed through the space, and Gonzo emerged from beneath a car, sliding on a flat board. He quickly stood up, his face breaking into a wide grin.

    "Dolores! Oi, long time no see, girl! How are you?" he exclaimed.

    He engulfed me in a bear hug, nearly squeezing the life out of me, but careful to avoid getting his oily hands on me.

    "Aren''t you worried about the risk of a car slipping on you while working here alone?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease at the sight of him surrounded by machinery.

    Gonzo shook his head, dismissing my concerns.

    "No, don''t worry, everything is secured! So, how are you, lady? Hungry? I''ve got grilled sausages and beer, if you''re not driving. Today the shop is closed, so I have plenty of time."

    My mouth watered almost instantly. Gonzo knew my weaknesses all too well.

    "What about Helen? Where is she?" I inquired.

    "She went to see a doctor. She hasn''t been feeling well. That''s why I left that note for you. Is that why you came?" he responded.

    I shook my head in denial and spoke honestly, letting out a sigh.

    "I''m dealing with a very urgent situation. A friend of mine has been in an accident, and the doctors say he only has a fifty percent chance of survival. Can you believe that? He''s still in the operating room. Does Helen still have the ring? I desperately need it!"

    Gonzo paused his hand-washing, his gaze fixed on me. I wasn''t sure if he had fully believed my explanation about the ring when I gave it to Helen before, but now it seemed he was reevaluating the situation.

    "The ring is here," he finally said, "but I''m not sure if it can help you. Helen conducted some experiments with it, and then she fell ill. She suspects that the ring might be the cause. If you need it, you can have it."

    He turned to look me in the eyes.

    "Could the ring have made her sick? Could it harm her? Did you experience any issues when you were wearing it?"

    I was taken aback by his questions. Uncertain, I shook my head.

    "Not that I''m aware of. Can I see the ring, please?"

    He nodded understandingly.

    "Sure, let me go get it from the house. But I have to warn you, I don''t know if it will be of any use now. Helen mentioned that it was probably empty."

    My enthusiasm dwindled at his words. Contrary to my expectations, it seemed that she had used it up on some experiments or other endeavors. My heart raced as I pondered whether I had made a mistake by coming here. Should I have stayed in the West End and continued collecting life essence? Would that have been a better way to help Matt?

    To make matters worse, Hew called me to inform me that Matt had come out of the operating room and was now in the post-operation high-care area.

    Gonzo returned while I was still on the phone with Hew, holding the ring in his hand, patiently waiting for me to finish my conversation.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    He raised an eyebrow as soon as I ended the call.

    "How is your friend? Do you think the ring can help him?" he inquired, still holding the ring in his hand.

    I took the ring from him, but before I could respond, Cala interjected. "There is still some magic left in it. It could be all he needs to survive!"

    I was both surprised and confused. If I remembered correctly, White Flower had imbued the ring with specific spells: a firebolt, a thunderbolt, and three healing spells.

    What tests had Helen conducted that consumed part of the magic? What did Cala mean by "some magic"? Would the healing spells still work? However, if Cala believed it would be effective, then that was good enough for me.

    Gonzo eyed me, surprised, but he didn''t say anything. He expressed his regret that he couldn''t drive me anywhere due to having consumed some beer, but he offered me the option of taking the bike instead. He didn''t even ask me to pay the one hundred twenty-five bill I still owed him for that parking during the rush-hours story.

    I moistened my lips, considering that it might be a good idea since I needed to reach the hospital quickly.

    "Can you give me a smaller bike? I don''t feel comfortable riding the big one right now," I wondered.

    He initially looked taken aback but then nodded and found a smaller bike that I could handle.

    I insisted on paying him the money for the traffic violation. He attempted to protest but eventually accepted it. I had the money and didn''t want to leave with a debt to him.

    With that settled, I hastily left. Hopefully, everything was going to be alright, and I would arrive at the hospital in time. I held onto the hope that Cala was right and the magic contained within the ring would be sufficient to save Matt''s life. There were so many uncertainties. My hands trembled as I sped off on the smaller bike towards the hospital.

    I had only traveled a few kilometers when a policeman signaled for me to stop. The reason? I was exceeding the speed limit! The damn little bike was faster than the painfully slow allowed pace.

    "Even though it may not seem like it, we are still within city limits, and the speed restrictions apply," the policeman explained in a pedantic tone.

    I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes, attempting to politely explain that I was driving very carefully but I was in a hurry because my friend was in the hospital and I wanted to see him as soon as possible. May I please, please go?

    He didn''t appear impressed by my story and asked for my documents. I rummaged through my purse, which I had placed in the small compartment of the bike, only to realize that I had forgotten to take my driver''s license with me in the morning. Yeah, I hadn''t planned on driving today. To make matters worse, when I opened my handbag, I discovered that my ID was missing.

    For a brief moment, I panicked, thinking that I had lost my ID once again, until I realized where it might be. Oh, fuck! It must still be at the reception of that motel.

    I believe he noticed my distress and raised an eyebrow.

    "Are you sure you have a driver''s license?" he questioned.

    "Of course!" I affirmed, "but I left it at home."

    "Please provide me with your name and address, and I can verify if you have a valid license," he responded, his tone more severe.

    It took him some time to enter my name into the small handheld terminal he was using, and he once again raised an eyebrow before speaking. "Aha?" he uttered.

    I let out a sigh of concern. Was there some problem with my license? Did White Flower make a mistake when she created it? Was I now getting into even bigger trouble?

    Maybe I should have just waited for the next bus to come and do the round trip through the industrial part of the town. I might still have been faster than this.

    "Well, miss, you do have a valid driver''s license, but unfortunately, your journey ends here. Or, let''s say, a different journey begins," he said with a hint of ambiguity.

    My journey ends there? What does he mean?

    Sweat started to form on my temples, and I felt my voice tremble. Something was definitely wrong with the license. I knew it! Fuck! How was I going to resolve this issue now?

    "What does this mean, officer?" I asked, trying my best to remain calm but unable to completely hide my hand''s light shaking.

    He simply shrugged.

    ¡°I have to take you under arrest for prostitution!¡±

    If lightning had struck me right then and there, I couldn''t have been more stunned. I stood there, mouth agape, staring at him in disbelief. My heart raced wildly, and beads of sweat trickled down my temples. This couldn''t be happening. It just couldn''t.

    Besides, was prostitution not legal? I thought it was legal?

    That''s how I found myself reluctantly entering the back of his car, leaving the new little bike behind in what felt like a lost world.

    As he drove me to the station, he filled me in on the details of what had happened, fulfilling one or more of Murphy''s laws all at once: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, at the worst possible moment, in the most troublesome way possible.

    At my pleas, he had contacted one colleague from that squad that had requested the warrant, and they were now happily chatting, amused.

    That poor douche, that idiot that I had left alone in the hotel room, had caused such a commotion that the hotel staff had no choice but to involve the police. The situation had escalated far beyond what I could have anticipated.

    That succubus glance must have left a too strong impression on him. At one point, he had even gone as far as accusing the hotel manager of kidnapping me. Oh, well.

    As a result, the frustrated police squad, annoyed by the frivolous case, began scrutinizing every detail and soon discovered that I did not possess a license.

    Well, shit, prostitution was legal, but you had to have a license!

    I took my head in my hands in a gesture of despair and sighed.

    Now, frankly speaking, what I did was not prostitution. I did not do anything with that idiot; I only left him there. I tried to argue that with the police officer, but he only raised his shoulders.

    "You don''t need to convince me. I believe you, but you''ll need to convince the judge," he replied with a hint of amusement.

    "Are we going to see the judge now?" I asked, a tinge of desperation in my voice.

    He chuckled lightly. "If you''re lucky, you''ll meet the judge in three or four days from now."

    ¡°What? But then what? Why do you want to arrest me? I''ll come in three-four days, or whenever he wants, and explain everything. I haven''t done anything! I only ran away! You cannot arrest me because I ran away!¡± - I explained with tears in my eyes.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°I''m sorry, miss, but there is a warrant on your name. I can assure you that once you have your day in court, you''ll have the opportunity to present your case and explain everything. Until then, I''m afraid you''ll have to wait in jail. It is not so bad there, believe me."

    "But I have to get to the hospital today! My friend was in an accident, and the doctors said he might not make it. They gave him a fifty percent chance of survival, and now you''re telling me I''m going to jail? I might never get to see him again!"

    He sighed.

    "Listen, there might be a solution to see him today. If you go and register today, you can obtain your license, and then the case becomes irrelevant. The day counts, not the time of registration. Do you get it? I can turn a blind eye until you''ve completed the registration process, and the warrant will be nullified once you have your license. This is the best I can do for you."

    ¡°But I do not intend to become a prostitute! I don''t need that license!¡±

    With superhuman efforts, I abstained from saying ''fucking license.'' He shrugged again.

    ¡°Then you''ll have to take your chance with the judge. Probably he will believe you and will set you free. Worst case, you get some community work; however, you''ll have to stay in jail until your case is seen.¡±

    ¡°Can I go first to the hospital, please?¡±

    My best puppy eyes impersonation did not help. I did not dare to try the succubus look; who knows what I''d be getting myself into if I tried. He shook his head.

    ¡°No, sorry. As mentioned, I can delay the paperwork slightly while you obtain your license. Once you have it, I will verify the information and update the computer system, resulting in your release. Alternatively, you can choose to remain here and await the judge''s decision."

    ¡°And that''s OK if I get the license after the fact?¡±

    He regarded me with a skeptical expression as if saying: see, I knew it, as my question implied that I was guilty of the offense.

    "Yes, that would be acceptable. The key is that you acted on impulse initially, but then you took the necessary steps to legalize your situation by completing the paperwork and undergoing a medical check. If they want to be petty, they may send you a minor fine for the delay."

    ¡°Medical check?¡±

    ¡°Sure, as long as you work, you''ll need to do a check every ten days or so.¡±

    And that''s how I found myself going to the police station instead of visiting Matt at the hospital.

    Surprisingly, the paperwork process was expedited, despite it being a Saturday. There was a lab and medical cabinet in the same building, and there was a specific procedure in place for such cases, and within three hours, I had completed medical checks for various STDs, donated a significant amount of blood for analysis, and obtained a brand-new license. With the license in my hand, I hurriedly hailed a taxi to take me to the hospital.

 Chapter 190 â€“ There Is a Worm Inside

    I was well aware that the taxi fare would likely consume a significant portion of my remaining money, but time was of the essence, and I couldn''t afford to take any more risks.

    As I sat in the back of the car, my hands suddenly reached for my mobile phone. I was startled for a moment before realizing that it was Cala trying to communicate with me. It was a clever move on her part to start typing her message instead of speaking out loud.

    I read the words Cala had typed on my phone, but I couldn''t grasp their meaning. I quickly typed back a response,

    She snorted, exasperated.

    ¡°How to heal him¡± - came the answer.

    I blinked at the message, realizing what she meant. How can I heal him? The ring was supposed to help, right?

    I replied, feeling a mix of confusion and desperation.

    She shook her head and replied,

    I was feeling unsure of what to do, but I was worried that giving her some kind of ''carte blanche'' would be too risky. Who knows what she would do?

    ¡°OK, but what will you do?¡± - I asked

    She sighed. Obviously, she was no fan of typing messages on the phone.

    She glanced at the mobile phone, her expression serious yet determined. "You cannot use that passphrase as the ring has been used. There is some white magic inside, but it does not feel properly structured for a spell. I''ll try to tap into the remaining magic in the ring and direct it towards Matt''s healing. It might not be as powerful as before, but I''ll do my best. Just trust me," she replied with a reassuring smile.

    So much for typing the messages instead of speaking aloud to myself! I sighed and shrugged it off.

    "OK, You do it!¡±

    The taxi came to a halt right in front of the hospital.

    In a rush, I paid the fare and hurriedly got out, quickly ascending the marble stairs.

    As I approached the postoperative area, I spotted the three boys, Mike, Tom, and Hew, huddled together in an enclave along the corridor. They greeted me with warm hugs, and I soon learned that Matt was in a nearby room, in critical condition.

    As soon as I managed to wriggle out from their embrace, I slipped into Matt''s room.

    That''s where Cala took over. First, she focused on the ring, and then there was a moment when she hesitated. She gasped as if she wanted to tell me something but then reluctantly gave up. Did she get second thoughts now?

    It took her longer than I expected, but then finally, she approached him with confident steps. She touched him gently, and I saw the almost invisible silver dust seep into the tips of my fingers as she made contact with him.

    It works! This means it works, isn''t it?

    Once more, it took her longer than I had expected, as if she was doing small iterations of the same mini-healing spell. But then, finally, I heard him take a deep breath, and to my surprise, he opened his eyes to look at me. A tortured smile tried to form on his face.

    Our eyes met, and she smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

    "Don''t move. You''ll be fine!" she whispered in his ear.

    He tried to say something, I saw his lips moving, but she pressed a finger on her lips, signaling him to keep silent, and then turned to leave the room.

    Some alarm must have been triggered because a medical sister quickly entered the room.

    I tried to say something, but suddenly I realized I couldn''t control my lips, nor my body. I was once again cut off, just like before when White Flower was in control.

    The sister gave me only a glacial glance and went straight to Matt to check the monitors.

    "What happened?" Hew asked anxiously as he came to meet me, followed closely by Mike and Tom.

    "He opened his eyes," Cala responded calmly, reassuringly. "He will be okay."

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Really? Are you sure? Did you talk with the nurse?" Tom questioned, peering into Matt''s room as a doctor walked by.

    Cala nodded with confidence.

    "No, but I know he will be alright."

    Hew visibly relaxed upon hearing this, but Tom and Mike still seemed skeptical and unsure.

    As I stood there, watching together with them the activity in Matt''s room, my mind swirled with confusion and worry.

    I couldn''t comprehend why I was blocked from interacting or communicating. Was this some unforeseen side effect of Cala''s magic? Did the spell tamper with the pathways in my brain, leaving me blocked from my own body? I felt helpless, unable to even speak with her. What should I do?

    Despite my incipient panic, I tried to remain calm and trust my alter ego.

    I hoped she would eventually wonder why I wasn''t taking any action and start asking questions. The challenge would be finding a way to respond when I couldn''t speak or interact. I needed to hold on to my faith in her and believe that she would guide us through this puzzling situation.

    In no time, I received the explanation:

    "Don''t panic, it''s me; I''m back!" a voice said in my mind¡ªa voice I knew and recognized: White Flower.

    I should have caught on earlier. The way she moved, the way she acted¡ªit was all White Flower. Relief washed over me, only to be quickly replaced by another wave of panic: she healed him, which means they''ll know it''s me. The realization flooded me with fear, and I blurted out,

    She chuckled softly.

    "Yes, I did heal him, but relax, I didn''t perform a full heal¡ªjust some small healing pulses to help him survive. Cala explained the situation to me. He won''t die, and that''s what''s important, right?"

    With her, it''s always as if she enjoys intensifying my panic just to soothe me afterward.

    The small healing pulses. I should have thought about that before panicking.

    As she chatted happily with the boys, I breathed a sigh of relief.

    I was happy to have my alter ego back.

    Having my alter ego back meant I could cast spells again, right? I could even sing again! I felt complete, as if I had regained a missing part of myself, even if theoretically she was not... Oh, well...

    Strange how these things work!

    We left the hospital shortly afterward. The atmosphere in the group was more relaxed now that we had received good news about Matt. The doctors informed us that he was improving surprisingly well.

    Oh, well... Tom and Mike had been truly surprised to hear that, but Hew not so much. He just exchanged a glance with me.

    I hadn''t realized how much I had missed them. It felt good to be together again!

    Taking Tom and Mike by the hand, with Hew leading the way and everyone chatting happily, we headed to the same restaurant I had visited with Hew in the morning.

    Even in the evening, the same waiter and the same old cook were still working.

    The breakfast with Hew seemed like such a long time ago, and yet it was still the same day! So many things have happened in this short period of time!

    When everything ends well, it''s all good, right?

    Matt was now, hopefully, out of danger, I had my witchy alter ego back, and I would be able to cast spells again if needed. Maybe I could fix everything now!

    As we ate and talked, I felt no rush to take over from Flo. It had been such a stressful day that being a spectator in my own body was suddenly a relief.

    They had plenty of short stories and news, and for a change, the news was positive! They shared stories about how people reacted to their suddenly changed status, how some individuals treated them the same as before while others acted differently. For instance, some girls who used to ignore them completely suddenly found them fascinating, but there were also a couple of cases of hateful messages that they had received without any obvious reason.

    Our songs were becoming increasingly successful, and we were gradually gaining a much larger audience. Initially, there were just tens, maybe a couple of hundred plays on our songs, but then the numbers skyrocketed into thousands, tens of thousands, and kept growing rapidly, reaching hundreds of thousands with no sign of slowing down.

    They were filled with enthusiasm, happiness, and pride. The success far surpassed all our expectations.

    Matt''s accident had been like a hammer blow to them.

    Previously Matt had tried to assure them that I was alright and would be back, that I was just a little nervous, but everything would be okay; however, his accident shattered their hopes.

    Without both me and Matt, there would be no band, and to top it all, they feared losing their best friend. Their whole new world had been crumbling around them.

    Questions swirled at me. What had happened? Why did I leave? Were there any issues they were unaware of? Was I dissatisfied with something they had done or how money was being shared? They were left wondering about the reasons behind my sudden departure.

    Flo did her best to soothe their worries, and Hew assisted her in calming them down.

    She attempted to reassure them, suggesting that my nervousness might have been the cause of my sudden absence, but everything was fine now. Hew was aware of the true reason behind my departure, but should I also explain it to the rest of the band?

    As I pondered over this, a sensation of movement stirred in my bowels. Could it be that something was amiss with the food? Such a swift reaction was surprising. I hadn''t consumed anything else since early morning, so what could have caused it?

    The sensation in my bowels intensified as if they had taken a life of their own.

    Flo fell silent and shifted her gaze towards the saucer, even casting a spell over it.

    I was taken aback by her actions, especially since everyone was watching.

    Suddenly, I felt the urge to gag as something moved inside my neck, and the bowel movements grew even stronger.

    Out of nowhere, White Flower abruptly stood up, her hand covering her mouth and nearly knocking over the table as she rushed towards the toilet. The chair I had been sitting on toppled over.

    Once there, she began to vomit... worms.

    One after another, strange colored worms, about ten centimeters long, wriggled out of her mouth. They changed colors, slowly fading into a dull grey as they ceased moving as if they died from asphyxia.

 Chapter 191 - A Forced Trip to Hades

    Closed inside the small cabin of the toilet, I vomited, to my horror, a handful of worms. Just seeing them wriggling in the toilet''s water sent waves of shivers down my spine. Another cramp shook me, and I fell to my knees, resting with my hands on the toilet''s rim, almost embracing it. Beads of sweat ran down my temples as I continued to vomit more worms, while the movements inside my bowels became even more furious.

    A chilling wave of black magic washed over me, momentarily calming the violent churnings in my bowels and granting me a brief respite. In that strange interlude, Flo began to chant spells, and a blinding surge of light engulfed my senses.

    When my vision cleared, I found myself in an otherworldly landscape, bathed in an eerie darkness and shades of gray.

    The sky above was an enigmatic canvas adorned with arrays of stars allotted in unnatural patterns. Amidst them hung a peculiar object, colossal in size compared to our moon, emitting ethereal strands of what appeared to be purplish gas. These spectral wisps meandered through the void, resembling the frozen brushstrokes of an otherworldly painter.

    Was it night? I couldn''t tell for certain. Was that a giant dark star?

    The gas-like hues painted the heavens with an eerie glow, akin to the shimmering of the Northern Lights, yet hauntingly motionless or perhaps just moving at a glacial pace.

    The entire scene was an amalgamation of alien marvels, inducing a profound sense of awe and dread, a haunting beauty that both fascinated and terrified me. It was an atmosphere unlike anything I had ever witnessed before¡ªa realm of chilling enchantment cloaked in enigma and shrouded in the eerie veil of the unknown.

    I got only a glimpse of the strange, convoluted rocks and peaks around me, their myriad shades of grey forming a peculiar landscape, before I had the urge to gag once more. The handful of worms I expelled dissolved into the all-encompassing grey dust, like snowflakes on a hot stove.

    Flo gathered some of the grey dust and placed it in my mouth, chewing it and forcing me to swallow. The metallic taste was both alluring and repulsive, an enigmatic blend of sensations.

    She then began undressing and proceeded to pat the same dust all over my skin. Within moments, my skin burned as if I had been exposed to an intense sun for too long.

    Gasping for breath, Flo scanned the surroundings, allowing me to take in more of the alien landscape.

    Towering, jagged peaks encircled what appeared to be an enormous volcanic caldera. The only source of light seemed to be the strange filaments in the sky and the myriads of stars.

    I convulsed once more, expelling another handful of worms, and I watched as they wriggled in the grey dust for a fleeting moment as though alive on a sizzling skillet.

    These were no ordinary worms; they emitted a mesmerizing array of colors and attempted to escape, but in the end, they promptly dissolved into the dust.

    Flo''s tired and hoarse voice screamed at me, leaving me stunned and unable to respond.

    ¡°Where in Ethea''s name did you get worms from!?¡±

    As if I knew? I had never heard White Flower swear like this before.

    On all fours, I continued to vomit loads of worms, and then she forcibly ate some dust. It was a horrifying situation.

    How come there were so many worms?

    In the next moments of respite, she admonished me again.

    ¡°Per Ghomer and Ethea, did you enjoy goblin cuisine? Did you live with one of their cursed tribes?¡±

    That''s when I remembered the encounter I had with the hobgoblin. Somehow she was able to grab my memory, as in the moment when I remembered, she sighed, exclaiming:

    ¡°Oh, in Ha''Des'' name, damn hob!¡±

    "Where are we? What is this?" - I couldn''t help but ask, despite all the troubles. The alien landscape was so unsettling that I couldn''t shake the feeling that I might be trapped in my own wild imagination rather than a real world.

    Somehow, the avalanche of worms coming from my guts subsided, and she finally sat in the dust, her gaze fixed on the giant moon. It was then that I noticed a tiny filament arc opening and slowly spreading, joining the others in the sky tapestry.

    Taking a deep breath, she looked around, allowing me to absorb more of the strange surroundings.

    "This is the death node on Ha''Des. The place with the greatest accumulation of death magic in the known universe. This ''dust'' all around us is almost pure black magic."

    Hades? Is this what Hades looks like?

    "We are under the eye of Deimos, the God of dread and terror," she said, raising her gaze back up to the strange ''moon,'' nodding her head respectfully as if acknowledging and greeting a divine person, not a star. It was a star, not a moon! What a giant star it must be! But how come it was so dark? And those swirls on its surface must be giant planet-sized swirls!

    She lowered her gaze, took a deep breath, and pointed at the dust where the last wave of worms had fizzled away. "These are magical worms that feed and reproduce on magic," she explained. "The only magic they cannot thrive on is death magic. It kills them instantly, as it does with any creature that is not shielded by its own magic. The worms are parasites; they do not generate their own magic but feed on the magic of the host. We can live here only due to my high level of magic generation, but that is also the reason why we have a big problem with the worms; there is plenty of food for them inside me, and we have to fight their accelerated growth. These small beasts, given time, navigate and expand in all organs. With this accelerated growth, we have little time."

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°There must be a cure! There are some efficient cures on Earth against worms; we should try one of those,¡± I suggested desperately.

    She shook her head, my skin now hurting badly as she rolled again in the dust.

    "I channel as much as I can from my magic to my skin and neutralize it with the dust; that''s what you feel," she explained before answering, "It will not work; as I said, these are magical worms!"

    ¡°So what can we do?¡± I asked, feeling a sense of hopelessness.

    ¡°The only known cure against these worms, or the only one I know, is bathing the person in death magic. I do generate some, and I did my best to fight them, but I have too much white and elemental magic. I could cure a smaller caster by concentrating my black magic on them, but this will not work for me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I questioned, trying to understand.

    ¡°As I said, I generate too much white and elemental magic. I cannot overwhelm my white magic with the puny quantity of black magic I generate,¡± she explained.

    ¡°You did say death magic, and now black magic?¡± I inquired, trying to grasp the difference.

    ¡°Oh, I thought you knew this. Black magic is interchangeably used with death magic even if it is not exactly the same, but it covers more or less the same area of magic. Look, the problem we face now is that we need to find a black magic caster, a caster stronger than me. First, those are seldom, I am a powerful caster," she said with a hint of pride in her voice, then continued, "The problem is then to find one who would agree to cure me of this problem and who will not use the occasion to hurt me or... The moment that I am overwhelmed with his magic, a thing that I have to allow, I would be completely at his mercy. Now, what would a black magic caster do with that opportunity?¡±

    ¡°Is there no other way?¡± I asked, hoping for a different solution.

    ¡°We can try to formulate a contract, but that might be very costly, and there are always some loopholes with those contracts. Oh, well,¡± she sighed, the weight of the situation apparent in her voice.

    ¡°Is there not enough death magic here in the node to heal me?¡± I wondered aloud.

    She chuckled in response.

    ¡°Well, of course, it could theoretically, but merely eating it or washing with it is not enough. This has helped slow down the worms'' reproduction, true, but it does not eliminate them. However, now that you mention it, there is a way we could use it.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

    "There is a ritual that is used to increase one''s magic. Creating a node burst, the node by itself quells violently any manifestation of magic other than death magic. Some mages use it to enhance their own magic pathways, but it comes with great risks. Many have died attempting such an experiment. The reaction of the node is too unpredictable. A too-small burst does not do anything, but a too-strong blast annihilates the caster."

    "So, we have two possibilities, risking a black magic caster or risking blowing ourselves up. What black magic casters do you know?" I asked, hoping for some viable options.

    "The ones I know, I would not even think about," she replied somberly.

    "That''s also bad. The worms lay eggs, and their initial form is so small that they can navigate into your blood vessels. They find a place to nest themselves closer to a magic pathway and start growing with any wisps of mana I cannot expel immediately. Probably we still have some hours until that happens on a really bad scale.¡±

    Only now did I start to grasp the gravity of the problem.

    "How big is the risk of blowing ourselves up if we try the blast solution?" - I wondered.

    "Frankly speaking, it is not so big; enlarging my black magic pathways should be greatly helped by the fact that my overall magic pathways are very strong. It has the added benefit of enlarging my black magic pathways, so we would become stronger."

    Oh, yes, White Flower, she is not an ordinary NPC; she is a boss-level NPC, even if a minor boss. She has the very seldom quality of mastering more than one class of magic.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. A node burst sounded much more attractive now.

 Chapter 192 - A Short Black Magic Dissertation

    Just to make sure, I asked her once more.

    She chuckled, a sad sound.

    "To save time, I''ll begin the ritual while we talk. I''ll let you know when we reach the point of no return for the decision."

    She seated herself in the dust and started to gently rub the black magic dust onto my naked body in specific patterns.

    "It needs to follow the black magic pathways inside the body," she explained, referring to the specific pattern she was creating with the dust. She continued, "As you may know, I''m acquainted with Mephisto."

    She chuckled. "He might heal us, after thoroughly enjoying the situation, but I can''t guarantee we''d be released without strings attached. It all hinges on his mood and desires. He would undoubtedly extract a hefty price for his service. I''m unsure whether he''d let us go unchanged or if he''d wish to ''assist'' in other ways. If you''re open to the idea, we can consider it."

    ¡°I don''t think this is an option we should consider...¡±

    She chuckled, continuing with the ritual.

    "Then there''s the infamous necromancer of Yaga, Thorheval. He could be a potential ally, but his assistance wouldn''t come cheap. He might initiate by severing your head, considering my ability to heal from such a wound, just to acquire a complete body for his necromantic pursuits. And mind you, that''s only the beginning of his demands. He might even repeat the process a few times to gather spare parts. While we might settle the payment with gold and artifacts, he could insist on a binding contract obligating us to ''secure'' certain specific artifacts for him. Despite the risks, he could be our most viable option. Are you willing to gamble on negotiations with him?"

    If he''s the best option, what could be the worst?

    ¡°Styxa, the Witch of the Mountain. Imagine her reaction when she finds out Cala is with us. And she will certainly find out when she will work to cleanse us. There are other options, but they''re all as dangerous or even worse.¡±

    Oh, did I ask what could be the worst case? I guess I got my answer: Styxa, she might be the most dangerous one to deal with.

    Flo continued speaking in a slow, methodical manner, as if it were part of the ritual.

    "While searching for a black magic mage, we could gather as much black magic from the node as we could carry, but then I''d have to cleanse myself almost constantly with it. That might buy us some time, but remember; it won''t completely halt the worms."

    "Well, these magic-eating worms are a well-documented and extensively studied species. They infect almost only humanoid species; however, some snail species serve as intermediate hosts. Certain goblin tribes are occasionally affected due to their consumption of raw snail meat.

    The worms and their eggs tend to degrade quickly in natural surroundings. Some snail species consume excrement, including the eggs of these worms. Inside the snails, the eggs can remain viable for a much longer time, entering a form of suspension within their organs. Ingesting the raw meat of an infected snail or person can lead to an infection, particularly if the person consuming it is already weakened.

    Human settlements can also be affected if they don''t adequately clean their food and utensils, mostly from excrement contagion. Humans rarely consume raw meat, not to talk about eating humanoids, but there have been cases. More advanced goblins have learned to infuse the snail meat with the necessary magic before consuming it."

    I wasn''t entirely sure I needed to know all these intricate details; it felt a bit like having a biology lesson.

    Regardless, she carried on:

    "Simply cooking the food or subjecting it to an arcane blast would effectively kill the worms and their eggs. The challenge for us lies in the fact that these parasites are already within us.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    In human settlements, this ailment is often treated by black priests. However, the real challenge is finding a black priest whose magic surpasses mine because he needs to overpower my own magic. I can think of only a couple who might fit the bill. The archbishop of Debenzin could be one, although I''m not entirely certain. The High Priest of the Golden Empire is another option. However, the latter might not be advisable. As for the archbishop of Debenzin, he is a fanatic, he would undoubtedly attempt to exorcise me, and if he succeeds, it could mean the end for Cala and perhaps even myself."

    "Alright, I agree that negotiating with the High Priest of the Golden Empire is not an option; however, your magic''s strength surprises me; I had no idea you were that strong. Is there no other avenue we can explore?"

    "In the grand scheme of things, my magic isn''t exceptionally powerful. There are many others with far greater magical abilities than mine. As I mentioned, the challenge lies in locating the right individual within the limited time we have.

    We could attempt to venture into the black dragon realms; there are certainly some who fit the criteria, although they''re not typically known for gently blasting you in order to help heal you, but rather to shoot first and ask questions later. The pair I knew, Sid''s parents, appear to have disappeared."

    She cast her gaze around us.

    "We''re approaching a critical juncture in the ritual; we should soon decide if we go for it or not."

    My skin was now aglow, and I could feel tiny sparks and sporadic electrical pulses all across it.

    She turned to look at the eerie alien landscape before us. Odd structures resembling twisted towers and oddly contorted rocks littered the landscape. Strata that seemed as if they had been sliced like a dissected cookie laid bare for a geological inspection. Rocks and dust, an abundance of dust, all shaded in various tones of gray, a faint hint of color barely discernible ¡ª a touch of violet, perhaps blue, or even a hint of green.

    ¡°You see?¡± she spoke, her voice carrying an unsettling weight. ¡°No life here, not a single trace. That green is not grass but some minerals. Not even the undead roam this desolation. Some undead creatures venture to the outskirts for meditation, but even they dare not tread this far into the core of this node. This is the very heart of death magic, a point of absolute convergence. Even they, with their twisted existence, would succumb. It''s amusing, really; white mages can better endure the overwhelming death magic inside the node. Only a profoundly potent life mage can penetrate this far. The reason is that your internal magic needs to counterbalance the node''s magic.¡±

    She resumed the ritual, tracing my body with the dust once more.

    "So, what do you say, do we do it? Is this the path we choose?¡±

    I wanted to nod, but since I couldn''t, I projected my agreement inwardly. "Alright, let''s do it!" I whispered in my mind.

    She acknowledged with a nod continuing to chat loudly.

    ¡°Yes, it''s perilous. To put it bluntly, most who attempt it meet their end. When the torrent of death magic engulfs them, and their system can''t reboot, they effectively obliterate themselves. However, the risk isn''t as severe for us. Given that I already possess robust white magic with formidable channels, the impending explosion won''t be able to overpower my pathways. It might elevate my black magic strength to match my white magic.¡±

    ¡°Essentially doubling your magical capacity?¡± I wondered.

    She confirmed my supposition:

    ¡°Exactly. It will exponentially boost my black magic, nearly equating it to my current white magic level.¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°I attempted it once when I was younger, and I nearly lost my life in the process. Back then, my white magic was feeble, much like my black magic. Plus, I wasn''t venturing as deep into the node. I managed to survive, and that''s when I gained the potency of black magic that I possess now. It might not seem like much currently, but it was a significant leap for me at that point. However, as time went on, I started to understand that your magic isn''t just power; it''s intertwined with your very essence. I didn''t want to tread the path that led Mephisto astray. He was my older brother, once kind and loving, or at least that''s how I remember him. Do you see? I witnessed his transformation over the years.¡±

    ¡°How does black magic change people?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Magic is a reflection of your inner self, shaping your identity. Think about what you accomplish with your magic. Black magic is an intensely potent force of destruction. You learn to dismantle, obliterate, reduce things to ashes in various manners, extinguish life, absorb it, control and manipulate. Only necromancy holds a faint glimmer of constructive purpose if you could even label it that. But the majority of black magic revolves around domination and annihilation, while white magic is rooted in comprehending the body and its restoration. When your focus primarily revolves around mastering destruction, you eventually become a tool of ruin.¡±

 Chapter 193 â€“ Operation Successful, Patient Dead

    As she carried on with the magic ritual, my thoughts began to wander while I absorbed the otherworldly landscape surrounding us.

    Was it even real? Where have we ended up? Hades, you say? Shouldn''t Hades be a place teeming with departed souls? Or was this something else just called Hades?

    There is a death node in Dreamland, but nothing remotely like this.

    I''ve wracked my brain, and I don''t recall anything in the game about Hades! Though, to be fair, there might be hidden facets I''m not privy to. But really, the pressing question was: where were we in the physical world? For sure, I was no longer in the toilet of that china restaurant. Could this be some sort of pocket dimension? What kind of realm is this?

    If we''re in a pocket dimension, it''s one heck of a spacious one, that''s for sure.

    But seriously, a pocket dimension that can house a colossal star within it? And not just a star, but an entire galaxy shimmering in the backdrop? Doesn''t that lean more towards a parallel universe?

    Could it be that we''ve somehow conjured an entire world into existence? Can a universe be brought into being like this? Who even has the power to create a world?

    Yeah, I come back to that mega-parapsychological event explanation, one of creation, where we created this whole world. Can this be? It sounds so stupid, but I don''t have a different explanation.

    Just because I can''t explain it doesn''t automatically mean there''s no explanation. But then again, there are living beings here in this Dreamland world, like the Amazons I encountered earlier. Did we somehow bring these living beings into existence as well?

    No, this all seemed to be too much to have been created by our finite human minds. Even if we''ve pooled all our minds together?! Yes. Even with AI help? Oh, well, probably...

    My mind was again running crazy with the implications of what I was seeing and living through.

    In the meantime, White Flower halted the dust application to my skin, and, well, she seemed to be meditating?

    Curiously, the discharges didn''t cease; instead, they appeared to gradually intensify.

    That kept my attention for a while, but with no other developments, my mind returned to pondering my new hypothesis: the colossal parapsychological occurrence responsible for crafting this world. However, a sense of discomfort began creeping in again.

    Ah, yes, those must be the worms reactivating now that she had allowed magic to accumulate in my body. White Flower remained seated in the lotus position with her eyes closed, but then she opened them, and a mischievous grin crossed my face.

    She resumed rubbing dust over my skin, and this time, the discharges grew more intense, escalating until a moment arrived when a continuous, chain reaction-like discharge initiated.

    From that moment, she merely held her hands apart, and the discharge kept increasing, gathering more dust, expanding and sprawling, encompassing an ever-widening area around me.

    Chain lightning and flames streaked in every direction, conjuring clouds of dust that obscured the surrounding landscape. Within seconds, I found myself seated within what appeared to be an enormous, nearly a hundred-meter-wide clear space encircled by a furious tempest of chain lightning. Then, the bubble disintegrated, collapsing like a soap bubble, and the lightning and flames cascaded upon me from all directions.

    My skin seared with magical fire, the dust penetrating it effortlessly. All I could perceive was an inferno of dust and flames. Agony coursed through me; my entire body felt like it was being relentlessly ground by scorching sandstone. Breathing became impossible as my lungs choked on the fiery air, and my vision vanished amidst the swirling inferno.

    Time dragged on - or at least it felt that way - only my beating heart was giving me reassurance, as it resonated in my ears, until abruptly, everything stopped. In a fleeting moment, which seemed to stretch into eternity, I experienced absolute numbness. Everything became an empty void.

    The moment was so pristine that I felt the allure of staying, of making this singular moment stretch into infinity. Memories from my life paraded through my mind. Was it worth returning to that world? I stood on the precipice of capturing eternity!

    But there were still unresolved matters in my life...

    Then, out of nowhere, I heard the rhythmic thumping of my heart once more, my eyes fluttered open, and I found myself back in the node surrounded by a surreal clarity. The air around me was pure; my skin, which should have been seared, was looking smoother and finer, cleaner than ever. I inhaled, the crispness of the air filling my lungs. How could this be?

    In that serene environment, my own voice surprised me:

    ¡°Is it done? Are we clean now?¡± I wondered

    She took a deep breath.

    ¡°Yes, we are clean, but what the fuck?¡±

    I almost did not believe that it was an answer from White Flower, but I did not answer it myself, so it must be her. Today was maybe the first day that I ever heard her cursing, and now, for the second time, she seemed to be mimicking me?

    Initially, I was puzzled. What was bothering her? The air around me was rapidly clearing, far quicker than one would expect, given the amount of dust. Only now did I notice another wall of lightning in the distance, several hundred meters away. A caldera had formed around us, marking the boundary of the previous bubble.

    ¡°Is this normal?¡± - I wondered.

    As she didn''t respond right away, I sensed that something was amiss. She glanced around once more, and I could see that the spectacle had shifted ¨C it was now more distant but vastly more impressive.

    ¡°What''s happening?¡± - I asked again

    She sighed.

    ¡°Well, something like a double dip may happen... It seems that we got lucky and have won the jackpot.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Don''t you see?¡±

    Well, I saw exactly the same as I''ve seen before, only at a greater scale? Oh, fuck!

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± - I questioned, alarmed, seeing that she was not moving.

    She was sitting in a lotus position as if she would want to meditate! This time, she did not answer aloud but in my mind.

    ¡°It''s nothing we can do but get ready and prepare for the impact. Yes, it is a challenge; yes, we might die now if we are unlucky, but look positively at it; it is also a big chance to grow.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? Are you crazy? Are we worm-free? Yes. So why risk anything? Judging by how bad it was before, this looks terrifying? Spare me the clap-trap positive thinking; why not leave immediately?¡±

    Her voice sounded tired but resolute.

    Our ascension? I was about to ask what she meant by that, but her seriousness made me hold off on my questions for now. I teetered on the edge of panic, but not being able to act at all worked as a strong deterrent. What could I even do? Let my thoughts spin in circles? Scream silently in my mind? The shock from what I''d just experienced had left a profound mark on me; I couldn''t fathom anything worse.

    So what? If she failed, would I find myself waking up in my bed again? Or would I simply not wake up at all?

    My musings were suddenly interrupted. I felt like sitting on one of those carousel chairs that were now in the phase of free fall. But I did not know how long this phase would take. The descent seemed never-ending.

    It took me a while to realize that this sensation was the result of her meditation.

    Why was her meditative state affecting me so profoundly now?

    She was attempting to attune herself as closely as possible to the node.

    I found myself engulfed in a sea of sorrow. Not anger, but an overwhelming sadness. Everything was becoming inconsequential; nothing held any significance anymore. Lola was merely a name. Hew, Matt, Mike, and Tom were just some musicians. Michael? Just a dull, irritating kid. My parents? It felt as if they were deceased. Lifeless and resurrected. Everything seemed to be in a state of decay, undeserving of existence.

    The veins on my hands and legs grew progressively darker, their extremities turning completely obsidian.

    I almost wanted to interrupt her meditation and ask her what was happening when I realized that the lightning tornado around us had stopped expanding. I was in the center of the storm, in the eye of a giant hurricane that was going to crush on me any moment.

    ¡°Look at it, is it not the most beautiful thing you ever saw in your life?¡± - she suddenly said.

    Indeed, it was awe-inspiring. It felt akin to standing on the shore of the ocean, gazing at a 500-meter-high tsunami wave right before it engulfed you, marveling at the intricate patterns in the foam.

    "Isn''t it worth dying for?" She spoke, catching me off guard. "Just look at this beauty ¨C a fusion of beauty and power! It''s the pinnacle, the ultimate goal for any dark magic practitioner. Countless have spent their lives preparing for a chance at this, and countless have failed. It might be the sole path to surpass a certain threshold in magic power. Beautiful!"

    Was she losing her mind? I heard a tinge of madness in her voice and glimpsed a hint of it in her eyes.

    But perhaps a touch of madness was necessary to confront something like this.

    There was an infectious quality to her words; I couldn''t help but acknowledge the mesmerizing beauty of the wall of pure, chaotic energy.

    She wasn''t deceiving me. In fact, the incredible thunderous cascade began shifting more rapidly, drawing nearer, its intricate colors blending and morphing quickly.

    And then, I witnessed it as it reached the caldera''s edges, rolling concentrically towards me. For a very short moment, it resembled the rewind of an atomic explosion on a film reel.

    In the next second, I found myself engulfed in a maelstrom of thunder, with lightning bolts flashing like searing welding flames all around me. Flo had her hands apart, and her screams of agony blended with the overwhelming roar of the thunderfire engulfing us both.

    Then my heart stopped. Did it ever beat? After some time, the welding ceased as well.

    I floated in the air within a swirling dust vortex, with the sensation of plummeting into an endless abyss. I couldn''t discern how long this endured. Time appeared to stand still. The vortex gradually slowed until it came to a complete stop, leaving me motionless in a frozen landscape. I didn''t need to open my eyes; I could perceive everything through magic.

    Strange images occupied my mind. Were these my parents? Yes? No! Yes! Oh, these were White Flower''s parents! And that kid, that is Mephisto!

    And the woman who holds me tight to her breast... It was Cala''s mother, and those were the last moments I was in her arms!

    Tears came to my eyes as I felt her warm arms around my tiny body!

    Was a life still worth seeking? What would be the purpose of it? Seeking revenge? See him once again? See my parents once again?

    But my parents are dead?

    No, those were White Flower''s parents; my parents still exist!

    Then I felt like an electroshock, like hundreds of volts flowing through my body, and my heart started again to beat while I landed like a ragged doll with its strings cut on the strangely dusted floor, on all four, exhausted, panting hard. Rebooting my body was much harder this time.

    I know, I still wondered, looking down at my hands: how is it so much dust here after all this?

    ¡°that. was. hard.¡± - I said

    She waited for several seconds before answering, looking with horror at the hurricane''s walls slowly enlarging around me. I heard only my hard breathing, trying to recover.

    ¡°We... are... so¡­ dead...¡± was her unexpected answer, then after a while, she added, speaking slowly, unnaturally calm, ¡°A third wave is forming. I''ve never heard, it was never mentioned, it either never existed or nobody survived it... ¡±

    We both stood silent for some time and then she spoke again.

    ¡°It was an honor to be with you. I am sorry it had to end like this...¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry," - I answered - "at least we are worm-free now!¡±

    Funnily enough, I could talk even if she was in the lead?

    She chuckled, then she started to laugh.

 Chapter 194 â€“ The Kill Switch

    ¡°Why is this happening? Why another burst?¡± - I wondered.

    She didn''t reply right away. Instead, she held some magic dust in her hand, letting it trickle through her fingers as if toying with it. Afterward, she lifted her head and gazed at the ever-expanding magic bubble, which was now reaching cataclysmic proportions.

    "It probably has something to do with the way we are," another voice echoed in my head, providing an answer.

    I was taken aback by the voice. It wasn''t the fact that I was hearing voices that surprised me, but rather that it was Cala''s voice, one I hadn''t heard in this context before. To my astonishment, Flo responded as well, within my mind, and I could hear her too. It seemed that the divide between us, enabling their separate conversations, had vanished.

    Flo nodded in agreement.

    "You may be onto something, Cala," she acknowledged. "Bringing someone with you during the ritual is a risky move, as one of you would end up as nothing but dust. There have been instances where a double burst occurred if two people were inside the area and both survived the initial blast. It was a method known to potentially yield greater power for the very brave or insane, but it was fraught with uncertainty. You never knew who would emerge stronger after the first burst and would thus have better chances to survive the second. I didn''t... I wasn''t aware that we wouldn''t be considered as one person, but it appears to be the case. One consequence is that we''ve become fused more closely together. In our current state, we can no longer separate; the blast has completely intertwined us."

    Only now, was she thinking about it? But there was no point in getting agitated; it was already too late.

    "If we''re so mixed up, why is another blast happening?" Cala inquired aloud this time.

    I shrugged, and to my surprise, I could physically shrug. I felt as much in control as White Flower was.

    "Perhaps not thoroughly enough. It''s possible that there are still some lingering disparities causing the subsequent blast," White Flower answered.

    ¡°How bad will it be?¡± - I wondered about the severity of the impending third blast.

    White Flower reclined, gazing upward at the magnificent exhibition of chaotic energy surrounding us. A grin adorned her face as she whimsically etched an angel in the dust using her hands and legs, waving them up and down. Then, she rose to inspect her artistic creation. Was this some sort of symbolic response?

    "As you can observe, these explosions escalate exponentially," she eventually replied. "You''ve witnessed the disparity between the first and the second blast; that should provide you with an inkling of what''s on the horizon."

    Content with her explanation, she settled back into the dust, reclining to observe the sky.

    "Oh, would you look at that!" Cala exclaimed.

    High in the sky, the ever-expanding streak of lightning appeared to stretch towards the heavens, and a line from one filament seemed to be bending and making contact with the bubble. It was certainly in motion, but did they truly connect?

    White Flower took a deep breath.

    "You could say Deimos is giving us a hand!" she exclaimed.

    "I thought our demise was guaranteed; maybe he just winked at us?" wondered Cala.

    We laughed. We were all completely at ease, waiting for the inevitable. At least on this, the three of us agreed; there was nothing we could do, and it wouldn''t affect what was about to happen.

    As the bubble began to collapse, I took a deep breath... and that''s all I remember.

    I had slept soundly, a deep and rejuvenating slumber that left me feeling completely refreshed. It might have been the best sleep I''d ever experienced.

    With a languid stretch of my arms and legs, I sensed the dust gently sliding over my body. Gradually, I rose to my feet, and a rustling sound akin to scales on sand accompanied my movement. My wings briefly battled the air before I was propelled upwards.

    In the sky, Deimos unfurled its magical tendrils, stretching across the horizon with stars twinkling amidst them. I let out a yawn while stretching my back.

    "Good morning, Deimos!" I exclaimed aloud.

    You know that saying about how when chickens hatch, they bond with the first living being they see and think it''s their mother? Or wait, maybe that''s about ducks?

    Anyway, why do I get the strange feeling that I''m Deimos''s offspring? Am I a duck in this scenario?

    I could hear my heart thumping in my chest, and a broad smile crossed my face, grateful for the gift of life. My wings had come to a halt, and I descended gently onto the balls of my feet.

    Beneath me, the dust felt plush, enfolding my feet like a tender embrace. I scanned my surroundings, finding myself at the heart of an immense caldera. The patterns etched into the dust around me resembled intricate runes intertwined with hieroglyphs, a perplexing tapestry that sent my mind spinning. Was that just my imagination?

    I shook my head, admonishing myself: "Don''t attempt to comprehend chaos," I whispered.

    There were simpler questions I should use my mind for, like who was I? Did "Lores" define my identity? It was the first name that surfaced in my thoughts, but there were others, too. And what should I do?

    Should I linger here and immerse myself in meditation? This place offered all the essentials: solitude, silence, and magic.

    It was an enticing thought! I had a reservoir of magical power at my disposal, but I had an inkling that it required a considerable amount of honing before it became genuinely useful. To put it figuratively, I was at risk of blowing my own nose if I accidentally sneezed.

    Alternatively, should I venture back into the other realm and explore it? It sounded like labor, yet it was also promisingly enjoyable.

    Was that world more substantial than this one? An odd conviction whispered that it was, even if my instincts argued otherwise. Regardless, that demanded scrutiny, didn''t it?

    Yes, I decided. I will embark on this journey.

    "Goodbye, Deimos! I''m setting off for an expedition!" I exclaimed, waving toward the dark star. Then, I cast the spell, and a shimmering aura of light and magic enveloped me.

    A thunderous blast reverberated through the building as I materialized; my left foot inadvertently obliterated the toilet, sending porcelain shards flying. I teetered perilously, nearly landing unceremoniously on my rear end. The bathroom floor was instantly awash with water from the shattered toilet. In my frantic struggle to regain balance, my wings thrashed against the walls, and my claws gouged deep holes in the tiled walls, creating an unpleasant, sharp, scraping noise.

    I chuckled foolishly, making an effort not to lose my footing in the cramped space. At last, I steadied myself and gingerly swung open the door, which now clung precariously to a single hinge. I found myself face to face with a startled elderly man who clutched a baseball bat in his trembling hand.

    After a couple of seconds, recognizing the old Asian cook, I raised my hand and said: "Hi!".

    He immediately lowered his head, and the bat clattered to the ground. "Oh, my apologies, ma''am!"

    He dropped to his knees, not daring to meet my gaze.

    I stood there, pondering how to exit the cramped room without having to step over him.

    "Could you kindly make way? I''d like to leave," I finally said.

    "Of course," he replied, crawling backward on all fours.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I couldn''t help but snort.

    "Enough of this charade. Why are you doing this?" I asked, somewhat bewildered.

    "The less I see, the less I could be compelled to disclose," he responded, now back on his feet but avoiding eye contact.

    I scrutinized him closely but couldn''t detect any trace of magic. He was entirely devoid of magical abilities, a "muggle" in Harry Potter terms. I shrugged; his explanation did hold some logic, so I let it slide.

    "What day is it today?" I inquired as I stepped cautiously out of the restroom and into the narrow hallway leading to the main room.

    "It''s Monday morning," he replied.

    In the spacious dining area, the tables and chairs had been pushed to the side, and the room was tidied up.

    So, only one night had elapsed since I was here with the boys. It was somewhat disappointing; I had the sensation that days if not weeks, had gone by.

    "What happened after I left?" I asked.

    He appeared to know exactly who I was and what I was talking about.

    "The three gentlemen debated whether to call the police or not. They wanted to launch an investigation into the restaurant. One of them even thought I had kidnapped you."

    As I heard some cracking noise from behind, I raised an eyebrow.

    "Do you live here alone?" I inquired.

    He shook his head in denial.

    "No, with my niece, but please leave her out of this."

    It was the first time I sensed a hardening in his tone. The old man would fiercely protect his niece.

    I allowed my aura to expand, instantly gaining insight into the entire environment. Even the neighbors, one, two, or three levels above.

    I sighed. Sometimes, too much information doesn''t help. I tried to focus on the restaurant and the apartment connected to it.

    A domain, as it''s called, is essentially the area that your magic can freely check. If you have good control over magic, a delicate bubble filled with your magic can provide you with a three-dimensional imprint of everything within that area. I now had a domain that stretched up to a hundred meters in all directions.

    "I need to practice my domain a bit," I muttered, mostly to myself, finally seeing her.

    His niece was a twelve-year-old girl, currently huddled behind the door, clutching her plush bear, and too afraid to make a sound. I could even feel her racing heartbeats.

    I attempted to defuse the situation.

    "I have no intention of harming you or your niece," I said, then turned towards the wrecked toilet. "I''m sorry about the mess. I''ll cover the cost of the damage."

    "No need," he replied with a shrug.

    I could tell he wanted as little to do with me as possible.

    "Did anything else occur after I left?"

    "No," he responded. "I closed the restaurant after they left."

    There was a hint of hesitation in his voice that I found unsettling.

    "Would you mind opening the windows?" I asked.

    He seemed somewhat surprised by my request.

    "The large windows?" he inquired, and I nodded.

    As he went about opening them, I pressed further.

    "Did anything else happen that I should be aware of?"

    He vehemently shook his head in denial, but I could sense he was lying. I let out a sigh and cast a sidelong glance at him.

    Droplets of sweat started to form on his temples.

    "Well..." - he said

    "Well?" I pressed.

    He offered a shrug.

    "Are you some kind of celebrity?... I mean... Ahhh... There was a man who came by after your friends left. He asked a few questions about you and the gentlemen, but I told him we were closed and knew nothing. I didn''t think it was important... That was it, really!"

    I nodded, knowing he didn''t lie this time. Maybe it was not important, but I preferred to know. I flapped my wings and took to the air. Simultaneously, I activated a mirror to conceal myself. To my surprise, the camouflage rendered me completely invisible, in a manner I couldn''t entirely comprehend, as though I were slipping away from this reality.

    "You haven''t seen anything," - I whispered in his ear, startling him.

    A gust of wind whisked through the room as I took flight.

    Out of the room, up in the air, I hesitated for a couple of seconds, looking around.

    If I were to assume this Lores persona, I should check her home.

    I wasn''t Lores, not Cala, not White Flower. Who was I? I shrugged. I didn''t need a new name; Lores was sufficient for now.

    Instead of worrying about what people should call me, I should simply enjoy what I am. Flying is so cool!

    I watched the suburbs defiling effortlessly under me, watching with interest the nightlife. It''s a different perspective from up there!

    As I landed near my home, I deployed another mirror over me to make me look like Dolores, and again, the transformation surprised me: it seemed as though I had been walking, out of thin air, into reality.

    Physically, I became Dolores; it wasn''t just a mirror concealing me. I had no horns no wings, and my domain shrank dramatically to a few meters around me.

    I sighed and shook worried my head. I needed to be cautious with these mirror spells; what was happening now was a different spell; somehow, it physically transformed me, functioning like a transformation spell.

    As I raised my head towards my window, I sighed once more as I found myself standing completely naked outside the house with nothing to conceal me. What do I do now? Do I climb the tree as a naked ape?

    White Flower used to have an inventory tattooed on her skin, but that had been completely wiped out during the node bursts. All her possessions, all those relics, now reduced to dust within the node. Cala''s inventory was inside the room up there.

    I hesitated, unsure whether to clothe myself with illusory garments, being uncertain about how the spells would function.

    Daylight was already streaming in from the East, so it wouldn''t bode well for me to be discovered like this in the park. I needed to move quickly.

    I began to ascend the tree, a relatively simple task. A sense of nostalgia washed over me as I peered into the room: my small kingdom of the last year. I pushed the window open and slipped inside.

    The odor hit me immediately, reminiscent of fried ''something.'' I approached my computer and discovered that it was switched off, yet the smell seemed to emanate from it. What now?

    I was about to step out of the room to investigate when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. It occurred to me that I should probably put on some clothes first.

    I rummaged through the wardrobe, found a suitable dress, and quickly got dressed before leaving the room. Light spilled from the kitchen, so I headed in that direction.

    "Good morning!" Clara greeted me from behind a plate of cereal and milk. She shook the cereal box in the air and asked, "Would you like some?"

    "Morning! No thanks," I replied. I hated cereals, and I figured she knew that. For me, breakfast meant ham, eggs, and some veggies. In my usual direct manner, I cut to the chase. "What happened to my computer?"

    "You don''t know?" she asked, looking surprised. Then, she opened a website on her tablet and handed it over to me. "This should explain it."

    I took the tablet hesitantly. What could a tablet tell me about my computer? Was this some sort of elaborate prank? I began reading the links she had forwarded me and was surprised to find that they indeed offered an explanation for the damage to my burnt-out PC.

    I gave her a brief glance and then resumed reading. She smiled at me, oblivious to the fact that she had been in serious danger of being transformed into a frog or something equally random, considering my mood.

    The links she had shared had a series of alarming titles: "Dreamland Catastrophe!" "PCs Armageddon!" "Is the catastrophe global?" "This is the end of Dreamland!" "Dreamland goes down in smoke! Literally!"

    All of these posts were recent, with the most recent being only a few minutes old. However, they all revolved around the same alarming theme: it appeared that all computers connected to or supporting Dreamland in some way had mysteriously caught fire. While the exact cause wasn''t clear yet, a pattern was emerging¡ªcountless PCs were smoking ruins, and all seemed to have had a connection to Dreamland.

    I took a deep breath, momentarily wondering if my explosive display at the death node could somehow be linked to this computer catastrophe. The idea was amusing, but as spectacular as my little show had been in that world, it couldn''t possibly have caused such widespread havoc in this world. Or could it? I could hardly imagine the process, but who knows? That was still a possibility.

    However, it seemed more likely that someone was making a concerted effort to bring an end to the Dreamland experiment.

    "You and your PC, you could have killed us! The house could have burned down while we slept!" she erupted in anger, returning to her true self.

    She had sounded far too rational before. I shook my head, simply brushed off her outburst, and continued reading.

    "Did Dreamland accidentally trigger the kill switch?"

    Now, we were getting into the juicier posts, but these were frequently downgraded and disappeared on the heavily controlled social media.

    The kill switch! There was a theory that every chip had one, but I wouldn''t find any substantial articles on the officially sanctioned sites. Who could have triggered the kill switch for all PCs connected to Dreamland, and more importantly, why? The game was no longer accessible, at least not officially. I needed to access a different site, perhaps a gamer''s forum, to dig deeper into this mystery. But certainly not on her tablet.

    "I got up when your PC caught fire!" she continued her tirade. "I guess we were lucky that I smelled it and turned it off before a catastrophe happened!"

    It was clear she was lying. If I hadn''t been a living lie detector, I might have fallen for her act. This ploy might have worked with Dolores, making her feel guilty, but it held no sway over me.

    Should I blast her to Nirvana for the insolence of lying to me?

    "You didn''t smell a thing; there''s no odor in the house," I calmly clarified. "You simply went to my room to check if I was home. Only then did you notice the PC and turned it off hours after the fact."

    Her eyes widened in shock.

    "You couldn''t... You haven''t been here, so you can''t possibly know how it happened! It could have been a disaster! You really should shut down your PC when you''re away. It''s a fire hazard!"

    I shrugged. "I''ll give you a seven for the performance." Then, I gestured toward her tablet. "Do you turn off your tablet when you''re done reading?"

    She rolled her eyes.

    "Why bother? It takes forever to reboot!"

    "The risk of fire is higher with its batteries. My PC had water cooling and SSD disks, but no flammable batteries."

    "Your PC burned! It could have burned down the house!"

    I shrugged. "Stop it. It''s not funny anymore."

    "It was on fire!" Her tone grew more intense. "It could have harmed us! You''ve put us in danger!"

    Now, she was returning to her familiar self. I rolled my eyes and returned her tablet with a casual shrug.

    "Did you have a good party?" she inquired, changing suddenly the tone, then added before I could answer: "A guy was here and left a message for you."

    I raised an eyebrow. Who could it have been?

    She handed me a note.

    I sighed, unfolding the note. It was obvious that she had already read it.

    "I hope you''re doing well! Here''s my phone number: xxx-xxx-xxxx; let''s catch up soon! - Hew.

    P.S. We''re planning to meet up tomorrow evening at my cabin; you''re welcome to join us!"

 Chapter 195 - Feelings of Guilt

    I returned to my room and began working on my computer. All in all, it took less than half an hour to replace the motherboard with an older one. This "older one" was a fifteen-year-old motherboard I had salvaged from a PC I''d picked up at a garage sale for fifteen cents. I couldn''t quite explain why I''d held onto it after assembling my main PC, but I guess I couldn''t bear to part with all those old components I''d accumulated. Now, they were finally coming in handy, and here I was, browsing the internet on a zombie PC with a microprocessor nearly as ancient as I am.

    Alright, I don''t mean my new self, which I''ve only had for a day, but rather the eighteen-year-old Dolores. In theory, I am Dolores, right?

    Shit, this thing is getting complicated; better not think about it!

    Of course, there was no chance of playing any Dreamland games on it.

    The old motherboard didn''t fit perfectly, so I had to remove some cards, but considering it was an emergency situation, it sufficed.

    It operates about as swiftly as a low-level zombie, even emitting peculiar noises instead of remaining completely silent, but it gets the job done in the end.

    I rely on one of those open-source operating systems; they''re the only ones that can still function with such ancient motherboards and CPUs. Nevertheless, I still had to make a few adjustments to make it run.

    So, what''s the latest buzz? Dreamland is in ruins! Completely wiped out! Shattered, as they tell it.

    All the computers that were linked to it, even those just quietly chugging along in the background for Mephisto World, went kaput. Over a hundred million computers worldwide fried! Some even sparked fires, but most just vanished into the night with a soft sigh.

    People are divided on the cause. Some claim it''s the integrated kill switch. Others argue there''s no such thing and that it was just a runaway software loop that overheated all those CPUs. Seriously? One hundred million CPUs torched by a simple software glitch?

    It''s so fun to see them trying to argue that the kill switch doesn''t exist!

    However, many theories leaned towards the idea that a game function accidentally triggered the kill switch.

    If it exists, then it was an accident? Yeah, sure.

    Well, whatever happened, the outcome was a sudden drop in global electricity consumption by around fifty million kilowatts in a single night. That''s a staggering fifty gigawatts! It''s equivalent to the combined output of multiple nuclear power stations. Some folks are even attempting to celebrate it as the day when people broke free from the matrix.

    Well, it''s worth noting that not all computers were affected, certainly less than ten percent of the global computer population. And it wasn''t every computer connected to Dreamland but those linked to Mephisto''s world, which actually constituted the majority of Dreamland-connected machines, by the way.

    Could this have been a coordinated attack by multiple governments on Dreamland''s Mephisto''s World servers? I can''t say for sure, but it certainly appears that way.

    But what would be the motive behind it? The game had been inaccessible for some time, despite the company''s claims that they were doing everything they could to restore it.

    Could it be that someone didn''t want it to be restored and took measures to ensure it wouldn''t happen? Was it the work of a rogue so-called intelligence agency, or was it an officially sanctioned action?

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Perhaps some had privileged access to it, causing envy among others? And then, the others took action to level the playing field?

    If this game was indeed enabling the development of unique abilities, it''s understandable why many would be interested in controlling it.

    This entire saga was affecting multiple nations, and it will undoubtedly have international repercussions.

    Well, whoever was behind it made absolutely certain that Mephisto''s World won''t be making a comeback, and access to it is gone for good.

    Well, I''ll never find out what happened to the Lynx and Alice now...

    I took a deep breath.

    Could it really be? Wasn''t I just in that world a few hours ago? I don''t need a computer connection to access it, but does "there" even exist now?

    Did this computer mass extinction event occur after I left? Or could I possibly have been the one who triggered this catastrophe?

    No, that doesn''t make sense. I can''t believe it.

    Alright, but then what''s going to happen to the Lynx, Sid, and Alice? And what about Spartacius and that girl, Tina?

    I was aware that White Flower had inspected the cavern the last time before she went into her frozen state to honor Dolores'' request for "solitude." I also know she made an attempt to recover the ring but was unsuccessful. She observed that they had vacated the cavern and assumed they had escaped and were unharmed, but was that the actual situation?

    Was it even possible for me to conduct an investigation? Does that world continue to exist after the infrastructure supporting it has been obliterated?

    The door to my room was suddenly kicked open, revealing a fully equipped Lola in the doorway.

    "Dol, we''re heading to school. Are you joining us or not?"

    She grinned and expertly flicked her blonde hair with a toss of her head: Lola, the modern-day samurai in flesh and blood, dressed in her alluring sexy armor and adorned with war paint underlying her long eyelashes that could shatter the hearts of our unfortunate classmates.

    I smiled back but shook my head.

    ¡°Nah,¡± ¨C I answered ¨C ¡°I''m not in the mood!¡±

    She shrugged, slightly taken aback by my blunt confession.

    "Alright, I''ll tell them you''re not feeling well, but promise me you won''t go roaming the streets."

    She closed the door, leaving me alone with my quandary.

    What should I do about my friends from Mephisto''s world? Did that world even still exist? Where had it been created, and in which universe? I couldn''t just dissolve myself and become an avatar in a digital realm, only to return to the real world later.

    Or was that the case? Did I genuinely enter that computer-generated realm and return at a later time? If such a connection was possible, could that be the reason they dismantled that world?

    So, what would occur if I attempted to return to that realm now? Would I find myself in a deteriorating pixelated world? Could I even survive in such a place?

    Since I can''t instantly summon a lightfire again and must wait for the spell''s cooldown, might I be disassembled in a world that''s falling apart?

    If the world is indeed deteriorating, can I still rescue them? Would the Lynx even be the Lynx now?

    I sighed. There''s no way to know unless I try.

    Yeah, but would that knowledge help me if I die gathering it?

    But could I live with myself if I attempt to deliberately ignore them? What if they are in a predicament and need help? What if helping them was still possible now but will no longer be later?

    I was already angry with White Flower, as I thought that she had prematurely abandoned her investigation, with Dolores for her impractical demand for separation that caused all the mess, with Cala because she accepted White Flower''s decision without first checking with Alice.

    I sighed. Well, that was me in the past. What an impractical mess I had been!

    Taking a deep breath, I decided that I should return there. My magic will keep me alive... I hope.

    I chanted the incantation for my lightfire spell, preparing my return, and then, amidst a dazzling display of light, I departed for the cavern.

    I can configure a maximum of nine distinct lightfires, most of which are designated for locations I hold dear. Currently, I had just two I was working with, with one set to that cavern and the other back to my room.

    I hope I will not have to lose any more of the remaining seven; those were very important locations that were almost impossible to reach in normal ways, like the Death Node I had just visited before.

    But did those have any value now if the world was lost?

    Upon materializing, a deafening blast of thunder reverberated through the cavern, causing dust and pebbles to rain down from the rocky ceiling.

 Chapter 196 - Cold Reunion

    I stood there, waiting for the rumbling echo to subside, my gaze filled with concern as I surveyed the almost complete darkness that enveloped me. Only the faint infrared offered subtle hints of my surroundings.

    I was aware that Flo possessed the ability to perceive a broader spectrum, from infrared to ultraviolet, but experiencing it myself was an entirely different matter; therefore, I spent the next couple of minutes just looking around. It also helped me better understand what I''ve seen before; for example, Clara''s pajamas weren''t as transparent as I''d initially thought; it was my infrared vision that revealed her skin, the same way as I had better discerned the humans in the town during my flight.

    Well, I suppose I''ll get used to it.

    Still, I feared that my current visual information was insufficient, so I conjured a couple of additional sources of light. These were modest fire magic spells that I haphazardly placed on the cavern walls, ensuring a gentle illumination that would subsist for some time.

    With newfound visibility, I cast my eyes around. The cavern appeared to be identical to my previous visits, albeit now dustier due to my abrupt arrival.

    There were no immediate signs of the world decaying, which was reassuring.

    I had fully transformed into my horned form and extended my domain in all directions to the best of my ability. This domain was an inheritance from Flo, though hers had been confined to a small radius around her. In contrast, mine extended much farther.

    Due to the fact that she had rarely utilized it, fearing that an active domain might reveal her presence, I possessed only limited knowledge of its use. Even so, I could perceive several interconnected passages within the cavern network.

    At first glance, I didn''t spot any signs of living beings, except for the usual cavern dwellers like bats and centipedes.

    The protective spell that had sealed the entryway to this part of the cavern still held, but it seemed noticeably weaker.

    It could be that the crystals maintaining it might not have been recharged for quite some time, or I was simply that more powerful a caster. I felt confident that I could break it.

    I attempted to use my magic to summon the ring to me, but it resisted. It was blocked somehow. Was it the work of a powerful caster? I couldn''t help but wonder who could resist my newly gained magical prowess.

    Determined, I poured more power into the spell, and the entire cavern began to tremble as during an earthquake. It was at this moment that I finally connected what I was experiencing with what my enhanced vision had revealed earlier. This area seemed to be rich in magicore, which made it difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve the ring using magic alone. The mineral deposits emitted a faint warmth, and I could discern veins of it spread throughout. No wonder the spell hadn''t worked as expected!

    I remembered that White Flower had tried the spell also from outside the cavern. Does this mean that it was still here inside somewhere?

    To investigate, I quickly repeated the spell from various locations, and the results were disheartening. The ring was still here, buried deeper within the mountain, perhaps some four or five hundred meters away.

    Now, I noticed some goblins meandering through one section of the cavern, thanks to my domain. I let out an irritated grunt. They weren''t a real threat, but they could be bothersome while I worked.

    It seemed like it might take weeks, if not longer, to dig that far. So, the question was: dig or melt? Probably the same speed... If I went with melting, I''d have to employ some stone-melting spells, but I needed to figure out how and where to channel all that resulting magma. Digging, on the other hand, was going to be exhausting. I''m no mole, after all.

    I couldn''t help but wonder why the ring might be in a different location. Could it be that the orcs had moved them deeper? But how? Did the orcs find the ring and use it? If so, they wouldn''t have left it here! No, they might have employed some other technique.

    I decided to try another one of Flo''s spells. She could glimpse into the recent past, typically no more than twenty-four hours, but I hoped that with my increased casting power, I could extend that timeframe. Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t even see back to when Flo had been here.

    Damn, what a time-waster! That spell is painfully slow; I''ve burned nearly an hour on just one attempt.

    Considering Sid''s telepathic abilities, I gave it a shot, even though Flo had tried before with no response. Once again, silence. The abundant magicore around here was likely the culprit.

    Now, I had two options: painstakingly dig toward the ring''s supposed location or take the brute-force approach. With my newfound power, the latter was a viable choice. But first, I needed to pinpoint their location. Perhaps I could find a path with less magicore interference or a shorter route that required less digging. To achieve this, I decided to explore as far as my domain allowed despite the constant interference from the magicore.

    I began to navigate the caverns, striving to get as close as possible to the ring. At times, I had to widen the narrow passages with my claws to squeeze through. Eventually, I discovered a spot that brought me within about two hundred meters or more of the ring, still outside the boundaries of my domain.

    Curses, this revelation didn''t change much compared to what I''d seen before ¨C maybe shaved off a week at best. The real challenge was figuring out how to cast my spell to minimize the impact of the magicore.

    If I could only cast it through some warped space dimensions to target only the ring and avoid the magicore!?

    Hey, what if I attempted to cast it from another realm? Would that enable me to target only the ring while bypassing the magicore-laden area? It was worth a shot!

    As the lightfire spell had run its cooldown, I summoned the one leading to my room. It came with a resounding boom and a blinding flash, causing a chaotic upheaval around me.

    I gazed around in dismay. Damn it, I''d probably wrecked my computer again! My poor zombie PC lay pathetically in a corner near the shattered display. Clothes were strewn all over the place, and my wardrobe mirror was shattered. Note to self: never place a lightfire in the room again.

    I scoffed at the mess but decided to clean it up later. After opening the window, I cast a camouflage spell on myself and leaped into the air. It was as if I had jumped out of this dimension.

    With my wings flapping as fast as they could, I sped away from the town in search of an uninhabited area to test my retrieval spell. Brute-forcing it could lead to some unpleasant consequences, and I didn''t want to needlessly flatten any neighborhoods. I''m not that kind of girl.

    I could maintain a speed of a couple of hundred kilometers per hour, somewhat akin to a helicopter, but it still felt painfully slow. Below me, I repeatedly passed houses, growing fewer as I ventured on, until after about half an hour, I found myself above a lush green forest.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    This seemed like an ideal spot. I landed in a serene glade and assessed my surroundings with a quick domain scan. No signs of human presence, just a few deer milling about, perhaps a fox, but definitely no humans.

    "Sorry, nature," I muttered to myself, "but this is where I''ll give the spell a shot. Hopefully, nothing goes terribly wrong."

    I initiated the retrieval spell, immediately feeling the resistance. Instead of letting it fail, I stubbornly poured more and more power into it. The tension in the air grew palpable, but the resistance continued to intensify.

    "Well, I had a feeling about this," I grumbled. It meant the spell was still interacting with some lingering magicore around the ring.

    With a deep breath, I mustered everything I had and channeled it into the spell. The air began to vibrate under the tremendous pressure. It felt like peering into an overheated oven. The nearby wildlife, sensing something amiss, scattered in all directions.

    The atmosphere grew darker around me as if reality itself were about to rupture. Then, with a colossal boom, an enormous chunk of stone crashed down on top of me, sending me sprawling onto my back. The shock nearly knocked me out.

    Summoning all my strength, I managed to shove the several-hundred-kilogram piece of scorching stone to the side. Shaky and disoriented, I struggled to my feet and surveyed the aftermath.

    An area spanning about a hundred meters around me lay flattened, trees reduced to shattered remnants, branches strewn in all directions, all pointing to the epicenter of the destruction.

    Nearby, a scorched chunk of stone bore a deep fissure, and through it, I caught a glimmer. That had to be the ring!

    I reached for the stone but yanked my hand back immediately. It was searing hot, nearly molten. Frustration bubbling up, I delivered a powerful punch to the stone, causing it to split along the fissure and freeing the ring.

    With the ring safely in my possession, I took to the skies and flew away from the chaotic scene.

    My wings had taken a beating in the explosion, and my skin bore singe marks, but thanks to mana, I could still fly, albeit a bit slower than before. After a while, I touched down in a smaller glade and inspected the ring. It appeared to be unscathed.

    Turning my attention to myself, I used my magic to transform into Cala''s likeness, albeit a scorched and nearly naked version, with only shreds of the training pants I had been wearing now covering me. Oddly, the damage to my skin persisted even in this altered form.

    Healing myself was out of the question; my magic had grown too dark for such spells. It probably wouldn''t generate living tissue, and the consequences could be dire. Nevertheless, I could feel my natural regeneration working overtime.

    Should I wait, procure some proper clothing, and then unlock the ring? But in the end, curiosity won out, and I pressed the ring''s crystal, activating the spell to open its portal.

    To my relief, it worked. I scrutinized the shimmering surface for a few seconds.

    "Hello, is anyone in there?" I inquired.

    A blur emerged from the ring, but within my domain, I could clearly see the Lynx leaping out and taking up a position about ten meters away, hidden behind some bushes. A broad smile crossed my face. Alice followed, stepping out, and I released a breath I hadn''t realized I''d been holding.

    I gazed at her, taking in her flawless features¡ªher flowing red hair framing her shoulders, hazel eyes locked onto mine, bow in her grasp. "You''re alive! You''re okay! What about Sid, Spartacius, and Tina?"

    "Hello? Who are you?" Alice replied, and I could sense her probing my magical strengths, her eyes narrowing, and her grip on her bow tightening.

    "I''m Cala, can''t you see?" I responded.

    She arched an eyebrow.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Well, if you want, I can tell you what happened to me. Lynx, come here too, don''t hide there in the bushes!"

    They were acting, moving, and talking exactly as I remembered them. What does this mean? NPCs from the game become suddenly living beings in the real world?

    I sat myself in the grass. Alice approached me and sat herself to look at me, and the Lynx came and sat near her.

    I smiled, looking at them.

    "Just tell me before, are Sid, Tina, and Spartacius OK?"

    Alice hesitated first, then she answered.

    "Sid and Tina are OK. We don''t know about Spartacius. We had sent him to look for you."

    I took a deep breath.

    "Good. I''ll check for Spartacius later, now let me explain!"

    I shared my story with them and patiently waited for them to reciprocate, but to my surprise, the Lynx made an unexpected request.

    "Please, Cala, can you give us some time to process all of this? Is it okay if we explore a bit? Maybe we can talk more tomorrow?" he asked.

    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, wrestling with what to do next. Eventually, I nodded.

    "Alright, but please be aware that this realm is different from the one you lived in before. It''s not Prom''Ethea; it''s Ter''Ra. The people here have no magic¡ªwell, not the kind you''re used to. They rely on something they call technology. There are highly dangerous weapons and surveillance everywhere. So, don''t draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves."

    I gestured toward a direction.

    "Over there, there had been a big explosion. That was the result of the spell I used to retrieve the ring; it backfired because of the cursed magicore. Look at me; this is what happened. I''d advise against going in that direction, as there will likely be a lot of activity. Be extremely cautious. I don''t want you ending up captured and put on display in some kind of private zoo. It might be best to head further away. Would you like me to transport you to a safer location?"

    "No, no!" They both protested simultaneously.

    It seemed they weren''t eager to return inside the ring, but they also didn''t seem too keen on engaging in further conversation with me. Did they not trust me?

    "Alright," I conceded with a nod. "Then it''s settled. I''ll search for you tomorrow afternoon. Alice, please keep the ring with you; I''ll be able to locate you through it."

    I couldn''t help but feel a mixture of disappointment and frustration. This wasn''t how I had envisioned our reunion. With a heavy heart, I took to the sky and left them behind, unsure if I was making the right decision.

    ####

    Once the monstrous entity had vanished, Alice arched an eyebrow and turned to the Lynx, her curiosity piqued.

    "Why does my magic whisper the word ''dragon lord'' to me? What should we make of this?"

    The Lynx furrowed his brow in thought and corrected her,

    "Not ''dragon lord,'' but ''demon lord.''" - he chuckled - "A scorched demon lord, no less. I''m baffled by how that could have happened."

    Alice swiveled her gaze toward the direction in which ''Cala'' had seemingly dissolved into thin air. In that fleeting moment, she thought she''d glimpsed her true form¡ªa winged, horned being of some kind.

    "She''s immensely powerful," the Lynx remarked. "Even with Sid, we''d stand no chance against her. The question is, what does she want from us?"

    "You don''t believe her story?" Alice inquired, shaking her head and emitting a deep sigh.

    "After the battle with those wretched wolshi creatures, I established a soul link with Cala to bolster her spirit," he explained. "But that link is severed now. Cala is gone, and I can''t sense White Flower either. There was always a connection between us, but it''s as though she''s vanished completely. Do you understand what I''m getting at?"

    Alice turned to him, surprised.

    "I had no idea you dabbled in soul magic."

    The Lynx shook his head once more.

    "I''m not really well-versed in it. I stumbled upon a few spells once; it''s a long story. Regardless, let''s move away from here. It''s time to put some distance between us and... whatever that was."

 Chapter 197 â€“ Betrayal

    I was tempted to linger and observe them, well, more like spying, possibly using my domain while remaining concealed from their view. However, I ultimately dismissed the idea. There was a significant risk they might discover my presence, and that certainly wouldn''t foster their trust in me.

    It felt disheartening to acknowledge that I had to rebuild their trust from scratch, but I couldn''t find any shortcuts in my mind.

    There was also a non-negligible concern that they might make mistakes and attract unwanted attention from the authorities, but I had to place my faith in their abilities to avoid such a predicament. I did explain the situation to them, didn''t I? Besides, they were in the middle of nowhere, far away from any civilization.

    In the end, it seemed wiser to depart. The lingering question was: what should I do next? I contemplated meeting up with Hew and the boys, but it was still early, just past noon. Besides, I couldn''t present myself in my current shabby condition. I needed to return home and find some suitable clothes.

    Thus, I decided to revert to my true form, cast a concealment spell to shield myself from prying eyes, and flew back home.

    Once I stepped into my room, I couldn''t help but grimace at the mess I had created earlier. I let out a sigh of frustration, muttering to myself, "Damn, this is going to take me hours to sort out."

    I hated the chore of tidying up my room, and thanks to that ill-fated spell, I had to tackle it right away instead of waiting for its planned time on Wednesday, as I usually did.

    My exasperation grew when I noticed that the wooden frame of my bed had suffered a crack. I was so close to venting my anger by smashing it completely, but I halted my fist just centimeters away from striking it.

    Hold on a second, was there a way to fix this?

    My spells seem to generate matter in a manner I can''t quite fathom. In theory, I should be capable of repairing it; the only issue was that I was not familiar with a specific spell to achieve that.

    Why should I not try, based on my motto: fuck around and find out...

    Well, it is not really my motto, but...

    I hesitated to employ healing magic on myself, given the darkness of my powers, which would likely fail to create living tissue. At best, it might result in some kind of zombie tissue. However, this bed frame was entirely composed of dead material, wasn''t it? Could I attempt a healing spell on it? Logically, it shouldn''t work, but I could try to mimic a healing spell, coercing my magic into the attempt.

    I placed my hands on the frame and executed the spell, and to my elation, it actually "healed" the damage. After finishing the repair, I tested it and found it as sturdy as new.

    "Wow, I can mend things!"

    I heaved a sigh of relief and set about tidying up my room. Surprisingly, I managed to mend not only my battered trousers and torn blouse but even the hole in the wall''s plaster I had accidentally made weeks ago while hanging a picture. It was as though a self-repair spell had been cast on them but at an accelerated pace.

    "Lores, the great repairman! I''ll never have to pay for armor fixes!" I exclaimed enthusiastically, performing a triumphant dance on my bed, which, incidentally, almost gave way again.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I''d only be happier if I had a spell to clean up my room completely, but it''s best to count one''s blessings!

    Coming down from my bed, I examined the frame. Cheap 50-dollar bed that I''ve bought in a sale for fifteen...

    Maybe I should ''heal'' the whole frame; the part I mended seemed to be stronger than the rest.

    I managed to repair both the display and the PC, but unfortunately, the PC remained nonfunctional. It wasn''t much of a surprise; I had a clear image of how it should appear, but constructing its internal components out of wood or plastic wouldn''t magically make it work. My magic hadn''t thoroughly analyzed its intricate details before the accident, so the repair resulted in something that looked fine but lacked functionality.

    A rather amusing idea popped into my head: what if I could create a new motherboard by thoroughly examining a functional one? Sure, those microchips were intricate creations at the nanometer scale, making this a considerably more complex task. However, if I could fix things, could I not conjure an entire motherboard from thin air? After all, wasn''t a motherboard akin to a component or limb of a PC?

    I mean, I''ve constructed tissues with living cells before! I''ve reconstructed limbs, for crying out loud! Isn''t that even more intricate? And yet, I successfully rebuilt living limbs!

    Bolstered by this realization, I ventured to a local computer shop for some window shopping. After about an hour of perusing various items without causing any chip meltdowns, I felt confident I had cracked it. I didn''t need to grasp every detail. My brain only needed to guide my magic to perform the right tasks, just like with healing. It''s funny how magic operates!

    Upon returning to my room, I enthusiastically began working on my new PC. Nearly an hour later, with ten different versions of the same motherboard before me, a couple of them still smoking, my enthusiasm had significantly waned.

    I snored angrily. Now I have to deal with this mess? Why can''t I make them vanish as easily as I conjured them? Though, I wasn''t sure if blasting them here with a dark spell was a good idea. That might have unfortunate consequences for the environment, and I might have to start cleaning anew.

    I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead. This whole motherboard-building endeavor was incredibly draining, even though I couldn''t quite figure out why. Fixing my bed or even mending my trousers didn''t leave me feeling tired, but this PC work? It was oddly exhausting, and my mood had taken a dangerous dip.

    At least it diverted my thoughts from Alice and the Lynx. What were they up to? I hoped they weren''t getting into any trouble!

    What could they be up to?

    I felt a strong urge to go and check on them, and it took considerable effort to resist it.

    What else should I do?

    "Alright, I''ll pay Gonzo a visit!" I decided.

    I recalled that he mentioned something about Helen not feeling well. He had told me that she had been experimenting with the ring, fell ill, and then suspected the ring was the cause of her illness.

    At the time, I completely ignored the nonsense, but maybe I should clarify it with him. He should not remain with the idea that she was ill because of the ring, so implicitly because of me. I might also check what really happened and... I could also retrieve my bike.

    Although I could fly anywhere I pleased, I thought that appearing randomly through the city without any clues about how I got there might not be the best idea in the long run.

    I took my inventory box to search for some clothes, but to my dismay, it refused to open. I tried a few more times, contemplating which clothes to choose. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead as I realized the box might not recognize me as Cala.

    I glared at the darn small case in my trembling hand, a sense of betrayal welling up within me. Fueled by frustration, I hurled it to the ground, shattering the parquet floor and even sending concrete splinters into the air from the surface hidden beneath the parquet.

    After a deep sigh, I reluctantly began repairing the floor. The urge to smash the inventory box crossed my mind, but I knew that destroying it would cause all the contents to vanish.

    These inventory boxes were incredibly sturdy, nearly indestructible. However, if you somehow managed to break one, you''d lose everything stored inside. That''s why it was a foolish move not to repair them when they suffered damage. It probably had something to do with their construction; it seemed as though the small spacial pockets where the objects were stored became disconnected from the box and were lost forever. Perhaps someday, somewhere, they might return to this dimension, but you could never predict when or where.

    Damn it! Even my own inventory box didn''t recognize me!

 Chapter 198 - Playing the Medicine Man

    Letting out another sigh, I carefully returned the box to its shelf and turned my attention to the wardrobe. I needed to focus on something other than the box and regain my composure.

    Luckily, there were a couple of leather suits belonging to Cala right outside the box. These were part of a Mephisto set and were designed to accommodate various body forms. I opted for a gray set that complemented the color of my eyes. First, I put on the trousers, and then I selected a rather provocative blouse. Not because of its seductive appearance but because it had minimal binding around my neck, covered my front, including my breasts, and featured another binding around my waist. This design allowed my back to remain completely exposed, except for the two bindings, ensuring it wouldn''t tear when my wings emerged during form-shifting.

    The blouse had side straps connecting to the respective bindings, and it possessed enough elasticity to stay snug against my body, even when I twisted into various positions, preventing any accidental exposure. It was crafted from an expensive, exquisite material that resembled silk. I hesitated momentarily, considering if it would match my leather pants. After studying my reflection in the mirror, I decided that it was an acceptable combination.

    My back, arms, and a portion of my belly would be exposed, but I believed I had become more cold-resistant lately. Besides, I could always wear the jacket when in human form.

    Opting for my sole pair of Mephisto boots, a finely crafted set of relatively small leather boots, I once again checked my appearance in the mirror. My frustration with the troublesome inventory box had lessened somewhat. I picked up the jacket in my hand, shifted into my winged form, and gracefully leaped out of the window while simultaneously cloaking myself with a camouflage spell.

    In flight, I headed towards the location where the police car had previously halted me. Relief washed over me when I discovered the little bike still waiting, forlorn, and covered in dust. The spot was rather desolate, and I had worried that it might have disappeared by now.

    With a fluid motion, I reverted to my Dolores/Lores appearance and simultaneously removed the camouflage.

    I wiped the dust off the bike and was delighted to find that it was still in working order. It didn''t use a traditional key but had a number lock. After inputting the correct combination and pressing the button, it roared to life... or rather meowed.

    Riding that small, slow bike made me feel somewhat ridiculous like I was perched on a child''s toy. Several trucks zoomed past me, enveloping me in dust clouds each time.

    This made me nearly miss the entrance to Gonzo''s yard. Once I saw it, I sharply veered to the left, earning angry honks from an oncoming truck due to my abrupt maneuver.

    Gonzo, who was busy working on a car in the yard, glanced up at my arrival and shook his head in amusement.

    "Well, well, well, look who''s here, accompanied by a chorus of horns!"

    "Hey, Gonzo! Can I trade in this toy for the real deal?" I quipped.

    He chuckled.

    "Hey Dolores, nice to see you... Oh, God! What happened to you?" Gonzo exclaimed once I got closer and he saw my tortured skin.

    "Uh, don''t worry about it, Gonzo. It''s just some superficial burning. It''ll be gone by tomorrow."

    "Are you sure? It looks..."

    "It''s OK, trust me!"

    He shook his head, still somewhat unconvinced, but nonetheless took the bike.

    "Okay, if you say so."

    As he pushed the bike back to its place, I glanced at my jacket, now covered in dust. Those darn trucks! I shook it, creating a cloud of dust around me. I''d have to find some spells to clean it in a more efficient and elegant way.

    "So, how''s Helen?" I inquired.

    "She''s not feeling well. She''s seen a couple of doctors and is taking some medicine, but it doesn''t seem to be helping," Gonzo replied.

    "Is she here?"

    He nodded.

    "Can I go see her?"

    "Of course! She''d be happy to have a visitor."

    I wasn''t particularly fond of Helen; something about her personality rubbed me the wrong way. However, I cared for Gonzo, so I put up with her. Plus, she was a good person, and I knew her heart was in the right place.

    We entered the house and found Helen in one of the upper rooms, lying in bed and reading a book. At first, she seemed a bit flustered by my visit, then became very concerned when she noticed my red, burned skin. I had to reassure her that it was just a superficial burn.

    During our conversation, I tried to scan her, but in my human form, my mana manipulation abilities were limited. Still, I think I identified her problem. After about ten minutes, I left, and Gonzo accompanied me downstairs. I let out a sigh.

    "Gonzo, let me do one more check; don''t be surprised."

    I removed my jacket and transformed into my horned form. He gasped, as he had seen me with horns before, but not in this form.

    "You..."

    I raised a finger.

    "Just give me a moment!"

    I closed my eyes to concentrate better on the mental image of her within my domain. Gradually, her image expanded, revealing more details. It was like examining an X-ray, and as I delved deeper, I saw them clearly. Though they were small and well-concealed within her body, she had... magical worms.

    Magical worms? How was that possible? Why did she have them? Besides the enigma of how she got infected, the question was, why? She couldn''t; she was no caster!

    She had used the ring, but I''d never heard of a non-magic user contracting these worms, even if they were surrounded by magical items. Was she a caster without knowing it? Or did they know? Could contact with the ring have triggered her transition, or was it something from her time in Mephisto? I was sure she had no magical abilities the last time I saw her.

    I changed back to my Dolores form as my horned appearance seemed to unsettle him.

    "Gonzo, I know what her problem is, and I know how to cure her. I just don''t know how she got infected."

    He watched me for a moment, appearing uneasy. Then, he closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and nodded. When he opened his eyes again, there was a hint of fear.

    "Infected?" - he shook his head - "Can you really help her? And what would this entail, and what would you expect from me?"

    Was that fear for her well-being due to her infection, or was he afraid of me? I met his gaze squarely as I spoke.

    "Gonzo, we''re friends, and I''ll do this for the sake of our friendship. It''s relatively straightforward: she''s got a type of worms," I chuckled, "magical worms, so there''s no chance of you catching them. That''s what puzzles me because I can''t fathom how she got infected. Well, it doesn''t matter. I can rid her of these worms in less than a minute, but it might be a bit uncomfortable for her, and I have to do it in my horned form."

    "Can you do it from here?" he asked.

    I shook my head. "Possibly, but I''d feel more confident in its success if I were there and could physically touch her."

    "Touch her?" he inquired.

    I shrugged.

    "Perhaps. I might need to do that," I replied, not revealing my true motive, which was to check if she truly was a caster.

    "And what do you mean by ''unpleasant''?" Gonzo pressed.

    "She''ll experience a sensation of a foreign substance, like some liquid invading her body, coursing through her bones, muscles, and insides, everywhere," I explained again with a shrug. "I imagine that''s highly unpleasant."

    "But it''ll only take less than a minute?" he asked for confirmation.

    "About that," I affirmed.

    "Let me talk to her," he requested.

    I nodded. "Okay."

    I heard him climb the stairs and engage in a conversation with her. Ten minutes later, he returned downstairs.

    "I explained to her that you know someone who might be able to help with her condition. She agreed. I''ll blindfold her so she won''t see you like this. Is there anything else you need? Should we proceed now or later?" he asked.

    I raised an eyebrow. "It might be better to wait for half an hour for that person to arrive, don''t you think?"

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    He nodded in agreement. "You''re right. Are you hungry? I was just about to grill some sausages for myself; I''m absolutely famished."

    "Sounds good; I haven''t eaten anything today, so make it two," I replied.

    He chuckled.

    As we enjoyed our meal, a customer arrived, the reason for his earlier rush to finish the car. While he attended to the formalities and handed over the vehicle, I continued to savor the sausages. When he returned, he looked at me.

    "Ready? Can we go?" he asked.

    I nodded. "Sure."

    Once he informed me that she was ready, I ascended the stairs in my horned form. She lay in her bed, a blindfold covering her eyes.

    "Hello?" she greeted as she heard me enter the room.

    "Hello, Helen," I responded.

    "You are?"

    "You can call me whatever you''d like. I''m the doc," I replied, realizing I hadn''t thought of an alias and feeling too lazy to think of one. Doc was good enough.

    "Alright, doc. Dolores said you could tell me what I have. I''m feeling weak, generally unwell, no appetite, dizzy, nauseous, vomited a couple of times, and..."

    "Let me check," I interjected, placing my hand on her shoulder.

    Now, I saw them with horrifying clarity.

    "You have worms," I stated.

    "What?" she exclaimed in surprise, nearly sitting up.

    I gently pushed her back onto the bed.

    "It''s alright, I can cleanse them. These are magical worms," I assured her.

    She let out a nervous chuckle.

    "If you want, we can attempt to retrieve one so you can see them, but that would be time-consuming, challenging, and painful as I''d have to coax them closer to your skin and make an incision. The simplest thing would be for me to cleanse them."

    I might have pushed the limits, but it was the only way I could think of to obtain a worm.

    "And you''ll just place your hand on me and claim I''m clean? What a charlatan!" she exclaimed, swiftly removing her blindfold, but she froze upon seeing me. She swallowed hard and turned to Gonzo with a terrified expression.

    "Who, what?" she stammered.

    I chuckled and shrugged, using my hand to keep her from rising.

    "You weren''t supposed to see me. Now, I''m not sure how you contracted those worms. They typically only affect people with some magical talent. Those worms feed on mana, young lady, and can''t be treated by conventional means."

    "Gonzo, help me! Gonzo! She won''t let me move!" she cried out.

    As Gonzo approached, I released her and took a step back. She jumped out of bed and attempted to hide behind Gonzo.

    "Sorry about that," I offered.

    "Who is this person?" she inquired.

    Gonzo sighed. "Dolores vouched for her. I understand she can heal you in a minute, and then we''re done."

    She nervously shook her head.

    "I don''t want to be healed by her! Who knows what else she might do!"

    I let out a sigh.

    "If I wanted to do something, I could have already. All I want to do is rid you of these worms and then leave. I have a debt to Dolores, and I intend to repay it."

    She raised an eyebrow.

    "You have a debt to Dolores? How did that happen?"

    I shrugged.

    "That''s a different story, young lady. I don''t have to share it with you."

    She sighed and then met my gaze directly.

    "What will happen if I don''t get treated?"

    I shrugged again.

    "Probably nothing particularly dire in the short term. You''ll continue to experience nausea and dizziness. However, over time, the symptoms will worsen as these worms grow. I''m not sure how they found nourishment inside you; you must have some kind of magical ability."

    "I''m not a caster!... Oh, that cursed ring! I must have gotten them from it! If I''m not a caster, then what?"

    I shook my head.

    "The worms were active even though barely. There''s something else. May I check again?"

    She was a little bit less frightened. She glanced at Gonzo and then back to me.

    "Alright." - she nodded.

    I motioned toward the bed, and she slowly sat back down. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and upon closer examination, I noticed faint traces of mana occasionally appearing and being quickly devoured by worms.

    I huffed.

    "What?" she asked.

    "Well, well. Young lady, that ring seems to have awakened something in you. The mana in you is white, so you could probably become a priest or a paladin, but right now, you''re only nourishing those worms inside you."

    "Me, a..., a... and what can you do?"

    "I can kill them."

    "Here and now?"

    "Yes, here and now."

    "How would you do that?"

    "The only cure I know. I would flood you with black magic. That would instantly dissolve the worms."

    She nodded.

    "I see... What side effects will that have?"

    I sighed.

    "It would be very uncomfortable for you. You''ll feel overwhelmed and genuinely believe you''re going to die."

    Gonzo stepped forward, trying to position himself between me and Helen.

    "Dolores didn''t tell me that!"

    I resisted his push without much effort, then stepped back. I wasn''t there to force myself upon them.

    "That''s because she didn''t know that this young lady has any magical aptitude. That feeling comes from my magic overpowering hers, and a caster understands and feels it more. This sensation combines with the flow inside her body, but as I said, these are only... some minor discomforts for less than a minute."

    Gonzo''s eyes widened.

    "Feeling like you''re dying is a minor discomfort?"

    I protested.

    "It''s just a sensation! A fleeting one. Shall we proceed?"

    She shook her head.

    "I have nothing but your word. How can I be certain I can trust you?¡±

    How can you assist someone against their will? Should you help them against their will? I sighed. Now I have to convince her and gain her trust?

    "Look, this didn''t happen by accident. I know there''s a group using this to identify casters. A regular person wouldn''t have an issue even if the eggs remain dormant in their body. You probably got infected somehow, and they simply erased it from your memory, just as I could erase this conversation from your memory."

    I glanced at Gonzo, whose eyes widened. I shrugged. Maybe I was getting too mean.

    She was thinking of alternate ways.

    "But if I see a doctor, they could scan and detect the worms! That would be confirmation!"

    I chuckled.

    "The worms are tiny right now, less than a millimeter; they might not even be detectable. Even if they are found, these worms move within your body towards your mana sources. In your case, I believe the primary source is near your heart. I''m curious about the treatment, but chances are, the ones responsible for this will intervene at some point as soon as they become aware. Most likely, you''ll survive and eventually find yourself working for them. The terms and conditions of that... well, I can''t say for sure."

    She still shook her head.

    "I need some time to think about this."

    I gave a nonchalant shrug and chuckled, thinking that I might get sore shoulders from all the shrugging.

    "Alright," I turned to Gonzo, "I''ll take my leave for now. Just inform Dolores when you''re ready, and I''ll be here as soon as I can."

    "Is there anything you''d recommend in the meantime?" he inquired.

    I shrugged again.

    "Don''t do anything foolish," I advised, heading for the door.

    "Are these worms dangerous? Could they cause her a stroke?" he questioned, hurrying after me.

    "It''s possible but highly unlikely," I responded. "These are parasites that feed on the host and typically avoid causing harm to it. They instinctively avoid blocking blood vessels, but... they''re still just worms, even if they''re magical worms."

    "I''ll do it! Please come back!" Helen exclaimed, rushing behind me.

    I let out a sigh.

    "You''ve made the right choice, young lady. Let''s get through this together."

    We returned to the room, and she lay back down on the bed, her eyes still showing fear.

    I shook my head, trying to ease her anxiety, and placed my hand on her belly.

    "Think of it like being at the dentist," I suggested. "There might be a bit of discomfort, but in this case, it''ll all be over in a minute. Just let me know when you''re ready."

    She chuckled at the comparison and gave a determined nod.

    "Alright."

    The moment she nodded, I allowed my mana to flow into her.

    Well, my mana had already been there, as all I saw was through mana, but previously, my mana''s influence had been like a gentle breeze, barely noticeable. Now, it surged like a mighty river, overwhelming everything in its path.

    Her eyes widened, and she began to breathe heavily, her hands clenching the blanket under her tightly. A wave of darkness emanated from my hand, spreading across her body. She bit her lip, and then her screams pierced the room, her body contorting and her eyes rolled back.

    I couldn''t help but wonder if I''d gone too far; her reaction seemed unusually severe.

    "I''m finished," I declared.

    Her body slumped back onto the bed. She did not answer, appeared completely disoriented, not even seeming to draw breath, and I couldn''t hear the sound of her heartbeat. Had I used too much mana?

    "Is something wrong?" Gonzo''s voice quivered with panic as I bent over her torso, straining to hear the beating of her heart.

    I contemplated whether I might need to perform some sort of resuscitation on her.

    But just at that moment, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath as if she''d been submerged underwater for ages.

    Gonzo pushed me to the side and cradled her in his arms. She was breathing heavily and clung to him weakly.

    "I''m okay, I''m okay," she whispered, her gaze not on me. I seized the opportunity to slowly make my way towards the door and exit, still keeping an eye on them within my domain.

    "Do you feel okay?" Gonzo inquired.

    "Yeah," she replied weakly from his breast. "I do smell sausages? Could you bring me some? I feel hungry."

    "You feel hungry? That''s good!" he replied. "What about the rest? Are you really okay?"

    "Better than the last few days. Was Dolores here?"

    My eyes went wide hearing that. His answer came after some time.

    "Yeah, she brought that bike!"

    "Ah, next time she''s here, call me, okay?"

    "Sure! I''ll head downstairs and make those sausages."

    As he descended the stairs, he shot me a hushed question.

    "What happened? Did you erase her memory?"

    I shook my head and sighed.

    "No, that might be some sort of side effect. I... may have been a bit too thorough in ensuring she''s cleansed."

    "You scared me to death! Is she okay now? And no more worms?"

    I chuckled. "Not a trace of them. But, as I mentioned, it seems she might be developing into a caster. Please be aware that there are malevolent individuals out there tracking all casters."

    He nodded as he fired up the grill. I shrugged.

    "Can I take the old bike sometime?"

    "Anytime!" he said, gesturing towards the bike.

    I grinned, admiring its beauty. Slipping on my jacket, I pulled the bike closer. Oh yeah, baby!

 Chapter 199 - Deer Sacrifice

    It was getting late, so I decided to head straight to Hew''s cabin. Initially, I had wanted to visit Matt in the hospital and then check on the restaurant to settle the bill for the broken toilet. Surprisingly, there was some extra money in my bank account now, probably from payments for our music performance. It wasn''t much, but it was enough to lift my spirits.

    One thing that held me back from visiting Matt was the condition of my skin. I didn''t want too many people to see my burnt skin. It was already looking better and would likely be fully healed by tomorrow, but both the burning and the rapid healing would be difficult to explain, so it was better to avoid having to provide any explanations.

    As I made my way to Hew''s cabin, my thoughts turned to Helen. Several aspects of her situation were troubling me.

    Firstly, there was the fact that she had developed an affinity for white magic. Well, I shouldn''t have been too surprised, given the way it happened. This was the typical process in Prom''Ethea, where children were exposed to various types of magic, and the fortunate ones would develop an affinity for a particular kind.

    What surprised me more was that it seemed to work the same way here on Earth, or should I say, on Ter''Ra? Since when had magic worked like this here? Maybe it had always been this way, or perhaps it had only recently started. Could it be that there was no magic here before, explaining why this hadn''t occurred earlier? Or maybe it had happened, and I just wasn''t aware of it?

    I couldn''t provide answers to those questions, so I moved on to the next topic: the magical worms.

    It was clear that the goblin who had kindly provided me with those worm eggs, directly injected into my digestive tube, was involved in a larger operation, or perhaps he wasn''t acting alone.

    Just the thought of it triggered my magic, and I watched as my hands began to darken.

    "There will be a reckoning for that shit, but for now, I need to keep a cool head!" - I told myself.

    So, who were they? Was he collaborating with a human group, or had some goblins infiltrated our society? However, the latter seemed a bit too subtle for goblins; it wasn''t their typical approach. It was more likely that he was working for someone else.

    One noteworthy detail was that he had a highly effective magic camouflage that allowed him to pass as a human. Achieving such a feat required a wizard of at least level thirty, possibly even higher. Should I return to that railway station and conduct an investigation? I could certainly use force if necessary, but that would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention.

    I needed to carefully consider my options.

    The third issue that gave me some pause didn''t concern Helen but rather myself.

    How to put it into words? Did it truly bother me that I came close to killing her? No. Was that even the right question? Did I almost kill her?

    Well, I couldn''t say for certain. Perhaps. I''ll need to conduct some tests to truly grasp the extent of my abilities with black magic.

    Was the absence of guilt or any sense of remorse for what I had done a problem?

    Was I genuinely lacking empathy? I didn''t feel like something was missing.

    What exactly is empathy?

    Reflecting on my actions, I had to cleanse her of those worms, and I did just that. What was wrong with that? She shouldn''t have writhed and squirmed so much; it only complicated my task as I couldn''t see clearly whether she was completely clean. So, I had to extend the procedure to ensure the results.

    No, I don''t think there''s anything missing in me. She was simply too frail, that''s all. Plus, Gonzo was right there with me. If I had gone too far, he would have intervened.

    But did he really understand what was happening? It might have been that he simply trusted me. Had his trust been misplaced?

    And that was what troubled me.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    After I veered off the main road and onto the small unpaved country road that led to Hew''s cabin, I spotted a deer. I parked my bike by the roadside, removed my jacket, placed it on the bike, and transformed into my horned form.

    Approaching the deer, I aimed to get close enough to examine it within my magical domain. Then, I began to ''cleanse'' it with my magic, much like what I had done with Helen. Of course, this deer didn''t have any worms, or at least not the magical kind. My intention was simply to test the effects of a full dose of my magic, and the unfortunate deer just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    My magic was not entirely dark; it did contain traces of white magic within it. The issue lay in the fact that my magical channels weren''t cleanly separated. Well, they used to be separated when I was White Flower, but the sudden surge of black magic power and the remake of my body had shattered any internal barriers, leaving my magic in a murky, gray state. I was fully aware of this, which is why I refrained from attempting to heal myself.

    Very few people possessed different kinds of magic, and those who did typically had types of magic that complemented each other. However, White Flower had been a rare exception, capable of learning to harness and control even opposing types of magic. Therefore, I remained optimistic that I would achieve the same. After all, wasn''t I, in a way, White Flower?

    My magic channels had separated once before, a result of decades of her hard work to isolate and purify them. I hoped it wouldn''t take me as long to achieve this separation. In the meantime, I had to exercise caution with spells that relied solely on one type of magic.

    I planned to expedite this process through meditation, but for now, it was what it was.

    However tainted it may have been, my magic could be categorized as black due to the overwhelming black magic power I had gained in the death node. It was more than sufficient for any black magic or neutral spells and certainly potent enough to eradicate those worms.

    In hindsight, I considered that I perhaps should have conducted a preliminary examination before treating Helen just to better gauge the potential side effects.

    My approach had been somewhat impulsive, driven by my preference to resolve issues promptly once identified. It had nothing to do with my feelings towards Helen.

    Now, it was time to conduct a test on this unfortunate deer.

    As I directed my magic to concentrate around it, it appeared as if a dark cloud was forming, encircling the deer. Streams of darkness emanated from me, flying and enveloping it like a swarm of piranhas, biting and infiltrating its body. It was quite a grim spectacle. Hopefully, nobody sees this; this was not something for the faint-hearted, and it might alter their perception of me if they see it.

    I reassured myself, knowing that even casters can see magic only when it passes a certain threshold. That threshold should be even higher for non-casters.

    Anyhow, if I was going to do another worm-cleaning, I was going to do it with direct contact as I did it with Helen, sparing me the dreadful show.

    The deer made an unusual sound, jolting me out of my unproductive thoughts. It convulsed and thrashed about wildly as if attempting to rid itself of the magic''s grip. Within seconds, it spotted me and made a feeble attempt to flee, but its movements were shaky and uncoordinated. After a few steps, it collapsed to the side, legs flailing in the air. It struggled to rise, only to fall again, and then it lifted its head to gaze at me before finally succumbing.

    I approached it cautiously, then ceased my magic. I hadn''t even touched it yet... it was dead. Damn it!

    I stared into its lifeless, vacant eyes. I had expected it to spring back to life and dash away, but it remained motionless, frozen in its final spasm.

    This shouldn''t be possible. You can''t simply kill something by bathing it in your magic. There were tales of Styxa, the Witch of the Mountain, who could supposedly do this to peasants'' children, but most dismissed such stories as mere scare tactics to keep children close to home and out of harm''s way.

    I let out a sigh as I looked at the deer, my thoughts drifting to Helen. When I spoke about her feeling like dying, I meant it more in the sense of a feeling, not actual death.

    I wrinkled my nose, unhappy with me. I''d poured enough magic into her to obliterate a worm her size, which, in hindsight, was a bit excessive.

    I shrugged. I couldn''t say I felt genuinely guilty about it. At that moment, I was singularly focused on my task¡ªeliminating those wretched worms as quickly as possible. I didn''t even spare a thought for her. Now I know better!

    I shifted back into my Dolores form, hoisted the deer onto my shoulders, and made my way back to my bike. There was no way I was going to let this deer go to waste.

    Nostalgia washed over me, recalling the times when Alice and I used to dine on the beasts she hunted. I had some decent culinary skills back then, along with the know-how of skinning and preparing the meat. Cala had learned those skills before Alice entered the picture, but once Alice arrived, it became her responsibility. She had since become significantly more proficient at it than I ever was.

    With these thoughts in my head, I carefully positioned the deer across the front of my bike, put on my jacket, and revved the engine. In just five minutes, I arrived at the cabin. The gate had been left open, and I spotted the jeep parked to the right near the line of trees. It was early evening, with the sun still hovering just above the tree line on the horizon.

 Chapter 200 - Shooting the Hunter

    The drive through the forest proved delightful, with the narrow, unpaved road winding its way amidst clusters of rocks and towering trees while the air remained refreshingly crisp and pure.

    The sun intermittently peeked through the trees, casting scattered patches of light here and there. Now and then, the road crossed over a babbling creek, its clear water meandering gently through the valley. Further to the left, you could sometimes hear the sound of a larger stream rushing between rocks.

    Occasionally, I spotted raspberry bushes along the roadside, their fruit tempting me to halt, but due to the lateness of the hour, I decided to press on.

    At one point, a trail veered to the right, and I followed it, soon coming upon the cottage after a brief two-hundred-meter journey. The road carried on, passing through the wide-open gate, and upon reaching the cabin, I spotted the three boys seated at a table with wooden benches on either side.

    They greeted me with waves as I parked my bike and shouldered the deer.

    "Hey, Lores!" Hew exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. "What... what do you have there?"

    "The hunter returns, bearing a heavy load on her strong shoulders to nourish the family," Tom declared with a solemn tone, raising his beer glass, which closely matched the shade of his dirty blonde hair. Even seated, he stood almost as tall as Mike, who stood beside him.

    I rolled my eyes at his antics as I approached them and placed the deer on the table, which left them in a state of awe.

    "Did you find that poor thing by the roadside?" Mike inquired, running his hand through his brown hair and stepping closer to me.

    I shrugged and then pointed at the deer.

    "Well, I unintentionally took its life, so I figured it would be a shame to let it go to waste. I owe it at least that," I replied.

    "But, but... what can we do with it?" Mike wondered, moving closer to inspect the animal. "Is it deceased?" he asked.

    I nodded, abstaining from rolling my eyes.

    "How long did you have to chase it to accidentally run it over?" Tom inquired. "And how did you manage that on a bike?"

    I scowled at him, but I had no other story ready to explain the happening.

    "This is a hunter''s cabin, Mike," Hew interjected. "My father uses it for hunting. There''s another table near the house where he dresses the game. The only issue is that I''m not very skilled at skinning these creatures. Perhaps we could..."

    "I''ll handle the skinning and butchering," I said, eyeing the table Hew had pointed to.

    I was well aware that Cala possessed these skills. If she could do it, I figured I should be able to as well.

    "We''ll freeze most of it, but I''d like to prepare some roast deer for dinner. Is there enough space in your freezer?"

    "Sure," Hew replied.

    "That''s a great idea!" Tom chimed in. "Can you really cook it?"

    "My cooking skill is level seventy-seven in Mephisto!" I proudly declared, earning a burst of laughter from them.

    "I''ll go work on improving my wood-collecting skill in preparation for the fire," Hew said with a grin.

    While they were a bit surprised by my hunting expedition, they didn''t seem entirely opposed to the idea. For some reason, the thought of real roasted meat was incredibly appealing to me at that moment, and since everything was readily available, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. As the boys began preparing for the fire, I efficiently processed the deer. I laid it out on the table and donned an apron, selecting a couple of very sharp knives from the cabin. Cala''s skills came in handy, and I quickly and skillfully skinned and butchered the animal in record time.

    "Wow, you really know what you''re doing!" Mike exclaimed, standing beside me and watching my skilled butchery. "Have you been hunting with your dad?"

    I nodded and couldn''t help but chuckle at the idea.

    My poor dad wouldn''t harm a fly; he''s just too soft-hearted, but it was a good enough explanation.

    Butchering an animal is quite a gruesome task, and even with Cala''s skill, the slicing and cutting took long enough that it was already dark when I finished.

    Fortunately, we had some light thanks to Hew, who had installed solar cells and batteries that provided enough illumination throughout the night.

    Soon, the portion I intended to roast was spinning above the fire, while most of the rest went into the freezer, with only some parts being discarded.

    After cleaning up the table, I headed to wash myself and noticed Hew bringing a couple of rifles to show Tom. The two of them were engrossed in a passionate conversation about hunting. I had no idea they shared this passion, and Tom seemed to be more knowledgeable about it than I thought.

    After I had rid myself of the lingering gore from my earlier butchery, I gazed into the mirror and was pleased to see that my skin was nearly fully healed, regaining its smooth and healthy appearance. Surprisingly, neither of them had made any comments, probably mistaking it for a rash or something minor.

    I picked up a glass of juice and made my way back to where the two of them were engaged in a lively discussion about rifles while Mike was keeping a tab on the roasting meat. I checked shortly with him, but since it would still be a while until the roast was ready, I approached the pair and listened briefly to their conversation.

    Firearms didn''t particularly interest me, and I soon lost interest in their discussion.

    Out of sheer boredom, my gaze landed on the rifle that Hew was holding in his hands. I couldn''t help but be curious about the name engraved on it, so I reached out with my free hand, intending to give it a slight turn to the side in order to read the name.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    The sudden gunshot momentarily deafened me, and a burst of fire and dust covered my face. I felt a powerful impact against my sternum, and the explosion momentarily blinded me. There was a loud thud against the cabin''s wall to my left, followed by some shouts, which then faded into an eerie silence.

    I stood there, blinking hard, still clutching the rifle by the barrel in my left hand, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred. My gaze locked with Hew''s wide, saucer-like green eyes, and his trembling lower lip spoke of his shock.

    ¡°Nooooooooooo!!!¡± - he screamed in a panic, still holding onto the rifle.

    ¡°Umpf, sorry,¡± I mumbled flatly, my chest aching from the impact. I glanced around to assess the situation; there had definitely been a gunshot, but everyone appeared to be unharmed. I was still a bit stunned, but oddly enough, they seemed more rattled than I did.

    Suddenly, Tom sprang into action, his right hand gripping my back while his left hand pushed aside the tattered remnants of my blouse, frantically searching for the wound on my chest. My blouse was in shreds, almost nonexistent, and dark splotches marred my skin. He believed those were gunshot wounds.

    I had been shot? But there was no blood? I lowered my head to inspect my chest and promptly slapped his hand away.

    ¡°Hey, no touching!¡± I protested.

    He blinked at me, then glanced between my chest and my face, clearly perplexed.

    Meanwhile, Mike pointed at the cluster of dark dots on my chest and then bent down to pick one from the floor. I appreciated his resourcefulness, as his brain seemed to be functioning better than Tom''s when it came to picking up dark splotches.

    "It was a buckshot..." Hew finally said, his eyes still fixated on the cluster nestled between my breasts. The rifle he held trembled in his hands, its barrel still pointed in my direction. Slowly, he lowered the rifle, his face flushed, his entire body visibly trembling, and sweat trickling down his temples.

    I took one of those dark blots, and it plopped from my skin as if it had been glued there, but with not a very strong glue.

    Tom turned to look at Hew with an intensity in his eyes I rarely saw in them.

    I covered my breasts with my left hand and pushed Tom away.

    ¡°Peepshow is over. Does anybody have a spare blouse somewhere?¡±

    They all began talking, shouting, and clamoring simultaneously, but their discussion had nothing to do with the blouse.

    Later, as we were eating, we were still talking about it.

    "I heard something hitting the wall," - Mike said as he stood up to investigate a couple of small holes in the cabin''s wall. - "It hadn''t pass through," - he observed.

    "Don''t tell me those ricocheted from you and ended up in the wall?" - Tom wondered - ¡°So that''s why you don''t wear a helm! You are bulletproof!¡± - he concluded.

    That was what was bothering him? I sighed, slightly annoyed.

    "In India or Egypt, nobody wears a helmet," I explained in my defense.

    "So you''re a witch!" Mike exclaimed, his dark brown eyes locked onto mine.

    We were seated a bit away from the cabin, eating by the light of the fire. It created an eerie atmosphere, with the dark woods surrounding us, casting large, shifting shadows illuminated by the flickering flames.

    The scents and heightened emotions had greatly increased my appetite.

    Well, he could put it that way. I nodded to Mike, preoccupied with the piece of roasted deer in my hand. Besides, I did not know how else I could explain it to him.

    Hew had been notably quiet since the rifle incident. He spoke only a few words, burdened with guilt for nearly causing harm to one of his friends due to negligence. His appetite was nearly nonexistent, his eyes were red, and his lower lip trembled frequently, but I didn''t want to press him further.

    Should I reveal more to them? I pondered whether to broach the subject of Dreamland, but perhaps it could wait.

    Alternatively, should I wipe their memories clean? The thought crossed my mind; however, there was uncertainty regarding how my memory-altering spell would work now. My mana had been tainted by dark magic, and it seemed this spell also performed some form of mental restoration after erasing short-term memories.

    With my corrupted mana, that part would probably not work, so I would likely cause some lasting harm. How bad would it be? Should I first test it on those I consider my friends? A deep sigh escaped me.

    Besides, Matt already knew about my abilities, and it was likely I would slip up again sooner or later. Maybe it was time to be honest with them.

    "But I''m still struggling to grasp what actually happened," Tom reiterated, frustration clear in his voice. "The laws of physics can''t just be ignored. Even if you were somehow bulletproof, you should have been pushed back by the force of the shot. When we sparred in kumite, your body always reacted according to the laws of physics; why is it different now?"

    Tom had a point, and his observations were valid. Not even in Dreamland had I experienced something like this. I instinctively rubbed the base of my nose, then gazed, annoyed at my oily fingers.

    I tsk-ed, cleaning them with a paper towel.

    Thinking this through, this is what happens when you attack bosses or dragons in Mephisto with non-magical weapons, so it is probably a function that high-level magic users and those aura users acquire.

    "It was an instinctual reaction, like those fighters you see in games," I tried to explain.

    Tom still seemed skeptical. "I can''t wrap my head around the idea that you don''t get pushed back when you''re hit. My mind just can''t accept it," he protested.

    In response, I showed him my left arm and said,

    "Go ahead, hit me as hard as you can."

    Tom complied, delivering a solid blow, though he held back a bit, which turned out to be fortunate for him.

    Stupid me, I should have warned him about what might happen. As his hand made contact with my shoulder, a shadowy ripple passed briefly over my skin. It was a fleeting, barely noticeable effect.

    His hand struck my shoulder as if it had hit a solid wall, and he let out a surprised yelp.

    My lips curved upwards in a little smile while gazing at my arm. I was not sure that it would work; I feared it might have been a one-off happening!

    Concerned, Hew asked Tom, "Did you break anything?"

    Tom shook his hand in disbelief.

    "No, I don''t think so," he replied, still baffled by what had just occurred.

    Mike, always observant, chimed in with a question, "What was that dark light that passed over your arm? Was that magic?"

    I nodded in response. "Yes, it was."

    "So you refrained from using it when sparing?"

    I shrugged. It was not really so, but I did refrain from using Cala''s power.

    "That would beat the idea of sparring, wouldn''t it?"

    "But energy cannot just disappear in this universe, magic or not!" Tom protested, his frustration evident.

    I took another satisfying bite of the roasted deer before responding. "You''re right; it doesn''t vanish, but it can undergo transformation," I replied.

    After I swallowed and wiped my mouth with the back of my left hand, I continued,

    "So, when we talk about the energy involved here, it''s not much. Think about the famous equation linking energy and mass. The energy we are talking about here, could be equivalent to the mass of two or three protons. I''m not entirely sure how it works, but that''s my estimate. And just to clarify, I didn''t consciously do this. I didn''t have time to think about it in the heat of the moment. My best guess is that the magic present at the point of impact prevented the bullets from penetrating my skin and transformed that energy into something. It makes sense, you know. Now I understand why black dragons are impervious to physical attacks. I used to think it was just a game mechanic to make them tougher opponents. But it''s logical. Black dragons lack an aura, or to put it differently, they must keep all their black magic tightly bound around their body. It must be an innate skill. You simply cannot penetrate that magic barrier with a non-magical attack.¡±

    "Hmm, so we''re onto black dragons now?" Mike chuckled.

    I couldn''t help but shrug and roll my eyes. My big mouth got me into this. Fortunately, they took it in good humour.

    Since the next day was a national holiday, I decided to stay the night as well. The boys had already planned to stay.

 Chapter 201 â€“ Witches and Curses

    I woke up very early in the morning after just a few hours of sleep. The air felt damp and cold, but my blanket provided a cozy refuge, so I pulled it higher to cover my head. I shifted to my other side, attempting to return to sleep, but the persistent call of nature left me with no choice. With a reluctant sigh and a frown, I had to leave the warmth of the blanket.

    As I rose from the sofa, I noticed that Tom and Mike were in the bed, each having their own pillow and blanket, unlike the last time we were here. I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disbelief, reminiscing about that eventful night.

    I let out a big yawn while stretching my limbs, trying not to make too much noise.

    The previous night, I had been the first to hit the sack, dozing off almost as soon as my head touched the pillow. I had opted for the sole available sofa along the wall next to the fireplace, a new addition to the shack''s furniture that I was grateful for, likely thanks to Hew''s parents.

    The room wasn''t entirely dark; a faint light seeped in through the windows. It seemed like dawn was breaking outside, or maybe there was a full moon casting its glow.

    I got up slowly, being careful not to wake my companions. Once out of bed, I moved on tiptoe towards the bathroom. With a gentle push, I opened the creaky wooden door, trying to avoid the usual squeaking noise. I switched on the light, which emitted a feeble glow. The light flickered briefly and then went out; it seemed the battery had run empty. Fortunately, there was a small window in the bathroom, so I wasn''t left in complete darkness. After taking care of my needs, I braved a very cold and invigorating shower in the compact, square shower cabin next to the toilet. The water, which had been lukewarm the previous evening, was now ice-cold, but I found myself more resistant to it.

    Under the frigid water, I pondered my situation. I wasn''t pleased with how things had unfolded. I would have preferred to wait longer before revealing any of my magical abilities to anyone. I mean, I didn''t really know them well enough to be certain I could trust them to this extent.

    I pondered White Flower''s memory-deleting spell once more. I would have gladly used it, as it would have spared me all these afterthoughts, but... Was it really so dangerous now that my magic had changed its ''color''?

    A deep sigh of despair escaped my lips. I knew that employing the spell on them would likely leave their minds somewhat damaged. The only question was the extent of that damage. It is not without reason that White Flower has added a small healing pulse at the end of the spell.

    Yet, it didn''t sit right with me to experiment on them. Moreover, by now, it might already be too late to use it effectively, as it only worked on short-term memories right after the incident in question.

    I shook my head and shifted my thoughts to another pressing matter that occupied my mind: my spell repertoire, particularly White Flower''s spells, as I am White Flower, isn''t it? I was technically a caster, equipped with abundant mana, but White Flower''s spells presented a conundrum.

    She had painstakingly honed her magic and perfected her spells over a lengthy process of trial and error that spanned decades and, in some cases, even centuries. Reflecting on her journey brought a whirlwind of memories to my mind. After all, she had lived for several centuries!

    I chuckled, thinking about that. Does this mean that I am centuries old? I shook my head: forget it, for now, Lores!

    Back to my spells, the way she had learned them meant that I couldn''t simply pick up scrolls and learn new ones without risking my foundation''s destabilization. My future options were significantly limited: I had to continue to learn spells the hard way, through self-experiments, and, of course, reading books about magic if I could find them.

    Although the transformation in my magic''s color had rendered my healing spells ineffective, at least temporarily, it hadn''t had the same impact on most of my other spells.

    I noticed something intriguing ¨C some of the camouflage spells had morphed into transformation spells. Instead of overlaying a virtual image over me, these spells had actually altered my appearance. I was still wondering if this change was due to the change in the type of magic or the increased casting power I now possessed. Or maybe both.

    I found these spells fascinating and felt fortunate to have access to them. However, transformation spells are not only cool but also quite risky. They have the potential to go terribly wrong.

    For instance, I considered myself very lucky that the spell that conceals me from view did not obliterate or destroy my body, transforming me into thin air. That''s the shit that can happen with transformation spells; therefore, I wanted first to get my hands on some books on transformation magic and read them before delving deeper into these spells.

    Unfortunately, White Flower''s complete inventory, including a couple of books on the matter, had been obliterated in that last supernova in the Death Node. Legendary items, unique books, rare materials, all that shit had been transformed into dust!

    Oh, well. What can I do now? Wait and hope I''ll find somewhere such books.

    Also, the exceptionally high healing spells that could even rebuild limbs were not completely useless, as I learned to use them to repair things. That''s still something. At the moment, I tested it only for non-enchanted items, but that was still useful.

    Spells like Lightfire were functioning well. These complex spells required a combination of various types of magic to be effective, and my current magic color seemed to be working fine in this regard.

    I hadn''t yet tested any of White Flower''s combat spells, which mainly consisted of elemental magic. They should theoretically work, but I needed to experiment with them to be certain.

    On the darker side of magic, her death bolt spell was surprisingly low in level. However, her possession spell was on par with some of her higher-level spells. I was hesitant to use that particular spell, though, as it resulted in the death of the possessed unless I were exorcised.

    She didn''t know how to end possession in a way that would spare the host''s life. At least she was honest with me about that.

    At some point, I might attempt to refine this spell to allow the host to survive after possession without requiring external assistance, but I wasn''t quite ready for that challenge yet, or rather, I did not have the stomach for it, thinking at how many cows, horses, bears or other animals I would have to possess and destroy in test attempts.

    I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off, and put on the same clothes I had worn the previous day. Wearing the same sweaty outfit made me a bit uncomfortable, but I didn''t have much choice. I made a mental note to bring a pyjama and a clean set of clothes with me for our next meeting at Hew''s shack.

    Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I saw a face that was both familiar and foreign. Some parts of me recognized it as mine, while others didn''t. I would need to get used to thinking of Dolores'' face as my own.

    I chuckled as I examined my nose, which was still a bit crooked since that injury. It was clear if one looked closely and it was my own fault for not healing it immediately after Lola''s car accident.

    Now, I could fix it relatively quickly, but as I mentioned, I didn''t want to experiment with transformation spells.

    In the end, the image I saw in the mirror seemed fine, even though I was wearing the T-shirt Hew had given me the day before. It was a plain, typical white T-shirt made of good-quality cotton. However, it had been so clean when I received it that the bright white almost hurt my eyes. Now, though, it had a few greasy spots on it, which was a bit disheartening.

    I sighed upon seeing those stains. I briefly considered washing the T-shirt, but then I''d have to find a way to dry it. There was a hairdryer, but the power wasn''t working.

    Transforming into my horned self, I closely examined the stains. After a moment, a happy grin crossed my face as I looked at them. My magic could distinguish the difference, and I could definitely sense the stain. It should be possible to remove it.

    Recently, I had realized that I could make things happen without the need to verbally cast a spell. This discovery opened up new possibilities for combining and inventing spells. So, I willed the stain to vanish, and a gentle wind swept through the bathroom.

    That was it. I blinked, annoyed. The stains were still there, unaffected. I guess this spell wouldn''t work for cleaning up these stubborn stains.

    Uh, OK, I could have used it yesterday to clean the dust from me; I''ll need to remember it for next time.

    Maybe it would work if I tried combining it with other elements? I need something that can obliterate these stubborn stains.

    After willing it to happen, I stared in despair at the burning T-shirt in my hand for a moment before letting out a yelp and dropping it into the sink.

    Once I extinguished the fire, I examined the tattered, wet, and partially burned T-shirt with a sigh.

    Well, that was a total failure. It''s a good thing I didn''t burn down Hew''s entire shack! What should I do now?

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I raised an eyebrow, considering my options. Theoretically, I should be able to mend the shirt, but it would still have those stains, not to mention the new burn marks. Why not just create a completely new one?

    I attempted to do just that, but... nothing happened.

    Why? Why was I able to create intricate motherboards, but not a simple T-shirt?

    It took me some time to figure it out. My healing magic couldn''t create a completely new living being. However, I could regrow limbs. The motherboard had been considered by my magic as a kind of limb for the PC. It didn''t entirely make sense, but perhaps my magic needed a starting point, something to build upon.

    Scanning the room, I spotted a small pair of scissors. They might do the trick. I cut off a piece of unharmed fabric, then focused on it, slowly and methodically reconstructing the entire T-shirt around it. The result was a pristine, bright white T-shirt, free of any stains.

    With the T-shirt in my hands, I celebrated my small victory with a victory dance, nearly skewering it with my horns.

    Alright, Lores, cool down. This is a handy workaround! Maybe eventually, I''ll figure out how to create it directly without needing a "starting" part. But for now, this workaround works just fine.

    Dolores'' stain-cleaning method ¨C I could expand my wardrobe even further!

    While I was at it, why not mend my own blouse? It looks so much better on me than the T-shirt!

    A few minutes later, a smile played on my lips as I saw myself in the mirror, donning my repaired blouse. Yes, I definitely look better in it, even with my horns!

    I transformed back into my Dolores self, left the new, gleaming white, unstained T-shirt in the bathroom, tossed the tattered remnants of my experiment in the garbage bin, fastened my belt, and exited the bathroom barefoot.

    Upon leaving the bathroom, I cast another glance at the boys. Both of them were still sound asleep, undisturbed by my bathroom experiments. Mike was sprawled on his back, snoring contentedly, while Tom lay on his belly, occupying most of the bed and only partly concealed by the blanket. I couldn''t spot Hew anywhere. Scanning the relatively spacious room, there was no sign of him.

    As I strolled by the window, faint sobs from outside reached my ears. Curiosity piqued, I tiptoed to the front door, gently pushed it open, and spotted Hew sitting on a wooden bench, his back to the cabin, clutching his knees.

    The air carried a chilly bite, with dew glistening on the grass like tiny pearls in the soft morning light. Further down the hill, a gentle mist caressed the ground, weaving between trees and bushes. To the east, the sun was poised to ascend above the horizon, casting a rosy hue across the delicate clouds.

    I inhaled a deep breath, savoring the crisp, forest-scented air, and paused to absorb the entire picturesque setting.

    Yet, as I drew nearer to Hew, it became apparent that he was in tears. He must have been aware of my presence but didn''t turn to acknowledge me.

    I was unsure of how to respond. Eventually, I settled onto the bench behind him, contemplating whether to offer a comforting hug. Although it seemed like the right thing to do, I felt a sense of awkwardness. Instead, I arched an eyebrow, placed a hand on his shoulder, and gently inquired, "Good morning, Hew! What''s troubling you?"

    He didn''t appear to mind my casual tone. Amidst his sobs and sniffs, he burst out:

    "What''s wrong? What''s wrong with me! My pa always told me to check the weapons, never keep them loaded, and never point them at anyone, even when I know they''re unloaded! And what did I do? What did I do? I played with that weapon last time; I forgot it was loaded! I brought that loaded weapon here without even checking! I couldn''t have been more foolish and irresponsible! You saw the outcome; my stupidity nearly got you killed! If it weren''t for that miracle, you''d be dead because of me! I can never forgive myself for what I did!"

    I pondered what to say. I let out a sigh.

    "True, but all you managed to do was shred my blouse. There''s no need to cry over it; I already fixed it, see?"

    This caught his attention, and amid his continued sobs, he turned to look at me.

    "You... you... you really did that! How?"

    I chuckled, relieved that I could divert his thoughts away from self-blame.

    "I have my own tricks. Now, don''t be too hard on yourself," I remarked with a casual shrug. "Consider it a lesson learned. Lessons are valuable when they prevent something bad from happening, right? You''ll know what to do next time."

    He nodded, then rummaged through his pockets in search of a handkerchief to clean his nose. Finding none, I offered him mine. I had just taken one from the cabin as I had dearly missed having it the previous night after eating the roast and having to clean my oily hands. I wanted to be prepared for breakfast! We still had some roast to chew through.

    "Are you angry with me?" he inquired while cleaning his eyes.

    I shook my head but voiced my concerns. "I am, in a way. It was a serious accident that could have endangered one of us. What happened forced me to reveal abilities that I did not even know I had. I''m not certain that was a good thing. If news of this gets out, I could find myself in a lot of trouble. I can envision many people wanting to study how to become bulletproof, and I''d be the unwilling test subject."

    I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and attempted to shift to a more positive note.

    We talked extensively, and I shared many things with him, including the story with Dreamland. In the end, why should I keep that part of the story secret if they already knew about me?

    ###

    As we sat down for breakfast and the other two joined us, our conversation circled back to witchcraft and Dreamland.

    "So that''s why Dreamland was destroyed because it enabled the unlocking of these, let''s call them, magical genes?" Mike pondered.

    "That''s my assumption," I replied, "but I am not sure if it was destroyed."

    Tom, fork in hand with a piece of meat, looked like he was about to speak, but Hew cut him off.

    "Wait, does all of this have anything to do with Bounty County?"

    I hesitated for a moment, biting my lip as I considered what to say, then nodded.

    "Yes, I think so."

    A few moments of silence followed.

    "I can''t quite wrap my mind around it," Hew shook his head, "Why would people who can do some spells suddenly feel the need to take over and destroy a county?"

    That had been a question that had been bothering me as well, and I had only one explanation.

    "The real question is whether it was those people who did it," I mumbled.

    They stopped chewing and turned to look at me. Tom swallowed hard and asked, "What do you mean? Who else?"

    I raised my eyebrows. "NPCs. Humans can be just as cruel, but I think there were NPCs who did that..."

    If I could bring Alice and the Lynx out of Dreamland, perhaps someone else had done it too with other NPCs. Then, it might have escalated. If the wrong characters were taken out of there and given free rein... I remembered again what I''d heard from the soldiers I healed.

    "That''s why you said you aren''t sure Dreamland was destroyed?" Tom asked while Mike spoke at the same time.

    "How could NPCs act in the real world? Even if you would make them as holograms, they would not be able to touch things!" Mike wondered.

    I shook my head. "Not as holograms. As real persons, or whatever they are," I said, taking a deep breath. "It''s possible, and the more I think about it, the more I fear that this is what happened."

    "That... that..." a shocked Mike stammered, "that would explain why the desperate measure to burn all PCs was taken. But how could this happen?"

    I shook my head. "I don''t know."

    "Do you know? Did it help?" Hew asked, "I mean, without PCs, at least there will be no more NPCs, right?"

    I shook my head once more. "No, I don''t think it really did anything other than cut us off from that access to the game world. That world exists now, somehow in... I don''t know what fucking dimensions. Call me crazy, but I believe it exists."

    "Are you sure?" Tom wondered. "That''s too crazy, even for me."

    I took a deep breath before saying the next words. "I was physically there, and I can guarantee you that NPCs from there can be brought here and exist."

    I stopped short of telling them I did bring somebody. Maybe them knowing about Alice and Tina and thinking they are NPCs wouldn''t be wholesome. It felt like betraying them.

    Speaking of betraying, in the silence that followed, I decided to ask them to keep things for themselves and not spread rumors about me.

    "Please, guys," I implored, "don''t tell anyone else about this. If word gets out, my life could be in danger. If you reveal this, it would be like selling me out as worse than a slave. Please, I''m begging you not to do it."

    I should have started with this plea. Could I trust them with my life? I hadn''t known them for very long, and I was essentially placing my fate in their hands.

    Mike expressed doubt, saying, "It can''t be that bad, can it?"

    This time, Tom spoke up on my behalf. He sighed and nodded. "Yes, it really can be that bad, and I see it that way. Here''s an idea: let''s make a pact that we won''t betray her."

    I chuckled, but Tom was quite serious. He went on with his idea.

    "Come on, repeat after me: ''I swear that I will not betray Lores...''" Tom began.

    Mike shook his head and suggested a revised version, "I swear not to reveal anything about her magical abilities to anyone else unless she approves it."

    Tom nodded and extended his hand to Mike, saying, "That sounds better. Hew, Dolores, place your hands over ours!"

    I rolled my eyes, considering it somewhat childish. But Tom was insistent.

    "It''s important, a symbol we should remember," he insisted.

    Initially, I thought about stopping them, but then I decided to let it happen. There was no harm in this symbolic gesture, and it might help them remember. The others agreed; everybody repeated Mike''s sentence, and I placed my hand over theirs.

    "May those who break this pact be cursed!" Tom declared.

    The others nodded in agreement, and I did the same. As we completed the ritual, a dark cloud seemed to form over our hands, splitting into three smaller flecks that resembled dark birds before they appeared to enter their chests.

    Seeing that apparition really shook me to the core.

    "Fuck!" I blurted out, and they all seemed taken aback.

    As I looked at them, I realized that they hadn''t witnessed what I had, and I was beginning to doubt the authenticity of my own eyes. Would they genuinely be cursed if they ever betrayed me? And what would that curse entail?

    Mike furrowed his brow and asked, "What''s going on?"

    Tom, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, chimed in, "Is that the curse? Care to elaborate?"

    I shot a glare at Tom, then sighed.

    "Well, if you ever genuinely feel cursed or if anything strange happens, don''t hesitate to give me a call, okay?"

    Tom added, "So, you mean if we betray you and get a taste of this curse, you''d come to our rescue? How magnanimous!"

    I shrugged in response.

 Chapter 202 â€“ Unplanned Landing

    The day was beautiful despite some darker clouds looming in the west. I hoped it would stay clear for most of the day.

    After breakfast, I left Hew''s cabin. My three friends decided to spend the day there, working on a new song. They wanted me to stay, but I was eager to check on the Lynx and his group.

    We wanted to visit Matt in the hospital in the evening, and we arranged to meet there around seven. Unfortunately, I was again without a mobile phone, as my latest one had vanished in the Death Node, but I assured them I''d be there in time for our meeting.

    Surprisingly, even though I had only slept a few hours the previous night, I felt well-rested and in high spirits.

    I cruised down the scenic road on my bike, the fresh air tousling my hair and the tune of the new song we were working on humming in my head. Oh, this will be such a success! Music has something magical in itself; there''s something truly enchanting about music, something I can''t quite put into words, but I know how to tap into it, courtesy of White Flower.

    In contrast to the disappointments and heavy blows I''d endured before, the past day had felt like a ray of hope. Even the incident with the shooting had its silver lining, as the boys had embraced me for who I am. I hadn''t realized the immense mental strain I''d been under, concealing my true self from them. I should have done it sooner! Next time, I''ll confide in Lola, too; she deserves to know, being my oldest friend! I should also invite her to join me in my meetings with the boys ¨C that could make for an intriguing dynamic!

    When I reached the main road, I took the right fork, following the main road up the river as it led away from the town.

    The new song featured a catchy refrain that I couldn''t get out of my head, and I kept humming it on a loop as I maintained a steady speed, savoring the picturesque landscape. There was no need to rush.

    The road wound gently through green hills, with forests on the right and a flatter terrain on the left where a few struggling farms dotted the landscape. Much farther to the left, where the ground was level, a large agri-business owned the land, and drones were busy spraying chemicals for a so-called ''healthy'' yield.

    After covering several kilometers, I stumbled upon a small mall with a convenient parking lot where I could safely leave my bike for the day. Once I had the bike secured, I ventured into a secluded nook nestled among some shipping containers. Here, I transformed into my horned self, expertly concealed my appearance, and took to the skies.

    I landed in a serene clearing and attempted the spell to summon the ring. I had to exert just the right amount of control to prevent the spell from fully activating. With some effort, I managed to halt it, gaining a sense of the ring''s direction, much like I did back in the cavern. Admittedly, it was simpler there because the ring''s surroundings disrupted my spell.

    Once I sensed the ring''s presence, I took flight again.

    As I journeyed further north, the villages became less frequent, and the vast forest dominated the landscape. They seemed to have relocated a bit farther than I had anticipated, causing my flight to take longer than expected.

    At one point, I felt a peculiar radiance enveloping me, and a subtle force seemed to tug at me.

    This bizarre occurrence sent my mind racing. A multitude of foolish ideas flooded my thoughts. What in the world could this be? Was it some kind of backlash from my spell? It felt a bit like the reverse of the spell, but that would be far too delayed for it to be the cause.

    Could it be an earthly event, perhaps resembling an airplane''s radar? But this is not what radar illumination means... Maybe a drone projecting this light onto me? No, the illumination would be too intense in broad daylight, and I saw no drones in the sky. What about a satellite-based laser? Nonsense.

    I even attempted some erratic zigzag flying, but the light remained locked onto me as if it were magnetically attracted to me. I halted and surveyed the surroundings. It was an incessant force pulling me toward something, and I had to either accept or resist it.

    With a sigh, I admitted to myself, "Why are you deceiving yourself, Lores?"

    I knew what this was: a summon spell, just like in the game. I had been searching for any other plausible explanation, reluctant to accept that the game had turned into reality.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    So, what should be my course of action here? Should I allow them, whoever they were, to summon me or not?

    In the game, it wasn''t as if anyone could suddenly summon you. You needed to be in a group, and then, if they had a player who knew the spell, they could summon you. But in this moment, here and now, was I part of a group? No. Erm, how could I even check that without the interface?

    Fundamentally, for summons to work, you have to agree to be summoned, to willingly allow yourself to be drawn in. You can simply ignore them, and the summons will eventually fade away. While I was curious about who was attempting to summon me and why, I was also apprehensive. You never knew where you might end up, and you could find yourself trapped in some remote cave. Should I accept it or not?

    Just as I was contemplating accepting it, the summon ceased, and suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over me. It felt like a spell''s backlash but a particularly severe one. It was as if the entire energy of the summon spell was rebounding against me. My legs gave way, and I fell to my knees, overwhelmed by sickness.

    This was deeply troubling. Why was this happening? I hadn''t cast the spell, so why was I experiencing this backlash?

    I felt incredibly weak, and a pervasive sense of nausea had overwhelmed me. It took more than ten minutes of sheer determination just to stand up. Just as I began to think I was on the road to recovery, I witnessed yet another yellow halo of light encircling me. I hesitated, uncertain about my next move, and then it occurred to me to summon one of White Flower''s lightfires as a means of escape. When I finally stopped resisting the pull, expecting to arrive at the lightfire, something entirely different happened. I became engulfed in an intense light.

    It was as though everything in my surroundings transformed into light, or perhaps I was transfigured into light myself, for all I could see was this brilliant golden radiance. Gradually, the light began to subside, revealing glimpses of my body as it took shape, starting with my hands and arms.

    The transformation continued for several seconds, and then I found myself enclosed within a peculiar cage of light, resembling an illuminated aquarium, with me as the central exhibit.

    It didn''t seem to match the game''s mechanics, or perhaps this was the latest version? I glanced around, and the semi-transparent walls of the enclosure allowed me to make out several figures on the other side. One of them stepped closer to the ring I was trapped in and inquired.

    "Demon, will you serve and fight for me to..."

    I snorted, cutting him off. So, this guy was the source of my troubles? My pounding headache, nausea, and the episode of vomiting had been triggered by this fool who had the audacity to call me a demon? He should consider himself lucky I didn''t treat him like the deer in my woods.

    "To hell with you! I have zero interest in your fights! Don''t you dare try summoning me again, you jerk!" I shot back.

    I was utterly bewildered by the whole situation. What was all of this about? What was going on?

    They chattered among themselves, and several people made additional attempts to persuade me, which only stoked my anger further. Then, abruptly, the transition occurred once more, and I found myself back in the same place as before, nearly blinded by the intense light.

    This time, the nausea hit me even harder than before. I dropped to my knees and began to retch, the color of my vomit taking on a sickly green hue. The headache escalated from intolerable to excruciating. I felt incredibly weak and vulnerable.

    The repercussions of this blasted spell were peculiar, unlike the typical consequences of a misfired spell. It wasn''t a scorching of my skin as a consequence of an explosion of uncontrollable magic. It felt as if it was directly assaulting my physical form, my body, and my very soul. It was really scary.

    Before I could regain my footing, another yellow halo formed around me, and I felt the familiar pull. What on earth was happening?

    I was on all fours, my hands trembling, looking stupidly at the light around me. I took a deep breath.

    If I end up there again, I''ll make that guy regret his stubbornness! Hadn''t I clearly told him to leave me be? How was I part of a group with him that he could summon me? I had no idea who these people were.

    I just needed to endure this one, and he probably wouldn''t have the power or materials to call another summon. Otherwise... I didn''t want to contemplate what I might do.

    I remained bathed in the light for about a minute, and when it finally dissipated, the backlash was even more severe than before. I collapsed to the ground as my muscles spasmed. Blood began to pour from my mouth, and my skin cracked, causing bleeding from every possible orifice, even my eyes and nose.

    That scared the living daylights out of me. This was definitely not normal; something else was going on there.

    I writhed in pain on the ground as another burst of light engulfed me.

    Oh no, not again!

    "Lores, stop being a fool!" I scolded myself.

    Ignoring this wouldn''t get me anywhere. Whatever was happening, it seemed determined to keep summoning me. I... I''d have to negotiate with these folks.

    In desperation, I closed my eyes and accepted the summon, finding myself once more within a ring of light. But this time, there was not a group observing me. An elderly man with a long white beard stood just beyond the circle, studying my contorted form.

    "Hmm, you seem somewhat worse for wear. Can you stand? I don''t want damaged goods," he inquired.

    He spoke a different language from the previous group, yet I understood him. I raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what he wanted from me. I attempted to stand, moving slowly and propping myself up on my hands, then lifting my head. I didn''t even have the energy to protest being called "damaged goods."

    "Please, give me a couple of minutes to recover. I''ll be alright," I mumbled.

 Chapter 203 â€“ The Illiterate Librarian

    It was difficult to make sense of it all with the pain and the mental fog caused by that nausea. What in the world was happening?

    It was becoming clear, even to my stubborn self, that refusing these... summons(?) wasn''t getting me anywhere. I tried to push my mind to work in overdrive to grasp the situation. Thankfully, it didn''t seem to be worsening for now, so I tried to stall.

    He took a step closer and examined me. "She doesn''t seem as stupid as her predecessor," he muttered to himself, then sighed.

    "I need your services. Will you accept a contract?"

    Recalling the consequences of my previous refusal, I nodded.

    "Good," he went on. "You''ll be following my orders without causing harm to me or my belongings. Not that you could harm me, but regardless... You''ll be tasked with guarding my library and reorganizing my books until my return. Are you up for the task?"

    I couldn''t help but inquire, "How long do I need to guard the library?"

    "Until tomorrow when I return, but you must stay until you''ve finished reordering them. Here are the instructions on how to do it," he said, showing me a piece of paper.

    I tilted my head and examined the piece of paper. The writing on it made no sense to me.

    "I can''t decipher this writing!" I objected.

    He facepalmed and let out a snort of frustration. "I''ve summoned an illiterate one!" he exclaimed, exasperated, before taking a deep breath. "Alright, here''s the deal. Each book has a colored dot on its cover. Your job is to clean the shelves, dust off the books, and organize them on the appropriate shelves by matching the colors. Can you see the color codes?"

    I nodded.

    "So, do you accept the job? Are you capable of defending the library if necessary?"

    "I can. We have a deal," I confirmed.

    At that moment, I felt a dark cloud enter me, similar to the one I''d witnessed when the boys had sworn their loyalty to me.

    The summoning process appeared to be complete, and the light barrier surrounding me dissipated. This time, there was no painful backlash, and my condition remained stable.

    I let out a sigh of relief. Once this ordeal is over, I''ll need to take some time to reflect on what just happened and try to understand it.

    He tossed a piece of fabric to me.

    "Use this to clean yourself. Don''t get your bloody mess on my books, got it? I don''t want to see any trace of your dirty blood when I return!" he instructed.

    I nodded, even though his reference to my ''dirty blood'' didn''t sit well with me.

    "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, don''t attack my niece," he added. "She might come to visit. If she does, just inform her that I''m not here and let her leave peacefully. You won''t be taking orders from her, though. Your primary task is to complete the cleaning and reorganization of the library, understood?"

    Again, I nodded. This man is definitely more concerned about his books; he almost neglected to inform the guard about his niece. I abstained from commenting or rolling my eyes.

    "Of course, but is she allowed to borrow a book?" I inquired.

    He let out a deep breath and shook his head.

    "No, she knows that''s not allowed. She can read here if she wants, but no taking books away. Anyone else who tries to steal my books, though, you have my permission to kill them."

    I nodded in response, though I had no intention of killing anybody, but OK, I''ll see when the case comes.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    With that, he donned a rather comical, pointy hat that looked like something out of a children''s wizard story and then vanished in a burst of light without saying goodbye.

    My condition appeared to be gradually improving. The bleeding had already come to a halt, and the nausea had lessened to the point where I could finally take a deep breath and assess my surroundings.

    Good grief! What in the world was all this madness? It felt like a nightmarish circus.

    Where on earth was I, and what kind of realm was this?

    It was definitively not Earth. Could it possibly be Prom''Ethea? But the language on that note was unfamiliar, and the writing style was like nothing I''d seen before.

    I mean, I might not be familiar with every single location, but it had to be somewhere on Prom''Ethea, right? Otherwise, how on earth could I understand the language?

    With some effort, I managed to sit up, and as I did, I began the slow process of cleaning the blood from my face. My mind raced, desperately searching for an explanation. I glanced down at my blood-stained clothes. Cleaning them was going to be a lot of work, and I hadn''t yet come across a spell to tackle that.

    I looked around. There had to be a water source around here somewhere for me to clean up, apart from that half-filled, dirty bucket in the corner.

    Summoning the strength to rise on my now unsteady legs was quite a task. I had acted tough when talking to that wizard, but I felt terrible.

    Good that nobody was there to try to steal some of his precious books; I guess I wouldn''t be able to do much against it.

    I should''ve identified him. With my Cala''s skills, I should also possess her identifying spell. I was genuinely curious about his level. Would that skill even work in this place?

    The room where I had been summoned was encircled by all sorts of bizarre symbols. It was far more extensive than the ring, with a high ceiling. It seemed like a laboratory or a workspace, with alcoves and workbenches lining the walls, and a double door leading to the library. Books were scattered all over the floor, some in piles, others simply tossed about.

    In one corner, there was the aforementioned water basket and some floor cloth. The extensive library behind the double doors appeared quite empty. It was evident that either someone had begun tidying up or perhaps a gust of wind had done the job.

    Perhaps he had attempted some magical cleaning of the library, had seen the result, and ended up summoning me here to finish the job.

    I couldn''t help but chuckle at the thought and felt a connection with him. At least a burgeoning understanding.

    Alright, the task ahead seemed pretty clear, and I could even spot the colored dots on the books.

    However, what bothered me was how this guy managed to summon me like this and put me to work. I struggled to clean my own room, and now I was essentially cheap labor cleaning up someone else''s mess?

    Thinking about it, maybe I should try the same method for tidying up my room?

    While strolling around in search of clean water, my mind began to replay the recent events.

    During the first summon, they had understandably mistaken me for a demon, given my horned form. However, this wizard, despite seeing my horns, didn''t label me as a demon.

    In Prom''Ethea, warlocks had the power to command demons and make them fight for them, although any other demon summoning was forbidden, at least officially. You could play as a warlock and summon a demon, but I wasn''t sure about the details of their deals. I vaguely remembered something about demons being able to keep some item of the loot. And if they died, they''d respawn in Hades, but the higher the demon''s rank, the longer the respawn time, which could be quite inconvenient.

    That''s what I knew about demon summoning, so probably, if you could ask them to fight for you, you could also ask them to work for you. That aside, I never thought that regular folks like me could be subjected to this kind of ordeal. It seemed like a form of slavery! I wondered about any compensation for my service! Oh well, I probably could have asked for something in return.

    I let out a sigh and absentmindedly scratched my head. The whole situation had caught me so off guard that I hadn''t even considered making a fair deal. My primary concern had been avoiding a fourth setback, but why had I been compelled to make an agreement in the first place? It had all started with those consecutive summons and that cursed spell backlash, which I feared might have killed me if it had continued. At least, that''s how it felt at that moment.

    Now, things seemed to have settled down, and thankfully, the barrage of summons had come to an end.

    Since I couldn''t find any water on that floor, I decided to explore the building further. This, at least, wasn''t off-limits, and the books could wait.

    The building was massive, resembling a tower. I couldn''t thoroughly explore every nook and cranny. In fact, I didn''t make a comprehensive attempt. I only ventured a few floors up and down, with the library and the laboratory located on what appeared to be the second floor.

    Below, on the first floor, there were several rooms. One of them was quite spacious, featuring a large fireplace and two smaller rooms adjacent to it, which seemed like bedrooms. There was another room that could have been a restroom, although I couldn''t be certain since it lacked any visible drainage.

    While inspecting this area, I suddenly heard a bell in the distance, its sound reverberating throughout the entire building as if amplified by some magical means. As I pondered my next move, an image materialized on the wall ¨C that of a young girl tugging on a fairly sizable bell''s chain.

    "Uncle Rob?" her voice resonated through the tower.

 Chapter 204 â€“ Identifying a Demon

    Was this his niece? I hadn''t received specific instructions about letting her in or not, only a warning not to harm her. I debated with myself about the right course of action, but ultimately, I figured that talking to her might help me better understand my current situation. So, I unfurled my wings and gracefully flew down the spiral staircase, stopping in front of the main door with a flap of my wings. I really enjoy flying; I should do it more often!

    The door had a simple manual mechanism for opening and a latching mechanism. I removed the latch and opened the door to be met with a startled cry.

    The blonde girl jumped back, nearly stumbling on the stairs at the sight of me. To avoid further frightening her, I remained still and offered a friendly greeting.

    "Hi," I said, meeting her amber eyes and waving my hand while quickly identifying her: mage level 23, specializing in fire magic.

    She seemed ready to turn and flee, but curiosity got the better of her.

    "Uhm, hello?" she stammered before asking, "Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Lores!¡± ¨C I answered, clarifying everything with a word.

    She blinked and then smiled.

    "Are you the new housekeeper? Why are you covered in blood, Lores?" she inquired, catching me off guard with her question.

    I didn''t respond to her first question immediately, instead addressing the second. "Ummm, it''s my blood," I replied. "It was a consequence of something I didn''t do when I should have or something like that. I''m not sure how to explain it." Her eyes widened.

    "Did my uncle do that to you?" Her indignant tone surprised me once again. I hadn''t expected her to be concerned for me. Besides, her uncle didn''t seem powerful enough to harm me even a little bit.

    "No," I answered without going into further detail. "I assume you''re the wizard''s niece?"

    "Indeed. Didn''t my uncle mention me to you?"

    "Oh, yes. Just before he left, he made sure to tell me not to kill you."

    She snorted, showing no real fear of me. "How reassuring! May I come in?"

    "Of course," I nodded, making way for her to enter.

    What followed was a surprisingly ordinary experience. Alina, the mage, turned out to be a kind-hearted person. She was human, albeit a bit smaller in stature, just like the wizard. As I had more time to observe her, I didn''t notice any other significant differences from other humans.

    She was gracious enough to explain how the bathroom worked. It was quite straightforward once you grasped it, with runes clearly indicating the different functions.

    Their language had a rather unique alphabet that included various syllables alongside letters, such as ''ci'' and ''chi'', ''gi'' and ''ghi'', among other combinations of consonants. Consequently, their alphabet consisted of sixty-four of these "letters." However, once you understood the system, it became easy to read their text. The complexity arose from certain words not being pronounced exactly as they were written, likely due to language evolution.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I absorbed all of this as Alina assisted me in translating the instructional note provided by the wizard and kindly answered any additional questions I had. It seemed she was pleased with my eagerness to learn and even gave me some paper where I could make my notes.

    She even pitched in to help me organize the books after I promised to return the favor by assisting with the cooking. Her culinary skills seemed quite basic, to the extent that my own cooking abilities, based on what Cala knew, left her astounded. She even went as far as asking if I was some kind of culinary demon.

    I merely rolled my eyes, thinking she was exaggerating. My cooking talents weren''t that exceptional.

    With her assistance, I managed to complete the library clean-up and reorganization late in the evening. Afterward, we had some time to chat. She was contemplating whether to stay the night since it was getting quite late. She explained that the roads were not very safe at night.

    As I delved further into discussing the potential threats and local wildlife surrounding the tower, she posed a question that caught me off guard. She inquired about the type of demon I might be. My immediate reaction was a scowl, and I quickly protested, vehemently insisting that I wasn''t a demon. To this, she burst into laughter, quizzically asking, "Then why are you here?"

    Her question left me momentarily speechless. It was not the horns that she pointed at but at me being there. Why was I there? What kind of fucking error brought me there?

    Eventually, she decided to stay and spend the night in the tower, and since I had no instructions to drive her away, I suggested helping her prepare a room for the night. We made our way one level down to inspect the available rooms.

    During a brief moment when I was alone, I seized the opportunity to cast an identification spell on myself. Trying to identify my hands, legs, or abdomen yielded no results, but when I attempted the spell in front of a mirror in the main area, things took a rather puzzling turn.

    I knew that using mirrors for identification could result in inaccuracies, but the information I received from the spell sent chills down my spine in multiple ways: "demon, black magic, level 13, (??????? ??????)."

    I remained frozen, staring at my own reflection in the mirror for what felt like an eternity, attempting to digest the startling revelation.

    "Admiring your reflection in the mirror, are you? Self-love? Narcissism? So, that''s the type of demon you are!?" a male voice came from the stairs behind me.

    I snorted and turned around to find the old wizard standing there.

    He had returned early and was delighted to find his cherished library clean and well-organized. While he chatted with his niece, who had emerged from the bathroom, I took the opportunity to identify him.

    "Arcane mage, level ??"

    I couldn''t dwell on that as he inquired, "Well, little demon, I''m pleased with the work you''ve done. You haven''t asked for any reward, so I''m willing to offer you a little gift. Tell me, what would you like as payment? Silver? A minor spell scroll, perhaps? I may be able to fulfill your request unless you''re too greedy. I have some scrolls over there you can choose from."

    I seized the opportunity and replied, "If you happen to have any books on transformation, that would greatly interest me!"

    He chuckled heartily. "So, the demon desires to be a changeling, eh? Haven''t settled on your specialty, have you? Those tomes are worth much more than the cleaning you''ve done. I could offer you an arcane copy of such a book, but what would you do with it, being an illiterate demon?"

    The niece attempted to advocate for me. "Uncle, you''re aware that arcane copies fade after a few days. The book will vanish before she can read it!"

    He shrugged. "That''s my best offer."

    I nodded. "I''ll accept it."

    Once he handed me the book, he declared, "With this, I consider our contract concluded. Do you agree, demon?"

    I nodded, and the strange light show that I had lived through when I was summoned repeated itself. The next moment, I found myself blinking hard, trying to see something, finding myself in the midst of a dark forest, hopefully back to where I had been summoned from.

 Chapter 205 â€“ Cry Me a River

    I remained frozen, my heart pounding in my chest, my legs shaking. Slowly, I sank down and cradled my face in my hands. The ramifications of that small summon were too much to bear.

    No matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, to believe it was all a mistake, denying what I truly was became increasingly challenging. And the judgments of others made it even harder to escape that truth.

    I lifted my head, half-expecting to behold the majestic sight of Deimos reigning above me in all its glory, only to be met with the familiar earthly full moon. I inhaled deeply, grappling with the profound question.

    Was I genuinely a child of Deimos, a demon brought into existence just days ago, harboring peculiar recollections of three distinct lives in my mind? Or was I the amalgamation of Cala, Dolores, and White Flower, infused with so much demonic darkness that even summoning magic struggled to discern the truth?

    As my mind grappled with these questions and struggled to make sense of them, something unusual and disconcerting started to occur within my body.

    It wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. While my breathing quickened and my heartbeats grew stronger, I felt like a surge of power was being unleashed and flowing through my veins, as if a constricting hold that had been suffocating me was gradually loosening.

    I clenched my fists, sensing the gathering power in my hands and arms. I cracked my neck and took a deep breath, relishing the clean, refreshing air filling my lungs. My hands and legs were now pulsing with newfound strength!

    I started to feel better and was savoring the moment. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes to enjoy the moment, and then, upon reopening them and glancing at my body, I couldn''t help but snort in annoyance. It seemed like even the slightest joy came at a cost as if I would be penalized for feeling better. In the dim moonlight, I could see that my blouse had become frayed, revealing a partial view of my breasts beneath.

    It was a minor annoyance, and it provided an explanation for the curious glances I received lately from that old wizard. He must have believed that I was intentionally causing it.

    I cursed under my breath.

    I had only mended it yesterday, and now the blouse was unraveled once more. Had I accidentally damaged it? When and how did it happen? Could it be that the summoning had somehow caused the damage?

    I have this little quirk that makes me really uncomfortable when my clothing is in disarray. I feel the need to be at least decently dressed and not wearing tattered pieces, almost as if it''s a deep-seated belief that has been with me since childhood. I can''t seem to shake it. I''ve often wondered if it might be related to some form of PTSD from all those hours spent playing with and dressing up dolls.

    I attempted to mend the blouse with a single ''heal'', but it didn''t quite do the trick, although it did show some improvement.

    To get a better look at it and work on it more effectively, I took it off and lit up the area. Upon closer inspection, I could still see some clumps and holes in the fabric; it wasn''t perfectly restored. I made several more attempts at repairing it, and it was only with the third spell that it began to look almost as good as new.

    Hmm, why did it take me so much longer to repair it this time? Was there some unknown to me issue with magical materials? Ah, well, what mattered was that it was fixed.

    Well, the material was fixed, but it was stained. While I did examine the bloodstains, I was asking myself what should I do about them? I had already attempted to tackle a stain problem once, and the evidence of my failure was still in Hew''s cabin trash. But maybe I went about it the wrong way. These were bloodstains, which are biological matter, right? The most effective way to remove biological matter is with dark spells, isn''t it?

    Well, perhaps I should give another spell a try. Anyway, if I ended up damaging the blouse, I could simply use my healing spell again... I focused on the blouse and merged the wind spell with a dark bolt spell, directing it at the stains. It was quite a complex spell, to be honest, so I decided to start with a smaller area and progressed slowly over the rest of the blouse. I concentrated on my intent and observed in fascination as tiny specks lifted from the blouse, disintegrating in the air. It was like countless miniature fiery insects taking flight from my garment. A strange and silent spectacle.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    It consumed a significant portion of my mana, but in the end, I was astonished to see my blouse clean. Well, it still requires a bit more fine-tuning to avoid damaging the fabric and reduce the disproportionate use of mana, but the spell is effective.

    Feeling excited, I removed my boots, socks, trousers, and even my underwear to test the spell. And it worked like a charm! It can remove all sorts of stains! Every article of my clothing was now sparkling clean. I need to patent this!

    This little triumph lifted my spirits surprisingly well, and I celebrated with another victory dance, basking in the moonlight in my birthday suit. It''s amazing how fixing my wardrobe can make everything seem better!

    There was one minor flaw, though: my claws had punctured the socks. Unfortunately, these didn''t have the size-adjusting feature like my boots. Well, nobody''s perfect, right? I didn''t have any more mana to repair the socks, so that would have to wait.

    I took a deep breath. Alright, with the most pressing issue resolved - my wardrobe fixed - I dressed back up and made another attempt to identify myself.

    I used White Flower''s spell to create a mirror in the air and frowned when I saw that it wasn''t as flawless as I''d expected. I was accustomed to perfectly clean mirrors, but this one fell short. Perhaps it was because I had so little mana left? I was genuinely feeling drained!

    I shrugged, somewhat disappointed, and began the self-identification process in the mirror.

    "Demon, black magic, arcane magic, elemental magic, level twenty-six (??????? ??????)."

    When playing the game, the computer would display a small screen with the information provided by the spells. However, in the real world, I didn''t have the dream interface. There''s no massive computer system here that neatly labels everything and provides selective access to a library of information.

    The identification spell involved sending a tiny speck of my mana, or what Flo called magic, toward a target. This speck of magic would interact with the target''s own magic, collect some information from the interaction, and then return to me.

    Well, it comes back because there''s a reflection process when two strands of magic meet. This returning speck of magic, now even smaller, will interact with my own magic aura. If it can interpret it, I''ll know the result.

    It''s like touching something with your hand and having your brain process the result. You feel whether it''s rough, hard, or smooth, and you understand it, not in written form, but in a sensory way.

    When I used that spell on Aline, I suddenly knew she was a fire mage and her level. But when I tried it on my own hand or leg, I only circulated the same mana inside my body, which told me nothing.

    But how to send that speck of mana away from you and make it return to hit you? Well, you use a mirror! Magic is partially reflected by some mirrors but not very efficiently. I''d estimate around five to ten percent. To identify yourself, you need two reflections. First, when you send the tiny speck of mana toward the mirror, it gets reflected and then identifies you. Second, it gets reflected from you back to the mirror and then back to you for interpretation. This means you''re dealing with around two times ten percent efficiency at best, resulting in a very weak answer and explaining the challenges of self-identification.

    Actually, this shouldn''t be necessary. I mean, you should know what you are, right?

    Well, I did use the spell, and now I felt uncertain about how to interpret the newfound information about myself because, in reality, I should already know what I am. The results were just confusing me.

    After casting the spell, it felt like I knew that I was a demon, but I also knew that I wasn''t. I wasn''t too alarmed, as the spell is no more than a trained muscle, delivering answers it was trained to provide under specific conditions. Demons are filled with black magic, and I also had a significant amount of it.

    My black magic came directly from Ha''Des, which is where all demons originate, so it made sense that the spell might go astray and assume I was a demon. There''s always a distinct flavor to magic, and not all black magic is the same.

    So far, so good, but what''s the deal with those summons? As Aline put it, "Why are you here?" Yeah, why was I there in the first place? Were the summons also puzzled by the source of my magic?

    I repeated the spell once more.

    "Demon, black magic, arcane magic, elemental magic, level twenty-six (??????? ??????)"

    It did recognize more of my magic. Could this be because of the better quality of the mirror I used compared to the one inside the tower? Was that also the explanation for my evidently incorrect level?

    But what''s the deal with that level?

    Sweat began to bead on my demon''s face. I tried various spells, starting with the fireball and then moving to the thunderstrike and ice lance. However, ice lance had transformed into some kind of snow bolt, thunderstrike resulted in only a weak electrical shock, and fireball was the only one that seemed somewhat decent but still far below what I should be able to cast.

    I felt a lump in my throat when I realized that I truly was at level twenty-six. I gazed again at the faint image of the demon I saw in the mirror, then sat down and started to cry. It was like the old saying: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it''s a duck.

    I was a level twenty-six demon, with a level not much higher than Spartacius.

    I was fucked to such a degree that it rendered me speechless. There was nothing I could do but cry.

 Chapter 206 â€“ Looking Around After the Shit Had Hit the Fan

    After some time, weary from all that futile crying, I dried my tears and began to reevaluate the situation. Perhaps my initial focus was misguided. There appeared to be a significant underlying problem, and the events that had unfolded might not have been as haphazard as they initially seemed to me.

    It wasn''t just the undeniable fact that I had been labeled as a demon but also the unsettling revelation that I had been summoned as one.

    It wasn''t just about being summoned; it felt like I had been penalized for refusing those summons.

    How else could I make sense of these bewildering events?

    Must demons answer all summoning calls or just specific ones? Do they even desire to be summoned?

    I was entirely in the dark about the intricacies of demon summoning. The only thing I had to go on was my personal experience.

    Each unanswered summon had triggered a devastating reaction so severe that I even feared for my life, but amidst all that, perhaps there was a glimmer of hope because I felt significantly better after that last successful summon.

    It wasn''t just a feeling.

    My perceived level had increased, my situation had improved, and various classes of magic had appeared, but my power, including my spell power, was still diminished from my true self.

    What I hadn''t tried yet was my transformation spell. Would it still work?

    I attempted to cast an illusion on myself to make me look like Cala, and it worked... I did create that illusion over myself, but no transformation occurred.

    It was a shoddy illusion, hardly convincing, even worse than the one the goblin, who had treated me with worm eggs, had cast.

    I touched my horns. They were still there, though not as prominently visible as before, just like the wings on my back.

    Oh dear! What did I expect? If my magic was indeed reduced to level twenty-six, that would affect my camouflage and illusion spells as well! With this level of illusion spells, I might be able to deceive an elderly lady in the dark, but attending school during the day in a place full of people with keen eyesight? It seemed quite unlikely.

    I stood there in the woods, struggling to keep the rising panic at bay, almost frozen with fear and blinking stupidly as I suddenly grasped more about my predicament.

    Oh, damn! I was trapped inside a horned demon''s body, and I had no idea how long this situation would last!

    This brought a whole new set of problems. I had faced some of them already, but back then, I had a much higher magic level, and even then, it was a struggle. What should I do now?

    It seemed like I might have to leave my old life behind, even if only temporarily, and attempt to survive in the woods and hope for a miracle to happen.

    I might need to come up with a story for my parents to explain why I won''t be going to school until I figure things out. My current level of illusion tricks could work well during the night, but could I really sustain a life that way?

    Why didn''t I let myself be summoned in my human form? Did these darn summonings have to occur precisely when I was flying?

    Without warning, the illusion spell vanished.

    I sighed. These low-level spells don''t last long! Casting them continuously might drain my mana completely.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I covered my face with my hands and took a deep breath, attempting to calm down. "Okay, I''ll think about this later," I told myself.

    My level did seem to increase, so there was still hope. Maybe I''ll regain my higher levels and resolve these problems sometime soon.

    If I had been at level thirteen before, how on earth did I jump thirteen levels to twenty-six?

    Even in the game, the tasks I completed wouldn''t have allowed for such a leap from level thirteen to twenty-six. Not that I was complaining, but it just didn''t make sense from that point of view.

    When I reconsidered the whole situation, I realized that I felt worse and worse after each declined summon but better after completing one.

    Had I lost levels by refusing those summons? Was that the reason why I felt so terrible? It could be so...

    Was this some form of automatic punishment for demons to coerce them into accepting summons?

    But who would do such a thing, and for what reason? Is this how the world operates?

    Nobody had given me any information about this; no one had warned me that I would lose levels if I refused a summon! It just didn''t seem fair!

    Well, dwelling on these questions wasn''t getting me anywhere...

    I let out a deep sigh and tried to recollect my level situation. How many levels had I lost? Would I ever be able to regain them? How? Perhaps through dungeoneering?

    But where could I find those level twenty-six dungeons? Definitely not around here...

    At least if I knew what level I had before! Damn it, why hadn''t I attempted to identify myself before all of this happened?

    "Come on, Lores, use your brain!" I scolded myself. "I was at level thirteen not long ago, and now I''m at level twenty-six after completing that one summon. It was a simple doubling of my level!"

    If declining the summons had the reverse effect, I might have lost half my levels with each one I turned down.

    How many summons did I refuse? I think there were three. If each one halved my level, it would mean I started at... thirteen, twenty-six, fifty-two... one hundred and four! One hundred and four!?

    Fucking fuck!!! Was that insane level even remotely possible?

    I clutched my face with trembling hands. Perhaps my math was slightly askew, but that explanation did make some sense. It might, in broad strokes, clarify what had happened.

    Was this some temporary setback or a more permanent reset?

    My level appeared to have risen back up for one summon, but would it do the same for the others?

    Halving the level didn''t mean halving the power; it exponentially diminished it.

    If I had been at level one hundred and four and plummeted to level thirteen, no wonder I faced all those challenges, with my body having to adjust to such an instant downgrade!

    How on earth was something like this even conceivable?

    I shrugged. Let me channel my inner Karen and talk to the supervisor!

    That thought brought half a smile to my face.

    What should I do now?

    Unfortunately, there was no way for me to gain any levels here.

    I couldn''t even attempt my lightfire spell; it wouldn''t even activate. That spell was meant for higher-level wizards, and my mana reserves fell short of what was needed. My movements were confined to the local area, although I could still manage to fly, for now. I suspected that even in flying, I''d hit mana limitations sooner or later, as it demanded mana as well.

    All I could do was hide, wait for the off chance of random summons, and hope that I could complete them. Maybe, just maybe, I''d regain my levels and be able to travel again.

    I''d need to be cautious not to draw excessive attention and not to involuntarily start some kind of demon-hunting mission through some stupid action.

    I was on my own, without any friends or allies. Who, in their right mind, would be willing to work with a demon?

    Well, who, I wondered?

    Perhaps someone who''d pose the question: "Are you willing to carry out that dirty task for me?"

    It was akin to the situation with the summons.

    Accept them or decline and face demotion. Oh, fuck me!

    I had no idea how fortunate I had been with that cleaning library work! Sitting down, I found myself crying once more. It was the one thing that provided a shred of solace in my current predicament.

 Chapter 207 â€“ A Somewhat Warmer Reunion

    "Well, well, look what I found here!" - suddenly, a deep baritone voice sounded from a few meters behind me.

    My blood ran cold upon hearing it. The shock jolted me, propelling me several meters forward as if I''d been launched by a catapult. My wings instinctively unfurled, preparing to take me to the air, and my hands readied a spell. All the while, I desperately attempted to identify the source of the voice, my heart pounding like a revved-up two-stroke engine with no exhaust pipe.

    No matter how hard I strained to identify any potential threats, all I could see was the eerie darkness of the surrounding woods.

    A soft female voice scolded him from a spot about five meters away on the other side of me.

    "Lynx, you''ve scared the poor thing to death!"

    I hadn''t seen or heard them approach, but recognizing her voice was a soothing balm for my frightened soul. It was Alice and The Lynx!

    Given their high levels and exceptional skills, they could have been right in my shadow, and I wouldn''t have had a clue. If they wanted to pursue me, there was no way I could have eluded them.

    Yet, I trusted them enough to believe they wouldn''t harm me without a valid reason.

    With a sigh, I started to calm down and settled on a nearby log.

    My gaze turned to where I presumed The Lynx to be.

    "Hey, Alice, hey, Lynx. Are you here to kill me?" I mused, the question hanging in the air.

    "Maybe!" The Lynx replied, his response not exactly reassuring.

    "How do you know my name?" Alice questioned. "Who are you?"

    A tired chuckle escaped my lips. Who was I? Oh, right, they hadn''t seen me with this face before. I now wore Dolores'' visage, and they had encountered me as Cala last time.

    The Lynx shed his camouflage as he approached me and gazed directly into my eyes. A short while later, Alice emerged from the shadows on the opposite side, her bow still gripped in her hands, though it appeared more at ease.

    I let out a deep sigh. The once-strong connection that existed between Cala, White Flower, and them had been so palpable, and it still resonated in my heart, but it seemed to be lost for them. It hurt to see the cold detachment in their stares.

    "Who am I?" I shrugged, my voice filled with uncertainty. "I just found out that I am a fucked up demon who believed she was Cala... and White Flower... and Dolores.¡±

    A brief silence passed as the two of them shared a meaningful look. Then, Alice spoke cautiously.

    "Are you the... one we encountered not far from here last time?"

    I nodded.

    "Yes, I appeared as Cala the last time we met!"

    Another exchange of glances between them followed.

    "So, you''re not Cala?" Alice asked once more.

    I gazed into her crystal-clear blue eyes, hunting for the signs of love and devotion that I had only come to appreciate now. We often take things for granted and are taken aback when they are no longer there. I blinked, attempting to summon the memory of her eyes from those days before.

    "I''d love to say yes to that, but I''m not entirely sure anymore. You see, I now look like Dolores; well, at least my facial features resemble hers..."

    "Does your appearance matter to you? Who is Dolores?" wondered The Lynx.

    I rolled my eyes, sensing the trap he was setting.

    "The girl who played Cala," I answered, almost simultaneously with Alice.

    "I know that, but I wanted to hear it from her," The Lynx argued, then turned his attention back to me. "Tell me your story. You seem like a very distressed little demon, so perhaps sharing it would help."

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    I shrugged. He was talking tough but also being cautious. Well, considering what my perceived level must have been at that time compared to now, it''s no wonder they were exercising caution. They couldn''t have known for sure how weakened I had become.

    "I''m not sure about that. I was searching for my friends, but now I''ve discovered that I am not the one they were friends with. All I have are memories, their memories, but no friends. How could telling this story help me?" I voiced my uncertainty.

    "And that saddens you?" The Lynx inquired while Alice placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Her warm touch felt reassuring.

    I turned to look at The Lynx with a sigh. "Wouldn''t it sadden you?" I questioned.

    "How did it happen?" Alice asked, taking a seat beside me on the log.

    I shrugged. "Didn''t I tell you the last time we met? The one thing I didn''t know then was that..." I raised my eyes to meet hers. "I died there. No, they probably died there... Well, I''m still not sure." I sighed. "I''m sorry, I still can''t believe it..."

    "And then you suddenly were born like that with their memories in your head?" Lynx grunted, his narrowed eyes locking onto mine. "Not that you absorbed their beings in some way?"

    He made a couple of steps to come even closer, his nose now almost touching my face.

    "You are masking your power well. Only White Flower I knew to be able to mask her power that well. You did learn something from her after absorbing her!"

    A burst of laughter escaped me: that was no masterful masking but the unintended consequences of my demon demoting!

    I guess it was the wrong reaction, as his eyes seemed to throw daggers.

    I took a deep breath and explained, "I''m sorry, Lynx. I wasn''t laughing at you but at myself. I do mask my power so well that you could even kill me with one swat of your paw."

    "I''m tempted to do just that to see if it works!" Lynx said, raising a brow.

    I shrugged, but before I could respond, Alice stepped in. "Lynx, stop being so aggressive and bellicose!" she exclaimed. "Demons cannot lie, so there must be some truth in what she says!"

    "Really? I cannot lie?" I wondered, surprised, trying to recall what I''d said.

    "Then why did she tell us last time that she was Cala?" Lynx protested, turning to Alice.

    I sighed. It had not been a lie at the time! "I was so sure I was her," I explained, and they both fell silent for a moment. "Even now, I could tell that I am... almost Cala. How did you know I was not Cala?"

    "I had a soul link to Cala. That soul link was missing!" Lynx explained.

    ¡°Oh, that hokus-pokus you did to me there in the grotto..." I mumbled, reminiscing the profound sense of peace and soul-soothing it brought me after the dreadful experience I had with the wolshi. What he did had certainly helped maintain my sanity during that time.

    The Lynx snorted outraged. "That was no hokus-pokus..." he began but was abruptly cut off.

    "I told you that she was sincere!" a third voice, a young female one, chimed in from a bit further away.

    I smiled, recognizing her.

    "Hello, Thiara! Long time no seen! Come here, let me look at you!"

    "Tina, please! Everybody knows I am Tina!" she protested.

    "And I told you to stay away!" The Lynx argued, keeping his eyes on me. "Demons are dangerous."

    I shook my head. Whatever was going to happen, I was not going to fight them.

    "Is it true that you cannot lie?" Tina asked. I heard her steps as she was coming closer.

    I laughed softly. "I just learned that. It''s an interesting concept, but frankly, I don''t know. Probably? You will excuse me, but I don''t know for sure. Anyhow, I am sure any demon could tell only those parts of the truth that would fit their plans. You know, that is still a way of lying, but a more evolved one. Maybe it is a cultural thing."

    ¡°Why were you crying?¡± she asked, ignoring my attempt at philosophy, coming to the other side of me and giving me a timid hug.

    It was such a surprising and pleasant gesture that she left me speechless for a couple of moments.

    I hugged her back and identified her.

    "Ooh! Level eight, fire mage!" I exclaimed, not wanting to dwell again on the reasons I was crying. "That is something! You have been hard working in the last time!"

    "You can imagine!" the Lynx explained, proud like a parent about his offspring''s performance. "She was the one to keep the lights on the whole time for... Hey, why am I explaining this to a demon!" he protested suddenly.

    I started to laugh at his sudden protest and was joined by Tina. Even Alice laughed.

 Chapter 208 - The Sleeping Beauty in the Greenhouse

    "What have you been up to?" I inquired as I studied Tina''s face.

    She still possessed that beautiful countenance beneath her silver-blond locks, but there was a new depth in her blue eyes. Perhaps "maturity" wasn''t quite the right word; it was as though her once striking immaturity had gradually dissolved.

    This transformation was noticeable not only in her appearance but also in her demeanor and speech. She exuded a different kind of confidence now, one that wasn''t the arrogance often associated with certain noble lineages but a more subtle blend of humility and competence. Her change was truly remarkable.

    "Well," she began her explanation, "while we were trapped in that barn, I recalled my grand-grandmother''s story. She had chosen not to join the great migration during the onset of the last long winter. Despite my greatparents'' efforts to persuade her, she remained stubborn and unwavering, having experienced two migrations already and refusing to partake in a third."

    While she spoke, I glanced at Alice and realized that she must have been in great part responsible for Tina''s transformation. Quite an impressive educational task, I thought to myself. Note to self: if I ever have kids, sending them to spend their holidays at Alice''s barn might be a great idea.

    I chuckled at the random thought as I refocused on Tina''s story.

    She continued, arching a brow but otherwise unfazed by my chuckle, "So, she was left alone in the palace. When they returned a decade later, they found her still residing in the palace''s greenhouse. She had managed to maintain the warmth with magic and fire and illuminated it with her spells, and miraculously, the plants had borne fruit despite the entire greenhouse being deeply buried under snow."

    She shrugged, raising her gaze to meet my eyes, then continued her story:

    "That''s what I did in that barn after we were trapped inside. I cultivated some plants and sustained their growth with my light spells."

    I huffed. So simple and yet so ingenious! She had done the exact thing that had ensured their survival in that confined environment!

    "Have you truly been trapped within that ring? How did that happen?" - I wondered, feelings of guilt seeping again into my soul.

    They exchanged a gaze, but Tina spilled the beans:

    "Spartacius tried to take us out!"

    "Spartacius?" I asked, quite surprised. He was the last person I would have expected to find a way out.

    The Lynx sighed but let her tell the story further.

    "He disguised himself as a hobgoblin and planned to sneak us out. He''d already scouted parts of the cavern and believed the plan would work."

    I turned towards the Lynx, arching an eyebrow. "And you agreed to stay inside the ring and let Spartacius smuggle you out?"

    He snorted. "I thought it was a good idea at the time. My foolishness cost us, and we ended up stuck in that barn."

    Tina rolled her eyes while Alice chimed in.

    "The passage was too narrow for the Lynx. Only one of us three could have fit through, and Spartacius was the only one with a suitable magical disguise."

    "Besides," Tina added, "Spartacius believed that where we couldn''t succeed with brute force, we could succeed with a clever ruse."

    The Lynx grumbled. "Well, you''ve seen that it worked brilliantly! But, demon, we owe you a great debt for getting us out of there. My only worry is that being in debt to a demon might bring us even more trouble..."

    I shrugged, then added, "What can be worse than being my mount?" trying to lighten the mood.

    He responded angrily, "I''m not your mount!"

    Fearing that my attempt at humor had only made things more tense, I decided to change the subject and also satisfy my curiosity.

    "What happened to Spartacius?" I asked.

    "Why do you care?" The Lynx wondered, still a bit angry, but then added, "he escaped from the caverns. As long as he was near the cavern, he could exchange some whisper messages with Alice. We told him to go look for Cala. That''s all we know about him."

    So that''s how it all happened! I turned towards Tina.

    "You did great. You know, we humans work somewhat like those stoves your grandmother used to heat the greenhouse. We consume oxygen from the air and generate carbon dioxide. It''s how we stay alive. On the other hand, plants do the opposite when they grow. They utilize carbon dioxide with the help of light, extract the carbon to form their leaves, and release oxygen."

    Tina gazed at me in amazement.

    "That sounds like demon gibberish to me!" The Lynx chimed in. "But, weirdly enough, it kind of makes sense. We managed to survive while trapped in that barn, even though I initially thought what she was doing was just a way to keep herself occupied. Is this demon knowledge?"

    "No, I learned it from Dolores."

    I sighed. I turned towards Alice: "Have you encountered any humans yet?"

    Alice shared a glance with the Lynx before answering. "We came across a small settlement not too far from here, and I traded a small gold nugget for some supplies and food. They seemed to think I was a prospector of some sort?"

    "They thought you were searching for gold. It is valuable here, but the value you get for it in these small villages is less than in the big towns. But for you," I turned to the Lynx, "please be careful. You should not show yourself at all, or else you''ll risk starting a great lynx hunt. Such big predators do not exist here."

    He shrugged, displaying his confidence. "I can take care of myself."

    I continued, emphasizing the potential danger. "Yes, but you are not alone! People here have big guns, drones which help them see everywhere, and a lot of dangerous weapons, and all around you may get endangered."

    He watched me with an indignant look but then pressed his head to his paws. "I don''t need to hear this from a demon," he grumbled.

    I sighed, realizing he was disheartened, and I began to understand why.

    I did not miss Cala and White Flower because I had them inside me. I had all their memories and could even think I was one of them, but he was sorely missing them.

    "I''m really sorry, Lynx," I said, "I haven''t done that. I did not kill Cala and White Flower. I... I did not even exist when it happened."

    Probably, I shouldn''t have touched the subject at all. He almost exploded in anger.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "You say so!" he raised his gaze to look at me. "Explain to me first how you mask your power."

    To his growing annoyance, I laughed first.

    "I do not mask my power, Lynx," I explained. "It has been taken away from me through some debuff. I am really as weak as you see me."

    "So I could kill you now?" his eyes were dangerously fixated on me, taking a red hue.

    "If this would make you happier, you are welcome," I said, daring him. I knew I shouldn''t have said that, but, as in many of my cases, my mood and temperament got the upper hand over wisdom. I realized it always after the fact.

    To my luck, not everybody reacts like me, and we were not alone there.

    "Lynx!" Tina exclaimed, hugging me.

    "Why are you so distressed?" Alice asked.

    I turned to look at her, and somewhere in her eyes, I recognized that motherly look that had always been in her gaze when she looked at me.

    That brought me back to saner waters. I shrugged.

    "I have only this demon form; I cannot transform; I can only try to hide under some low-level illusions. This is not gonna work if I interact with humans for more than some occasional couple of minutes of interactions. They would find out about me and chase me. Even the friends I have will run away from me when they would understand what I truly am. They currently think that I am a witch and barely accepted me like that... but... a demon? Who would want to deal with me? Only some crazies, maybe..."

    My lip started to tremble, and my eyes filled again with tears.

    "I''m finished. I have no life here! Who cares for a demon?"

    I pressed my face in my hands and started sobbing. Once I released the tears'' dam, there seemed to be no stop to the flood. To my surprise, Alice hugged me from the right while Tina pushed herself into my left side, squeezing me between them.

    "You are crying?" The Lynx huffed. "Look at me. What should I do? What is different from your situation to mine?"

    That... was surprising... and stopped the flood.

    I hadn''t thought of it like that, but my situation was not worse than his. Maybe even better. I took a deep breath, thinking about that.

    "OK. Point taken, but you at least have friends!" I said.

    "What did happen to you?" Alice asked. "Who took your power, and how?"

    "I had been summoned. You know, like demon summoning. I did not know what that was. I did not even know what I was by then. I did not accept the summons. Each summon I refused made me feel worse, and I did not know what was happening. I wanted to accept one, but they wanted me to kill somebody, so I told them to go fuck themselves. I did not know, but each summon I refused had given me a debuff, halving my level. During the last summon, I was level thirteen. Now I am level twenty-six, a bit stronger than Spartacius was."

    "Hah, I could really swat you like a fly!" the Lynx said, but the way he had said it didn''t seem like he really meant it.

    I shrugged. That was the truth.

    "So you have to accept each summon?" Tina asked, arching her brows in shock.

    "I can refuse them, but then my level is halved. After one summon, I got some of it back, so maybe there is a way to regain my power, but it seems that to do so, I have to accept all the shit they want me to do and more..." I shrugged.

    "How often do you get summons?" Alice wondered.

    "I did not get any for some time, then they came one after the other until I accepted one. I just returned from it a couple of hours ago... Seems pretty often, considering that I am only a couple of days old..."

    "Do all demons have to accept summons?" Tina wondered.

    I sighed.

    "How would I know?"

    "Poor you!" Tina said, seemingly visibly upset by my misfortune.

    "Oh, yeah, the poor little demon!" The Lynx snorted, shaking his head.

    I turned to look at him.

    "You really cared about them!" I said.

    That seemed to have been a bullseye remark. His eyes gained again that red coloring as he turned to look at me. I hadn''t seen that before as Cala, but I knew from White Flower''s memories that it meant he was deeply disturbed. I sighed.

    "If this helps, know that they deeply cared about you!"

    "What would you know!" he growled.

    I didn''t state the obvious; I didn''t state that I knew everything about them. I turned to Alice.

    "What about Sid? Where is he?" I asked.

    Instead of Alice, Tina responded again.

    "He is still that block of black stone he transformed into..." She blinked at Alice and the Lynx as if she had revealed something she shouldn''t have. But she had already said enough for me to understand.

    ¡°Why would he do that? Why would he petrify himself?¡±

    The Lynx sighed, looking at Tina.

    ¡°You shouldn''t have said that. Sid is why the demon was looking for us. She needs him for whatever demonic ritual she plans to gain or regain her power, or whatever! Now, you may have delivered it to her on a silver plate. All she needs to do is pull that ring from us.¡±

    Meanwhile, I understood why Sid did that.

    ¡°Oh, he did that to protect you, to not consume all the air in that barn. Was the situation that bad?¡±

    ¡°He will be OK; he will wake up soon!¡± Tina explained, not directly answering my question.

    I shook my head, negating it.

    ¡°Not quite true. This is a state where he has no control, and I don''t know if he knows enough to set the right preconditions to be awakened. I think it is the first time he tried it; he is much too young to do such a thing. Did he tell you to do something to wake him up?¡±

    ¡°No. Is there no other way to wake him up?¡± Tina wondered.

    I shook my head again.

    ¡°Besides what he had put as a condition, only the breath of a dragon''s mother would wake him up. Maybe my black magic could wake him up, but not with the puny power I have now.¡±

    As it started to rain, Alice raised her eyes to the sky, then back at us.

    ¡°Let''s go inside and talk further,¡± she said after having exchanged a glance with the Lynx.

    She opened the ring''s portal, and we walked inside one after the other.

    I was very surprised to see the many small trees that were filling the barn. High up, several crystals were emitting light, and Tina went over to feed them with mana. It seemed they were taking care of the trees, even if they were no longer necessary for their survival.

    And there at the end of the small forest was the curled up, sleeping black dragon.

 Chapter 209 â€“ A Big Cat Playing With Its Little Mouse

    Alice observed as the demon girl approached the pile of black rocks that was the slumbering dragon. She personally considered that Sid was asleep, although she was aware that he had entirely stopped his heartbeats. She shared a glance with the Lynx, who wasn''t pleased that they had allowed the demon girl inside but understood it was unavoidable.

    The demon could have easily taken the ring from them whenever she pleased, using that spell.

    The Lynx''s initial concern was that the demoness might require dragon blood or even his heart for some sort of demonic ritual. However, she had doubted his initial assumptions about her intentions.

    Now, he was uncertain as well. It seemed increasingly likely that she wanted to collaborate, but he couldn''t determine her motives. Was the story she was currently sharing accurate? Probably not. She had just proven that the old saying that demons cannot lie was incorrect. She could lie, provided she genuinely believed she was telling the truth. It was a deceptive way of presenting falsehood as the truth, a truly demonic talent. Did she do it intentionally or not?

    Had she abandoned her previous approach when she realized it wasn''t effective? But what was her true objective?

    They had to be cautious when dealing with her; on this, they both had agreed.

    Alice noticed one thing clearly: Lores was in pain. Her emotions weren''t a facade or a mere act. In this regard, her perspective differed from the Lynx''s.

    He considered her purely malevolent, yet he suggested they cooperate with her since they had experienced her true power.

    The mere act of dislodging the ring from the magicore deposit and transferring it to this alternate realm required an enormous display of magical strength, much above what he would trust White Flower to do.

    Cooperation would be a temporary measure until they could find an opportunity to escape or until Sid awoke. Perhaps the three of them could mount some form of resistance.

    Understanding her intentions and motives was crucial. They needed to grasp her game plan and determine her target, as well as why she was portraying herself as weak and vulnerable.

    This all seemed logically sound, but there was a contradiction between her logical assessment and her instincts. Yet, could she trust her instincts when dealing with a demon?

    With a deep sigh filled with sorrow, fear, and uncertainty, she divided the prepared food into three plates. The thick soup had been made and stored the day before.

    Throughout these actions, she kept a vigilant eye on the demoness.

    The demoness was now caressing the dragon''s head and murmuring something. Were those incantations? She made a mental note to ask Tina, who was nearby.

    Her gaze then shifted to the Lynx, who was sitting beside her, and she tried to calm herself. If what the demoness was saying posed a danger, the Lynx would not just sit there; he would attempt to intervene.

    Normally, she would trust her intuition. Throughout her life, she has been adept at understanding people''s true emotions. They might speak kind words, but she could discern hate, greed, or ulterior motives beneath the surface. Likewise, she could recognize genuine friendship or love. However, her intuition was now sending mixed signals. It was telling her that the demoness had good intentions and was friendly. Even more perplexing, she felt... love and friendship emanating from the demoness? How could that be possible?

    "What do you think?" she asked the Lynx.

    He briefly met her gaze and then returned his attention to the demoness. They had been pondering the nature of the world the demoness had brought them to. It was undoubtedly different from the world they had known.

    Magic here felt much weaker. They had only encountered a few natives of this realm, and they were all magicless humans. Initially, they had considered the possibility that they were in the demoness''s domain in Hades, but it appeared that this was not the case.

    Most of what she had told them about this world had proven to be accurate. They hadn''t yet come across the formidable weapons she mentioned, but they weren''t eager to test that part of her claims.

    "I''m not sure what she''s planning. She comes across as genuine, and that''s throwing me off. I''m no demon expert myself; I always kept my distance from them," he confessed with a shrug before returning his gaze to her. "You''re aware that she might have the capability to overhear our conversations. Just yesterday, she demonstrated powers far beyond our own, and who knows what skills accompany that kind of power?" He let out a sigh and glanced back wearily at the demon girl.

    Alice raised an inquisitive brow and questioned, "You don''t believe her story about losing her power temporarily?"

    He let out a breath and hesitated as he swayed his head from side to side, torn. "There might be some truth in it, but we can''t predict how it would unfold in case we have to face her in a fight. No demon would willingly reveal such vulnerability without having some backup; it would mean she''s essentially allowing us to decide whether she lives or dies. Why would she take such risks? It almost sounds like a trap."

    "Perhaps because she simply trusts us?" Alice suggested.

    He huffed, his uncertainty clear, but after several moments of considering her response, he replied in a low voice, "You might be onto something."

    He said this just as she was approaching them, engaged in a conversation with Tina, seemingly providing her with advice for her magic studies.

    Tina inquired, "What is this book you''re carrying with you?"

    Lores, the demoness, seated herself across from Alice and handed the book to Tina, replying, "It''s a book on transformation spells. I''d like to study it; I obtained it after completing the work from the last summon."

    Tina''s brows furrowed as she leafed through the book.

    "I can''t decipher this writing. Is it of demonic origin?" she wondered. Lores shook her head, her black hair fluttering beside her horns.

    "No, it''s not demonic. This is a different script I encountered there. I believe it was not even on Prom''ethea but from another world!"

    The Lynx''s ears perked up at the mention of that name.

    He turned to the demon girl as she accepted the saucer from Alice and innocently asked.

    "Do you have memories from places other than those of Cala, White Flower, and... what was that girl''s name? Dolores?"

    The demoness shook her horned head and shrugged as if it were an obvious thing.

    "No."

    "Oh?" The Lynx mused. "Is this what people here in Dolores'' world call our world?"

    She chuckled and replied, a bit irritated. "No. They call it Mephisto''s world here. Prom''ethea is what the spawns there call it! Why do you ask?"

    "Ah, no!" Tina exclaimed, confused. "We call it Aldea. I''ve never heard of the name Promethea? In what kingdom, what language do you mean?"

    The demoness turned to her with a blank stare.

    "Where did you hear that name, Prom''ethea?" The Lynx wondered with an inquisitive light in his eyes.

    Alice observed as the demoness remained with her mouth wide open, trying to answer the Lynx. Would she get angry that he had uncovered her? What was her reaction going to be? Few knew that Promethea was the name demons gave to Aldea.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I... I...¡± - the demoness mumbled, her eyes becoming glassy while her head stooped - ¡±My mother told it to me...¡±

    ¡°Your mother?¡± - The Lynx raised a brow, still seemingly much more interested in the huge heap of meat - about half of a deer - Alice was putting in front of him out of her inventory, than in the conversation.

    ¡°Lili... ¡° - the demon girl continued.

    ¡°Lilith was your mother''s name?¡± - Alice wondered.

    ¡°No, Lilian. Lilith was the great-great-greatmother.¡±

    The demoness seemed to recover from whatever memories she was reckoning. She continued with a sigh.

    ¡°Cala''s mother.¡± - she explained - ¡±She died when I was, I mean, Cala was young, leaving her an orphan...¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Even the Lynx interrupted his happy deer chewing, to glance at her. He swallowed, and before the next bite, he asked his next question.

    "I wonder where and from whom Cala''s mother learned that name and why she used it instead of the name used by the spawns there?

    Alice eyed the demoness to check her reaction. It was risky to try and provoke her like this, but maybe the Lynx was right, and they should try to poke holes in her story.

    ¡°From her grandmother, Linda, who learned it from her mother. Liebe was her name.¡± - the demoness'' eyes became glassy as if deep in some memory.

    Then she shook her head and smiled ¨C ¡°Actually, why should I not tell you? Liebe was the daughter of a human and a succubus, Lilith.¡±

    Tina exclaimed, clearly shocked.

    ¡°Cala was a half-demon? That explains some of her actions!¡±

    Lores, the demon girl, turned towards her, her brows furrowing.

    ¡°Hey? What actions? What do you mean? Besides, she was not a half-demon but the daughter of the daughter of a half-demon. Cala had never awakened her ancestry. Neither did her mother. I did that... I mean, Dolores did that...¡±

    Alice''s brows went up.

    ¡°How could Dolores awaken Cala''s ancestry?¡± she wondered.

    The demon girl sipped from her soup before answering, her head dipping lower. She was obviously uncomfortable to speak further, but nevertheless, she continued.

    ¡°It was in some unfortunate circumstances... errr... well, White Flower was as much of a stone as our dragon there, you know; I made her promise she would let me free, and that was the only way she could do it without killing me... and... then... I walked into a bad neighborhood, and... shit happened... I mean, I got violated, you know, when something like this happens... oh well... you try to wake up anything in you to cope with it... that''s how it happened..."

    She took a deep breath and raised her eyes.

    "Anyhow, we were getting mixed up; the possession, my possession, oh, whatever, our possession had taken too long, and our traits had started to mix up. If you keep a possession open for both sides to be able to act, the traits go slowly over... Besides, that possession had gotten awry from the beginning when she had accidentally taken me in possession, too. I mean, besides Cala, I took Dolores too. I mean, besides taking me, she took Dolores too. Oh, well....¡±

    "You had been violated?" - Tina asked, shocked.

    "They did not live to tell the story!" - Lores answered bluntly, while like a dark veil passed over her face, her eyes lighting with a demonic aura.

    Alice was doing her best to keep up with the demon''s ramblings, trying to piece together the information. When the girl mentioned having been violated, there was a notable shift in her demeanor, something profound. It was as if that memory had awakened something in her. Alice could sense a mixture of negative feelings, of hate and fear, at levels that took her aback. She moved closer to Lores, hugged her, and felt as though that overwhelming affliction might gradually fade.

    "Is that the reason why you prefer to be called Lores?" Tina inquired. The demoness turned to her, looking surprised as Tina continued. "Lilith, Liebe, Linda, Lilian, Lara, Lores?"

    The demon girl raised a brow.

    Alice would have kissed Tina if she had not been too occupied with holding Lores in her arms.

    Tina''s question seemed to have sparked something in Lores''s thoughts. It was probably the best question to bring her thoughts out of that dark blob where they had fallen.

    "I never thought of that. Maybe you''re right!" Lores exclaimed, her eyes brightening.

    The Lynx and Alice exchanged glances while the demon girl received more soup from Tina. They continued to eat in silence, each trying to digest what had been said.

    ¡°You''re the stupidest demon I''ve ever encountered,¡± The Lynx suddenly said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

    Lores turned to look at him with wide eyes as he placed a paw on her belly, lifted her in the air, and grabbed her from behind with the other paw. He sat down, holding her like a toy between his paws.

    Alice raised a brow at the display while the demon girl, who was taken by surprise in the beginning, shrugged and continued to spoon what remained of her soup.

    ¡°What should we do with this little dragonfly?¡± The Lynx snorted.

    ¡°He!¡± Lores protested.

    It was as if the great tension had dissipated.

    ¡°You don''t look like Cala. Is this Dolores''s face that you have?¡± The Lynx asked, and Lores nodded, finishing her soup.

    ¡°I''ve already told you that!¡± she said once finished.

    He put her slowly down and then shrugged.

    ¡°So what''s the problem with your appearance? You look like her; you just have the extra wings and horns.¡±

    ¡°And claws,¡± ¨C she added.

    ¡°And claws¡± ¨C he accepted it ¨C ¡°You can mask them and pass as her, can''t you? That''s not that difficult to do as it would be to change your whole aspect.¡±

    She looked at her empty bowl, then turned to look at him.

    ¡°I guess I could. I could even cut them off...¡±

    He grimaced at that.

    ¡°Uh, I wouldn''t do that, but those are your wings. Whatever. For how long are you so diminished?¡±

    He splashed her on her belly and watched how she tried unsuccessfully to crawl from under his paw.

    ¡°He!¡± - she protested again

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Lynx, you are being mean!¡± - Tina said while Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes but said nothing.

    He shrugged and asked again, looking at Lores ¨C ¡°So, how long? You know, I ask for a friend...¡±

    She tried to lift her shoulders in an unknowing shrug from under his paw, giving up any attempts to escape.

    ¡°I don''t know. Probably until I complete more successful summons. I don''t know when the next one comes...¡±

    He raised her in the air with one paw, and as she tried to fly away from him, he swatted her back to the ground with the other paw, then brought her to him and gave her a large tongue swap.

    He turned then to look at Alice as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°I think she told the truth.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I told the truth!¡± ¨C Lores, from inside his embrace, protested while feeling at the same time frustrated and appeased. She sighed, resting her back against his furry belly.

    "Is it true that you cannot lie?" - Tina asked.

    The demon girl raised a hand and scratched the Lynx under his jaw. She shrugged.

    "I know the trope that demons cannot lie, but I don''t know how it could possibly work..."

    "Tell me a lie!" - Tina said.

    Lores shrugged.

    "Let me think of one... ahm..."

    After a while, Tina rolled her eyes.

    "Tell me you are twenty meters tall!"

    Lores scratched her scalp and watched her slantwise.

    "That does not make sense. I can lie, I could tell that I am three meters tall... That is, when I would sit on the Lynx''s back, but I do not sit there."

    "You would be three meters tall if you would sit on my back. That''s not a lie!" - The Lynx said.

    "But, it is, because I do not..."

    The Lynx sighed and covered her completely. Only faint noises could be further heard.

    "She cannot lie!" - he concluded.

    Alice rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Lynx, let her talk! You don''t have to play cat and mouse with her to prove anything!¡± ¨C she said.

    ¡°Why not? When, if not now, when she cannot do nothing against?¡± - he wondered.

    He sighed, and a tear ran down his nose, falling over her head as he freed her from his embrace. Lores raised her eyes up, realizing what the drop of water falling on her was.

    ¡°Lynx!¡± - she exclaimed, grabbing his paw, but he shrugged her off, growled, opened the portal, and jumped outside.

    She wanted to run after him, but Alice grabbed her hand.

    ¡°Let him go!¡± ¨C she said ¨C ¡°You remind him too much of her, of Cala."

    "Because, I am Cala..."

    Alice''s eyes narrowed, and a wave of anger overcame her. Not enough that they had lost Cala, this demon comes and tries to usurp her?

    "No, you are not! Stop saying that!" - she spoke aloud, almost yelling.

    The demon''s head drooped, and her eyes became wet while Tina watched her with wide, round eyes, deeply shocked.

    A deep sigh escaped Alice''s lips, and she closed her eyes. She felt sorry that she had let her anger overcome her. Instinctively, she pulled the demoness to her breast. She spoke softly while a tear slipped down her cheek.

    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t... We know that Cala is no more. Even if you think that you are Cala, we know, and you know that you are not her, so please, please, don''t say that anymore. You''re acting too much like Cala would, and this hurts him even more. He needs to come to terms with the news we learned. He''ll be back ...sometime later.¡±

    She felt the demoness crying in her arms.

    ¡°Let him chase those poor deer...¡± - Tina said, hugging them both from the other side.

 Chapter 210 â€“ An Unplanned Bedroom Visit

    Alice had opened the portal a couple of times to let some fresh air in, and I could tell it was getting light outside. I should have gone to get ready for school, but I remained there with them.

    Tina had fallen asleep. She was wrapped up in her blanket near Alice, who sat by the nearly extinguished fire, preparing another cup of tea and chatting with me. I hadn''t slept at all, but it didn''t seem necessary. I still felt quite alert.

    In the end, I felt sorry for Alice, seeing how she struggled to keep her eyes open. I said my goodbyes and left her to get some rest, promising to return soon.

    I took one last look around at the impressive transformation of the former barn into a cozy greenhouse.

    When I stepped outside, there was no sign of the Lynx. Given our current level disparity, I knew that even if he were standing right beside me, I wouldn''t be able to see him unless he wanted to be seen.

    The sun was already up in the sky, its rays piercing through the leafy canopy that enveloped the area. The air was crisp and pure, and a light mist clung to the damp grass, winding its way lazily through the underbrush. If you gazed around for a moment, you could observe the shifting transparency in the air as it fluctuated with the direction of the breeze, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

    I inhaled the deep air deeply, at the same time pondering why I felt a stronger connection to Cala than to White Flower?

    As a caster, I should naturally resonate more with Flo, but perhaps it was the nature of my magic that influenced my preferences. Cala delved into the darker aspects of magic, and maybe that resonated with me more. Did I feel like I was Dolores? No. Or, maybe, in a way, with Dolores playing Cala.

    I let out a sigh. I realized it was best not to express this thought aloud. Even Alice got mad at me in the end after I mentioned that I was Cala.

    I pondered for a moment what to do.

    Obviously, it was far too late for my evening meeting with the boys at the hospital, but not too late for school. I spread my wings, filling them with mana, and soared above the damp forest, heading west in the direction of the road.

    The rain had ceased a while ago, and the clouds were gradually breaking up. The fog remained thicker in the heart of the forest but was slowly dissipating.

    I had to stop and make a short break to replenish my mana.

    Once I reached the main road, I turned south onto it, with the sun on my left, exerting my wings to their fullest. I was slightly annoyed that I wasn''t faster than the fastest cars. It seemed like my speed had diminished along with my demoted levels. However, I still should have been thankful for being this swift. My mana was again depleting rapidly, so I landed as gently as I could on my belly atop a car with an additional luggage box on its roof.

    Even casting a basic illusion spell to hide myself was depleting my mana, so I decided to do only the bare minimum to make me less recognizable for what I was and remain as inconspicuous as possible. With a minimalistic illusion spell in place, I finally felt my mana slowly, very slowly, replenishing.

    The driver of the car was in a hurry, and he was speeding. The road was mostly dry, with the occasional wet patches and puddles, and the fog was confined to the forest on the left. The wind was whipping against my face, and it tousled my hair, but it wasn''t too uncomfortable. When the driver had to brake abruptly, I used my wings to help keep myself steady.

    All I needed to remember was to renew that basic illusion that concealed me from view.

    I guess that the sight of a demoness riding on top of a car could cause some accidents.

    I took flight from the car''s roof as soon as I spotted the small mall where I had parked my bike.

    To conceal myself, I cast masking illusions on either side and another beneath me. The synchronization wasn''t flawless, and the quality was a bit off, but it ought to be adequate.

    An onlooker might perceive it as a distortion in the image, perhaps dismissing it as a trick of their own eyes.

    I quickly found the same secluded corner I had used before and transformed into the lovely Dolores, the biker. Well... transformed had become a way of speaking, as all I did was hide my horns, claws, and wings with a spell as well as I could.

    Once I left the place, a few early risers exchanged greetings with me, and I responded in kind. I retrieved my bike, headed to the gas station to refill the tank, and then entered the shop. Arriving just as the night shift was concluding, I had to wait briefly for a fatigued guy to complete the cash register handover to the morning staff until I could pay my bill. Once done, with my less-than-ideal disguise, I made a quick exit from the shop.

    Concealing my wings beneath my jacket, I only needed illusions to hide my horns. This made my task simpler and spared me a significant mana drain.

    While riding the bike, I could have enjoyed more with my wings unfurled, enhancing aerodynamics and potentially taking flight for brief intervals.

    Just envision the excitement of soaring over a traffic jam! Well, that would be a blast!

    With those ideas whirling in my mind, I steered straight to Gonzo''s repair shop. I must admit, I indulged in a couple of wild dashes with the bike. But, despite zipping around town at high speed, it still consumed some time to reach there. It was probably just before seven when I rolled into his courtyard. Although the gate was shut, I was familiar by now with how to unlatch it, and I smoothly parked the bike in the yard.

    I strolled through the yard in search of him, but he was nowhere in sight. Knowing he was an early riser, and since there was no note left at the gate, I presumed he was indoors.

    Hearing a commotion from above, I flapped my wings and leaped to the upper level of the house. A spacious terrace awaited me, featuring two wide glass doors standing ajar. Long, white satin drapes gently fluttered in the morning breeze. Inside there, I spotted the source of the noise¡ªGonzo, sprawled on his back, snoring away, in all his glory, with a half-naked Helen nestled at his side.

    I approached his side of the bed and gave his shoulder a gentle shake while whispering his name.

    ¡°Gonzo! Hey, Gonzo!¡±

    Helen jolted awake with a yelp, rousing him in the process. I sighed, glancing at her wide, startled eyes.

    ¡°Good morning! Hi, Dotty! Sorry, I didn''t mean to wake you up!¡± I said, suddenly remembering the importance of politeness. ¡°I need Gonzo''s help... It''s kind of an urgent request!¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Zetta?¡± she mumbled back, still half-asleep. ¡°How... how did you get in here?¡±

    It had been amusing to find them there, but perhaps they didn''t enjoy it as much as I did.

    "Ahm, I''ll wait for you downstairs..." I replied without addressing her question and returned to the terrace, leaping back over the balustrade and into the yard.

    Another yelp echoed from above, followed by the sound of her bare feet scurrying on the terrace''s stones. Soon, she glanced down at me from above.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "He''ll be with you in a minute," she reassured.

    The rest was no longer as amusing. After waiting for about ten minutes in his garage for him to get ready, it only took another twenty minutes to cut my wings, horns, and claws. Twenty minutes filled with tears and pained mumbles on my part.

    We started with the claws, the easier and less painful part, akin to cutting nails. The horns were more painful and took longer. The wings proved to be the most painful part, but maybe as divine clemency, they also took less time to cut.

    By the time he finished, both of us were sweaty and tired.

    "I need a shower!" he exclaimed. "What a start to the day!"

    I took a deep breath after he left and started to check myself.

    What I always find amazing about Gonzo is that he doesn''t question me and simply helps with whatever I ask.

    I was taken aback as Helen walked in, holding two cups of warm coffee.

    "Would you like to drink a coffee?" she asked, her voice much calmer than I anticipated.

    She handed me a cup of hot coffee, which I took with my trembling hands.

    "A client is here for Gonzo," she informed me. "I told him the shop opens only in half an hour, but the idiot said he is waiting for when he has time to talk to him, so Gonzo will probably have to deal with him now."

    I nodded while sipping from the coffee. Coffee is my special mojo drink; it always manages to raise my morale.

    ¡°Oh, poor you! How often do you have to go through this?¡± she asked, looking at me.

    I must have had a pathetic appearance, covered with blood stains and wounds, but she had already seen me in a similar situation before when I crashed their gamers'' meeting.

    She seemed genuinely concerned about me.

    I took a deep breath and shrugged instead of giving a straight answer.

    I was badly missing Alice; she could always tell me if people were expressing genuine sentiments or lying. Without her, I would have to guess, but I am much too trusting.

    "Would it be okay if I go for a shower?" I asked.

    "We have a cabin in the back of the garage. You could use that," she said. "Do you need any help with those wounds on your back? Should I disinfect those?"

    Even as I registered what she said, I continued with my thoughts. Flo had a spell for it, "truth rays" was the name, and it compelled the target to speak the truth for a certain period, but that was a white magic spell that I could no longer use.

    I chuckled at the thought of trying it. It would certainly bring some erratic results. I wonder if it would force people to lie?

    She raised a brow at my chuckle.

    "Let me first take the shower," I answered.

    Once I emerged from the shower, wrapped in a bath towel, she placed her cup of coffee down.

    "Let me first disinfect those wounds before you dress, please."

    She had some ointment prepared. As she did that, she asked me.

    ¡°I''m done; you''re clean! Do you stay for breakfast?¡±

    She asked that, as it would be the most natural thing to ask. I nodded absentmindedly.

    ¡°If you are so kind...¡±

    Maybe I had been too harsh in how I judged her. Helen is one of the few who knows of me and my horns and did not make much fuss about it. Maybe it is also due to Gonzo, but would Hew invite me for breakfast if he knew that I have horns?

    "By the way, how do you feel now?" I asked.

    She watched me, surprised.

    "Better," she hesitated, "I wanted to ask you about this; I had been ill, it was getting worse, and then it was suddenly gone. Did you have something to do with it? I vaguely remember that you have been here that day when I got better."

    I sighed and decided to go for the truth.

    "Yeah, I did it. I wanted to talk to you about that."

    "OK?" she wondered, "What would you like to talk about?"

    "Helen, do you remember the conversation we had at that time?" I asked, wondering if it would not have been better if I hadn''t broached the subject. But now it was too late.

    "No, and maybe you can help me understand why?"

    I sighed and took a deep breath.

    "Your memory loss was not intentional, but it could have resulted from the treatment. It consisted of flooding you with adverse magic. You''ve become a caster, do you know?"

    "A caster? Me?" she wondered.

    "Do you remember the way they treated kids in Mephisto''s land? They got various magic-infused toys to see if they might develop any affinities?"

    She looked confused at me.

    "Yes, I do. But what do you mean by that?"

    "Well, you had that ring to ''play'' with; the ring had white magic, and you did show magic affinity for white magic. What you have is still at very low levels, but exists. You should be able to heal small wounds by now."

    "Really? You are making fun of me!" - she chuckled.

    I shook my head.

    "No. As you had experimented with the ring, you know how healing works; you should try, but for small scratches first; for big wounds, you might not yet see the difference."

    "Well, yes, I did some healings with it. Some gamers had pretty serious wounds and were reluctant to go to the hospital, afraid of being arrested, but after three healings, it did not really work properly."

    "But it still did work, isn''t it?"

    "Somehow, partially..."

    "Helen, there were only three healings stored in that ring; there were also a couple of other spells, but no more healings. You have forced it to work only as a healing ring, and your own mana has slowly filled in the ring; that''s why it did still work."

    "Oh!" she took some time to consider it. "OK... Is there a particular reason why you do tell me this?"

    "Sooner or later, someone might find out about you. Remember what happened with those kids in Mephisto that showed affinities? Most of them got recruited by various shady organizations. It might happen the same way here; you should tread carefully. That''s all I wanted to say."

 Chapter 211 - Dont Feed the Animals!

    On the way to school, I attempted to analyze everything. I let my instincts guide me, the bike swinging swiftly and elegantly through the traffic while my mind wandered elsewhere.

    Even at my currently demoted level, the bike didn''t carry a weight that could pose a problem for me.

    I felt content that I could just be myself without any need for masking. Lynx had been correct; Lores was Dolores almost one-to-one, except for the demonic additions. I didn''t have to hide under any masks.

    All I had to do was mask the demonic additions. In this regard, I was thanking all the gods that I didn''t have a tail! Okay, I did hide the band-aids that Helen had used to patch the wounds left by my snipped-off appendixes, but that was just cosmetic. For this, my limited magic capabilities were good enough, or at least I hoped so.

    It was a short trip this time, and not five minutes later, I was entering our district. It was a clean, lovely district with many houses that were built during better times. Nowadays, you cannot afford to buy so much land to build a house, even if you earned good money; everything has become simply too expensive. Eventually, you could either buy the ground or the house, but not both. So, most people bought tiny apartments in those high-rise buildings where you lived like rabbits in a rabbit''s cage.

    I chased those depressing thoughts away; it was a beautiful day, and I should enjoy it as it is!

    Winding through the safe and clean streets, I enjoyed the fresh air coming from the nearby woods.

    As I entered the school''s parking with a roar of my bike, I heard a familiar horn honking at me. I turned and saw Hew''s jeep parked to the side, with a couple of girls talking near the door.

    I raised a brow at the scene. To my knowledge, Hew had not yet had a girlfriend, and now there were several girls crowding his car''s door? What did happen?

    He waved at me, and I got closer after I parked my bike. The girls respectfully made way for me. It was a completely new situation that made me even more apprehensive.

    ¡°Hey, Lores!¡± he yelled at me, opening the car''s door and stepping out. ¡°Hew!¡± I went straight to him and hugged him.

    That did surprise him a little, but I needed it. After a brief hesitation, he hugged me back, his hands coming close to the band-aids on my naked back.

    Note to self: don''t hug people when you don''t want their hands on your back, or keep your jacket on!

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked.

    I sighed. ¡°Good to see you. I had an eventful night and needed a hug. Everything is okay now. Sorry for not coming yesterday evening. How''s Matt?¡±

    There! I said it in one breath. He took a step back to look into my eyes. ¡°Matt is okay, as much as he can be. He was missing you yesterday. We all missed you. Do you have time for a walk?¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    I shrugged. ¡°I already missed the first hour. We could go for a walk, but I don''t want to miss the second...¡±

    ¡°And my autograph?¡± ¨C one of the girls said, almost with tears in her eyes. He looked at me, and I almost needed help to close my mouth. The girls were there for an autograph?

    I nodded, surprised by how fast things had changed. He gave the autographs, and the girls left giggling happily, giving us room.

    ¡°You''re giving autographs now?¡± I wondered as he came back to me.

    It was his turn to shrug.

    ¡°They asked me if I was Hew from the Fata Morgana. When I confirmed, they wanted an autograph from me.¡± - he showed me his palms in a gesture of innocence, and then his face became serious ¨C ¡°Do you know that two of our songs, Matt''s ballad and Tom''s blues, have entered the charts? Ah, where do we go?¡±

    I took his arm and guided him away.

    ¡°That''s great news! Let''s go to the park behind the school. There is a small lake there and a couple of benches where we could sit.¡±

    That was indeed great news; it meant we were no longer just a local group. We were now playing in the national league! That thought thrilled and frightened me at the same time; when I thought about it, it almost cut my legs out from under me.

    To my luck, he gave me time to recover, as before we entered the park, he went to the small kiosk nearby to buy a couple of fresh pretzels.

    It had rained here, too, during the night, and the air was humid; however, the alleys were not moist, and only at the sides were there small water puddles.

    Birds were chirping in the branches, and we walked through the mostly empty park alley towards the small lake in silence.

    ¡°There''s a lot of hullabaloo about the masked singer. We should talk about how we are going to unmask her,¡± ¨C he explained, breaking the silence, as we found an empty bench facing the lake.

    ¡°Did you come here to talk about our future plans as a band?¡± - I wondered, taking a seat on the bench.

    I didn''t mean it in a bad way; I only wanted to inquire. He shrugged.

    ¡°This was one of the things we wanted to talk about yesterday. Was there any serious issue you had? I mean, did you have a crisis? Are you afraid of going public?¡±

    I closed my eyes for a moment. The sun was shining from the right, and the bench was pleasantly warm.

    I chewed on the pretzel and threw a small piece to a duck that had swum closer to us.

    ¡°That was not the reason, Hew!¡± - I tried to defend myself.

    He sighed. ¡°You don''t want to tell? If you tell me where you are, I would be glad to come and pick you up, you know? Is this something linked to... your special self?¡± - he tried to inquire.

    I looked into his green eyes, then tilted my head and chuckled. I turned to look back at the duck and threw another piece of the pretzel. More ducks came flying.

    I wetted my lips. Words did not come easy to me. Was the expression ''I had an eventful night and needed a hug'' not clear enough?

    ¡°Yesterday, I had to be somewhere else, or I would have run into some serious troubles... You wouldn''t even want to chat with me if you knew what I was dealing with, Hew."

    He raised a brow and wanted to reply, but we were interrupted by a woman in uniform who came aggressively towards me.

    ¡°Miss, as per paragraph 213 of the commune, it is forbidden to feed the animals. This...¡±

    That sudden interruption and the aggressiveness with which she spoke made my blood turn violently inside me. However, instead of unleashing a mind blast, which I considered but refrained from due to Hew''s presence, I opted to concentrate my black mana on my voice. A combination of spells whirled in my mind, ranging from mind blast to memory erasure, but I was uncertain about which one to use.

    ¡°Thank you for the information, officer. We will heed it. Goodbye!¡± I said.

    She saluted, turned on her talons, and left. We stood in silence. After a while, Hew turned to me.

    ¡°You looked pretty scary when you said that,¡± he whispered. ¡°What was that?¡±

 Chapter 212 â€“ An Invitation

    I sighed, almost as surprised as he was.

    ¡°I''m not sure,¡± I said, turning to look at him. "And that''s a problem, isn''t it? I was a bit aghast to be interrupted like that, and I might have overreacted. All I wanted was for her to leave us alone, and it seems that she got the message.¡±

    He raised a brow.

    ¡°I did get the message, too,¡± he said, shaking like having a frisson.

    I turned to him, chewed from the pretzel, then threw another piece to the ducks.

    "Which means that I am a dangerous person. I mean this, Hew. I can react on instinct and do some stupid things, as you just saw. You should dump me and find another singer who is not in danger of blowing someone''s mind when she gets too excited. Which I mean, literally!"

    He chuckled.

    "Don''t talk nonsense, Lores! By the way, before I forget,¡± - he searched inside his pockets and brought a small package out ¨C ¡°This is for you!¡±

    ¡°What''s this?¡± - I wondered, taking the package and unpacking it.

    It was a lovely pink mobile phone. Not exactly the top of the charts, but a decent one. Much better than anything I could afford. My eyes lit up at the surprise present.

    "I... I... I can''t afford this, Hew."

    "Oh, yes, it''s yours! Please!" - he shrugged - "We need a way to be able to contact you from time to time... If you lose it, we can track it. I''ve installed the track-my-phone''s-location app; you just need to ask me!"

    I hesitated, then laughed at his extra information.

    ¡°Hew, this wasn''t necessary!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, it is,¡± ¨C he said, with a broad laugh on his face.

    I shrugged, a little annoyed by how amused he was but also happy to have a mobile phone again.

    ¡°Taking into account my mobile phone''s burn rate, it is much too expensive, but I love it!¡±

    I hugged him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He blushed, and I saw a spark in his eyes: he does like me.

    ¡°It already has a chip inside, and I''ve put all of us as contacts," - he explained - "If you change the chip or the number, please send us an update, OK?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± ¨C I nodded.

    ¡°Doll!! Doll!! Ah, there you are!¡±

    Lola came running down the alley and stopped hesitatingly a couple of meters from us, seemingly only now having seen Hew. I abstained from rolling my eyes at her antics.

    ¡°Hey Lola, what is?¡±

    ¡°I see why you missed the first hour. Miss Brooks asked about you.¡±

    Miss Brooks was the history teacher. A rather innocuous person, so I did not give that information too much weight.

    ¡°And you came running to tell me that?¡± - I wondered, raising a brow inquiringly.

    She inhaled sharply at my rebuke.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Oh, I didn''t want to disturb your romantic hour by the lake,¡± - she retorted, blinking innocently - ¡°but a certain Sunny Hemmingward visited us yesterday looking for you, and since you haven''t been home for a couple of days, I wanted to catch up with you before you go somewhere else. But before I go on, would you like to introduce me to your friend?¡± Her long eyelashes blinked again as she looked at Hew while moving from one leg to the other, and her blonde mane swayed gently over her shoulders.

    I laughed softly. She knows how to display her aces. My laugh seemed to disconcert her.

    ¡°Hew, meet my best friend and flatmate, Lola; Lola, this is Hew, my best friend.¡±

    I saw on her face that she wanted to give me a rebuke about the two best friends presentation, but she hesitated once she heard his name.

    ¡°Hew, like Hew from Fata Morgana?¡± - she asked.

    It was obvious that she knew about the band and probably that I was with him and now was here to check. I nodded. She raised her brows. ¡°Oh, well, and I hoped you''d go with me...¡± - she mumbled, deflated.

    ¡°What''s this about?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°As I told you, Sunny did visit us yesterday. Sunny Hemmingward!¡± She repeated the name as if it should ring a bell with me.

    I shrugged. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± - I asked, still bewildered.

    Hew looked at me while a smile started to form on his lips.

    ¡°You haven''t heard about Sunny?¡±

    I shook my head in ignorance. He continued:

    ¡°One of the great influencers in our town. We can say country, actually; he is certainly in the top one hundred.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°OK, and?¡±

    Lola''s breathing accelerated. ¡°OK, and? One of the top influencers in the world invites you personally to a party, and you just shrug?¡±

    I snorted at Lola''s exaggeration: from town to country to world in a heartbeat.

    ¡°Did he invite me?¡± - I wondered, and it dawned on me: the guy with the convertible ¨C ¡°Oh, you mean Sunny? Yeah, we met some time ago... ahm... Did he really invite me to the party? He did say something about it...¡±

    Hew chuckled while Lola rolled her eyes.

    ¡°His parties are big society events," Hew explained. "There is a lot of publicity, and there are millions of followers who scan through those photos. He always makes something big on various themes, and a lot of celebrities are there,¡± he became pensive. ¡°You know something? I have an idea; maybe we should talk later about it.¡±

    I tsked looking at him.

    ¡°You can talk with Lola here; we are best friends, so it should be okay,¡± I said.

    He raised a brow. ¡°Really? I was thinking that you could use the event to unveil who you are. You know, our singer. That could be a lot of publicity for our band!¡±

    Lola''s eyes widened in shock. She barely managed to speak.

    ¡°You... you... you are the singer of Fata Morgana?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°It was about time I tell you. Do you think this is a good idea? What Hew says?¡±

    She was still baffled but nodded.

    ¡°... Ahm, Yes, of course! You two should go there and announce that! That would be great! Can you really sing? Was that really you?¡±

    ¡°Was the invitation for me alone?¡±

    Lola nodded.

    ¡°Yes, he wanted to invite only you, but I told him I would go with you, and he accepted. But there is only your name ''and partner'' on the invitation, so it should be ok if he goes...¡± she mumbled.

    I shared a glance with Hew. He scratched his head and shrugged.

    "If it was meant for Lola, it wouldn''t be fair to pass it up for us. You two should enjoy yourselves, and it might still work out for us. Basically, they could play one of our songs and then reveal you as the singer. I think Sunny would like the idea; you should suggest it to him."

    That was a well-thought-out idea from him.

    "It sounds like a plan," I replied. "I just wonder why Sunny came in person instead of sending an email? And for this weekend? Isn''t it a bit short notice?"

    Lola snorted.

    "He said he already sent one, but as you didn''t respond, he came to make sure you received the invitation! He seems to know you already!"

    Both of them laughed.

    Well, Lola is a great party partner when she''s not with Tim; we''ll have a good time there. I must have left quite an impression on Sunny if he''s so insistent on inviting me; too bad it was with the wrong face! How am I going to fix that?

 Chapter 213 - Regenerating the Wrong Body Parts and Love Matters

    As we stood up to return to school, an impulse to grab Hew''s hand led to an involuntary scratch. He protested loudly, much to Lola''s amusement. However, the issue extended beyond the minor scratch I caused ¨C the horrifying realization hit me that my blasted regeneration was regrowing my claws.

    They weren''t growing as rapidly as my skin or muscles did, but their growth rate far exceeded the norm for nails or hair.

    I said bye to Hew and Lola in a hurry and headed straight to the restroom to assess my appearance and conceal the emerging horns and claws. The horns resembled small stubs at this point as if I had bumped my head and developed two bulges. Fortunately, they had been concealed by my hair until now.

    Even if they become noticeable, I could still pass as a human with two bulges, but what should I do as they grow larger?

    Must I cut them every four to five hours? Even once a day would be quite stressful!

    Fortunately, I had my Mephisto boots on, and they adapted to my feet''s claws, allowing me to ignore them for now. However, soon, I''d resemble someone wearing clown shoes.

    I had another moment of panic. Did it even make sense to try to live this inconspicuous life? Why bother?

    It was simply too much shit thrown continuously at me. Why is life so unfairly difficult?

    I braced myself for another wave of tears and had to summon all my strength not to entertain the thought of spending the rest of the day locked in the restroom.

    But if not, what was I going to do? Why was all this happening to me? How could all these things be related? I mean the magic, Mephisto''s world, Ha''des and Deimos, and this Earth. Can there be any connection between all these, or is it just random happenings?

    But where could the connection to my demon summons be? Why was that happening? It did not make sense; nothing seemed to make sense anymore. I pressed my hands against the wall over the toilet and tried to control my breathing. Keep calm, Lores, keep calm! If you start panicking, you do not solve anything!

    The best would be if I could continue my life here and investigate. I might find some answers. I need to talk to my friends and see if they can help me. I cannot solve everything alone.

    So, first things first, I should try to hide my growing horns, okay? I masked them with illusion spells and attempted to further conceal them with hair. I tried to create an illusion of hair extending above them, but my level of illusion magic was too low to make it look realistic, so I stuck to trying to make them disappear.

    Hiding my claws was a more challenging problem in mana consumption, but they weren''t that big yet. They seemed to be growing slower.

    The wing-stubs were well hidden under the shirt, but I was not allowed to take my jacket off anymore, or else some unorthodox bulges would become visible on my back.

    I practiced the spell for my horns a couple of times. I needed to cast it without looking in a mirror. I stood there in the toilet, waiting for my mana to recover, cast the spell blindly, then checked in the mirror to see if it was good enough, and once happy with the result, I proceeded back to class.

    The rest of the day was a mess as I spent a significant portion of it hiding in the toilet, running there every time I ran out of mana.

    Interestingly, I discovered that Doria and her friends, Ann and Sogi, also frequented the toilet to smoke some grass, which had a strange, sweet fragrance, but that was it. I did not intermingle with them, and they seemed happy to ignore me.

    To increase my stress during hours, I got the impression that everybody was looking at me. Why? Did they see something? My paranoia went up to eleven until Constance asked me if it was true that I was the masked singer of Fata Morgana. Sure, Lola had not kept the news to herself.

    Another unexpected observation was that the duration and possibly the quality of my illusion spells had slightly increased despite my debuffed state. That observation, at least, was a bit encouraging.

    Even so, in the end, I decided to skip the last two hours, which were geography, leaving Constance to cover for me if the teacher inquired about my absence.

    Upon reaching home, I noticed that my new magic book was showing signs of deterioration. Making good use of my new mobile, I spent almost an hour taking pictures of all the pages.

    All the time, I practiced my illusion spells and managed to extend their duration to four minutes. While it might not be much, the reduced drain on my mana will allow me to maintain them consistently.

    To ensure I didn''t miss the timing for the spells, I downloaded a new app on my mobile that would make it vibrate at specific intervals, setting it to four minutes.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    For the wing stumps, I used some bandages to secure them to my back, minimizing their visibility. Although there was still a slight bulge under the blouse, it was much better, and if I had a jacket on, I could easily conceal them.

    Attempting to cut my claws with a pair of tongs proved futile. Those claws were shaping up to be a significant problem.

    After some experimentation, I opted for a different illusion strategy. Instead of concealing them entirely, I created an illusion featuring longer and sharper nails.

    I wasn''t a fan of long nails, but it seemed like the most practical solution. With these illusory long nails, I had better awareness of the extent of my claws, reducing the risk of inadvertently hurting someone. Moreover, the altered appearance signaled to those around me that there was something there.

    Throughout, my mobile remained in my pocket, and as it vibrated every four minutes, I used the opportunity to practice my illusion spells. If I refrained from casting additional spells, I could now sustain these illusions indefinitely, as they consumed precisely the amount of mana I generated.

    Delighted that I had found a solution, I checked my mobile messages and discovered one from Hew.

    <<We are going to visit Matt at three. Care to join us?>>

    Oh well, it was already past two, and I hadn''t had lunch yet! Despite that, I decided to skip lunch and replied that I would be there.

    After a final check in the mirror, I headed out. On the way, I ran into Lola. She was still with Tim or maybe again with him.

    We exchanged a few words, but her main interest seemed to be when I would be heading back home.

    I informed her that I''d likely return in the evening, shared my new phone number, and moved on. She didn''t need to be so overt about heading home to hook up with him.

    As my mobile vibrated in my pocket, I refreshed my illusion spell. Fortunately, it was working perfectly now. Hopefully, this app wouldn''t let me down.

    As I approached my bike, I ran into Helen and Daniel, who were casually strolling around the school''s parking lot, waiting for their friend Simon. After exchanging greetings, we engaged in a brief conversation. Naturally, they were curious if I was the singer for Fata Morgana. Daniel, however, brought up the fact that I hadn''t been playing handball lately.

    "Is it because you''ve grown your nails that you don''t play handball now?" he asked, casting a disapproving glance at my nails.

    I sighed but explained that I was quite busy at the moment.

    "Eh, busy making music?" they asked, and I nodded. That was good enough for an excuse.

    Just as I was about to leave, Daniel requested an autograph.

    "Okay, that''s a first for me!" I mentioned, and, true to his words, he insisted I write that down, too.

    My mobile vibrated in my pocket, reminding me to renew the illusion spell. I was gradually getting the hang of it, and casting my illusions became a routine.

    I bid them farewell, informing them that I was headed to see Matt in the hospital, and they promised to come and check on him as well.

    As I kick-started the bike, it felt like I had transformed into some sort of biker demon. I truly enjoyed the power and agility it offered and filled my heart... with the only caveat being that it shouldn''t rain!

    While flying would be my preference for short and long-distance travel, it required too much mana at my current level, so I stuck with the bike.

    Navigating the streets on the motorcycle was a joy, allowing me to bypass most traffic issues. Although I refrained from overly dangerous or spectacular acrobatics, I relished the ability to raise it on the back wheel if the mood struck. Riding within inches of speeding cars or trucks and maneuvering between them brought me a peculiar satisfaction. I couldn''t quite explain why I enjoyed the risk, perhaps a genetic quirk, but that seemed to be the case.

    Thanks to these maneuvers, I reached the hospital in record time.

    Once I entered Matt''s room, I was surprised to find out that I was the first one there; the boys hadn''t arrived yet due to traffic. I greeted him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Perhaps he expected more, or maybe I was too reserved in the way I did it?

    He raised a brow and asked, "Is there something?"

    His quick realization caught me off guard. There was indeed something, but how did he pick up on it so quickly?

    I let out a heavy sigh, and the next moment, I realized that I shouldn''t have.

    We weren''t really a couple; it was only White Flower who seemed to have taken a liking to him. I suppose she believed he was the best match for Dolores, or maybe she genuinely loved him?

    The problem was, I didn''t love him. I wasn''t as strongly against him as Dolores was, but rather neutral, and I think he felt that.

    The question that had been on my mind for several days now was: should I continue the charade that White Flower had started? The correct, honest answer seemed to be no, wasn''t it?

    I cared about him and wanted to maintain our friendship; he was dear to my heart in that way, but not as a lover. I couldn''t envision a romantic relationship with him. I shrugged.

    "Would it be... a problem if we remained just friends?"

    ¡°Hm, so, something did happen!¡± - was his conclusion, not giving me a straight answer.

    His response was calm, but I sensed his heartbeat quickening as his eyes searched for clues. My own heart raced, fearful of losing his friendship. I shook my head.

    "Nothing has happened! I was only wondering if we''re not moving too quickly. It has nothing to do with you; it''s just me and my own issues."

    My mobile buzzed in my pocket, jolting me out of my thoughts. After a brief moment of annoyance at the interruption, I renewed the illusion spell on myself and sighed.

    He continued to gaze at me intently.

    "If you want, we can remain just friends, but you should know that I''m always here for you. My feelings haven''t changed... The truth is, I never really had the chance to tell you how much I love you!"

    "Matt, please," I interjected, taking his reaching hand in mine, trying to protest against receiving a declaration of love.

    He was looking so pathetic and endearing, locked there in his bed, but at the same time, making efforts to grasp my hand and earnestly trying to convey his emotions.

    He maintained his serious gaze.

    "I just want you to know, Lores," he said, gently squeezing my hand.

    I nodded in agreement.

    Fortunately, the sudden arrival of the boys provided a welcome interruption, sparing me from further discussions.

    While greeting and hugging them, I intensively thought about what had just happened.

    Why did I have to tell him that? I hadn''t planned to reveal my feelings at that moment, especially when he seemed so vulnerable. However, I couldn''t bring myself to play the role of a loving partner when those feelings weren''t present in my heart.

    Clarifying things actually made me feel better. I cared deeply for him, and I had even taken extreme measures to save him... ahem, I didn''t want to bring to my memory all those shady things I did... but the realization was hard and clear¡ªI didn''t love him.

    I wondered if this had something to do with being a demon? Could I truly experience love or have feelings? But I do have feelings for him, or does friendship not count as love? No, it does not...

    I shook my head; it must be that I can love.

    I sighed, hiding behind the boys, asking myself why do these love matters have to be so complicated!?

 Chapter 214 - Transformations Lectures

    As we descended the stairs and entered the hospital''s lobby, we discovered that it had just started raining outside. It was a brief April weather burst of rain, and we decided to wait it out and chat for a while. I quickly used the coffee machine in the lobby to grab a black coffee, and Tom found an available bench in a corner where we could have a conversation.

    A few policemen were also seeking shelter from the rain inside, and that made me a bit uneasy. Since the Bounty County situation, police patrols had increased throughout the town, and any glance in our direction heightened my paranoia.

    I always panicly used my <identify> spell whenever I saw a policeman to check if there were any casters among them, but I have not found any yet. I lived under constant fear that one would use <identify> on me.

    White Flower had honed a skill to trick any identify spells, and I should be able to instinctively cast it, but I feared that in my demoted situation, it may not work as perfectly as it should.

    My illusion-spelling had become routine, even if, from time to time, I still winced, surprised when the mobile vibrated. My friends thought that I was getting a lot of messages, obviously aware of my mobile''s vibrations or maybe the way I reacted to those. Tom commented on that once, but there were no further questions about it.

    Up in Matt''s room, we had talked about Sunny''s party invitation and Hew''s idea of the singer''s unmasking, and they agreed to it. I was not particularly happy with the idea, as I hated to be put in a situation where I would become the focus of attention. But was that not exactly what we were seeking? As I had managed to jump over my shadow and sing in front of many people, I should be able to face this situation too; it should not be more difficult than that.

    Tom would have liked us to add a live performance, but due to Matt being ill, the group would have been incomplete. So, we gave up on that idea.

    We drafted and sent an email to Sunny with a couple of suggestions and the question of whether he could integrate any of that into his party. There was no use fretting about that before seeing what his answer was going to be.

    The theme of Sunny''s party was ''Oblivion,'' another online game struggling to become relevant. They probably saw an opportunity with Dreamland''s Mephisto facing issues and paid Sunny handsomely to host this advertising party for them.

    For me, that was fine as it gave me the perfect excuse to appear with a mask and solve my ''weather-lady-face'' problem, which I had impersonated when I first met Sunny. I only needed to find the proper game character for me.

    After a couple of hours, the doctor hushed us out of Matt''s room to let him rest, and that''s how we ended up in the hospital''s lobby.

    As soon as the rain stopped, we left, having decided to meet the next day at the same hour at the hospital and then go to Mike''s home to work on a new song Tom was writing.

    As the days went by, there were no further summons for me, and I started to think that the summons I had been subjected to might have been some huge cosmic error. The only problem with that was that my identification returned the same values for me: demon, level twenty-six. But perhaps that was it for me now?

    To ease my mind, I started reading the transformation book. I had made a printed copy of it. It was written in Taganlog, the language of that obscure kingdom where I had been summoned with their strange runes. Curiously, I found that I could understand it, and gradually, I became comfortable with their alphabet as well, almost no longer needing the cheat paper I got from Alina. The strange fact was that I did not remember ever using any spell to learn that language.

    "The Many Forms of Transformation and Transmutation: A Catalog of Metamorphoses

    by Charmoise, great Shaman of Norsey."

    Oh, well, a promising title!

    "In this chapter, we will explore various forms of transformation, metamorphosis, and transmutation achieved by renowned shamans, druids, and other mages throughout history. From the ability to take on the appearance of animals to adopting ethereal forms, these magical practitioners have expanded the possibilities of transformation. While some forms are widely known and practiced, others remain obscure and mysterious. Our goal is to shed light on the diverse range of transformations that skilled magic users can achieve.

    Animorphosis: The art of assuming the shape and characteristics of animals is a fundamental aspect of shamanistic and druidic transformation. Shamans often connect with the spirits of animals to gain their essence and adopt their forms. The level of detail in the transformation can vary, with some achieving complete physical and behavioral mimicry.

    Ethereal Projection: A more advanced form of transformation involves projecting one''s consciousness into an ethereal state. This allows the practitioner to traverse the spirit realm, interact with other ethereal entities, and gain insights beyond the physical world. Ethereal projection requires a deep understanding of the spirit realm and mastery over the magical energies involved.

    Elemental Fusion: Certain shamans and druids have mastered the art of merging with elemental forces. This transformation allows them to embody the essence of fire, water, earth, or air. Elemental fusion requires a strong connection to the respective elemental spirits and the ability to harmonize with their energies.

    Shadowmeld: A unique form of transformation that involves blending seamlessly with shadows and darkness. This ability is often associated with more clandestine practitioners who use stealth and subtlety to navigate through various environments. Shadowmeld requires an understanding of shadow magic and the manipulation of darkness and is related to Ethereal Projection.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    These are just a few examples of the diverse transformations explored by skilled magic users. The catalog aims to inspire further research and experimentation in the field of transformation, pushing the boundaries of magical understanding."

    It seemed that this book was more about the practical aspects of transformation rather than theoretical considerations. I continued reading, eager to discover more about the intricacies of magical metamorphosis.

    "Mostly, it''s the shamans and druids diving into the art of transformation, while warlocks and other mages focus on transmutation. Are there any links between the two? Do they share common ground? Does transformation lead to spiritual enlightenment, or is it just a path to brutality?

    These questions and more are thrown around in the scanty transformation literature, offering few answers. Druids and shamans have sorted out a handful of reliable transformations, and that''s what the existing literature delves into. However, there''s a noticeable scarcity of exploration into additional forms, especially in the realm of self-transmutation. Why the gap?

    Blame it on the treacherous terrain of self-transformation and, not to mention, transmutation. It''s like navigating a minefield without a map. This book isn''t for the greenhorns picking up the basics of transformation spells from druids, warlocks, or shamanistic magic. No, it''s tailored for the true magic aficionados who''ve delved deep into the mysteries of magic, pushing the boundaries to create new spells."

    Ugh, this wasn''t the introductory book I was aiming for as a beginner, but perhaps it was for the best. I decided to pass on the opening chapter and moved on to the next one:

    "Chapter Two: The Major Don''ts of Transformation.

    Before delving into the first point, let''s clarify the semantics to be used: what distinguishes transformation from transmutation? Transformation involves altering the physical attributes of the spell''s subject without changing the magical attributes, while transmutation entails modifying the magical attributes with or without altering the physical ones. It''s crucial not to mistake a transformation that reorganizes the priority order of these magical attributes or inhibits some for transmutation.

    If you''re looking to craft a new transformation spell and intend to test it on yourself, you must be exceptionally clear about what you wish to become. Clearly defining the transformation''s target in your mind is crucial to avoid inadvertent self-transmutations.

    Now, onto the first significant DON''T: never attempt to transform into a non-magical person or creature. You might be surprised if you succeed in transmuting into one, but reverting without magic is impossible. Yet there exists a lengthy list of idiots who''ve made precisely this error."

    I burst into laughter; did he really write that? Charmoise, the great Shaman of Norsey, from an obscure kingdom, did indeed.

    I continued reading:

    "A horse is just a horse, a bear just a bear, a swan just a swan. A horse cannot magically transform into anything unless it is a magical horse, but then, it is not truly a horse. Keep that in mind! The outcome of magic spells, especially new ones, depends greatly on your mind''s intent."

    Alright, this is a point to remember. It''s clear and logical, though I never considered it before. I even transformed into a human, but luckily, it didn''t work like this¡ªI only looked like a human but didn''t lose my magical attributes. Perhaps it''s because I approached transformation from Flo''s magic mirror spells, which only changed appearance!

    A cold shiver passed through my spine. I had been so close to becoming one of the fools he mentioned.

    I appreciate the book and the way he structured it, starting with the caveats, the no-go options, and the direct addressing, as if the great Shaman were talking directly to me.

    I took a deep breath and continued.

    "The next crucial rule, or big DON''T, perhaps even more important than the previous one: do NOT transform into a creature or person with less brain matter than yourself. You may come out of the transformation without the missing part of your brain or, more accurately, never come out of it by yourself. A magic horse needs to be able to think to transform himself back into a shaman."

    Okay, how do I do this? Oh, he mentions it in this part:

    "In your magic spell, think about your brain, too. Do not attempt to transform into a disease or a lower life creature. Don''t be a worm, or if you want to be one, choose one with enough room to put your brain in, at least a wolsh. A lot of your physical attributes and even memory can be saved by your magic and recovered, but don''t forget that transforming is becoming. It is possible to save part or, theoretically, the whole of your being into magic, but do not rely on that. A pure magical structure may be unstable.

    An example of pure magical creatures is the djinn and their equivalents, but they cannot transform into non-pure magical creatures. These are aspects of transmutation spells that will be treated separately in a special chapter later on.

    We''ve already touched on the third point: transformation is becoming. Once transformed into a beast, you will always carry that beast within you. Just as the druid is also the fox, the cheetah, or the bear he transforms into, you will be and bear within you the beast of your transformation!

    In a similar way to learning a new language enabling you to talk and even think in that language, the transformation will enable you to think as the beast, and the beast will live in you.

    This brings me to formulate the third point: DO NOT transform into something you do not want to be.

    It is not without reason why the great druid Hormonius started slithering and betrayed his order after he transformed into a serpent.

    One point to note: the more beasts one can transform into does not make it easier to dominate your beasts. There is the danger that one beast becomes dominant over all, even over your own nature, or that one trait of character is suddenly exacerbated by two similar transformations, and that trait becomes dominant over your nature, even if the beast is not.

    It is thought that this was the case for Hormonius.

    Note also the tragic story about the druid school experiment that led to the closure of the Mensata school."

    I was a bit sad not finding the description of the Mensata school incident, but then I found a note at the base of the page: Mensata school incident - trying to protect his colleagues who were experimenting with transformation into various animals being attacked by a wolf pack, an apprentice transforms into a lion, becomes self a predator, and instead of killing the wolves, he ends up wounding and killing several apprentices. He runs away as a lion and cannot transform back.

    "I have an idea for our disguises at the party!" Lola declared triumphantly as she entered my room, interrupting my lecture.

 Chapter 215 â€“ The Checkpoint

    Saturday noon, before heading to the party, I first went to Gonzo for another butchering session.

    Despite my improved illusion spelling, which now made the spells last for six minutes and imposed no significant drain on my mana, I didn''t want to take the risk. Knowing that I would be surrounded by a crowd of partying guests engaging in various activities, from dancing to games, I wouldn''t want to leave anything to chance and let somebody find out about my demonic appendages.

    Rationally, it made sense to go through with it, but summoning the energy and willpower to actually do it was a challenge. I dreaded and feared the intervention, and I believe it instilled a lifelong aversion and fear of those circular saws in me.

    My body reacts differently now. It could be due to my new demonic nature or perhaps the effect of my levels; I don''t know. After Gonzo had removed my demonic appendages, I felt a mix of hate, horror, fear, and energy coursing through my veins. It might have been the adrenaline or something else; who knows what the demonic equivalent is, but I needed some time to cool down.

    Even after taking a hot shower to clean up the blood, I still had shivers. Wrapped in Gonzo''s huge bathrobe, I sipped from the hot coffee that Helen had brought.

    My regeneration was working wonders, and the bleeding had stopped very quickly. I was trying to mentally influence it, to slow it down for the remaining recovery.

    "Why are you doing this?" Helen asked.

    I shrugged.

    "I''m going to a party with lots of people. I can''t risk being exposed for what I am."

    She chuckled.

    ¡°That''s exactly the question. Don''t you think that your magic wants to tell you something? Why don''t you let these things grow properly? Why do you hide? We should live by what we are. You should have the courage to show what you''ve become!¡±

    Oh yes, Helen thinks that my transformation is somehow the result of my magic. Well, it is, but in a different way than what I had told her.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Do you think I would be able to live a normal life if I''d do what you ask me to do?¡±

    She shook her head in negation.

    "I do not ask you to do it. I was just asking the question! I think that we should recognize that magical creatures and persons exist and should come to terms with it. It is a civilizational need for our society to survive! If more people who are like you would do it, this would slowly become acceptable, but if everybody hides..."

    It was my turn to shake my head with a sigh.

    She talked about courage. Is this a question of courage or of stupidity?

    "I''m not willing to die on the front lines of the fight for magic acceptance, Helen. Have you heard of any others like me? No? Why not?"

    She repeated herself.

    "If everybody hides like you do..."

    I snorted. I''ve already been ''collected'' once. Would it help if I explained to her that the meteor that had stricken the woods not long ago had not been a meteor but the controlled demolition of a research facility?

    "You think nobody tried? I rather think that our overlords are busy finding and taking control of any person who shows the smallest degree of magic aptitudes. I suspect there are hundreds of biolabs where this thing is intensively researched, where they try to nurture and control it."

    "Aren''t you tired of hiding? Don''t you have any trust in our society as a whole?" she naively insisted and reminded me of why I initially wanted to avoid disclosing myself to her. She is such an irremediably idealist!

    I sighed.

    "You, as a gamer, you ask me those questions? You saw what happened to the movement! Where are the boys and girls that have been arrested? What is going to happen to them? And that was only for maintaining a proxy server to that game world. What about the Bounty county? What is happening there?"

    She conveniently ignored my argument about the gamers and answered only the second part of it.

    "You know that those anarchos have caused a nuclear catastrophe there. The area is contaminated for ages to come!"

    I raised a brow and looked into her eyes.

    "Do you really think so?"

    Our conversation was interrupted as a cleaned-up Gonzo, with no traces of gore, came back into the garage.

    "Everything OK with you? How do you feel?" he asked. "I''m still shaken..."

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I shrugged.

    "I feel like a chicken escaped from the abattoirs after having her wings, claws, and comb cut!" I said with a sigh.

    He chuckled, then asked, "Don''t you want Helen to try to heal the surface of the wound? Yesterday, she did heal one scratch on my hand; it was pretty awesome!"

    I shook my head vehemently, ¡°No, certainly not; that would probably only regrow my horns and the rest!¡±

    Then I turned toward Helen ¨C ¡°Coming back to our conversation, don''t show your abilities, Helen. It would be a very dangerous thing to do...¡±

    She nodded with a pensive face.

    ¡°If you think so... I would come out with you if you decide to!¡±

    I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Gonzo, take care of her, don''t let her do anything stupid! Helen, just think of those children in the Golden Empire who did show some magical aptitudes as an analogy. We are at that level now!¡±

    ¡°If you want to make game-world analogies, I''d rather think at the Denikan Republic!¡± - she answered in protest.

    I snorted.

    ¡°Yeah, because those were not identified, tracked, and conscripted for war?¡±

    She huffed but did not reply. As I finished my coffee, I placed the cup on the small wooden circular table.

    ¡°OK, Gonzo, hush, please, I want to dress. I have to leave for the party soon!¡±

    He chuckled, nodded to Helen, and left, not without commenting jokingly in a low voice,

    ¡°Now I''ve seen it all: to be hushed out of my own garage! I knew that installing that shower was a bad idea!¡±

    *

    As soon as I arrived home, I started preparing for the party. Lola was feverishly working on her side; we were supposed to appear as an angel (Lola) and a vampire (me).

    The vampire''s face very much resembled that of the weather lady, which is why I chose it.

    Lola''s idea had been for us to portray two angels. There was one angel character that would perfectly fit her. The other one was a bit of a stretch for me, while the vampire fit perfectly.

    I was now disguising myself as that lady and only superficially incorporating the vampire.

    Sunny had agreed to our Fata Morgana singer unveiling action despite the short time we had left to organize things. It was planned to happen in the second part of the party towards the late evening when some of our songs should also be played. He already knew most of them, liked them, and sent a really warm email back.

    Everything was pointing towards a great PR coup for us, and Lola was enthusiastically fretting about how great this would be. She almost acted like my personal PR manager and cheerleader, giving me a lot of good ideas, reading and re-reading the emails, and asking a lot of pertinent questions about the details of the action, pointing to a couple of flaws in how we had planned the unveiling actions.

    She got in contact with Cara, Sunny''s aide and PR manager, and they already exchanged a couple of emails discussing the details of the unveiling. She kept me and the boys in cc on those emails.

    I was pleasantly surprised, it was really great to see her engaging herself so much for me, and I was already regretting not having informed her earlier about my singer career. Is it not the best to have your friends guiding and helping you? Unleash the power of friendship!

    Once she was ready, she helped me check my make-up. I feared she would see those and ask about the wounds where the horns had been cut while doing her close examination, but it did not happen. Actually, I was almost expecting it, and at a certain time, I would need to come honest with her on this part too, but surprisingly, my magic illusions seemed to be that good now!

    I was at the same time positively surprised and disappointed by not having the occasion to come clean with her, but there will be other occasions. Besides, what would stop me from showing her my horns once they grow back and starting the conversation?

    We took a taxi, even if it was that close to home, as Lola said that we should not walk dressed in a party costume. That put a dent in my budget, but I could not let Lola alone bear the cost.

    Sunny lives also in Queensborrow, but in the higher part of the district, not the lower part like we do.

    Queensborrow is overall considered a noble district, being an area with individual homes with gardens, not blocks of flats or rows after rows of narrow hobbit-friendly, not human-friendly homes. But the district itself has two parts.

    The higher part, closer to the woods, is the rich men''s borough, and we had to pass through a checkpoint to enter it.

    The lower part is for the upper middle class, but nowadays there is a greater and greater distinction between the middle class and the upper class. One side was getting poorer and closer to those ''useless eaters'', the part of society that did not produce anything, while the other one grew richer.

    I''ve always seen with sadness how my neighborhood was slowly decaying. Once I moved to this town, it was as if moving back a decade in my old town, but the signs of slow decay, if you knew where to look, were obvious here, too.

    I''ve always tried to ignore these rather sad parts of our lives, as there was no way I could change it; it was as it was. Best to live and let live, as my father used to say, and accept that the upper class does as it pleases.

    This checkpoint was actually not legal; the area should be open for all to walk through, but they do have their own security and guards, and interpret the laws as they please. There was no use arguing with them; even if you were right, you would end up losing a lot of money, eventually your existence for the sake of an argument, so most people conform to how things were.

    In other countries, the mobility of most people was limited to a narrow neighborhood, and whole cities were off-limits for most of the population, a trend that was furiously fought against here.

    At least we still had the theoretical right to go in there.

    It stung to see that we were halted, asked to get out of the taxi, the party invitation checked, and us personally controlled as for an airport security check, while other rich people just passed by.

    If you tried to protest, you''d end up with cavities searched or a full-body X-ray, and I didn''t want to get there.

    On the other hand, I could kill them all and walk through...

    Okay, stop hallucinating, Lores; you are going to a party!

    Lola was chatting with these people, very excited to be allowed into the upper-class borough and go to that party, and she looked really gorgeous in her costume. I must say that even these checkpoint people did seem to be impressed by her looks and gave her a kinder treatment.

    Once the assholes were satisfied with having frisked us long enough, we were allowed to go, and they even wished us to have a great party.

 Chapter 216 â€“ Party Pooper

    Sunny''s residence was a beautiful two-story villa at the end of a dead-end street, with a lovely green garden surrounding it. The building itself had a reminiscent touch of baroque architecture, featuring huge windows and intricate decorations between them, even if it was a much more recent construction.

    A large arched set of stairs led towards the entry door, while to the left, a small private path led to the subterranean garage. As the taxi had to wait for the entry, the scene felt like something out of those movies portraying sixteenth-century nobility and their extravagant parties, with carriages lining up to let the guests disembark.

    A swarm of people from the catering company welcomed and guided us, and I soon realized that my costume idea hadn''t been that inspired. It was black and white, the same colors as the uniforms of the catering company personnel.

    After passing the entry hall, we proceeded to the garderobe to unload any additional baggage. We were then given tags with the names we chose to be addressed. Additionally, if desired, the tags could be set up to share our contact information with any mobiles equipped with the appropriate app, providing an excellent opportunity to make new acquaintances¡ªsomething Lola promptly arranged with the receptionist.

    The main hall was incredibly spacious, and even with about forty to fifty people inside, it seemed only half full. There were numerous stand-up round tables with refreshments, as well as corners equipped with leather benches, armchairs, and small tables, allowing groups to form and entertain themselves freely. Information about the schedule could be downloaded directly to your mobile or obtained from leaflets on the tables.

    I hadn''t imagined that Sunny was so wealthy, or at least that he led such a lavish lifestyle. The opulence surrounding him could make you question your life choices.

    The party gradually gained momentum. Two live bands performed intermittently, and a high-quality in-house stereo system allowed you to enjoy good music in any corner without interference. Some guests arrived by helicopter, and one even descended from a blimp. Eventually, it became clear that a stuntman was used for the flight, and the actual guest took their place upon landing.

    The house was organized based on various scenes from the game, with each part resembling a dungeon or region, complete with corresponding names. There was, for instance, the Sylvanian Saloon, where even the waitstaff were tall elves, and the Brogghafter Tavern, which was filled with goblins serving various goblin drinks.

    It was there that we encountered Sunny, who inquired if we were enjoying the party and if everything was satisfactory. He was exuberant, talking non-stop and making jokes, all the while being filmed by a cameraman. After he left, I shook my head in disbelief. What kind of life is it to have every minute of your existence captured on film? I couldn''t help but wonder if they give him a break when he goes to the toilet.

    Lola thoroughly enjoyed herself, actively participating in various games. She made excellent use of her name tag, which had already garnered fifty-nine downloads of her profile. She also followed several live feeds from the party, excitedly showing me a couple of them where we had been filmed. The feeds were saved and could be rewound and viewed repeatedly, a feature she took full advantage of whenever she discovered something related to us.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    There were even several drones sending feeds from the air. It was an impressive setup, and I started to grasp the level of Cara''s work, Sunny''s assistant.

    As the evening progressed, I grew tired and retired to the orc''s corner to enjoy a glass of apple juice with something undefinable in it and sold as troll mojo.

    My big moment was scheduled for about an hour in the future, and I wanted to ensure I didn''t look too tired or indisposed by then.

    As I looked up, I noticed Cara walking by with a security guard disguised as a troll. Yes, all the security personnel were trolls.

    As our eyes met, I waved at her, but I sensed something was amiss. She appeared disturbed and didn''t wave back but acknowledged me. I was wondering if something wasn''t going smoothly with the party and whether we needed to adjust the singer unveiling part, as I saw her making a beeline for me. Without much introduction, she showed me her tablet.

    In an irate tone, she demanded, ¡°Excuse me, can you tell me if this is real, or is it a bad joke? Somebody pretends that it belongs to you!¡±

    I was taken aback by the tone and attitude. Even if they owned the place, I expected a more polite encounter. Raising an eyebrow, I looked at the tablet. It displayed a link to one of the chatrooms linked to the party. In parallel, there were some live feeds from the party, but in the center, there was an image of an ID. A surprised, embarrassed, and tired face looked back at me from that ID¡ªmy face from my prostitute license.

    I sighed. ¡°There should be some privacy protection in this country; this is not public information!¡± ¨C I said.

    She nodded, answering with a tired voice. Evidently, the irritation was not meant for me.

    ¡°True, I was not sure, as Sunny did not recognize your face, but somebody did link it to our party and pretended that it is yours. If it is yours, this is a catastrophe. Unfortunately, I have to ask you to leave the facility immediately.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Prostitutes are forbidden from entering the borough; it is not allowed to order prostitutes inside here!" - the security guard beside her answered, closing the distance between us, but Cara stopped him, placing her hand in front of him.

    ¡°We can debate that you were not called in such a quality, but this is not the line of defense we want to go with.¡± ¨C Cara said. ¡°You can have a look at the conversation in the chatroom if you have good nerves. We''d rather say it was a mistake and you left.¡±

    I huffed. Is this shit going to follow me everywhere? Those guys at the police station assured me that nobody would have access to my info, that it was something I only needed to care about in case I did ''that business,'' so how come I was confronted with it there? Besides, prostitutes were forbidden to practice their trade in the areas, but that did not mean they were forbidden from physically going there.

    ¡°As if all those wannabe models and call girls are much better! I have seen at least a dozen escort girls here.¡± - I said.

    Cara shrugged.

    ¡°Escort girls are allowed. Please don''t make a scene unless you really want to get thrown out by force?¡± - she said, looking at me with uncertain eyes.

    Normally, I would have started to cry, and they would have had to carry me out. The humiliation and degradation were beyond what I would have been able to bear. I know myself, and I know how I would have reacted were I still one hundred percent Dolores. But I was no longer her.

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

    We planned to unmask the singer, eh? This was now a hell of an unmasking. Well done, Lores! Not exactly as planned, but it probably got more attention on the net even without any official announcement. I congratulated myself for the successful PR coup while the security guard placed his hand on my shoulder.

    I looked at his hand and then at Cara.

    ¡°I''ll leave. Please tell your trolls not to touch me, or we''ll have a problem.¡± ¨C I told Cara.

    The troll huffed, and the hand on my shoulder tried to squeeze harder, but I ignored it, and Cara pushed him away.

    ¡°Let me accompany you!¡± - she said.

    As I stood up, I asked her about Lola. ¡°What about my partner?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I''ve already met her on the way to you, but she asked if she could stay. Sunny does not see anything wrong with that. Is she also a...¡±

    I shook my head in negation.

    Okay, Lola gets to have her party after all. I felt a little bit betrayed, but I can understand that she does not want to be pictured with me now. As I walked towards the exit, I asked myself how the hell did this happen? Somebody must have gotten inside the police computers and searched for my name, but this was a tremendous breach of privacy. Another two security guards joined us on the way; it was obvious that they had been searching for me, and now I got a hell of an entourage leading me out. And, of course, a lot of pictures were taken on the way.

 Chapter 217 â€“ Echoes of Betrayal

    Once I left Sunny''s mansion, I headed back home, lost in my thoughts, grappling with the potential fallout of what had just happened. I felt emotionally drained, my mind stuck in a loop, struggling to form coherent thoughts as I stumbled down the street like a drunken junkie.

    I wasn''t even aware when I reached the security checkpoint.

    "Huh, look there, the cunt that tricked us!" remarked one of the security guys.

    Was he talking about me? What did I do to trick them?

    The tone and the epithet caught me off guard, but what happened next was even more unsettling. I was instructed to follow one of the guys into their small checkpoint barrack, and the moment I entered, he placed his hand on my shoulder, staring directly into my eyes, and as he yelled, some spit hit me in the face.

    "Some stray dogs, beggars, and the like never understand until they get told the hard way! Do we need to teach you a hard lesson?" he sneered. "If I ever see you around here again, you''ll get a beating to remember! Understand?"

    How the hell did they catch on to my situation so quickly? Do they browse the internet all the time? I tilted my head, looking at him, as he continued yelling in my face.

    "You don''t whore yourself here, keep it in your district, cunt! Say if you understand, cunt!"

    As if I did anything wrong? My eyes narrowed as I looked at him.

    "Take your hands off me!" I replied slowly.

    He pushed me forcefully while another one tripped me, and I fell on my ass. I rolled to the side and got back on my feet, annoyed that I let them take me by surprise like this. He huffed at my gymnastics.

    It took a great deal of willpower not to kill them on the spot. They play with their lives and are not even aware of it!

    Yeah, and that would get me labeled as enemy number one and get all available police forces and perhaps the feds too on my tail. Too many witnesses, too many cameras around.

    Besides that, what was wrong with me? Since when was ''kill them all'', my solution?

    The third member of the group chimed in, "Huch, she''s sporty. I wonder if she does a good job!"

    The second guy, the one who tripped me, cackled, while the first one, who seemed to be the boss of the trio, took one step closer to me.

    "Not here! Go away and don''t come back!" he ordered, looking down at me.

    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The overreaction was absurd, the humiliation burned inside me, and to top it all off, I perfectly knew that several call-girl agencies were actively working in the district. But raising this point would only be self-incrimination, as if that had been my intention!

    Fuck it! Maybe this was some kind of gang protecting their turf? How did I get myself into this?

    I left without a word.

    As I walked down the street in my vampire costume toward home, my brain replayed the scenes from Sunny''s residence in a continuous loop, but each time, I failed to find a better solution. In the end, I gave up; I wasn''t really capable of analyzing anything, and I just wanted to get home as fast as possible and hide in my room.

    This was the end of my dreams, the end of my singing career, the end of everything. Probably, I was going to be thrown out of school. Probably?

    I sighed. That was the first thing that would happen this Monday when Mrs. Brooks, the school''s principal, learned about it. I was already on her blacklist. This thing alone would be enough, but this on top of Hew''s cabin story from a couple of weeks ago? Now, everything got a new shade of gray thrown over it. I was done... What was I going to do?

    It was somewhat ironic to realize that my downfall wasn''t caused by my altered anatomy and nature or my limited illusion spellcraft to conceal it, but by something as mundane and foolish as a license I acquired for something I didn''t actually do. I took a deep breath and sighed. How was I going to explain to my parents that I''d been expelled from school? They were going to be truly disappointed.

    I hoped Clara wouldn''t be at home to give me the peace to think alone and avoid facing her mean and sneering comments, but there was light in her room. Oh, drats, I certainly didn''t want to see her triumphant face. If those people at the checkpoint already knew about me, Clara would certainly know. She must have received at least a message from Lola about it.

    As soon as I opened the door of the apartment, I sneaked inside, trying to make as little noise as possible. I heard her chatting with somebody in her room, so I tiptoed towards my room. As I passed by the kitchen, I noticed a mobile phone on the table.

    A mobile that I recognized. Was that Joe''s mobile? Was he the one in Clara''s room? Well, it was possible, as they had been a couple for some time.

    I stopped, looking at the mobile. I knew Joe''s code for the mobile; I had watched him read it too many times not to grasp the simple code: zero, six, six, six. Should I? Shouldn''t I?

    The temptation was too big. Did Lola already send him something about the happening? What were the people at the party saying about it? I knew it was dastardly on my part to do it, but my heart was too conflicted. There were too many uncertainties, and this was a way to eliminate some.

    I sneaked into the kitchen and took his mobile in my hand. Yes, he hadn''t changed his code, and indeed, she had already sent him several posts from the party.

    There were some pictures of her where she looked ravishing. And then, there was also that picture of my license. My prostitute license. Oh, fuck, is this thing spreading fast! I wonder if there would be any pupil in our school who would not have it in the next twenty-four hours! Who the hell hacked the police database to get that? Or was it leaked by a policeman? But why? Who would do that?

    Tears came to my eyes when I looked again at the picture. I couldn''t help but sob and look at the picture.

    It took me some time, but then my hands started to tremble. There was something wrong with this picture. No, not wrong. Different. Was it clearer? Better quality? I took my mobile and looked again at the picture that had been posted at the party, then back at the one from Joe''s mobile, and then back at the picture from the party.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Ah, that was the difference¡ªthe address had been blurred in the picture from the party!

    I looked again at the picture that Lola had sent him. The address was clearly visible on that one. ¡°Look with whom you''ve been!¡± - stood in Lola''s post to him.

    That was a low one, and it did hurt, but that might be just a little nastiness in comparison with what I saw and didn''t want to believe.

    I looked back at the party''s blog and started searching all my license pictures, but there was only one, the same, again and again. There were many comments that entailed my picture, but everywhere, the address was blurred. Where did Lola have the other picture from? I repeated my check with the same result. I could not find the other picture anywhere in the blog.

    Now, if I looked more carefully, those were two completely different pictures of the same ID, and then another detail sprang to my eye. The ID stood on a surface, on a plastic surface, and a little bit of it was visible in the picture. The lines from that surface did fit with the lines from the plastic cover of our kitchen table. It was just a little bit visible, but that was enough to see a pattern.

    A cold shiver passed over my spine. No! I didn''t want to believe it, and yet it was so clearly right in front of my eyes!

    Both pictures had been taken here. There had been no leak and no hack on the police''s computers. One of the two girls had just found my license in my room; obviously, the place where I hid it inside a book had not been as good as I thought it would be. Because I never thought they would search my room.

    My thoughts were a whirlwind, and I was just trying mechanically to fit the picture from Joe''s mobile with the underlying lines from the table when I was interrupted.

    ¡°What are you doing here!¡±

    Clara stood in the doorway. A scantily clad, red-faced Clara.

    ¡°You!¡± - I said ¨C ¡°You.... and Lola did this to me?¡±

    She huffed. She didn''t ask me what I meant.

    ¡°Give me that mobile! Joe, she''s got your mobile!¡± she yelled.

    I heard movement in the room beside the kitchen.

    ¡°You have done this!¡± - I accused again.

    She raised her head and looked at the lower life form that was daring to question her ¨C me.

    ¡°Can you imagine that it was Lola''s idea?! The singer''s unveiling!¡± - she huffed again with a satisfied grin ¨C ¡°Quite a clean unveiling, isn''t it, Joe?¡±

    An almost completely naked Joe appeared behind her. He waved a hand to me.

    ¡°Hi!¡± - he said, seemingly not particularly distressed by the situation.

    ¡°Hey, Joe!¡± - I answered calmly, then returned back to Clara ¨C ¡°Why? Why did you do this? Why did Lola do this?¡±

    She practically exploded at my question: ¡°You barely get marks high enough to pass the year! Everybody knows that you slept with the whole music band to make them take you in! Just because you get a couple of notes right, you think you are something? You are a whore, and your music is shit! Isn''t it, Joe?¡±

    The naked sportsman shrugged and spoke hesitatingly. ¡°Ahm, I don''t find their music bad...¡±

    Clara turned and yelled at him.

    ¡°Go and put on a pair of trousers before speaking!¡±

    My phone started ringing. I placed Joe''s phone on the table and left for my room. There was nothing else that I wanted to talk to them about. My ma was calling. Oh, shit!

    ¡°Hello, ma?¡±

    ¡°Dolores!¡±

    When I heard the acerbic voice, I knew that she knew. Ma has her moments of crisis, those moments that I dislike about her. It does not happen often, but it happens from time to time. She can be incredibly cool sometimes, and sometimes... well, when she gets angry, she can be a real terror.

    ¡°Dolores, tell me that this is not true!¡± - she said, obviously assuming I knew what she was talking about.

    ¡°What, ma?¡± - I asked, not sure of what she had heard.

    She tsked.

    ¡°Don''t play the fool with me. Are you a prostitute? Is this clear enough?¡±

    ¡°No, ma, not really!¡± ¨C I tried to protest.

    ¡°Not really? Is that your license, or was that some kind of a prank? This is all I want to know!¡± - she continued in her acerbic tone.

    ¡°Ma, it is not like this. Please let me explain...¡±

    She sighed. ¡°So it is true! Say it; why don''t you have the courage to say it? You did it, but typically you do not have the courage to say it!¡±

    I have managed to avoid discussions with her for more than a year. I thought we were done with them, and now I have to go through one again.

    I tried to explain the situation to her, and I hated having to do it on the phone.

    ¡°Ma, it is true, that is my license, but it is not how you think it is. I do not use it, I do not do it, it was an... accident... and when the police took me... ah... I should have stayed for days in the arrest room until I was proven innocent... and... they pushed it on me, ma!¡±

    ¡°They pushed it on you because you were just selling flowers! That was all I wanted to hear, darling.¡± - she said, but the tone in which she said it sent shivers down my spine- ¡°It is always somebody else''s fault! Never your fault! When Robert had told me that you drink, I didn''t want to believe it. You told me that you don''t, but now I believe him. How did it come to this?¡±

    There was disappointment, sadness, and cold determination in her tone.

    ¡°Ma...¡±

    ¡°Dear, you do what you want...¡±

    ¡°Ma...¡±

    ¡°Don''t explain it; I don''t need to hear your lies. For weeks, you continue to lose your phone, you miss hours in class, you do not sleep at home, and the girls try to lie for you. This here is too much, Dolores. It is just too much. I cannot ignore it anymore. I shouldn''t have let you leave home; I knew you were too weak, but now it''s too late. Now, we all have to pay for it; we need to face the consequences. You chose your way, or rather you fell onto it.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Just to let you know, I am changing my will; Clarence will inherit everything!¡±

    What does that have to do with it? Clarence was my cousin, the daughter of ma''s sister.

    ¡°Clarence?¡± I wondered, still dumbfounded. Was my ma throwing me out like this?

    ¡°Yes, Clarence. You''ll have to take care of yourself, dear; you chose your path, and that is not with us! Goodbye, dear!¡±

    ¡°Ma? MA, I WANT TO COME HOME AND TALK TO YOU!¡±

    She answered with a surprisingly calm voice before closing her phone. As if she was glad to have stirred me enough to yell at her. It was the first time in my life that I yelled at her.

    ¡°You can come and cry, but I''m not going to change my will; some things remain definitive. You went too far astray. I knew it from the beginning when I saw those signs on your skin, but I tried to ignore them, and now I am paying for it.¡±

    An ice-cold shower with liquid nitrogen would not have frozen me more than those words.

    The absurdity of it all was dumbfounding. My heart was pounding in my chest as I looked at my trembling hand holding the mobile. I would have expected anything from anybody else but not this and not from my parents. It''s not that damn inheritance that bothered me, but the cold rejection.

    Why was ma doing this? I knew that she was very religious, but she did not raise me like that. I was always a bit of a rebel, and she accepted it from me. I know that she sometimes spoke about people marked by God, as was about that dictator of a giant state that had some birthmarks on his forehead: he''ll bring his country down, and he did it.

    Well, okay, and now was she talking about the birthmark I had on my back? What did that have to do with anything? What did she mean by that? Besides, where was my father? Why did he not even talk to me?

    Things have escalated in a grotesque way, or were they always like this, and I was blind and did not see?

    Tears started running down my cheeks, and I fell to my knees. No, this couldn''t be possible; I must have landed in some alternate universe where I was a demon probing the hell''s depth.

 Chapter 218 â€“ Interlude - The Sermon

    ¡°Magic, you see, seeps into your very being, ushering in the corruption of your soul. It''s a subtle, gradual process that takes its time. In the initial stages, the one being corrupted remains blissfully unaware, unable to comprehend the transformation taking place within. All they sense is a surge in strength and speed and a perceived clarity of mind. It''s the alluring promise of the malevolent force, the eternal corrupter, trying to entice you with its deceptive assurances.¡±

    Father Manchua extended his hands, creating a space as though reaching out to embrace something ethereal. His eyes scanned the captive audience, relishing the authority that addressing a mass bestowed upon him. To him, they were like malleable clay waiting to be sculpted by his words.

    "But everything it does is, in truth, a lie, and that lie comes with a cost. One does not get stronger; instead, one allows him to manifest in this world. He, the ultimate briber, the deceiver, the liar, is slowly taking over your mind, and with it, slowly your soul, for that is his target ¡ª he wants your eternal soul."

    Whether it was the truth or not didn''t matter; what counted was to keep them captive there, continually drained of their precious mana by the ingeniously constructed installation. The mana crystals stored the power, and as long as he was in his parish, he could draw upon it. Of course, a significant portion went to those above him¡ªthe bishop, the archbishop, the eternal father, and the eternal mother - but he had his share of the pie.

    "Even heroes, even great rulers, have succumbed to its lure, thinking they would be strong and use this power for good. But, in the end, even they ended up doing its bidding. The only thing that can protect you, that can save your souls, is to come to church each day and repeat the Holy Family prayer three times. Is it so much of a request? No. It is not much when it is the only thing that keeps your soul clean and pristine."

    Manchua paused for a moment, allowing his listeners to digest his last words. He took a sip from the cup a zealous choirboy had placed in front of him and continued the sermon. As he did, he surveyed the crowd. The church was full, and he could feel the power coursing through his veins, even if it was just a trickle compared to what the church was gathering.

    They were all weak; he could bring any of them to their knees with a simple powerword. But gathered like this, they were a tremendous source of power. The amusing thing was that he genuinely believed in what he was preaching. He continued his sermon effortlessly, his words flowing automatically.

    "Now they are taunting us! Yes, they play with us and our lives! Why do you think they call themselves players? Players!! Playing with our lives and our very souls! The envoys from the other spheres that come here to wreak havoc! We need to strengthen our lines and be eternally watchful and careful. If you see or hear anything that seems dubious, that does not align with our rules and ways of living, it is because they are alien. Let us know, and we will send the strongest paladins, and even I will step forward to fight for you! To defend you and your dear family! We are here, in this community, to protect each other and grow stronger together!"

    He glanced again over the full church. They were all at the level of power novices, as they should be. He had made it his duty to chase the lazy and treacherous peasants who were skimming their duty and call them to attend the sermon in the church. Especially now since the city of magic, with its cursed silver temple, had been destroyed. Oh, how good it had been to see that magepriest, Gohan, suddenly become much friendlier and meek. At first, he was surprised by the change, but then he learned that the silver shrine had lost its power.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Oh, they had tried to hide it for a while, but now it was no longer possible. Yes, their God of Magic was obviously much weaker than the Holy Family! The thought brought a satisfied smile to his round face. He continued his sermon automatically, his words flowing freely.

    ¡°Only here in the church can that cursed power be cleaned up and turned for good and kindness. This is why you need to come here. Our paladins and our faith are the true protection from the evil outside. If you are hurt or ill, you need to come to our hospice; our nuns will help you and pray with you. Your prayers, if you are worthy, will be answered, and many miraculous healings have been seen!¡±

    The longer he kept them there, the more he felt his power accumulate and grow. He had been at the veteran level for a couple of weeks already.

    He thought again with anger about that time when he had faced Cala the Assassin. She dared to come here in his very town. Well, "faced" would be too much to say. How could he alone have faced her?

    How could one individual have so much power? He knew he still could not face her even with his increased power. He had tried once to impress her with a power word, and she had simply laughed at him, thinking he was joking. Joking! He hated her as much as he hated that treacherous gnome, Grackak, but one day his power would grow enough to make them kneel.

    As he spoke about healing wonders, he felt a sting to his pride. Yes, he hated Cala even more, as she had performed that miraculous act where she revived her partner, Alice the Archer, inside this town using those cursed potions and black magic. That was devilish work at the level of a miracle. Not even the high paladin or the archbishop could have revived her once she had been broken into pieces, and yet Cala had done it. A feat that only the Holly Parents could probably equal. How could he still pretend that healing through prayer was superior when everybody had witnessed that? Even the guards had hesitated to attack her, even if they had chanted sorcery, sorcery, in unison. They still did not attack her!

    Weeks and months of work had been destroyed in that one day when the common people had seen the power of those accursed potions. Divine potions that she probably acquired from her cursed gods, and she had done that certainly just to impress the masses.

    And that treacherous aristocrat, that marquis, was still refusing to mark Cala as an outlaw under the law and place a price on her head! Even if he knew that his daughter had probably run away with her!

    But there was not much need for the puny reward the marquis could place on her head. He had heard that the Golden Empire had placed one of the highest bounties on her head, and even that accursed assassins'' guild of hers was supposed to be hunting her now. It was only a matter of time until he would hear of her downfall!

    As he ended the sermon, almost everybody hurried to form a queue to be blessed by him. This was a chore, but he did it diligently. It was a necessary exercise that forced him to delve into the reserve mana from the church after he completely drained his sources. But each time he had completely exhausted his mana, he had noticed that it slowly took longer to get there, which meant that his mana capacity was rising. He was getting stronger.

    A smile crept onto his tired face as he noticed one of the young acolytes nearby¡ªher name was Deema. He had long admired her delicate features that warmed his heart, and beneath the rough acolyte cloth, he could discern her slender body. Just sensing her proximity was akin to a glass of wine for him. Today, after the work, he would receive his consolation prize. He turned and asked her to follow him, and she did so gladly, thrilled to be the chosen one. Everyone admired his dedication and hard work.

    After the sermon, after the blessings, he always took a youngster into his quarters and worked with them, guiding them to understand the church''s holy teachings. He often assisted them with holy prayers to reach an epiphany and advance their talents.

    He did not feel any guilt. It was a natural reward for his hard work, and perhaps the girl desired it deep in her heart, even if she didn''t dare to confess it. He would fulfill her hidden wishes, but everything would need to remain concealed. That was the rule, and that''s why he would have to erase her memory afterward.

    Besides, this would be good training for his mind control, and it would also fortify the girl''s resistance to it, wouldn''t it? Or perhaps, if she wasn''t fated for it, she would only break, but this would happen regardless. Better for it to occur in his careful and qualified hands.

 Chapter 219 â€“ Every End Is a New Beginning

    The phone started ringing again. I looked at it full of hope that it was Ma or Pa calling me, but it was Hew. I sighed tiredly: the next one that wants to give me the pass! If my own family behaves like this, what am I to expect from strangers? How long did I know him? Less than a month?

    My best friend, Lola, had just betrayed me, and we had been friends since kindergarten. All those years that we spent together, all those plans and dreams we shared, all that did count for nothing after I got that damn license.

    I closed the phone and shut it down. Do friends really exist in this world? Does family really matter, or is it just an illusion we tell ourselves?

    I lost half an hour just staring into space. If they do this when they hear that I have a prostitute license, what would they do when they learn what I am? That thought sent a shiver down my spine.

    What I am! I looked at my tired face in the mirror. My makeup was a catastrophe; tears had drawn dark lines that marred my face, and the dark circles around my eyes had their own dark circles around them.

    Up above my forehead, two small horn stubs were mockingly and defiantly coming out of my mutinous hair. I mooed at my image and chuckled sadly: enough self-pity!

    Then I started packing my things. I did not really possess much. My PC was busted, and my dream interface was likewise. I had some clothes, some money, my ID card. I took my prostitute license in my hand. At first, I wanted to rip it, burn it, explode it, but then I decided to keep it. Maybe I''ll put it in a frame in my room sometime; it should remind me of these life-changing events.

    I felt emotionally drained, as if everything had been vacuum-cleaned out of me, and a new cold and empty Lores was replacing me.

    Where should I put my things? Should I leave everything here? No! How to leave? On foot? And where to? With 10 bags around me? Leave some things here and take them later?

    The best would be to take the bike; it was the fastest and easiest way for me to travel, and it was simple to park it almost anywhere. I''ll arrange the transactions for it with Gonzo later; I''m sure we will find a way. But if I go on the bike, there''s not much I could transport with it. I didn''t want to be forced to come back here, but neither did I want to throw away everything. I didn''t have much; should I go away with even less?

    There were two small containers that I could attach to my bike. I would need to cut loose most of my attire... Books! My books! My science-fiction and fantasy books represented half my childhood! I had proper paperback books! Should I give up on them? They were only baggage to carry with me, but I did take them from home! What for? Just to dump them here?

    Hmm, a dimensional ring would be really helpful, or at least a usable inventory item, but Cala''s inventory did not want to open for me. I was still reluctant to throw it away, but I could not use it. Cala''s leather armor! I''m taking it with me! Her boots, too! Damn, the place would be already full with these two items!

    White Flower had a dimensional storage on her skin as a tattoo. She hadn''t done it herself, but she thought she could do it. I mean, I have seen it so many times that I thought I could redo it. Should I try to do it? All I risk is to fail and... probably explode myself... and the vicinity... OK, I''ll survive and maybe just destroy a couple of houses around. Or maybe more... What would happen if I would create an unstable dimension? Maybe I would die and be reborn as a dungeon core? What other crazy thing could happen to me?

    I chuckled at the random thoughts. Could I do such a spell?

    I felt confident that I knew it, but maybe I did not have enough mana to complete it... Should I try? It would be so useful to have it! White Flower''s one had endured a lot, only for that final explosion in the death node to blow everything apart!

    I looked at my left hand. Should I? I already saw the runes dancing in the air, but yet I feared whether to implement them or not. The runes! All magic schools teach about runes, each fighting to claim which are the real, better runes, but I knew better. These were patterns, magic patterns that were approximated by runes.

    The runes did not fully cover the magic manifestation, and that was one of the limits of scholar magic, the limit that White Flower was sure to have overcome.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The pattern''s magic was what most people would call a school of wild magic, but wild magic would give much to magic itself to interpret. Unlike wild magic, White Flower knew how to recognize and implement patterns. It was a more controlled wild magic and more powerful than scholar magic.

    I closed my eyes to better perceive the runes, or rather, the patterns. You could start with runes and then let it develop further to reach the patterns. A smile crept onto my lips as I willed it, and I felt the patterns snaking around my hand.

    And in an instant, I was out of mana, and I was still casting. Fuck! I knew I might not have enough mana! No, I was confident I could spell it! What now? Will I blow up my hand now? I let myself be dragged into it, and now I''m not able to complete it!

    I feared to let go because of the potential backlash. However, as the spell had not canceled itself yet, I might try to do it like those huge summoning spells: keep gathering mana to let it get to the needed power. The only difference was that I did not have the runes written on the floor; I had to keep them in mind.

    I did not let my concentration fade; I kept thinking of the patterns as I drove every ounce of mana from my body toward the spell. Maybe I can still salvage the situation; I just need to provide the missing magic.

    Ten minutes later, with sweat running down my temples, the spell was still incomplete, and I began to worry that I might lose concentration, risking an explosive backlash. Fifteen minutes later, the realization dawned on me that the longer I kept it, the worse the potential backlash would be. My hand was trembling, and I had to sit on the bed, still struggling to maintain the image firmly in my mind.

    As time passed, I contemplated all kinds of stupid ideas to try to cut my losses. Should I stand in front of the window and extend my hand outside? Would that help? Should I run outside in the park? Could I keep my concentration while running? Why did I try it here? Just then, I felt the spell starting to coagulate¡ªit was completing!

    I closed my eyes, focusing solely on the patterns, not allowing anything to disturb me until I sensed it was done. After keeping my eyes closed for a couple of moments, I opened them to examine my hand. To my relief, it was still intact, covered in a set of strange, alien lines forming an intricate design.

    I slipped off the bed and fell hard on my backside on the floor. I was that tired, but the lines didn''t explode. The spell was done.

    I chuckled, looking at my hand. Even if it didn''t work as intended, I would have the most unique tattoo I''d ever seen¡ªwell, except for the one on White Flower''s belly, but I chose the hand.

    Breathing heavily, I tried to recover. Would it work now, or would it be just for decoration?

    Feeling too tired and low on mana to try it immediately, I went to the bathroom and took a long shower¡ªI know of nothing better to recoup after physical efforts.

    Invigorated, I returned to my room. As my mana was trickling back slowly, I placed my hand on a book on the table and willed it into my storage. The book lit up briefly as if replaced by a luminous construct and disappeared. Glancing at my tattoo, I decided to look through the runes, and at that moment, I saw a transparent book hanging in the air. I willed it out, and it appeared back in my hand.

    This lifted my spirits. To witness the wonders of magic and to be able to control them was refreshing! I wasn''t entirely useless, not the defeated girl they all seemed to think I was.

    Sure, I almost destroyed the neighborhood, but it was worth it, wasn''t it?

    I repeated the exercise with more things. Magic is such a cool thing! It was strangely satisfying to see those items briefly illuminated in the air and then disappear.

    This changed the situation regarding what I could take with me. I started packing everything, including my tattered bed, table, chair, and even the busted PC. I went to the kitchen, but Clara was no longer there. I collected my dishes and my chairs. The girls would have to buy a couple of chairs themselves. I emptied the fridge, then returned to my room, did another check, and headed to the bathroom. Check. I had everything.

    "Bye, Clara! Hope to never see you again!" I yelled.

    "Bye!" Joe''s voice echoed from her room.

    A burst of laughter escaped me; I had forgotten about him.

    "Bye, Joe!"

    I left my keys on the kitchen table and exited, slamming the door behind me. It was already late night outside. I took the bike and drove out of town on the almost deserted streets.

    I would send Gonzo the money for it later on. The bike offered me the freedom to go where I needed to go now, and I didn''t want to give up on it. Hopefully, the songs we already have would at least pay for the bike.

    The cold wind battling my face was invigorating; my hair fluttering in the wind was almost chanting: freedom! I almost screamed it out of my lungs. I pushed the bike to raise on the back wheel. Oh yeah, baby!

 Chapter 220 â€“ Whats Wrong With These Guys?

    I stopped in a parking lot not far from town. The night was pleasant, the air a bit cold but not disturbingly so. The parking area was separated from the main road by a line of trees and bushes, where rare trucks were now passing by, and their lights scattered between the bushes briefly illuminated parts of the parking lot. A couple of truckers had chosen the parking area to take a nap, but I hadn''t seen them moving around. There was no parking lot lighting, only the light coming from the cars and the faint stars above. At least the toilet did have some light, but it worked only if somebody was moving inside. Of course, it turned off while I was using it; it had a very short timing, and I had to wave my hand to activate it again. Well, at least it was not very dirty.

    As I washed my hands at the fountain outside the toilet, a trucker passed by and nodded. I answered and went back to my bike. There was a wooden table and a bench there, and I made myself comfortable. I placed a table lamp on the table. Of course, there was no electrical power, but a simple spell lit the bulb. I added a plate, some crackers, butter, and some jam. Now I was starting to feel comfortable. Gosh, this inventory is such a boon to a traveling soul!

    I took my mobile in my hand and pulled down the map. Let me see if I could find a new place where I should start my new life.

    There were so many options!

    Browsing through the map, I felt how my heartbeats normalized themselves, and my breathing calmed. One life ends here, another one starts. Life goes on.

    Maybe I should go to the seaside? Or up in the mountains? I don''t need to stay in one place; I could go roaming through the land. There were ways how I could come to some money to sustain my life. What should I do?

    Nobody came to disturb my peaceful browsing.

    Thinking about my options started to calm my overheated brain, but when I thought back at my phone conversation with Ma, there was another burst of tears coming out of my eyes. Oh, well, it would take some time until I really digest this. However, it did not take long until I calmed myself enough to retake the mobile and restart my planning.

    A coffee now would be ideal! I searched for some coffee in my inventory. I did find coffee beans, but I had no coffee machine. Even if I had one, there was no power here. I sighed. I will have to do without coffee for now, but I''ll have to think of a way in the future. I''m a coffee addict, and I don''t want to give up on it yet.

    Hold on a sec, making coffee isn''t rocket science. First things first, gotta grind those beans. That''s easy. I grabbed an empty plate, took a handful of beans, and just rubbed them between my hands, giving them a little magical boost. Lo and behold, the plate started filling up with freshly ground coffee. I plopped that into a cup, poured some boiling water, and the final touch was a quick filter. Ta-da, a cup of piping hot, freshly brewed coffee!

    That raised my spirits.

    I sipped from the coffee and thought back to my parents. I could not be angry with them. I had a happy childhood; they did take care of me and did their best in all those years. How could I ever forget that? No way.

    But my ma is such a religious hothead! Somehow it did not influence her behavior towards me until now, but I guess that was what pushed her to be so absurdly severe now. Or was there something else that had changed her now? Was this linked to the fact that I insisted on moving away from home? But why would that make her angry with me?

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I shrugged. Whatever made her make her choices, I cannot understand, but it is what and how she decided. I think that I would have never done something like this to my child, but who knows what other mistakes I''d make?

    Sooner or later, I would have to stand on my feet. I did not expect any more help from them; actually, I was thinking about how to help them. They''ll have it only harder without my help, but even so, I''ll try to help when I am able to.

    I yawned and stretched my hands, and sipped some more coffee.

    A car came into the parking. There had been another couple of trucks that had briefly stopped for the drivers to use the toilet, so I did not pay it too much attention. I raised my eyes when I saw it did not stop near the toilet but came straight towards me. It parked just beside my bike, as if the parking would not be big enough!

    I braced myself to defend my turf and tell them to fuck off when a yell stopped me.

    ¡°Lores!¡± - somebody yelled, and three guys came out of the car.

    Then I recognized the car: it was Hew''s jeep. I was completely shocked to see all three coming out of the jeep. It was late at night; what the hell?

    ¡°Hew? Mike? Tom? What are you guys doing here?!¡±

    Tom shot me a sidelong glance. "Take three guesses!" he quipped, winking as Hew joined in with a greeting.

    "Hey!"

    "What''s up with you?" Mike inquired, moving closer to me on the left side of the table. "Where are you headed? Why aren''t you answering our calls?"

    Tom approached from the right, leaned over me, and pulled me into a hug. I was so taken aback that I didn''t know how to respond.

    "Uh..." I stammered.

    "You were trying to make a getaway!" Hew exclaimed, reproach evident in his strained voice.

    I sighed. Yeah, guilty as charged. So what?

    "Guys, I''m a certified prostitute. What more do you want?"

    Tom shot me another sidelong look and began to speak, but this time, Mike cut him off with a shout.

    "Tom, this is no time for your dumb jokes!"

    "My dumb jokes? I was just asking if she''s alone here," he grumbled, hugging me again.

    "Tooooom!!" both Hew and Mike yelled in unison.

    "Now, seriously, boys," I muttered from under his arms, "the intel about my unique profession might not do wonders for Fata Morgana''s reputation, to put it mildly."

    Hew shrugged, and Tom let out an exasperated huff.

    "Who cares!" Mike chimed in. "All we wanted was to make some great music, and it''s finally happening since you joined us. Your personal choices are your business; we just want you to stick around. We''re your friends, so please stay with us!"

    I let out a sigh. "Well, not that I''m doing any of the things you''re hinting at, but that stuff is going to follow me everywhere."

    "I''m not hinting at anything!" Mike protested.

    I lifted my head and glanced at Hew. "How did you find me here?" I wondered.

    Hew shrugged with a guilty look. "We went to your apartment, and a very irate girl informed us that you had left, taking everything, even her chairs! So I used the ''Find My Phone'' app. You know?"

    I chuckled at his description of Clara as a very irate girl.

    ¡°Did you really go there now in the night? Well, those are my chairs, not hers!¡± I protested, then turned to Hew and asked accusingly, ¡°So you were tracking all my movements?¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Hew jumped to protest. ¡°It is only after you did not answer my call and closed your phone. We feared that you were going to leave, to run away... which you did.¡±

    ¡°Then, when we saw the phone appearing in this location, we decided to speed up as fast as we could,¡± Tom continued, finally releasing me from his hug. "Hew''s going to pay some bills for speeding..."

    Mike sat on the bench on my left side while Tom sat on my right side. Hew stood in front.

    I sighed. ¡°Oh, well, my best friend was the one who distributed the picture of that license. My parents have practically thrown me away from home as a consequence, and I''ll be thrown away from school on Monday." I shrugged. "I have nothing left here.¡±

    ¡°Nothing left?¡± Hew questioned, surprised, with a pained expression.

    ¡°I... I thought that... due to what has come out at Sunny''s party, seeing how my best friend and family reacted...¡±

    ¡°But are you really...?¡± Mike questioned.

    I sighed. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± I said. Anyhow, I couldn''t explain the whole story to them.

    To my surprise, Mike shrugged. ¡°Okay...¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°But, nevertheless, we can continue to be friends, isn''t it?¡±

    I took a deep breath, looking at them surprised.

 Chapter 221 â€“ Nobody Is Perfect

    My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath quickened. I studied their faces, one by one. There was a beauty I was glancing upon, not of the physical kind, for in that aspect, they appeared rather ordinary. This was a different, more profound beauty¡ªone I hadn''t recognized before.

    Is this what true friendship looks like?

    Closing my eyes, I took another deep breath, feeling my heart''s rapid beats reverberating like never before. Are these genuine friends ready to accept me for who I am? Or am I once again deluding myself, investing in a friendship that will crumble with the next revelation?

    Deciding to take the plunge, I opened my eyes, fully aware that I might lose everything in the next ten minutes. "Look, guys. We talked about this..."¡ªbut seeing Hew''s phone on the table triggered my paranoia¡ª"Give me your phones!" I said.

    Tom raised an eyebrow, and I am sure that he had a joke on his lips, but he graciously abstained. They exchanged surprised glances but handed over their phones one by one. Trembling, I made them all disappear.

    It was strange to see my fingers shake; it was an unfamiliar sight. "Don''t be afraid, Lores," I reassured myself, attempting to prepare for the inevitable loss. "Once I reveal what I truly am, they''ll run away. No one can remain friends with a demon."

    But, before delving into the revelation of what I was, I had to reassure them that their precious mobile phones were safe.

    Tom chuckled. "Heh, she discombobulated my phone!"

    ¡°What did you do? I still need my phone later on!¡± Hew asked, sounding somewhat distressed; it was evident that he cared for his phone. Meanwhile, Mike exchanged glances to his left and right.

    ¡°Don''t worry, you''ll get them back when we are done!¡± I replied, a bit taken aback.

    ¡°Okay?¡± Mike nodded, and Tom asked me, "That was a nice trick, can you teach me that?"

    I sighed. Their confusion stemmed from my paranoia, but I knew enough of AI, apps, and mobile phones to know that they could listen in on our conversations and raise alarms at suspicious trigger words or sentences.

    I shook my head. "No, Tom, but I can offer you a consolation prize. Anyone want some coffee, juice, or crackers?"

    I attempted to put them at ease while simultaneously postponing my confession for another moment. I took more cups, biscuits, and a bottle of juice out of my inventory.

    Was it okay to tell them the truth?

    I cast an isolating field around us. I knew it wouldn''t be of the same quality as White Flower could achieve, but it was better than nothing. Taking a deep breath, I continued.

    ¡°Look, guys, I''m not what you think. The problem is not that I am a prostitute; it''s a bit worse than that. I am a demon." I breathed a sigh of relief; now I''ve said it. "Do you still want to be friends with me?" I asked.

    However, it didn''t come out as I wanted. They looked at each other, confused, then started talking at the same time.

    ¡°Now, don''t exaggerate,¡± Tom said. ¡°Being a prostitute does not mean...¡±

    ¡°You mean you are virtually a demon? Why would you mean that?¡± Mike asked.

    "But... " Hew started to say something, stopped to hear the others, took a deep breath, and then started to question me. ¡°Why do you think you have to be a prostitute? Is somebody pressuring you? Is money the reason?¡±

    I shook my head, attempting to answer all their questions. ¡°This is not a parable; money is not the reason, and I am literally a demon!¡±

    Mike sighed. ¡°Being a witch does not mean...¡±

    I snorted and shook my head again. ¡°What''s so difficult to understand? When I use Identify on myself, I get the answer ''demon.'' Is this clear enough?¡±

    Mike''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What do you mean by Identify?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I mean the spell <Identify> from the game.¡±

    ¡°The spell from the game? It happens when you are in the game?¡±

    ¡°No. It happens in reality, here and now. We already talked about this, but there are some nuances I did not mention... I can cast spells from the game here in real life. I cannot cast all spells, but a subset that my character could cast. I somehow incorporated my character from Mephisto.¡±

    Mike interrupted me. "Was your character a demon?"

    I let out a sigh. I did not expect it to be so difficult to explain what I was, but I had now to go into more details, details that I did not feel comfortable sharing. Nevertheless, I did it.

    Details? Did I just call my violation a detail? I stared into space while I continued.

    "No, I don''t know if you can have a demon as a race in the game. My character was human, but she had some demonic blood in her veins. Initially, I did not know about it." I shrugged. "Okay, this was irrelevant until it wasn''t. It so happened that I had been violated."

    "Violated?" Mike muttered.

    I turned towards Hew. "You remember the night when you picked me up just after Matt had that accident?"

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "Yes! Oh!" he replied, shocked. "You had been violated then?"

    I sighed and nodded. "Yes. That was the night when I woke up my demonic part." I raised my eyes and looked defiantly at him.

    "What do you mean by that?" Hew wondered.

    "What happened to the violator?" Tom asked, fury obvious in his eyes.

    Should I burden them with a complete confession? There was no need for that! I turned and looked at him.

    "Do you really want to know?" I sighed, then turned back to Hew. "I''m a succubus, Hew. You called me then and told me that Matt had an accident. When I went with you to the hospital, I gave him the excess life I had taken; it did help, but all I had was not enough to heal him. The only way I could help him further was to steal more life from other people and push it into him. That''s what I wanted to do."

    "Steal life?" Mike wondered. "How does this work? Do they lose years of life?"

    "No, it does not work like this. Maybe ''stealing life'' is the wrong term to use. I guess vitality sounds better. People recover after a succubus takes a bit of their vitality."

    I stopped for a moment, thinking if I should tell them about the healing ring? But the story was long enough like this; besides, what would that change? Nothing.

    "Succubus?" Mike wondered. "You''re a succubus?"

    "So demons are real?" Tom exclaimed, shocked.

    "Mephisto kind of demons!" Hew tried to clarify.

    I shrugged. What do I know about demons? Nothing besides the fact that I identify as one... and besides the summons...

    "I don''t know if Mephisto''s demons are real demons or not. I always thought that a succubus is a human invention based on the ''femme fatale'' trope, but there is more to the story. OK, long story short: that was when I had awoken the demon in me, but by some unfortunate things I did, I multiplied the black magic in me to such an extent that it dominates everything else. I simply don''t know how much of me is still me and how much of it I am the demon. And the worse is that I''ve been summoned as a demon. Can you wrap your minds around this?"

    I laughed at the absurdity of it. "So, my dear friends," I concluded, "besides being a prostitute, I am a demon and probably dangerous. If you are wise, you''ll go back into that car and forget you ever met me. I won''t condemn you for that; you do not owe me anything."

    There was a short moment of silence, with only the sound of Tom''s teeth chewing crackers being heard. Mike sighed.

    "So, you did that to save Matt? This prostitute nonsense comes from there!?" he asked.

    "You''ve been summoned as a demon? What is this for a crazy thing? Did some cultists summon you?" Hew wondered.

    I snorted and let out a long breath. The fact that I did that for Matt or that I was summoned did not change the fact that I was a demon. That was the problem they needed to face, but they weren''t thinking about that! I pressed my face into my palms.

    "Some crazy folks summoned me for various tasks. I didn''t know what was happening. At first, I refused outright, but when I rejected the summons, there was a backlash that weakened me. Then another summon came and another one, and I felt worse and worse until I accepted.

    That time when I missed meeting you all in the hospital when I didn''t come to see Matt, it was because some crazy sorcerer summoned me to clean up and organize the books in his library!"

    Instead of understanding the difficult situation I was in, they burst into laughter.

    "Wow, I like that!" - Tom said enthusiastically - "You need to teach me how this summonning process works! Summon a sweet demon lady to clean up my room!? The best-ever spell to learn! I''m all in! Look, even better, if you are compelled to complete summons, as you say, you could come to me, do the work with some magic, and then we can have a drink and a chat after that. What do you say? It would be a win-win situation!" He then turned toward Mike and shrugged. "What? There''s nothing insidious in what I said?"

    The conversation was taking a turn toward a too-lighthearted tone. I sighed. I needed to convey the gravity of the situation and make them understand why I had to leave the group.

    "You don''t seem to get it. When I mentioned multiplying the black magic in me, it wasn''t that simple. It transformed me. I''m not the same girl anymore. It merged my character with that of the game character."

    I pointed with my forefinger to my temple.

    "A game character is merged here inside! Got it? Besides," - I shrugged - "I don''t even know if I can sing like before. Sometimes, I ask myself if it''s still me or if a demon has taken my place. I really don''t know. Lately, I told you I caught a cold, and that''s why my voice was different. But the truth is, the nature of my magic has changed, and that''s why my voice is different. You see, I used to manipulate my voice and infuse it with magic, which made it sound great. But with different magic, it sounds different."

    Seeing their continued bewilderment, I pressed on. I dispelled the illusions that concealed my budding horns.

    "Touch here! Do you feel it, do you see? My horns are growing. Lately, I cut them off for the party. Look at my hands. Can you see it? My claws are growing back! They''re still relatively small, but they could get really big and annoying. The last time they grew, I scratched you unintentionally. Hew, do you remember when we were in the park with Lola?"

    His eyes went round in surprise. He nodded.

    ¡°Oh yes, I do! I still have the scratch, but I haven''t seen your claws? How can you type on a keyboard with those claws?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. They were focusing all the time on the wrong points.

    ¡°You haven''t seen them because I had hidden them under an illusion like my horns. Now, I just removed the illusion so that you can see clearly what I am!¡± - I explained.

    ¡°Oh! Wow! You can do such illusions? Amazing!" - Mike exclaimed.

    ¡°Ahm... Do you need ...ah, to feed on... eh... guys? From time to time? You know... to survive?¡± - Tom suddenly asked.

    Was this a real question, or was he still making fun of the situation?

    ¡°No, Tom!¡± - I answered ¨C ¡°I have no need!¡±

    ¡°But how do you feed?¡± - he wondered ¨C ¡°Do demons feed like us on food?¡±

    I pointed at the crackers and nodded.

    "I eat food, Tom!"

    ¡°Are these some special crackers?¡± - Mike asked, looking afraid at the cracker in his hand.

    I let out a disarmed sigh: ¡°Special salty crackers from the grocery store!¡±

    ¡°I guess Tom wanted to volunteer!¡± - Mike snorted ¨C ¡°You know, like the vampires sucking blood from thralls!¡±

    I rested my head on the palm of my left hand. These guys can''t be serious for more than fifteen seconds. They have a true demon in front of their eyes, and they make jokes about vampires.

    ¡°So, you see, I am a pure demon!¡± ¨C I looked at each of them, one after the other ¨C ¡°Do you still want me in your band?¡±

    Mike shrugged.

    ¡°Is this how demons behave? Maybe they are a misunderstood species! You know, we love being with you together. When we work together on songs, we make real progress, and you have great ideas and input. Should I mention that we love how you sing? On top of that, you risked your career and everything to save Matt, one of us! You are being thrown out of home for that, and we should ditch you? Are you serious?¡±

    I sighed. Demons are a species?

    I placed my face in my hands. What was wrong with these guys? I raised my head and pleaded with them.

    ¡°But I''m a demon?¡±

    Tom placed his hand on my shoulder and shook his head with a sad mien and a deep sigh.

    ¡°Alas, Lores, nobody is perfect. Look at me! I''m almost perfect, but not perfect.¡±

    I rolled my eyes while they started to laugh. I ended up chuckling myself.

 Chapter 222 â€“ Feelings Are Important!

    I was attempting to rest, sprawled on my back in Hew''s spacious bed in his cabin in the woods, trying to process the events of the last day.

    What had astounded me was the trio''s lack of ability to grasp the gravity of the situation. They behaved as if those budding little horns on my head were just some amusing decoration! How could that be?

    Various dreadful thoughts clashed in my mind, and I struggled to make sense of them. What does being a demon mean in the real world? Were all those stories about souls and demons real? I was practically void of religious knowledge; I''ve always had a rebellious spirit and never tried to absorb anything that my mother attempted to indoctrinate me with regarding religion. Was this because I was ''marked by the devil'' as my mother said? Or was I simply embodying a game character, as Hew suggested?

    The boys had acted so unfazed; it seemed as if nothing could bring them down. Why were they so trusting?

    In addition to these thoughts that offered me no peace, all sorts of strange sounds emanated from the woods, intensifying my unrest. How could anyone sleep in these conditions? I desperately tried to keep my eyes shut and fall asleep.

    Just as I was finally close to achieving that, some beast started sniffing loudly close to the window. Initially, I tried to ignore it, turning on the other side, but after enduring enough of this restless dance, rolling over a hundred times, I went to check what on earth it could be. A bear? A boar? Was that a boar sniffing at the cottage? But there was nothing there. A boar is big; it cannot just hide like this in plain view. Was this some magical creature? Were there any magical creatures now on this earth? If I exist, why would no magical creature exist?

    I heard the noise again and was finally able to pinpoint the source. Straining my eyes, I saw a little bundle of leaves moving... Drats, the offender was just a little hedgehog! I went back to my bed, disappointed and completely awake. Surprisingly loud noise for such a small beast! I didn''t know hedgehogs could make such sounds.

    How can anybody even sleep in this cabin? Why did I not hear the noise when I was here with the boys? The problem was not the intensity or loudness of the environmental noise but its unusual patterns. It was low enough that you could hear the hum from the distant city and the highway, but at the same time, there were a lot of strange, low-level noises coming from everywhere. Even critters running inside the room were noisy enough to grab my attention. What did those damn critters have to do inside there?

    I sighed and tried again to turn on the other side. Eventually, I stood up, went to the toilet, drank some water, and came back to bed. I finally succumbed to tiredness in the early morning hours and was still deep in my sleep when the boys arrived at ten o''clock in the morning.

    "The door is not locked!?" - Hew said, surprised, pressing the handle - "She must be outside in the woods!"

    As they entered the cabin, Tom remarked suddenly, "She''s here in the bed, completely under the blanket!" - he whispered.

    "Are you sure it''s her?" - Mike wondered.

    Hew shrugged. "Who else could it be?"

    "How can one breathe under a blanket? She does not move! Did something happen to her?" - Mike asked, then added - "I wonder, do demons need air?"

    "She''s not really a demon!" - Tom said.

    "But she said so!" - Mike countered.

    "Lores, Lores? Did something happen?" Hew placed a hand on what he supposed was my shoulder and shook me.

    "What, what? Lola?" - I jumped in bed into a sitting position and tried to look around while pulling on the blanket to cover me. Somehow, it refused to move - "Where am I?"

    Hew took a step back. ¡°Morning, Lores! Ahhh... Are you OK if we make ourselves a coffee? We want to have brunch. It is such a wonderful day!¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    I rubbed my eyes and opened one to look at the invaders. Something was hanging over my face, partially covering my view.

    ¡°Mmmorning!¡± - I said, feeling my cheeks burning red hot while I was pulling at that thing. It, too, stubbornly resisted my pull. Why that? I did not feel it hanging in my hair but something else. I raised my hand up and found out that I had horns. Yep, my horns were now fully grown, about ten centimeters long, pointing defiantly straight up in the air, and my undershirt was hanging on my left horn.

    The sun rays, like light arrows targeting my eyes through the window, made it difficult to see, especially in the half shadow inside the cabin, but slowly, I realized it was the three boys I was facing. The idea of having breakfast was enough to motivate me to wake up. I nodded, and the undershirt waved in front of my eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, OK, I''ll be joining you in a minute, just give me the time to wake up!¡± - I said whilst yawning, stretching my limbs, then I tried to remove the undershirt from the horn.

    I heard them laughing. What was so funny?

    We had a hearty breakfast, and their joyousness was contagious. I did not hide my demonic appendices anymore, and Mike even asked if he was allowed to touch my sharp horns. At first, I allowed it, even if it was not a comfortable feeling; it was like somebody touching your very sensitive, long ears, nose, or fingers. However, in the end, they all took turns touching them until I said enough and poked Hew''s side, who was taking too much time studying them.

    My claws were now pretty sharp and about two centimeters long, so I had to take care not to puncture him.

    After breakfast, we started working on the last song that Tom was writing. It was another blues, but somehow, I messed up a lot of the notes. Not even when we tried Hew''s song, the one with the catchy refrain that I sang last time acceptably, was I able to sing now well enough. Something was going wrong.

    ¡°Concentrate on the song!¡± - Hew said.

    ¡°It is like your mind is not here!¡± ¨C Mike added.

    I wanted instinctively to protest, but he was right; my mind had wandered again and again to yesterday''s events.

    There was a moment when I wanted to give up, but then I thought to myself: was I not White Flower? What was she doing differently to always be able to sing perfectly, besides infusing magic into her voice? Infusing magic in my voice didn''t make the notes right!

    Well, feeling it, that was the difference! She was feeling the notes, feeling the song, singing with feeling. She even understood the message the song was trying to convey and translated that into feelings. As simple, or as difficult as that.

    Can I do that?

    You cannot do that when you concentrate on other things!

    So, I tried again, this time concentrating on feeling the song, to give it that feeling note that I was missing before. I had not been aware of it, but White Flower knew very well what she did, and the last time I accidentally did it, I did it instinctively as the refrain was so catchy!

    With the new approach, we sang the blues through, and at the end, the silence that followed showed me that I did it right. Tom concluded with a nod.

    ¡°Now, that was exactly how I imagined it. You are fully back, Lores!¡±

    His eyes were shining when he said that, and he came to hug me.

    After this, we chatted for a while and drank another coffee while Hew replayed the recording. It was done only for our use there, as there was some background noise, plus Matt had been missing from our team, but it sounded already very good.

    As we chatted there, listening to our songs, I asked for their opinion on what job I should look for. At first, they asked me why I needed a part-time job. Was it not better to sing? Did that not bring in as much money as a part-time job? When I explained that I was looking for a full-time job as I was going to drop out of school, Tom countered that I should in no way give up on school. Eventually, I could look for a part-time job, but our songs should be good enough to sustain us.

    Well, that surprised me. How could I continue with school when the principal would certainly want me out?

    No, Mike countered. She may want that, but she cannot do it simply based on an internet rumour. He had talked with his mother about it; she was a lawyer, and she had told him that they could not throw me out like that. They would need confirmation that I was practicing prostitution, and even if I would do that, that was debatable. The police would not confirm such inquiries unless there was a case against me, specifically on these grounds.

    I should simply not confirm that the license from the photo is valid. As long as I do not confirm it and as long as I do not engage in any act or anything that would look like I am involved in prostitution inside the school''s compound, they have no way to proceed against me based on that internet picture. I would always have a decent line of defence. The school could be forced to fulfil the contract for which I paid the tuition. Even worse, if they acted without proof, they could be forced to cover all my incurring losses caused by sacking me like that, including missing potential wages, and they would certainly not want to risk that.

    OK, now that promised an interesting Monday at school.

 Chapter 223 - Mike

    It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May, and the lush green forest surrounding us was teeming with life, adorned with explosions of flowers that covered the trees around the cabin. Sitting on those wooden benches in the shadow, we kept chatting and working on the song, sipping juice, and indulging in fruits, but we made little progress. It surprised me how much effort goes into creating a single song. When fatigue set in and no new ideas emerged, we decided to visit Matt at the hospital.

    Before we left, I set my mobile phone to vibrate regularly, now every seven minutes, to remind me to cast my illusion spells. They now lasted a couple of minutes longer, and the three boys watched with fascination as my horns, wings, and claws disappeared into the air as I cast my spells.

    Of course, I had to endure some horn touching as they didn''t want to believe that an illusion could be that good, even though I continued to tell them that it was a low-level illusion. The ability to make something invisible, a thing that you could touch but not see, fascinated them.

    Once their curiosity was satisfied, we set ourselves on the way. I drove my bike in front of their jeep along the forest road, keeping the jeep in the rearview mirror. However, once on the highway, I lost them after a couple of maneuvers without even realizing it. Instead of slowing down, I then decided to drive to the hospital and wait for them there. Unwittingly, I had about ten minutes to chat with Matt before they arrived, but I refrained from talking about our relationship, and I was happy to see that he did not push forward on this subject.

    As I bravely stood on a chair and talked with him, the door opened suddenly.

    ¡°Wow, we thought we''d find you kissing here!¡± - Tom said as a greeting when he entered the room and then added ¨C ¡°Matt, you should have seen her eagerness to come here; she was racing like crazy! We lost her after ten seconds on the highway!¡±

    I rolled my eyes but did not inform them that we were not a couple anymore. If Matt did not do it, why should I? Besides, I liked the situation as it was now, with the boys thinking that I was Matt''s girlfriend. They were behaving as good friends with me, not courting me, and I didn''t want to change that.

    Matt only shrugged innocently, offering no further explanation. Instead, he informed us that he would be able to go home this week. That was great news!

    We immediately decided to meet at his home once he was discharged. He explained that he might need another operation later on to remove some or all of the implants in his bones, but that would be evaluated at a later time. That was the not-so-great news.

    While his mobility was still somewhat restricted, he could already move and take a few steps with support. It was painful to witness this situation, knowing that a simple spell from White Flower would have been enough to heal him! Healing magic is such a wonderful thing! Instead, he had to spend most of the day in bed, risking further muscle atrophy.

    His left hand remained in a cast and would continue to be so for some time, but that didn''t dampen his optimism and joy at the prospect of finally being able to go home.

    We chatted for more than an hour, and Hew even played back the recording of our new song to hear his feedback on it, but after that, we had to let him rest.

    As we left the room, we decided to call it a day and go home; we were all tired. Since Mike''s house was in the direction of the forest, while Hew and Tom lived on the opposite side of town, I suggested that Mike come with me and spare Hew the detour.

    Mike''s initial reaction was to decline, explaining that he had no helmet. However, I had a helmet that I received from Gonzo and wasn''t using. I pulled out the helmet from my inventory and handed it to him while Hew and Tom looked on, amused. Hew even questioned Mike about whether he was really going with me, and Tom yelled encouraging words.

    I readied the bike and started the engine. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked Mike.

    He climbed awkwardly behind me, and I showed him where to rest his feet.

    "I can walk home, really; there''s no need..." he said, ready to jump down from the bike.

    "Oh, come on, keep cool! We''ll be there in a minute," I replied.

    "That''s what I''m afraid of!" he countered, and I had to chuckle.

    I hadn''t thought about it before, but feeling him behind me as he awkwardly tried to embrace me without really embracing me, I realized that taking a passenger on a bike is a much more intimate situation than in a car. Well, it was not unpleasant to feel him behind me, but neither particularly pleasant; it did not trigger any deep feelings.

    "Don''t be afraid to hold tight," I told him, sensing his stress.

    As he pushed himself closer, he wondered, feeling my wings pressed between the two of us. "Is there no problem if I press your wings like this?"

    I chuckled. "Don''t worry, you cannot harm them. Ready?"

    "Uhm... OK..."

    I started the bike and drove graciously out of the parking with Hew''s jeep in tow. We took the right fork, and they took the left, and I waved to the boys.

    Mike was still not very enthusiastic about the ride, and that amused me even more. On one side, it was fun to push him out of his comfort zone; on the other side, I was curious to see how he would react. He was a bit of an unknown to me, being the taciturn of the group. The interactions with Hew and Tom were clearer, and I knew very well where I stood, but with the introverted Mike, I was mostly guessing. He was always there, but that was all I knew about him, and maybe this was a good opportunity to know him better.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    As I drove very peacefully for about a minute, I felt him relaxing.

    "Are you OK? Everything''s fine with you?" I asked.

    "It''s great!" he said. "It is not so bad as I thought!"

    I chuckled. "Cool, hold tight!" I said and pushed the acceleration. The bike roared, the front wheel raised for a couple of seconds in the air, and I felt my hair waving in the wind while his hands clasped my belly desperately.

    Was I mean? Well, maybe a little. I did not do any spectacular stunts, as I did have that fragile package with me ¨C him - but the bike meandered now its way through the easy Sunday traffic like a knife through butter.

    After about five minutes of driving, as I stopped at a traffic light, I asked him.

    "How do you feel? OK?"

    If, at first, his hands were totally cramped, now he was a bit more relaxed.

    "Ahm, getting a little better. I hope this is no reason to push it harder now?" he cautiously wondered.

    I chuckled. "No. Fancy we go up the fortress hill and have a cake or a juice up there?"

    The almost two-century-old fortress on the small hill dominating the district was one of the town''s attraction points and had at least ten to fifteen different small restaurants and cafeterias with a great view around it.

    "Oh, it''s a pity we did not take Tom and Hew with us!" he protested.

    "Well, it is no big detour for us, and I really could enjoy a drink!"

    I had not planned this before; I just got the idea when I saw the fortress when I was waiting at that traffic light. As the light turned green, I started slowly and took the right lane to go towards the hill.

    "Would the guys not be angry with us if we go there without them?" he wondered.

    "But, of course," I said. "That''s why we''ll send them a selfie with us two enjoying drinking something there. This will teach them to let us go alone!"

    I think he chuckled, but at least he did not protest any more.

    Soon after, seated on the terrace of a small cafeteria, we enjoyed the sunset: the sun touching the horizon, the sky, and the few clouds now colored in an incendiary red. The color reflected on the myriad of roofs and trees aligned along the intricate streets.

    I turned and looked at him, maybe for the first time, really looking at him. He was about my height, corpulent, but not really the fat type. His hands were small and smooth, and his hair had a dirty yellow-brownish color. He was sporting a shady mustache that seemed a touch more yellow than his hair, dividing his round face above his rather thin lips.

    As I met his shady blue eyes, I smiled, asking myself how to start the conversation. After a couple of awkward seconds, he saved me by initiating the conversation. After talking about some generalities, I began asking questions and learned that he had been in a Catholic school for the first four years, and his parents were relatively devout Catholics.

    ¡°Now I am confused,¡± I said. ¡°How can you accept me, being a demon, when you are religious?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You are not the devil; I know this...¡±

    I interrupted him. ¡°How can you know this?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I know it from how you behave, from what you do and have done. The fact that you have taken over one character from the game does not make you a devil. We must understand how that was possible and what kind of phenomenon made it possible. All this magic must have a physical explanation, either a level of technology that we do not understand or some hidden faculties that become unveiled.¡±

    ¡°Technology? Hidden faculties?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Well, technology can look like magic if you do not understand how it works. Humans have always shown some hidden faculties; think of some cases of telekinesis.¡±

    ¡°But those were never reproduced in a lab under a controlled situation!¡± - I protested.

    ¡°True, but still, that might be the explanation.¡±

    ¡°And me being summoned as a demon? Does that not clarify things?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, that might be again a link to the game''s world that manifests in reality. I guess we did somehow implement that game''s world. I think it was a wonder created by many minds playing the game, and you are but a victim of that creation!¡±

    ¡°This is how you think of it?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°There might be more victims,¡± he said. "Look at what happened in Bounty County. People who could not control their game characters are my explanation for that disaster!¡±

    I raised a brow. ¡°So you do not believe the official explanation?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Who does?¡± he shrugged. ¡°The official explanation is to give people reassurance that the government is in control, but I think they do not understand what happened.¡±

    We continued to chat until it got dark, and then I drove him home.

    I made the mistake of talking with him and lingering a bit longer in front of his house, and a little djini incarnated as a ten-year-old came out of the house like a whirlwind.

    ¡°Yeaaah, Mike''s new girlfriend has a bike!¡± - the little djini yelled.

    Mike tried to correct her: ¡°She''s not my girlfriend, she''s Lores! Lores, meet Sandra, my little sister!¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°She''s a girl, and she''s your friend! So she''s your girlfriend! I want on the bike! I want on the bike!¡±

    ¡°Hi Sandra!¡± - I said

    Mike''s mother appeared in the doorframe: ¡°Sandra, come back in immediately! You should be in bed by now!¡±

    ¡°Please, take me for a round, please, please, please!?¡± she looked at me with her best puppy eyes, and I found it suddenly very difficult to resist her pleas.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Miller,¡± I said. ¡°I''ll take her for just a little round. Is this okay, Mrs. Miller?¡±

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You shouldn''t accept anything she asks, but ok... However, are you feeling confident enough on that engine, and can you take care of my little Sandra? Sandra, don''t jump suddenly, do you hear me? Lores, just let her sit there, and that''s all?¡±

    ¡°If you take me for a round, I''ll pardon you!¡± - the little girl whispered to me.

    I raised a brow. I did not know I had committed something to have to be pardoned.

    ¡°Of course, Mrs. Miller, of course!¡± - I said.

    I took the little girl in the air, placed her in front of me between my arms, and started the bike. We moved slowly, then a bit faster. We made a five-minute tour through the neighborhood. She giggled almost all the time.

    ¡°And what do you pardon me from? What did I do?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Because of that night when you slept with Mike, I got my first bad mark in school! You caused that! And now, this year, I will not be the first in the class! I''ll fail because of you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, no! I''m sorry about that, but just so you know, I did not really sleep with Mike then; we just fought against hypothermia! It had snowed up there in the mountain, and we could not leave the cabin; that''s why we had to stay!¡±

    She glanced at me with an all-knowing smile.

    ¡°Yeah, sure!¡± ¨C and rolled her eyes.

    As soon as we arrived back in front of the house, I was invited for dinner without the right to refuse. Then, I was almost kidnapped and forced to go to bed in the room adjacent to Sandra''s. "Who would, in their right mind, let a girl go to sleep alone in a cabin in the woods?" Mrs. Miller muttered.

    At least before going to bed, I could exercise my new transformation spells on some beetles I found in front of the window, trying to escape. All I could do was change the color of their wings. If I tried anything deeper, I just got some unsavory beetle juice.

    Running out of victims to experiment with, I went to bed ruminating about what I had talked about with Mike. Could it be as simple as he had stated it? The game world becoming real!? But how? This did not fit with Cala''s or White Flower''s memory, but one could say that being inside the system, you could not have realized the transformation.

    If that world is now real, where is it? I knew it was real, but where could it be? A different dimension?

 Chapter 224 â€“ An Agitated Night

    I could not sleep; too many thoughts were swirling in my head. After a couple of minutes of tossing and turning in my bed, I stood up again. I was tired and yet not tired enough to sleep.

    Was Mike right? Was my demonic side just something from the game, or was there more to it? I never felt any demonic feelings, or did I? What are demonic feelings? What does being a demon mean? What does a demon want?

    I am a warlord! I did raid cities and killed thousands! Tens of thousands? No, what about more than one hundred thousand? Is that demonic enough?

    Yeah, but that was in a game? Or not? Was that world real? Was it real when I did that?

    But no! That was not me; that was Markus, who played Cala at the time!

    Yes, but I did have all kinds of strange impulses and wishes to use my power over others. That was me, not Markus! Did I not want to use and abuse even Alice? My Alice? How could such a thought even pass through my filthy brain?

    Yes, true, but strangely, those wishes disappeared once I got out of the game world, didn''t they? If those wishes had come from my demonic personality, they should still be with me, but they are not. So what was that?

    The realization shocked me. Have I been manipulated by something when in the game? Who could have tried to place those thoughts in my mind? It had not been constant, but now and then, I did have some strange ideas and impulses. At the time, it mostly seemed normal to me, but now, when I think about it, I have a totally different view. How comes?

    But then, why did my ma disavow me? Was her rejection only because of that damn license? I wonder, did she feel something demonic in me? She said something about me being marked! Could my birthmarks have something to do with it, or was that just some religious nonsense?

    But even if it was just some religious nonsense, she did disavow me! I would have trusted her with my life, and yet she judged me so fast and repudiated me!

    That thought stung, and tears filled my eyes.

    Damn, I cannot go to bed with these thoughts in my mind, or I''ll cry the whole night. What should I do? I looked around at the alien room. I was not at home. What could I do? There was a library with many books on the opposite wall, and I thought of trying to read a book; then I remembered my transformation book. Let me first try to read my transformation book again.

    Even if I did try to practice whenever I had a few minutes free, I hadn''t made much progress with the transformation spell. I had the feeling that I was missing something.

    I retrieved the original book from my inventory and carefully ''healed'' it before using it. Interestingly, when reading directly from the book, I experienced a slight headache, but I also felt that it provided more insight. Could it be that my copy was faulty? A picture has only a limited number of pixels, but the runes were very clear, so what was the difference?

    It was so much different from what I had used in Mephisto''s World! Maybe that''s why I had difficulties with it. In Mephisto''s World, we adventurers only chose our path and then bought and used specially prepared scrolls to teach us spells. One just had to open the scroll and magically learn that spell from it.

    This... this was much more like how White Flower had learned magic, albeit not as deep. She had always said that runes were a stylized representation of the deep lines of magic underneath reality but could be used as a crutch to learn and memorize spells. White Flower had always said that intent was what mattered.

    When reading from the book, it was as if the image would absorb my attention as if the space would slowly start to move around the book, and I was getting a bit dizzy. Why was that? I never felt dizzy when reading the photocopied pages! Perhaps that was the reason why I subconsciously decided not to read directly from the book and used the photocopy, but maybe that had been a mistake.

    I took the book in my hand and opened it to the first page of the transformation spell. I looked at the runes and felt again how space started to contort, but I did not waver this time. I kept my eyes locked on the image, and then something happened. The space warping stopped, and I saw the image becoming alive: the runes were moving in front of my eyes. I watched in confusion. Was this the spell? It was like a 3D moving image.

    When I finally lifted my eyes from the page, it felt like stepping back into a different space. The page in front of me suddenly transformed into a normal, typical paper page with something scribbled on it, but now I knew it was more.

    I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. I had the impression that I now understood the simple transformation spell, but was it really the case?

    With the light in my room, there were enough new test candidates swirling around, so I attempted the transformation spells again. I focused on a little bugger and saw the runes forming around it... and...

    Damn! It flew away!

    I sighed. I didn''t want to grab the bugs with my hand out of fear of inadvertently transforming my fingers, not to mention the challenge of catching them. Every time I tried to transform one, they scurried away as if sensing my attempts, making it difficult to carry out the experiment.

    In the end, I caught a May beetle, and after several unsuccessful attempts, I immobilized it by trapping its two rear legs under a book. Now I tried the spell, and... It worked!

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    At first, I experimented with simple color changes. I gave it pink wings, then transformed the forelegs into pincers. It worked, and the beetle lived! A new species was born: a May beetle with pincers and pink wings!

    I continued by giving another one horns, and then I transformed a moth into a ladybug. Unfortunately, it didn''t end well for the moth, but I instantly realized why: I hadn''t scanned any ladybugs before, so my target for transformation was not well defined.

    Drat! I learned it! And I had lost so much time reading from the copy, and I almost let the original book decay completely!

    I glanced at my claws. Should I try to transform those? Claws are actually dead tissue, so it should work easier. But what about a real model? I approached the wall; Sandra should be sleeping there. Indeed, I sensed her presence and let my magic explore her fingers. Luckily, she was close enough for my now limited control area.

    Once satisfied with my ''inspection,'' I proceeded to try the spell on the claw of my little finger. I witnessed the runes forming in the air around it and felt a prickle in the finger, then it suddenly worked!

    "Okay, this is what bugs must be feeling; that''s why they run away!" - I muttered to myself.

    I watched in fascination as my little finger now sported a normal nail. Oh, gosh, I can get rid of these claws! I tried to calm my rapidly beating heart. No reason to get that excited, Lores. Keep cool.

    I transformed it back to a claw, and it looked perfectly legitimate, just like the claw before. Now, back to a nail. Perfect!

    I followed up with the second claw, and again, a total success! Slowly, I was becoming better at this.

    Ten minutes later, I was admiring my feet, specifically my toes, with perfect little nails on them. Only now did I realize how much stress those claws had caused me! Should I try to get rid of my wings and horns, too?

    I decided to wait and see if there were any issues with my new nails.

    I took a deep breath. All this stress about horns, claws, and wings ends here! Hell yeah!

    I looked at my horned self in the mirror.

    "No, I''ll wait no more! Damn the precaution, I want to be normal again! Wings, begone!"

    I focused on dispelling my wings but soon realized that this was too ambitious for one attempt. I couldn''t control the runes surrounding the wings all at once. It was too unwieldy, so I removed them piece by piece.

    After about half an hour, I was completely covered in sweat, but I had a perfectly clean, beautiful back with no wings. I breathed a sigh of relief! Now I can wear any dress or blouse I want!

    I almost started to do a victory dance when I realized that it was way past midnight. Keep it together, Lores, and don''t make too much noise. Let me finish those horns, and then I''ll be a perfectly clean girl!

    I began with the right horn, tackling it piece by piece as I did with the wings. I concentrated on removing the tip, and it worked!

    Suddenly, I felt dizzy. I tried to concentrate on removing another piece from the horn, but it didn''t work. I couldn''t visualize the runes anymore! Everything was diffuse and unclear!

    I took a deep breath when I understood.

    Oh, my! The horns are like my mana eyes! I knew this a long time ago; how could I forget? Without horns, I don''t have that fine magic manipulation needed for the spell. Cold sweat covered me. Oh, no! What do I do now?

    I attempted repeatedly to ''repair'' the missing part, but it didn''t work. I couldn''t focus and arrange the mana as it should be. Properly visualizing the runes became a challenge, akin to a person with at least five diopters of eyesight impairment trying to paint a delicate artwork. I was far from clearly seeing the runes, making it difficult to cast the spell.

    Cold sweat started to run down my naked back. What was I going to do? I could leave it as it was, but even the mirror spell to hide my horns had lost quality. What should I do? Stick with this and risk it with even lower-quality illusion spells?

    I knew that with practice, things would improve, but even the illusion spell''s duration was now under three minutes. Drats! I had only removed the tip of one horn!

    I pondered what Flo did when she had no horns. Oh yeah, she had crafted some horns out of mana. They couldn''t replace the real ones, but they served as a decent temporary solution for her.

    Could I try the same thing?

    I attempted to visualize my horn being back, and at a certain moment, it clicked, and I clearly saw the runes. It was just a brief moment, but it gave me hope.

    It took at least another hour of concentration and effort to slowly rebuild my horn. First, adding itsy-bitsy small pieces, then completing it, followed by several iterations to make it match the left horn.

    When I finally had it back, I released a huge sigh of relief.

    Oh, fuck, this had been a beginner''s error, as written in the book! I thought I heard Charmoise, the great Shaman of Norsey, laughing at me: "Never attempt to transform into a non-magical person or creature. You might be surprised if you succeed in transmuting into one, but reverting without magic is impossible. Yet there exists a lengthy list of idiots who''ve made precisely this error."

    A lengthy list of idiots, and I almost added myself to it.

    Well, my error was not that grave, but almost. I simply diminished my mana manipulation power. So the horns had to stay, at least until my normal mana manipulation power got to this level, even without horns. Would that ever happen?!

    I think it was about three in the morning when I went to the bathroom and took a shower. I couldn''t go to bed that sweaty. I sneaked back to my room as quietly as possible and went to bed.

    I was almost asleep when I heard movement in the corridor, and then my heart froze as the door to my room opened quietly. I didn''t move, trying to fake that I was sleeping.

    I heard a whisper. ¡°Lores?¡±

    ¡°Sandra? What''s happening?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I... I had a bad dream... Can I stay with you? Just for a moment?¡±

    I hesitated, then sighed. ¡°OK, you can come into my bed for five minutes...¡±

    I heard her naked feet on the floor, and then she pushed herself gently into my bed. I covered her with the blanket and embraced her. She mumbled something and fell asleep almost instantly. I felt guilty. Could it be that my ''inspections'' woke her up? But why did she come to me?

    What do I do now?

    I sighed. Try to sleep, what else?

 Chapter 225 - Moonlit Reflections

    Finally, after spending three consecutive nights at the Miller''s residence, I found an excuse and managed to return to Hew''s cabin. The evening was pleasant, not yet dark, and on a whim, I decided to engage in some physical activity, opting to run through the woods.

    The forest surrounding the cabin was relatively old, sprawling over a rocky hill. Massive boulders, partially covered by earth and moss, were entangled among giant roots, resembling huge snakes holding them in place. I ran and leaped from rock to root to another rock. At times, the canopy dipped low, almost touching the ground, prompting me to either bow or choose an alternative path. This revealed small glades or other dark sections of the woods, creating a cathedral-like ambiance. While there were various trees, fir trees dominated from a certain level onward. Wild berries, like occasional punctuation, adorned the glades. I discovered raspberries but tasted only a couple, not wanting to linger in one place and enjoying the continuous flow of my run.

    I went barefoot, my skin tough enough not to be bothered. Dressed in only a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, I had no fear of mosquitoes¡ªwell, at least until a new mana-eating species would decide to emerge. At level twenty-six in a zero-level area, I felt like Kara, Superman''s sister.

    It was Wednesday evening, and surprisingly, I hadn''t been expelled yet. The lines between friends and foes in school were much clearer now, and strangely, I felt better. Some people displayed a level of hate that shocked me, while others were kind, supportive, and surprisingly warm. There seemed to be almost no middle ground; I was either hated or sympathized with. It appeared that neutrality was lost on me, and the strange thing was that it was for a totally false reason: I wasn''t doing what they assumed I was. Oh, well, basically I was worse, so I did not complain.

    I did have a stormy meeting with the principal, Brooks, a lawyer, and some teachers, resulting in just some warnings and threats. In the school corridors, I was insulted a couple of times, but not excessively so. The worst had been when I found my bike clipped to the side in the parking lot. I could hardly digest that and it almost brought my blood to a boil, even though the bike hadn''t been damaged, and it happened only once.

    I decided to ignore it and react only if it happened again. I supposed that I would be able to find out who did that, but I feared that I would not be too kind to them, so it was better not to know for the time being.

    At lunch, I was convinced that I would have to eat alone in the cafeteria, but Michael joined me on the first day, then Simon, Daniel, and the handball gang, including Helen.

    In class, Constance was the same, as if nothing had happened. She was the one constant I could rely on. She did not ask any questions, knowing that I''d talk as soon as I felt the need to do so.

    For Matt and the group, the first shock came when the provider we used to distribute the songs canceled the contract. Just like that, without even a warning. It was not easy to find a new provider, but Tom had found a small company trying to succeed independently with cartoon and book sales that accepted to host our songs.

    Frankly speaking, I was shocked by the situation. What on Earth could that service provider find so disturbing about the fact that I had that special license? Oh, well, whatever it was, the boys seemed to be able to find solutions, even if it did impact some of our current revenues.

    In the wider world things were not going so well neither.

    There were rumors that the situation in the Bounty County was bad. Of course, almost nothing was officially confirmed, but it was said that the area had to be enlarged due to some pollutant spill, and several villages had to be hastily evacuated.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The mainstream news did not talk about fights, but only about some grave incidents of heavy poisoning. The rumors was that the army had been simply pushed back, and in places where they tried to resist, they had been overrun. However, the invaders did not push further, than a couple of kilometers.

    It was difficult to know the truth, the narrative about the zone was one of the most censured things.

    For the weekend, Hew had arranged a trip to Dreamland''s headquarters. Despite losing some of its appeal after the GPCM (in words: the Great PC Meltdown), Dreamland was currently fighting hard against bankruptcy. They were trying to persuade insurance companies to cover all the costs and maintaining their services. I wasn''t entirely sure what this visit would bring, but Hew insisted that it was necessary. Too much was linked to Mephisto''s World not to pursue it. The tour included visits to design studios and conversations with software engineers. Perhaps we could find some answers to our many questions.

    As it started to get dark, I turned back toward the cabin. A jog through the woods was truly a marvelous thing, and it helped my brain recap the happenings.

    Before going to bed, I read more from the transformation book. It was interesting to observe that after repeated ''healing,'' the book''s rate of decay seemed to have stabilized or decreased significantly. This was good news. It occurred to me that this phenomenon was similar to healing people; they usually needed several extra healing sessions later and some recovery time after major healings. I wondered about the physics behind this¡ªwhat happened at the atomic level to explain it?

    Another surprise awaited me as I discovered that the transformation spell I had learned was just the startup, the beginning of a complete transformation spell. There was much more to it inside the book, but typically for me, I had started practicing after the first success without reading the rest.

    The next pages of the book continued to explain how to generate and define a whole image and transform the entire object in one spell, providing some examples. This information was crucial. I was fortunate that what I had done worked and didn''t disfigure me. Flo''s extensive experience with spells, her ability to translate intent through spells, came naturally to me, complementing the spell effectively.

    Well, the fact that I hadn''t executed the transformation spell in one go made it impossible for me to reverse the spells with the simple reverse transformation spell described in the next chapter of the book. You could only revert one transformation spell, not a chain of such spells.

    This meant that I lost my wings and claws. Okay, I could try to cast new wings and claws, in the same way as I had removed them. For the claws, that was easy, but for the wings, I wasn''t so sure if I remembered all the details correctly because I hadn''t analyzed them carefully enough before. The need to recreate them didn''t cross my mind when I removed them. Those wings weren''t simple limbs but very specialized mana conduits. Maybe I''d be able to recreate them, perhaps I''d remember enough details, and they would work as good as new. Or maybe not. I was too tired to try recreating them in the middle of the night, and I would have to revert them tomorrow anyway. The fact was that a full transformation spell for a complex body like mine was hard to master, beyond my current capabilities.

    Another unpleasant surprise was seeing that the spell-holograms, or whatever those moving 3-D pictures were, seemed to freeze after some time of study. It wasn''t random; the pages I studied most froze, and no matter how much healing I did for them, it didn''t change. Something else was happening¡ªperhaps the effect they created was for limited uses, or they were somehow consumed when I read them? Well, whatever the case, it meant that even if I could save the book, its usefulness was limited.

    I sighed and looked around. The moon was high in the sky; I was reading outside in the moonlight, surrounded only by the creepy dark woods. I stretched my arms and shoulders, went inside the cabin, left the windows wide open, and went to bed.

    I remembered how unwell I was not long ago on a previous night alone in the cabin. Why this sudden change of mood was hard for me to explain, but I was feeling much more confident now. Maybe I was starting to recognize the forest''s noises?

    I slept very well that night. Well, until that summon came.

 Chapter 226 â€“ Dungeon Run - Part One

    This summon was unlike the previous ones. I could feel the distinction but, uncertain of its significance, I accepted it anyway. Having learned through some very painful lessons the potential consequences of refusal, I made my decision accordingly.

    After the blinding light subsided, I took in my surroundings. I found myself in a cavernous passage, flanked by towering boulders. Five humanoid figures stood in the shadow near the still luminous summon circle, looking expectantly at me. One was slightly taller and fairer than the others, while the rest had darker complexions. All were smaller than me, standing at around one meter sixty or less, engaged in a low-voiced debate.

    My contemplation was interrupted by a snort from behind.

    "A succubus! This should be entertaining. Are you planning to seduce everybody into submission?"

    I turned to the voice and saw a red-skinned demon sneering at me¡ªa bipedal, horned creature resembling a hybrid of a troll and an orc, with a tail that whipped like a serpent. Clad in tattered leather with two long daggers at its belt, it spoke in a strange guttural language, yet strangely, I understood it fluently. I assessed its power: ''lesser demon, rogue, level twenty-three.''

    While the humanoids debated, the demon continued to provoke.

    "Why did you accept the summon if you knew this wasn''t your forte, you foolish wench?"

    The verbal assault caught me off guard.

    ¡°Should I refuse a summon and get the backlash? I''m not that stupid!¡± I protested.

    His eyes widened in surprise, then he chuckled.

    ¡°You''re even stupider than you look!¡± he said. ¡°From which one of Ha''Des'' holes did you crawl out? You don''t refuse a summon, stupid cunt; you just pass it over if you don''t like it! Are you a wild demon to not know this?¡±

    His answer struck me, changing everything I knew about summons. Thousands of questions swirled in my head, but before I could clarify anything, I felt the compulsion to spring into action. Two rat-like creatures appeared at the end of the corridor, and even though I didn''t want to, I started running towards them.

    I tried to fight the compulsion as the red demon dissolved into some kind of fog before my eyes. What did that mean? As I resisted, the compulsion became stronger, and reluctantly, I went forward¡ªbarefoot, dressed only in shorts and an undershirt¡ªtowards the two ratmen.

    The two ratmen slowed their advance and raised their pickaxes. As I approached, I identified them: ratman, miner, level twenty-two, and ratman, miner, level twenty-five. Their levels were lower than mine, which offered some comfort, but even so, those pickaxes could prematurely end my career as a summoned being.

    I wondered if I was the expendable demon for some dungeon delving team. Was this real or a bad dream?

    As the ratmen closed in, I tried to step back, but the compulsion was too strong. Panic gripped me as I realized my movements were limited.

    Unable to step back, I jumped toward the nearest ratman, grabbing his raised pickaxe before he could swing it. He bit my arm as the other ratman swung his pickaxe.

    I clumsily parried it with the one in my hands, even if the other ratman was still partially holding it, but as my movement was slowed down by his struggle a couple of my right hand''s fingers got crushed in the action as the other pickaxe glanced mine.

    I screamed in pain but managed to hold the pickaxe, hitting the first ratman hard with my knee, sending him rolling backward.

    I then engaged the second ratman with a couple of hard strikes with the pickaxe. The ratman struck back, and I was relieved to see that the compulsion no longer stopped me from stepping backward. With a fast swipe to the left, holding my pickaxe with both hands, I blocked the other pickaxe against the wall, crushing the ratman''s fingers in the process. With a quick push against the pickaxe with my left hand, I hit the ratman over the snout. He dropped his pickaxe from his wounded hand and turned to run away.

    The other ratman was already on the run, but the red demon suddenly materialized from the shadows and struck him lightning-fast with his daggers, almost decapitating him. The ratman fell with a pained gurgle, mortally wounded, but ''my'' ratman was now on the demon, claws and teeth at the ready, fighting desperately to escape. The demon stepped backward but engaged the ratman, slowing him down, and so I caught him with a hit in the back with my pickaxe. It penetrated the skin deep along the ratman''s neck, blood erupting from the wound, spraying all over me, and the ratman fell backward with an almost endearing squeal.

    With a fast dagger stab to the heart, the red demon ended its misery, then raised his red eyes, looking slantwise at me. ¡°You''re not as useless as you look!¡± he said, chuckling. I snorted, cleaning the blood from my face with the back of my hand, but before I could say anything, another group of five or six ratmen came around the corner.

    Desperation started to grip my heart, my right hand trembling from pain¡ªboth from the bite wound and the two crushed fingers. However, a strange calming wave came over me. Was this another manipulation from my summoner? Trying to come to terms with all these new variables, I took in a deep breath. I felt calmer and more steadfast!

    The red demon dissolved into the air almost instantly, and I caught more of the action now. I saw the magic forming runes around his body, and I thought I recognized them. Why did they have that familiar look to me?

    He moved toward the shadowier side of the corridor, simultaneously transcending his body into the ethereal plane, transforming into some kind of ghost, his form becoming loose. I could still follow for a couple of seconds how traces of him, like brown fumes, were moving through the shadows toward the ratmen''s group. Was this the shadowmeld ability?

    I didn''t have the time to examine it as I felt the compulsion to attack the group. Oh, for heaven''s sake, am I to be the tank of the group, barefoot, sporting my shorts and an undershirt? They could have at least given me some armor!

    Blood was running down my right biceps from the bite wound as I clumsily picked up the second pickaxe and retired a couple of steps, readying myself for the fight. What are those five humanoids doing? Are they waiting for me to exterminate the ratmen alone?

    I tried to glance in their direction but could not see them; they must have hidden in the shadows.

    Four of the ratmen were on me, three armed with pickaxes and one with a sword and a shield. A fifth had advanced along the opposite wall and was pointing something at me, while the sixth was trying to run away, or maybe was sent to report the situation.

    The twang of a crossbow surprised me, but my left hand acted out in reflex, and the pickaxe collided with the bolt before it struck, deflecting it. That had been a good reflex with a shitload of luck on my side.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    My mind was working feverishly trying to think what to do. Would Cala''s spells work for me? I was no longer that sure that I was Cala, but at least I theoretically knew all her spells. The question was if with my diminished power I was able to cast any of them.

    As I made another step backward, I tried to concentrate on her speed spell.

    <<speed>>

    It worked, and I attacked.

    I was moving ''only'' at about double speed, but that was still a huge boon.

    I could stave off their attacks and even push back a little. I was on the offensive for the next twenty to thirty seconds, but I did not manage to eliminate or badly wound any of them, and as soon as the spell faded, I got hit and hit hard.

    First, it was a pickaxe stroke in my right biceps, exactly over the bite wound, a hit that made me yell in pain.

    The coming sword stab to my belly made me stumble backward.

    As I retreated, a crossbow bolt hit my left thigh. I fell on my back and thought that this was my end, but the closest attacker crumbled on its feet, hit by several spells.

    As I rolled backward, I saw them hesitating. Only now did they see the other humanoids from our group, but it was already too late. Some curses, or other slow-timed spells must have been working on them, weakening them.

    A fire spell blasted one of them while the third was struck and killed by an explosive arrow.

    The shield-bearer hesitated between attacking the humanoids or trying to finish me off, while I clumsily made efforts to stand back up.

    The crossbow rat yelled, and he turned towards him just to see how it was finished by the red demon. Before he could turn back to me, I struck him with the pickaxe, at the same time as he was hit by another arrow and a fireball. He still parried the arrow with his shield, but he was already badly wounded from my hit, and the fireball finished him.

    As the fight ended I fell back on my ass with a sigh. I was still surprisingly calm, even though I was just a bloodied heap sitting on the flat stones. I looked at the red demon who was approaching me in a slow gait, looking at me with those red eyes completely lacking any compassion. Damn, I was badly wounded, and he was grinning, satisfied.

    ¡°You took your time!¡± I grumbled while attempting to extricate the bolt from my thigh with my fingers. It didn''t work, but luckily, I had a pair of pliers from my bike toolkit in my inventory.

    There was no way I could continue to fight in my current state. I was a bloodied mess, and yet, I was surprised by my own pain tolerance. Was this due to some spell from the summoner or a trait of my demonic being?

    I wondered what I should do. Could I end the summon? But how? I had no intention of dying in this dungeon, but I was unsure how to proceed.

    The red demon came towards me and shrugged.

    ¡°I go and attack where my summoner asks me to go...¡±

    Right, he was probably under the same compulsion control as me.

    ¡°How...¡± I was just about to ask him how I could end the summon when I saw the summoner approaching. Maybe I should talk directly to her?

    She looked at me as I finally got the crossbow bolt out of my thigh. She resembled a catgirl, wearing something like a blue dress made of satin. It extended in front and on the sides down to her knees but was divided at the back and knotted above her long bushy tail, raised like a question mark above her backside which was covered with fluffy trousers. A cleavage allowed the eye to glance at two small breasts covered by the dress and some additional white lace.

    I appraised her: warlock, level twenty-seven. Should I talk demonically to her? No, that can''t be right...

    "Can''t you heal yourself?" she asked, pointing at the dead ratmen.

    She spoke in a chanted language that resembled the meows of cats, and I was shocked to realize that I understood her. Watching her with confusion, I wondered if I had understood her correctly.

    "Absorb their essence to heal yourself?" the red demon translated into demonish for me.

    "How should that work? They are dead," I protested, answering him in demonish.

    Since when did I know this language? It was demonish, a language I had never spoken, and yet I spoke it fluently.

    The catgirl watched us mesmerized while the demon pointed towards one of the ratmen.

    "That one is still living; you could still try to fuck him and heal yourself," he chuckled.

    I snorted. I didn''t need to have sex with them to pull life energy from them. I didn''t even need to kiss them; I only needed to touch them. But would touching them with mana not be enough? My leg was badly hurt from that crossbow bolt!

    As I clumsily tried to stand, I looked at the still-living ratman and wished to ''suck'' his life. If I could only get there, I would be able to do it! My mana established the link, and before I even stood up, I began to feel the healing, my wounds closing slowly. The bleeding stopped, and the deeper wounds closed.

    It was the first time ever I had used my life-draining ability at a distance. It surprised me as much as it surprised the others that it worked. The targeted ratman crumbled slowly into himself and dissolved into some kind of dust.

    "You''re no fucking succubus! What the shit are you?" the red demon said.

    I hesitated, looking dumbfounded at him. Yeah, what was I? I thought I was a succubus.

    As I was still not fully healed, the catgirl gave me a small emerald. "Use this when you need healing; it is captured essence!" she said.

    "Don''t waste your healing stones on the demon, you stupid warlock!" one of the other humanoids said. They were weasel-like characters and started an animated contradictory discussion on the theme.

    I watched the red demon with a questioning look, holding the little gem in my hand.

    "Chew on it when you need healing," he explained.

    As I was still not fully healed, I decided to give it a try. Indeed, the gem did work, and I gladly saw how my wounds healed as if watching a film in rewind.

    Standing there, fully healed and contemplating my next move, I hesitated again on whether to ask to end the summon. But then I thought, when would I get such a good occasion to talk to a demon and my summoner? She looked kind and approachable, and the demon seemed to know a lot of things I had no clue about.

    I took a deep breath. Was it worth risking my life? But when would I ever get such a chance?

    As I remained silent, the catgirl went back towards the four weaselpersons, and they were now feverishly debating something. It looked like we were approaching a major chamber in the dungeon, confirming my assumptions: we were in a dungeon. I decided to use the time to try to glean more information from my demon ''partner'' while searching my inventory for something more appropriate to wear for the upcoming fight.

    I did have one of Cala''s leather suits in my inventory, but there was a small issue with using it. It was designed for levels above ninety and required a body with that level to function properly. As my body contained much less mana, the suit''s defenses were that much decreased, but the repair costs would remain the same.

    That meant I would be using it as a level twenty suit, taking damage as a level twenty suit, but having to pay repairs for a level ninety suit. While this particular suit shouldn''t need repair due to its auto-repair function, I was unsure how well it would work on Earth, given the low mana environment. All in all, not an ideal situation, but staying in my shorts or dressing in a simple training suit might be even suicidal, so I decided to put it on.

    ¡°Can you end the summon if you want to?¡± I asked the red demon while putting on my trousers.

    He didn''t answer my question, his eyes round, looking shocked at the items I had just brought ''out of thin air''.

    ¡°Did your supervisor grant you an inventory?¡± he asked, dumbfounded.

 Chapter 227 - Demonic Encounters

    While I was sitting on the cold stone and pulled up the leather trousers, the red demon stood there, looking at me as if he had a front-row seat to a show, making me feel uncomfortable. The problem was, I didn''t know how to make him look in another direction.

    I took a deep breath, trying to think the situation through. Were demons real? I mean, really real? What did that mean? Was I still exploring the results of a game becoming reality, or was this something else? As long as I was the only ''demon'' I knew, I somehow dismissed that thought, but seeing this creature sent shivers down my spine. Everything in its being suggested malevolence¡ª the aura, the alert red eyes that seemed to weigh me, its allure, demeanor, and physical build. Was I falling for appearances?

    Was I also such a creature?

    And now this ''person'' wanted to know if my supervisor had granted me the inventory! What was I supposed to tell him? I had no clues about demons, their society (if there was such a thing), and their organization, but I wanted to give the impression that I was nothing but an ordinary demon, while simultaneously learning as much as possible from him. I decided to answer his questions as evasively as possible.

    I nodded, confirming his question while standing up to finish pulling up my trousers.

    "Yes, I do have an inventory!"

    He had seen that already; there would have been no use to deny it.

    He let out a deep breath of frustration.

    "You have an inventory, and that''s a high-quality armor! You must be very lucky!" he exclaimed. There was clear envy in his voice. "Tell me, having a succubus build did help you to achieve this, or was it useful otherwise?"

    I pulled my belt, thinking about his question. A succubus build? Are there no other demons that look like a girl? That was bothering him? Unsure of what he would know or not know, instead of launching into an anatomy explanation about why I had that particular form (I mean my body), I tried to inquire more.

    "What do you mean by a succubus build?" I asked.

    He huffed. "The lithe form, the smooth traits, the boobs..." he enumerated. "They don''t bring fighting power, so why? Just to deceive your enemies? To confuse them? Or to please your supervisor?"

    I shook my head, and I may have answered a bit too harshly.

    "No. This is my form. It''s magic that makes one stronger," I countered, then tried to direct the conversation to a subject that would interest me before he could ask further questions. "What do you do when you pass over the summon? Is there a preferred way?"

    His eyes gleamed for a moment as he watched me attentively.

    "Do you want to test me? If I ever wanted to pass a summon, I would always think of my supervisor and let him decide!"

    Uh, this seemed to be a touchy subject! I wondered how else I could make him tell me how to pass over a summon. This seemed to be the right option, saving me from further summons, but I had no clue how to proceed.

    "But if my supervisor is just busy having a summon and I have too many summons and want to share some of them, what would be best to do?" - I finally said.

    He looked at me as if trying to assess if I was making fun of him or testing him.

    "Is your supervisor taking summons?" he wondered, then shrugged. "You don''t need to pass it over to another demon; you can simply think of Ha''Des and let them sort things out..."

    "Yeah, correct!" I nodded wisely, breathing in relief.

    For a couple of moments I was left speechless. Could this whole summoning thing have such a simple solution? I felt like dying when I got debuffed for refusing those summons! I was still suffering those consequences! And instead I should have simply thought at Ha''Des and let those summons go?

    He grinned.

    "I cannot understand how can you be so lucky!?" he shrugged, "I am Deriwhan, you can think of me if you have so many summons and want to pass one!" he chuckled, then became more serious, "But now I am good with my summoner; I hope we will stay together for a long time."

    There was that moment when he looked like a happy puppy as he said that. I wondered: "Does this mean so much for a demon?"

    "I am Lores," I said. I didn''t know if shaking hands was appropriate, so I abstained. Besides, I had an excuse¡ªI was holding a pair of socks and boots in my hands. I continued questioning him while pulling up my socks, "How many summons have you made? Aren''t you afraid of dying here?"

    He shrugged, "Why should I be afraid of it? True, it does take some time until I respawn, but my summoner prefers to wait for me; he does not summon another demon!"

    That response sent my brain into overdrive. "Uh oh," I thought, "so that''s the only reason one should fear dying?"

    I took a deep breath. While he might respawn, I wasn''t so sure it would apply to me. As far as I knew, death was pretty final unless you had a druid to resurrect you. But come to think of it, I couldn''t recall any instances of druids resurrecting demons in Mephisto. So, that probably wouldn''t work for me.

    "Oh crap, am I non-resurrectable now?"

    I pushed aside those thoughts. There was no way in hell I was going to test it. Returning to my dilemma, while he might be content to die for his summoner, I just didn''t share the same motivation.

    "How about breaking a summon to save yourself? Have you ever had to do that?" I asked, trying to broach the subject without giving away my own concerns about dying.

    He huffed and shot me a sour look, like he had just bitten into a rotten apple.

    "No, that would go against the deal! Treacherous thoughts! I''d rather die fighting and respawn!"

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    His reaction had been vehement, almost as if he suspected me of treachery. I was relieved when I managed to come up with a reasonable excuse for my question.

    "But what if you were summoned just to be tortured?" I pressed, hoping for a more revealing response. After all, who could argue against ending a summon in such a case?

    "Ah!" he exclaimed, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He shrugged and answered surprisingly nonchalantly, "Shit happens. Humans, orcs, and some other idiots do it sometimes, but eventually they get bored and kill you. That''s not so bad. Gnomes, dwarfs, and sometimes goblins summon demons for their mad machines, and that''s way worse. It may take ages to get free. Cutting the summon''s link isn''t easy, but in such cases, you should try to do it before they drain you of mana. Some demons even get forgotten, trapped in those machines. The machines get dumped, and the unlucky demon remains stuck in there for eons."

    A shiver ran down my spine. Could that really happen?

    "But, but, doesn''t a summoner have to maintain the link? Is the demon not free after they run out of mana?" I asked, my voice trembling with apprehension.

    He shook his head.

    "Nah. The gnomes had found a solution by transferring the connection to a crystal. Once everyone had learned the trick, it became common practice. The cathedral in Chodium even had an arch-demon built into its foundation. Can you believe that? They claimed to have defeated the demon, but in reality, they tricked him, chained him, and built him into the wall. You see, even an arch-demon can suffer such a fate!" He grinned mischievously.

    "Chodium, a frigid and desolate place for most of the year, transformed into a warm and welcoming environment around the cathedral and its surroundings, all thanks to siphoning power from the archdemon. Meanwhile, day after day, the archdemon endured the humiliation of feeling their boots treading upon him."

    "But he got his revenge. He managed to corrupt their minds over generations, and now Chodium belongs to Ha''Des. You don''t mess with an arch-demon without facing the consequences!"

    He burst into laughter, and it seemed like he couldn''t stop.

    "And then there was one¡ªthe dwarfs used him to power an elevator! Every time someone pressed his nose, he would release energy. They had trained him so well that even after he was freed, any demon could drain energy from him just by pressing his nose." He doubled over with laughter. "I heard that he had to run in the savage wastes to escape the freeloaders!"

    I tuned him out.

    Alright, Lores, focus. What did he say? Try to sever the summon''s link... I closed my eyes and concentrated for a moment, and then I noticed there was a connection between me and my summoner, the catgirl.

    I breathed a sigh of relief when I sensed it, like a flexible mana cord binding us.

    Okay, I just need to disrupt it, and the summon will end. The question is, how do I do it? Would simply willing it to end work? Probably... It did seem to waver a bit when I ''pushed'' at it, so it must be a simple mana manipulation exercise to sever it.

    I hesitated whether to try to sever it now or not, to test if it works, but then I decided to postpone it for later.

    I opened my eyes, put on the jacket, and searched for something I could use as a weapon. I would have taken the sword of the ratman, but one of the weasels had taken it. I grabbed again a pickaxe as a weapon and picked up the ratman''s shield that was still lying on the ground. I didn''t have a helm, only the biker''s helmet, but that was too uncomfortable to use in a fight.

    ¡°How long does it take for you to respawn?¡± I asked, interrupting his story about another unlucky demon.

    He shrugged again.

    ¡°We''re at a similar level, so it should be about the same. Sometimes it takes longer for my essence to return to Ha''des, but it''s usually around the time they take a break for lunch and recuperate, that''s what they did the last time I died.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you lose anything when you die?¡± I asked.

    He eyed me sideways. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± he shrugged. ¡°Did you lose something?¡± When I shook my head, he continued, ¡°Of course, I do lose some of the power I accumulated, that''s normal. Last time I lost a very nice dagger, but I got these two instead from my summoner. I hear that it is worse for the higher demons. They may lose memories, like knowledge of portals to other worlds.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°They have many things and can afford to lose something! Me, I don''t remember having lost any memory!¡± He laughed at his own joke, then slapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Ha, ha, ha! Did you get it? I don''t remember having lost any!¡±

    I grinned back, pretending to find his joke very amusing.

    He didn''t seem particularly concerned about dying, but would I also respawn if I died?

    Was I a half-demon? The identify spell didn''t categorize me as one, but Cala had referred to herself as such. Did that mean I was also a half-demon?

    ¡°Is this true for half-demons too? Have you ever seen a half-demon?¡± I inquired.

    His good mood transformed into boiling hate in an instant. He answered, outraged.

    ¡°Half-demons! Those degenerates!¡± he sighed. ¡°Why would you be interested in them? I''ve never met a half-demon! They don''t get summons! They''re not born in Ha''Des¡ªthose traitors are born unclean, bred with some other species! Us, pure demons, we never breed like that! They wouldn''t even respawn, as they weren''t born in Ha''Des!¡±

    The sudden explosion of hate made me step backward. He suddenly became suspicious and looked askance at me.

    ¡°Are you a half-demon who took a summon? How did you do that?¡± he asked, a wicked smile creeping onto his face. Was I going to have to fight him now?

    He came closer to me, unpleasantly so, and... smelled my hair. I tried to push him away, but he was surprisingly strong. To my surprise, he seemed to calm down.

    ¡°You were born in Ha''Des,¡± he proclaimed, his red eyes fixed on mine. ¡°It''s so clear!¡±

    He can tell that by simply smelling my hair?

    Can I rely on his smell senses to tell that I am a true demon? Does this mean that I would respawn?

    "Spawn from hell, am I, eh?" I thought to myself. Would I lose some of my memories if I died and respawned? Would I still be me if I respawned?

    Questions swirled in my head and meanwhile my situation became increasingly uncomfortable. He still had me in a half-hug, and now he was pressing himself against me and sniffing me. It felt like having a giant rottweiler licking my face. I struggled hard not to fall on my back, pushing him away, but he didn''t seem to mind.

    ¡°I can feel it, I can smell that pure death magic on you, it''s a faint smell but you smell so good!! Arrrr...¡±

    His compliments were a bit disturbing, and his clawed hands were now touching me, and he smelled like... charcoal? Muddy charcoal? I wondered, did I smell like dead meat? What did he mean by pure death magic? Do other people also smell that? But I wasn''t sure if it was wise to continue the conversation. He didn''t seem to be the wisest demon, but rather an easily excitable one.

    I tried to put some distance between us, but with little success. It was as if I had triggered something in him, and now he was salivating in front of the cookie jar. I was just about ready to start fighting him for real when he stepped back, giving me more room.

    ¡°Take your hands away!¡± I grumbled, and he did just that with a snort.

    It was at that moment that I spotted the catgirl, my summoner, standing behind me. Perhaps that was why the red demon had released me.

    "Come!" she beckoned in her meow-purred language, gesturing for me to follow with a finger.

    I complied, grateful that she spoke instead of using force and didn''t attempt to compel me to accompany her.

    I flashed a toothy grin at the red demon, happy for the opportunity to put some distance between us, and he responded with an even wider grin, revealing a set of unnervingly sharp and layered teeth. He had clearly won that contest hands down.

    I guess he misunderstood my grin for a friendly good-bye greeting.

 Chapter 228 - Dungeon Run Part Two

    I walked a few steps behind the catgirl as she had instructed, following her lead.

    She turned occasionally to glance at me with her golden eyes, her movements surprisingly graceful, almost like a dance.

    Her skin had a delicate pink hue, her hair a dark red shade, and her fluffy tail was an even darker red with hints of violet. Apart from her head and tail, she didn''t appear to be hairy, though most of her skin was covered. A deep cleavage was visible between her rather modest breasts. She wore gray boots matching the color of her fluffy trousers covering her backside, as well as a wide leather belt cinched around her very thin waist.

    The corridor we traversed grew narrower, the rocks on both sides shifting to a darker gray. After about a hundred meters, she stopped abruptly and exclaimed, looking at me.

    "So, you can talk!?"

    It was more of a confirmation than a question. I raised a brow and met her golden gaze directly. I shrugged as if to say, "I still can..."

    She appeared flustered, stumbling over her words.

    "You''re... um... you''re my first truly sapient demon. I... I used to work with non-sapient ones... I changed the summoning spell as instructed by Grishaw, and... well..."

    I tried to decipher her expression, as her face seemed quite expressive. Was she surprised that I was capable of understanding her?

    "Do you understand me? Nod if you can."

    I nodded in response.

    "Do you have a name?" she inquired.

    "You can call me Lores," I replied with some effort. It was my first time speaking her language. Although my words sounded more guttural compared to her melodic meows, she seemed to comprehend me. Was it common for demons to understand and speak foreign languages? It could be quite useful.

    I debated whether it was wise to reveal my name, but I had already mentioned it to the red demon. My response seemed to startle her, and she stood there for a moment with her mouth slightly open. Then, she smiled and abruptly raised her hand.

    "Meowra!" she announced, and I nearly burst into laughter upon hearing her name. It sounded like a cat meowing. She raised a brow at my reaction but didn''t inquire further.

    She placed her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°This is how we greet people in my country when we meet... um... when we meet someone...¡±

    How could those word sound so sweet and melodious when spoken by her? I mean, I did hear my voice speaking similar words before and... I couldn''t help but notice the contrast.

    She nodded toward her shoulder, indicating that I should reciprocate the gesture. Once I did it, she continued: ¡°See, this way you can better sense if I have magic and what kind of magic it is. Can you feel it?¡±

    I nodded. Contact with a caster indeed made it easier to feel their magic, but I had already sensed her magic with my horns. She had a small pool of magic, like a puddle of swirling dark water.

    She remained silent for a few moments, then withdrew her hand hesitantly. She looked troubled now.

    ¡°Your magic feels pure, dark, and deep... Are you a caster? There seems to be a lot of potential... I... I... I could not see the limits.¡± - she took a deep breath and tried to smile - ¡°Perhaps demons are different... OK, this is how we greet in my land...¡±

    After a brief pause, she chuckled and continued as if ashamed of herself, ¡°To be honest, I don''t know of any other warlock who greets their demon, but I always thought that I would talk with my sapient demons.¡±

    We stood there for a couple of seconds, and then she glanced sideways at me, raised an eyebrow, and asked with an amused expression.

    ¡°Excuse me, did I interrupt something?¡±

    I blinked, staring dumbly into her eyes, not understanding her question.

    ¡°I mean earlier, when you were... hugging the other demon? I haven''t seen demons showing affection before...¡±

    I snorted, realizing what she meant.

    ¡°That idiot thought I smelled good. Do you think I smell good or bad?¡±

    The notion that I ''smelled like death magic'' haunted me. Judging by her shocked expression and backward step, I realized I might have asked the wrong question.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Was that a serious question?¡± she inquired, then nevertheless answered after taking a quick sniff, not moving closer, her delicate nose wrinkling comically for a moment ¨C ¡°I can smell sweat, blood, piss, and other bodily fluids from those dead ratmen... I wouldn''t call that a good smell, but...¡±

    I sighed, waving my hand dismissively.

    ¡°No, no, forget it... I thought I''d have to fight him for real,¡± I tried to explain.

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Because he said you smell good?¡±

    I snorted. ¡°No, because he was pestering me!¡±

    ¡°Oh!" she nodded, "he did fight my other demons, too. Grishaw and I had to keep an eye on them and separate them...¡±

    She sighed, then changed the subject, pointing at my armor. ¡°I noticed you''re wearing that armor, which seems to be rather expensive. Aren''t you afraid of losing it? If you die, you might lose it, or do you have a way to link it to you in such cases?¡±

    I huffed. ¡°Hey, I don''t plan to die; that''s why I put it on! Are you planning to have me killed?¡± I wondered.

    Maybe my tone wasn''t very friendly, as she took another step back and waved her hands in front of her.

    ¡°No, no, it''s not that. Grishaw''s demon didn''t want to wear anything valuable because he might lose his possessions. He had a couple of armor items that he was allowed to collect, but he asked Grishaw to keep them for him. He only puts them on when the summon ends." she sighed, "We need to clean this area, just the two of us, and I want to send you to attack some ratmen patrols. I''ll stay behind; you have to keep them from attacking me. Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    "Are you planning to send me on a suicide mission or something?" I asked, voicing my concerns.

    I considered ending the summon. The problem was that I wanted to end it successfully. Previously, I had regained some of my power after successfully ending a summon. Perhaps that was the key to getting rid of the debuff that was plaguing me. I had just learned how to avoid further summons, but if I wanted to regain my power, I would have to risk completing some. At least, that was my theory. The risk in this summon seemed manageable. Besides, I was still planning to end the summon if I felt too endangered.

    "No," she answered, shaking her head, her red mane waving left and right. After a moment of silence, she continued, "We''re in front of a larger ratmen base. Our job is to clear their patrols in the sector. These are small groups, mostly consisting of two ratmen, sometimes three. We should be able to handle them, but none of them should escape and alert the others. If that happens, our mission for today fails, and we need to retreat to at least the point where we are now. Is this okay with you? Do you need anything from me?"

    Groups of two to three ratmen, just the two of us? I wasn''t sure how much damage she could deal, but it should be doable, especially with me now wearing armor instead of fighting naked as before.

    I sighed at the memory, but dwelling on it wouldn''t change anything.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "If there are three or more, I''d prefer to fight with sword and shield. For one or two ratmen, I could use two daggers. Do you have anything I could use?" I questioned.

    She offered me a selection from her inventory and let me choose what I needed.

    She even had some chainmail armor, but it was a bit too large for me. I wondered where she got it from.

    "Apologies for earlier," she said. "As I said, the demons I''ve summoned until now weren''t very clever."

    I nodded.

    "Okay, let''s do it!" she said with a wide grin. "Follow me. The path has been cleared and checked for traps up until close to the main cavern."

    She turned and started walking further down the winding, labyrinthine corridor.

    I followed. We entered a relatively small square room, and she pressed a lever to open the next door. Instead of the door in front of us opening, the huge stone door behind us slid closed, blocking our exit.

    "Huh, why did that happen?" she asked, pushing the lever again, but the door didn''t open, and the ceiling started to come down on us. All my alarm bells were ringing, and I desperately looked around, but it was too late. There must have been a false ceiling in between, as a lot of small debris fell. Above that, a huge flat stone, as large as the largest monoliths on Earth, filled with metal spikes about half a meter long and a couple of centimeters wide, came crashing down on us.

    Instinctively, I said my <<speed>> spell, but even moving at double speed didn''t help much in such a case. I barely had time to throw myself and push her down, trying to adjust for the falling spikes.

    I managed to place my pickax to stand, attempting to slow down the falling slab, but the handle broke like a toothpick.

    At least five spikes penetrated my back, and a couple partially skewered my legs. The slab stopped just before completely crushing us, the dark rods deeply embedded in the ground.

    Was it by accident or by design that it stopped? I don''t know.

    In front of my eyes, in the light of the fallen torch, was one of the most claustrophobic scenes I''d ever witnessed: lines of black rods in a narrow space, floating, swirling dust among falling debris, a giant slab of gray stone inches above my head, the flat, brown ground beneath me, and me, pinned down, yelling in pain and unable to move.

    My yelling was tempered by the blood invading my mouth.

    Dungeons! You never walk like this in dungeons. I stupidly followed the catgirl like a three-year-old behind her nanny despite having much more experience with dungeons. Of course, I should have smelled a trap, but no, I walked confused and trusting, like a newborn idiot demon.

    Surprisingly, the catgirl was still alive. I heard her irregular breathing between hauntingly meowed sounds. Due to the dust, I couldn''t see clearly and felt the need to cough, which only intensified the excruciating pain in my lungs.

    It was difficult to think, and for a moment, I wondered why the game didn''t end. Then I realized I wasn''t playing. I was dying. Would I respawn in the death node now? Or not... I hadn''t thought I''d be testing this respawn theory so fast...

    As seconds dragged on and I was still not dead, my brain finally decided to chime in with some wit: ''Why not just interrupt this bloody summon and get it over with?''

    It took me some time to focus on the mana vision. Gradually, I began to see the mana around me, but as I concentrated on it, a question arose in my mind: what would I do once I returned to Earth? I''d ''land'' there with all my current injuries, and with a sudden realization, I remembered that there was no phone connectivity at the cabin. How could I get help? Would I survive if I returned to Earth?

    Cala must have left some sort of cold-bloodedness in my spirit, allowing me to analyze this messy situation like a champ: too many damn supplemental holes in my body, survival chances? Null.

    If I broke the summon and returned to Earth, I''d bleed out and die within minutes in Hew''s cabin. How could I stop the bleeding? True, I was slowly bleeding out, but the iron bars still inside my body, as painful as they were, did slow the bleeding. Once the rods were removed, I''d lose blood like a fountain.

    Even if, through some miracle, I managed to call an ambulance, how long would they take to arrive in the woods, and would they even find Hew''s cabin? Even if he were there, what could Hew do?

    No, ending the summon would mean dying even faster.

    My thoughts ran wild as I imagined the boys finding my dead body and the mess it would create. I almost laughed at their future predicament.

    I tried to shake off these useless thoughts and focus on what to do. Die quickly or die slowly? I was still seeing the mana connection and could see the mana surrounding everything, including the catgirl, myself, the spikes, and the entire room. The pain was somehow reduced in this mana-filled state.

    If I didn''t break the link, I''d live for a couple of minutes longer. But then what? Any second was another one lost from my life.

    Did I still have minutes or only seconds? I thought that I''d see my whole life in front of my eyes when I''d die, but all I saw was mana strands warping around me, forming runes... Forming runes... if I only could transcend in that shadowmeld status as the red demon did...

    I heard the heartbeats in my ears, as if counting my last seconds of life.

    The shadowmeld runes! I knew the spell. I mean, White Flower knew the spell! She did not really knew shadowmeld as such, but it was this status that she reached before taking possession of others. That''s why the runes did look familiar to me. That''s why I thought I understood the spell. Because she knew it!

    And as the drumbeat of my heart in my ears grew only louder, I saw the ''runes'' already around me, even before I decided to do it. Exactly as I''ve seen them around the red demon. Exactly as I knew them from White Flower''s spell to start possession. And suddenly, there was no pressure on me anymore. Suddenly, I could move. And suddenly, there was silence; there were no more heartbeats.

    I was still badly wounded and would still bleed out once I took material form, but for the moment, I felt free. I was free. I could stay like that as long as I had mana, and the bleeding was suspended, but once I''d got out of mana I would again materialize here between these iron rods and die, unless I got out of there.

    Another pained meow reminded me of the catgirl. Could I do something for her? I approached her and saw her body brutally pinned by those iron spikes. She was losing much blood and was barely conscious. Could I free her, too?

    I hesitated. I was eager to escape from that place as quickly as possible! Every moment spent in the narrow gap between the giant slab and the ground was fraying my nerves. I yearned to be free from the confines of that space! What if I lost control of my spell? What if the slab came further down? A mere couple of centimeters more, and the space would be too narrow for my physical form. It took a tremendous mental effort to remain composed and focus on devising a plan to save her.

    Wouldn''t I try to save her even without the contract, if she wouldn''t be my summoner?

    I hope I still would, but what options did I have? Could I use the same spell for her?

    I attempted to visualize the same runes surrounding her body, envisioning them entering and enveloping her, but to my horror, parts of me began to materialize. Shit! Was it too much for me? Was it a problem with the spell, or was it due to my limited knowledge?

    It didn''t work, and after a few attempts, in which I did further hurt me, I had to give up.

    Damn, what was I supposed to do?

    "Wait a minute," I said to myself, "if she dies, the summon ends, and then I''ll need to find a way to survive on Earth. But before that happens, maybe I could figure out a way to get her out of there and save us both. She must have some healing potions with her. There should be a reset mechanism for that damn trap!"

    Navigating as some kind of cloud felt strange. All I could perceive was through my mana vision. Initially, I moved slowly, but I gradually improved. However, I could only go where my mana was present, and I soon discovered that I couldn''t pass through solid objects. I reached the door, able to see the other side as my mana was there, but a part of me couldn''t pass through.

    I had a moment of panic, stuck there in front of the door, until I noticed a small crack between the door and the wall above. I wondered if I could squeeze myself through such a tiny gap. Surprisingly, it worked. It wasn''t fast, but I managed to slowly wind myself through the crack. Being a cloud of vapors was an eerie experience!

    As I was still transferring through the crack, below me, behind the door, I saw two wieselmen talking to each other. One of them seemed to sense something, as I watched his head swivel back and forth. Perhaps he had detected my mana, but he didn''t look up.

    "Shouldn''t we raise the slab now? They must be already dead," one of them said.

    That sent a shiver down my spine. This wasn''t just a dungeon accident?

    The other wieselman, the one who had sensed something, shook his head.

    "We wait until Irowics comes. You never know with these warlocks and demons."

    "Do you think he might have problems?"

    "No. He just needs to hit Grishaw with an arrow through the head. He''s a master archer, he''ll manage, then Grishaw''s demon is gone too."

    "But what if he misses? I hate these warlocks!"

    "One explosive arrow through the head and it''s done, warlock or not. He won''t miss. Just think of the spoils we''ll get¡ªGrishaw''s robe and Meowra''s amulet are worth gold. And have you seen the armor that demon has? Plus, we''ll get a prize from the Church of Light for getting rid of two demon-summoning warlocks!"

    Suddenly, I became much more aware of my vulnerable state in this gaseous form. I moved slowly along the shadows to position myself behind them, afraid they''d look up and see me. Could they see me in this state? I was not sure, but if I had been able to follow up the demon''s movement, they might also be able to see something. Damn! Should I try to run away and forget about the catgirl? And then what? In any case, I needed to act fast¡ªmy mana was slowly depleting.

    I decided to take action and materialized behind the two.

 Chapter 229 â€“ Where Hanging Around Gets a New Definition

    My plan was to immediately grab a knife from my inventory and use the element of surprise to stab them.

    Well, shit. Things didn''t go as planned, but hey, at least I can laugh about it later, right?

    As I materialized behind them, the pain from my wounds nearly caused me to crumple and lose consciousness, and I let out a gurgled, strident scream as blood sprayed from my mouth, shocking them both.

    Fortunately, they froze from shock, giving me the chance to grab one by the neck, but I missed the other.

    Instinctively, I activated my life-stealing skill, gradually feeling better and stronger as the struggling wieselman in my grasp only fueled my determination. With my right hand still around his neck, I conjured a claw on my left middle finger, a faster alternative to searching my inventory, and it proved highly effective in cutting his jugular.

    Meanwhile, the other mage recovered from the shock and teleported a few meters away, likely out of pure panic, but at least he disengaged me. He sent a firebolt in my direction as he sought cover, but it only shook the dying wieselman in my grasp, while my wounds began to close, and my faltering mind started to recover.

    As energy, power, and anger surged through my veins, I lifted my eyes to locate the second wieselman, while the one in my hands crumbled into dust.

    "Wieselman, mage, level twenty-two," the identification spell confirmed.

    I wondered if "wieselman" was the correct term or just a translation my brain understood. I wasn''t entirely sure how the identification spell worked, but I suspected it relied on stored information, acting as a pattern recognition system and providing answers directly to my brain.

    With my wounds healed and my power restored, I focused on the mage attempting to hide behind a stalagmite; however, his efforts were futile, as my life-draining ability didn''t require visual contact, only mana contact, and he was within reach.

    I felt my power reserves climbing as I charged toward him. He was in a complete state of panic and cast a fireblast, which only scorched the area around him as the stalagmite shielded me.

    I spelled another claw on my right-hand middle finger, while my left hand was already around his neck, partially slicing it, around the stalagmite.

    "Don''t move, and you might live another second," I ordered, and to my surprise, he stopped struggling. I didn''t realize they were so susceptible to mind control.

    That sparked an idea. I turned back towards the trap room while I dragged the still-living wieselman by the neck. I sprinted towards the door with him in tow.

    ¡°Deactivate the trap,¡± I demanded, shaking him.

    This mind control spell has a limited duration, depending on the spell''s quality, power, and the difference between the caster and the target: basically, it is the spell''s potency versus the target''s resistance and resilience.

    As the power difference between us wasn''t significant, he might have resisted my command, but his poor state didn''t help.

    He deactivated the trap, still under the spell''s influence, while blood ran down his neck.

    His panicked eyes darted back and forth, indicating he was regaining composure and likely searching for the third member of his party.

    As the door opened and the slab slowly began to rise back up, I started crawling toward her, dragging him behind me as I didn''t want him to have the chance to restart the trap. It didn''t require much effort from me, as the physical difference between us was similar to that between a gorilla and a human, with me being the gorilla.

    I struggled to reach the catgirl as quickly as possible.

    She was no longer conscious, but she must have still been alive as the summon didn''t end. Placing my left hand on her, I transferred any available health points I could while anxiously monitoring the slowly retracting slab. It wasn''t enough. She was still losing blood and remained unconscious. Once more, I drew life energy from the wieselman and pushed it into her.

    This time, her wounds closed completely.

    I released the wieselman to pick her up and realized that he had died in the process.

    As I looked down at him, I noticed all my clothes and armor spread on the floor.

    Damn shadowmelding spell seems to work only for my body and nothing else. I wonder how the red demon managed it? He didn''t seem to lose his scraps or daggers. I''ll need to ask him about that!

    I didn''t have time to dwell on this problem. I grasped the catgirl, careful not to stab her with my newly spelled claws, and hurried out of the trap. I didn''t want to spend a second more under that spiked slab.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Once outside of the trap, I looked around, afraid that the hunter might come, but there was nobody in sight.

    The catgirl was still unconscious, but she had a pulse, and her wounds were closed. I glanced again toward the trap room where my armor lay on the floor. I hesitated about whether to go pick it up or not.

    Well, as long as the slab was still slowly rising, I figured the trap couldn''t be activated again.

    Despite knowing I could escape through shadowmeld, the memory of what had just happened was too vivid and painful for me to simply re-enter the trap. Only after gathering all my courage and willpower was I able to venture back in to retrieve my belongings from the floor, gather them into my inventory, and dash back out as fast as I could, with my heart pounding in my chest.

    Once outside, I leaned against the wall to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.

    Even though it was riddled with new holes, this armor was all I had. Maybe it wasn''t such a good idea to use it with my current low level, which was decreasing its efficiency.

    As Cala, I might have been able to withstand the weight of the damn heavy slab on my shoulders or at least break those rods. Yeah, that should have worked.

    Brute-forcing a trap is the dumbest solution unless you''re too lazy to check and many levels above the trap''s own. But I was sure that if I were Cala, I wouldn''t have fallen for the trap; she would have sensed it.

    Besides, in that case, Alice would have been with me. Rarely did I do anything without her, and this wouldn''t have happened with Alice present: she was always more cautious than I was and warned me about traps. Suddenly, I felt how much I missed Alice, how much I missed my friends.

    This demon thing was so exhausting and lonely. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I might have started crying like a fountain, but then I heard the catgirl stirring. That reminded me where I was and what was happening. I wiped the tears from my eyes.

    "Damn," I muttered to myself, "this is no time for melancholy, Lores. The third wieselman, the hunter, is still around."

    I approached the catgirl as she opened her eyes.

    "Am I... dead? ... alive?" she blabbered.

    Her wounds were closed, and she was no longer bleeding; however, she had lost a lot of blood. It was a wonder that she was conscious, but I could do nothing more for her.

    Placing a hand on her shoulder, I reassured her, "You are safe here. Try to recover. I need to take care of the last of them, and then we can talk."

    She glanced at me, trying to digest what I said, and then her head fell to the side, probably from exhaustion. Thinking that I heard some noise from the tunnel ahead, I transformed into vapors, shadowmelding as I advanced carefully through the cavern, jumping from shadow to shadow within my mana domain''s limits.

    It didn''t take long to locate the hunter hiding in a corner. Did he realize his two partners had been killed, or was he planning to ambush them? That would be double treachery, but I didn''t know for sure. He seemed very alert, so I advanced very carefully, taking a wide berth around him, moving slowly, and looking for ways to remain well camouflaged within the cavern''s confines. I took my time, and now, I hesitated at the last part.

    A couple of times, he had glanced in my direction, and once, he even shot an arrow. It didn''t hurt; I didn''t even feel it, but I gathered all my "clouds" behind a stalagmite. I don''t think he realized that he had hit me, but that hit did make me much more careful. Could I be hurt in this form? I wasn''t sure, but I thought it was possible. Being invulnerable would be too great a cheat! Also, it was disturbing to see that he could somehow locate my position when I got closer.

    Then I heard movement, and I saw her, the catgirl, coming closer.

    "This damn stupid catgirl is going to get killed!" - I thought.

    I had no responsibility for her except for the sensation that came with the summon. The red demon had said that there was some kind of implicit contract in these dungeon summonings, but at the moment, I didn''t feel compelled to do anything.

    "Irowics, Irowics!" she said as she approached.

    She looked better, probably having drunk some healing potion, but she was still very weakened.

    "Meowra!" he yelled. "Are you OK? Come closer! What''s happening?" he asked while staying put and picking up his crossbow.

    As she came closer and would soon be in his line of sight, I moved fast, approaching him.

    "Irowics," she said, hurrying up, almost running towards him.

    He pointed and would have shot her were I not already on him. With two fast strokes, I cut his jugular with my claws the moment I materialized behind him.

    His gurgled yell mixed with her desperate scream.

    "No!!!" she yelled. "What are you doing, you crazy demon! Dismiss, dismiss, dismiss!" she screamed until she remembered what she had to do and cut my summoning link just as I was trying to explain to her that I had just saved her life.

    I only caught a glimpse of her running towards the wieselman with a healing potion in her hand, and the next moment, I found myself back in the cabin.

    Standing on the bed, I attempted to jump towards her to stop her, but I was no longer in that world. Instead, I collided with the beam above, hitting it squarely with my horns. One of my horns became deeply embedded in the beam, forcing my head into an inclined position and increasing the strain on my neck. With my horns lodged and my feet dangling above the bed, I remained suspended by my neck. Desperately, I kicked with my legs, flinging the bedding away in a frantic attempt to free myself.

    For a moment, I feared my neck might break from the strain. I attempted to pull my head down, but the horns remained stuck. Eventually, I had to push against the beam with my hands to free them, causing me to fall hard on my ass as the bed protested with a loud cracking noise.

    Looking around the darkened room, I realized there was no danger, no trap, no wieselman, and no catgirl present.

    Climbing out of bed, feeling humiliated by the incident with my horns, I walked barefoot to the window, tears streaming down my face.

    The night sky was clear, with the half-moon casting a gentle glow over the dark forest. To the east, the sky brightened with the approaching dawn. Standing there for some time, I tried to process what had happened, wiping my tears and waiting to see if the catgirl would summon me again.

    But nothing happened.

    As fatigue overtook me, I returned to bed after about half an hour.

 Chapter 230 â€“ Taking a Shortcut

    I woke up to the sound of cheerful birdsong. They had started singing at dawn when the first rays of sunlight began to illuminate the sky. Despite the noise, I couldn''t be angry with them. I turned over and fell back asleep, surrounded by their joyful melodies. It wasn''t until the sun had risen higher in the sky, casting its warm rays on my skin, that I stretched and yawned, deciding I had slept enough.

    I went to the window, rubbed my eyes, and saw a deer looking surprised at me from less than ten meters away. It seemed to decide that I wasn''t a threat and calmly took a few steps further.

    What a silly deer!

    I sighed and pushed aside thoughts of a potential barbecue; I didn''t have time for that. I yawned once more and headed for a cold shower. The brisk water brought my blood flowing and my mind into focus: I needed to get to school!

    The next problem arose when I went to put on my leather suit and found it still riddled with holes and full of blood. A shudder ran down my spine as memories of last night''s horrors flooded back: the dust, the cramped space, the rods piercing my back!

    With an effort, I pushed those images aside. Memories are just memories, after all; they can''t harm you, can they?

    I glanced again at the holes in my suit. This is what happens when you have only one outfit for both dungeons and school!

    Examining the suit, I noticed that the repair process had begun, but it wasn''t yet complete. I headed to the bathroom to wash away the blood. Luckily, it worked quickly since the suit itself repelled dirt.

    Once finished, I placed the suit outside on the wooden table.

    "Well," I thought, "there''s no use waiting for it to dry normally if I want to use it today!

    Time was ticking away. I decided to treat it with its special maintenance oil. You couldn''t do that with a regular leather suit, but this was my special armor; it wouldn''t have any issues, and it would speed up the recovery process.

    I glanced at the small oil bottle: unfortunately, I would soon run out of that oil. Maybe Cala had some in her inventory, but I didn''t have access to that.

    Oh well, I decided to leave that problem for another day. Vapors began to rise from the suit as the oil started to take effect.

    I debated whether to wait for the process to finish but then decided to put it on.

    Once dressed, I went inside and glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

    It didn''t look that bad; it almost seemed as if those holes had been made on purpose, and the emitted vapors were adding a really cool effect to it. A pity it would end long before I got into town! Maybe I could use this on stage sometime?

    Instinctively, I identified myself: "Demon,..., level twenty-six (??????? ??????).

    Oh, the same as before? Why? I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Was this something resulting from the sudden cancellation of the summon by Meowra, or was there something else? This situation had dampened my good mood, but what could I do?

    Why was I disappointed? I shouldn''t be! In the last summon, I did learn a new cool spell! That''s so out of the ordinary that it should have been enough to make me happy, but I did learn much more! I learned how to avoid further summons! I could now live my life here undisturbed.

    That catgirl must have misunderstood something. I can''t imagine what was going through her mind, what she thought had happened, but who am I to fix all misunderstandings in this world? I did what I could!

    Oh, well, a good breakfast should do me good! Instead of making myself a breakfast or eating some sandwiches, how about having a real good breakfast somewhere?

    I stepped out of the cabin, closed the door, and climbed onto the bike. Feeling this monster between my legs brought a smile to my lips. Only a horse or a motorcycle rider can understand the feeling. It''s like an extension of your own being, totally different from driving a car or riding in a coach.

    As soon as I turned the key, the motor roared like a beast, frightening the little birds that had woken me up. I chuckled: take that, little birds!

    The fresh air, the wind blowing through my hair, and the road winding through the beautiful woods improved my mood. It felt like I arrived much too fast down on the highway!

    Just after the junction to our road, there was a small gas station on the opposite side of the highway that also had a small restaurant with a couple of tables. I decided to check it out. To save myself a dozen kilometers, I made a very illegal crossing over the highway and headed straight for that station. In my enthusiasm, I almost forgot to hide my horns.

    My expectations were richly rewarded: a cheerful waitress promptly approached to take my order. I got a genius inspiration and asked:

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "I''m starving. Can you bring me food to make me forget a very shitty night?!"

    She laughed.

    "What''s your limit?" - she asked, looking slantwise at me.

    "Uhm? Fifty?"

    I was no longer that broke since money was entering my account from our songs, and I wanted to give her a chance. She answered cheerfully:

    "All right, that''s something I can work with!"

    She started with a mountain of crisp, sizzling bacon, their savory aroma filling the air, then juicy sausages, perfectly grilled, releasing bursts of flavor with every bite. There were fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy and velvety, seasoned to perfection with a hint of fragrant herbs.

    Once I was done with those, golden-brown pancakes, fluffy and warm, drizzled generously with rich maple syrup followed. The syrup was glistening in the morning sunlight!

    I was not finished with them when she brought another plate, a medley of fresh fruits, their vibrant colors and sweet scents tantalizing my taste buds. Succulent strawberries, ripe blueberries, and juicy slices of watermelon mingled together, creating a burst of freshness with every bite.

    Of course, accompanying the feast had been a basket filled with an assortment of freshly baked pastries: buttery croissants, flaky Danish pastries filled with sweet fruit compote, and warm, cinnamon-infused muffins that crumbled deliciously in my mouth.

    To wash it all down, there was a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee, its rich aroma wafting through the air, and a refreshing glass of orange juice.

    "Now, that was good!" I thanked the waitress, paying the fifty dollars.

    "You know, we have an all-you-can-eat buffet for twenty-five. All truckers stop here for it! I only serve the coffee. There must have been something today, as I''ve seen just a few so far." - she said, looking conflicted at the money.

    I laughed. I glanced at her name tag.

    "Well, thanks, Matilda, keep the rest, I''m happy!"

    It was only then that she looked at me with that look.

    "You... you''re... you''re... that girl from Fata Morgana! Yes, I knew I know you! Oh, I should have taken pictures of you eating that mountain of food! A selfie, please! A selfie!"

    Well, shit. That girl from Fata Morgana... Still, she did recognize me! I let her take a couple of selfies, and she took some more when I got on my bike. Oh, well, the food was in a class of its own. I wonder if I should have gone inside to learn from the magic cook who made all that food?

    Now this is how I like my mornings!

    *

    The hours in school went by as usual.

    At noon, I met and chatted again with Michael during lunch. It had become a standard feature for us to meet at noon. The kid reminds me so much of Spartacius in the way he speaks and behaves, that it is hilarious. Hilarious because I was used to seeing these mimics and gestures on a twenty-something, well-endowed young man, to recognize them in this scrawny copy of him, which is actually the original.

    Most of the time, we talked about Mephisto''s world. He''s still playing in the revamped rehearsal of the old world and updated me about it. The company was attempting to revamp one of the parallel worlds used for training as the new Mephisto World, but the experience was far from the perfection achieved previously in the real Mephisto''s World. Well, I guess it''s no wonder after the computer meltdown catastrophe and the loss of many servers at the time.

    I asked him if he would be interested in coming with me and the band to visit Dreamland offices over the weekend, and he enthusiastically said yes. Oh, well, I''ll have to talk to Hew about it. It shouldn''t be a problem to add a person to the group... I hoped. I was planning to meet the boys at Matt''s house in the afternoon after school, so I planned to discuss this, too.

    *

    As my bike weaved through the heavy afternoon traffic, I relished the warmth of the sun on my back as I headed towards Matt''s house in the North-East districts. That was the only enjoyable part, though, as the heavy traffic was caused by demonstrations blocking the main roads. Even on a bike, I couldn''t simply fly over the traffic.

    It was a beautiful, sunny day in May, but for some reason, many people had chosen it as the perfect day for demonstrations. I heard it was somehow linked to the Bounty County and the whole shitshow surrounding it.

    To avoid the blockades, I decided to cut through the slums.

    The slums stretched across most of the eastern part of the town, although they weren''t confined to just that area. Some referred to them as the ferallands since there was little to no police presence, with various gangs controlling the area.

    The residents of these slums were mostly people living on federal grants, often derogatorily referred to as "useless eaters."

    It wasn''t always like this; it happened gradually and partially at first, but now these areas were officially recognized as some kind of no-man''s land and simply excluded from most communal services.

    The adjacent districts wanted to establish checkpoints and surround the slums with a fence, but there was always huge opposition to it based on the argument that it would be discriminatory. Interestingly enough, the same argument didn''t work for wealthy districts like Sunny''s, which had their own checkpoints and fences.

    Well, whatever. It worked for me, as I could drive through without having to stop for ID checks and frisks at checkpoints.

    The main problem with the slums was that all kinds of good-for-nothing clowns were dwelling in the lawless zone, but I trusted that I was fast and strong enough to avoid any interactions.

    There was less traffic, and the streets had not been maintained in ages, so I had to drive with care to avoid huge potholes. Some manholes were missing their covers, and a general sweet-and-sour smell permeated the air¡ªa characteristic blend of drugs and sewage odor.

    Strange shops lined the streets, most of them with two tiers¡ªone for the front and another for the backdoor, where mostly illegal trade and trafficking occurred.

    The authorities had initially tried to combat these illicit activities, but in the end, they had to give up. They still conducted raids from time to time, confiscating goods and arresting people, as all this trade avoided taxes, which angered them. However, they were unable to eradicate it. Most transactions in these shops didn''t involve official currency; instead, bartering was common. You had to bring something of value to exchange for another valuable item¡ªthat''s how most deals worked. Food coupons or other types of entitlements were also accepted, but the prices for those were relatively low. Bringing packaged food directly fetched more value than using a coupon.

    Previously, I would have avoided these areas like the plague, but now that I was more capable of defending myself, I didn''t fear them as much.

 Chapter 231 â€“ The Slums Angel

    The decrepit area stretched out before me, with rows of seemingly abandoned houses lining both sides of the street. Most of their windows were shattered, crudely patched up with makeshift wooden shelves. In between them, clusters of smaller wooden houses and tents had sprung up like mushrooms.

    Every now and then, a towering highrise loomed over the dilapidated structures, soaring up to ten floors. To the left, the charred remains of such a burnt-out tower stood, yet it still appeared to be inhabited. The streets were strewn with filth ¨C a sickening mixture of shit, piss, and vomit ¨C a testament to the neglect that plagued the area, exacerbated by days without rain. In places, bags of garbage were slowly burning.

    As I passed by a couple of bars, heavy wooden doors stood open, resting on the walls adorned with graffiti. Stairs descended into dimly lit basements, from which echoed the thumping beats of pseudo-hispano-techno music.

    Abandoned cars lined the roadside, their frames corroded and decaying. Many were stripped of tires, doors, and other essential parts, scavenged for anything of value. Their erratic parking forced the occasional driver to slow down and zigzag between them, perhaps intentionally.

    As I made my way through this ''pest infested area'', I was taken aback to spot a familiar figure. A slender girl in a blue dress and a hoodie, hood pulled up over her head, wearing long boots, navigated the filthy pavement with purpose, slaloming between dirt, bags of waste, and sleeping homeless bodies, trailed closely by a shady-looking guy.

    Slowing my bike, I watched her closely. Could it really be Helen? Our eyes met briefly before she lowered her gaze and quickened her pace, her follower in tow.

    For a moment, I hesitated. "She must have her reasons," I told myself, contemplating leaving her to her own devices. But then, I stopped the bike and let out a deep sigh.

    If I walked away now and later found out that she had been attacked and harmed by some scumbag in the slum, could I live with myself? Could I face Gonzo and meet his gaze without feeling guilty?

    I turned the bike around and drove up onto the pavement in front of her. So much for my promise to myself to not stop in the slums!

    "Hey there! You doing okay? Must be pretty warm under that hoodie," I said, trying to sound cool.

    She stopped, pulled down the hoodie, and turned her dark brown, almost black eyes to look at me. Pushing a rebellious strand of dark chestnut hair aside, she let out a sigh, parting her sensual, beautiful lips.

    I blinked, feeling strangely taken aback. Something was amiss.

    "Can I bring you somewhere?" I asked before she could even return the greeting, eyeing the guy who was following her with suspicion.

    "Hi," she answered, then turned towards the guy. "Mr. Soundthorn, thank you, I am OK. It is no longer necessary to accompany me."

    "God bless you, Mrs. Traggar!" he said with a bow and walked away.

    She knew the guy? He was her protection?

    She looked down at her dress.

    "Um, how do you suppose I can climb on the bike with my dress?" she asked.

    I shrugged. "That dress is long and large enough; it should work."

    "Can you put this inside your bike''s box? Would it fit in there?" she asked, showing me her relatively large hand luggage.

    "Sure," I answered.

    I took it and pretended to put it into one of the side boxes, but instead, I absorbed it into my inventory. No need to torture myself and the package to make it fit there. A bit of illusion magic made it look as good as real. I was getting good at these things.

    I straddled the bike, and as she attempted to climb on, I showed her where to put her feet and assisted her up with my right hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, she managed to softly land behind me, still looking dignified as she straddled the bike.

    She rested against my back, her warm body pressing against mine, sending all kinds of wrong signals to my brain. "What''s wrong with me?" I wondered. Was this some sort of demonic influence?

    "Can you bring me to the train station?" she asked.

    Taking her to the train station would get her out of the slums, which was fine, but she''d still have more than an hour to get home. I could make her trip much faster with not much for a change for me.

    "Sure. I can bring you home if you prefer," I offered.

    "Home?" She seemed momentarily confused but then smiled. "You mean... the garage! Oh, that would be cool!"

    OK, she doesn''t want to say Gonzo''s name here, I concluded, and probably isn''t yet used to calling that place home but judging by how she smiled, she was happy to refer to it as such.

    I started the bike and felt a sense of satisfaction as she pressed herself even tighter into me. Feeling her slender, warm body against mine was... not bad.

    "Damn, Lores, this is Gonzo''s girl," I muttered to myself.

    I wasn''t driving fast, so we could chat.

    "What were you doing here?" I asked, trying to push away the stupid thoughts and cover the motor''s noise. It partially worked.

    "Can we not talk about this on the bike? I don''t want to yell," she protested.

    "You can whisper as gently as you want; I can still hear you," I assured her.

    "Can this stay between us?" she whispered.

    "You mean not telling Gonzo?" I pondered.

    She hesitated, then confirmed. "Yes, but generally... " she sighed, "I''m not sure he would like what I do here... Besides, I don''t like you yelling that aloud."

    I wondered what kind of business she could have here. She embraced me even more tightly as the bike wiggled between potholes.

    I took a deep breath and grounded myself, bringing myself back down to the much colder reality.

    "OK, I''ll let you make the talking. So, what did you do?" I asked.

    She rested her cheek on my back and whispered, "I try to heal people."

    "You know, these people here have such limited access to healthcare," she continued, her voice barely audible against the hum of the engine. "They only receive basic assistance, some food coupons, and essential supplies. For anything else, they need money, and most of them don''t have anyone who earns enough to help them. Even the food they receive is barely enough, let alone lodging. Yes, they can post pleas for help on social media, hoping for attention, but the vast majority receive nothing."

    She paused to catch her breath before continuing, "I can heal. I cannot do wonders, but I can improve their lives. You have just seen Mr. Soundthorn; he is a plumber. He must fix the water pipes if they break in this area. He works for one of the local bosses. He has no day off, no employment insurance, no vacations, no health benefits, and no pension. He is always in debt, a slave of loan sharks, and lives in this stinking, feces-ridden slum with pigs wallowing in the cesspool and starved, agitated, rabies-afflicted stray dogs ready to pounce. He must pass on a monthly ¡°rent¡± to the local goon, who passes on a cut to the police. When a family member falls ill, a common occurrence in this disease-ridden environment, his financial option is not always to take the sick to the hospital."

    OK, I haven''t seen those pigs yet, but enough stray dogs... Anyway, I abstained from commenting.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "OK, tell me more about what you do!" - I yelled.

    "You don''t need to yell; I can hear you well when I keep my ear on your back," she answered, a bit annoyed. "I''ve rented a small studio, practically for free, where I promote natural healing¡ª a bit of Ayurveda, a bit of mysticism, healing crystals, and meditation. I also perform small healing pulses if somebody comes and I judge they need some help. It''s so interesting to see all the insights that magic gives me! I learn so much just by observing various people, listening to what they tell me, and then comparing it with what my magic reveals. I administer very small, minimal pulses of healing and try to spread them to more people, and yet, it works. I can see some progress. I don''t ask for money; they give me only what they can. Most of the time, I give things back or share them with others who are even more in need."

    She pressed her head on my back with a sigh, probably waiting for my questions, and as she did that, I tried hard to abstain from thinking dirty things... I shook my head, perplexed.

    Then, in a sudden epiphany, I almost halted the bike in shock as I realized what my issue was. Magic has a profound influence on people''s feelings toward each other; it amplifies and intensifies emotions.

    When two auras touch each other, it is akin to smelling and seeing, and it can evoke powerful reactions. One can feel either oppressed, dominated, welcomed, or invited; one can experience positive or negative feelings and encounter friendly or malevolent auras. But when you let the aura touch the other person, it is akin to touching and tasting.

    I was containing my aura within myself, keeping it passive, hiding it, and this was an effect of her aura invading me and practically touching me.

    It was widely known among Aldea''s inhabitants that users of complementary magic tended to be attracted to each other. While not an absolute rule, it held true in most cases.

    My magic was dark, and hers was light¡ªcould there be a more complementary pairing?

    Additionally, there was another factor at play. She possessed what is called a source of magic. I had discovered this when I "cleaned" her, but I hadn''t made the connections yet. The growth of her magical source and the improvement in her magical power had suddenly made her even more appealing to me.

    "Helen, I need to talk to you," I said firmly, rebuffing her aura. She tensed her hands, lifting her face from my back.

    "But aren''t we talking already? Why do you suddenly seem so serious?" she wondered.

    This wasn''t the sort of conversation we could have while riding on the bike, even if I was driving slowly. As we had just left the slums and were now passing through fields, I turned onto the first country road to the right and stopped in what appeared to be an abandoned garden. I parked the bike near a fallen log.

    "What are you doing? Why did you bring me here?" she questioned, still seated on the bike.

    "I need to talk to you," I sighed, contemplating how best to explain things to her.

    ¡°You said that already...¡± she answered, still clinging to my back.

    "Let''s sit over there on the log," I suggested, motioning towards the fallen tree trunk nearby.

    "Uh, this seems serious..." she joked tentatively, retracting her leg from the other side of the bike. She gave me an uncertain smile. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something too..."

    Her big brown eyes, now a mix of jest and incertitude, met mine. I inhaled, surprised.

    "Okay, you first," I urged.

    "Well, maybe you won''t like this, but I think you''ve gone a bit heavy on the eye shadow," she began hesitantly. "It''s almost as if your mascara got smudged and spread all over. Don''t be mad, though, I think it looks good, just maybe a bit too much..."

    I sighed inwardly. Was she trying to change the subject? Her observation irritated me slightly; I thought I had done a better job of masking the gray shades. I was not putting any shade around my eyes; quite the contrary, I was trying to brighten the skin there, but it looked like that. Adding and maintaining another layer of illusion for my eye shade would be too much effort.

    "Alright, noted," I acknowledged before diving straight into the heart of the matter. "I have the ability to sense and identify magic in people. I''m pretty good at it, and I must say, very few people possess it. Even fewer develop affinities for magic."

    She raised an eyebrow at my statement. "Okay?" she responded, cautious yet intrigued.

    "You have an affinity for white magic, but there''s something more, something very rare: your body has developed what''s known as a source of magic."

    Her attention piqued, her brows furrowed in curiosity.

    "What do you mean by that? Doesn''t every caster regenerate mana?" she inquired.

    I nodded, a smile playing furtively on my lips. "Yes, they can, but they need food or air containing mana to do so. That doesn''t exist here on Earth."

    She fell silent for a moment, trying to digest what I had just told her.

    "And you''re saying this ability of mine is so rare?" she asked, wondering.

    I nodded once more. "Probably one in a thousand casters possesses it."

    "But how can there be other casters if there''s no magic?" she pondered.

    I chuckled. "Good question! They''re not casters until they encounter some magic, and only then might they develop magical affinities. Maybe one in a hundred develops these magical affinities, but as I mentioned, only one in a thousand casters develops a source of magic."

    "You''re joking! So you''re saying that one in a hundred thousand would be like this? There''s no way you could know this!" she exclaimed, incredulous.

    I shrugged.

    "Maybe my estimates are a bit off, but I haven''t encountered any other ''true caster'' here in our town," I admitted.

    My estimates were based on what was known about Mephisto''s world, but I couldn''t reveal that without my point to become derisory in her eyes. Instead, I could only assume that human beings here on Earth would be somewhat similar.

    "Maybe you''re wrong," she retorted, growing more confident with each word. "Perhaps your ability to detect magic isn''t as good as you think. ''True caster'' is a term from Mephisto''s game! Are you trying to trick me with game terms? Even in Mephisto''s game, they''re not that important; their mana regeneration is just slightly higher than others."

    I shrugged again.

    "Let''s forget about Mephisto," I said, redirecting the conversation. "What I wanted to convey is that you''re precious and, as a result, in danger. There''s no free mana here. Do you really want to risk becoming a source of mana for other casters?"

    This gave her pause.

    "Our mobile phones can listen for trigger words and transmit everything we say, drones can eavesdrop from two hundred meters away using directional microphones or even read our lips, and social media knows more about us than we do ourselves, tracking our emotions and actions from years ago. But as long as we stay under the radar, no drones are tailing us, and no one is monitoring our social media to see where we''ve been. As long as our phones are elsewhere or we don''t utter the triggering words, we can live our peaceful lives. But once we catch Sauron''s attention, we''re fucked! There''s nowhere to hide."

    She nodded silently, prompting me to continue.

    "What you''re doing is great for developing your magic, but it''s also incredibly dangerous and could draw unwanted attention. Once you''re on a monster''s radar, you and your friends are in trouble. At best, you might end up with a mana-draining artifact."

    "But how could my little work attract... what you call Sauron''s ire?" she inquired.

    Had I not been clear enough? I took a deep breath, hoping my message would finally sink in.

    "Imagine a sensitive caster wanders through your rooms and senses your magic. You let your aura roam free, and cast spells there, right? They''ll investigate until they find the source! Or consider this: about one in a hundred people may develop magic affinities. How long until one of them becomes your client? What if they react to your magic? Once they become casters, they''ll naturally be drawn to people with magical sources, just like they''d crave and relish food containing magic. Even if you try to block everything, tiny fragments escape like pheromones. You''ll attract more people than you want around you, people who feel like they can''t breathe without you. It''s how casters would feel in a world without magic. What would you do then?"

    "How can you possibly know this?" she questioned.

    "Maybe I''m just rambling, or maybe not. But please, trust me," I urged.

    "But if these ''pheromones'' escape regardless, couldn''t this happen anywhere? What''s your solution? Should I just stay locked in my room?" she asked.

    ¡°First, you need to learn to control your aura. With good control, even if small motes of mana escape, all they''ll see is a beautiful girl. Only an exceptional, specialized caster might discern those tiny motes of mana for what they are. There''s always a risk, but once you let your magic examine somebody, you''re inviting danger.¡±

    ¡°So your solution is for me to do nothing? To hide in my home and not help, even if I can?¡±

    I sighed. She''s so stubborn!

    "If you did that, it would be more secure. In any case, you should learn to control your aura. You can''t let it flow freely around you as you do now!"

    "And how should I do this?"

    "You can try the exercises taught in Mephisto. The aura training principles there are valid!"

    "Are you making fun of me?" She eyed me skeptically.

    I shook my head. "No."

    She studied me for a moment, clearly hesitant to believe. "Or..." she ventured after a pause. "You know more than you''re letting on?"

    "That might be..." I admitted.

    I <identified> her. "Healer, level one."

    Well, shit, even my Identify spell recognizes her now!

    "You know something? You should also do some exercises. Magic improves your body too, just saying..."

    She sighed, raising her gaze to look at me, but didn''t elaborate further.

    Helen will always be Helen. I''m not going to change her, but at least I tried. I looked back into those big, round eyes. Why did I think before that she was shallow? Ubiquitous? There was a light in those eyes! I shrugged.

    "That''s all I wanted to say. Please think about it!"

    As we left and drove further towards Gonzo''s workshop, I pondered it. If our bodies feel magic and appreciate people who have a magic source, if we see them as beautiful, does that not mean that we evolved in an environment that had magic? Maybe Earth did have magic before? Then I thought about the goblin, about all the casters I''d already interacted with here on Earth. I thought about the images I saw after our performance at Stavros. The magic used in those fights!

 Chapter 232 â€“ Small Sins Are To Be Instantly Castigated

    After dropping off Helen at home, and after devouring all the sausages I could snatch from Gonzo''s grill (since he was roasting enough to feed an army), I rushed over to Matt''s place. He was finally back home, and the boys and I had planned to gather there to check up on him, and it was getting late. In order to save some time, I opted for the longer route through the slums to avoid the traffic jam. Along the way, I mulled over the story with Helen.

    I did really endanger her with that infusion of black magic. Back then, I let my dark magic linger too long, I thought I wanted to be throughout, but now, I was seeing it in a new light. Magic touching is akin to physical touch in a different yet equally profound way. And it was very probably simply my attraction to what I was touching that caused me to linger longer, delving deeper into her body with my magic. Yes, at the time, I wasn''t fully aware of the consequences, but that didn''t change the underlying reason for my actions.

    I hadn''t really considered this aspect before, but as magic permeates everything, it''s natural that it extends into that realm of our minds.

    Why do we find a person beautiful? Why do we perceive a flower as beautiful? It''s challenging to articulate, but we feel it.

    There are numerous factors that influence our minds, and magic is one of them. I''ll need to keep this damn thing in mind and not let it influence me too much.

    Once you acknowledge the beast and corral it back into its cage, the rational mind can regain control.

    I sighed. Was there no room for fun in this world? What kind of world do we live in where everything enjoyable is either forbidden, immoral, or makes you fat?

    I focused on riding my bike. At least here, I could have my fun! To have such power between your legs and guide it as you wish is exhilarating. Almost as satisfying as making love.

    Controlling a bike requires strength, and luckily, I had plenty. I didn''t fear a crash; my only concern was avoiding hitting someone, which could easily be avoided with a little caution.

    And so, the whole world seemed to move at a snail''s pace while only my bike and I were truly in motion.

    In the slums, there was nobody around to stop me for speeding.

    The bike roared, my hair fluttered in the wind as I passed within inches of obstacles, even flying over or driving under them.

    Driving on one wheel while accelerating and drifting in the curves became the rule.

    I ducked under a long set of tubes hanging behind a truck, the red flag at the end brushing against my shoulder. I maneuvered myself and the bike alongside another truck to let a bus swerve past, in a place where I shouldn''t have enough room to be, touching the truck with my shoulder. A few times, I hopped over the sidewalk to avoid stopping behind cars blocking the road, and I cleared an open manhole with ease.

    My heart leaped for joy in my chest.

    Once I reached the ''civilized'' part of town, I sadly had to refrain from running red lights and thundering through intersections to prevent overreactions from other drivers, which dampened the thrill of the ride slightly. Nevertheless, I made good use of my time and arrived at Matt''s home on time.

    It felt too short, but I had an appointment with the boys, so that was that.

    Hew was the one who opened the door, which surprised me. I had expected either Matt or his mother.

    "Hi Lores! We knew you were coming!" Hew greeted me enthusiastically.

    "Hi Hew!" I responded, a bit taken aback by his enthusiasm.

    I wondered why he felt the need to tell me that. After all, they all knew I was coming; we had arranged to meet there. As I entered the room, everyone greeted me with grins, even Matt, which caught me off guard. I felt my eyebrows furrowing inquisitively.

    "What''s so funny?" I asked after exchanging greetings. "Do I have a dot on my nose or something?"

    "Unfortunately, the livestream is over, but there is a saved copy you can watch!" Mike explained cryptically.

    I couldn''t help but notice the look in their eyes. All kind of suppositions raced through my mind as I approached Mike''s laptop. Were there fake videos of me circulating online?

    Only when he showed me the link did it become clear: It was a trending video titled ¡°Crazy biker driving through the slums!¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    As soon as I saw the title, I couldn''t help but snort in annoyance. When Mike clicked on it, and the images started playing, I felt like crawling under the table. Some smart guy with a drone had captured a significant portion of my wild ride through the slums and was now racking up internet points on social media with his footage.

    Damn it! Swift punishment for minor offenses, isn''t it? It seems like there''s no room for fun in this world anymore! And to think, just a couple of days ago, Mike''s mother warned me to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention after the incident at Sunny''s party. It''s such a small world we live in.

    "Don''t you have anything better to do than search the internet for videos about me?" I protested.

    "Well, we do care about you, but it wasn''t exactly videos about you that we were searching for," Tom explained with a chuckle. "It was about that demonstration; they are asking for answers! A lot of strange things have been happening in the area, documented on videos. Something similar to what we saw after we sang with the girls at Stavros, and so we were searching for ''interesting videos from the area'' and yours popped up as the first."

    Ah, the demo. So, what was it about?

    "Can you show me some?" I wondered.

    Hew made a couple of clicks, and I saw drone videos that showed something like positional warfare. There were some hapless troops spread in a zigzagging trench and were attacked by what looked like... giant ants or spiders? Okay, not really giant, but what would you call an ant as big as a foot?

    "Those must be some drones," Tom exclaimed, "but who would make walking drones when you could have much faster flying drones? What are they trying to do... Ah, that drone exploded!"

    Exploding giant ants? Oh, damn, there are such in Mephisto! Should I tell them?

    The footage was unclear, so I wanted to see more, and Hew showed us some more. It was footage from a drone flying high. The video was blurred from time to time, with interruptions, and then suddenly, something hit the drone. Was that a falcon? The feed was suddenly cut.

    Another footage showed a low-flying drone that was intercepted by other drones that looked like wasps.

    "Can these be real? These videos are a bit different from last time," Mike remarked.

    "Those are not drones!" Tom exclaimed suddenly. "And these look like a mixture of videos from the Niterian civil war, spiced with footage from Mephisto''s beasts, not drones! Those ants and wasps are from Mephisto!"

    "No way!" Hew protested.

    I nodded. That would make sense. A druid could take control of an ant queen or wasp and thus control the swarm.

    "Where did you get these videos from?" I turned towards Hew.

    "These were saved on a Niterian server," he answered.

    "There, you have it!" Tom exclaimed. "I told you, Niterian civil war from last year!"

    "They say these are fakes, but the army had lost their positions and had to retreat," Mike said.

    "Did they?" Hew wondered, and Mike nodded.

    "Not much, just a couple of kilometers, but still," he explained. "What do you think, Lores? Which ones are real, these or the previous ones we saw several weeks ago?"

    I shrugged and asked.

    "You mean the ones that Emanuella found after our performance at Stavros?"

    He nodded.

    "I think both could be real," I said.

    Mike raised a brow. "Even if they are so different?"

    I nodded and sighed. "Well, both can be explained by the magic we know from Mephisto''s world. The first as a direct magic action, the second through beast control, so yeah, they could be."

    Tom scratched his scalp and exhaled exasperatedly.

    "Nonsense. How would you explain the existence of those ants? Those were beasts from Mephisto! How did they get here? You cannot convince me that our Mephisto characters and beasts came out of the digital dimension to kill us. There must be something else behind all this! It simply does not make sense like this!"

    I sighed. I had no explanation, even though I felt that this was how things were.

    "Let''s see what we learn Saturday from our visit to Dreamland''s headquarters," Hew said.

    Tom snorted.

    "What can that bring us? You hope that visiting those offices, talking to the programmers, and speaking with Thorwal''s old bag will enlighten us? No way."

    "Thorwal''s widow is a pretty nice person, don''t talk like this about her!" Mike protested.

    Hew shrugged while Tom raised a brow, looking at Mike.

    "I''m really sorry I can''t come with you!" Matt exclaimed

    "Would it be alright if I invite my cousin? He''d be glad to come, and I sort of promised to take him if possible," I mused.

    "There, you can let the boy take my ticket," Tom exclaimed, happy to find a solution.

    "You won''t escape your duties so easily, Tom!" Hew exclaimed with a laugh, then turned towards me. "I do have an option for another ticket, but can your cousin afford the bill? These aren''t exactly cheap!"

    "Sure," I nodded.

    "So, just one additional ticket? I''ll do it right now!"

    "My duties!" Tom snorted disdainfully.

    At that moment, Matt''s mother came in with some refreshments, and I met her gaze. When I greeted her, she gave me an acid glance. It seemed like she had even less sympathy for me than before.

    Her judgmental look at my clothes made me wonder if I should dress like a nun the next time I came to visit him.

 Chapter 233 â€“ Bed Company

    To my surprise, as we gathered in the entry hallway ready to leave, Matt''s mother intercepted me and insisted that I stay. I glanced at her with confusion, attempting to explain that I was comfortable sleeping in the cabin and that the drive home would take less that half an hour. This garnered me some uneasy looks from the boys, who tried to hush me.

    Was that because of my involuntarily boasting about speeding or about calling that place ''home''? In addition my response seemed to upset her. In the cramped hallway, there were several awkward moments where everyone seemed well-intentioned, but everything I said appeared to be met with disapproval from someone.

    While the boys hushed me, she seemed at the same time aghast about me staying, but even more so at me leaving. I found myself desperately trying to read the room but my obvious incapacity to do so properly became apparent. I''ve never been a social person, and human interactions have always puzzled me with their complexity. I suppose I''m a bit slow to catch on in such situations, which sometimes makes me doubt my IQ.

    After a while, I began to suspect that there had been some discussion among the boys'' mothers, and they had decided not to let me sleep alone in the woods again. So, I bid goodbye to the boys and returned to Matt''s room. His mother triumphantly informed me that she was going to prepare Frank''s room for me. I assume Frank is Matt''s divorced father.

    As I reentered Matt''s room, he greeted me with a smile, having overheard the conversation.

    "Welcome back! It''s a shame you can''t come and visit me later from your room," Matt whispered. "I''d love to chat some more with you..."

    I wondered, was he expecting a romantic encounter, or were there important things he wanted to talk about? He seemed quite serious about it, though.

    His mother soon arrived with supper, insisting on spoon-feeding him despite his protests. She seated me at his desk by the window, positioning herself between us, with her back partly turned to me, but despite this arrangement, the atmosphere remained friendly, and we were able to chat freely.

    Of course, the main topic of conversation was our upcoming visit to Dreamland, although we couldn''t delve too deeply into the more interesting aspects due to his mother''s presence.

    He would have gladly joined us tomorrow, and had a lot of questions he wanted to have answered and at a certain time I wondered if I should not take notes, because, for sure, I was going to forget some.

    Once he finished eating, his mother promptly ushered me up to my room, claiming he needed rest, which wasn''t entirely untrue.

    Once in my room, I undressed, slipped into my pajamas, and made a quick trip to the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth. Returning to my room, I turned off the light and settled into bed. However, a nagging curiosity kept me restless, and when the house finally grew quiet, I shed my pajamas, stashed them away in my inventory, and melded into the shadows.

    My room was situated on the opposite side of the house, and with his mother sleeping in the main room with the door ajar, I wandered as a shadow down the corridor, her snores echoing softly in the silence.

    To enter Matt''s room, I slipped through the narrow gaps between the door and the doorframe. He wasn''t yet asleep, just lying on his back in bed.

    Gathering my shadows, I materialized at the side of his bed, the parquet creaking softly under my weight. He turned his head to look, and I motioned for him to stay quiet.

    "Shhh! Don''t turn," I whispered while slipping into my pajamas.

    He blinked in surprise but complied with my request.

    "Lores?" he whispered.

    I chuckled softly. "Who else did you expect?"

    I shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

    "You wanted to talk, so here I am," I whispered.

    "Cool, we haven''t really talked in ages! I still don''t understand what exactly happened that day before I had the accident, among many other things. But I can barely hear you from there. Would you be okay to come here near me?"

    "You mean I should lie in bed by your side?" I wondered.

    "What''s so wrong with it? Why are you giving me the cold shoulder? I can barely hear you from there, and," he added with a chuckle, "I can assure you that I''ll stay very brave here."

    I chuckled as I slipped into the bed near him. "Don''t imagine silly things, I just came to chat with you!"

    "Sure!" he laughed. "Why would I imagine silly things? How did you do this? I haven''t heard a sound, and I''m sure my mother is guarding the corridor."

    "She is snoring very peacefully," I explained. "I do have my little tricks. Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

    Surprisingly, it was comforting to feel him near me. He chuckled. "As I said, I was simply missing you and just wanted to have a chat with you," he said and shrugged. "Maybe sometime you will explain to me what happened, and what did I do wrong that you decided to break with me?"

    "Does it look like I broke with you?" I teased him.

    He sighed. "Didn''t you say last time that we are just friends?"

    I continued my teasing. "We are friends, do you complain?"

    "Of course not. Did I do something wrong?"

    I turned and placed my hand over his shoulder. "Do you know that I know you in every little detail?" I asked.

    "What do you mean?" he wondered.

    "I know each and every centimeter of your skin. I know all your birthmarks. Yes, that one too! I guess I know even every root of your hair. I know that you once broke your middle finger on the left hand and it still has a small deviation in the middle. I don''t know when and what did that happen, but I do know that it has that deviation. I know that you have a little scar on your right knee, and also one that covers your butt cheeks."

    "How can you know that?" he wondered.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I shrugged. "Magic. Speaking of that, how did that happen? I always wondered actually. Did you fall over something sharp?"

    He chuckled. "No." he shrugged "It was a neighbor. It happened some time after Christmas when I was a kid. We made swords from discarded Christmas trees to play knights. Two kids started to duel, and one idiot accidentally stuck his sword in the other kid''s eye. That kid had always been a troublemaker. Even in kindergarten, he had violent outbursts. Anyway, after the injured boy ran home crying, the neighbor came out enraged. And who does he find playing with his sword? Me. So, he struck me as hard as he could with a rod over my butt. I was about ten years old then. It hurt badly, but I didn''t dare to tell my parents. Ma only saw it a couple of days later. I still have the scar where the skin came off."

    I listened with horror to his story. "Damn idiot! He could have seriously hurt you! If you tell me who he is, I''ll give him a taste of his own medicine so he remembers!"

    He shrugged and laughed softly. "Please, no. That was a decade ago. You don''t want to hurt an old man."

    "He can''t be that old. Did he go to jail for that?" I pressed.

    He chuckled.

    ¡°No, my ma told me not to play with his son anymore. But the boy was okay; only his father had been an idiot. Why should I stop playing with him?¡± He sighed and redirected the conversation back to me. ¡°So, what do you mean? Are you suggesting that because we''re so different, there might be a problem between us?¡±

    I shrugged and shook my head. ¡°No, not exactly. What I mean is that I know you like a friend. It''s as if we grew up together as brothers. Let me explain. It''s a memory that''s been left in my mind by the person who... who loved you. I fear that she''s dead, and I only have her memories. She doesn''t speak to me anymore since... since something bad happened. You see, that''s why I can''t fall in love with you. It would be like taking my sister''s boyfriend. Do you understand? It wasn''t me loving you; it was her.¡±

    He glanced at me, trying to gauge how serious I was. How could I explain the whole messed up situation I was in?

    ¡°I... I simply don''t understand you,¡± he said after some time, sounding defeated. ¡°You disappeared for a while, and then you came back... changed. You behaved strangely, ignored me, went with Joe, and then...¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°Matt, after... after I escaped from... there... there was a time when I thought that all my memories about magic were just my mind going crazy. I was scared and doubted my sanity. I didn''t know what was real and what wasn''t from what I remembered. I was with Joe because I did like Joe, but that turned out to be a washout.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°So, that''s why you went with Joe to the concert, but at the same time, you flirted with me, and then you played handball with him?¡±

    I protested, ¡°Well, you''re mixing up the timeline a bit, and it''s not exactly true. I was only with Joe... that is until I realized that he''s an idiot. She was always for you and flirted with you! To be frank, I did ask her to help me with Joe, and in return, I accepted her to be with you.¡±

    I know he rolled his eyes. ¡°How generous of you! Couldn''t you find a compromise with her?¡±

    I snorted. ¡°I tried, but she didn''t like Joe, so we agreed to disagree.¡±

    "But, to be clear, she was still you, isn''t it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You''re trying to make fun of me!¡± I protested.

    He shrugged. ¡°This is the funniest excuse I''ve ever heard for somebody being with two boys at the same time! You can have as many friends as personalities!¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Actually, I had three personalities and only two friends; one was still undecided...¡±

    ¡°Three? And now it''s only you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    I was relieved that he didn''t inquire if I had seen a doctor.

    "Could you please heal me? I''ll play the role of the sick man as long as needed, but it''s slowly becoming boring to just sit in bed. I know you can do that!"

    I shook my head.

    "Sorry, no. That''s the rub. That wasn''t me. That was her. She could heal any wound instantly, without much strain, not like me."

    "But you did heal me?" he wondered. "The wonder at the hospital? That was you!"

    I sighed in despair. "Do you look like a healthy man? No. All I can do is steal some life from other people and give it to you at diminishing returns. I''m useless as a healer."

    He froze.

    "So that''s what you did? Where did you steal life from...? Oh... oh... oh!?"

    I closed my eyes and bit my lip.

    "Huh... I wasn''t supposed to say that. Look, all I have now is black magic. That''s my problem. Not a trace of white magic. This was as far as you can get with black magic!"

    "What happened to her? Did she have a name? Will you tell me the whole story?"

    "I will, but not now. I am very tired," I said, turning on my side and resting my head on my hand, yawning. "Her name was White Flower. I called her Flo. There was a small black magic explosion that we caused. I was trying to clean me up from... That''s another story I''ll tell you next time. Since then, I am full of black magic and she is gone."

    ¡°How small was that explosion?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever heard about the Tsar-Bomba?¡±

    ¡°Oh! That''s what you call small?"

    ¡°Well, when I said small I was joking. From down there, it certainly looked like that... It went many miles up in the air...¡±

    ¡°She is not gone!¡± he suddenly said.

    I raised a brow and gently caressed his hand with mine.

    ¡°Sorry, but she is gone. She is no more. Somebody confirmed it to me. Somebody who could feel a soul.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°She is not dead. I would know if she were dead. Believe me. She is still there. I know it and I can feel it.¡±

    I huffed. Did he think I was speaking in allegories? Why would Lynx tell me he couldn''t feel a connection to Cala''s soul if she wasn''t dead? Well, he didn''t explicitly say Cala was dead; he only mentioned not feeling a connection to me. But wasn''t that essentially the same thing?

    Then I remembered I had a hairpin from Flo. It was the only object I still had from her, forgotten in my room. I retrieved it from my inventory.

    ¡°You know what this is?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Looks like a hairpin?¡± he replied.

    ¡°I got it from her. It was her hairpin, and it''s probably the only one on Earth that originated in another world.¡±

    ¡°From her? You mean White Flower?¡± he inquired.

    ¡°Yep. It''s pretty mundane, and it doesn''t have any magical qualities. I wasn''t able to detect any trace of magic in it, yet it''s hers.¡±

    ¡°Why are you showing it to me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because it was hers, and I want you to have it. It''s the only thing I have left from her.¡±

    ¡°May I have it? Just like this?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I''m sorry I don''t have something more precious from her to give you.¡±

    Satisfied that I could still give him something from her, I closed my eyes while he was looking at the hairpin.

    *

    His hand gently shook my shoulder, rousing me from sleep.

    ¡°Good morning, love. My mom is coming. Do you want to meet her here, or do you want to leave before?¡±

    Opening my eyes, I realized I had been sleeping in Matt''s bed. It was morning. Our gazes locked for a moment before I heard his mom''s voice at the door. With a quick decision, I dissipated into the air right before his eyes.

    ¡°Good morning, Matt!¡± his mother greeted as she entered the room.

    Her gaze fell upon the bed, where the impression of a body was still visible, particularly on my abandoned pajamas. Her eyes then met the smug smile on her son''s face, while his gaze appeared innocent.

 Chapter 234 â€“ Two Rejections, One Hotter Than the Other

    My heart was a battlefield of conflicting emotions. I did not know what to do and what was the right thing to do as uncertainty clouded my mind. I found myself unceremoniously ejected from the house, Matt''s mother caught in an self-escalating tirade, akin a runaway nuclear chain reaction passed the threshold where it could be stopped.

    ¡°You take her in your house and what does she do? She does the one thing she knows, jumps in your son''s bed, behind your back, the boy that is just recovering from a serious accident caused by her! Go out! OUT! Leave us!¡°

    How should I have caused his accident? Because he went out to meet me? Because she did not tell him I was there, looking for him, until it was late in the night? Would it make any sense to try and talk to her? Would she listen to me if she is not even listening to her son?

    How did it came to this? I must have some hidden talent for ruining relationships like these. Maybe it is a magic skill that I am not aware of. I don''t know. To think that weeks ago, she had asked me to call her Kate, and now she does not even want to talk to me! Well done Lores!

    No matter how I tried to cope with it in my mind, the fact was that I was being kicked out, and it stung my pride and emotions.

    She stormed into my room like a tornado, catching me just after I materialized and was starting to get dressed. She didn''t even bother to knock! That poor idiot could''ve given me an earlier heads-up that she was on her way... Or, maybe he had just woken up shortly before me... Well, I, fucking fuck, had fallen asleep in his bed yesterday! I shouldn''t have! Oh, damn!

    ¡°Ma, enough! You have no right! You can''t just¡ª¡± Matt''s voice echoed from his room, trying fruitlessly to quell the nuclear meltdown.

    ¡°I have every right in my own house! You''re still recovering, can''t she see that?! All I need is for you to catch syphilis or gonorrhea, or who knows what other STD, if she hasn''t just broken your bones again!¡±

    His mother''s words cut through the air like a knife. I don''t think I''ve ever dressed that quickly in my life. Their voices clashed from opposite ends of the house.

    ¡°Ma, please stop! You''re talking nonsense! It''s not just your house¡ªit''s our house! I own half of it!¡±

    ¡°How dare you! Don''t you dare tell me to be quiet! I worked hard for this house, not you! You can''t throw me out of my own home!¡±

    As I headed for the door, I raised my voice to be heard: ¡°Matt, you can reach me by phone. I''m leaving!¡±

    ¡°Don''t leave, Lores! Please!¡±

    As I reached the corridor near the entry door, I glimpsed him through my mana vision, struggling to rise from his bed. Ignoring her, I dashed towards his room.

    ¡°Matt, please stay in bed! We''ll talk later when things calm down. Please, Matt!¡±

    He glanced at me, then at the fury beside me, her hand resting on my shoulder, likely trying to prevent me from advancing any further.

    I sighed. She was caring for him, and I couldn''t take that away from him. I didn''t want to replace her. Hopefully, he wouldn''t strain himself too much.

    ¡°Take care of yourself, Matt. We''ll catch up later, okay? Goodbye!¡±

    ¡°Okay, goodbye,¡± he replied, sounding defeated.

    It was Friday morning, a beautiful sunny day.

    I received a few curious glances from the neighbors as I stepped out of the house.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± greeted the lady from across the street, who was just disposing of some garbage in the garbage bin.

    I responded politely, with the background noise of Matt and his mother arguing inside the house.

    Poor guy, I had certainly added to his troubles. The neighbor lady looked at me inquiringly, and I simply shrugged. She sighed and raised her hands in resignation as if telling me, ''don''t worry, it''s not the first time I heard that noise''.

    Another elderly man greeted me as he passed by.

    I was becoming quite fast popular in the neighborhood. I nodded and replied to the old man, then started my bike, making as little noise as possible.

    I arrived at the school feeling hungry and much too early. Maybe I should have gone to that all-you-can-eat buffet instead, but now it was too late for that. I searched for a snack in the surrounding shops.

    *

    Friday afternoon marked the beginning of our weekend visit to Dreamland, with a special meeting scheduled with Mrs. Thorwal, the widow of the writer. We were set to meet Mrs. Thorwal at her home precisely at 5:00 PM. The meeting was scheduled for thirty minutes, and Tom had been fuming since yesterday about his reluctance to see the old ''goat''. He used some rather colorful language, much to the dismay of Mike and Hew, who were die-hard Thorwal fans, and that naturally included his widow.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Me too, I wasn''t entirely convinced about what we could gain from this visit, and I was counting on getting more answers on Saturday during the comprehensive tour of Dreamland offices and servers, which included meetings with development teams and immersion in their testing facilities. However, Michael was also a fan of Thorwal and insisted that we should pay the old lady a visit. If he hadn''t been with us, I might have considered skipping it. Plus, the cost wasn''t insignificant, but I didn''t want to be the one to spoil the fun.

    Well, now I was faced with another tricky situation. Technically, I could pay Mrs. Thorwal a visit in my leather getup, but the idea to do so rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, the leather suit suited me just fine, but wearing the same outfit all the time didn''t quite jive with me. I did have a few dresses in my wardrobe, but I lacked the right shoes to match them.

    The idea to try a new outfit was basically me trying to cope with the whole stress, a way to find some normality in my now too turbulent life. Not long ago this was the only problem I needed to solve and nothing else.

    After wrapping up my classes around two o''clock in the afternoon, I headed to the nearby shoe store with the intention of finding a pair of shoes that would fit my budget and complement one of my dresses. I was in luck, as I stumbled upon a wonderful pair that not only looked great with my blue dress but also suited my budget. Although they felt a bit tight at first, the clerk assured me that they would stretch out with time. Ultimately, I opted to buy them¡ªa sleek, black, and exquisitely elegant pair of high heels. They were the perfect replacement for the only other pair I owned, which I had unfortunately lost. That pair was reserved for special occasions, just like this one, and I had lost them at that cursed Blue Cauldron concert. I must confess, they looked absolutely stunning on me, even better than the ones I had before.

    With over an hour to spare until Michael finished his classes and our scheduled meeting, I found myself unsure of how to occupy my time. As I wandered around the schoolyard, contemplating my options, I ran into Simon and the handball team. Eagerly, I accepted their invitation and spent the next hour playing handball with them. The sport stirred up pleasant memories and served as a soothing balm for my wounded pride and soul.

    Once Michael was ready and waved from the sidelines, I headed to the school''s gym girls'' locker room for a quick shower. Five minutes later, we left on my bike, with Michael clinging onto me with all his might. Even if I drove gently, it was quite a ride for his first time riding a bike.

    Next to Thorwal''s mansion was a park with a parking space for about twenty cars. This was where we agreed to meet with Hew. It was a super-rich, well-kept district with plenty of security personnel around.

    We arrived about twenty minutes early, but the boys were already waiting for us in the parking lot. Hew waved to us as I parked, and once I helped Michael dismount from the bike, I made the introductions.

    I arrived early because I wanted to change my outfit, so I hurried to the restroom in the parking lot.

    Once I found a clean stall, I began to change. I removed my jacket and blouse, stashed them in my inventory, pulled my dress out, and slipped it over my head. Then I took off my boots and trousers, stowed them away, and put on a pair of finer socks and the newly bought shoes. It took me the longest to put on the socks.

    Afterwards, I stepped out of the stall and inspected myself in the mirror: an azure dress that matched my eyes, those black high-heel shoes, and a small black purse. Perfect!

    I emerged from the restroom feeling fresh and happy, and promptly received a couple of compliments from Tom on my outfit, that enlarged the grin on my face up to my ears. Happy we made our way towards the residence gates. It was a sprawling estate, and I was a bit annoyed that we had to walk instead of having driven directly inside, especially since my new shoes were already starting to hurt a bit my poor toes.

    As we approached the gates, a burly security guard checked our tickets superficially and let us in.

    We started to walk the about one hundred meters to the distant villa, with Hew and Mike leading the way and Tom, Michael, and I following behind. The zigzagging path was covered with small quadratic granite stones forming arcs, giving it a romantic touch, but not the most comfortable for my heels, which were further straining my now tortured feet.

    As we climbed the small hill we got a better view of the two-story villa, with giant windows between arcs of stone, resembling a modern interpretation of a post-medieval villa. Its quadratic form was adorned with small round towers at each corner, extending about one storey higher than the main construction.

    At the entry, there were two huge glass doors, and to the left, a small column about one meter high housed a red button that was likely the doorbell. Hew pressed the button, and we heard a ding dong bell from inside the house. Moments later, a custodian or perhaps the butler appeared.

    "Mr. Hew Denevan?" he inquired, eyeing our group.

    "Yeah, that''s me. Hello," Hew replied.

    "Good afternoon! You''re early," the custodian observed, scanning our group as if to ensure we weren''t hiding someone. "A group of five, was it? Alright, please follow me. Lady Thorwal will be with you soon."

    We were led into a vast room and left to wait. Its wooden floor was covered with Persian carpets, and there were refreshments and cookies available.

    In one corner, I spotted a huge armchair near a fireplace. As the boys stood and started to chat about a painting displaying a remote land, probably something from Dreamland, I grabbed a glass of juice and made a beeline for the armchair. The furniture had an old-fashioned charm; it seemed like Mrs. Thorwal had a penchant for collecting and restoring antique pieces. There was a library with what appeared to be ancient books dividing the room, and a couple of complete suits of armor stood nearby, along with various other old objects and maps that looked authentic. The ostentatious display of wealth was unmistakable. I hadn''t realized that Thorwal had amassed such a fortune.

    With a sigh of relief, I sank into the armchair, giving my tortured feet a rest, and examined the armor in front of me. It appeared to be a modern reproduction of medieval armor.

    I briefly considered taking off my new shoes, but I resisted the urge with a mental effort.

    As I examined the armor, I failed to notice that Mrs. Thorwal had already entered the room. The ambient classical music and soft-spoken conversation didn''t help to draw my attention either. When I turned to look for the boys, I saw them sitting on sofas facing her and engaging in conversation.

    With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly abandoned the comfortable embrace of the armchair and stood up to approach them. As I drew closer with a smile on my face, her eyes landed on me, and she reacted instantly. Despite being an elderly lady of about seventy or eighty, she leaped up like a young goat and unleashed a searing blast of fire at me.

    I had no time to react or even comprehend what was happening, but it felt as though I had been suddenly transported into a furnace.

 Chapter 235 - Aldea Is Not in Europe

    I cried out in agony, my senses overwhelmed by the searing flames, leaving me momentarily blinded. Without hesitation, I instinctively unleashed the life-drain spell upon her. Though I couldn''t see her, I sensed her presence through my mana. The spell was more a reflex than a conscious decision. The truth was that I did not know the name of the spell, and therefore, I did not cast it like I would cast Cala''s spells because it was not a spell like those I learned with Cala as a player but rather similar to White Flower''s style of spells.

    It was a simple life-drain mana-link guided by my subconscious, without me being fully aware of how and why it worked, but it worked, and that very probably saved my life.

    In the blink of an eye, another spell assailed me, hurling me through the air as though I were a mere insect struck by a swatter. I soared like a projectile launched from a catapult, hurtling through a library brimming with valuable books before crashing into the wall. Thankfully, the books absorbed much of the impact; otherwise, I am not sure how much gray matter I would have left in my shocked brain.

    With a pained groan, I collapsed to the ground, a section of the wall crumbling beside me as I scrambled on all fours to seek refuge behind a nearby desk.

    "How could she cast such devastating spells so quickly?" I muttered to myself, bewildered by the speed and power of her magic.

    However, before she could unleash another spell, something flew through the window with a deafening bang, shattering the glass and exploding, striking her hand. The window must have been made of special glass, as it shattered into numerous small pieces that scattered like a wave of water.

    I caught only a fleeting glimpse of the chaos as I scrambled for cover.

    "How is she still standing after that explosion?" I wondered.

    She cried out in pain as she turned towards the window, the glass shards swirling around her like water around a transparent, giant plexiglass egg shielding her. She began to cast something, but I couldn''t see what, as another firewall enveloped me. Where did that come from? Luckily, it first struck the desk under which I was hiding, and only the lingering flames reached me.

    Not even five seconds had passed, and I was already running on fumes. I turned to flee and was horrified to see two armored suits advancing toward me. Had they conjured the second fireball? Armor suits hurling fireballs? Golems? I tried to identify one, but all I saw were question marks. This shit show was way out of my league.

    The room descended into chaos as spells flew in every direction, accompanied by the boys'' shouts and frantic attempts to seek cover. Amidst the chaos, I heard the sounds of roaring monsters, as if all hell had broken loose. It seemed even the armored suits had shifted their attention elsewhere, leaving me forgotten in the fray.

    Scrambling on all fours, I sought refuge behind a bookshelf, only for the shelves to topple over, burying me under debris and falling books. Yelling in panic, I wriggled away on all four like an alligator in a marsh. I desperately tried to slide under another nearby, but much too low, table as I saw pieces of an armored suit rolling toward me. At first, I thought it was a clever way to roll toward me faster, but then I realized the armor was simply broken. Someone had dismantled those armored suits like crash test dummies, the armor looking like a tin can that got processed through a harvester.

    I heard frantic shouts and then curses in a foreign tongue, a language that rang vaguely familiar in my ears. Where had I heard it before?

    Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a finger lying on the carpet ten centimeters in front of me, adorned with an intricate ring. There were several fingers strewn about, surrounded by blood and gore, but it was that ring that captured my attention. Its filigree design was exquisite, and having a good eye for enchanted jewelry, I knew it was something in the legendary class. Crafted from what appeared to be silver, it boasted a single black diamond adorned with intricate runic fractals. You could almost see the runes dancing inside it! Even in the midst of that chaos, my instinct triggered instantly, and I grabbed the ring.

    However, at that moment, another blast enveloped me, completely blinding and deafening me.

    Panic gripped my mind. I jumped and started to run blindly with all I still had. I felt that I was dying, that death was just a step away. Another blast, another hit, would have finished me. Maybe just a push with a finger would have been enough to topple me. It was a wonder that I was still able to move, my life draining bringing me just enough life to compensate for what I was losing through the fire that still engulfed me.

    I must have passed through the broken window as I felt grass hitting my burned legs, and the noise of the fight grew more distant.

    I rolled through the grass in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames. Slowly, my eyes began to regain focus. The grass towered high around me, unlike any I had seen near the house before. As I surveyed my surroundings with growing bewilderment, I realized I was in a glade. Unfortunately, I had lost my connection to my life drain target; I must have been too far from her. Feeling utterly disoriented, I glanced back and saw nothing but a portal in the center of the glade. Suddenly, an elf girl leaped through the portal, her gaze locking onto me as she began to cast a spell. With nowhere to hide and no way to evade the incoming magic, I knew I was as good as dead.

    "Nooooo! Please, no!" I cried out, and to my surprise, she abruptly halted her incantation.

    It felt as though she had been stunned by a mind blast. "Yeah, I should have tried Cala''s mind blast. Remind me next time I''m attacked", I thought to myself. In a game, I would have executed it flawlessly, so why did I lose my mojo here in real life?

    After a moment of hesitation, she began running toward me. I attempted Cala''s mind blast, but it was as effective as blowing air - in other words, completely useless. I collapsed to my knees, devoid of the strength to flee any longer, feeling like the crumbling corpse I actually was.

    "Stop! Please, stop!" I pleaded.

    Once again, I anticipated my demise, yet nothing happened. Slowly, I raised my head to glance at her. She was breathing heavily, as if struggling with herself, every movement requiring immense effort. Did I cause that? I knew I could command lesser humans, but even those without any magical abilities didn''t react so strongly to my orders.

    "Don''t move!" I commanded, and she froze completely.

    Moreover, I hadn''t infused my voice with any mana; I had merely spoken the words.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Behind her, I saw Lynx emerge through the portal, followed by Alice and Tina. My life drain was now functioning, and I managed to stand up again, my mind racing to make sense of the situation. What were the three of them doing here? Who was this elf? She was clearly the cause of my distress, but something was holding her back from acting now. But what?

    In an instant, Lynx was beside the elf, but he paused, glancing first at her, then at me. Our eyes met, and I saw the same perplexed expression reflected back at me as if looking into a mirror.

    "Dance!" I commanded the elf, and to my astonishment, she began to dance - a slow, graceful elf solo. I didn''t know why I had ordered her to do that. Perhaps it was to say something absurd, something to test the limits of what she would obey. But now she was dancing.

    I glanced at Lynx and Alice, then back at the elf. It was surreal to see her dancing in the grass as if nothing else mattered, only her eyes throwing thunderbolts when she turned to look at me. What was happening?

    "What''s going on?" Alice asked, her bow tense in her hand. She slowly released the tension.

    "What are you doing here?" I asked Alice, but it was the elf who answered.

    "I''m dancing!"

    Her flat statement made us look at each other again, puzzled.

    My health was slowly recovering, but the life drain effect wasn''t yet evident on the elf.

    She must have an abundance of life energy!

    I glanced at her hands. The sleeve of her left hand was shredded as if from an explosion, yet her hand appeared unharmed. Perhaps she had healed herself. Was she a healer, or did she possess powerful healing artifacts? Or could she be one of the rare mage healers like White Flower? A high-level mage healer? But why was she obeying my commands? After the intense fight, she suddenly seemed quite docile.

    Alice approached, her bow at the ready. "What''s happening?" she asked again.

    "She''s controlling her somehow," the Lynx concluded, positioning himself between us and the elf, clearly prepared to protect us if necessary.

    I examined the ring in my hand. "Stop dancing," I commanded the elf. "Stay there and don''t do anything."

    As I spoke, the ring emitted a soft glow. I could only see it with my mana sight, but it was unmistakable. So the ring was the key! How could anyone carry such a ring that could control them? It made no sense, and yet it was right there!

    I removed it from the severed finger and slipped it onto my own hand. I felt a strong pull of mana, and when I looked at the elf, she suddenly grew calm. Only submission remained in her eyes; all the hate, anger, and fear had vanished. She let out a deep sigh and smiled at me as if relieved of a heavy burden. Behind her, I saw the boys emerging through the portal, one by one. Thank goodness they appeared mostly unharmed!

    I turned to Alice once more and asked, "What were you doing here?"

    Alice let out a sigh. "We were following you and saw that she was going to kill you. We couldn''t let that happen!"

    Ah, things started to make more sense now. "So that was you?" I mused. "You fought those monsters?"

    "Depending on who or what you''re calling monsters, those were just dumb golems, and she''s only a healer with some artifacts," Lynx remarked dismissively, examining his claws like a girl checking her nails.

    I chuckled at his boasting. That calmed my mind.

    As my heartbeat gradually returned to a more normal rhythm, I surveyed our surroundings once more. How had we ended up here? The boys were whispering among themselves, but I couldn''t focus on their conversation. My mind was consumed with trying to make sense of the situation. I turned to the elf.

    "Who are you, and what have you done to Mrs. Thorwal?" I demanded.

    With a small bow, she replied, "My name is Julietta Thorwal. I married Wolfgang Thorwal fifty years ago."

    I observed the elf closely. She had a slender figure, reminiscent of an ascetic nun, and her eyes were captivating, with long eyelashes and deep green irises flecked with other colors, evoking a lush jungle filled with exotic flowers. Two stupidly elongated ears protruded from her yellow-green hair, which cascaded around her like a shimmering veil. Her skin was nearly white, with subtle hints of brown undertones. With a petite, upturned nose and full lower lip, she possessed an ethereal beauty that seemed otherworldly. Despite her youthful appearance, one might have guessed her to be younger than twenty, yet she just said she was at least seventy, if she married with twenty. But then again, with elves, according to the legend, they should reach a millennium and still retain their youth; this must be true, isn''t it?

    "That''s not your name!" I remarked, noticing the hint of panic in her eyes.

    "It has been my name for fifty years!" she insisted, her voice trembling slightly.

    It was clear that she was trying to withhold something, even while under my command.

    "Wait, Mrs. Thorwal is an elf?" Mike exclaimed, clearly taken aback.

    "I... I think I broke a finger," Hew interjected, holding his left hand gingerly in front of his face, his focus more on his injury than the elf''s presence.

    Tina approached him to inspect his hand.

    "I don''t think it''s broken," she reassured him.

    "How can you be so sure?" he asked skeptically.

    "My mana sight allows me to see," she explained.

    I was taken aback by this revelation. Had Tina mastered mana manipulation to such a degree?

    "Can you heal him?" I asked the elf, not wanting to take any chances, even if his finger wasn''t broken.

    "Of course, master!" she replied.

    Her use of the term "master" didn''t sit right with me. "Call me Lores," I corrected her. "Who are you really?"

    This time, her response was more complete. "On Earth, I am known as Julietta Thorwal, but my true name is Juliletta Trachenorma."

    Tom interjected randomly, "My mobile has no connection..."

    "Mine neither," Mike exclaimed as he checked his phone.

    "Please heal everyone," I instructed Julietta.

    Noticing the panic in her eyes, I asked.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "My healing doesn''t seem to work on you, but you can continue draining life from me until you''re healed. Is this good enough?" she offered.

    I nodded. "Okay, check the others in the meantime and heal yourself."

    She nodded and began attending to the others.

    I examined myself. My once-blue dress was now mostly burned away, leaving only a few crispy frills. My new shoes were nowhere to be found, but I was not that sorry about them. My skin stung from the burns, revealing the intricate patterns of the dress''s fabric that had been seared into it, but as I continued to drain life, I felt slowly restored.

    "Where are we?" Hew asked.

    With no one offering an answer, I turned to Julietta. "Where are we, Julietta?" I inquired as I hastily dressed in a blouse and shorts.

    "Somewhere in Guarava, probably North of Uldaman," she replied. Sensing my dissatisfaction, she added, "These portal scrolls seem to slowly drift with time."

    I stood frozen, my jaw hanging open. It wasn''t the information about the portal''s drift that shocked me, but rather learning where we were. I had thought we were still on Earth.

    "No!" I stated firmly.

    "But... but... this must be Guarava!" she replied, clearly confused and astonished that I would contradict her on this subject.

    "How did we end up here!?" I exclaimed.

    "You stumbled into my escape portal," she explained.

    "Where are we?" Michael asked, looking bewildered.

    My legs suddenly refused to bear my weight and crumbled under me, letting my ass hit the hard ground with a thud.

    "Is something wrong?" Tom asked, concern evident in his voice at my display.

    I took a deep breath before replying. "We''re in Adwana, on Aldea," I whispered.

    "We''re in Europe?" Mike wondered.

    I chuckled. "No, Aldea is a planet, Adwana is a continent, and Guarava is a vast country. This is Mephisto''s world," I said, gesturing to the glade.

    "How... how is that possible?" Tom wondered.

    "Guarava?" Alice questioned.

 Chapter 236 â€“ Revelation - End of Book One

    "What on earth just happened? Are we in the game world? Why are we here?" Hew asked, clearly shocked.

    "Because you stumbled into the portal, you fool. I explicitly warned you not to!" Mike retorted.

    Hew turned to him, silently questioning, ''then why are you here?'' Mike simply shrugged, as if to say, ''to let you have all the fun?''

    I chuckled, realizing I knew the boys so well that I could understand their unspoken language.

    "Wait a minute!" Tom interjected. "Does this mean that we''ve been under the influence of the dream interface for some time now, and this is all a dream? Was the entire fight just a spectacle? Is this my dream, or is it a shared dream?"

    "Ah, so this is the dream interface?" Mike remarked, sounding somewhat relieved, then turned to Lynx. "And you''re an NPC?"

    Lynx snorted, rolled his eyes, and jokingly extended a claw. "Come here, let me pinch you to help you check if you''re dreaming or not!"

    Alice chuckled. "Please take care of them, Lynx. They''re very fragile..."

    "This is the real world, not a dream interface made up world!" Julietta protested, sounding crestfallen. How could people not see reality and mistake it for a dream?

    "Okay, so what''s the next point in the show?" Tom continued with his proposed solution.

    I was about to protest when Hew brought up my point. "Lores just got effectively grilled, and now we can see her horns because her illusions no longer work. I doubt that was somehow included in a pre-prepared show..." he said.

    A silence followed, and then Michael exclaimed, shaking Julietta''s shoulder.

    "Bring us back! Make a portal to our world! Let''s talk back there! Where is the damn portal?"

    She turned to look a bit unnerved at his hand, then realizing he was just a kid, she shook her head and spoke softly. "Sorry, it''s closed now, and I can''t make another..."

    "You mean symbolically, if we pass the portal, we''re back in the real world? But no, the fight had started there!" Tom continued with his theory. "There must be an explanation for what happened to Lores. Maybe this goes based on what we think could happen?"

    "You can''t? Why?" Michael wondered. "Why could you open a portal in one direction and not in the other?"

    "Because nobody was selling portals to Earth," Julietta whispered.

    Alice chuckled at this while Tina approached Michael. "Is it true that you are Spartacius?" she asked in a whisper.

    The other three boys continued to act confused, still not really believing they were in Aldea and debating pro and contra arguments. Tom looked like he didn''t want to believe anything of this was real. Mike just stood stunned at the side. Alice and Lynx were now talking in low voices with Tina.

    "Wait. Please, just stop this nonsense!" Tom interjected. "You all take this for real! It cannot be! This world has been created based on Thorwal''s book. It is a virtual world. Virtual! If this is the game world, then our bodies are in some kind of catatonic state, and we only think we are moving and talking. All this is in our mind!"

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    He turned towards Julietta. "This is new technology. How did you do this? We haven''t even felt the transition! Is this a demonstration included in the visit?"

    "But, but, what about Lores?" Hew asked. "Why would she play within a demo?"

    Tom looked unnerved at him, wanting to reply something, but Julietta interrupted him. She shook her head and spoke slowly.

    "No. You are physically here. This is no game, this is real. I am from this world. I moved from here to Earth some sixty-six years ago..."

    "Bullshit. You are not Julietta Thorwal! Dreamland was created based on the story written by Thorwal!" Tom protested dismissing her. "You are an NPC from this game. You cannot understand this. For you, what you say is real, but we know the real world! This one was created for amusement!"

    "Can an NPC even understand that it is an NPC?" Mike wondered.

    The elf sighed deeply and shook her head again. "Thorwal was my man for more than fifty years. He wrote his story as I told it to him. He knew who I was and did help me to acclimatize myself with your society. That''s how we got friends, then became engaged. I told him a lot of stories about dynasties, kingdoms, and epic fights. He liked it and wrote it in his books."

    Hew raised a hand, thinking that he found the NPC''s reasoning error. "After the initial book, with the game''s success, Thorwal was asked to continue it and started to write further, but your knowledge was fifty or sixty years old! Did you know from the beginning that he would continue writing and left something for later? You cannot put the horse behind the carriage? It does not make sense!"

    "Besides, how did you get to Earth in the first place?" Mike wondered.

    She nodded with a sad smile.

    ¡°There is a portal. Our worlds are connected, and there have been movements between them during the eras. I discovered it based on an old manuscript from one of our old libraries. It was my secret. For a time, it was completely closed. After I tampered with it, it was again possible to pass through it at about one-month intervals. One just needed to know when. I used it from time to time. I even did some small commerce through it. Nothing big, just to earn me a better life¡­¡±

    She was now calmer, realizing slowly that we had not been a commando team sent to capture her.

    ¡°So there is a portal!¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. It made sense. White Flower had also returned from this world not long ago, but this was a memory I did not have.

    ¡°Where is that portal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°On Earth in the Bounty County,¡± she answered, ¡°and here it is in Aterga, near WhiteCastle City.¡±

    That was disappointing. It would take a long travel to get there and to arrive where? In Bounty County? What would happen if we would emerge there?

    "Oh. That''s on a different continent!" Alice exclaimed. "Is it true that the city was taken by Mephisto not long ago? It was one of the last news I heard."

    She nodded.

    "Bounty County! So the so-called echo terrorists there are in reality Mephisto''s goons?" Michael wondered.

    She nodded again. "Yes, and yes," she said. "Mephisto now has both sides of the portal."

    "Wait, you want to tell me that Mephisto is manifesting in our world?" Tom exclaimed, shocked.

    The conversation continued in this chaotic way, the news being very difficult to digest, and it became even more so.

    "So, this is the world the game was based on!" Mike finally said.

    She turned to him and nodded: "Yes... but..."

    "But?" he wondered.

    "But it is now the game''s world!"

 Chapter 237 - Soulless Thing

    "But it is now the game''s world!" the elf-girl said.

    There was a moment of silence. We looked at each other.

    "What do you mean by that?" Hew asked.

    She pointed at Tom.

    "He already thought that I am an NPC. He thought that they are NPCs," she said, pointing at Alice and the Lynx. "But we are not. We are real."

    She took a deep breath, but before she could continue, Tina asked her with an accusing tone. "What did you do? How did you do this?"

    Taken aback, she filled her lungs with air, but before she could answer, Tom interjected.

    "This is not possible; no world can become a game''s world. You are confused!" he laughed. "You think you told him the story, but that''s not the reality. It is what you were programmed to think, but it was the other way around! I still think that we are in a virtual dream. You think you are oh, so old, but your years do not count, they are virtual, those are only memories created for you in this virtual world." He snorted. "How do we wake up? Is this all like some escape room game? Should we simply wait, and they''ll take us out if they see that we do not enjoy the game?"

    The elf-girl opened her mouth to reply, but no words came to her. She became defensive, visibly struggling to find arguments.

    "And Bounty County?" Mike asked, turning towards Tom, who shrugged.

    "It''s in bad taste to mix the situation in Bounty County with this new dream interface version. They need to think of a better plot," Tom remarked.

    "I didn''t do anything besides telling Thorwal my story," Julietta finally answered Tina. "Is telling the story something that could trigger the transformation of this world into some game dystopia? I don''t understand what happened."

    I exchanged a look with Alice and the Lynx. They were clearly confused, angered, and frustrated. The Lynx placed a paw on the elf''s shoulder, and she glanced at him, afraid, but his look reassured her. Seeing that nobody was accusing her anymore, she calmed down sufficiently to continue.

    "Let me explain how this happened, how I lived through it. Once you hear the story, maybe you''ll start to believe me."

    After a short pause, she continued. "I don''t know if you remember Dreamland''s beginning phases or if you were old enough to be interested, but more than a decade ago, when everything started, it was already one of the greatest open-source projects of its time before it grew to what it is now. They made the game conform to Thorwal''s books. It wasn''t exactly like the book, but a good approximation, and it had tremendous success. After a while, they contacted him for a follow-up schedule. There was a need for a new release, something new to the story. So he asked me to invent some story, but there was no need to invent; I told him what I learned further from the world."

    The elf-girl was now sitting and appeared relatively calm.

    She looked at us as if to assess the threat. The Lynx, right at her side, nodded for her to continue.

    She moistened her lips and continued.

    "The updates became more frequent; he wanted to know a lot of detail, saying that if we were going for the real story, it was easier that way. We already had some divergence and had to correct that part of the story, which was unpleasant enough. He remarked that for any divergence over time, the problems would only grow, and you always needed to correct and make up for it.

    As you know, there was one main instance, which became the hardcore version, and many instances with different levels of difficulty where one could play and try different outcomes while the main instance followed the storyline. All these smaller parallel instances were synchronized periodically. There were updates, once every six months or one year, to adjust the game world to the story Thorwal was writing.

    People weren''t very happy with these resets, even if they could keep their characters because some parts of the background story changed.

    Then the big one-world project started, which became the hardcore version of the game, just after the appearance of the dream interfaces. People were having fun, and the ruling class was happy that the plebs had found an occupation that kept them busy. There have been discussions about whether to let the game story go differently than the book or to let the book be written first and force the story after it. These discussions had started since the first main version and lasted for years, and with the big one-world project, it was decided to let the game run and see what happens. Basically, Thorwal''s world story being written by the game. For a while, I found it strange to see that what was happening in the game also happened in the real world. Thorwal was getting old and had lost his passion for writing; he was happy to see the game writing its own story.¡±

    "When did this happen?" I wondered.

    "I''m not entirely sure. It might have coincided with the launch of the one-world project. My visits weren''t frequent, and I didn''t gather enough information to investigate thoroughly. Thorwal''s explanation was that the game was so accurately mirroring the world that it resembled reality. After he passed away, I had no one to discuss my observations with. Then, one day, I encountered some players, and that''s when I realized that something was amiss. I began to wonder if I had made a mistake and ended up in the game world instead of the real one. Was my portal now leading to the game world? Because suddenly, I encountered things designed for the game in that world."

    "What things do you mean?" Mike inquired.

    "Things like the adventurer''s guild offices. Municipal offices have been converted into them uniformly throughout the world. That didn''t exist before. There was also the strict codification of levels, the introduction of numerous new skill scrolls, and a more defined structure in the magic classes. And then there were the silver shrines. They were designed to maintain peace in cities and prevent players from causing chaos. These were changes we had to implement in the game to make it function."

    "How did people here react to these changes?" Hew asked.

    "They didn''t seem to notice or understand them," she replied, shaking her head. "When I asked a local how long they''d had a silver shrine in town, he told me it had always been there. But it hadn''t. I knew that it hadn''t been there. Furthermore, locals behave strangely when interacting with players, as if they don''t notice when they do abnormal things."

    "Which is what I''ve been saying: you''re in the game world," Tom concluded, squinting at her.

    She continued undisturbed.

    ¡°However, this changed once the main silver shrine in Silver City was destroyed. It seemed as if the other shrines got their magic power from it, and with the loss, they gradually lost their functionality. People started to react and even inquire about demons coming into the world to ''play''. How do you explain that with your game theory?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Your theory seems too far-fetched,¡± he countered. ¡°How do you explain that they brought in player characters who have been developed for almost ten years, including their mercs? All these humans created suddenly through some magic?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°That isn''t quite true. At the time of the one-world project, you couldn''t bring any hero into the game. You had to choose from the available ones until you found the one suitable for you!"

    That was news to me.

    "Why not? How did they explain that?" Mike wondered.

    "They said it had something to do with the way the world had been created. It took a couple of years just to prepare the various artificial intelligence tools that should work on creating and programming the world. Once the world was created, all they could do is place requests to the overall system controlling the game world and work with the answers it provided."

    "What about the legendary players and their mercs?" I wondered. "I know of Cala, who is almost on par with them. Let''s take just one example: was it in reality Cala who killed King Elefteares or not?"

    I didn''t want to ask about Alice directly, but Cala killing King Elefteares should be an event that even she should have heard about, even if Elefteares was king of a small Kingdom.

    She turned and looked at me.

    ¡°You mean Calamity Lara the Assassin? She was probably the person who killed him, and if not, everybody knows that she did it. That is the common memory.¡±

    "I am Cala''s merc," Alice suddenly said. "Do you want to say that my ten years of memory with Cala is all made up?"

    The elf-girl shook her head, but she was interrupted before she could answer.

    ¡°Exactly; how are players integrated into this world?¡± Michael wondered at the same time. ¡°I also had a character named Spartacius. Does he now exist? And how did he come into being?¡±

    ¡°I did create a character,¡± the elf-girl explained, looking at Michael, ¡°and I saw that characters were made out of real people living in this world. They were transformed by some magical means and controlled as characters. Your characters are real persons from this world that you... possess, yes, that is the word, possess, while the mercs, they are normal people, normal mercs fighting for them."

    She turned towards Alice.

    "I suppose that your memories with Cala are true memories. They could be spiced up with some memories from the game environment, but mostly true. Just as a curiosity, have there been any changes in Cala''s behavior some time ago?¡±

    Alice shook her head.

    "Cala had always been unpredictable, but her loyalty was the one constant in her life. She had started to buy a lot of clothes lately, but every woman can have her fancy moments..."

    A smile escaped me at her mentioning the clothes; that had been my personal contribution.

    ¡°But who would do this, and why would they do such a monstrosity?¡± the Lynx asked the true question.

    Julietta shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. I only witnessed it happening.¡±

    ¡°And nobody questioned this, what you call integration?¡± - Tom pondered.

    She shook her head. ¡°No, as I mentioned, they were unaware of the changes.¡±

    "I was in the game, and it''s true that I noticed some awakening, in a disturbing manner, as if the NPCs were becoming real people, but it happened gradually, not suddenly after the Silver Shrine was destroyed. Why is that?" - I queried.

    She smiled.

    "Magic doesn''t work like electricity, where cutting the cord means no more power. Even a mote of magic holds tremendous power. I believe the Silver Shrines were somehow essential to what occurred, but their destruction didn''t cause an immediate collapse. If there had been a spell of such magnitude, it wouldn''t vanish abruptly but fade gradually. It also depends on whether everything relied on the Silver Shrines or not. These are aspects I couldn''t investigate; I simply noticed a possible correlation between these events."

    ¡°Oh, well!¡± I chimed in. ¡°What about the angels? In the game, there were angels who could resurrect. They can''t exist in the real world, can they? Do they exist here?¡±

    ¡°It''s interesting that you ask about them. They didn''t exist, and then suddenly they did... for a while,¡± she replied with a quizzical expression. Seeing my inquiring face, she began to explain further.

    ¡°In older times, I wasn''t aware of any angels in this world. Yes, there were stories and myths, but that was all. And I''m talking about a couple of hundred years. But more recently, I''ve heard rumors, all sorts of rumors. I haven''t witnessed any angels or their deeds, but lately, I''ve heard about resurrections performed by Isera, the green angel, in the name of Nohekhta, the green Goddess of the Woods. Our Goddess! Then I heard that Cala the Assassin had killed the angel!¡±

    She turned to Alice. ¡°Can an angel die? Do you know more about that?¡± Alice nodded. ¡°Yes, Cala told us the story. She did kill that angel at the request of Tenebra, the angel of death, who had somehow ambushed and blackmailed her into doing it.¡±

    The elf-girl raised an eyebrow. ¡°I didn''t know that. It seems as if there had been some infighting among angels.¡±

    Alice shrugged.

    "I don''t know anything else," she said

    I thought of Tenebra! It stirred up a sense of unease, sending shivers down my spine.

    As I delved into Cala''s memories, I noticed an intriguing shift that occurred around the time of her resurrection through Tenebra.

    She had been more unhinged and cruel after that. Well, not quite true, Cala had not done those things, but strange thoughts and wishes had suddenly multiplied in her head. Like biting Alice''s shoulder to find its taste. Or letting those slavers almost kill Spartacius. And that did happen when I was in the lead! I wouldn''t do it now, why did I do it at the time? There had been something that was pushing her to go even closer to the edge.

    At the time, I had not been aware of the turmoil in her heart, but now, sieving through her memories, I saw things in a new light.

    Could it be that Tenebra had somehow influenced Cala''s mind? Interestingly, the strange occurrences seemed to have ceased after Cala had left this world together with me. In my world she had been much at peace and happy.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Alice asked, noticing my brooding demeanor as she approached.

    ¡°I''m pondering Tenebra and her schemes,¡± I replied. ¡°What is she truly? She appears to be a damned, soulless creation of the integration...¡±

    A chuckle interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see Julietta''s peculiar eyes fixed on me.

    ¡°Hah, soulless creations! That''s rich coming from a demon!¡±

    Her words hit me like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs. After she spoke, I detected a flicker of fear in her eyes.

    ¡°This girl speaks her mind before thinking things through.¡±

    She was suddenly sweating, and her lower lip started to tremble.

    "What''s wrong with this girl?" I asked myself. But I had no head to think at her; her remark had hit the mark.

    Turning away, I fought back the tears welling in my eyes. I didn''t want them to see me cry. It was just a thoughtless remark, but it hurt more than I could bear.

 Chapter 238 â€“ The Ring

    I stood partially hidden behind the Lynx, who kindly refrained from moving and allowed me to cling to his side. Tina had attempted to comfort me, but I pushed her away, while Alice shot a few uneasy glances in my direction. They had all torn into Julietta over that remark; however, the conversation about the world persisted, leaving me sulking in my corner and growing weary of it. Why did they take so long to grasp the situation? And who cared about the extent of Thorwal''s contribution versus Julietta''s in that book? Well, evidently, some people cared, but I wasn''t one of them. On the other hand, I already knew this world was real, unlike the boys who struggled to accept this revelation. Meanwhile, Alice, the Lynx, and Tina continued to pose questions about game-related transformations.

    ¡°All right¡± ¨C I said, grabbing my horns in despair. Normally I would have grabbed my head in despair, but now the horns were in the way ¨C ¡°We are talking since a couple of hours here, and it is getting late. Boys and girls, we are not on Earth, we are on Aldea. OK? So, what do we do now? Let''s clear this first!¡±

    "I''m hungry!" Tina exclaimed, and I nodded in agreement. My belly was already making beastly sounds.

    "Me too," Michael echoed at the same time as Lynx. The two looked at each other and laughed.

    "Yeah, true!" Tom approved.

    I continued, "Well, as the suns will be going down in the next hour or two, we should make our camp here. Lynx, would you be so kind as to hunt something and bring us a part? Something to eat? I think a deer''s leg would be more than enough for the rest of us. Boys," I turned to Tom, "Could you gather some wood for a fire? We need the fire to last the whole night, which is now long. Don''t go far, just at the edge of the meadow, and don''t enter the forest. Yell if you see anything! Alice, can you stay here, guard the camp, and keep an eye on the boys? I''ll go inspect that abandoned mill over there. Maybe it''s a good place to set up our camp for tonight."

    "And us? What should we do?" Tina asked, pointing to herself and Michael.

    I shrugged. "Stay here, or come with me, or..."

    "We''ll come with you. Maybe there''s water by the mill," Tina suggested.

    "Good point. Lynx, is the area secure?" I asked just as he was about to leave.

    He glanced at the boys and then at me.

    "The area seems pretty safe, that is, as long as you don''t leave the glade. There are some low-level snakes near the mill, so just don''t let the boys go over there," he warned.

    Even as he spoke, he melted into the air. The next moment, we couldn''t see him anymore, though his voice still resonated with us.

    "As I said, don''t leave the glade. The forest might be dangerous!"

    It was some natural magic, similar to White Flower''s illusions. Somehow, Lynx could make himself invisible while projecting an image of himself. I rolled my eyes at his gratuitous display of magic, but for him, it was a natural way of being.

    "May I come with you?" the elf-girl asked just as I was about to move.

    "Why not!" I answered with a shrug.

    "Then I''ll come with you too," Alice decided, and she gestured to the boys, pointing towards one part of the glade. "You should go in that direction. I want to keep you in sight!"

    With that, we set ourselves in motion. It was a bit cumbersome to walk through the grass, which seemed to grow higher as we advanced. At one point, I even checked for a bigger knife or bat in my inventory to cut or strike the grass down. Seeing my puny knife, Alice handed me a sword she had in her inventory to use as a machete, and fortunately, we arrived soon at the mill.

    Up close, the building looked even worse¡ªcompletely ruined. The wood planks were rotten, and it was surrounded by high grass, taller than me. Overall, it had an unpleasant, humid, and dark atmosphere. It was in such a state that we decided it would make no sense to remain there for the night. However, there was a small creek with running water, and Tina filled two cauldrons with water, which she placed in her inventory. The elf-girl helped, as she had some rudimentary skills at manipulating water, which came in handy for filling the cauldrons with clean water.

    ¡°I think the previous place was better suited for a camp,¡± Alice said.

    I nodded in agreement.

    ¡°What are you doing? Should we wait for you?¡± she asked, noticing me standing near the creek.

    I shook my head. ¡°I''d like to wash up a bit. I''m completely covered with soot and grime from the fight. Don''t wait for me.¡±

    "No need for them to wait for my impromptu striptease", I thought to myself.

    She nodded in understanding. ¡°You''ll still be within my domain here, but I won''t be able to see if something comes from the nearby woods. If you feel endangered, just yell and run to me. Okay?¡±

    I nodded in agreement. As they left, the elf-girl remained. After the hours-long conversation that we had, I wasn''t expecting her to suddenly attack me, but one should always be prepared for anything.

    ¡°You''re not going with them?¡± I wondered, unsure of what she was planning.

    ¡°It''s the ring''s pull,¡± she explained. ¡°I feel better when I stay closer to the ring. Besides, it''s better if somebody stays with you in case something happens, and I could even help with some water sputtering if you need that.¡±

    I raised a brow at her sudden care for my well-being. That was a complete turnaround in record time, but I shouldn''t get too complacent. After all, she did serve me that comment before...

    ¡°Can you explain what''s with this ring?¡± I asked as I started to wash.

    She sighed.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the Battle of Norsewick?¡± she asked.

    I shook my head. "Is she starting to give me history lessons now?" I wondered.

    She sighed again, a deep, pained sigh.

    "Well, it was almost one hundred years ago, so it''s no wonder you don''t know. But I thought you knew something about Aldea''s history. It was one of this world''s great battles, between a coalition of orcs and humans against elves. For the elves, even if the battle was mostly undecided, it was a catastrophe. A synonym for a Pyrrhic victory, and it defined the fate of this continent as we see it now. After so many losses, the elven coalition was shattered, and they split into many smaller kingdoms. Norsewick had been one of our great tree-towns, if not the greatest, but after the battle, it was abandoned. The humans had long wanted to expand into the forest, and we had long been at war with the orcs from the mountains. It was not far from here; that''s where I had this portal from. This mill over here has probably been here since those times. I was captured during one of the battles by a squad of orcs and subsequently sold to K''hordock, the Warlock from Hologomora. I did escape a couple of times; once, I simply cut my chained leg and healed as soon as I escaped from the mana-draining tools, but I didn''t make it to elven grounds. The orcs and even human hunters traced me and caught me back. The reward on my capture was too great."

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    As I heard her recounting those moments, my mind finally connected her name to something from my memory.

    "Wait, the name... Trachenorma... Are you related to King Trachenorma? There is an elven kingdom bordering Guarava in the North ruled by a king with that name?"

    She nodded with a sad smile. "I am his eldest daughter."

    "You''re his eldest daughter?" I asked, taken aback.

    She shrugged, biting her lip. "Should I tell you more about the ring?"

    "Yes, please."

    "Well, my father had tried to buy my freedom, but K''hordock had raised the ransom higher after each meeting, and in the end, he refused negotiations even though he had already received a first payment. Orcs have few healers, and he wanted to use me. He fulfilled his wish with the help of a demon."

    "A demon?" I wondered.

    "That ring was made by an arch-demon. It is connected to this..." she said, unveiling her back to reveal another black diamond artifact affixed to her spine, between her shoulder blades. As she pulled her dress back, she explained, "There is another one implanted in my head. Together, they make me the perfect slave. I can feel what my master wants from me, and I am compelled to obey. His orders are my laws, his wishes my duties. You cannot imagine what that demon did to me to demonstrate its effectiveness. I suffered unimaginable torture and debasement, and yet I cried out for more. That''s when I gained insights into the mind of a demon. It was a relief to be handed back to K''hordock. Can you even imagine that? Would you like to hear more details of my torture and debasement?" She asked with a strange twist of her tongue and watched with surprise as I reacted horrified.

    "Why did you not destroy it once you escaped?" I asked.

    She sighed deeply once more.

    "You''re different... I don''t understand..." she mumbled. "Oh well, you think I did not try? It was not possible to destroy it without it killing me,¡± she explained.

    She began to laugh. ¡°If I were to destroy the ring, it would respawn in a special bowl at K''hordock''s place. I never tried it, but I knew about it, as K''hordock had boasted about the process. He would only have to come and collect me. If somebody removes the artifact from my spine, which cannot be done without severing my spine, it explodes, killing me and potentially the person who removes it.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± I asked.

    She chuckled.

    ¡°I tried, and I died. I had a shaman ready to resurrect me, and the resurrection worked. I can consider myself lucky, but it also regenerated the artifact on my back, as if it were part of me. I have not yet tried to remove the one that was implanted in my brain, the one that influences my feelings.¡±

    I felt goosebumps at the thought of her horror story. I wanted to scratch my scalp and grabbed onto one horn.

    ¡°How did you manage to escape?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°He became complacent after he saw how submissive I was. He would take the ring off from time to time to wash his hands or before going to bed, but his orders remained my rule. Even when he removed the ring, I still knew his orders. One day, he wanted to buy a book from a dealer, but the price was too high. He didn''t want to resort to theft or force, but I could do it for him. I could fulfill his wish if only I could walk away from the palace. Nobody would suspect me, and I could do that if I took the ring. So, that''s how I managed to put the ring on my finger and become my own master. It took all that convoluted reasoning just for me to take the ring.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness! How could you live with that?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°There was always conflict in my mind. There was always that urge to obey him, but I knew it was false. I knew it came from this damned artifact.¡±

    ¡°But why didn''t you run to your father once you were free? He''s a king! He could have helped you!¡±

    She sadly shook her head.

    ¡°This cursed thing can only be destroyed by another arch-demon. My father would have done anything to help me, even try to summon an arch-demon and make some reckless deal with them. If I had run to him, I would have forced him to find a solution for me. I couldn''t risk that. I couldn''t do that to him, to my family, to my sister, to my sweet mother. No. I had to find a solution to my problem first.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you simply keep the ring with you, be your own master, and go to your father? You could have thought of a solution there; wouldn''t that have been better? Why did you run to Earth?¡±

    ¡°Because bearing the ring had spillover effects on me. It forces some kind of self-enforcing loop in my mind. I was becoming unhinged and making crazy decisions. It was very hard to behave normally. You think of something, and it becomes an obsession; you have to do it. However, Earth has a very low mana environment. Practically nil. There, it takes forever to replenish my mana. Okay, not forever, but it could take years. In such an environment, the ring''s effect was weak. I could easily resist it, even if someone without magic had taken it.¡±

    ¡°But you still wore it?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I was too afraid to let it out of sight. I used to deplete my mana, and in this way, the side effects were weaker. I could live with myself, but even so, you know the stories about the crazy Mrs. Thorwal who did all kinds of crazy things. That''s where it came from, even if I always tried to keep a low profile.¡±

    ¡°Well, for a mana-depleted girl, you put up a fight there. You nearly killed me...¡± I observed.

    ¡°You''re a weak demon, no offense, and I had artifacts. This dress allows me to teleport and has a shield built-in, this ring on my right hand allows me to shoot fireballs, the amulet to heal, the bracelet to swing an invisible hammer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I got that...¡± I mumbled.

    She chuckled.

    ¡°You don''t have your own magic sources?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No, I wasn''t blessed with such, but I had Red Lilies. I always carry a couple of bulbs with me.¡±

    First I thought that my mana sight was not good enough to see them, but she really had no such sources.

    ¡°Red Lilies?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mana-producing plants. Good for alchemists to use for mana drinks.¡±

    I chuckled. There is a solution for everything, I thought.

    I was clean and already dressed.

    ¡°Should we go back?¡± I asked.

    ¡°As you wish, Lores,¡± she answered.

    That answer struck me in an unpleasant way.

    ¡°Look, should I give you back the ring?" I questioned. "Would you promise not to kill me?¡± I added hastily.

    She sighed. ¡°I told you that I become unhinged with the ring on my finger. I''m not sure what I will do, the smallest wishes become obsessions...¡±

    ¡°Does the ring transmit thoughts?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No. Just an overall feeling. I get when you are upset or sad or angry. That is one. The other is, your words are orders for me that I have to comply with.¡±

    ¡°Look, I don''t want to be your master. I don''t want you to feel obliged to do as I say only because I said it. Can you behave like a normal person, like everybody else in this group, until we find a solution? There must be a solution to this thing. OK? Is that a deal?¡±

    ¡°So you mean that I should behave as if I would be free of restraints and free to say my mind? That''s an easy thing to agree to.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded. "Even if sometimes you really know how to hurt with words..." I thought, but didn''t want to complain. I didn''t want to forbid her anything.

    ¡°I can do that,¡± she answered with a deep sigh of relief as we walked back towards the camp.

    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± she suddenly said. I raised a questioning brow, looking at her. What was her problem now?

    ¡°I''m really sorry for what I''ve said before, that about soulless demons. I know it did hurt you; I felt it, and I enjoyed it. I expected you to show your true self... and in a way, I succeeded with that. You are so very different from that other demon. I felt ashamed of myself after I said that, and even if I tried to tell myself that it was not true, that those were only feelings pushed into my brain by the ring, I now realize that I was mean without reason. I''m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 239 â€“ Wild Hunt

    I let out a sigh. The elf girl was telling me she was sorry! Was it genuine, or was it just the influence of the ring? Even though I instructed her to act normally, could she truly comply? Was this another attempt by her to test the waters, or did she genuinely regret her previous characterization of me as soulless?

    As I struggled to formulate a response, we were interrupted by a pained yell from the forest, followed by a chorus of frightened screams. I saw Alice already sprinting towards the forest. We exchanged glances and then started running in that direction, only to encounter Hew running towards us. Behind him, a brown monster was trampling the grass.

    ¡°Get down!¡± Alice yelled at him.

    She kicked off from a mound with her foot, launching herself into the air. Mid-flight, she swiftly nocked an arrow in her bow and took aim. With precision, she released the arrow, striking the head of the sow chasing Hew. Its head exploded, and its body tumbled to a halt a few yards away. As I identified it as a "wild sow, level thirty-three, dead," horror clenched my heart at the thought of what such a beast could do to my friends.

    Alice swiftly rolled over and seamlessly sprung back onto her feet, resuming her sprint. How could she do that with the bow in her hand was a mystery to me. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the woods, leaving me struggling to keep up. No matter how much I urged my legs to move faster, she effortlessly outpaced me.

    Where had the elf girl gone? I heard pained cries and groans emanating from the forest as I was running as fast as I could. Where were the other two boys, and why had they ventured so deep into the woods? My heart raced with panic in my chest. Had I already lost two of my friends?

    As long as they were screaming, it meant they were still alive, but now the screams had ceased, and fear tightened its grip on my heart.

    After another tense moment, I finally spotted Alice standing ahead, and for a brief moment, I feared we had arrived too late. But as I reached them, gasping for breath, I found the elf girl sitting between the two boys, both of whom seemed to be alive and well. With her hands resting on their shoulders and her eyes closed in deep concentration, she was clearly focused on healing and examining them for any internal injuries.

    "Next time, it would be good to keep an eye on Tina and the rest when I have to run to help someone," Alice said, casting a reproachful glance in my direction. I swallowed, feeling guilty, and turned back to see Tina running between the trees.

    "I''m here, I''m okay Aunt Alice. Lores was just worried about her friends!" Tina reassured, approaching us. Soon after, Michael and Hew emerged from the bushes, slaloming between the trees.

    Alice''s criticism hit home, and it was unexpected coming from her. I sighed and turned towards the elf, who was now smiling, obviously the boys were okay.

    "Thanks," I said, expressing my gratitude.

    She beamed at me.

    "You were pretty fast!" I observed, acknowledging her speed.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    She shrugged. "I can teleport, and this place is practically home for me."

    "Oh, yes, her dress. It would be nice if I had such a dress!" I thought to myself.

    "Do you want my dress?" she suddenly asked.

    I sighed. "You said you do not hear my thoughts?" I protested.

    She laughed. "It was a simple guess based on your expression and the look in your greedy eyes. So, would you like to have it?"

    Her joke about my greedy eyes calmed my temper enough to prevent me from lashing out at her.

    ¡°First, it is yours," I replied, "secondly, it would probably not work for me. I guess it is tied to you, isn''t it? And thirdly, I do not know how to control it."

    ¡°It is indeed tied to me, but we may try to reconfigure it. It may lose some quality, but it should still function. Perhaps it would work over shorter distances, and you could learn to control it, just as I did,¡± she offered.

    I sighed and tried to calm my rising temper. I didn''t want to give her a harsh answer; she was obviously being influenced by the ring. There was no reason to direct my anger at her. But damn it, do I have to control my mood and all those thoughts that pass through my brain now?

    "It would be foolish to risk destroying such an artifact." I said, "You''ve made excellent use of it and may need it more than I do! Plus, I could have easily shadowmelded and been faster, but my stupid brain didn''t come up with the idea."

    She chuckled in response, and I grinned, pleased with that small victory. Then, I turned to Hew.

    "What were you thinking coming out here? Didn''t Lynx tell you not to venture into the woods?"

    "Yeah, but Mike needed to take a dump, and then he yelled that something was in the bushes behind him, and Tom threw a stick or something..."

    Ah, that explained why Mike''s trousers were still at his ankles as he stood there looking confused. He must have been pretty badly hurt to need that long to recover after healing. As we talked, a sudden noise caught our attention, and a small group of piglets emerged from the bushes. An arrow struck one of them as they scattered away.

    I turned to Alice. "The sow would have been enough, don''t you think?"

    "Lynx can handle that," she replied with a giggle. "Besides, these piglets are tastier, and they probably won''t survive alone in the woods anyway."

    I wanted to mention that Lynx was out hunting, but knowing him, a sow for dessert would be just what he''d like; therefore, I nodded and turned to Tom.

    "I suppose even on Earth, throwing things at a wild sow is dangerous. But just so you know, that sow was level thirty-three."

    "If this panicked idiot hadn''t called out, asking us to chase away whatever was in the bushes behind him... I didn''t even see what was there when I threw the stick. I thought it would just run away," Tom replied, looking guilty. Then, he turned to the elf girl.

    "Thank you, angel!" he exclaimed. "When you appeared like that near me, I thought you were an angel! I truly thought I was dead, and an angel had come to guide my poor soul!"

    I rolled my eyes as I collected the piglet in my inventory.

    "Boys and girls, we''ll have roasted piglet for dinner!" I announced. "But I think we should all stay together while collecting the firewood we need."

 Chapter 240- Blue Screen of Death

    In the end, we decided to camp in the middle of the meadow. We built a big fire, and I retrieved a couple of blankets and cutlery from my inventory. Initially, I thought about bringing out the table and chairs, but having only four chairs would have made things too cumbersome.

    Lynx had returned with a full deer, and with the sow and piglet that Alice had shot, we had a lot of work to do¡ªmostly Alice and me, as we were the only ones with some cooking skills. Food usually stayed well preserved in inventory items, especially if it was cooked. It also depended on the type and quality of the spatial tool, but most inventory items worked as if the item were in a vacuum.

    I was afraid that dinner would be one-sided, consisting only of meat. However, Alice had thankfully bought significant quantities of rice, noodles, potatoes, and more on Earth, of which we were now boiling some rice in one of Tina''s cauldrons. With the well-roasted meat¡ªluckily, she had enough spices to do it properly¡ªwe had a marvelous dinner by the light of the campfire. Alice had always stocked up on food like a prepper, and it came in handy now.

    By the time we sat down to eat, night had long fallen, but with Lynx and Alice nearby, we felt secure and chatted freely. All around us lay the dark forest, with only nearby bushes partially illuminated by the fire.

    Above us stretched a strange sky adorned with stars and constellations we didn''t recognize, along with two moons, both slightly smaller than Earth''s moon. An owl chimed in with its lonely notes from time to time, and we could hear further distant rustlings and murmurs, but any potential tragedies remained hidden from our view, the low-level noises lending a sense of peace and tranquility.

    "Two moons! And that''s a damn blue moon!" Tom exclaimed, gazing up at the sky.

    Tina chuckled.

    "That''s Frigg, the God of cold and ice, and his brother Demetros, the master of the underworld and King of the demons," she explained. "The brighter Frigg gets, the colder it will be."

    "It''s pretty bright now," Mike murmured.

    "It''ll be even brighter when the long winter comes," Alice assured him.

    Tina turned to me. "Is Demetros your King? Is Hades up there?"

    I sighed.

    "Demetros is probably just a damn asteroid that got captured by this planet. That would explain its unusual orbit. And there must be some gases solidifying on Frigg as the temperature drops, which would explain its increasing luminosity."

    The elf girl interrupted her chewing to address me, wearing a pensive expression.

    "You truly are a strange demon," she declared.

    She ate with careful, delicate bites, akin to an aristo-cat, while the boys devoured their food like a pack of hungry wolves. I found myself fitting into the latter category¡ªthe food was delicious, and I was famished.

    I shrugged and raised an eyebrow, wanting to ask her what she meant, but before I could swallow, Hew spoke up.

    "She''s not really a demon!" he interjected, speaking with his mouth partially full. "She''s been our friend for a while. She somehow messed up her character in this so-called game!"

    Tina scolded him. "Hew, finish eating before you talk!"

    Julietta shook her head stubbornly.

    "While I appreciate her, she is still a demon, even if a very strange and peculiar one. Demons do not have friends. At least I have never encountered such before, and yet..."

    "Did you encounter many other demons?" Michael inquired while serving himself another helping of rice and meat.

    I couldn''t help but notice how juicy and succulent the roasted piglet was.

    How did Alice manage that? I wondered. I made a mental note to observe Alice more closely the next time she cooked. The piglet tasted as if having been done in an oven. If I would have done it, the result would have been more stringy and dry.

    Mike raised a brow, asking for a more precise answer.

    "How many did you encounter?" he pressed.

    Julietta fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in recollection.

    A loud crunch interrupted the moment as Lynx gnawed on some bones from the sow. As all eyes turned towards him at the unexpected noise, prompting a grin from Lynx as he spoke with a half-chewed femur between his jaws.

    "Compliments, Alice! ***Crunch, crunch***!"

    "Well," Julietta began her explanation, "there was a time when I had a friend who was a warlock. I was in my youth, going through my rebellious decades, as any elf does during what you humans call puberty. He was an old, secluded warlock despised for his demon summoning, and I used to visit him in the dark woods. I think many of the summons he did out of sheer boredom; he would summon demons for menial tasks and ask them to tell him about life in hell. So, I met and conversed with dozens of demons during that time."

    "And what did they tell?" Michael asked, his curiosity piqued.

    All of us listened intently as Julietta continued her story.

    "Well," she began, "their whole world is a very harsh environment, devoid of resources but rich in some kind of dark magic that flows through the land. Only demons live there; even the plants are some kind of demonic plants. Some of them harvest that dark magic and transform it into life energy. Maybe they are some kind of plants, I don''t know. The energy is too diffuse, and the best places are highly contested. They need to feed energy to grow, and they feed on smaller and weaker demons. Even those kinds of plants do that. Once a demon is killed, it will respawn, thanks to that dark energy. Some are killed again and again in what seems to be an infinite loop.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    However, devouring the smaller ones is not that efficient in the long run. More efficient is to simply kind of milk them, draining their power. It is like a parasite society, each sucking up the marrow from the bones of others continuously. The stronger the demon is, the better fed it is. This is how demons grow and evolve by gaining more power. This is how their society is formed, with the bigger monsters monitoring and sucking the life out of their smaller counterparts, always trying to outdo each other, always trying to gain an edge and more power."

    "Is this not how our world is, too? The stronger eating the weaker? Is this not the food chain that you describe?" Mike pondered aloud.

    Julietta sighed heavily.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± she began. ¡°This life-draining link is pure pain; it''s like having a rod in your flesh, having a parasite continuously sucking life out of you. Continuous pain.

    They grow until they reach a limit where they can no longer grow without taking in more demons under exploitation. They also gain insights from others as they devour them, and in this way, they learn to take better and more consistent forms. They cannot change their forms as they please, with the exception of some specialized changelings, but they can evolve as they grow.

    The world itself is layered like a cake; the deeper you go, the more probable it is for new demons to spawn and survive, as the conditions there are not as harsh. That''s where the bigger demons go to feed on them. The greater the farm, the stronger the demon, but they are limited to the area of their demon larvae farm, for if they want to wander, they lose some of the power that comes from it. It''s an eternal fight between feuds, and many times, a third or fourth party wins when two fight.

    Deep down, there are old monsters who rule and control the area in some kind of truce. It''s always a win for such a monster to get new spawns to terrorize and exploit.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t the weak unite and help each other?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°Two weaker demons cannot win against a stronger one. Not even ten weaker demons, because of the power-draining ability; the stronger always wins in this direct contest. He is more resistant to draining and can absorb more power than they can absorb from him. If you help someone, you lose an opportunity to grow and remain weaker.¡±

    "But there must be some family bonds, aren''t there any?" Tina inquired.

    The elf-girl shook her head.

    "No demon said anything about having children. I understand that they cannot have children; they only spawn and respawn like this."

    "But what are these spawns?" Tina pondered.

    "I guess just some soulless magic creations," the elf-girl presumed.

    "Yeah, but that does not apply to our Lores here, isn''t it?" Hew countered.

    "But she is a demon; she does identify as a demon!¡± the elf-girl replied flatly to Hew.

    Mike raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± he asked.

    I chuckled. ¡°It''s not what you think it means, Mike!¡±

    Julietta turned towards me with an inquisitive look.

    ¡°Were you not born in Hades?¡± she asked, then added before I could answer, ¡°You want to tell me that demons are not spawns from Hades?"

    I sighed. That topic again! But I had encouraged her to speak her mind freely! I sighed again, trying to rein myself in and think of an answer. However, before I could respond, Alice shook her head and spoke softly.

    "These spawns are not just simple magic creations; they are lost souls that went to Hades. Their form is what they remember from their previous life. That''s why demons want to gather new souls that go to Hades, to have new spawns in their larvae farm."

    The elf-girl raised her brows in surprise and turned towards Alice. "How would you know that?"

    "My grandfather had a passion for studying demons. He did much of what your warlock did but in a more systematic way. He came to the conclusion that all demons originated from some kind of discarded souls or souls that cannot forget, and Hades is the only place where these souls can respawn," she explained.

    Julietta was taken aback. "That''s an interesting theory you have there!"

    She turned towards me with an inquisitive look. ¡°Were you born in Hades?¡± she asked.

    "She is our friend born on Earth!" Tom countered, "Stop persecuting her!"

    ¡°She was not born in Hades!¡± Hew also protested. ¡°She was born on Earth, like us; tell her, Lores!¡±

    ¡°Why don''t you let her answer?¡± the elf-girl interjected, turning towards them.

    I sighed, feeling tired of the conversation. I knew where her problems with demons came from, but what did I have to do with that archdemon that had tortured her? On the other hand, I did tell the boys about the explosion on Ha''des and the problems I had.

    ¡°Well, me identifying as a demon does have a connection to Hades,¡± I said slowly. ¡°So you could say that I was born in Hades, as I''ve told you..."

    I wanted to explain everything to them, to tell them about the surface of Hades, the dark magic that permeated it, the black magic explosions I had generated to ''clean'' myself and improve my magical capabilities.

    I wanted to tell them about that third mega explosion and the strange reaction I had seen in the stratosphere, where even Deimos seemed to take notice of my struggle.

    But as I prepared to speak, my eyes froze, my mind froze, and a message resonated within me.

    ¡°Lores Deimosdottir, some things may be better left unspoken.¡±

    It wasn''t a command spoken in my mind; it was like a spark of lightning that shook me to the core. It was an intent and a warning. Perhaps the intention was to warn me. There were no spoken words, just that spark of lightning with meaning, and that was the best my mind could make out of it.

    "Huhu? Lores? Blue screen of death?"

    Hew''s voice broke through my thoughts, and I realized they had moved without me noticing, or perhaps I had been standing there, lost in my thoughts, for half a minute.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Alice''s voice sounded worried as she approached me.

    I looked around, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. It felt like my heartbeats were competing with the wing beats of a hummingbird.

    As I tried to compose myself, I met their curious gazes. Did I just receive a warning? And from whom? Why? It wasn''t that I was afraid, as the intent didn''t seem harmful, but it was overwhelming. It was like an elephant speaking to a mouse.

    Placing my hand over my still wildly beating heart, I inhaled deeply while they waited for an explanation.

    "I... I don''t like talking about this. Maybe some other time. I''m too tired now, and we haven''t decided what we''ll do tomorrow," I muttered, turning towards Julietta. "Do you have any other portals, or any other way to get back to Earth?"

    She shook her head, clearly surprised by the sudden change in conversation.

    "No, as I''ve already said, unfortunately, we''re stuck here until we find a portal. Trying to sneak through the existing portal would be nigh impossible, as the area is controlled by Mephisto."

    "So what do we do? How do we survive? Especially with our four level zero boys..."

 Chapter 241 - A Bloody Blooded Token

    There was silence after I posed the question. No one seemed eager to take the lead and suggest our next course of action. To my surprise, Hew was the one who stepped forward, but he only turned to Alice and asked her.

    "Alice," he said, "you''re from around here, right? What should we do? What do you suggest?"

    Alice, who was carefully turning the roast above the fire, chuckled.

    "I''m not exactly local. I''m from a different continent, but I get what you mean," she sighed. "What would I advise? I''d say it''s best to head to a place with fewer and weaker monsters. That means heading to a big city. Human cities are preferable, though some dwarf or beastkin cities could work, too. Most cities tend to be safer, and we''re lucky to be in a relatively stable, great human kingdom. I''ve been to Guarava with Cala three times already, and I can say it''s a good place to live, but..." she added with a shrug, "you need money to live well. So, we need to find a way to earn enough money to support a group this size. I have some, but not much. What can you all do to earn money?" she asked, then turned to me. "Do you have access to Cala''s money?"

    The question caught Hew off guard, and he looked at me.

    I shook my head. "I doubt I could access anything from her bank account."

    The elf girl immediately offered her assistance. "I do have some money! Unfortunately, banknotes and property notes from Earth are useless here, but I still have some gold and jewelry," she said.

    "And would you share that with us?" Mike wondered.

    "If we stick together for a while, I''d certainly be willing to help. But my funds wouldn''t last us through the elven winter," she pondered.

    "Hmm, elven winter? What exactly does that entail?" Hew inquired. He turned back to Alice. "We''re still students, and we haven''t finished school yet. What kind of work is available here?"

    "All kinds," Alice replied. "Fieldwork, menial tasks, accounting, guarding, but honestly, I''m having trouble thinking of something suitable for any of you. You seem too weak for physical labor, and you don''t know how to read or write in Guaravian. You don''t even speak the language."

    "Isn''t English spoken here?" Tom asked. "It''s a game world, so it should be spoken, right?"

    "English is spoken only at the adventurers'' guild and the shops around them, but..." I interjected, "To answer your previous question about the elven winter, you know that this is a binary star system. We do have two suns, isn''t it? So, we have normal years, which are slightly longer than Earth years..."

    "Three hundred ninety-seven days and a half," Julietta chimed in.

    I nodded in agreement and continued, "...but the rotation of the entire system around the larger star creates what they call elven years, which take about forty normal years to complete. During this rotation, there''s a period of colder years known as the elven winter."

    Julietta took over from me. "The elven winter lasts about ten years," she explained. "The first one or two aren''t too bad, but it gets progressively colder after the second year. As a year here is a bit longer than on Earth, and the long winter spans ten of these years, that''s roughly equivalent to about twelve Earth years."

    "You forgot to account for the longer days," Michael pointed out.

    "I think I factored that in," Julietta conceded, nodding. "So it''s a little over twelve Earth years."

    "Wait, hold on! Hopefully, we''ll get back before! I''d be over thirty by that time?" Tom exclaimed.

    "How do we get back as long as Mephisto has the only stable portal?" Michael questioned.

    "No!! Are we really stuck here?" Mike exclaimed with horror in his voice.

    "Earth to Mike. We''ve already established that!" Hew chuckled.

    Tom snorted. "Hew, we''re not on Earth. Change that to Guarava!"

    "Guarava is the country, not the planet!" Hew tried to clarify, "What was the name? Aldea or something..."

    I took a deep breath but remained silent. White Flower did have her lightfires, but with my reduced magic power, I couldn''t recall the runes of that spell in my mind. I''d tried countless times without success. I was hoping it would work again once I regained my levels, but it was simply too complex a spell for my current magical ability.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Therefore, I didn''t want to give them false hope. If I told them about it, they''d only expect me to find a solution immediately. I''ll try to resolve the situation, but I didn''t need that additional pressure from all sides.

    "I''d suggest we go to Spartacius''s ranch," Michael said. "But it''s in Adrai, on a different continent, and it''ll be abandoned during the long winter anyway. It could be a solution for the first year, though, for later, we''d need a place in the warmer regions. Isn''t it true that the elven winter isn''t as severe here in Adwana as it is in Adrai?"

    ¡°That''s true,¡± Julietta said. ¡°Here in Adwana, it''s warmer and wetter, and they don''t abandon all localities to migrate, but the population tries to survive in some enforced points. The kingdom does have defined shelters. There are some eighty days without ice in the year here in Guarava, even in the worst years.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Tom exclaimed. ¡°And when does this long winter start?¡±

    ¡°Next year,¡± Julietta explained.

    "Well, Michael''s idea is not bad," Hew pondered. "A farm would still be a good place to survive for one year, isn''t it?"

    Alice sighed. "Possible, but it''s a long way. That would be costly and dangerous. Besides, farms are not that safe, but still better than nothing."

    "No portals?" Mike wondered.

    "A portal could cost us as much as a year''s subsistence; however, it might be possible to buy one in Uldaman," Alice explained. "With that amount of money, we could try to buy something here, but do we have so much?"

    Michael turned to me. ¡°Cala should have at least a villa in a city or a farm bigger than Spartacius'' one. Where is your property?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I didn''t want to settle, so I didn''t buy any farm. I didn''t want the bother!¡±

    Michael''s face darkened, disappointed at my answer, but then he seemed to have an idea.

    ¡°Did Cala participate in any wars? There were all kinds of war trophies. What did you do with the tokens? Did you sell them all?¡± he asked.

    I exchanged a look with Alice. He might be onto something! Acts of bravery in war were richly rewarded, and Cala did have her fair share of such acts. Her inventory was still locked for me, but luckily, I had given Alice many things to keep to save room for my dresses in my inventory.

    ¡°Alice, do you have any tokens from Guarava or anything from a country in Adwana? I should have a couple of those!¡±

    "Are there only two continents?" Tom questioned.

    "Only two are known and populated by humans," Michael explained, "but they are really huge."

    After a while, Alice raised her gaze to look at me.

    ¡°There is a silver token from Constancia and a gold token from Guarava.¡±

    ¡°A gold token from Guarava?¡± I exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. She took it out from her inventory. It looked like a big round gold coin that fit neatly in one''s palm and weighed about 100g.

    ¡°As recognition for the heroic deeds in the battle of Theomix,¡± she read from the coin.

    "What''s the deal with this farm token?" Hew inquired.

    Michael eagerly snatched the coin from Alice''s hand and examined it closely.

    "This is more than just a farm, Hew. Look at these royal emblems. Cala was granted a small barony with this token. Its true value exceeds ten thousand gold. She''ll need to travel to the capital city to receive the official title from the king! How did you manage to earn such a reward?" he marveled, a hint of astonishment in his tone as he gave the token back to Alice.

    I sighed. What did I do? Cala was an assassin, so it was pretty obvious.

    "Well, I fought in the battle and took out the commanding general of Constancias'' troops during the Battle of Theomix, but the reward was actually for assassinating King Elefteares. They couldn''t openly reward the murder of a king, even though it brought about a resolution and forced Elefteares'' ally, Constancia, into a negotiated settlement. That''s why the text on the coin mentions the Battle of Theomix. Elefteares had always been a thorn in Guarava''s side, and after his demise, his kingdom had to seek peace."

    "And what about Constancia''s silver token?" Tom inquired.

    I shook my head as dread filled my heart at the memory.

    "Let''s not talk about that. You didn''t hear or see anything about it. It could cause huge problems here in Guarava... Cala took on all sorts of jobs from the assassin''s guild back then. Nobody knows that I did it..."

    Tom raised an eyebrow but didn''t comment further.

    "Would it work even though you''re not Cala? Or are you planning to impersonate her?" Mike asked.

    I grinned. "Oh, it''ll work! Michael, you''re a genius!" I turned to Mike. "There''s no need for illusions. It''s a transferable token. I could have sold it. I mean, Cala could have sold it."

    "What does this mean for us?" Tom inquired.

    "It means we have somewhere to go. First, we head to the capital city, Uldaman, where we get the official title, exchange this token for the barony, and settle in for the winter. We can all live off the estate until we figure out how to return to Earth. You''re all invited!"

    "And what about us?" Tina asked.

    I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I wasn''t including you too? When I say ''all,'' I mean everyone, including our treacherous elf who tried to burn me. She''s also invited if she wants to come!"

    Feeling generous, I thought a barony would be a good place to spend the winter.

 Chapter 242 - Whos Going To Be the Baron?

    The atmosphere relaxed further, and we began jesting about life as new feudal lords. A barony, we mused, would undoubtedly boast a couple of bustling villages dedicated to serving it. Naturally, we envisioned our barony as the most progressive and people-friendly in the world, yet we anticipated living in luxury and being waited on hand and foot. As we continued discussing the perks of baronial life, the ''treacherous'' elf unexpectedly interjected, attempting to dampen our spirits.

    ¡°This won''t fly,¡± she declared.

    I arched an eyebrow and sighed. ¡°And why''s that?¡± I inquired.

    She huffed impatiently. ¡°I have one question: who''s going to present that token?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Well, obviously me, since it''s technically mine!¡± I replied, surprised by her skepticism.

    She chuckled derisively. ¡°Have you looked in a mirror lately? Hero or not, the King won''t simply hand over a barony to a demon, don''t you think? Do you really believe that any illusion tricks would work inside the royal palace?¡±

    I was left breathless, realizing I had completely overlooked this ''minor and insignificant'' detail: that I was a demon. As I turned to Alice seeking help, the elf raised a brow inquiringly.

    ¡°Do you think Alice would do?¡± she asked, but Alice shook her head.

    ¡°I''ve shared with you about my grandfather and his studies. He was accused and prosecuted by the Twin''s Church and found guilty of consorting with demons. The punishment extended for seven generations, prohibiting the family from using our name. That means no right to property. Though I''m not from Guarava, the Twin''s Church has a presence here, too, and they may object to me using the token,¡± she explained with a shrug. ¡°Anyone else would be a better choice.¡±

    Julietta nodded. "That''s what I began to suspect after you shared your grandfather''s story."

    I turned to her. ¡°So, do you suggest you present the token?¡± I pondered.

    ¡°Me?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Even if you were foolish enough to entrust me with the token, they would never accept it. An elf claiming a barony? Impossible. The land here was taken from the elves, so it would be seen as an attempt to reclaim it. No, it wouldn''t work. Lynx would be excluded for the same reason, leaving us with Tina, but she''s too young to make such a claim.¡±

    ¡°It''s a little bit disappointing to hear that,¡± Lynx remarked with a smirk, ¡°but I understand your reasoning.¡±

    "So, we need to find a different solution. Selling the token might be necessary, but I''m worried it won''t fetch a good price now, especially with the impending long winter," Julietta remarked, gesturing with her hands as if questioning what could be done.

    "Hey, we''re here too! Any of us could present the token!" Hew suggested.

    Julietta sighed. "Sorry, boys, but none of you have any traces of magic in your veins. That instantly disqualifies you from any noble positions."

    "But there were nobles with barely any magic!" I interjected, though not singling out Tina specifically.

    Julietta shook her head. "There may be some, but they are born into nobility. This, by the way, often leads to the decline of their families, but that''s another story. Here in Guarava, no one becomes a noble without significant magical abilities. You can''t even become a knight! The kingdom prioritizes individuals with magical aptitude, and having magically gifted children can secure the family''s long-term survival. These individuals are often promoted and serve in the army or as guards. Some are chosen by the church, and the most exceptional may even be elevated to minor aristocrats. Achieving barony status is a long journey, and only extraordinary deeds can bring it about."

    "Is a token not the proof of extraordinary deeds? Non-magical people who do exceptional deeds are not rewarded?" Mike questioned.

    "Of course, they are rewarded, but they cannot become nobles and thus cannot possess these huge properties. If you insist on presenting the token and Lores agrees with that, I am not sure how they will proceed at the royal court. You might get screwed. I guess that in the best case, you would receive the biggest possible property of a ''common person,'' which is a family farm, and that''s it. There is a lot of room for interpretation in these rules."

    "Couldn''t we just gain some levels? It seems so easy when playing the game," Mike wondered.

    Julietta gently shook her head, considering the question. "You need to realize that this is no game, but the real world where you will risk your lives if you want to try that. You can''t select a body with high aptitudes, as was the case in the game; your current body must suffice, which in about 99% of cases may just be the body of an average, ordinary person. We can try that, but it would be tough. I need to warn you that I''ve seen no special magic aptitudes in any of you so far. Besides, gaining some levels would not be enough!" Julietta stressed. "You need to achieve a level of power above the average."

    As they exchanged glances, I raised my hand. "Okay, look at me; what do you see now?" I asked.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    At first, she seemed confused about what I was trying to say, but then she understood and attempted to identify me. I felt the magic pulse and saw her surprised expression.

    "Okay, impressive illusions. I see nothing, and you do not identify as a demon, but entering the palace will dispel all your illusions!"

    I was using one of Cala''s skills. Cala used it all the time, so it was ingrained in my being.

    I smiled, relieved to have found a solution and doubly pleased that Cala''s skills were compatible with my magic.

    ¡°This is not an illusion. You know the dispel spell, don''t you?¡± I asked. ¡°Just cast it on me.¡±

    She did. My horns appeared, okay, that was an illusion, but that was all. I had hidden them instinctively after so many days of having to conceal them, without even thinking about it.

    ¡°Okay, you have horns, but you''re still not a demon. How is that possible? Plus, I cannot sense your power!¡± she asked, baffled.

    My grin widened. I took a deep breath.

    ¡°If I knew, I would have used this skill when we visited you. Then nothing of this would have happened, and we would still be on Earth!¡±

    ¡°I would have still dispelled your illusions and seen your horns...¡± she answered, diminishing my enthusiasm.

    ¡°But now you did just that. Will that not be a problem?¡± Hew observed.

    ¡°No,¡± Alice answered, ¡°There are beastkin who have horns. They may not be very pleased to give the barony to a beastkin, but there is no law against it.¡±

    "Didn''t you just say they''d reject anyone without power? Because you mentioned you can''t sense her power..." Mike wondered.

    Julietta shook her head. ¡°She''s not without power; you just can''t gauge it. It''s better this way. Her power level wasn''t that impressive and was at the limit of what would be considered noble, but this way, it''s more threatening. Just having this skill is sufficient proof that she has sufficient magic power. This is a very powerful skill! What kind of skill is this?¡±

    "It''s an assassin skill," I explained.

    "That''s a pretty rare skill to work even against my best spell. What you propose is risky, but it might work," the elf girl explained with a pensive face.

    "You trust yourself a lot!" Tom observed. "If you can''t overcome this skill, do you think nobody in the royal palace would?"

    Julietta answered with a smile. "Well, Tom, I''ve lived a long life, and I''ve honed my identification skill a lot, so there''s a pretty low probability that somebody in that palace would have a stronger skill than mine."

    I grinned happily at her explanation.

    "It''s Cala''s skill and should be at the highest levels. She was impossible to gauge, and I hope it stays the same with me," I explained.

    "As I said, it''s still a bit of a gamble," she said hesitantly, "but it might work. Can you keep it on all the time without exception?"

    "It''s one of those skills that stays on or off once you set it, even when you sleep. Try to catch me with the skill off, and you get a wish free for any time you catch me."

    "A wish free for anything I want?" she wondered.

    "Anything within my power to do. Don''t ask for the moon..." I tried to limit the risk, even though I thought she wouldn''t be able to win anything. Cala was pretty confident in her skill, and I hoped it would work the same for me.

    "Then it''s settled," Michael said. "Tomorrow, we start heading South from here!"

    The Lynx shook his head. "No, I think it would be simpler if I go first in search of a road," he said.

    I nodded. "Sounds like a plan!" I said with a yawn, stretching my limbs. "Oh my, I''m tired. Can we go to sleep inside the ring now?" I wondered.

    Alice gave me an uncertain look. "Well, not exactly. We''re not sleeping inside anymore."

    "Why''s that?" I asked.

    "Let me show you," she said, placing the ring on the ground. She touched the button and opened the portal. I entered, followed by Alice, and then the rest.

    Once inside, I looked around. Everything looked the same as the last time I was there.

    "Well, what''s going on?" I wondered.

    "Look at the walls!" Alice exclaimed.

    Only now did I notice that the whole cavern was slowly wobbling, as if it were made of gelatin.

    "Damn, this is really dangerous. The ring will collapse sometime soon!" I exclaimed.

    Alice nodded in agreement. "Correct. This was also one of the reasons why we decided to spy on you."

    "This was the reason you decided to spy on me? I don''t understand," I said, raising a brow and looking at her.

    Alice raised her shoulders in a shrug.

    "We no longer had the time to wait. Normally, I would have waited to learn more about you, but with this problem with the ring, we needed to decide quickly if we could trust you in order to ask for your help with Sid. We needed to take action, which is why I asked Lynx to keep an eye on you and tell us what you were up to."

    "Oh, so that''s why you were at Mrs. Thorwal''s house?" I asked.

    "Exactly," Lynx replied. "I heard you planning the visit, and we decided to come and see for ourselves what was going on."

    "When did you hear that?" I wondered, instantly regretting my question.

    "That day before you slept in bed with that boy," Lynx answered bluntly.

    My cheeks instantly turned beet red as I saw Tom coughing into his fist with an amused expression, but the Lynx continued with his innocent demeanor.

    "The most interesting part was in the morning when that woman threw you out of their house. Why was that? Is there a fight in human society for who will be the dominant woman in the household? Can two women not live as equals in one house?"

    "In principle, no," an amused Tom answered.

    "Did Kate throw you out of her house?" Mike wondered.

    "Really?" Hew asked in turn.

    I sighed. "Lynx, can''t you ask those questions in private?" I wondered with a sigh.

    He watched me with big, round, fake innocent eyes.

    "I''m just curious to understand human society," he mumbled, but there was already an obvious grin on his face.

    ¡°Maybe we should continue this conversation outside?¡± Alice suggested. ¡°There''s always the danger that this construct could collapse.¡±

    I shot her a thankful glance. I was sure she had said that to give me some respite from those questions.

    Once we were outside, Alice closed the portal and placed the ring back on her finger.

    "That''s very dangerous, Alice," I remarked. "The ring''s spatial expansion could collapse at any moment, and the resulting implosion could crush your hand, or who knows what other craziness could happen when that thing loses containment!"

    She nodded and replied with a sigh. "I hope I''ll sense it before it really collapses. I need to keep it with me at all times as long as we keep moving. I can''t risk losing the ring because of Sid."

    "Who is Sid?" Tom wondered.

    "The sleeping dragon inside," I explained.

    "What have you tried so far?" I asked Alice.

    "That was a dragon?" Hew exclaimed.

    I nodded.

    "We''ve tried everything we know," Alice answered. "Do you know of any way to wake him up?"

    I tried to recall any information I had from White Flower.

    "A telepathic nudge could help, but none of us is a telepath. Perhaps the voice and breath of a mother dragon?" I suggested.

 Chapter 243 - Sitting On an Ants Hill

    As we prepared to sleep, various strange noises echoed from the darkness in the cold, damp air. The Lynx assured us that there was no cause for concern, but he and Alice had planned shifts to stand guard during the night. They were insistent on not letting anyone else take on this duty despite all of us volunteering. They argued that our threat assessment capabilities were too low for the task.

    Exhausted, I wrapped myself in my sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep.

    In the morning, after a hasty breakfast consisting mostly of meat and a few fruits Julietta had found, Alice announced that she and the Lynx would scout for a route out of the forest.

    "You all stay here and don''t do anything foolish," she instructed. Then she pointed at me and Ju. "You should be able to handle any problems that arise in this glade, but if there''s anything urgent, Tina has a whistle she can use to call us. Lynx confirmed that he would hear it from quite a distance. We''ll be back soon!"

    Julietta had asked us not to use her full name anymore. Her new alias was Jutta, so we could simply use the shortened form Ju. I guess it was the easiest way for her to have a new name.

    As I saw her sitting near Tina, I couldn''t help but chuckle. Thiara - Tina, Julietta - Jutta, Dolores - Lores. Only Alice was still Alice.

    "Stay within the glade! Just remain here for the next hour," the Lynx emphasized again before they departed.

    Once they left, we kept hashing out whether to venture into the ring''s barn and let Alice and the Lynx take us out of the forest or not. Arguments flew back and forth, but we couldn''t reach a consensus. The barn seemed like a potential death trap if it collapsed, but how did that risk stack up against trekking through the forest¡ªor was it more like a jungle?

    As it was very difficult to calculate the risks, I decided to bow out of the debate. If the barn had been reliable, it would''ve been a no-brainer. But now, it all hinged on whether we could anticipate the collapse in time. We knew it looming, but when would it strike?

    What about Sid? He was far too big and too heavy for us to even consider moving him out; however, being a black dragon, he might even survive a collapse like this.

    Anyhow, the sooner we got out of the forest, the sooner we could start exploring our options to help him.

    I knew that rumors swirled about dragon nests at the northern border, nestled deep in the mountains. Few dared to investigate, and even fewer returned from there. But I had a fragment of knowledge from White Flower herself, where she had met a dragon in that vicinity. The memory was there, clear as day, but the when eluded me. Was the dragon still there after all these years? Decades could have slipped by. And even if it remained, would I meet the right dragon there? I didn''t even possess its true name, just the moniker White Flower had bestowed upon it. Would that be enough?

    The prospect of finding it was nothing short of a miracle, but even then, would it entertain my plea? If we did meet, would it grant me the opportunity to speak, let alone hear me out about my connection to White Flower and my plea for help?

    So many uncertainties loomed that I questioned if it was worth pondering. It seemed like a feeble plan at best, but thus far, it was the only one I could muster. Still, maybe I should mention it to Alice and the Lynx upon their return.

    With those thoughts swirling in my mind, I set a tin cup on the fire to brew some coffee. Thankfully, I had some ground coffee stashed away in my inventory, and the idea of finally enjoying a cup after nearly a day without one was already lifting my spirits.

    "Coffee, yeah!" Tom chimed in, echoing my sentiments.

    "How''d you sleep?" Mike inquired.

    "Like a log," I replied, sporting a satisfied grin.

    "I could barely shut an eye," Tom grumbled. "Flies buzzing around, trying to take a chunk out of me, and¡ª"

    "Tried?" Hew interjected, lifting his arm to reveal a cluster of red welts. "I''ve been feasted on by those damn vampire-mosquitoes. Not flies!"

    Mike shook his head. "No, I''m sure it was ants. They snuck under my pajamas, but I couldn''t catch ''em. Just felt ''em crawling."

    "It was probably your imagination," I reassured him. "There were no ants around here."

    "First, I was sweating buckets under the blanket, then they zeroed in on my face and hands. Absolute nightmare," Tom shared his nighttime ordeal.

    "Good morning!" Tina''s voice rang out cheerfully as she emerged from the tent, her face glowing with the dawn light.

    I did have a tent, but it was a small tent practically for only one person. In the end we had let Tina and Michael to sleep inside it.

    "Good morning, sleepyhead! Looks like you got a good night''s rest. Breakfast''s ready! Is Michael up too?"

    She stretched and yawned.

    "Yeah, he''s doing that thing where he acts like he''s still asleep, but he''s awake," she explained with a chuckle.

    We heard Michael''s voice from inside the tent. "I''m trying to sleep with all the racket you guys are making!"

    "Come on out, it''s time to pack up. Alice and the Lynx are scouting the shortest route to get us out of this forest. They''ll be back soon, and you''ll miss breakfast!" I teased him. Of course, Alice would wait for him to eat, but he didn''t need to know that.

    "I feel so dirty!" Hew suddenly announced. "I haven''t really washed properly since yesterday morning!"

    "I poured water for you to wash your face in the morning," I protested.

    "You were very thrifty with that water, that was hardly washing," Tom interjected. "Can''t we go down to the mill to freshen up?"

    "Yeah, let''s have a proper morning wash!" Mike agreed.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "But didn''t you hear what Lynx said?" Julietta countered. "Stay within the glade!"

    "Technically, the mill is still within the glade," I reasoned. "We were there yesterday. I don''t see why we can''t go."

    Julietta shrugged.

    "Alright, you go with the boys. I''ll stay here with the kids while they have breakfast. Shout if there''s any trouble." Julietta directed, while Tina protested she wasn''t a kid and resorted to sticking her tongue out in a very childish manner.

    I chuckled at Tina''s antics as we rose to our feet and made our way toward the mill.

    The path we''d trodden yesterday still marked the way. The day was pleasant, with both suns shining high in the sky, and a cacophony of buzzing bugs filled the air, almost rivaling the hum of a vacuum cleaner.

    "Didn''t Lynx mention something about snakes near the mill?" Hew queried.

    "Ugh, you''re right," Tom acknowledged. "Let''s head over there instead. Looks cleaner and less ominous."

    He gestured a bit further to the right. I hesitated briefly, knowing we might stray beyond Lynx''s scanned area, but I couldn''t spot any immediate threats.

    As we moved in that direction, we stumbled upon a small pebble and sand beach, with the beginnings of a lake where the creek flowed into it.

    "This seems like a much better spot for washing," I concurred with their assessment.

    As the boys began to wash, I gazed out at the forest ahead. To the left, it was a dense jungle, filled with stings, thorns, and barbs sprouting from the path of the small creek. Attempting to push through would be a recipe for shredded skin, especially for the boys. It would require a machete to carve a path. On the right side of the mill, where we stood, the water deepened, and beyond the dense barrier of water reeds, the small lake stretched far, evident from the absence of trees.

    As I ventured a bit farther to find my own spot for a proper wash, I suddenly heard a cracking noise under my feet. What was that? My mana sight swiftly identified them: bones. There was also movement underground, farther from the water¡ªa sight that resembled snakes slithering beneath the surface. They occasionally widened and narrowed, like a worm in motion, yet those sections remained stationary. It was unlike any worm I''d ever seen.

    "Boys, don''t make any sudden movements!" I called out, loud enough for them to hear but still maintaining a hushed tone.

    "Is there something?" Tom halted his washing, standing knee-deep in the water. Hew not far away. Mike was once again nowhere to be seen.

    "Mike?" I called out.

    "I''m over here, taking care of business," came Mike''s voice from about ten meters away, behind some bushes.

    "Everyone, come here immediately!" I commanded.

    Hew and Tom swiftly joined me, while Mike emerged moments later, hastily pulling up his trousers.

    "What''s going on?" he asked.

    Suddenly, the skittering sound grew louder, and the small hill between us and the glade began to shift. Those serpentine, undulating creatures I had sensed underground were not snakes or worms, but columns of ants.

    "Uh, drats!" I exclaimed, spotting the multitude of bulges between us and the glade. They were all massive ant hills! I sprinted toward the water. "Follow me!"

    "What''s happening?" Hew wondered, observing the high grass rustling all around our vicinity.

    "Ants. Predatory ants!" I exclaimed.

    The mounds around us suddenly transformed into something resembling a sieve, with antennas protruding from each hole and dark black streams forming under the grass. Ants, as large as two centimeters, raced with incredible speed, flooding the shore where we had just been.

    I began firing shadow bolts at them wherever I saw a larger group, but it seemed to only agitate them further.

    "Can''t we outrun them, or break through?" Hew''s voice trembled.

    "They run just as fast as we do, and the ground is riddled with traps. This is a carnivorous ant colony¡ªthey hunt big game, and we''re the game now," I explained, urging us to retreat further through the reeds.

    "Why would these ants make their hunting ground at the edge of a lake where they can''t swim?" I mused aloud. They seemed content to gather at the shore and wait for us. But why should we risk leaving?

    "Yell for Julietta!" I commanded and started to yell.

    Everyone shouted, but Hew''s yell was particularly desperate and distressed. My eyes widened when I saw what he was pulling out of the water: a massive worm, about twenty-five centimeters long, with a triangular mouth, that wriggled in his hand.

    "Leeches!" I exclaimed in horror, snatching the worm and crushing it in my hand.

    "Oh, fuck!" I cursed.

    The boys turned to me, their eyes filled with fear, as the water reeds began to rustle as though the water itself was boiling. I turned toward the deeper part of the water and invoked one of White Flower''s spells: ice. With a surge of effort, I transformed a large swath of water into ice. It drained most of my mana, but a solid surface of ice formed in front of me, providing a barrier.

    "On the ice!" I yelled.

    They didn''t need my instruction; they were already scrambling onto the ice, and I helped them while grabbing any leeches that clung to their legs, ignoring the ones attempting to bite mine. A sudden, sharp bite reminded me that there were leeches capable of piercing even a twenty-sixth level demoness. The problem was, I was now encased in the ice I had conjured. Instead of breaking free, fearing to break too much of it, I melded into the shadows and reformed above the ice, shedding the leeches and my clothes too in one swift motion.

    I was running low on mana and thought we were temporarily safe when an ant fell onto the ice beside me. Then another. They were bombarding us from the canopy of the surrounding trees! Soon, it sounded like hail falling. We tried to sweep them into the water as much as possible, but they clung to our clothes, and several managed to bite me.

    "Where''s Julietta?" I wondered aloud, struggling to extend the ice toward an area free from tree cover. My mana was so depleted that I felt dizzy, and my head began to sway on my shoulders. In that moment, she materialized among us.

    She understood the situation instantly and likely decided that the best course of action would be to extend the ice away from the canopy of trees, providing us with an escape route.

    "Channel me!" she proposed.

    Meanwhile, she began employing her water manipulation skills to push the ants away from our ice float. The water beneath us had turned into a murky, churning mass that sent shivers down my spine. If one of the boys were to fall into it, they would be instantly drained of blood.

    I placed my hand on her shoulder, feeling the vast sea of mana within her. It offered a sense of power and tranquility that washed over me. Drawing on her energy, I felt her mana willingly envelop me, like the taste of sweet sparkling wine¡ªstrange yet delightful. I let it infuse every fiber of my being, taking a deep breath to allow it to spread throughout me. It was comforting to have her near, to feel that well of pure mana beside me. The world around me seemed to transform, becoming more vibrant and beautiful. Is this how elves perceive the world?

    I continued to draw more mana from her, feeling her worried gaze upon me. Why was she concerned? She had plenty of mana to spare, didn''t she?

    Ah, yes, I needed to extend the ice. Such a mundane task! Struggling to command the mana, I suddenly found myself immersed in a colorful world, as if soaring through the sky. Was I transported to another place or time? Perhaps my spirit was, but my body slumped on the solid ice as I lost consciousness.

 Chapter 244 â€“ Waking Up In a Hammock

    I woke up in an improvised hammock with a pounding headache and completely disoriented. I found myself dressed in one of Alice''s pajamas. It felt like the hammock had been gently swaying until now, and the current, rather irksome stillness, had woken me up.

    "Where am I? Whose garden is this, and why am I wearing Alice''s pajamas?"

    Too many questions for my poor befuddled brain.

    There were a few itchy spots on my skin, and as I scratched them absentmindedly, memories of ants flooded back to me. What did they have to do with the vividly colored sky I recalled? Were there ants in that other world? What other world?

    I heard someone groaning nearby and reluctantly opened my eyes to locate the source. With some effort, I made out Hew lying on an improvised bed. His forehead glistened with sweat, and he groaned again while attempting to roll onto his side.

    "He''ll be okay," somebody reassured me.

    I lifted my gaze to see Ju, our elf, standing beside me. Not far off was Tom, sitting in a similar hammock to mine, covered in blankets and trembling, but at least conscious.

    "Do you want something to eat?" Tina asked, approaching me with a bowl of soup.

    "Could you fetch more dishes? Most of them are in your inventory..." Ju suggested.

    His request interrupted my thoughts. I attempted to focus on my inventory but suddenly felt nauseous and began to vomit. I managed to turn my head to the side, avoiding soiling my hammock. As if anticipating this, Ju caught my vomit in a makeshift bag made of grass and expertly flung it away into the distance.

    "I guess that''s a no," she remarked with a weary shrug. "Your magic must still be too tainted. It seems there''s a compatibility issue between our magic."

    I snorted and attempted to look around, my vision still sending wobbly images, as if I would be inside the ring''s barn.

    "Seems to be?" I questioned her overly polite words. My speech came out with difficulty as if driving a car with the handbrake engaged.

    "The understatement of the day!" I protested. "Attempting to use your magic sent me straight into Nirvana. What happened? Where are we? Is everyone safe?" I wondered aloud.

    They all seemed relaxed, so everything was likely fine. Trying once more to survey my surroundings, I realized it didn''t resemble the glade.

    "Where''s the handbrake for my brain, to release it?" I mused.

    She glanced at me askance after my Nirvana comment, then nodded towards Hew.

    "Mike''s fine, already up and about. Hew''s still unconscious from too many ant bites, but he should improve in a day or two. Tom seems to have fallen ill. We''re hoping for a speedy recovery," she informed me.

    "We''re out of the jungle, camping alongside the royal road!" Michael explained, then abruptly asked, "If you''re not going to eat your soup, can I have it?"

    "It''s made with special ingredients for her!" Tina protested, prepared to defend the bowl. "Go ask Alice for another portion!"

    As Tina approached me, I wasn''t sure what to do. I wasn''t certain I could stomach a spoonful of soup, but I didn''t want to disappoint her.

    "I''m not sure I can eat anything," I admitted.

    "Just try a spoonful, okay?" she pleaded with her wide puppy eyes looking hopefully at me.

    I couldn''t resist that look. I glanced at Ju, who was busy fashioning another grass bag.

    "I can''t believe you took the time to make those," I remarked.

    She shrugged. "It''s better than cleaning up the mess..."

    I opened my mouth as Tina''s spoon drew near and attempted to swallow immediately. To my surprise, the taste wasn''t as awful as I had anticipated. It had an intriguing extra flavor, and it warmed my insides pleasantly as I carefully swallowed it.

    "Well?" Ju inquired.

    "Seems okay," I replied.

    Tina beamed. "It''s a recipe my mom used to cure magic-induced sickness like exhaustion or mana drain."

    "Did you suffer much from such exhaustion?" Ju asked.

    Tina shook her head in shame. "Not me, I didn''t really exercise, but my sister did. She was incredibly talented, but she overdid it with the training. She suffered from mana exhaustion almost every other day and needed the soup to recover. But whenever she ate the soup, I got my portion too, and I loved it."

    "She was?" I asked.

    Tina sighed. "She passed away in an accident when I was eleven."

    "Oh. I''m sorry to hear that," Ju offered sympathetically.

    As silence fell and Tina stood there with a somber expression, I changed the subject.

    "So, we''re on the royal road?" I turned to Michael, who was just returning with his second serving of soup.

    "Yes," he confirmed with a grin. "We''ve already seen caravans passing by. It''s only about ten kilometers to the next station. Alice decided to wait here until you recover."

    I glanced around. "Where''s Mike?" I queried, and then a suspicion dawned on me. "Is he off taking care of business again?"

    "Nah," Tom replied from beneath his blanket, showing that he was still tuned into our conversation. "I doubt he''s doing that now. He''s out there with his new crush."

    The elf nodded toward the forest, while Michael started to laugh at my question.

    "He''s off to fetch a cauldron of water," Ju clarified.

    "What?" I exclaimed, half in panic. "He went alone into the woods?"

    "Alice is keeping an eye on him," Tina reassured me, shaking her head.

    "You can still see him over there..." Michael pointed westward.

    Finally, I caught onto what Tom had mentioned. "New crush? When did he have time for that?" I wondered aloud, peering in the direction they indicated. "Is that blue-haired girl his new crush?"

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "She stood tall, a slender figure of about seventeen, clad in shorts and a stained shirt that had long lost its whiteness. What truly set her apart was her vibrant blue hair. Though colorful locks might seem attractive, they often signified a history of famine that occurred after the development of some magical abilities, during her growth years. It was rumored that when the body endured starvation and consumed itself, the magic within was sometimes stored in hair and nails, altering their color. In many cases, even after conditions improved, the hue remained unchanged.

    "You were gone for more than a day..." Tina said, offering another spoonful of soup. I accepted it, opening my mouth. She beamed at me as if she had just accomplished a moon landing as the spoon landed in my mouth.

    "But... but... who... how... what..." I struggled to form coherent questions about Mike''s crush.

    "It''s a girl from a traveling circus or something. They''ve set up camp about a hundred meters away, behind you, which is why you didn''t notice them. There are about six or seven adults and three kids. She''s around sixteen, I reckon, and speaks English," Michael explained."

    "How come this girl speaks English?" Tom wondered from under his blanket.

    "English is the language of adventurers. You have to understand, there were millions of adventurers scattered all over Aldea," Ju patiently explained.

    "What happened to them? Did they disappear?" Tina pondered.

    "Wait, why only English? Wasn''t everyone speaking their own language?" Michael asked.

    Ju took a breath and addressed Michael first. "Somehow, all other languages were translated directly to English by the game engine itself, so the player might have thought in Russian or French but spoke English." Then she turned to Tina. "I suppose they''re still here, just no longer remotely controlled."

    "But how could this remote control work?" Tom asked, shivering under his blankets. "I mean, everything is limited by the speed of light. This place should be light years away from Earth!"

    Ju sighed. "I don''t know. Maybe there are other methods of communication. I saw it as possession through magic, but that''s all I can tell you," she shrugged.

    "This was one of the things that made it hard for me to believe this world was real!" I exclaimed. "Tom''s got a point. How can this work if it''s light-years away?"

    Ju shook her head. "Don''t get me started on this! I don''t want to kick off a scientific debate right now, but I''ll just throw out a couple of points off the top of my head to give you some food for thought: It takes eight minutes for light to travel from your Sun to Earth, so you see the Sun in the sky where it was eight minutes ago. But if gravitational pull came from that point, Earth''s orbit would be unstable. Gravitational pull actually comes from where the Sun really is, not from where you see it. Your astronomers calculate star orbits as if gravity were transmitted instantaneously, not delayed at the speed of light.

    "Furthermore, your scientists think that only 4% of the universe is real matter, with the rest being elusive dark matter and dark energy. But here on Aldea, some scientists argue that everything can be explained by matter and magic. According to Earth''s science, there must be a halo of dark matter around your galaxy in the shape of a rugby ball to explain the orbits. But who put the dark matter there? Why does it stay there in that form? And so on. Everything could be explained clearly once you understand how magic flows within and between galaxies."

    I let her rant wash over my poor, confused brain as I followed a woman, approximately forty years old, dressed in the typical Guaravian black and red attire, who approached us hesitantly.

    As soon as she spotted her, Ju nodded. "<u>Mrs. Tehia</u>!" she greeted. "<u>Are you looking for something</u>?"

    Ju''s question seemed well-intentioned, but the woman visibly hesitated to speak with her, appearing intimidated by the elf.

    "<u>Our lady has recovered. You can talk directly to her</u>," Ju mentioned, nodding toward me.

    Our lady? I glanced around, surprised. Was she referring to me? The lady being spoon-fed by a child froze upon hearing this. I raised an inquisitive brow at Ju.

    Meanwhile, the woman performed a sort of reverence toward me, careful not to spill the contents of the small bowl she held in her hands. She spoke Guaravi, and it was only now that I realized Ju had also spoken Guaravi. Drats, these things were so ingrained in my mind that I hadn''t even realized it!

    "<u>Milady, I have taken the liberty to prepare a healing potion for your companion,</u>" she nodded toward Tom. "<u>He is obviously suffering from shudderfrost.</u>"

    There was a brief moment of silence. I glanced at Ju, who nodded.

    "<u>I thank you, Mrs... ah</u>?" I prompted.

    "Tehia," Ju whispered.

    "Tehia," I echoed.

    She stood there hesitantly, bowl in hand, and I realized I needed to resolve the situation.

    "Michael, could you please take that bowl?" I requested.

    He looked surprised, pausing from his soup to comply. Standing up, he took the bowl from Tehia. As she bowed again and began to step away, I turned to Ju.

    "What should we do with this? Just spoon-feed Tom until it''s gone?" I inquired.

    "Mrs. Tehia, how should the medicine be administered?" Ju asked.

    "A spoon every arc until it goes away," Tehia replied, bowing once more.

    After Ju nodded in understanding and Tehia left, I turned to her with a question.

    "A spoon every arc?" I pondered.

    "You should know this. One arc is about one hour. There are thirteen arcs that the moon Kragath travels each day through the sky. It divides the day into perfect time slots, twenty-six for day and night," she explained.

    "What''s with this thirteen division?" I asked.

    "The Guaravi count in base thirteen. Five fingers plus one hand make six, two hands make twelve, and thirteen is the whole," she clarified.

    "Isn''t twelve the whole, or twenty-four?" I questioned.

    "Not in Guaravi. Just as one hand is six, not five. Twelve is two hands," she explained.

    I rolled my eyes. I knew this already; the memory came flooding back. Couldn''t they just count to ten like everyone else with ten fingers?

    "So, I''m the lady now?" I mused aloud.

    Ju chuckled. "Well, wasn''t that the plan? Who''s going to be baron?"

    Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by a startled cry. We turned to see Mike and the girl nearby. She had dropped the water she was carrying and leaped into Mike''s arms, while a figure emerged from the forest.

    A monster! But Alice didn''t even reach for her bow. It was Lynx, bringing back some food for dinner. I exchanged a glance with Ju, and she returned it with a knowing smile. It was clear the girl was using the opportunity to get closer to Mike, and it seemed to be working as he put a protective arm around her shoulders.

    "Children, aren''t they sweet, the same everywhere?" Ju mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 245 â€“ Dinner with Guests

    As dusk settled, the aroma of the roasting meat wafted through the air, drawing us all to the fire for dinner. We eagerly watched Alice, our culinary maestro, for the signal that the roast was ready. Feeling much better now, with my senses clear and my belly no longer protesting, I realized how hungry I was; it practically roared its hunger.

    Observing the other group nearby, I finally engaged my two brain cells and decided we should acknowledge Tehia''s earlier kindness. So, I asked Alice to carve a leg from the roasted deer and sent Mike to deliver it as a gift to his crush and their group, along with some silver coins from Alice''s purse, as advised by Ju.

    Tom had already started feeling better, likely thanks to Tehia''s potion, and had joined us around the fire. Only Hew remained unwell, though even he showed signs of improvement. It was a stark reminder that our boys had such low levels that even Ju, a skilled healer, struggled to keep them alive.

    During dinner, I learned how we had been rescued. While I was unconscious, Ju had continued to fend off the ants from the small ice floe I had created until Alice and Lynx arrived. Tina and Michael had followed Ju''s instructions, calling for help from a safe distance to avoid attracting the ants. Once Alice arrived, they transported us to safety in the ring''s barn, and from there, to our current location.

    As we were wrapping up our dinner, Mike returned accompanied by Tehia''s group. I took the opportunity to use my identification skill, first on Mike''s crush.

    ¡°Human, thief, level seven¡±

    I chuckled. Of course, this didn''t necessarily mean she was a thief; it simply indicated that her skill set fit that of a thief, so I decided not to tell Mike about it.

    Tehia was identified as a "human, brewer, singer, level thirteen."

    Sometimes, identification didn''t offer clear-cut answers, especially when a person''s skills seemed contradictory. In Tehia''s case, it seemed she had two classes. This was a curious case, but not that uncommon. Her magical abilities were at level thirteen, her brewer skills overshadowing her singer skills.

    Their levels were all under twenty, which was typical for common folk. One man stood out with an impressive level of sixteen, specializing as an acrobat. Others had no discernible skills and were identified simply as human, ranging from levels six to nine.

    Tehia stepped forward alongside Mike''s crush, and to my surprise, not Tehia but the girl spoke up, perhaps because she could speak English and had noticed that most of our group communicated in that language.

    It seemed rehearsed: "We, the Trewar family, express our gratitude to Your Ladyship for the delicious dinner she graciously provided. With your permission, we would like to show our appreciation by offering a small taste of our show and our brewed beer."

    Taken aback, I remained silent, waiting for them to continue. After a brief pause, seeing my lack of response, Ju took charge and replied in Guaravi:

    <u>"Our lady is delighted and grants you permission!" </u>

    As one of them placed a small pile of sticks near the fire, the acrobat approached Ju to speak.

    <u>"We''ll be performing with fire. Will your creature not be frightened by it? Perhaps it should be restrained?"</u>

    Before Ju could reply, Lynx let out a chuckle.

    "The creature will be content if it receives a jar of beer!"

    It was obvious that he understood Guaravi, but preferred to speak in English, however, there was a moment of stunned silence at his unexpected speech. It seemed as though they were ready to flee.

    <u>"And that, my friends, was a demonstration of my ventriloquism skills!"</u> Ju announced.

    The panic turned into laughter, and the acrobat bowed, while Lynx shot Ju a questioning look.

    <u>"I see the lady elf has quite the sense of humor,"</u> the acrobat remarked.

    I was relieved to see that they appeared willing to engage with the elf girl, though expecting them to accept a talking lynx might have been too optimistic. Ju inclined her head towards Lynx, silently urging him to remain quiet. He answered with a frustrated hiss and a cat-like meow.

    To ensure he didn''t speak further, she continued.

    <u>"Everyone knows that a talking beast is as feared as a demon, but a little joke has never harmed anyone, right?" </u>

    "True, but I''ve always wondered why," Tina interjected, but in English. She must have understood some Guaravi but likely wasn''t fluent.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Ju sighed and replied in English. "A talking beast is intelligent and cunning, not merely a simple creature driven by instincts. Even dragons can be defeated and controlled when they possess only the mind of a beast, but once they evolve and gain intelligence, they become truly formidable. They know when to retreat and when to attack. Additionally, a talking beast has dignity and won''t easily submit to being controlled."

    "But those are reasons to respect a talking beast. Why fear it? You could even negotiate with it," Mike pondered, now that the discussion was open.

    "You can make deals with demons, too, and yet they are rightly feared! Let''s not delve further into these matters; it seems to make our guests uncomfortable. I apologize for the jest," Ju said to Mike, who clearly had more questions.

    Lynx only sighed and rested his head on his paws.

    <u>"The lady elf need not apologize; nobody was harmed by the jest,"</u> Tehia said.

    She didn''t speak English, but it was evident she understood enough.

    The young thief, Mike''s crush, approached the Lynx with a jar of beer in her hands.

    "What should I do? How can it drink this beer?" she asked.

    As she looked at me, contemplating, I asked her, "May I inquire about your name, miss?"

    "Elenia, your ladyship," she replied with a small curtsy, carefully balancing the beer.

    I studied her, wondering what Mike saw in this girl. She was at least an inch taller than him, rather slender, with long, relatively muscular legs compared to her thin torso and arms, and small, A-cup breasts at best.

    "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," I remarked, displaying my diplomatic skills. I even earned an approving glance from Ju.

    "If you''re up for the task of feeding him," I said and received a disapproving glare from Lynx, so I continued with a smirk, "he''ll happily drink from the jar if you pour it gently into his mouth. I''m sure you''ll know when and how much to pour."

    Watching me with a hint of fear, Tehia chimed in, "Nothing bad can happen, right?"

    Some of her group looked uncertain, questioning if her question was too bold, but Ju quickly reassured them.

    "Her ladyship wouldn''t put your daughter in danger. Just so you know, Lynx saved her life by carrying her in his mouth and pulling her out of a leech-infested morass."

    I was surprised by Ju''s revelation; she hadn''t mentioned these details before. Or was she improvising? Regardless, everyone looked at Lynx with newfound respect as Elenia approached him. As he lifted his head, I swear I could hear her heartbeat, but she needed no further encouragement.

    "What a magnificent creature you are!" she exclaimed, stroking Lynx as he gave me a puzzled look, yet seemed to enjoy the girl''s affectionate gestures. I shrugged and settled beside him, while the girl stood on the other side with Mike, still feeding Lynx some beer.

    I know that he almost made a comment about the beer, but then sighed and rested his head on his paws, watching the acrobats. They had finished their preparations and were now announcing the start of their little show.

    "Let''s watch the show, my savior," I said as he covered me with his paw, while I pondered whether lynxes could get drunk from beer.

    The sticks turned out to be torches, and they lit them one by one. Two acrobats began tossing them back and forth, while another person added more torches, one at a time, until there were about ten torches flying between them.

    Then they switched to three, creating various combinations. It was mesmerizing to see the torches dancing like living beings; in the darkness of the night, it was truly an eerie spectacle.

    They followed with some fire-spitting acts while the young thief, Elenia, continued to distribute beer to everybody. The beer was good and relatively strong.

    After they concluded the torch show and gathered the torches, Tehia stepped into the center beside the fire, holding something resembling a mandolin in her hand. It was a musical instrument with strings made from the tendons of a giant bird, a unique Guaravi creation.

    After a brief preparation, she began to sing. It was a familiar melody, and she added verses in Guaravi about our gathering there. It was very flattering for me, but unfortunately, most of our people didn''t understand Guaravi. Nevertheless, we applauded heartily when she finished.

    As they prepared to leave, Tom stood up and asked me to hand him the guitar. Then, he asked everyone to wait. They were impressed when I retrieved the guitar from my inventory. These were simple people who didn''t have much knowledge of spatial tools; they knew about their existence but seeing one in action up close was a novel experience for them.

    Tom tried a few notes, then turned to me.

    "Now Lores, what do you say? Could you sing our ballad?"

    Ju had instructed me to behave more like a lady, which I found challenging, but was singing in public something that a lady would do? I turned to look at her, and she nodded. It seemed that it was indeed something acceptable, perhaps even expected of me.

    Alright then, I glanced at the boys and noticed Mike taking position to play the drum. We didn''t have an actual drum, but he improvised with some crates and a stool.

    "Okay, Tom, let''s do it," I replied.

    We started somewhat hesitantly, but we had sung the ballad so many times before. It was almost second nature to let magic envelop our notes, allowing it to echo the emotions evoked by the ballad. I remembered the lesson I had learned not long ago.

    A deep silence followed our song as they stood there, enchanted and hesitant to move.

    Eventually, I broke the silence and approached Elenia to ask if they had beer for sale. She confirmed they did, but suggested I speak to Tehia for the price. After negotiating, we settled on sixteen silver for a barrel of about 32 liters, which seemed rather steep. I accompanied her to their wagons, where they had two, and returned with a barrel of beer in my inventory, while Ju explained that I could probably have bought two for the same price at the next waystation, which was ten kilometers away.

 Chapter 246 â€“ A Nightly Visit

    Throughout the night, I wrestled with sleep, gently swaying in the hammock as my thoughts roamed freely, attempting to weave together the loose threads into coherent ideas.

    The dim glow of Demetros, the smallest of the three moons, cast an eerie ambiance upon us. There had been discussions about it and its trajectory in Dreamland forums, speculating whether it would collide with the planet in due time being likely just a dark asteroid captured by the planet eons ago. It spun along a precarious South-West North-East axis and its surface was veiled in darkness. Unlike its counterparts, it remained invisible during the day, probably due to its dark surface.

    In the twin God''s religion, Demetros held sway as the God of the Afterworld, with Tenebra as its dutiful servant. It seemed fitting, Demetros being the looming disaster waiting to strike¡ªan extinction event I would hopefully not be there to witness.

    Amidst my contemplations, a noise pierced the silence, disrupting my thoughts: someone was stealthily approaching our group.

    Glancing at Lynx, I pondered whether he feigned slumber or not. He had the capacity to guard us even in his sleep, yet perhaps in this instance, he didn''t perceive the approaching shadow as a threat. It was Elenia¡ªI recognized her silhouette.

    I sighed recognizing her. Will a thief be always a thief? I pondered in my mind.

    With my eyes half closed I followed her careful steps through our camp. She did seem to have a target, but she approached it in zigzag. She even bowed and collected one of our cups at one moment, and seemed to hesitate whether to take it or not. These were ordinary cups from our world but must be expensive porcelain cups here. In the end, she placed it back. She remained a couple of more moments looming over the unwashed dishes, Ju had said she''d wash them in the morning. I''m not sure if she did not take something from our cutlery.

    She then walked further and now approached Mike. Was she going to rob him? Maybe she had seen some shining object in his possession? Hopefully, she would not hurt him!

    I shadowmelded and came closer to watch her. As she seemed to have finished her business here and started walking away from our camp, I materialized behind her, caught her neck with one hand, picked a knife from my inventory with the other, and pressed it against her neck.

    ¡°Another movement and you are dead!¡± I whispered in her ear.

    She froze, her legs trembling light, but before she said anything a voice resonated in my ears.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°She hasn''t stolen anything, she just placed something in Mike''s trousers pocket¡±

    It was Lynx, naturally. When I glanced at him, he still appeared to be asleep, giving no indication that he was the one speaking.

    ¡°A tracking device?¡± I pondered aloud.

    ¡°It''s a lucky charm,¡± she replied, her voice trembling.

    ¡°A lucky charm?¡± I questioned. ¡°But why not give it to him directly?¡±

    ¡°To bring luck, it must arrive unexpectedly,¡± she whispered.

    I sighed. I wasn''t about to debate the finer points of presenting a lucky charm in the middle of the night. She did not know how lucky she was, I could have hurt her if any of her actions had made me think that she had endangered anyone''s life.

    As I didn''t want her to see me uncloaked behind her, I melded into the shadows once more. However, I forgot to place the knife in the inventory before, so it slipped from my grasp, falling in front of her. I would have scoffed in frustration, but it was impossible in my wispy form.

    She made a few hesitant movements, realizing she was free, then glanced around anxiously before spotting the knife on the ground. Turning toward the camp, she also faced Lynx. Had she understood that he had been the one speaking?

    ¡°Is this a gift? For me?¡± she inquired.

    I nearly materialized to shout NO, but Lynx nodded, and she bowed to retrieve it. Cradling the knife in both hands close to her heart, she bowed repeatedly toward Lynx, whispering her gratitude. I would have rolled my eyes, but her joy and gratitude over the simple knife were too endearing to warrant any further annoyance.

    I materialized next to Lynx and rested on his shoulder.

    ¡°Really? A present?¡± I mumbled, scratching his chin.

    ¡°You scared her. She deserved some compensation,¡± he replied.

    ¡°And you give her my knife? I''ll miss it in my cutlery!" I protested "She deserved to be scared. Walking through our camp at night? What was she thinking?¡±

    He sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Ah, kids! About that knife, you have another ten of the same kind. She refrained from taking anything, so let her have a small reward.¡±

    ¡°Who''s on guard?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Me. It''s my shift,¡± he answered.

    ¡°May I sleep here beside you? You''re so comfortable and warm...¡±

    ¡°Sure, but be aware that I might have to move...¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, as long as you come back, that''s fine. Let me grab my things...¡±

 Chapter 247 â€“ Bad News

    In the morning, I walked to the river to wash myself. The Trewars were not far away, and we waved to each other. It was a pleasant morning, the air still a bit chilly, but it was shaping up to be a wonderful sunny day. I hid between some bushes to undress myself and wash up. The two suns appeared a bit smaller than our sun in the sky, with Ethea higher up than Ghomer, but their heat was enough to pleasantly warm my skin.

    From the three moons, only the bigger one, Kragath, the red moon, was visible in the west, soon to be gone.

    Later, Ju appeared with Mike, bringing all the dishes to wash them at the river. Ju used her magic to splash the dishes with water, but they still needed to be taken by hand one after the other, where Mike helped.

    I imagined magically washing the dishes in a more efficient way.

    Once they finished, and Ju dried the dishes, I put them in my inventory and left with her. Ju went to talk with the rest of the Trewar group, while Alice and the Lynx were probably somewhere doing their morning routine too.

    I went to see how Hew and Tom were feeling when I heard Mike yelling. I turned to see him in the water, a little deeper than his knees.

    To his right, Tehia screamed as loud as she could: "Run to the shore!" while I saw Elenia running towards him.

    I started to run towards him. It was not further than one hundred meters and I''m sure I was beating the world record for one hundred meters, but he was already yelling desperately while the water started to bubble around him.

    "Agapas!" Elenia yelled while running into the water towards him.

    Agapas are small carnivorous fishes that live in Guarava''s rivers, and all over the warmer parts of the continent. They are something like the piranhas of our Amazonas. Judging by how slow he was moving, and being probably already bitten, he had no chance to survive if an agapas swarm was on him. And that crazy girl is entering the water to him?

    Being still too far away, I could not see them, but I saw the water bubbling around him and did the only thing that passed through my mind: I dumped my whole mana around him in a swirling black cloud. It looked like a small black swarm of locusts that surrounded him, plunged into the water, and expanded around him, coloring the water dark gray.

    It worked like a giant black bolt, and dozens, if not hundreds, of dead fishes filled the waters with their white stomachs around him. Elenia did not stop; she went to him and dragged him towards the shore. As we met on the shore, she was breathing hard while admonishing him.

    "I told you, I told you to keep the charm on you always! Keep the charm with you, always! Where is the charm?"

    A dumbfounded Mike only nodded towards his shirt on the shore.

    "In... in the pocket..."

    "Idiot! Keep it with you," she admonished him.

    As they were rambling there, I looked with horror at their burnt legs: they looked as if they had been barbecued on a raging fire, while some pieces from his legs were missing. Luckily, my spell had cauterized his wounds, and Ju materialized next to us and started to heal them.

    The next moment, Tehia was there and bowed to hug her daughter with tears in her eyes. Dark vapors were rising from the water with hundreds of dead fish in them.

    The whole commotion had taken less than ten seconds, but we needed more than half an hour to recover from the shock. I learned that the Trewars were using some ointment to rub their legs with, which could eventually repel the agapas, but not when they were swarming like that. Such an agapas swarm would have eaten a buffalo in less than ten seconds.

    We ate together with the Trewars, and everybody talked again and again about what had happened. When we finished, we prepared to leave at about the same time as them. They had two chariots pulled by two pairs of black oxen with three horns, the typical Guaravian ox.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    To my surprise, they proposed to walk together and invited us to use their chariots. I saw no reason to turn down their proposal, so we placed Hew inside one chariot. That was much better than having him carried by two of us, now that the Lynx was gone hunting. The rest of us walked beside as did some of the Trewars. They insisted for me and Ju to also join them in the chariot, but I preferred to walk, while Ju and later Tina took up their offer.

    Elenia did not say a word about the happenings of last night, but she sported the silvery-looking knife proudly. Well, inox quality, sharp point, about eleven centimeters long, lightly jagged blade, shaft made of the same metal, but very easy to hold, well balanced. There were only twelve such knives in this world, I guess.

    After a while, we met Lynx. He was waiting for us by the side of the road, and once we reached him, he started walking beside me.

    ¡°A lady may walk, but should mostly ride, isn''t it?¡± he whispered in my ear.

    Was this an invitation to ride? I glanced at him surprised, but it seemed that it was, so I was soon admiring the world from an elevated position. To be able to chat with him, we went about one hundred meters in front of the chariots. The pretext was to scout for dangers, but the road seemed to be pretty secure. On the way, we met a couple of caravans walking the opposite way and greeted each other. People were looking full of wonder at me and my mount, and at one time, kids came running and approached us to five or four meters. Kids have no fear!

    Once we were alone again I opened the conversation.

    ¡°So you did spy on me!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°Can''t you forget that?¡± he questioned.

    ¡°How long did you spy on me?¡± I insisted.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Several days? A week? I wanted to know you better. What better way was there if not by observing you?¡±

    ¡°And you stood there the whole night when I slept in Matt''s room? That must have been so boring! Was that the only night?¡±

    ¡°No, it was not the only night. At first, it was boring, true, but the end was worth it. It was really funny to watch!¡±

    ¡°That was not funny!¡± I protested and thought about changing the subject.

    ¡°Well, what do you say," I questioned, "what do you think about the future life in the barony?¡±

    He shrugged. "I''m happy you''re going to have a solution!"

    Something in the way he said that raised my alarm bells.

    "What do you mean?" I questioned. "We will have a solution! The barony should be big enough to feed all of us!"

    "It''s kind of you to think of me, but frankly speaking, the life of a mount is not what I intend to experience. I accepted a temporary deal with Cala to bring White Flower in security, but now she is gone. I want to roam some place and make it my kingdom, or something like that." He shrugged again. "I''m a predatory beast, Lores, not a mount!"

    That struck me like walking over the line of an express train just as it passed through.

    "You cannot do this to me," I mumbled. ¡°Do you want to leave me?¡±

    "Now, now, little lady, don''t cry. We will meet again sometime, and besides, I still want to accompany you to the barony, to see it with my eyes. Maybe I''ll come later to visit you after all. You know, I plan to have a family sometime..."

    "I''m not crying!" I protested while tears were running down my face, but I managed to smile as I thought at cute little lynxes "You promise you''ll visit me?" I asked.

    "I promise I''ll think about it," he answered. "Now, maybe it is not the right time, but you should think of Alice and how you convince her to stay with you."

    "Wait! No, that cannot be! Not Alice! Did she tell you she wants to leave me?"

    He sighed. "No, she did not tell me anything like that, but I overheard her talking with Tina. Alice has some charity work in Lillytown. Who will pay for the orphans now that she is gone? She used to be away with Cala, but she always returned there, brought money, and visited the orphanage. Next year, the great migration starts. Maybe they both want to be there, Alice to help the orphanage during migration, and Tina to be back with her family."

    Desperation was starting to grip my brain. Everybody wants to leave me?

    "She cannot risk that; the emperor would capture her again," I said.

    "Maybe, but she might not want to be separated from Alice. The two have gotten very attached. But I''m not sure if Alice has already decided to go; maybe she will decide to stay."

    I sighed. Why do things have to be like this? In the game, he would stay with me as a mount and be happy with it! And Alice? Why would she ever want to leave me? Oh, drats! But on the other hand, what could I offer him? A life as a mount? Where he shouldn''t even talk when others are present!

    ¡°As I said, she hasn''t made a decision yet, and she may choose to stay with you. But at some point, you should talk with her and ask her if she wants to stay. You could also try to help her; she doesn''t know what to do with Sid.¡±

    We continued in silence for a while as my brain worked hard to think of a solution.

 Chapter 248 â€“ Circus and Pest Control

    After more than three hours of marching at the slow pace of the carriage oxen, we finally arrived at one of those relay stations that lined the main roads of the kingdom every 40 miles or so.

    I''d never ridden anything before except a bike, but I quickly got comfortable riding the Lynx. Maybe it was because his steps were smooth and fast, or maybe it was because up there on his back, clinging to his fluffy fur, I felt happy and protected.

    We made countless small forays into the woods and then returned to the main road, while the two chariots moved at their slow pace. Along the way, he pointed out various wildlife to me, and we even startled a caravan resting in one place, scaring them half to death.

    However, once I stepped down, I couldn''t walk properly. My legs had a tendency to stay too wide apart, with my leg muscles sore, while he freely laughed at my bandy-legged demeanor.

    In stark contrast to the lush greenery of the forest, the way station was a grey, foul-smelling, and crowded compound. It was so crowded that we could only book two rooms, and that was only because the fat innkeeper, seeing me riding what he thought was an epic mount, instantly took me for a noble lady. However, I was told that the Lynx had to stay outside with the horses and couldn''t enter the living quarters.

    And even then, it was only allowed if I guaranteed that he would behave and I would be liable for any costs that might occur in case he got hungry.

    Well, problems were already starting to arise at the first human settlement. I started to understand the Lynx better, but what could I do? One solution would have been to camp outside and only visit these settlements during the day, but what would we do in big cities?

    The Lynx shrugged and ignored the problem. He preferred to slink into the forest and promised to meet us back in the morning before we left.

    The rooms were spacious enough, with several simple wooden beds that looked dirty enough to make me question the wisdom of sleeping there. While we could have all crowded into one room theoretically, Ju informed me that my status as a noblewoman required a separate room. So, I decided to allocate one room for the boys and one for the girls. This way, the boys would have their private corner for the first time in this world, and we ladies too.

    As we brought Hew in on a stretcher, I noticed him scratching, and when I got close to him, I inspected him. What I saw shocked me.

    "Oh, fuck me! Tom, go and get Ju. Mike, help me undress him."

    As Tom left the room without asking any questions, Mike turned to me with a shocked face.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked, while Michael admonished me in a low voice.

    "Lores, a lady doesn''t speak like that..." he mumbled.

    I snorted, annoyed, ignoring him, and turned towards Mike.

    "Don''t be so alarmed. It''s just ticks. Damn ticks with magic camouflage skills, hiding well enough from view that we haven''t noticed them until now."

    "Ticks? Then why did you call Ju?" he wondered.

    There was something off in the way he spoke. He was speaking slowly as if having difficulty concentrating. Tom had also been slow to react and move. Even when we carried Hew inside, I wondered why the two of them didn''t help and let me and Alice do the work. I had thought they were just tired after the long walk in the sun, but maybe I should examine them too, once I''m done with Hew.

    "Because I might inadvertently hurt him while I exterminate the pests," I explained, placing my hands on his forehead. "Damn, you have a fever too!" I sighed and turned back to Hew. "We''ll have to wash him and change his clothes. Michael, please bring some fresh water!"

    There was a fountain in the yard powered by some mana shard, courtesy of the innkeeper, but you had to carry your water to your room. Well, unless you were a mage, but I guess the clients here were mostly from the lower class, and there were few mages among them.

    "Hew, hold still!" I urged. It was difficult to focus on the ticks if he was struggling.

    "It burns..." he protested, but he stayed still now.

    He was in a half-delirium again; his situation had worsened.

    "We don''t have any spare clothes..." Mike said just as Tom and Ju entered the room.

    I sighed. "Well, then you''ll have to shake the clothes outside," I shrugged. "I think I killed them all. We''ll have to buy some clothes later and wash these. Ju, please heal him," I said, pointing at Hew, but there was no need to ask her, as she was already glowing, casting her spell.

    Damn, it''s fascinating to see her casting her healing spells as her body lights up from the inside, making her appear even more ethereal and otherworldly.

    Once she was done with Hew, I turned to Mike. "How do you feel, Mike? Is something wrong?"

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "I''m just tired, maybe because I didn''t sleep well," he answered.

    Well, at least nothing seemed to be too bad. "Just let me check you..."

    He looked bewildered and stepped back, his cheeks reddening. "I''m okay. Don''t bother..."

    I grabbed his hand. "Just stay still for a moment. Don''t worry, you don''t need to undress, and... I want to inform you that you too have ticks..."

    As I was cleaning him, Ju pointed out an even bigger problem.

    "He''s got worms too, can you see?" she said, gesturing at his lower abdomen.

    "Worms? Intestinal worms?" he asked, looking shocked.

    "No. Oh, drat! Worse. Just stay still, I''ll take care of it," I replied.

    "These must be from the river water," Ju explained. "I must warn you, Lores will burn them off. It''s going to be extremely painful."

    "You really can see through clothes?" Tom wondered from his side.

    "It''s part of the domain," Michael explained. "She can see the insides, too..."

    I nodded, while Mike was doing his best not to scream.

    "That would be cool to have!" Tom chimed in as I examined him.

    I gave him a sideways glance while Ju chuckled.

    "You just have to gain twenty-some levels and refine your mana manipulation for a fine resolution," Ju explained patiently. "It might take thirty or forty years of training for an average gifted person."

    Tom had no worms, but some larvae under his skin. He endured the cleaning, clenching his jaws but making no noise. Michael was the luckiest with only a few ticks.

    I should have thought of this before and checked, but I never had this problem playing the game. Poor guys were effectively being eaten alive.

    "This is just one of the problems for people without magic," Ju explained while healing Michael. "This world is so skewed in that regard!"

    Luckily, my mana can function as a pest-control agent. When I will it, everything it touches is destroyed, consumed, and cauterized.

    "Your magic is almost pure oblivion," a mesmerized Ju commented once we were done.

    I leaned against her shoulder. This little exercise had drained my mana, and I was feeling wobbly.

    I urgently need a bigger mana pool! I thought.

    Okay, maybe I went a little overboard with it, but I hate pests, and once I started, I checked and cleaned the rooms, the bedding, and everything else there was.

    In the evening, the Trewars set up a nice campfire outside and treated the gathered audience to a small show. They performed their fire games with torches and then built a human pyramid with three levels. Netor, a level sixteen acrobat, was Tehia''s husband and Elenia''s dad.

    I learned that the level thirteen "thrower" was his son from a previous marriage. The boy demonstrated his accuracy at throwing knives around a smiling Elenia, who stood in front of a wooden door.

    I wasn''t particularly fond of that part of the spectacle, as I hate unnecessary risks, but many people found it thrilling and exciting. Especially when one knife went so close to her neck that it drew a little blood, but that was staged; she had placed the blood there herself with her fingers, feigning injury, but it had a great effect on the audience. The boy''s name was Onetor, Netor''s first son, and he seemed to be very attached to his half-sister.

    Two kids went to collect donations from the spectators, while the other older male opened a small stand and began selling some kind of meatballs, probably made from another deer leg we recently donated to them, along with beer. His name was Gomodor, Netor''s older brother.

    The smell of the slowly roasting meatballs was hard to ignore and very appetizing. The prices were modest, everything was priced in copper: a meatball cost four to six copper, depending on how well you bargained and how many you bought; a quarter-liter cup of beer cost two to five copper. I also saw Tehia selling some of her medicine; it seemed to be for shudderfrost, the sickness caused by the bites of those worm-like beasts with triangular mouths that we fought in the marsh.

    Marsa, Gomodor''s wife, was selling charms. She was a fortune-teller. They had four kids, two older than Elenia and two younger. Tehia had another two kids, twins, a boy and a girl. They had been at the very top of the human pyramid they''d built. Marsa also helped with cooking or selling beer when needed, but Gomodor was the master cook; he was the one making and roasting the meatballs.

    The show and the additional buffet was surprisingly entertaining, and the Trewars worked together like a well-oiled machine.

    Our boys were resting; only Tom was out with me.

    Once the show ended, Tehia came to sing. Her weathered hands, accustomed to hard work, played her mandolin surprisingly gently. She sang three lovely songs that were very much appreciated by the audience, and then, to my surprise, she gave a short speech.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you enjoyed my songs, know that they pale in comparison to the songs sung by the esteemed lady who graces us with her presence. If she would be so kind as to sing, you would truly hear what a masterpiece sounds like when sung by a real master!"

    With that, she bowed, pointing at me.

    I knew I should have made a run for it, but I stayed for the meatballs and beer. As all eyes turned to me, I felt like a deer in the headlights. It seemed we were involuntarily included in the Trewar show now.

    I turned to look at Tom. "Are you up for a song or two? Maybe a ballad?"

    "What about a soft blues?" he suggested.

    I nodded. "Okay, let''s sing a blues."

    Oh well, the audience seemed to love it. We were enthusiastically applauded and begged to sing more. You couldn''t just say no to the hundreds of pleading eyes. There was a certain charm in the air, and I didn''t want to be the one to break it so soon.

    When we sang Mike''s ballad, Tehia tried to accompany us, and I encouraged her to do so by nodding in her direction. The songs were catchy, and we stuck to ones with easy-to-grasp melodies. The effect was impressive; soon, almost everyone at the way station was gathered around the Trewar firecamp. Just as I saw Gomodor talking with Alice to buy more meat from her, disaster struck.

    A group of three brutes made their way through the crowd and stopped in front of me.

    "It''s your lucky day, girly. His Highness, the Viscount of Genevais, demands your presence!"

 Chapter 249 - Hero of the Kingdom?

    I hate being interrupted when I sing, and I hate ruffians. Ruffians interrupting me is a double whammy, so one could have seen a black cloud of anger gathering over my head. The merry atmosphere transformed into tense tension, like a cord ready to snap.

    I <<identified>> him: "Guard, level twenty-two."

    I snorted in disbelief. The idiot must have tried to identify Tom and then me and came to the conclusion that we were zeroes, not even able to realize I was masking my power! If they had looked at Alice or the elf who were sitting on the side, maybe they would have been a little more polite.

    Netor, Tehia''s man, jumped in front of the ruffians, waving his hands desperately. "Please, honorable guards, you are making an error, the honored lady..."

    His speech was interrupted by a knee hitting between his legs. With a weak squeak, he crumbled in on himself like a puppet losing its strings, and the idiot who hit him took a step forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.

    "Come!" he ordered.

    I only had time to glance at his hand, but before I could move, Ju caught my shoulder.

    "Don''t kill him!"

    That got their attention, but before I could say anything, Alice''s fist smacked the idiot across the face, sending him tumbling. She moved so fast that none of us, not even the guards, had time to react before the blow landed.

    I raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Alice. She raised her shoulders in a shrug and gave me a guilty smile.

    "I thought it best to handle it before you killed him," she whispered.

    I snorted. Why does anyone think I was going to kill him? I don''t even know if I could kill him in one shot; the difference in levels wasn''t that significant.

    There was a brief moment when the other two and Alice exchanged glances, and the two instantly decided to run. They didn''t even bother to help the wretched heap lying on the ground ten meters from us.

    As I sighed and looked at Alice again, she raised her hands placatingly.

    "He shouldn''t have dared to touch you, that went too far," she said. It was strangely comforting to hear her say that.

    The crowd around us was dispersing fast, like fog on a sunny morning. People smelled trouble and suddenly remembered they were needed elsewhere.

    "Someone should go with a message to the viscount," Ju said, looking around. I was there with Tom, Alice, and Tina. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I might be the best choice, but it could go south..."

    "What do you mean?" I asked.

    "You seem to forget that I''m an elf," she mentioned with a tired expression.

    "I guess it''s too late, they seem to be coming to us," Tina whispered, looking towards the relay station. Indeed, a group of about twenty guards and ruffians was approaching. Probably the viscount''s guard, along with the muscle keeping order in the station.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Alice took her bow and shot a lightning arrow straight up into the air. It was like a beacon of light in the night sky. It was fascinating to watch its flight as it soared higher and higher until it became just a little star in the sky, and then it turned and descended. From one arrow, it started splitting, the luminosity only increasing. It struck the ground like a series of thunder strikes in front of the approaching group, the air crackling, electrical discharges continuing for some ten seconds.

    That had been a clear warning, and the group understood how outclassed they were and stopped. But as the Gods of Chaos would have it, an army company was just approaching the relay in a night''s march. I''d heard the noise for some time, but it was only now becoming clear what that noise was, and at the sight of the deluge, the company accelerated to a light trot.

    Of course, the viscount was closer to them, and with displeasure, I saw the company take positions behind the previous group, who were now stepping aside.

    Oh drats, this is not going to end well, I thought.

    One officer barked some commands, and the soldiers formed a solid line of shields and started advancing towards us. Alice glanced at me.

    Our group came closer while the Trewars were there to collect Netor. The other stragglers that were still around disappeared like sugar in water. I nodded to Tehia as they retreated as fast as possible to the side. It was wiser for them to stay out of this; there was nothing they could contribute, and I think they had done more than they should have. It was not their fight; they would only get obliterated if they tried anything. Maybe they could talk later if anybody asked them.

    Several tense seconds passed, and I still wasn''t sure what I should do. Military formations like these work like war arrays, and fighting them is a totally different thing.

    Probably the best course of action would be to try to explain ourselves, but the soldiers didn''t seem like they were on a diplomatic mission.

    "Wait, stop!" I said, advancing towards them, not wanting to let them surround us.

    At that moment, an arrow struck me in the left shoulder. I yelled, but my yell was drowned out by the thundering boom of an arrow shot by Alice. I knew that whoever had shot that arrow was now dead. Gripping my shoulder with my other hand, I felt wet blood under it. The shock must have been so big that I didn''t feel pain. Yes, I felt the arrow stuck under my collarbone in my left pectoral muscle, but that was it. Luckily, I don''t think it had penetrated my lung, but it was stuck in a rib.

    "STOP!" Alice yelled towards the incoming group, who hesitated. They were now just twenty meters away, and probably the officers thought they could overwhelm us. How many arrows could she shoot now before they were on us? One or two? They must have felt that Alice was a force to be reckoned with, but they may have thought that she was only an archer who could be overcome with their formation.

    My brain was working in high gear, trying to compute a way to appease the situation. There was already one dead, but that could still be seen as a legitimate defense. However, if it came to a clash with a unit of the army, it could end bad.

    What should I do?

    A terrible growl covered everything the next second, and the Lynx appeared running from the forest. It was glowing as if set on fire, and its eyes were red like burning charcoal. At this sight, the soldiers stopped, some even started to step back.

    The Lynx slowed down to a trot, approaching us, still growling.

    At the barking order of the officers, the soldiers formed some kind of turtle shield, barricading themselves behind their shields with spears pointed outward, obviously trying a different form of war array now. I knew that we had the advantage now, but any hopes of staying in this kingdom if it came to a fight were gone.

    It was at that moment that Julietta marched towards the soldiers, raising high the gold token she must have taken from Alice.

    ¡°Stop! You are attacking a hero of the Kingdom!¡± she yelled, infusing her voice with mana.

    She was a vision to behold. The frail elf, dressed in her vaporous dress, illuminated by the strange fire that burned above the Lynx, and probably healing herself to be clearly visible while holding that shining gold medal above her head.

    After a couple of moments of silence, an older officer approached her.

    <<identify>> ¡°Captain, level 45.¡±

    He took the coin in his hand, examined it, and then gave it back to her. He turned his back to us and barked his orders, and the soldiers started to retreat.

 Chapter 250 â€“ Bloody Judgment Under the Moons

    As the soldiers fell back a few meters, the tension in the air lingered, though Lynx had toned down his fiery display. His fur now shimmered lightly, his red eyes still glowing.

    The main light came from torches carried by some soldiers, the dying embers of the Trewars'' fire, and the three moons hanging in the sky. The red and blue lights of Kargath and Frigg added to the eerie atmosphere. Higher above, Demetros'' gray form was barely visible, seeming to blend into the dancing shadows rather than brightening them.

    Almost total silence enveloped the theater. Additional troops had shifted to the sides, forming a half-circle around us before coming to a stop.

    While Ju''s quick thinking provided us with a much-needed break, technically, she had lied. I wasn''t the hero of the Kingdom; Cala was. Sure, I had controlled Cala for a time, but those actions weren''t mine. They were Markus''s. So, there was a good chance I''d be caught in a lie.

    If the viscount decided to challenge my status based on that, it might end in a fight. With Lynx on our side, victory was likely, but the real question was whether everyone would make it out alive. I almost wanted to ask Alice to hide Tom and Tina in the ring, but opening the portal could provoke the troops into an unwanted reaction.

    As all movement settled, the captain approached us.

    "Hero! I''m Captain Dorstack," he announced. "I''ll speak with the young Viscount of Genevais to get to the bottom of this misunderstanding."

    With a brief bow, he turned and walked back toward the group around the viscount. I exchanged a look with Alice and Lynx.

    "Thank you," I said to both. I still had my right hand on my left shoulder, where the bloody arrow remained lodged. Somehow, I couldn''t get a good grip to pull it out; the metal head was stuck in a rib, and the pain was starting to intensify as blood slowly trickled down, staining my blouse.

    "What do we do?" Ju asked as she tried to remove the arrow, to no avail.

    "I think I''m going to start crying," I admitted.

    Tina hugged me while Alice moved in front of me to examine the wound. She addressed Tina and Tom.

    "Your intentions are noble, but if it comes to a fight, you should run. Don''t stay. Now, it would be best if you could sneak away to the Trewars."

    "But that would be cowardly!" Tina protested.

    Alice sighed, then placed a piece of wood in my mouth.

    ¡°Bite on this,¡± she instructed, taking a knife to enlarge the wound so she could grasp the arrowhead.

    ¡°Wise, not cowardly,¡± she told Tina. ¡°Be wise and survive another day. Be stronger, then you can help. Only me, Lynx, and eventually Ju could be sure to survive a fight.¡±

    ¡°But what should we do if this story turns sour now and they decide to attack us?¡± Ju asked, healing herself as I was draining life from her to heal myself.

    After having extracted the arrowhead, Alice took the ring from her finger and gave it to Ju.

    ¡°We can still use the ring. It''s the best option. If they decide to fight, you should open the ring. Everybody goes inside. I''ll keep them at bay with Lynx until you''re secure, then we''ll pick you up and run away,¡± she said, turning to me. ¡°Is this a good plan?¡±

    I nodded, then added my thoughts.

    ¡°Before we run, Ju needs to go to the station and collect the other boys too. Ju, you can teleport, so you should be able to sneak inside while Alice and Lynx attract the troops'' attention. I''ll shadowmeld and keep up with you. But before we do that, I want to give the captain a fair chance to solve this shitty mess.¡±

    Alice nodded.

    ¡°That makes sense!¡±

    Tom and Tina retreated with Julietta behind us.

    ¡°What would you say if he inquires about the token?¡± Alice asked in a whisper.

    I raised my shoulders in a shrug.

    ¡°The truth, as much as I am allowed to say.¡±

    She nodded, confirming she had the same suspicion.

    ¡°That''s good. He may have some truth-checking artifact or skill.¡±

    ¡°There seem to be over one hundred soldiers,¡± Tom whispered. ¡°Can Lynx and Alice face so many? Shouldn''t we all run now?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Trying to run now would only precipitate the events. True, a fight would be no cakewalk. That''s why we plan to disengage. This seems to be a full company, so there must be over three hundred people. If my memories serve me right, a company is basically thirteen lines of thirteen, but they are organized into three platoons, each with four lines and an additional line of mages.¡±

    ¡°That would be two hundred fifty-six? Besides, I see no mages!¡± Tom questioned my numbers.

    ¡°Well, there are additional officers, one or two per platoon, a sergeant per line, and a logistics group with chariots carrying food and materials, plus some healers. The mages must be hiding behind the platoons. They can form battery groups, mostly of four mages, but there can also be a formation where they all channel their power together to shoot what they call artillery fireballs. That happens mostly during sieges or when fighting very high-level enemies.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Why did you say ''if your memory serves you right''? This seems to be pretty precise and detailed! How could you know so much if you were never here?¡± Tina wondered.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Because there is still a mess in my head. I have memories of three persons, and I had trouble knowing which memory comes from whom. This memory must come from Cala.¡±

    We interrupted our chat as the captain advanced towards us, accompanied by one of his lieutenants, the viscount, and three of the viscount''s men. Behind them came another three soldiers, probably the captain''s own guard.

    They must have come to a conclusion, but I couldn''t read anything on the face of the captain as he approached me. He was about my height, dressed in leather armor reinforced with steel plates and decorated with the kingdom''s and the legion''s regalia.

    His face was severe, with an aquiline nose and dark brown eyes. He was clean-shaven, his hair dark brown too, cut short, with a little white at the temples, and he had his helmet under his left armpit.

    He stopped about three steps in front of me, glancing at my bloodied shoulder. For a brief moment, a small smile appeared on his face, probably because he noticed that I was healed.

    "Lady," he said, nodding.

    "Captain?" I questioned, raising a brow.

    "May I inquire your ladyship''s name?" he asked.

    "Lady Lores," Alice answered on my behalf. She was still half a step in front of me, ready to cover for eventual sniper shots as had happened before.

    "Never heard the name!" the viscount whispered to one of his men, loud enough for all to hear, but the captain ignored him.

    The viscount was a younger boy in his twenties, a bit unsteady on his legs. Was he drunk, or was that emotion?

    "I was told that your bodyguard had maltreated the viscount''s retainer when he had invited you to join his company," the captain said, looking at Alice. It was obvious that he felt irritated to be forced to intervene in such trivial matters.

    As he was talking, I assessed the group. Except for the captain, they were all under level forty. The viscount was a trained swordsman of level thirty, a promising level for his youth, but still, I wondered, did they not realize that Alice could sweep the floor with them? Not to mention Lynx, who was now gracefully sitting behind me, licking his claws like a cat. Giant claws as big as sickles.

    He had interposed himself between us and the group with Ju, to allow them time to escape in case of trouble.

    The viscount interrupted the captain, to his hard-hidden irritation.

    ¡°There''s only one way out of this!¡± he said, pointing at Alice. ¡°She maltreated my retainer and killed my archer. I offer them the grace to take over her contract, discipline and punish her, and if she swears fealty to me and if she''s worth it, I might reconsider her fate and forget the offense. Simple as that! A mercenary for a mercenary.¡±

    Alice chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. I huffed.

    ¡°I want to drink what he had drunk!¡± I said, loud enough to provoke some chuckles from the soldiers behind.

    ¡°We can come to that,¡± the viscount answered, ¡°after we clarify the details!¡±

    Either he wasn''t the brightest bulb, or he was trying to double down on my irony.

    ¡°Your retainer called my lady ''girly'' and put his dirty hands on her,¡± Alice said, ¡°and your archer got what he deserved for shooting and hurting my lady!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you dirty merc!¡± the viscount yelled.

    ¡°Is what the mercenary said true?¡± the captain asked, turning towards the viscount''s retainer.

    He was still a bit wobbly on his legs, and while his broken nose had been healed, there were still traces of blood on his shirt.

    ¡°It may be that my language was not very elevated; we had drunk and wanted to hear the singing lady,¡± the retainer said. ¡°And maybe I touched her while inviting her to come.¡±

    The captain closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stood still for a couple of seconds. Then, he made a simple sign with his left hand. In the next moment, the head of the viscount''s retainer was rolling on the ground.

    ¡°What! What did you do, you crazy brute!?¡± the shocked viscount yelled at the captain''s guard who had executed the retainer.

    ¡°My guard did that on my order,¡± the captain spoke slowly and loud enough to be heard by all. ¡°Your man lied to me and to you, viscount, and through his lies, he created this whole situation where he endangered you and my troops and pinned us against a Hero of the Kingdom! Now, justice was served!¡±

    The viscount turned with a vicious face to me, his cheeks trembling as he failed to hide his fury.

    ¡°She''s no hero! Just a rich singing freak who bought that token in who knows what tavern!¡± he yelled.

    The captain sighed.

    ¡°This is a grave accusation, viscount! The token of fealty to the Kingdom is not a small thing!¡± he said, then turned to me. ¡°Did you buy that token? Please answer with yes or no!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I answered, and I was not lying.

    ¡°Did you steal it, receive it, or take it in any way undeserving of its glory? Please answer again only with yes or no!¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said again.

    This second question had been trickier, but still, there was nothing undeserving of the token''s glory in what I did.

    I saw his eyes go down to his ring, which was giving off a light blue light. He nodded.

    ¡°That''s what I thought. Did you receive it for your feats in the Battle of Theomix?¡±

    Now, that was one of the questions that I feared. It was true that I had Cala''s memories, but did that make me Cala? No, as the Lynx and Cala''s inventory item had shown, so I tried to block.

    ¡°Captain, did I not answer enough questions until now? Is this still needed?¡±

    However, the viscount smelled blood.

    ¡°I knew it! She tries to obfuscate! Who knows where she had found it!¡±

    The captain sighed.

    ¡°Please answer my question,¡± the captain repeated. ¡°Did you receive the token for your feats in the Battle of Theomix?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I answered, then I added, ¡°The true reason for the reward could not be written, that is why only the battle was mentioned.¡±

    The reason was that the king did not want to be known as one who finances assassins to kill his opponents. Such a non-chivalrous, brigand act, not worthy of a king, could not be recognized, and in this case, it suited me well.

    The viscount''s face turned from triumphant to confused and angry within those few seconds. The captain nodded, satisfied.

    ¡°That''s surprisingly true! No more questions from me, lady, please excuse us,¡± he said, bowing and turning to leave. ¡°Young viscount, please consider your words!¡±

    He nodded towards us again and left, leaving the babbling viscount with his two remaining guards.

    I sighed. I was strangely satisfied by the justice delivered by the captain. Judge and executioner in one. And it seemed he was not that impressed by the noble viscount. He did call him ''young viscount'' more than once; probably he was just a spoiled brat of some rich nobleman.

 Chapter 251 - Summoned Again

    The soldiers started preparing their camp for the night on the other side of the relay station, and it was somehow calming to see their effectiveness as they methodically raised their camp. Half an hour later, their frenetic activity started to ebb; aligned tents were already raised, a rudimentary palisade had been built around the camp, fires were lit, and food was being distributed. Obviously, the place had been used by other units earlier and was now only being refreshed.

    Once things started to calm down, we wondered where to sleep.

    Should we forget about the two rooms we just rented and sleep outside? With the company staying beside the relay station, I didn''t think that the young viscount, whoever he was, would try anything against me directly, but he could try to hurt the boys in one way or another to take revenge for his two dead companions. That was certainly not something I would like to risk, especially since Ju had specifically warned us.

    "I want to add to what Alice has said," she said with a sigh. "I can eventually save people who appear dead, what is called reviving by adventurers, but that is also a function of magic. The more magic someone has, the more probable a revival would work. This is because part of the magic does not disperse instantly, but still keeps the form of the body. That''s why revival works, but for people with low magic in their veins, it may not work. Also, the time between what appears to be death and revival is much shorter for such persons. That''s why, for instance, I could not revive anybody on Earth. It simply did not work."

    She turned towards me.

    "I thought it would be important to mention, even if you probably know it."

    I didn''t know it, and it just added to my worries.

    "Damn, so what do we do? Do we take our boys and go to sleep outside?"

    ¡°You can sleep inside,¡± the Lynx said. ¡°I''ve inspected the compound. I''ll sleep outside in front of the windows, and my domain would encompass both rooms. If somebody prepares to attack you, I can break the windows or even the walls faster. They are not that sturdy, and the enchantments are weak.¡±

    ¡°But you need some rest too!¡± I protested.

    ¡°I''ve told you I sleep like that. How do you think I survived in the wild? Do you think there were no other beasts trying to sneak up on me?¡±

    I nodded. I hadn''t thought of that actually.

    It was close to midnight when we were finally in our rooms, and as I was preparing to jump into my bed, I got a summon.

    Oh, no! Not now! I was tired and had no wish or energy left to deal with it.

    It''s true that my demoted levels had resulted from refusing to take summons, and taking some had alleviated that problem a little, but that was all. I was still at this very low level, and it didn''t seem to work further. Was there any other way to regain my levels? I wondered.

    Generally, I was thinking about accepting some summons to see if that helps, but not now, after this stressful day. I passed it further, as I''ve learned to do, but strangely enough, it came back to me with more intensity. Again and again, only growing in intensity. I sighed. There was something odd with this summon. I checked my levels, and I was still at level twenty-six. At least I was not demoted again, but the summon was still pending, with more urgency.

    I sighed in despair. What do I do?

    ¡°I might have to take a summon and be gone for the night,¡± I said, addressing the room.

    As I looked around, Alice raised a brow. Tina and the elf were already sleeping. They must have fallen instantly asleep as soon as their heads had touched the pillow.

    ¡°Do I need to do something?¡± Alice asked, coming closer. I met her eyes and saw worry in them.

    ¡°Well, I''ll be coming back exactly here when this ends. It would be good if I found you here, but not a drama if you have to leave. If that''s the case, just make sure you leave some breadcrumbs for me to find you.¡±

    ¡°Breadcrumbs?¡± she questioned, raising a brow.

    ¡°I mean a trace so that I can find you,¡± I said, undressing my pajama and searching for my shorts in my inventory.

    ¡°Got it!¡± she chuckled, showing me a thumbs up.

    I grinned happily and answered with a thumbs up, and as the light enveloped me, I took out a t-shirt to pull it over my head.

    *

    I found myself in the summon''s illuminated circle, still struggling with my blouse, only to realize it was hanging on the left horn. I had to pull it up a little to finally dress properly.

    Turning with a grin to discern who had summoned me, I felt uncomfortable. Something was wrong with my blouse; it wasn''t sitting right. Looking down, I realized I had it on with the front behind.

    ¡°Just a moment!¡± I said, pulling my hands out and forcing the blouse to rotate one hundred eighty degrees. My breasts almost jumped out from under it, but I managed to keep them covered as I contorted under the blouse and finally pulled my hands through in the right position.

    "Ah!" I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

    ¡°You, demon!¡±

    Turning to the side, I saw a beastman.

    Why do I always get summoned facing the wrong direction? I wondered. It''s always a bit of a struggle to see who summoned you, as you stay in a circle of light while they sit outside it. You feel like being on a stage, but I was starting to get used to the situation.

    There was a priest beside him, and a dead ox lay on the ground. A complicated arabesque design had been painted on the floor with its blood. I was still unclear how a summon functioned, but it seemed it needed some kind of spiritual energy, and there were probably various ways one could feed that.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked, looking at the beastman.

    ¡°Lores! I speak your name! You have doomed my sister, you should have no respite until you pay for it!¡±

    Ah, that must be why the summon had seemed to target me. Because it did. Probably there aren''t many demons with this name. Who the hell is he, and how does it come that he knows my name?

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I wondered. I did not tell my name to that many people...

    ¡°Don''t try to deny, you''ve caught my sister in your damn lies net!¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that catgirl, Miau? How should I have caught her?¡±

    What did he mean by: ''You should have no respite?'' I wondered.

    ¡°Meowra!¡± he snarled back. "Don''t make fun of her name! She''ll be executed tomorrow because of you! I speak your name, and you should answer me truly! I want you to tell me how you made her allow you to kill her team. What contorted lies did you tell her? That''s all I want from you!¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    This idiot accuses me of lying? My eyes were ready to shoot daggers, but I abstained. I realized that he was angry because of his sister''s situation, and decided to give him some slack.

    ¡°Ah, Meowra...¡± I sighed. ¡°I do not lie. Why are you accusing me of that? So, you mean, Meowra will be executed!? Why is that?¡±

    He practically exploded.

    ¡°Why? You ask me why? As if you would not know! Because you killed her party when you were there under her contract! Did you make a deal with her to take her soul? Why don''t you tell me the truth? Does your name not matter to you? Lores, Lores, Lores! Why did you murder Meowra''s team? Tell me just that!¡±

    I sighed. He was yelling my name repeatedly as if that should do something.

    ¡°Those jerks wanted to kill her!¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°They deserved their fate!¡±

    ¡°That''s what you say!¡± The priest said, speaking for the first time.

    I snorted and turned to look at him.

    ¡°I do not lie!¡±

    I was surprised at how my voice resonated. The priest stepped back and started to make some strange signs in the air.

    I turned back to face the beastman.

    ¡°I heard them planning it,¡± I said. ¡°They triggered that trap with me and Meowra inside. We barely made it out alive from there; the trap was going to crush her.¡±

    ¡°It was an accident!¡± ¨C the priest countered ¨C ¡°Everything was clarified in the official inquiry. You used the fact that Meowra was weak, trapped there and losing blood, and blackmailed her to change the contract so that you could kill the others. You said you wanted to help her, and that''s how you helped her. We know your ways, demon!¡±

    ¡°That was as much by accident as this summon was by accident. No, you summoned me, by my name. They trapped her to kill her. And I didn''t blackmail her! She was barely conscious as the trap had pierced her body and was crushing her,¡± I protested. ¡°Her luck was that she had allowed me to move freely before we got there, else she would have been dead.¡±

    The priest looked horrified. ¡°She did allow you to move without restrictions?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded. ¡°She was a kind girl and accepted that keeping me constrained would decrease my, and thus our, overall chances of survival. We were talking about how to proceed with the next part of the dungeon when that trap closed on us.¡±

    The priest drew his own conclusions.

    ¡°So that''s why you are so sure her soul will go to hell; she lied even during her judgment!¡±

    He turned with a sigh to the beastman then back at me with a snarl.

    ¡°Nice way to thank for her kindness! Demon!¡±

    I watched the priest. He had some canine traits, while the beastman looked more like a spotted leopard. A cheetah.

    With a sigh, the priest shrugged.

    ¡°You can dismiss her,¡± he told the beastman. ¡°You can no longer save your sister''s soul!¡±

    The spotted beastman was breathing hard. He turned to me.

    ¡°Are you sure they wanted to kill her?¡± he asked.

    How many times do I need to tell him? I wondered.

    I nodded and explained.

    ¡°That''s what they were talking about, waiting for her to die while she was inside the trap that was slowly crushing her.¡±

    ¡°You''re believing a demon!¡± the priest said. ¡°I approved to help you with the summon, but this goes too far. Dismiss her!¡± he ordered.

    ¡°I want to hear her first!¡± the beastman said, standing up to the priest.

    Were they now going to fight? The priest did not look like he wanted to take the chance. Suddenly, the containment field around me ceased.

    ¡°Then it''s your problem,¡± he said. ¡°Let her eat your soul, idiot. I wash my hands of it.¡±

    He turned to look at me.

    ¡°Look at this depraved nakedness! Look at this devilish face!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested. That was going too far! ¡°Do you think you''re looking prettier, you pompous buffoon?¡±

    He started making signs in the air, walking backward, but unable to take his eyes off my form. Maybe shorts and a blouse were a little bit too provocative for their society, but I didn''t want to appear in my pajamas. If they had given me more time with their summon, I could have dressed in my leather armor!

    A sudden inspiration made me place my hand on my hip and, in my best succubus manner, smile at him, fluttering my eyelashes.

    ¡°Mmmhh, pretty boy, did I hear you''ve been naughty?¡±

    He turned away and started running. I couldn''t believe my eyes. I started laughing, but then when I turned and saw the sad face of the beastman, I sighed.

    ¡°Sorry. I couldn''t resist that. What I said was true; Meowra had been attacked by those three wieselmen.¡±

    He sighed and then raised his eyes at me.

    ¡°You said three, but there were four. What happened to the fourth?¡±

    ¡°They killed him too. They talked about Grishaw''s robe and Meowra''s amulet being worth gold.¡±

    ¡°Did they?¡± he pondered. ¡°But why would Irowics lie? She just saved him; without her, he would have died. He himself confirmed that!¡±

    As there was no longer a screen between us, I could identify him: a paladin, level twenty-six. Same level as me! I walked towards him.

    ¡°Why would he lie?¡± I repeated his question.

    Is he really asking himself that? I thought.

    I chuckled. ¡°He was the one who killed Grishaw! What would you expect him to do? Self-incriminate?¡±

    ¡°Did he? Well, anyhow, demon, you cannot help me now. Thank you for telling me the truth. Did you not hear the priest? She lied during her judgment; now even her soul will be lost!"

    "I still wonder why did she heal him and dismiss me?" I said. "That hunter was waiting there to ambush her, that''s why I attacked him. She was lucky that he did not kill her after being healed."

    "She thought you ran mad and started to kill them. She thought the two had disabled the trap before you killed them, then killed Grishaw and tried to kill Irowics. She was good friends with Irowics. I think she was in love with him. He is a good hunter but weak in one-on-one fights. His only chance would have been to kill her in an ambush."

    He sat on one of the stones that surrounded the altar and started to cry. The absurdity of it struck me in the face.

    "She will be executed being innocent and you are worried because she may have lied in the process to save her skin?" I wondered.

    He shook his head.

    "You don''t understand. Summoning a demon is bad enough but it is not punishable, only frowned upon. Losing control of the demon is punishable, but allowing it to do as it pleases is the worst offense. You just confirmed she did that. And not because you tricked her in a moment of weakness as she tried to defend herself. She is truly lost! How could she do that?"

    I sighed. "Why did you summon me? What did you expect to hear?" I wondered.

    "That you confirm that you tricked her! With your confession and Father Dorhog''s testimony, I could have begged the governor to pardon her! I would have had a chance! Now I have nothing!"

    "You have nothing? Now you know that she is innocent! Is this not reason enough to go to that governor and ask for her pardon?"

    He shook his head and chuckled sadly.

    "Nobody would believe a demon. She herself had thought that you just killed them, and knowing that she had already let you move freely only aggravates her case. She probably thought she would be able to control you and stop you if you did something wrong. She probably wanted to test you, but it went south pretty fast."

    I sighed.

    "Where is she now?"

    He pointed to a citadel on a hill not far away.

    "She is being held in the black tower now. Tomorrow she will be dragged by horses down the hill and thrown on the pyre you see ready down there, where she''d be burned alive. Hopefully, she dies before!" he said with a sigh.

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    "That''s crazy," I said.

    He only started to sob harder.

    "Have you thought about trying to free her?" I wondered.

    He shook his head.

    "It''s impossible. Nobody can even approach the place. There are torches everywhere around; I would be shot before coming close to that citadel."

 Chapter 252 â€“ Not Exactly a Catgirl

    The idea of that catgirl being dragged over the stones and then burned alive haunted me. I just couldn''t process that image in my brain; all I got, again and again, was ''error''.

    Damn it, I am a cat person! I like cats. I must have spent at least a year of my life looking at cat videos. If I saw somebody harming a cat, I would take it personally.

    I took a deep breath. I could try to approach the citadel using my shadowmeld, but would it work? And once inside, then what?

    "I can try to get there. I don''t know if it would work, but if it does, I have no idea how to get her out," I said.

    A small spark lit up his eyes for a moment.

    "You think you could? Really? I... I must think of something! Wait! If... If nothing works, I... I have a ring that could make her not feel pain! Could you give it to her? It can dull almost any pain for some time, and it could help her..."

    He didn''t finish the sentence. Was he already giving up before trying anything?

    "Yeah, I can," I replied, a little disappointed. I didn''t want to think about a situation where I couldn''t do anything to save her.

    I reached for the ring, but he kept a tight grip on it. Our eyes met, his filled with tears.

    "Tell her to activate it only when they start dragging her down the hill! She shouldn''t worry; the ring is invisible to anyone else. Promise me you''ll give it to her!" he insisted.

    "If I find her, I''ll give it to her. Otherwise, I''ll return it to you if you don''t dismiss the summon before," I replied.

    He nodded. "OK, that makes sense!"

    I took the ring.

    "How close to the citadel do I have to go?" he wondered. "I heard that ordinary demons can''t go far from the summoner."

    I shrugged. Ordinary demons need a constant stream of mana. That''s one limiting factor for summons. The mana link can''t be stretched too thin, or it won''t feed the demon anymore. I don''t need that kind of support; I have my own mana sources. But I still have a thin mana connection to my summoner because of how summons work.

    "I''m no ordinary demon. Stay here for the time being; I guess that shouldn''t be a problem," I said.

    He nodded. "I think I''m starting to understand that, and I understand Meowra, but one thing you should note: you are not allowed to kill anybody!"

    I raised a brow. "Are you sure? That would restrict what I can do! Not even to protect Meowra?"

    "You should find other ways. A demon shouldn''t be allowed to kill on their own!"

    I sighed, shaking my head. "You''re only making it more difficult, but okay, now turn your back to me!"

    I turned my back to him and started to undo my blouse. I heard his voice full of panic.

    "What are you doing? Don''t try your charms on me, you cannot corrupt me, I''m a paladin! I still won''t allow you to kill them! You shouldn''t be able to do this?"

    It was almost funny to hear his panic. I chuckled.

    "I told you to turn your back to me! I don''t want to lose my clothes; I have only a limited wardrobe!"

    He finally complied.

    "So, what''s your name, handsome?" I asked, adding ''handsome'' spontaneously for effect. Maybe just to play the role they were expecting me to play. Anything to distract my mind from the image of a catgirl being dragged toward a pyre.

    "Mehorg, why?"

    "To tell your sister, silly..." The last words were a breeze in the wind, as if spoken by the wind itself, as I transformed into a shadow.

    We concluded just in time, as a small procession approached him.

    "Where is the demon?" someone from the group asked, even before reaching him.

    I recognized the priest, but he was now accompanied by two others who looked older and some four or five persons in dark robes, identifying as acolytes.

    The group stopped in front of Mehorg.

    He was silently crying but raised his eyes to look at the priest. ¡°I don''t know,¡± he answered with a shrug.

    "I can smell her, the decay and the foul magic!" one of the other priests said, but he was looking in the wrong direction, so I didn''t get too alarmed.

    "What did you think, to desecrate this altar?" the other priest shouted.

    I saw Father Dorhog wincing under the accusation, but Mehorg ignored him, just shrugging and looking toward the citadel.

    I think that was a wise way to react on Mehorg''s side, as he was thus avoiding giving any information and giving me free rein for my actions.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Obviously, their mana manipulation skill was not high enough to see the thin tether of mana binding me to him. A thin connection with no flow of mana, maybe that''s why they could not see it.

    They started to shout at him and admonish him, but he was too depressed to even answer.

    I ignored the hubbub, turned toward the hill, and started moving toward the citadel. Interestingly enough, it seemed that in darkness my shadowmeld form could move much faster. Maybe it was a function of being a shadow, or maybe it was just a feeling, but in less than two minutes I was already up on the hill and inspecting the rooms one by one.

    The first result of my investigation was that some dogs started barking like mad.

    I always had a bit of a ''dog-barking problem'' on Earth. There was this one dog on the street near our house that made a hobby of scaring me whenever I passed by its garden. I mean, there I was, coming back from school or whatever, lost in my thoughts, dreaming of some movie star or something, and bam! Or rather, bark! The damn dog would jump against the metal door, barking like crazy.

    Every time, it nearly scared the piss out of me, and then it would smugly wag its tail.

    I swear, each time, I planned to buy a bigger horn just to bark back.

    Oh well, besides being a cat person, I generally like all animals, including dogs, but I hate those barking dogs that keep annoying me.

    Anyway, I inspected the area, but there didn''t seem to be anything special there. I guess it was just the dog kennel area, but gosh, did they make a noise!

    In the end, I remembered what Mehorg had told me: something about her being held in the black tower. I looked around and indeed, there was a tower on the side of the citadel constructed with darker, almost black stones.

    The ground floor of the tower seemed to be dedicated to troops, so I avoided that and went directly to the next level.

    Outside, torches provided the light, but inside the tower, it was illuminated by so-called pseudo-mana crystals. That was an unusual choice for illumination. While not really cheap, they could be harvested in dungeons and provided a decent, pleasant light. However, the problem was that exposing them to natural light rendered them useless. In direct sunlight, a couple of minutes were enough to practically burn such a crystal, while in shadow, depending on how much light they got, they survived for minutes or even hours. This is why they needed to be covered and kept in complete darkness sometime before sunrise and taken out only after sunset when it was dark again.

    As I entered the first floor, a shiver ran down my ethereal spine. Along the stone walls were cells separated by iron bars where, sometimes bound to the walls with chains, sometimes free within those confines, dwelt half-naked, mostly humans, but also various beastmen. All were low-level, about, or under level ten. Their hungry, sunken eyes mostly stared into space, and now and then, a tortured moan echoed through the air.

    The air stung with the strong smell of feces, sweat, urine, and blood, with some decaying food remnants mixed in. Yes, some food remains had been thrown into a couple of the cells where people were bound to the walls and left there to rot.

    After exploring all the higher levels of this grim tower, I had to return to the entry, disappointed at not finding her. Just as I was thinking of flying back to check with the beastman, I realized that I hadn''t searched the underground levels. I returned to the tower.

    The ground floor was occupied by troops, a group of about twenty ruffians, some sleeping in a room with double-stacked beds, some playing cards or dice in a larger room that probably doubled as a dining room, full of long wooden tables and benches.

    I had to carefully explore the area to avoid detection, but soon I found that my fears were unfounded. Those with the highest level among them were around level twenty, and there was only one caster in the group, a fire mage at level sixteen.

    Soon, I discovered the stairs leading to the basement, and my impression of their level of civilization sank even lower. The cells here were in an even worse state than above. There were torture rooms, some with people tied to devices. I thought about freeing them, but then I decided to check for the catgirl first.

    As I descended to an even lower floor, I suddenly had to materialize. Luckily, there were no guards around to see me, just one crazy guy in a cell. He grinned at me, making strange sounds.

    He was trembling violently, and I noticed with horror that he had additional holes in his collarbones, through which thin wires had been threaded, tying him and his hands to the iron bars of the cell.

    He was a zombie! Well, many here looked like zombies, but he identified as one. Who in their right mind would keep a zombie in their basement?

    Looking around, and using identify, I saw that he wasn''t the only one. A couple of other detainees were zombies. What was going on here?

    I tried to shadowmeld again but was forced to materialize once more, and the zombie made some noise, almost like he was laughing at me. Snorting in annoyance, I looked at him, and then I noticed he was pointing towards the opposite wall. He had contorted his hand in an impossible way to indicate some runes on the wall.

    I took a knife from my inventory and scratched those runes, breaking their mana flow. After that, I tried to shadowmeld again, and it worked.

    Zombie or not, he had given me the right tip! I materialized back, went to the zombie, and cut his bindings. He nodded feverishly, tried to sit, but fell on his butt, still nodding happily. A clever zombie! I took my chance with him, asking him, "Meowra?"

    He nodded again feverishly, pointing down. Did he understand me? It looked like he did.

    I thanked him, shadowmelded again, and left, only to be stopped by another rune about ten meters further. About twenty-five runes later, I was several floors lower, still not having found her, but encountering more and more zombies.

    A couple of guards passed by me. They were moving nervously, but that was no wonder; the whole level was bathed in some kind of alien magic. Death magic, but of a different kind, not demonic magic. I encountered some other runes that I removed just to be sure and arrived in front of a heavy stone door.

    Damn, this kind of security was starting to make me nervous. I was still lucky that they hadn''t yet seen the broken runes, but this may only be a matter of time.

    Just as I was studying the heavy door, I vaguely heard an alarm ringing. Horns started blowing and bells rang. It sounded far away, and I wasn''t sure what I heard, but maybe they had found the chipped runes.

    I sighed and looked back at the heavy door, which was protected with another set of runes. What should I do? Should I stop and wait to see what this was about or try to explore further?

    If they really found the broken runes, I might soon be in trouble, but this seemed like the end floor and I had a feeling I was getting close to getting my answers.

    I hesitated for a couple of seconds then decided to still try to get through. I attempted to remove the runes, but they weren''t so easy to break with a knife. Not even with an axe.

    I decided to go all in and took out of my inventory the circular saw that I had used to cut my horns. Infusing it with my mana, the industrial diamond saw cut through the runes like butter, but it made a terrible noise, sending sparks all over the place.

    Well, that didn''t go unnoticed. As I heard footsteps running in my direction, I quickly stowed my tools in my inventory and shadowmelded.

    If I could only place the catgirl in my inventory, I might be able to take her out. The problem was that I would probably kill her to save her, but maybe if I did that for only one minute, it could work?

    Just as I was about to enter, the doors exploded outwards and somebody appeared in the doorframe. At first, I thought it was her, as the person in front of me had hair of similar length and color, but the rest differed: It was a lich.

    The lich looked straight at my shadowmelded form and nodded, ¡°Thank you, friend! Free at last!¡± he exclaimed and teleported away the next moment.

 Chapter 253 â€“ The Black Tower

    I stood there, trying to digest what had just happened, while swallowing hard as if something were stuck in my throat. Well, in the end, it wasn''t so hard to understand; it looked like I had just involuntarily released a lich from its prison. The problem was the consequences, but I didn''t really have the time and clarity of mind to think about those things, drats, I didn''t even have the presence of mind to identify it.

    With a sigh, I turned towards the newly revealed area. After the door, another set of stairs appeared, leading to an even lower level. The mana density increased further, while the area now looked like a natural cave, and the air was stale, as if it had been closed off for eons.

    While the things I discovered were interesting, they didn''t bring me any closer to finding the catgirl. If I couldn''t find her, how was I supposed to come up with a plan to free her?

    I heard sudden screams, the sound of fighting, and spell fire. Probably the lich was making new friends not far away.

    After a brief inspection of the newly revealed area behind the now broken door, I concluded that there was no way Meowra could have been imprisoned there; this part had been sealed for much longer. It must be that she either wasn''t in the tower or I missed her somehow.

    I decided to go back to the ground floor.

    Guards and paladins were running up and down the corridors, the lich attacking here and there, constantly moving like a big cat playing with a colony of mice. It didn''t seem to be in a hurry. Lucky me, I could keep my shadowmeld form now that the runes had been disabled and stay out of trouble.

    The lich seemed to ignore me or couldn''t see me either. I stayed as far away from it as possible; it gave me some unpleasant vibes and the impression of being much higher level than I currently was, so I didn''t want to push my luck.

    Once back there, I wondered what I should do. I didn''t want to return to Mehorg and tell him I hadn''t found her. While meditating on what to do, I remembered that there had been a lone paladin on the second floor who seemed to be guarding a small storeroom.

    I found the lonely paladin still standing guard in front of a door. He looked pretty bored, pacing back and forth, glancing around at the stone walls and sighing. There wasn''t even a small window in this part of the corridor, just the stone walls, the squared stone floor, and the mysterious door. I identified him: he was level twenty-two. What better subject than him to test my seducing abilities?

    He occasionally turned his head annoyed towards the stairs, from where some noise came, as if he had heard that before and was not interested in the results. The lich had been at least six levels below and either was in no hurry to come up, or maybe it had already been cornered.

    I materialized in a corner and dressed myself in a simple illusory white gown. I didn''t want to use real clothes to avoid losing them if I had to shadowmeld again in a hurry.

    I checked if my skill was on to mask my demonic identity and found that it was off. Why was that? It was the first time it seemed to fail me, but maybe it was because of the summon? I turned it on, checked again, satisfied to see that I did not identify as a demon, and stepped out of the corner so he could see me.

    I appeared as a younger replica of Meowra. It was a lot of illusions to maintain and it was straining my skills a lot, but it still worked. I hoped I wouldn''t have to keep it running for too long, or I might get into trouble.

    "Uhm, hi?" I said, walking slowly towards him and then stopping. I didn''t want to appear menacing or approach him too suddenly.

    He turned and looked surprised at me. ¡°Girl, what are you doing here?¡± he asked in a hushed voice, his hand instinctively moving to the pommel of his sword.

    ¡°I wanted... I wanted to see my sister before she dies,¡± I said, my long eyelashes fluttering as I gave him my best succubus glance. ¡°Please help me,¡± I added, infusing the appeal with a bit of mana.

    I remembered what Flo had told me: you have to give the spell meaning and intent but in a subtle way. I instinctively felt that putting too much power into the spell would be counterproductive.

    He relaxed a bit, but his hand didn''t move from the pommel of his sword.

    ¡°Girl, there''s an alarm going on. The lord is certainly playing again with the poor fucks, ahm, pardon, guys, downstairs. They''ll make short work of you if they find you here. Who are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Meowra,¡± I said, adding another succubus glance in his direction. "I was told that she must be in this tower..."

    His eyes widened and he sniffed as if trying to catch a wonderful scent.

    ¡°Are you Meowra''s sister?¡± he asked.

    He seemed to melt down now, his hands away from the sword and behaving as if he''d just met an old acquaintance. Actually, it worked pretty fast!

    I let out a deep sigh. ¡°There''s nobody closer to me in this world than her, and this may be my only chance to talk to her. I need to see her!¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± he asked, approaching me and eyeing me suspiciously.

    Drats, I need to increase my succubus vibes.

    ¡°A paladin told me where she is, but he left me alone and didn''t want to go further. I''m afraid I won''t find her!¡± My hands hugged me as if trying to protect me from the cold, and my eyelashes fluttered furiously as I poured more mana into my skill. ¡°Please help me,¡± I said softly.

    He sighed and approached me.

    ¡°She''s not here, she''s up there. You''ll get caught if you try to go there.¡±

    "Up there?" I wondered, shocked. I had been up there and didn''t find her!

    He shook his head while taking my hand in his, all the while looking at me with worried eyes.

    ¡°It''s dangerous to stay here. The Lord may come any minute! You should go away, young lady.¡±

    Huh, this succubus thing was more fun than I previously thought. Why didn''t I try this from the very beginning?

    ¡°But Meowra is innocent,¡± I insisted. ¡°I know this now, and I must tell her that I believe her. I need to talk to her.¡±

    He sighed, shaking his head.

    ¡°Even if I told you where she is, you''d get caught before finding her. Besides, it''s not simple to get there. She''s on the roof.¡±

    Time was running out, and I feared that someone might come at any moment, even if the tower was strangely silent now.

    ¡°On the roof?" Damn, I hadn''t thought about checking there! "Can you help me and bring me to her?¡± I pleaded.

    He hesitated and looked back and forth.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± he finally said.

    He led me through a couple of corridors and then up a circular staircase. Soon, we encountered a patrol. The two guards stopped in front, blocking our way.

    "Hey Greg, what are you doing?" one of them asked.

    My paladin shrugged. "Captain''s orders. I have to accompany a visitor."

    "You lucky boy!" the other commented. "Do you know what''s with the alarm?"

    Greg shrugged again. "I have no clue. Maybe just another test of our gracious lard, as was last week and the week before, and the week before that..."

    The two exploded in laughter. "Gracious lard! If this comes to the ears of our gracious lord, you are in for big trouble!"

    ¡°He is not that gracious,¡± the other guard commented.

    The paladin chuckled.

    "Demon!" one of the guards exclaimed, slashing his sword toward me.

    The paladin parried. Damn, my skill must be failing me again. I turned it on again, and while the other guard hesitated, the paladin dispatched the first guard with a deep slash to his neck.

    "What have you done!" the first guard screamed. "You killed Anton!"

    "He must have caught the basement sickness," the paladin mused, looking at the dead body at his feet, blood still flowing.

    "You are crazy!" the guard yelled.

    "But you saw that he attacked me, calling me a demon!" the paladin protested.

    "Not you! That girl behind you!"

    "But she is no demon?"

    They both looked at me as I gave my best confused puppy eyes.

    "No, he had slashed at me!" the paladin insisted.

    The two exchanged looks.

    "Damn sickness!" the guard said. "He hadn''t shown any other symptoms today, but was freaking out each time we went into the basement." He sighed. "What do we do?"

    "I need to go with the lady upstairs!" the paladin said.

    "You can''t leave me with the dead man!" the guard protested. "I need to finish my rounds. Help me bring him to the guard''s room!"

    "I can''t, I have to go the other way!" the paladin stressed.

    "I''ll tell the captain what you said about our lord!" the guard threatened.

    The paladin shrugged. "Do what you must do! Come, girl!" He started walking up the stairs, and I followed. For a moment, I thought they''d come to blows, but it didn''t happen.

    "I hope to be far away from this cursed tower soon. I knew Anton. We weren''t friends, but I knew him. He wanted to buy a farm and settle down somewhere far away from here, but every week he said he needed a bit more money to buy a bigger farm. Now all he''ll get is six feet of ground," the paladin mused as we walked upstairs.

    "The legend says," he continued his rant, "that the tower was built on a dungeon, but you''re not allowed to say that. Everybody knows that if you stay too long in a dungeon, you go crazy. All dungeon delvers know this and avoid staying more than a couple of weeks, but we stay here the whole time. I think even the higher levels are influenced. Why else would the whole tower turn black? But no, if you say this, you''re a liar, an enemy of the people!"

    "Is there a lich here too?" I asked.

    "You heard that too?" he asked, turning to look at me. "That''s another legend. They say that old Krimatough, the former owner of the tower, turned himself into a lich. They tried to kill him and even succeeded a couple of times, but they never discovered his phylactery. That''s why he was sealed somewhere in the basement. That''s what the legend says."

    He was now climbing a wooden ladder and pushed up a wooden cap that covered a trap door. We arrived at the top of the tower.

    "Who goes there?" a voice asked.

    "Mytrides, I brought a visitor!" the paladin said.

    "Ah, it''s you, Greg. Nice of you to visit me here!"

 Chapter 254 â€“ Shadows and Sacrifices

    Greg held the hatch open for me to climb. As soon as I got my head through it, I froze, my hands gripping the wooden stairs tightly. Even in the pale light of a few torches, a burst of vibrant colors greeted my eyes, but that was not what made me stop. On one side, a sharp, black ebony beak jutted out like a pair of gigantic pincers, a beak that could snap an arm like a fragile twig.

    A giant eye, like a dark jewel set within that sea of vibrant feathers, sparkled with an intelligence that seemed beyond mere animal nature and focused on me. Then, it blinked.

    After the initial shock, I realized that the owner of that eye was Mytrides, a giant bird. A talking giant bird.

    <<Mytras bird, level eleven,>> my identification spell told me.

    I was surprised to get an answer from Identify, as it was essentially built on data from a different world, but maybe the name was just a made-up term based on the bird''s name. The levels did provide some information, especially about the amount of magic accumulated in the body, but it would be an error to consider a human with level eleven to be the equivalent of such a beast.

    "Come up, I don''t bite... usually," the bird said, turning its head to point its beak at me. As if that would be less threatening.

    Greg, the paladin, chuckled.

    "Always ready to make fun of visitors, aren''t you Mytrides?" Greg said.

    I climbed the last stairs, and the bird moved a little further, causing a heavy metal chain to rattle behind it. The poor bird was chained to the roof like a dog in the yard!

    I stopped thinking about it as I saw Meowra about ten meters behind the bird, her limbs bound on a huge X made of thick wooden bars. Her head had fallen to one side, her dark red long mane hanging over, covering her face. She didn''t move, showing no signs of life, not even her fluffy ears.

    Anger and worry welled up in my heart as I saw her.

    ¡°Do you know what''s happening downstairs?¡± someone suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts.

    I turned to see who was speaking. A woman dressed in a simple leather suit was at the edge of the roof, looking downstairs. There was no parapet at the end of the lightly inclined roof, nothing stopping one from a free fall in case of a false step, but the woman didn''t seem to have any problems leaning and looking down.

    <<Beast tamer, level thirty-three.>>

    ¡°Hello, Lena! There was some alarm,¡± the paladin exclaimed. ¡°I guess our lord is running an alarm drill.¡±

    As they spoke, the bird came closer to me again, looking insistently right above me, probably at my horns currently hidden by an illusion. Instinctively, I put a finger on my lips, and it seemed to have gotten the message as it looked once again into my eyes, then turned towards the paladin, looking at him slantwise.

    He didn''t make any jokes about the lord, as he had done previously with the guards. Lena shook her head.

    ¡°No. The lord is not here. I would know if he were here. Something is not right. Look! Again! See! They run away! They RUN. Why would those guards run like that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the lord, or the captain, told them to run?¡±

    She turned to look at him.

    ¡°Are you stupid or blind? Don''t you see?¡±

    The paladin approached the edge carefully. He looked down, holding himself on one of the many small statues that lined the roof''s edge. After a couple of moments, he exclaimed.

    ¡°Hm, maybe you are right, but...¡±

    ¡°I won''t put too much faith in that statue,¡± Lena said. ¡°Those are fragile.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the paladin said, pulling back, then exclaimed, shocked, ¡°What''s that?¡±

    Lena turned to look down and cursed.

    ¡°No! No, no, no! That can''t be possible! Are those spells?¡±

    I didn''t see what they were looking at as I approached Meowra.

    Mytrides walked beside me. The bird made me a little nervous, so I tried to engage it in conversation.

    ¡°Are you a prisoner, too?¡± I asked.

    It raised its leg with the chain, looked at it, and then shook its giant bird head.

    ¡°You mean like her?¡± it said, nodding towards the catgirl. ¡°No, but we all are prisoners in one way or another.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I inquired.

    Mytrides shrugged, and I couldn''t help but smile at how expressive it was.

    ¡°I am chained here and meet all those condemned by our lord to death. They are my visitors, so many faces that I meet only for a couple of days before they are gone forever. Lucky me, Greg, and a couple more come to visit me. I am allowed to fly only with her. Someday I should be the lord''s mount.¡±

    He continued. ¡°Greg is a prisoner down there, guarding his door. What else is his life? He thinks he is free, but he is not free. Lena, look at her, she is a prisoner here with me. Yes, she has no chains, but she and her sister, one of them are always here with me. Is this not the life of a prisoner?¡±

    "Wouldn''t life as a mount be better?" I asked.

    He turned to look at me askance.

    "They don''t trust me yet," he said. "The last tamer had an accident, so that''s it..."

    "An accident?" I wondered.

    "He fell from the roof and died," he said, "but some parts were already missing so they said that I did that..."

    He shrugged.

    I didn''t know what to say.

    As I raised my hand to touch Meowra, Lena yelled from her place.

    ¡°Who gave you permission to touch the prisoner!¡±

    ¡°Lena, she came to talk to her sister,¡± Greg voiced his disappointment from the side.

    ¡°Sister, eh!¡± Lena spat in my direction but then turned to look down again.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Machau, what''s happening!¡± Greg yelled to somebody.

    That somebody answered something, but I couldn''t make sense of what he had said. Lena, however, seemed to have understood.

    ¡°He said something about a lich,¡± she said.

    ¡°You mean that?¡± the paladin said, pointing at something just as we heard a distressed yell. The two looked at each other.

    ¡°We are so screwed!¡± Lena exclaimed.

    She turned to look at the bird, then back to Greg.

    ¡°You go down and bring the key here!¡±

    ¡°What key?¡± the paladin asked.

    ¡°The key that you were guarding, idiot!¡±

    ¡°I don''t know of any key. I guard the entry to a room!¡± he stressed.

    ¡°That''s not a room but a closet, and there is nothing of value inside that closet but the key to this chain,¡± she said, pointing at Mytrides'' chain.

    "I''ve never been inside," he said with a shrug.

    ¡°Who is guarding it now that you are here?¡± she asked. ¡°Theor?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I don''t know!¡±

    She looked at him, then at me.

    ¡°Damn, you left the room unguarded?¡±

    ¡°I... I was told to bring the visitor,¡± he protested.

    I wasn''t sure if he truly believed that or just wanted to, but she gave up asking.

    ¡°I need the key," she said, "go and bring it here!¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I don''t know of any key.¡±

    ¡°Go and take the key from the room!¡± she insisted.

    ¡°I don''t know where it should be or if there is a key in that room. Besides, you are giving me no orders!¡± he spat back.

    They stood there looking at each other for a couple of moments, then she huffed and walked to the trapdoor. ¡°You''ll pay for this!¡± she threatened as she went down the stairs.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as soon as she was gone.

    He was mumbling, visibly shocked.

    ¡°The lich.... the story about the lich is true and he is free! I saw him killing Machau just as we talked. What''s happening?¡±

    I did not answer. I turned towards the bird.

    ¡°Do you want to be free?¡± I asked.

    He raised his leg with the chain, looking slantwise at me, not saying a word.

    ¡°I can cut that,¡± I said, ¡°but I need you to help me take Meowra away.¡±

    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Greg asked. ¡°You are not going to free the prisoner, the lord would kill us!¡±

    ¡°If the lich is free, we are as good as dead,¡± Mytrides said.

    ¡°She is innocent,¡± I said, running to Meowra with the bird following me. I started to cut her bindings.

    She woke up. ¡°What''s happening?¡± she babbled. ¡°Is it time already?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I answered, calling on the paladin as she now hung from one hand''s bindings. "Help me, Greg!¡±

    He still protested against freeing the prisoner but came to help. The power of the succubus spell seemed to still work. As I let her rest on my shoulder while trying to cut the other bindings, she raised her head trying to see from under her hanging hair.

    ¡°Lores?¡± she wondered.

    I shifted her into Greg''s hands to cut her legs'' bindings more easily. She seemed dizzy, half awake, half swooned.

    Once finished with her, I turned towards the bird, leaving her in the paladin''s arms, and took my circular saw out of my inventory.

    ¡°I''ll cut here,¡± I told Mytrides. ¡°I''m afraid to cut the ring at your leg, as I might hurt you. The ring would stay for the moment, is this okay?¡±

    He looked slantwise at me.

    ¡°You still think you can cut that? It''s an enchanted chain!¡±

    I infused the saw''s disk with mana as I did before when cutting the runes on that door and started to cut. The infernal noise of the circular saw cutting through the chain filled the air while sparks flew everywhere. However, it didn''t take more than ten seconds before the chain fell.

    Mytrides shook its leg.

    ¡°Wow! Free! I am free!¡±

    ¡°No, you damn bird, you are not free!¡± somebody yelled from behind.

    Lena was back on the roof, advancing with fast strides towards us. She was back too soon; she probably had given up on trying to get the key.

    As Mytrides fluttered his wings, ready to take off, she yelled.

    I saw how he desperately tried to shake off the compulsion but could not. Damn beast tamer!

    She was too strong for me, and obviously for Greg too. This, in case he would fight for me, but I couldn''t assume that he would go that far and fight his former allies. He still stood there with Meowra in his arms, looking confused at us.

    As Lena came running towards us, I did the only thing I thought could help. I jumped at her from the side, pushing her towards the precipice.

    I was planning to shadowmeld during the fall and save myself, but as she held me firm in her hands, I couldn''t do it. It was the first time I was blocked from shadowmelding. I didn''t know it was possible, but I should have assumed it; there''s no spell without a counter.

    Flailing around, pushing, and biting didn''t help. Not even a blast of dark magic. As we fought in the air, we both fell, and she managed to end up on top when we hit the ground.

    The impact emptied my lungs of air, and blackness fell over me as I passed out from the shock.

    Once I opened my eyes, I saw a dark form looming in the air above me. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it was her. Instinctively, I tried to move from under her, but a sudden burst of pain froze me in place, and a pained moan escaped my lips.

    She was up there in the air, impaled on three metal poles - two in the upper torso and one in her right thigh.

    Why couldn''t I move?

    The next thing I realized was that the gargling sound I was hearing was my labored breathing. Only after that did I understand that the same poles that were impaling her had passed through my body. One had pierced my right lung, and the other had gone through my left kidney. Parts of what had been my right lung, breast, and left kidney were sticking to those poles, slowly dripping back down, mixing with her blood, spit, and other liquids.

    The pole impaling her right leg had probably only partly skewered my left thigh, as I felt I could move my legs. However, thousands of pins pinned my back. Looking to the side I started to understand that we had fallen onto a metal fence surrounding what appeared to be a grave or a set of graves, probably the lord''s family graveyard. The fence had given way under my impact, but the poles had not.

    Foam formed in my mouth, dripping along my cheek, as my vision started to grow cloudy. She balanced on those poles, muttering something incomprehensible, her spit dripping over me. Then, to my horror, I saw her grasp one of the poles and try to pull herself down, to get closer. She wanted to finish me off before she died!

    In a moment of lucidity, I shadowmelded just as she reached for me.

    In my shadowmelded form, my health does not worsen, but neither does it improve. It remains frozen for as long as I have mana to maintain my form.

 Chapter 255 â€“ Seeking Willing Test Subjects

    As I approached my paladin summoner, I noticed he had shifted his position slightly, but he remained within the walls of that monastery or whatever it was.

    It appeared that a group of priests and monks were heading toward him from the main building, carrying torches in a procession. However, due to the distance, the darkness of the night, and my limited visibility in this shadowmelded form, it was hard to make out the details.

    Just as I wondered what to do if they reached him before or at the same time as me ¡ª since they were much closer ¡ª my summon was abruptly ended.

    He might have cut it, afraid of being discovered, or perhaps a higher-ranking cleric with greater abilities intervened, or maybe something else entirely occurred. I''m not that well-versed in summons, but the fact was our connection was severed.

    I didn''t even have the chance to tell him about Meowra or return the ring before finding myself in that void, that nothingness one travels when summoned.

    Suddenly, I feared my shadowmelded form would dissolve and vanish. It might have been related to how shadowmeld manifests, but being a shadow in that dark realm felt like a kind of erasure creeping over my existence. A sudden wave of fear gripped my heart, and I vowed never again to subject myself to this emptiness as a shadowmelded being.

    In the next moment, I materialized back in our room, surrounded by the summon''s light. The pain that encompassed my body became palpable as I crumbled with a moan to the ground. Half falling over the bed, half beside it, unable to stand on my legs, I embraced the pain, grateful for the proof that I was alive. The darkness of the shadowmelded realm seemed far worse than the pain of being alive, even if mortally wounded.

    The room''s window suddenly burst, shattering into thousands of pieces, and Lynx appeared by my side as if he had teleported there.

    "Take what you need!" he said urgently, his paw touching me as his worried eyes scanned my injuries.

    I instantly understood what he meant and began to drain life from him.

    Slowly, the blood stopped dripping from my wounds as they started to mend themselves. My collapsed right lung began to reform, and my kidney regrew, sending sharp pains through my back as if I had hundreds of kidney stones being released. My ribs knitted themselves back together, and my skin started to cover the wounds.

    As I took in a deep breath, sounding like a deflating plastic mattress, a wet tongue washed over my face. A pained giggle escaped me.

    "Thank you," I whispered, trying to hug him, but only managing to hug his paw.

    "Heal yourself completely," he answered. "I barely feel the drain."

    Judging by the involuntary grimace he made when saying that, he was lying, even if no wounds were visible on him. However, I didn''t need to heal myself completely; my regeneration had kicked in, and I felt that I would soon be fine.

    I stood up and hugged him properly, letting my weight hang on his broad shoulder. I closed my eyes, taking another deep breath, happy to feel him by my side.

    "You have grown," he said with an amused voice.

    At first, I didn''t understand what he meant. As I raised my head and looked askance at him, he chuckled and added,

    "You seem to have recovered some of your power."

    I didn''t have time to digest that, as the door behind me burst open and a couple of boys'' heads appeared in the door frame.

    "Is something wrong?" Tom asked, with Mike behind him.

    They didn''t know how lucky they were to have been spared the mind blast that I had almost formed on my tongue. I even felt it as an electrical discharge, as if I had put my tongue onto the poles of a battery. I sighed and tried to hide my nakedness in Lynx''s fur.

    "Boys, you don''t just barge into a lady''s room like that!" I finally managed to say, standing there in the middle of the room, clinging to Lynx''s shoulder, surrounded by shards from the broken window.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Parts of the window''s frame lay broken on one side, while one piece still dangled from a hinge. Maybe Lynx had overreacted, but I was grateful he had been instantly by my side.

    I had no mana to cast any illusions around me, but after another couple of seconds where they opened and closed their mouths without making a sound, they closed the door, only to have it thrown wide open by Ju and Tina.

    "You''re back," Tina said, running to hug me.

    "Careful with the shards!" Ju cautioned, then she came and whispered in my ear. "I can see you''re a demon, I have a wish free!"

    She almost did a victory dance there, celebrating her win.

    I snorted in annoyance. That wasn''t fair!

    I concentrated, trying to activate my skill again. Probably the summon had messed with it. Again.

    Just as Tom closed the door again, it flew wide open to let Alice in, who came running from who knows where and I received another set of hugs.

    After the joy of the reunion faded and I dressed in the white gown Ju provided, which fit me perfectly, and had my hair arranged to look presentable, I joined the others in the dining room for a late brunch and some chat. Alice went to talk to the innkeeper to explain and pay for the ''magical mishap'' that had happened in our room and broken the window, which now needed fixing.

    I learned that the Trewars had left early in the morning for Guaranga, the provincial capital, following the army''s company, while Alice and Ju had decided to extend our stay here by one day. As I ate and everybody drank their favorite drinks, Ju began to provide more information about the land we were in.

    "Guarava, the province," she said, "was once just a middle-sized kingdom with the same name. It had the shape and size of the current province, with Guaranga as its capital city. It bordered the Vinayan Empire to the South. The Vinayan emperor, Moximuan the Third, after consulting their oracle, of course, which had foretold the disappearance of a big kingdom, decided to attack the Guaravian Kingdom."

    Ju had a knack for storytelling, a talent my history teacher sorely lacked. Instead of the dull lessons I endured in school, listening to Ju was a pleasure, almost like hearing a skilled storyteller. I wished she could have been my teacher, I would now know much more history than I do...

    She continued her tale.

    "He didn''t realize his kingdom was what the oracle had meant, or maybe they just claimed they meant that after he lost. The Vinayans lost the war, their main army wiped out in a terrible battle that lasted three days without breaks. Within a year, the whole Vinayan Empire was under Guaravian rule. That''s how Guaravian became the official language of the Empire, even though the Vinayans were the majority.

    "The Guaravian King didn''t take the title of Emperor, but King of Kings, and moved the capital to Uldaman, the former Imperial capital. All this happened a generation ago and is still relatively fresh in people''s memories."

    She took a breath, sipped from her drink, and continued.

    "After the elves retreated to the densest forests, human kingdoms began to spread across the land, each one trying to claim as much territory as possible. Some of them stretched themselves too thin, like the Vinayans. Even now, the continent remains thinly populated, with vast stretches of land devoid of human settlements."

    "Constancia, the anti-magic empire, was an exception. They had their old empire even before the Elven Wars and expanded very slowly. They had a methodical way of expanding, advancing with the speed of a turtle, that they miraculously maintained for over two millennia. This approach served them well, making them the largest empire on the continent."

    "Being an anti-magic empire didn''t mean they didn''t use magic. It just meant that all magic in public places was banned. Children who showed any magical abilities were taken from their homes and placed in ''orphanages'' run by the imperial schools. There, they were indoctrinated to join the dreaded imperial administration or its secret police. Those who resisted too much simply disappeared without a trace."

    As Ju delved into the details about Constancia, details I already knew, my mind wandered, reflecting on the events of the past day.

    Firstly, my level. Lynx was right; I had ''grown up.'' I was now at level fifty-two, which had suddenly doubled my levels. I felt much more secure and powerful. Even my magical domain had expanded to about seven to eight meters around me. Of course, I wasn''t a monster like Lynx, Alice, or even Ju, but I had become what one might call a powerful mage or warrior. Someone not easily pushed around, someone who instinctively commanded respect.

    That was the positive side of things. On the negative side was my skill failure. I wasn''t sure why it had happened, though I assumed it might have something to do with the summon. It was crucial for us to have it working without errors, so I needed to look into it.

    Then, there was another thought that occupied my mind. Seeing how Mytrides had been treated made me better understand Lynx. I wouldn''t want to live as a mount, to be forced into that kind of life, so why would I try to force or blackmail Lynx to accept it? But what if he could transform at will into a human? That would change the equation!

    I had the knowledge, and now I felt like I had the mana needed for such a transformation, but was this something I should try? Was it right to ask him to risk a transformation? While tempting him with the idea of becoming human and experiencing human society might work for me and bind him to me long-term, was it morally correct to do so?

    Well, first, I would need to do a couple of tests to see if it works. I wondered, where could I find some willing test subjects?

 Chapter 256 â€“ Mind Games and Revelations

    While back in our room, I pondered, ¡°What could be the reason for the skill to fail?¡±

    The broken window had already been replaced, and the wall repaired. The fresh smell of masonry work lingered in the air. While it still needed some paintwork, it was impressive to see how promptly they fixed it. Also, the enchantments were still missing; a specialist would need to come from Guaranga to do that. All in all, it had cost us two gold, most of it being the cost for the enchanter to come and do his work.

    Lynx was out hunting. After having guarded us the whole night and morning, he had deserved a break. We all had moved in there¡ªJu, Alice, Tina, Tom, me, Mike, and Michael. Hew was getting better but was still sleeping. Ju had done the work to isolate the room with some enchantments of her own to make sure our conversation remained confidential.

    ¡°Based on what you have told us, I have a theory!¡± Ju said. ¡°To prove it, I would like you to test some of your demonic powers.¡±

    ¡°You mean using a demonic skill undoes the suppression skill?¡± Tom wondered while Alice nodded.

    ¡°I guess she''s right,¡± she said. ¡°You should try something on me!¡±

    ¡°Oh, well,¡± I pondered. What should I try? I sent a death bolt that splashed harmlessly over Alice.

    Ju shook her head.

    "That did nothing!" she said, then added, "Actually, the black bolt is common magic, nothing demon-specific, but good to know that you can use it!"

    I took a deep breath.

    "I''ll try to dominate her then!" I said.

    "Try it on me," Ju said with a grin. "I do have a racial ability to resist mental tricks like dominate and such!"

    Alice shrugged, and so I turned towards Ju.

    Alice shrugged.

    "Nothing happened." she said, "Your skill still works; you are still unidentifiable!"

    I turned to Ju and looked slantwise at her.

    "You''re messing with me!"

    She laughed, stopping her jumps.

    "Of course I am! But you should try this with the boys and make them do push-ups! They are too skinny!"

    "Hey!" Tom protested, alarmed. "We do what we can!"

    I looked slantwise at him.

    "That might be a good idea!" I said with a grin, while Mike rolled his eyes, unable to imagine that I truly meant it.

    "Dominate is not a demon-specific skill," Michael said. "You should try something demon-specific, maybe seduce?"

    I sighed. Is seduction a demon-specific spell? I was not sure, but I didn''t want to try that one on any of them.

    "Sure, try it on me," Tom said with a grin.

    "Tom!" I protested with a snort. He never knows when to stop. I shook my head and looked slantwise at him. Everybody was making fun of me!

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Well, what are you waiting for?" Ju said with a laugh. "I am waiting, sweety! Do your worst!"

    I rolled my eyes and identified her. I wanted to be sure she was in a safe bracket for my spells. To my pleasant surprise, it worked, and I got a valid result.

    <<healer, level ninety-one>>

    Her level was way higher than mine, and with her racial ability, she shouldn''t have any problem with any of my skills. It should simply fail on her with no result.

    "How come you''re only level ninety-one? Cala had a higher level than you?" I wondered.

    She turned to look at me slantwise.

    "Only? That''s a pretty high level, my little demon!" she then sighed, "Humans with their pissing contests! It doesn''t work strictly like this; not only your general level is important but the level of your skills do matter a lot!"  After a short pause, she continued. "As a healer, levelling goes slower. I always took it slowly but steadily, I tried to not take too much risk. Well, except when I was forced to do it... Now, do we talk about that, or do you try your skill on me?"

    "I think it was the summon that messed with my skill," I said with a shrug.

    "You''ll never know unless you try them all!" Alice countered.

    She was right. I sighed. Oh, well.

    I looked at Ju. In an attempt to make even more fun of me, she balanced on her legs and fluttered her eyelashes.

    "Hm, you look sweet after all!"

    "That was pretty sexy," Tom commented from the side. "With time, you might get it!"

    She snorted and turned, feigning annoyance when she looked at him, fluttering her eyelashes.

    OK, they''ll never stop, I need to do it.

    For a couple of seconds, nobody said a word until Alice announced with a heavy sigh,

    ¡°That''s it! You do identify as a demon now!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± I protested angrily.

    ¡°Well!¡± Tina said with a shrug, ¡°You now know that you cannot use seduce or risk identification!¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°That was a strong spell!¡± Mike said, ¡°Look at my hands, they tremble, why is this?¡± His fingers were lightly trembling.

    ¡°You''re lucky the spell had not been targeted at you. That''s a side effect for low magic persons when in the presence of strong spells. You need to get stronger urgently,¡± Alice said, then turned to me. ¡°You need to learn to target your spells better; they go too broad!¡±

    Tina turned to Ju, concern knitting her brows.

    ¡°Ju, is something wrong?¡± she asked, her voice laced with worry.

    Only then did I glance back at Ju. She remained in the same position, her hand still raised and lightly trembling. No response came from her; she stared into space with a vacant expression on her face.

    ¡°Ju?¡± I inquired, my alarm growing. Had I broken her somehow? I wondered anxiously. Thankfully, she eventually looked at me, as if returning to the present moment. Her cheeks flushed red, and her breathing quickened.

    ¡°I... I...¡± she stammered.

    Alice approached, placing a hand on Ju''s forehead to meet her gaze.

    ¡°Maybe you overdid it; it seems to have had a minor effect on her. It should pass soon,¡± Alice reassured with a sigh.

    Ju blinked and shook her head.

    ¡°It cannot be. I do have resistance to mind manipulation. It was just strange to see how this works!¡± she explained.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael inquired.

    ¡°I mean, her spell suddenly changed the way I saw her,¡± Ju elaborated. ¡°It was as if I were putting on a pair of pink-tinted glasses that only worked for her. The image of her in my mind suddenly transformed; she looked even better, and there was nothing repulsive or negative about her. It was as if I were looking at a pure saint. This is part of how resistance to mind manipulation works; it makes you aware of how the image is being altered and manipulated. But to witness it happening is quite the experience!¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Of course, there''s nothing repulsive or bad about me!¡± I declared.

    ¡°I want to see this too!¡± Tom protested.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Tom, be quiet!¡± I chuckled.

 Chapter 257 â€“ The Forest Experiment

    After figuring out that only the ''seduce'' spell could deactivate my ''Veil of Inscrutability'' skill, I felt more assured about blending in among humans without being recognized as a demon, especially since I had no intention of seducing anyone.

    I possessed this ''Veil of Inscrutability'' skill from Cala, but I couldn''t recall its exact name. It was yet another gap in my memory. Not knowing its name might explain why it took me longer to activate it; I couldn''t turn it on instantly. Moreover, I was unsure if it was even active; I always had to double-check.

    Perhaps I should give it a name myself. ''Veil of Inscrutability'' sounded fitting, but maybe ''Mystic Shroud'' would be better? I sighed, pondering the intricacies of magic. I hoped that naming it wouldn''t alter the skill.

    Why using the ''seduce'' skill affected the ''Veil of Inscrutability'' remained one of magic''s mysteries. It might have a logical explanation, but it escaped me for now. Perhaps it was simply an incompatibility between the skills, or maybe ''seduce'' required revealing more of my magical nature to work effectively, thereby deactivating the other skill?

    Well, that''s probably why skills and spells were categorized into classes in the first place!

    I took a deep breath, pushing thoughts of skills aside. I was safe now, and we were only a day''s coach journey away from Guaranga.

    Alice had spoken with the innkeeper and discovered that we could travel with the regular coach service. Two coaches ran each day, not the most frequent, but still a reliable option. Additional coaches could be arranged with prior notice. Opting for the coach would get us to Guaranga in a single day instead of the three or four it would take on foot with our previous pace.

    Considering their sluggish pace, we were likely to arrive in Guaranga before the Trewars, though I had no intention of meeting them again there. But, you never know.

    The only issue with the coaches was that we might need to split into smaller groups, and there was no guarantee we''d all reach Guaranga in one day. We''d have to decide on the spot, as there were no advance bookings and no way of knowing how many seats would be available.

    As our destination drew nearer, some of my concerns became more pressing. What to do with my ''mount'' once we reached Guaranga? Should I stable him and provide him a cow for lunch? Or should I suggest transforming him into a human? Would that be the right choice? Would he agree? But what if the spell goes awry? Should I not tell him about this possibility?

    Lost in these thoughts, I wandered towards the woods, searching for willing candidates to practice the transformation spell on. It was a serene and sunny day, with only a few clouds dotting the sky, as I ventured further from the way station.

    As I walked through the woods, the tranquility of nature enveloped me like a comforting embrace. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, dappling the forest floor with patches of golden warmth. Each step I took stirred the fragrant earth beneath my feet, releasing the sweet, earthy scent of damp soil and fallen leaves.

    Around me, the forest teemed with life. Vibrant wildflowers dotted the underbrush, their delicate petals swaying gently in the breeze. Splashes of color adorned the verdant landscape, from the fiery hues of poppies like flowers to the soft pastels of forget-me-nots. Butterflies and other insects flitted from bloom to bloom, their delicate wings creating a soft, continuous hum.

    Above, the branches echoed with the cheerful melody of birdsong. Chirps and trills filled the air, a symphony of nature''s own making. Hidden among the lush foliage, feathered creatures went about their daily rituals, their songs a testament to the beauty and vitality of the forest.

    As I ventured deeper into the woods, my intention was not to stray too far from the beaten path, but rather to find a secluded spot where I could meticulously review the transformation spell, ensuring no errors would mar my casting.

    My gaze scanned the surroundings, considering the various creatures that called the forest home. Testing the spell on animals posed its own challenges, requiring a deep understanding of both the magical intricacies and the nature of the target creatures. Before attempting any transformations, I needed to familiarize myself thoroughly with their essence.

    Approaching a sunlit glade, I spotted an old fallen tree trunk.

    That''s a good place to sit! - I told myself

    Setting down a blanket from my inventory, I arranged a simple spread of cookies and warm tea, a comforting ritual to center my thoughts. Nestling into the soft fabric, I positioned myself with my back against the log, ready to delve into the mysteries of magic.

    With a sense of contentment settling over me, I closed my eyes and savored the warmth of the tea as it trickled down my throat. Taking a cookie in hand, I retrieved the transformation spell-book from my inventory, its worn pages bearing the weight of magical deterioration.

    "The Many Forms of Transformation and Transmutation: A Catalog of Metamorphoses by Charmoise, great Shaman of Norsey," I murmured, running a hand over its aged cover. Sighing, I employed a healing spell to mend the book once more, prolonging its fragile existence. Each repair seemed to breathe new life into its weathered pages, and today''s damage appeared less severe than before¡ªa promising sign.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Well, great Shaman of Norsey, what wisdom do you offer me today?" I pondered aloud, flipping through the familiar chapters. Nibbling on the cookie, I delved into the text, immersing myself in the intricate teachings.

    "Animorphosis: The art of assuming the shape and characteristics of animals," I read aloud, absorbing the words with renewed interest, delving deeper into the chapter, trying to grasp the nuances of this spell.

    As I mulled over the pages of the spell-book, my thoughts turned to the reverse of the animorphosis spell¡ªa task I wanted to achieve, but not quite as straightforward as one might imagine. The runes for the spell and its reverse were etched clearly in my mind, yet the reverse process was not as simple as directly transforming a beast into a human. Instead, it involved undoing the effects of the previous spell which transformed the human into a beast.

    Therefore I needed to define quite a new spell based on the animorphosis spell, but transforming the beast into a human. That should be possible to do, I only needed to replace the source and target definitions.

    With each passing moment, I felt as though I was peeling back the layers of the runes, delving deeper into their true essence. Could this newfound understanding guide me in crafting the right transformation for Lynx? I was hopeful yet uncertain.

    I knew the Lynx intimately as my mana did encompass him so many times, it was as if I would have him in front of my eyes, yet envisioning his human counterpart was a challenge.

    While I could picture the anatomy of a man with ease and I knew our boys'' anatomy by heart, I couldn''t quite picture him. The rules of transformation seemed to operate differently. Altering Lynx''s future human form to match my expectations risked veering into the realm of transmutation¡ªa concept that the spell-book warned against.

    According to the book, the transformation process required a vague definition of the target, emphasizing species over specific traits. This uncertainty dampened my enthusiasm, adding an unsettling element to my efforts. The question lingered: How would Lynx appear as a human? It was a matter of profound concern, one I couldn''t ignore. I yearned for him to assume the most flawless human form possible!

    Moreover, Charmoise''s words echoed in my mind, reminding me of the profound impact that transformation would have on Lynx himself. "Transformation is becoming," the passage read. "Once transformed into a beast, you will always carry that beast within you." This meant that Lynx would not only physically change but also internalize the essence of his new form¡ªa notion both intriguing and daunting.

    Contemplating the implications, I couldn''t help but question whether this was truly what I desired for Lynx. Was I ready to bear the responsibility of such a decision? Would he welcome such a transformation, knowing that it would fundamentally alter him?

    A small note on the page under the reverse spell caught my eye:

    ¡°If you want to transform a beast into a humanoid*, this is possible with the same spell, you only need to define the target as a human. While the human form may help, in some situations, increase its intelligence, you will be still facing the beast with its loyalties and habits. Even if the spell will address its mobility, and it will soon move unconstrained as a humanoid, don''t be confused by that, it still has the soul and the mind of a beast!

    *This spell is anathema under various religious movements and governments, and may lead to your imprisonment or worse!¡±

    I shrugged. There, Charmoise answered my question. I was on the right path with my spell!

    Just as I was pondering all those questions, I saw a deer emerging from the woods, peacefully grazing. It lifted its head, meeting my gaze with its beautiful brown eyes before returning to its grazing.

    It felt like a sign from the Gods, calming my doubts.

    "The perfect test subject is just volunteering to become a girl!" I thought.

    I smiled contentedly as it flicked its ears. Closing my eyes, I observed it through my mana sight. It drew nearer, intrigued by my presence, studying me as I rested on the fallen trunk. It must have been in the glade for some time, now deciding that I posed no threat.

    So, if I wanted to transform Lynx into a human, it would be akin to transforming this deer into a girl, given that it was female. Once satisfied with the experiment, I could easily revert her back into a deer! What could possibly be wrong or bad about that?

    As I let my spirit soar above, observing the tranquil scene below, I allowed the mana to flow, preparing to begin my work.

    In that moment, however, my head suddenly exploded, and my body fell with a thud onto the blanket, blood spilling out like a fountain.

    Was this a backlash from the spell? I wondered at first.

    But I hadn''t even cast the spell yet!

    I was utterly baffled, struggling to comprehend what was happening. There had been a sudden jolt of blunt pain, but beyond that, everything was a blur of confusion.

    Am I dead? I wondered, my thoughts racing as I tried to make sense of the situation. But then, why could I still see the environment around me? Was this my spirit, detached from my body after death, observing the scene below? It resembled the experience of dying in the game, yet I hadn''t received the clear message: "You are dead!"

    True, everything appeared in grayscale, and my vision was limited to the immediate ten meters around me. But I could see, hear, and even smell everything, including the metallic tang of my spilled blood.

    Wait a minute, this is my mana sight! I must still be alive! But how?

    "Is she dead?" a voice echoed my question from somewhere not far away in the woods.

 Chapter 258 â€“ Three Lives Later: A Dance with Death

    It was absolutely bizarre and sickening to witness blood oozing from a wound in my head, exposing part of my brain! It felt like being trapped in a horror movie, both a horrified spectator and the unfortunate victim on the screen.

    Suddenly, a hunter entered my field of view, making his way towards my blanket. He let out a chuckle.

    "She''s definitely done for," he remarked, eyeing my body sprawled on the blanket, blood still seeping from the gruesome head injury, albeit more slowly now.

    He was a rather unattractive elf hunter, fitting the typical adventurer archetype, clocking in at level sixty-one. His elongated face was far from beautiful, almost split in half by his wide mouth with thin lips and vampire-like canines. To top it off, they were conversing in English! Some moronic player had brought about my demise!

    If I weren''t lying lifeless there, my frustration would be through the roof.

    "Inform the viscount that she''s dead!" declared a warrior, donned in gleaming black plate armor, a complete set, and boasting a level of sixty-three.

    The viscount. That imbecile had caused this?

    "Ha, these were easily won one hundred gold coins!" remarked a human girl clad in leather armor, her fingers busy with a message spell. "Took us less than half an hour after we picked up her trail!" She shot a reproachful glance at the hunter. "Why''d you have to kill her? Rendering her unconscious would''ve sufficed!"

    She was a level sixty-four rogue.

    Did they snuff me out for a mere hundred gold? The viscount certainly found a budget-friendly way to rid himself of a troublesome Hero of the Kingdom!

    "She went down easier than I thought!" the hunter commented with a shrug, drawing nearer. "I expected her to be downed, seriously injured, but she just croaked. Tsk!"

    He shook his head, disappointment evident as his ears flapped atop his head. Firing off an explosive arrow to my head and expecting me to survive? That''s like hoping to endure a direct hit from a hellfire missile!

    A man garbed in an elegant blue robe, wielding a staff adorned with intricate arabesque designs, approached and inspected the blanket closely.

    "Well, she doesn''t appear to be carrying anything of value, except for this bloody worthless gown. Should I take her horns as evidence?"

    He was a mage of level sixty-one. He bent down and snagged a cookie from my plate.

    "Mmm, not bad!" he remarked, munching on my cookie.

    "The gown itself is worth a single gold coin, fine material that is! The viscount didn''t request proof; he knows us," the rogue replied, grabbing a cookie herself after sending the message. "Still, take the horns. They might fetch us some coin; they''re likely worth a few gold as alchemical ingredients. Just don''t mention they belong to a beastwoman!"

    The small blue message bird soared into the sky, veering northward and accelerating out of my sight.

    She was a level sixty-two priestess, clad in a flowing pink gown that partially obscured her elegant leather boots, and she wielded a staff as tall as herself.

    As she examined my china and pocketed the teacup, she remarked, "Some people might pay more if they knew these horns came from a humanoid."

    The rogue girl chuckled. "What kind of clients do you have?" she quipped, and the priestess responded with an eye roll.

    "Where''s her inventory? Did she carry these cookies and fine china in a bag?" the rogue pondered, beginning to disrobe me.

    "I don''t see one!" the hunter replied, intrigued.

    As the mage moved toward my body to retrieve my bloodied horns, a gut feeling warned me against allowing him to do so.

    I desperately hoped they would leave me alone after plundering my belongings, but the idea of them taking my horns felt like being dismantled.

    Instinctively, I wished to vanish and flee. To my astonishment, I shadowmelded, and all remnants of my presence, including the blood spilled on the grass, transformed into smoke.

    "What''s happening?" The mage exclaimed, stepping back.

    "Damn, she wasn''t dead!" The rogue exclaimed, drawing her daggers and scanning the surroundings.

    "Arcane cage!" the priestess cried out, and she and the mage executed synchronized gestures, unleashing an arcane discharge into the air.

    Suddenly, my shadowmelded form collided with an invisible barrier as I attempted to escape, and I tumbled backward onto the ground, reverting to my physical form. I was perhaps as shocked as they were to see myself alive.

    "Please, no!" I yelped, scrambling to my feet, but before I could fully comprehend the situation, the warrior was upon me, his sword slicing deep into my side.

    I cried out in agony and instinctively shadowmelded again, narrowly evading the rogue who had moved to flank me. They were incredibly fast!

    Attempting to flee in the opposite direction, I encountered the same invisible barrier after about twenty meters, reverting to my human form once more.

    My poor stressed and damaged brain finally grasped the situation¡ªI was trapped within an invisible barrier. It felt elastic to the touch, as if I could break through given enough force and time. But there was no time to spare.

    As I reached out to test the barrier, a fireblast struck my back, courtesy of the mage complemented by the swiftly approaching warrior clad in heavy armor. How could he move so swiftly?

    Once again, I shadowmelded just in time, narrowly dodging the warrior''s sword as it sliced through the empty air where I had stood moments before.

    Could I trick them and hide in my shadowmeld form? I wondered. Perhaps they wouldn''t detect me and eventually be forced to leave.

    I crept into a corner and attempted to meld into the ground in my shadowmeld form. For a while, it seemed to work as they stood around, puzzling over my disappearance.

    "Did she escape?" the priestess inquired.

    The mage shook his head. "I don''t think so."

    "Where is she?" the warrior demanded, pacing back and forth.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Stay still and wait," the mage commanded, his tone resolute. "We''ll find her."

    His confidence was unsettling me.

    "There!" the hunter suddenly exclaimed, releasing an arrow directly towards me.

    Despite my efforts to evade it, the lightning arrow struck true, even with my shadowmeld form, its electrical discharge forcing me to materialize once more.

    I screamed in agony, rolling away from the electrical discharges of the arrow that had grazed me. But before I could even attempt to escape, they were upon me.

    The rogue materialized out of thin air, plunging a dagger into my back, and piercing my liver. Another scream tore from my throat, muffled by the searing heat of the subsequent fireblast that engulfed my torso. In the next instant, the warrior swung his broadsword in a decapitating arc.

    I watched in horror as my head tumbled to the ground, my body following suit, collapsing to the side.

    But before either could hit the earth, I shadowmelded once more, dissolving into fine dust that dispersed into the air. The warrior wildly swung his sword, striking nothing but empty space.

    "How many lives does she have?" the priestess mused.

    If I had ever entertained the notion that I was Cala, after this chaotic fray I had a resounding answer: I may possess some of her memories, but I was unmistakably not her. Drats, how I missed her!

    The realization sent a chill down my spine, forcing me to confront the harsh truth: despite the unfair odds, I had to dig deep, fight back, and find a way to escape.

    "Was that real or an illusion?" the mage pondered aloud.

    Materializing for a brief moment, I cast <<darkness>>, then swiftly shadowmelded once more, reappearing behind the mage at the other end of the ''cage''. To my pleasant surprise, there was a synergy with <darkness>, in my shadowmelded form, my mobility was enhanced, while my mana vision remained unhindered. I could see them clearly, while their vision was severely limited.

    I swiftly retrieved a knife from my inventory and plunged it into the mage, simultaneously unleashing a life-drain spell. It took effect instantly on all of them. Though the life drain wasn''t overpowering, multiplied by five targets, it began to slowly offset the wounds I''d already sustained.

    While the shadowmeld spell had pieced me back together, I was nothing more than a pitiful heap of flesh and misery, held together by magic, with numerous internal wounds. The life drain spell was attempting to mend these injuries, albeit slowly.

    With a pained cry, the mage teleported away, evading my grasp, but I noticed him also colliding with the barrier. So, it was restricting their movements too; they couldn''t freely enter and exit this arcane cage.

    "Heal!" the mage shouted.

    "She''s draining life!" the warrior exclaimed. "Cast healing on all of us!"

    "I''m aware, I''m aware! It''s just a trickle," the priestess replied, countering my life drain with an overall healing spell to counterbalance the loss.

    While my brain was trying to understand why I was still alive and how did shadowmeld put me back together, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. With only thirty seconds left from my darkness spell, I weighed my options: should I press the attack or attempt to flee?

    Opting for the latter, I made a dash for the edge of the arcane cage, intending to pass through its enveloping membrane in my physical form this time. However, my escape was thwarted by the priestess''s sharp cry.

    "She''s trying to flee!" she exclaimed, prompting the mage to unleash another firebolt that struck me, revealing my position within the darkness.

    They both seemed to possess an uncanny awareness of my presence as if their senses extended to the arcane cage itself.

    I shadowmelded again just in time to evade the warrior''s attack as he came charging, swinging his sword, and decided to attack the priestess.

    Materializing behind her, I seized another knife from my inventory and swiftly aimed for her neck. Although she sensed my presence and attempted to evade my attack, I managed to land a glancing blow, enough to draw blood in the process.

    Yet before I could capitalize on the opportunity, the rogue appeared behind me, striking with deadly precision.

    The damn rogue seemed to possess a skill for stealth that continually confounded me.

    Her two long daggers sliced at my neck from both sides with a speed and force far surpassing my own. Once more, I witnessed my head and body tumble to the ground, blood spilling from my severed arteries, though not as profusely as before. Clearly, fatigue was setting in my body.

    I shadowmelded once again, my form dissipating into smoke, only to materialize behind the rogue. With a swift motion, I plunged another jagged knife into her back, accompanied by a black bolt.

    While the bolt would have had almost no effect on its own, the incision allowed it to penetrate her chest, causing her to cry out in agony as the dark energy spread within her.

    Before the warrior could strike, I shadowmelded once more, evading his blow as he lunged forward. As the warrior withdrew the knife from her wound, blood spurting out, the priestess hastened to heal her.

    It was then that I noticed the faint lines of mana connecting them, a spell that allowed the priestess to heal her companions remotely and monitor their condition.

    I couldn''t sense the hunter''s whereabouts; he was likely using a skill similar to the rogue''s to evade my detection. However, I knew the mage''s location and, he was momentarily alone a bit further away.

    I materialized behind him.

    The moment I struck him, I let my mana sever the thin thread connecting him to the priestess.

    ¡°Dirk!¡± the priestess exclaimed, sensing the loss of connection.

    But I was already behind the mage, driving my jagged knife deep into his neck. Though he attempted to teleport away, I held him tightly with my left hand.

    As he blasted a firebolt with his right hand toward his back, he missed me. That was his undoing. Had he hit me, he would have blown me away, but his miss afforded me the opportunity to complete my cut.

    He croaked out something as he fell to the ground, his hands flailing, his head nearly severed. Just as I prepared to shadowmeld again, a net fell over me.

    "She got Dirk!" the hunter''s scream pierced the air as he pulled the net, forcing me to the ground.

    Electro-shocks coursed through my body as I struggled desperately to break free. Just as I managed to push myself onto all fours, a heavy spear pierced my back, passing through my body and embedding itself into the ground below.

    ¡°I''ve got her!¡± the hunter bellowed triumphantly, then ordered, "Revive Dirk!" to the priestess.

    The net ceased its electrical discharges, but I still couldn''t shadowmeld. Something was blocking me, whether it was the net or the spear pinning me down. Or maybe just the accumulated pain that was spreading through my body. The hunter''s heavy boot pressed down on my back, further immobilizing me.

    "You got her?" the warrior''s voice sounded from behind the hunter.

    "Alive, just as you asked," the hunter boasted. "Sit on her neck and keep her hands down!" he commanded.

    I felt the warrior''s weight pressing down on my neck, his strength overpowering as he restrained my hands.

    Gurgling blood, my struggles grew weaker as my power waned, my mind slowly detaching from reality but still racing for a solution amidst the chaos. It was almost as if my spirit would have been separated from my body again and my mind wandered while my body still struggled.

    I had managed to take down one of them, and freedom had been within my grasp! Without the mage, that cage would surely have crumbled, leaving me just a shadowmeld away from escape.

    The thought only fueled my rage further. In a one-on-one scenario, theoretically, I should have been no match for any of them. Even if the priestess couldn''t defeat me, she should have been able to hold me off. And yet, valiantly, I stood my ground against all five of them!

    But what good was almost escaping if I ended up captured and sold to that viscount? Almost escaping was still a failure, and who would sing my praises for such a glorious but ultimately lost fight?

    As I was stabbed in the back once more, the rogue''s voice pierced through the chaos, "Dirty beast! I''ve killed her thrice and she still stabs me! Take this!"

    "Calm down, Heather!" the warrior intervened. "She''s down now! Do you want to kill her again?"

    "Want to test how many lives this kitty has?" the hunter guffawed.

    How many lives does this kitty have?

    Kitty... I was teetering on the edge of consciousness, my senses blurred by the loss of blood and the struggle for breath. In that hazy state, my mind still raced, concocting escape plans. Perhaps transforming into a lynx now could surprise them, throw them off my trail, and give me a chance to flee. With their attention on resurrecting the mage, I might have a few precious moments to break away. Beasts were stronger, faster ¨C surely a lynx could outrun them. I focused on casting the spell, my mana responding to my desperate call, but as the spell formed, my consciousness slipped away.

 Chapter 259 â€“ Hearty Meal

    The glade basked in the pleasant sunlight, a tranquil sanctuary amidst the trees. Leaning against the weathered tree trunk, I noticed a slight discomfort from a knot in the blanket, which I quickly adjusted to restore its perfection. Satisfied with the arrangement, I nestled into the soft fabric, my back against the sturdy log.

    As I closed my eyes, a sense of contentment washed over me, the sun''s warmth embracing me. Mid-chew, I detected his approach, his footsteps announcing his presence long before he breached my tranquil haven.

    He advanced cautiously, displaying a respectful yet persistent demeanor. I wondered, why would he risk encountering me during my lunchtime reprieve?

    His persistence suggested he had something pressing on his mind, something he deemed worth the risk. Yet, just because it was important to him didn''t automatically make it important to me. I carried on with my meal, unfazed by his presence but keeping a watchful eye on his approach. He''d better not come too close.

    Fortunately for him, he halted at a respectful distance and settled in, patiently awaiting my acknowledgment. His adherence to etiquette was duly noted. I was aware of his presence, he knew I was aware, and I knew he knew I was aware, but that didn''t mean I had to indulge him immediately. With a subtle growl, a gentle warning, I continued chewing, unbothered.

    However, as the moments passed, my irritation grew. My appetite had waned, and his lingering presence became less amusing and more bothersome. With a flicker of annoyance, I finally lifted my gaze to meet his, preempting any questions he might have had.

    "Where have you been when I needed you the most?" I asked

    He seemed taken aback by my question, his expression frozen in surprise. It took him longer than I anticipated to gather himself and respond.

    "Lores, is it really you?" he finally uttered.

    I couldn''t help but huff at his question. With ease, I tore off a piece of meat and held it up on one of my claws, as if inspecting it.

    "Don''t think you can just help yourself to my food because we''re friends!" I sighed. "You failed me when I needed you most. Was your hunt not successful?"

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    He shot me a hurt and guilty look in response.

    "Didn''t you say you wanted to be left alone?" he countered.

    His response caught me off guard. I didn''t recall it happening that way, but upon reflection, he might have been correct. However, I wasn''t about to concede that easily. It wasn''t in my nature to admit fault. That wasn''t how things worked!

    "Perhaps," I shrugged nonchalantly, "but that''s hardly a reason for you to come begging for food. You should bring your own!"

    I anticipated him protesting about the surplus of food before me, but he once again surprised me.

    "I''m not here for the food; I was seeking you out!" he declared.

    Oh, really? I raised an eyebrow as I regarded him. So, he hadn''t fled yet.

    "Seeking me out? Why? I know you are planning to abandon me!" I retorted with a soft growl.

    He didn''t reply. Instead, he blinked and remained rooted in place, his troubled gaze fixed on me. After a moment, he whispered.

    ¡°Do you know what you''re eating?¡± he inquired, finally speaking our shared tongue.

    He didn''t answer my question; instead, he attempted to deflect, questioning the quality of my food as if it were any of his concern! What was he even implying? Of course, I knew exactly what I was consuming: the defeated enemy, rightfully mine by the laws of nature! Any lynx could tell you that!

    But as I gazed down at the meat, a troubling sensation began to churn in my stomach. Something was amiss, deeply and fundamentally so. The more I stared at it, the more I sensed an unsettling wrongness. I hastily banished it to my inventory, but the disturbing image lingered, refusing to dissipate.

    I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel the vision, but it persisted, haunting me relentlessly. My body trembled, and then I began to retch uncontrollably.

    Violent spasms wracked my frame as conflicting thoughts raced through my mind. And amidst the convulsions, I reverted to my human form. Suddenly my wounds and the pain became too much for me to bear, and overwhelmed by the agony of my wounds, my consciousness slipped away, leaving me sprawled over the wretched remnants of my meal.

 Chapter 260 â€“ Did You Tell Them?

    I blinked open my eyes, finding myself ensconced in darkness. Instinct screamed it was a trap, and I nearly panicked until I felt the fur beneath me. He was there!

    Drawing a deep breath, I scanned the surroundings. It must have been late in the night, with only a faint glimmer filtering through a double window, each pane consisting of six small squares, two wide and three high. If I craned my neck, I could catch a glimpse of the blue moon Frigg casting its chilly light over the ground.

    The window, the familiar scent, the simple masonry, and the fresh paint hinted that I was in our room at the way station. My ears twitched, picking up distinct noises, including the echoing snores from nearby chambers.

    ¡°Lynx?¡± I called out, and a reassuring growl confirmed his presence, his paw gently pressing against me.

    Initially, I wondered why he was present. Had they changed their stance and allowed him in? But a more urgent thought surfaced, about him having seen me... ahem... having my lunch. My mind scrambled to connect disjointed memories.

    ¡°Did you tell them?¡± I instinctively growled back, surprised by my newfound ability to converse in Lynx.

    ¡°Nothing to fret about,¡± he reassured, his massive tongue sweeping over my face, erasing my concerns.

    I breathed in relief and chuckled, then stretched my limbs with a yawn.

    "What''s all the growling about?" a sleepy voice asked from a nearby bed.

    I turned to see Ju''s head emerging from under a blanket. She yawned, propped herself up on her arm, and opened one eye to look at me.

    "How are you feeling?" she asked, still keeping the other eye closed.

    Scanning the room, I realized we were the only ones there.

    "I feel alright," I replied. "What time is it?"

    "It''s two arcs in the morning, a day later!" a crestfallen Ju said, yawning again. "You''ve been sleeping all this time. I''ve been here waiting for you to wake up so you could drain life from me to recover faster, but no, you didn''t wake up, so I stood all the time and waited and now when I went to bed you woke up!" she explained.

    "Thanks, Ju!" I said, then turned to Lynx. "How did you manage to get permission to come inside the way station?"

    He chuckled, but before he could say a word Ju answered for him.

    "He just walked in," she said. "It caused a bit of commotion, but nothing major. Nobody has dared to try and chase him out yet, but I heard they complained to Alice."

    "I''d like to see them try," Lynx said with a shrug.

    Ju rolled her eyes.

    "Can''t we just go back to sleep?" she asked with another yawn, looking visibly tired.

    I turned to Lynx, locking eyes with him. "I need some answers," I stated firmly. "I don''t understand what happened."

    He glanced at me, then turned to Ju.

    "Ju, let us go inside the ring for some privacy," he suggested.

    She objected. "Alice warned that it''s more dangerous now, as the ring is dangerous! Wouldn''t a privacy field be enough for you?"

    He shook his head. "No, there are things we need to discuss. I hope it doesn''t collapse on us right now." She met his gaze, sighed, and nodded. "Fine."

    She rose, her satin pajamas gleaming in the moonlight. She reached for the blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders. "I''ll make myself some tea while you two chat," she said.

    As soon as she opened the portal, Lynx nudged me slightly with his nose, then leaped in. I followed, and the portal closed behind us.

    "So," he began once we were alone, his clear eyes locking onto mine, "tell me what happened."

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    I glanced around at the wobbling walls, noting their deteriorating state. This artificial cavern seemed on the verge of collapse. With a sigh, I turned back to him. I had expected him to provide answers, but perhaps he was right; he wasn''t aware of my experiences. So, I recounted the events as I had lived them, omitting no details.

    "Hmm, a strange story," he mused. "I believe that your true self played a role in your survival. You''ve been ''demoted,'' as you put it, but there''s a true power within you, a Lores, which remains potent. It''s constrained, only trickling through to you, but it''s there behind whatever demotion spell is affecting you. That power likely kept you alive when anyone else at your level would have perished."

    ¡°Does this mean that I cannot die?¡± I wondered at the surprising revelation.

    He shook his head, his expression serious.

    "That would be a dangerous assumption to make. Of course, you can die. You''ve died several times already, and there will come a point where it''s final. The shadowmeld spell seems to restore you, likely based on the memory embedded within the spell. It''s a potent and fortunate spell, but it relies on your mana. If you were to run out of mana, well..."

    I swallowed, understanding the gravity of the situation.

    "And what if they had captured you alive?" he continued.

    "Actually, they tried to do just that, but I transformed. I don''t know how I escaped from their clutches," I confessed. "Did you help me? They had me pinned down with a spear through me. How could a lynx escape that? I thought I wasn''t going to survive, and yet..."

    "You''re not aware of it, are you?" he asked, raising his head to look at me with a slanted gaze.

    "What do you mean?" I inquired, puzzled.

    ¡°As a lynx, you seemed to be significantly stronger than you are now. I think that once transformed, this ''demoted'' state does not work anymore. It may eventually work only for your demon form.¡±

    It was surprising news to hear, but thinking about the events, it did make sense.

    ¡°So, you mean there''s a way to evade the demotion? That I was a level one hundred four lynx?¡± - I wondered.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said with a nod, ¡°I cannot gauge your level with that precision, but I felt your power in that form.¡±

    ¡°Uh. No wonder that I destroyed them, but how could I recover from a position where I was stabbed and restrained by a net?¡±

    ¡°Those were mere toys in comparison with your power. True, you were wounded, but you had a vitality that far surpassed your current state. Frankly speaking, I don''t know how it works when you transform into such a beast, but I can imagine that it wasn''t so difficult to escape.¡±

    ¡°But that spear was passing through me!¡±

    ¡°I guess it just broke into pieces when you transformed. It was certainly uncomfortable for you, but your body must have simply dissolved it or rejected it.¡±

    ¡°Dissolved it?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Well, not quite dissolved, but broken in tiny pieces. It must have hurt like hell and made you mad enough to eat them...¡±

    ¡°Please, let''s not bring that up again! That didn''t happen, okay?¡± I pleaded, a note of panic in my voice.

    He sighed.

    ¡°It''s a common instinct for a beast, but I won''t mention it again, of course. But what I don''t understand is how you were able to transform into a lynx.¡±

    I met his gaze briefly, then cast my eyes downward, feeling a tinge of shame.

    ¡°I... I was considering offering you that option... if you''re interested in visiting human towns... you could stay with us for a while and pass as a human...¡±

    ¡°So you can transform at will into a lynx?¡± he inferred.

    I nodded.

    "It seems like I can."

    ¡°Cool, maybe sometime I''ll teach you some real hunting!¡± he said with a happy grin.

    This is his conclusion over my new capabilities? No interest in being a human? I couldn''t abstain not to ask.

    ¡°So you are not interested in seeing how human society is?¡±

    He answered with a grin:

    ¡°But of course I am, I will be traveling with you and use my abilities to fulfill my curiosity. I''m curious if the king has enough security from blocking me visiting his palace!¡±

    I rolled my eyes. Not exactly the answer I was expecting. I made another try.

    ¡°But being able to swap to human would make it much easier for you!¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°As a human I would lose most of my abilities if not all. I would be a high leveled human without skills and to top it all, weaker than I am. Why would I want that? Besides, now we can communicate, I can growl to you, while you can answer in English.¡±

    I sighed deflated.

    ¡°Yeah, everybody would think that I am nuts and talk to myself, but you are right, we could do that!¡±

    We were just planning to leave when the portal opened and Alice came in.

 Chapter 261 â€“ Soul Stretching Exercise

    As soon as Alice stepped in, her gaze landed on me.

    "Are you alright?" she inquired.

    Seeing the concern in her eyes, I felt relieved to alleviate it. I recounted my story once more, now including the part Lynx and I had pieced together about my transformation into a level one-hundred-four lynx.

    "You had quite the battle!" she remarked with concern, sighing. "You may feel strong now, but wouldn''t it be wiser to have me, Ju, or Lynx accompany you next time? Even if it''s just for some quiet time in a glade..."

    I wanted to argue that I could defend myself, but then I sighed. She had a point. I was fortunate that they were caught off guard and unaware of my abilities, and even so, they nearly overpowered me. There are always spells and counterspells, and if they could prevent my transformation, I wouldn''t stand much of a chance in a fight.

    After I nodded, she turned her gaze to the wobbling walls.

    "I had a chat with a mage about spatial tools," she started. "He bragged about knowing tricks to gauge their remaining lifespan. These spatial tools are crazy expensive, and there''s a whole market dedicated to the discounted ones as their lifespan nears its end. There''s high demand for them, despite the risks involved."

    She explained further, "It seems that when the walls start to wobble internally, they may still have several months to live. But if the ring itself begins to vibrate, that''s a sign that collapse is imminent, and it may only have a couple of weeks left."

    "What happens when they collapse?" I pondered aloud.

    "Most of the time, they just vanish with a whimper, taking everything inside with them. Other times, they seem to disintegrate, scattering their contents. And occasionally, they explode. There are even rare, bizarre cases where they create new caves with spatial anomalies."

    I glanced at Sid. "Okay, we don''t want to test that, but it means we have at least a couple of months to find a solution, right?"

    She nodded.

    "Something like that," she confirmed.

    "Well, if that''s the case, shouldn''t we use it to travel faster? One of us riding Lynx would get much faster through?"

    "It would not implode right now, but that doesn''t mean it''s safe," she sighed. "The thing is, the parts currently wobbling are unstable. This means that somebody may pass through that wobbling wall and end up, who knows where. Also, such unstable areas can appear on the floor too, so it must be continuously monitored."

    "Ugh, that''s bad! What about Sid then?"

    "He''s so big that even if small patches under him become unstable, he will still remain here. We need to keep an eye on him and inspect from time to time to be sure."

    "Oh, well, walking it is then. Do you have any other good news for me?" I wondered.

    She looked at me with a rare grin on her lips.

    "You know, this transformation into a lynx gave me an idea!"

    She then directed her attention to Lynx.

    "Did she identify as a demon or as a lynx?" she inquired.

    "Clearly as a lynx," he replied without hesitation.

    "Are you sure? Should we check?" she pressed.

    "No, no, it was definitely a lynx," Lynx confirmed.

    She turned to me with a toothy grin.

    ¡°What if you try transforming into a human? Nobody would have any problems with you, even if you forget to use your special skill. I don''t know how it is at the court of this king, but sometimes they ask you to drop some skills. That would be a real problem now, but once you''re human? No problem!"

    I watched her, dumbfounded. I hadn''t thought of that, but it was an enticing possibility! And potentially a level one-hundred-four human!

    ¡°Wow, Alice, you''re a genius! How did I not think of it? I need to try it now!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Just give me a moment!¡±

    Hmm, how would I look as a human? Hopefully, it doesn''t change my appearance too much. I could always say I had a disguise before, that''s why my face changed. Besides, not many people have seen my face in this world yet. Maybe I can use some transmutation magic too; I need to read about that. I''ve done those spells before when I removed my wings, and they worked. Why shouldn''t they work now if I want to give myself a new nose or tweak my appearance a little? My imagination and enthusiasm started soaring. So many possibilities were opening up with these transformations!

    "It would be cool if I had wings again. I had wings before when I was human!" I exclaimed.

    Alice chuckled, while Lynx burst into laughter.

    "Don''t you want to think things through? There''s no rush! Humans aren''t known for being able to fly," Alice remarked, while Lynx continued to laugh.

    "Don''t turn into a chicken, Lores! You''d look like food!" Lynx teased.

    I snorted and shook my head. Dolores did have wings and was definitely human. If I had the chance to transform now, I wouldn''t give up on my wings!

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Well, the book mentions a limited number of transformations you can cast on one person. If I create a new persona, I want at least one that can fly! That would be very useful!¡±

    ¡°Why would there be a limit on transformations?¡± Lynx pondered.

    ¡°I''m not entirely sure. It was in one of the chapters that I skimmed through. There was some dull stuff about souls and meditation exercises. I''ll go back and read those chapters later when I have more time to focus and meditate. Let me start concentrating on the spell!¡±

    I tried to envision Dolores from before my trip to Hades, and my magic found an answer. I knew I wasn''t purely human at the time, with Flo''s influence on me, but still, I was mostly human! I focused on solidifying that image and let the spell wash over me.

    It took longer than expected, the spell enveloping me hesitantly at first, as if unsure, but then I willed it to completion. Once the spell was done, I stumbled on my feet. Of course, I was weak and out of mana, but I could feel the wings on my back. I fluttered them happily, while almost falling on my butt. Luckily, Alice and Lynx caught me.

    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Alice asked, rushing to support me.

    I sighed. ¡°I''m just not feeling well. The spell must have drained a lot of mana. I feel weak and tired,¡± I told her, trying not to alarm her, but I definitely wasn''t feeling well.

    ¡°Well, we could consider it partially successful,¡± Lynx remarked from his side.

    ¡°Partially?¡± I raised a brow.

    ¡°You identify as a human hybrid for me, about level fifty-two,¡± Lynx answered.

    ¡°Human hybrid? Fifty-two? So, still demoted, eh...¡± I mused.

    ¡°Half-human for me,¡± Alice said, but her tone made me uneasy.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, half-human is much better than a demon,¡± she said, hesitatingly eyeing me. ¡°But you have slightly larger horns. Can you do something about them?¡±

    ¡°Maybe not right now. I''m not that skilled with transformations,¡± I confessed. ¡°I can try, but there were several warnings in the book against it.¡±

    "What were the warnings about?" Alice insisted.

    "Involuntarily changes to the magic attributes. Shit happens. I actually had such a problem when I wanted to remove my horns and lost a great degree of my mana manipulation skill. It was hard enough to get it back. The other was that transformation spells anchor themselves to a certain structure, and you would either transform back to what you were at the first transformation, or the whole spell may run awry. My understanding of body structure and magic is too limited to accurately assess the potential consequences of certain changes."

    "Oh. I did not know that transformation was so complex," she answered, nodding in understanding.

    ¡°So, how big are my horns? What else?¡± I questioned, feeling a bit alarmed.

    "You look mostly the same!" Alice said.

    "Medium horns, tiny dragonfly wings, and a few other things," Lynx explained.

    A few other things? I couldn''t stand it anymore. Ignoring the lack of mana, I still found enough to summon a mirror in the air. I gazed at this new Lores.

    My horns were now larger and curved, forming a half-circle above my head. Not only that, but beneath the larger pair of horns, there stood another, smaller pair, and beneath them, my ears. My ears were now somewhat akin to elven ears but not as long, triangular in shape, positioned below the second pair of horns, with the ear tips hanging slightly downward.

    I gulped. Probably there are sufficient differences in the physiognomy of a demon and a human to justify those different horns to keep the same magic attributes. Obviously, I cannot do without horns. But what was with the ears?

    I sighed. Oh, well, that''ll have to do it for now.

    Tired, I crumpled to my knees, lacking the energy to stand. Alice caught me and pulled me up in her arms in a princess carry. I rested my head on her shoulder.

    ¡°Something is not okay with her,¡± she told Lynx. ¡°Let''s go to Ju.¡±

    Lynx''s worried gaze met mine. "I see that," he replied, his concern evident.

    We left the ring and found a worried Ju pacing in the room. She was now fully clothed, no longer in her pajamas. As soon as she saw me, she rushed to my side and placed her hand on my forehead.

    ¡°Put her on this bed,¡± she said, ¡°and tell me what happened and why does she have a new haircut?¡±

    A new haircut! Even as nauseated as I was, I chuckled hearing her question. As she listened to the shortened version of the story from Alice, she shook her head and turned to look at me. She fumed.

    ¡°This is not just an out-of-mana problem. This is worse. She''s got a soul issue!¡±

    ¡°A soul issue?¡± Lynx wondered.

    Ju let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°What she does is true transformation and not shape-shifting. This means that each transformation spell is anchored into her soul. Her soul must adapt to host her new persona. She did one too many and overstretched her soul,¡± she turned to me. ¡°We should try some soul-strengthening exercises for you, meditation, and quietude. You need not stress yourself for at least the next couple of weeks. Just enjoy being! No new transformations, at least for a year from now, if not ever!¡±

    "What do you mean?" I mumbled, puzzled. "Can''t I transform into a lynx?"

    "You can do that. That transformation is already defined, you''ve already done the damage," Ju clarified, her tone serious. "But don''t try to learn a new one!"

    "Oh, good," I replied, relieved to have her approval. Then I pondered, "But why can some people do more than a couple of transformations?"

    Ju''s frustration seemed to intensify as she perceived my question as a challenge to her recommendations.

    "Shapeshifting or cosmetic transformations are different. A shapeshifter doesn''t fully embody the power of the beasts; they merely imitate it. Unlike druids. But why do you think druids have just a limited number of transformations? It''s because of the constraints imposed by their souls," she explained emphatically. "I believe three is the most any druid can reach. And why do shamans have only one beast they synchronize their souls with? It''s because transformations like the ones you''re attempting are soul-modifying spells. A soul can only stretch so far before it breaks. If your soul breaks, it''s very difficult, if not impossible, to repair! Doesn''t your book clarify any of this for you? What kind of transformation book is that?" she asked, her frustration evident as she directed her anger toward the book.

    "I''m sorry, it was my idea!" Alice confessed, looking crestfallen, but Ju didn''t let her take the blame.

    "She''s the mage doing it! She should know better!" Ju asserted.

    I sighed. Okay, I made a mistake, nobody got hurt but me. I wasn''t feeling so bad that I couldn''t function, just a bit apathetic and weak. And did I get a mandated holiday from my own personal doctor?

    "Well, your concern is noted. No more transformations for a while," I conceded. "I was right to make my wings, though. You see, I can fly! I''m happy! And now, maybe a good coffee would be just what I need to shake off this headache?" I suggested, raising a brow. Was it too much to ask?

    "You don''t even know if those puny wings work, but they are decorative, I''ll give you that!" Lynx remarked with a grin.

 Chapter 262 - A Nobles Dilemma : The Butlers Job

    Ju''s eyes seemed to fixate on my wings as if she were only just now noticing them. After a moment of silent observation, she turned her gaze back to me.

    ¡°How did you come up with the idea to give yourself those wings?¡± she inquired, a curious expression on her face.

    I wasn''t entirely sure what she was getting at.

    "What''s wrong with my wings? They''re perfectly fine as they are!" I responded, giving them a confident flutter that stirred the air around us.

    She chuckled, her gaze shifting between me and my wings once more.

    "You should have modeled your wings after an avian, not a fairy. Only a fairy can fly with such wings; they have their secrets."

    Confusion clouded my expression.

    "What do you mean?" I asked. "I can fly, I''ll show you!"

    With determination, I gave my wings a strong flap, lifting myself briefly into the air as a rush of wind swept through the room, my mana forming an air cushion in conjunction with the wings.

    "See? Like this! Lynx, tell her that I can!" I declared proudly, a grin spreading across my face as I basked in my accomplishment.

    Her gasp caught me off guard; apparently, my little demonstration had surprised her more than I expected.

    ¡°Did a fairy teach you how to do mana flying?¡± she inquired, her tone tinged with astonishment.

    Confusion filled my features.

    "What is mana flying?" I asked.

    She eyed me skeptically.

    "What you just did. Are you a fairy?" she questioned, her gaze narrowing as she looked at me. "Was this demon thing just a disguise?"

    I couldn''t help but burst into laughter.

    "I wish it was," I replied with a sigh, "Unfortunately, it is not. I thought we had clarified that!" I added, sticking out my tongue to emphasize my response.

    I know it was a childish gesture, but I felt the need to express myself in some way. To my relief, it seemed to ease the tension a bit.

    ¡°Okay, I almost thought I made a deal with a fairy!¡± she chuckled, "but now that I''ve calmed down, it''s only a deal with the devil I made."

    It was good to see her regaining her humor, though I couldn''t help but feel a bit uneasy being labeled as the devil. I mean, I was a demon, not ''The Devil''.

    She continued.

    "Now, if people see you with those wings, they''ll think you''re a fairy!¡± she chuckled. ¡°That''s another can of worms you''ve opened with those wings. Couldn''t you have just made yourself a normal human without wings and horns?"

    I sighed. ¡°But you saw that I am human when you tried to identify me!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Half-human,¡± she specified, ¡°and as far as I can see, half-fairy!¡±

    ¡°What''s wrong with that?¡± I questioned, raising my shoulders in a shrug.

    She sighed. ¡°Well, fairies do have their peculiarities and see things in their specific way...¡±

    At that moment, the door creaked open and Tina peeked in, letting in a stream of sunlight that danced on the floor.

    "Morning!" she greeted cheerfully from the doorway.

    ¡°Hi, Tina!¡± I responded.

    ¡°The boys are wondering if everything''s okay and if we''re all going to breakfast together?¡± she asked.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Alice turned to me. ¡°Ah, they''re early today as I asked them to be! Are you up for breakfast? Would you like to join them in the dining room, or should we have it brought to you here, my lady?¡±

    I chuckled at the endearment.

    Opting to join them in the dining room, I quickly got ready. Fifteen minutes later, clad in blue jeans and an elegant blouse that discreetly concealed my folded wings, I made my way to the dining room.

    My horns, now larger and heavier, caused a slight strain on my neck, prompting me to adopt a more upright posture¡ªa change that Ju seemed pleased about, as she had often criticized my tendency to slouch. That was not noble at all according to her. Oh well, at least someone was happy about my bigger horns.

    The morning was still young, and the room had a sparse attendance, gradually filling up with more patrons. Our group claimed a corner of the spacious room, where a large table, fit for ten to twelve people, stood reserved solely for our use.

    As we settled around the table and the food began to arrive, I surveyed the faces of my companions. It was comforting to be reunited, yet a sense of concern gnawed at me as I observed the apparent frailty of most of my pack members. This called for immediate action. They needed to be empowered, to learn the art of the hunt, to become stronger. It was clear: they must be trained to fight.

    But before I could dwell on that further, Mike''s voice broke through my thoughts.

    "Have you considered getting a butler?"

    His unexpected question jolted me from my reverie.

    "Certainly not," I retorted with a snort. "I have enough on my plate as it is."

    Ju''s voice chimed in from across the table. "That''s exactly why a butler could be useful," she argued.

    Alice nodded sagely in agreement.

    "You need one. Every noble house has someone to manage these kinds of arrangements and tasks."

    Their synchronized argument left me feeling puzzled. It seemed like they had discussed this beforehand, but for what purpose?

    "Mike wants to take charge of the job!" Tom blurted out, earning himself a glare from Ju. It seemed he wasn''t the one supposed to divulge that information.

    I raised a brow.

    "What kind of crazy idea is this? We''re friends; he can''t be my butler. I refuse to lower him to that!" I protested.

    "Don''t fret about it, Lores," Mike reassured. "Every noble has a butler. You can''t expect to play the part without one. Are you suggesting we find a stranger on the market, someone with questionable loyalties? And does this mean we can''t be friends if I take the job? You need someone you can trust."

    "Ah? I hadn''t thought about it, Mike. Do we really need to discuss it now?" I questioned, hoping to buy some time. He shrugged.

    "Well, there are already things that need to be arranged, like accommodations for your suite in Guaranga, ordering clothes for various events, and so on. But once you receive the nomination, there will be more to consider. Just let me handle it!"

    "Hold on a second!" I protested "Making decisions about clothes without me? Not happening!"

    He cleared his throat discreetly.

    "Naturally, you''ll have the final say on your wardrobe, but we do need to find something suitable for this setting, wouldn''t you agree?"

    "Mike, you''re putting me in a tough spot, you know? What if some snobbish nobleman approaches me? How would he treat you? You know, like those arrogant viscounts and such?"

    "That''s precisely the point," he countered. "How do you think a regular butler would handle such situations with noble families? Trust me, I''m up to the challenge. I''ll handle interactions with those noble types and blend in with their staff. We can maintain our friendship in private while keeping up appearances as butler and employer in public."

    "Hmm, let me mull it over for a bit..." I responded, trying to buy some time.

    "Of course!" he graciously granted my request, only to contradict himself in the next breath. "In the meantime, I''ll take care of things, and you can let us know later! Perfect, my lady!"

    He winked at me, Tina chuckled, and Ju rolled her eyes.

    "Wait a minute, do I have to foot the bill for this?" I quipped amidst the laughter that erupted around the table, but before I could get an answer, we were interrupted by a boy who dashed over to our table. He positioned himself behind Alice and tugged gently on her arm to get her attention, then whispered something in her ear.

    Surprisingly, I felt my ear twitch, and I caught every word of his whisper:

    "Milady, the carriage has arrived, and there are five vacant seats!"

    Alice turned to me. "We could secure five seats on the carriage to Guaranga. Should we take them, and who should come along? We need to decide quickly!"

    My decision was already made. "Take the boys!" I instructed. "Once you''re in Guaranga, send me a message!"

    She rose from her seat. "Excellent! Thank you, milady!"

    With a slight nod of her head in my direction, she then turned to address our companions.

    "Gentlemen, we''re departing. Now!"

    The four exchanged glances briefly. Mike was the first to react, rising hesitantly from his seat, and the others followed suit.

    "Quickly, quickly!" the boy urged. "The carriage waits only until they change the horses!"

 Chapter 263 - Instincts Unleashed

    Once Alice and the boys departed, we wrapped up our breakfast and headed back to our rooms to pack. Since the boys had dashed off so quickly, I decided to gather everything I could find in their room and stash it in my inventory. I wasn''t certain if they intended to take all the items left behind, such as the rocks near Tom''s bed, but I collected them anyway.

    ¡°So, what do we do now? Do we wait for the next couch that should come later in the day?¡± Tina asked.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°No, I hate waiting, we should start going towards Guaranga¡±

    Tina looked at me skeptically. "I guess Lynx might be unhappy to carry all of us," she quipped.

    Ju jumped in, "I think he wouldn''t mind, but first, I can teleport. I could almost keep up with a coach for a while. And secondly, maybe our Lores would like to try her transformation again?"

    "You''re right!" I agreed, nodding. "Even if I am a little reluctant, I would like to see the transformation again. So, did you check us out?" I asked Ju.

    Tina looked perplexed. "What do you mean by check-out?" she wondered.

    "Leaving the inn," Ju explained. Then, turning to me, she added, "There is no formal check-out here, but I already informed the innkeeper that we''re leaving. I wonder where Lynx is?"

    We were already in the inn''s courtyard and Lynx materialized near me, startling me.

    "Here!" he answered.

    I snorted. "I wish you would give a warning before doing that."

    He grinned in response. "You''re onto something. Next time, I might give a loud warning growl. What do you say?"

    I shook my head in despair.

    After Ju helped Tina climb onto his back, we set off down the country road, leaving the way station behind us. The road ahead was deserted, but we could see a caravan getting ready to depart from the way station behind us.

    "So, when are you going to try your transformation? I want to see your lynx!" Tina impatiently asked.

    "I want to get further away from the way station first, so I can undress," I explained.

    Glancing back, I saw that we were now far enough away, and the caravan hadn''t started moving yet. I veered off the road towards some nearby bushes, removed my clothes, stashing them in my inventory, and then focused on casting the transformation spell.

    It took some time for the spell to take effect, and when I finally opened my eyes, I was met with confusion. I didn''t feel any different; everything seemed normal, as it always did. But as I glanced around, I noticed an overwhelming amount of detail that my brain struggled to process.

    Taking a deep breath, I was greeted by a myriad of interesting scents.

    My ears twitched, trying to localize the source of so many sounds: the air was filled with the buzzing of bees, the chirping of birds, and the rustling of footsteps in the bushes. Intrigued, I followed the sounds to investigate, startling a mouse in the process. It froze in place at the sight of my looming figure above it. I chuckled, watching it scurry in a frenzy towards its borough.

    My ears caught wind of an intriguing birdsong nearby, prompting me to leap forward in curiosity. Amidst the cacophony of sounds, colors, and smells, I felt a sense of intoxicating exhilaration as I bounded from one discovery to the next, encountering a variety of new and unfamiliar creatures along the way.

    The swift movements elevated my woolgathering and pursuit of rainbows to a new level. It was incredible! I began to sprint and the sensation of the wind brushing against my sides, the speed at which I could maneuver around obstacles and leap from tree to tree was absolutely exhilarating. I picked up even more speed, racing faster and faster until I became nothing more than a blur, a fleeting gust of wind streaking through the jungle.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    During a particularly audacious leap, the tree I intended to use as a trampoline gave way, exploding into thousands of splinters. I tumbled through the air, crashing through several other trees and bushes before landing back on my feet, my claws leaving long gashes in the ground as I regained my balance.

    Despite acquiring a few insignificant bruises, I remained undeterred, finding joy in the unexpected and uncontrolled flight through the woodland. It was quite amusing!

    However, my attention was soon drawn to a lone, startled giant buffalo, its head raised in alarm at my antics. I chuckled with delight ¨C all these emotions had stirred up my appetite, and here was my future lunch presenting itself before me! Well, not quite on a platter, but rather on a glade.

    I toyed with it for quite some time, prolonging its hope, letting it see openings that I closed only in the last moment, but eventually, I grew tired of the game. Its desperation had become evident, almost begging me to end its torment.

    When it made one final attempt to gore me with its horns, I sidestepped the attack and then swiftly tripped it. With a leap, I seized its neck in my jaws, feeling the warm blood bubbling between my fangs as the beast struggled in its final moments.

    "Always late for lunch, aren''t you?" I chided Lynx half an hour later, as I lay on my belly, working to digest the half-eaten bull.

    Lynx stopped at a safe distance, setting Tina and Ju down. I assured him that I was fully in control and wouldn''t harm them.

    "You can bring them closer," I added, gesturing towards Tina and Ju. "The little one could use some of this nourishing food. She looks so skinny and weak."

    "Wasn''t our destination the city?" he asked in English as he approached me, then glanced back at the two. "Come on, girls, she says it''s safe to come closer!"

    "Really? Is that what she said? I thought she said, ''Bring that dessert closer!''" Ju exclaimed.

    I snorted at her doubt, casting a sidelong glance at her. That was all it took for Tina to rush to me in an unexpected burst.

    "You''re so beautiful!" she exclaimed, embracing me.

    I sighed at her spontaneous outburst. Children were so trusting and unpredictable! It was a good thing my instincts were in check. I rolled my eyes.

    She didn''t need to say that I was beautiful; anyone with eyes could see that!

    I tried to respond in English, but all that came out were funny noises, which prompted Tina to hug me even tighter. Oh, well.

    Once Lynx had finished his portion, acknowledging my hunting prowess, we prepared to depart.

    "I''ll take the kid, and you take the elf," I suggested.

    Lynx nodded in agreement, so I picked up Tina, and we set off toward the town.

    "Are you sure you''re doing it the right way?" Lynx asked with an amused tone.

    I snorted. What did he mean? How else should I carry a cub?

    Tina protested. "Come on, Lores, this isn''t funny anymore!"

    I glanced at Lynx and felt a twinge of nausea: the elf was riding on his back! I tried to calm myself. Well, that wasn''t so bad; it was like a cub playing on his back.

    Strangely, that reminded me of something: horseback riding! Oh, drats, maybe I shouldn''t carry Tina in my mouth. I gently set her down.

    She exhaled, shook herself off, and burst into laughter.

    "Well, I was wondering what the guards would say when you entered the town carrying her like this," Ju commented from Lynx''s back.

    Tina responded by sticking her tongue out at Ju. I simply shrugged, trying to ignore the commotion I had unintentionally caused.

    Ju chuckled and shook her head.

    "Instead of Lores picking up some manners from you, you start behaving like Lores!"

    I sighed and ignored the friendly jab.

    It took me some time to adjust to having Tina on my back. Initially, I feared I might lose her with every step, but as I grew more confident, we picked up speed. However, it took us quite a while to reach the road and start our run toward the town.

    Trotting lightly, I had time to reflect on what had happened. My lynx instincts had been so overpowering that they had overridden my rational mind. Despite feeling perfectly fine after the transformation, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I had been acting solely on instinct. I needed to find a way to regain control.

 Chapter 264 - The Unforeseen Escort

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

 Chapter 265 - Cursed Paths

    While Tina had won her little dispute with Ju and had gotten us into the city unexpectedly quickly, I was completely exhausted. It wasn''t just the physical effort of running all day, though that was certainly part of it. The dust and the stress of running behind a cavalry company had taken a toll on my lungs and my animal instincts.

    The stress came from my position: either I should have been running behind them to chase them, which would have made sense, or in front of them as the leader of the pack. I could have run much faster without significantly more effort, but running behind as if I were a lowly member of the herd was simply too stressful.

    I continued to sneeze all the way to Alice''s Inn, much to the amusement of the occasional passerby. Fortunately, Alice''s message had reached us on the way, so we knew where to go. It was the Gladiator''s Pit, a huge inn in the artisan''s district, built over an old gladiator arena.

    Alice had reserved rooms for us, as well as an isolated barn filled with hay for our mounts. There was even enough hay for me to make a comfortable nest, which helped soothe my stressed self. I drank a lot of water and settled into the hay, refusing to budge, even when Alice and the boys came to visit. Not used to running for hours, I needed my rest and soon fell asleep.

    When I woke up, it was night outside, and I wondered where Lynx was. My domain wasn''t as evolved as Lynx''s, making it difficult to easily pinpoint everything around me. Additionally, the inn''s security measures caused numerous distortions. Judging by the stars, it was still early in the night. Curiosity won over laziness, and I floated as a shadow to inspect the surroundings.

    I soon found our rooms, just as Alice had described, across the yard. I recognized Alice''s mantle in one of the rooms and materialized there to dress myself. Looking into the mirror, I realized why transforming into a shadow had required more effort than usual: I was back in my demon form. Annoyed, I sighed at this new discovery. When I had previously tested the shadow melding spell, it hadn''t disabled my ''Veil of Inscrutability,'' but it seemed to revert me to my demon form. Perhaps I needed to learn a new shadow-walking spell for my half-human form.

    I switched back to my half-human form and was just about to put on a dress when Alice entered the room.

    "Oh! Here you are! I was just looking for you!" she said, quickly closing the door and coming over to help me. "Actually, this is my room and Tina''s. Ju prepared your bed in her room."

    "Why am I with Ju?" I wondered aloud. I didn''t mind sharing a room with her, but I was curious about the arrangement. The barn had a certain appeal, but it was probably better for me to sleep in a bed.

    "She said it would be good to keep an eye on your health and be nearby in case you need urgent healing after one of your ''sudden trips''," she explained. "We do have another bigger room, which was actually reserved for you, but we''re using it now as a meeting room."

    "Why did you reserve a bigger room for me?" I wondered.

    Once I was dressed, she gave me a hug and then shrugged at my question.

    "Mike said, ''noblesse oblige,'' or something like that when he reserved it for you. The room has a special array to ensure privacy. Everyone is gathered there now. Do you want to meet them before going to bed, or should we talk in the morning? By the way, there''s a relaxing bath being prepared for you if you want to refresh."

    A relaxing bath sounded tempting, but for the moment, I opted to join them and followed her.

    As Alice opened the door, an appetizing wave of smells hit my nostrils, and I heard a heated conversation that had been completely blocked before. Not even my keen ears had picked up anything! That was an impressive isolation array!

    Everyone was there, including Lynx, who was explaining something to Tom while Tina placed a saucer with roast beef in front of him. At first, I was surprised by the multitude of food spread across the table, but Alice quickly clarified that they had Spartacius'' food bag. I had completely forgotten about it. She explained that it had stopped working in the other world, but Tina had tested it and found it functional again.

    I received a warm welcome that touched my heart. After being embraced by everyone as if we¡¯d been separated for ages, I was given the place of honor in the middle of the table. Mike placed a plate with roasted beef in front of me, its scent making my mouth water, and a glass with some liquid, that I discovered to be apple juice.

    With the problem of food and drink solved, I started listening to the conversation.

    "Uldaman is about one thousand six hundred kilometers south of here, which means almost one hundred posts for the running coaches to change horses. Each post is about fifteen to twenty kilometers. The entire journey takes about eighty hours per coach, depending on luck and weather. Typically, this is done in eight days and costs around fifty silver per person, not including lodging, food, and drink," Ju explained.

    Oh, well, money and traveling¡ªone of the eternal problems in Mephisto''s World!

    "Why not use a portal?" I wondered.

    "Portals are too expensive!" Hew countered.

    "I just checked the portal shops," Alice said. "A portal scroll to Uldaman costs about five hundred gold."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Yeah, I remembered from the game, portals were expensive because they required costly reagents in addition to a skilled mage to cast them.

    "Umpf. Can we afford one?" I asked, turning to Ju. But Hew answered from the other side of the table, deflating me.

    "No," he said bluntly, then added, "We have two hundred forty-seven gold and fifty-five silver."

    I raised an eyebrow. "We?" I asked.

    "It''s Ju''s and Alice''s money that we''ve pooled together," he explained.

    The conversation about money and various ingenious ways to save on transportation continued, but I focused on the cake and fruit salad Tina had placed under my nose. Both had exquisite tastes that I couldn''t quite define, so I had to ask her about the ingredients she used.

    I never imagined that one could use Spartacius'' food bag so ingeniously to create new culinary haute cuisine.

    Meanwhile, the team decided that the most cost-effective option would be to use the regular zeppelin line connecting Guaranga to Uldaman. I agreed with their proposal. The zeppelin flight would take about eight to ten hours, but the ride is very smooth and silent, with exquisite onboard service.

    I yawned, feeling full and tired. Would it be okay to take that bath now, after dinner? I turned towards Alice.

    "You mentioned something about a soothing bath?"

    She grinned at me. "Follow me!"

    *

    The bath and subsequent massage had been incredibly soothing, allowing me a long and restful sleep.

    The next day, though a bit stressful, involved the kind of stress I was accustomed to handling: a trip to the hairdresser, a shopping spree, and a visit to a tailor for evening and travel attire. The spider silk lingerie that came with the evening outfit was the epitome of luxury, but its price was equally extravagant.

    While Ju and I handled the shopping, Alice took the boys and Tina to the adventurer''s guild to register them. Though we didn''t plan on taking quests immediately, registration allowed them access to the messaging system. Unfortunately for Hew, his magic wasn''t developed enough to create his own flair, so the system didn''t work for him. However, it worked fine for Tom, Tina, and Mike.

    Alice also bought Vinayan language scrolls. Although we were in Guarava, the majority of people spoke Vinayan. Once the boys had a strong enough magic foundation, they could start using the scrolls to learn the language. Guarava was an excellent place to acquire these valuable learning tools.

    Returning to the inn, I was surprised to see Elenia waiting for me. I knew she had met Mike in the morning, but her presence now was unexpected. As soon as we entered the ground floor, she stood up from her table and hurried towards me.

    "Lady Lores, would you have a moment for me, please?"

    That was unusual. What could she possibly want from me? I sighed.

    "Yes, sure, what is it, Elenia?"

    She looked around nervously.

    "Can we go somewhere less public? The matter is rather confidential..."

    I glanced at Ju, to seek her opinion.

    "Sure," she said, "we can go into our lady''s room."

    We headed to ''my'' room, which had been tidied up.

    As we entered, Elenia was visibly awed by the space. I invited her to sit, but she hesitated, initially wanting to remain standing. After some insistence, she finally took a seat. Ju then asked if we wanted refreshments. Though Elenia initially declined, Ju persisted, and eventually, we found ourselves seated with glasses of some exotic beverage in front of us.

    "So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" I asked, taking a sip from my glass. It tasted like a fine Bordeaux, though Ju hadn''t introduced it as wine.

    Elenia glanced nervously at Ju, but I assured her it was fine to speak in front of her. She sighed and then began, "Lady Lores, my aunt Marsa is very sensitive to magic, especially dark magic and fortune telling."

    I raised an eyebrow at this unexpected introduction.

    "She was against me talking to and meeting with Mike," Elenia continued, gauging my reaction. When I didn''t say anything, she went on, "But once I did, she insisted we carry a lucky charm to avoid bad luck. She believes Mike is cursed, but now she says his curse is much too strong for her charms. As you know, he barely escaped with his life yesterday!"

    That surprised me; I didn''t know. I turned to Ju, and seeing my surprise, she explained.

    "During a break, Mike was almost crushed by a couple of huge logs that suddenly started rolling. Only Alice''s quick reaction saved his life."

    "Why did nobody tell me?" I wondered aloud.

    "But they talked about it," Ju began to explain. "Remember when Tom said that the laws of physics don''t properly work here? How was it possible for Alice to just put her shoulder into those logs and break them before they steamrolled Mike? And I told them they were forgetting to factor in magic?"

    I sighed. I had totally missed that part of the conversation.

    "My God, they should have just told me he was nearly crushed!" I almost exploded but then calmed down. It wasn¡¯t Ju¡¯s fault; it was nobody¡¯s fault. I turned back to Elenia.

    "Was this what you wanted to tell me?"

    "Well, that he needs that curse removed. Maybe your ladyship could enable him to visit a high priest specialized in curse removal?"

    I turned towards Ju, then back to Elenia. "How sure are you of this?"

    She sighed and shrugged. "Aunt Marsa has identified many curses in the past, and she¡¯s always been right. I trust her sight."

    "Is there anything she can do?" I asked, curious to see if this might be a way to siphon money from me.

    She shook her head. "She''s already done what she can. As I said, her lucky charms are too weak for the curse. They may work once, but that''s it."

 Chapter 266 â€“ Falling Down

    The next day, in the early morning hours, we were already climbing the spiral stairs of the high pier to board the zeppelin. It was a lively atmosphere, with people chatting excitedly while queuing on the stairs.

    Seeing the crowded stairs, I wondered what Lynx would do and if he would manage to come on board. He had refused to be taken inside as a mount, insisting that all mounts were confined to cages, but he had promised to accompany us. In the worst case, he could travel inside Alice''s ring. Lynx was agile enough to avoid stepping on any unstable surfaces, but to him, sneaking aboard incognito was a more interesting challenge.

    "We shouldn''t worry about him, he''ll be there," he had said. I did my best to ignore the creeping fear that he might get into trouble.

    Once on board, Alice and the group found a good table near a window that would be ours for the journey. There were no assigned seats on the zeppelin, but there was plenty of space to sit and walk around. Individual cabins were available, but they were more expensive, and we didn''t think it was worth booking one.

    Curious to explore the ship, I left the group and found a spot on the open deck to observe the frenetic activity as people loaded the ship. I expected more use of spatial items, but there wasn''t much. Most spatial items were small, intended for personal use, and moving things in and out required mana manipulation rather than a portal like our ring. The more I learned about spatial items, the more I appreciated the ring, even though it was going to fail soon.

    As I stood there observing the activity, a couple of young men approached my position. From their conversation, I understood they were students at a major university in Uldaman, returning to school after a short holiday.

    I ignored them, fascinated by the panorama. Soon, the ship finished loading, and after exchanging some signals and sounding a loud horn, it began to move. It felt more like a floating cruiser than an airplane. It was surreal to watch the shadow of the giant ship navigate slowly between skyscrapers while gradually gaining altitude.

    Guarava''s panorama could easily compete with many modern cities and come out ahead, even though it was relatively small compared to our metropolises, with just over a million people.

    As I involuntarily listened to the conversation of the two young men, who seemed knowledgeable about zeppelins, I couldn''t resist asking them how the ship moved. There was no obvious propeller, so how did it move?

    The boys were eager to explain. I learned that the ship had its own magic circuits that interacted with the planet''s magic circuit¡ªsimilar to using Earth''s magnetic field to propel ships. The propulsion power wasn''t very strong but was sufficient to accelerate the ship slowly to its cruising speed.

    Moreover, I learned that there was no danger of explosion, even though the ship used hydrogen for buoyancy. A magical protective sheen covered the zeppelin''s surface, ensuring that even if a fire occurred, it would burn outside the protective layer.

    I chatted with them for about half an hour, but as it slowly got colder, even with the magic array protecting the area, I bid them farewell and entered the protected area. I intended to return to Alice and the group, but then I remembered that my ticket granted me access to the first-class deck, courtesy of Mike¡¯s insistence on an upgrade. They would certainly ask me about it, so I went down the stairs to inspect the first class.

    Interestingly, the first-class deck wasn''t above but on the lowermost floor, featuring numerous crystal glass windows on the sides and sometimes on the floor, providing a fascinating view. One needed a good head for heights to truly enjoy the panorama.

    There was also a so-called "gentleman''s club," though the English translation didn''t quite capture the essence. The Guaravian word "thorhave" encompassed qualities of a gentleman, a fighter, a noble warrior¡ªall rolled into one.

    Feeling qualified, I decided to enter. The officer at the entry agreed, nodding at me as I stepped inside.

    It was a mix between a bar and a club, with numerous cozy corners where you could sit, talk, read a newspaper or a book, or simply watch the panorama.

    I heard a glass shatter on the floor, even though the flight was incredibly steady. I thought it was probably a stressed waiter. I turned and saw a young man hurrying out of the room. He looked like that foolish viscount, but I couldn''t be sure.

    Before I could ponder it further, a man waved to me from a nearby table in one of the private booths near a panorama window.

    "Lady Lores!" he called, standing up and walking closer. "Lady Lores! A pleasure to meet you. Would you do us the honor of joining us at our table?"

    As he approached, I recognized him.

    "Captain Dorstack?"

    I approached him hesitantly as he nodded.

    "At your service, my lady!" he said, guiding me towards their table. "I was just explaining to my two travel companions why I''m traveling now for an urgent audience with the Minister of War, and then you walk in! What a coincidence! What better way to explain to them what happened!¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "I''m not sure I understand?" I wondered aloud.

    One of the two ''travel companions'' at the table stood up.

    ¡°What our captain friend means is that the Minister of War has ordered him to the capital to receive a briefing about a certain incident that you were apparently involved in, young lady!¡±

    ¡°Baron Esterghom,¡± the captain said, gesturing towards the man who had just spoken, and then pointing at the other gentleman dressed in a long robe, almost like a bathrobe if it weren¡¯t made of satin or some other very expensive, light material. ¡°And Arch-wizard Godain.¡±

    ¡°Lady!¡± The arch-wizard bowed in my direction.

    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± the captain said.

    As I made myself comfortable, I turned towards him. ¡°I''m really sorry, do I understand correctly that you¡¯re facing consequences because of that blasted incident?¡±

    ¡°Not because of the incident itself, but because of my actions. I alone am responsible for those, so there¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry about,¡± the captain explained.

    ¡°The minister is going to give him a good talking-to. Our friend here is a fan of it and a serial repeater,¡± the baron laughed.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the hero who faced his whole company?¡± the arch-wizard said, eyeing me curiously.

    ¡°He told us he wasn¡¯t sure he was going to win the fight,¡± the baron chimed in.

    ¡°Ah... well...¡± I started, but before I could answer, the captain interjected with a tsk.

    ¡°We were facing a beast of at least wyvern level, an archer who could shoot supersonic arrows, both backed by a healer at the level of an archbishop and several other unknown entities, like our lady here. So yes, the situation was indeed not pleasant. And it was all caused by a drunk idiot!¡±

    The archwizard huffed. ¡°A beast of wyvern level! An archer comparable to the royal guard¡¯s archers and a healer of archbishop level? Are you sure you¡¯re not exaggerating, captain? Can you confirm this, young lady? What do you say?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to confirm or continue the conversation about the incident, but I was surprised at how accurately the captain had assessed our potential.

    ¡°I am impressed by how quickly and correctly Captain Dorstack assessed the situation and how swiftly it was resolved. I would have been in a very uncomfortable position if it had come to a fight.¡±

    The baron chuckled. ¡°You call a potential fight with a royal company an uncomfortable situation! That¡¯s one way of putting it, young lady!¡± He laughed silently for a moment, then continued, ¡°Well, it would have been an unexpected way to start the bloodletting for the Great Culling!¡±

    ¡°The Great Culling?¡± I asked, looking at the captain. He sighed.

    ¡°Please ignore our baron here; he is a pacifist,¡± he explained, leaving me even more confused. Then, changing the subject, he added, ¡°And what are your plans now in the capital? Are you here to see the festivities for the summer solstice?¡±

    ¡°Well, actually not. I was thinking of presenting the token to the royal court,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± the archwizard said. ¡°So you want to retire, young lady, just when the drums of war are growing louder?¡±

    I hadn''t heard of any incidents suggesting a coming war. Were we making an error trying to settle in the kingdom? I turned to the baron.

    ¡°Pardon me, I did not understand. What did you mean by the Great Culling?¡± Then, turning to the archwizard, ¡°And why do you say that the drums of war are growing louder?¡±

    The captain shook his head. ¡°Young people!¡± he sighed. ¡°War. They mean war. Have you not seen all the troop movements happening lately? War is brewing!¡±

    ¡°War? Why? Did anyone attack or is someone preparing to attack the kingdom?¡± I wondered. None of us had heard anything about this in the city yesterday.

    The baron rolled his eyes. ¡°Young people indeed! You do know that the long winter is coming, don''t you?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, but?¡±

    ¡°Let me explain,¡± the baron said. ¡°My barony has five thousand three hundred forty-six souls. We have food stored for six thousand souls for ten years, but not everyone is as fortunate. We¡¯ve had good harvests for several years and excellent storage facilities, but what if this year¡¯s harvest is bad? Then we might be short on food for a year. This should be manageable¡ªover the next eleven years, we could cover the shortfall, or the population might stabilize. But what if there were food only for five hundred people? What would you do then? You¡¯d need to cull your population or face a revolt. And that¡¯s just a small barony. Think of the big cities, the large domains, the dukes, the counts, the marquises. Everyone has their problems. Food can be stolen, lost, or spoiled. And what about our neighbors? Other kingdoms, orc tribes, the empire? Do you think Constancius the vampire has food for all his citizens? He¡¯ll trim the population so that only the necessary resources survive. How? Through war.

    ¡°They¡¯ll claim their kingdom was invaded and they need to fight back. He¡¯s not alone. Some count will say orcs attacked his village, others will claim elves want to restore their kingdom, and so on. But the reality is, they have too many people and not enough food. The weak die so the strong can survive. War is coming! That¡¯s what the Great Culling is. It happens every cycle, every forty years, but young people are always surprised when it comes!¡±

    The captain summarized at his turn. ¡°With the long winter, resources will become scarce. The Great Culling refers to the inevitable conflicts that arise as kingdoms and territories vie for what little remains. It¡¯s an age-old cycle¡ªwhen the cold comes, so does the fighting.¡±

    ¡°Constancius is a vampire?¡± I wondered aloud.

    The archwizard laughed. ¡°That¡¯s what bothers you? It¡¯s a well-known secret. No one in his kingdom is allowed to speak about it, but everyone knows.¡±

    At that moment, I vaguely heard a yell penetrate the room''s isolation and saw a body falling past the window. I caught a clear glimpse of the falling figure, and our eyes met for a brief moment. It was Mike. Was it really Mike? Had he just fallen? My magic confirmed it was him, and I reacted instantly, transforming into a shadow and flying outside the ship.

 Chapter 267 - Unmasking the Villain: Its Me

    As I materialized outside the airship, Mike was already a tiny dot plummeting toward the ground. Panic gripped my heart as I lost sight of him for a moment, but luckily his fluttering vest caught my attention even from that distance.

    In my demon form, I had no wings, so I quickly transformed back into my human form to deploy my wings and speed up my descent. The air whistled past me as I dove headfirst toward the ground.

    For a long ten seconds, I feared I was too late, but then I closed the distance surprisingly fast. Mike was floating with his limbs spread out, seemingly admiring the rapidly approaching landscape below.

    I almost missed him, but I adjusted my flight at the last second and slammed into his back. I wrapped my arms and legs tightly around him.

    He yelled in surprise, then mumbled, ¡°Lores?¡± barely audible, as he put a hand over mine.

    His hand felt warm over mine. I tightened my grip, interlocking my hands and feet to make sure he wouldn¡¯t slip away. With him securely in my grasp, I raised my head to look for the zeppelin, but it was disappointingly small, far away in the sky. There was no way I could fly back on deck; the ship was much too fast and already too far, maybe a kilometer higher.

    Having used a lot of mana for my previous transformations, I was running low. I frantically looked around for a good landing spot, but all I could see was jungle. We were still high in the sky, so I needed to conserve my mana to ensure a safe landing. Far to the right, I thought I could make out some signs of civilization, but it was difficult to be sure. Like a wasp carrying a too-heavy larva, I tried to navigate in that direction.

    To my relief, I saw a small group of avians flying towards us. I considered changing direction to meet them, but I dismissed the idea as the place I was steering towards seemed like the best landing zone, and my mana was depleting too fast. I realized I needed to let us fall again for a while and then stop our descent just before hitting the ground.

    With my last motes of mana, I guided us through the dense foliage, my ethereal wings remaining unaffected by the branches. We landed on the soft, mushy ground¡ªnot quite the perfect glade it had appeared from above, but good enough. We crashed into the grass, and I rolled over Mike, landing on my back. It was a relatively soft landing, all things considered. Exhausted and with a headache announcing its presence due to my depleted mana, I took a deep breath and voiced my frustration.

    "I''m going to kill that viscount, that fucking idiot! I''m going to kill him!!" I announced angrily. There was no way he was innocent and this had just happened by chance.

    I took another deep breath and looked at Mike over my forehead, almost planting my horns in the ground with the movement.

    ¡°Are you okay, buddy?¡± I asked.

    He tried to push himself up, raising his head. His eyes momentarily glanced over my frame, and I realized he was feeling uncomfortable seeing my nakedness. But I was too tired to care; my travel suit and precious ladies'' underwear were now lying on the floor in that club flying away from me. He nodded as I slowly stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he breathed out, and after a brief pause, continued, ¡°Thank you for saving my life!¡±

    At that moment, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. An avian about twenty meters away, flying above the bushes, had spotted us. I wanted to turn and wave at him, but before I could say anything, he threw a javelin. I could have dodged the damn spear, but it would have hit Mike instead, so I stood there and took it on my right hip.

    Luckily, the avian was low-level, under twenty, and his spear only grazed my skin, but it did graze it, and I yelled in anger.

    "What the fuck was that?"

    I shouted at him in Guaravian to stop, but it didn¡¯t help. More were coming, carrying small bundles of those light spears.

    For several seconds, I focused on parrying their throws, but the situation was becoming untenable. While at the moment they didn''t seem to be able to really harm me, they could harm Mike. When I saw one of them bringing a net, I decided I needed to react.

    I didn¡¯t have enough mana to fly and chase them, but I had enough to shoot a couple of small black bolts. They wouldn¡¯t be deadly, but they''d hurt them enough to make them think twice before coming close to me.

    The result was not as expected. All I managed to do was provoke them to fly faster, like an angry swarm of wasps, their spear throws becoming more random and dangerous. My headache grew heavier, and I realized I felt dizzy. Were their spears poisoned?

    That was too much. My anger boiled over, and I let out a terrible growl. It wasn¡¯t a human scream but the growl of the beast within me, announcing its presence. To my surprise, they dropped like swatted flies all around me.

    I stepped to the nearest avian, lifted its head with one hand, and growled, "Will you leave me alone, or should I eat you?"

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He trembled, still unable to move. I didn¡¯t know if they understood me, but they ceased to harass us.

    So much for expecting help from the avians!

    I turned towards Mike and sighed. ¡°Come, let''s go,¡± I said, grasping his hand and starting to walk westward, where I thought the road was. His face was as white as paper, and his hand trembled slightly, but he followed me.

    There must have been some poison on those spears because numbness was spreading from my hip. I had a certain resistance to poison¡ªor at least I should have. I halted briefly and checked myself. With my mana starting to recover, I circulated it through my body, and indeed, I felt better, as if being cleaned bit by bit.

    I turned to Mike. ¡°Did they hit you? Are you wounded?¡±

    ¡°No, I''m okay,¡± he said again.

    As we had already covered some distance from where we fought the avians, I judged that we could take a short break. The way forward was getting more difficult, and we might need to fly over it.

    ¡°Now, tell me what happened,¡± I said while putting on a pair of shorts and a blouse. I decided to spare the fine shoes, as they would only get destroyed, but the blouse and shorts were probably needed. Since I had that beast in my brain, I tended to see clothes more as unnecessary, fancy accessories.

    He explained that he had only leaned on a balustrade that seemed solid. Other people had done the same thing before, but when he did it, it broke. That was all. It sounded so stupid! I tried to think of some logical explanations.

    ¡°Maybe that viscount sabotaged the balustrade? But how could he time it to break right when you or one of our guys would rest against it? Alice would have noticed something like that!¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s a curse, as Elenia said?¡± he wondered.

    I shrugged. ¡°You mean the viscount cursed you? Or who else could and would have done that?¡±

    ¡°But Elenia''s aunt spoke about the curse even before we had met the viscount,¡± he pointed out.

    That was a valid point.

    I needed to consider that! Where could the curse come from? Could it have originated from the fight with Ju? But if that were the case, wouldn¡¯t Ju have mentioned something?

    Could I even check if it was a curse? White Flower had been able to detect and remove curses. Maybe I could find something in my memories to help me at least determine if he was truly cursed.

    ¡°Oh well, I''ll try something. Sit down and let me concentrate,¡± I said.

    I placed my hands over his head, trying to recall what Flo had done during the fight with the warlock at Tim''s party. She had repeatedly removed curses from me. I tried to remember her movements and replicate them, first on myself and then on him.

    At first it did not work and I only felt silly, but I persevered, doing it again and again and again, until once, when I did it on him, I sensed something there. It had a strange, familiar ''taste.'' I repeated the process on myself, then on him again. Yes, the same difference. It was as if something loomed above him, but that something was very familiar!

    My eyes went wide.

    ¡°Mike...¡±

    He looked at me. ¡°Is there something?¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± I fell to my knees. ¡°No, no, no! It can''t be possible!¡±

    I closed my eyes, trying to come to terms with what I had realized but still didn¡¯t want to believe. Could it be?

    ¡°Why did I accept it? Why! Mike, did you talk to anyone about my magical abilities?¡±

    He watched me, puzzled. ¡°Why do you ask that? I don''t understand. We do talk from time to time about your magic aptitudes with the boys and Ju!¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Do you remember that vow we took with Tom? I think it was his initiative, or was it Hew''s?¡±

    ¡°When? At Hew''s cabin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, at Hew''s cabin! Did you talk to anyone about me after that?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°No¡­ or maybe¡­ I did have an argument with my mom about you after you stayed with us. Sandra had told her that she likes you because you¡¯re a witch. My mom said witches are bad and insisted you¡¯re not a witch. I argued that there are good witches too, and if you are a witch, you¡¯re a good one. It was a silly argument and didn¡¯t go much further than that.¡±

    ¡°Was that all?¡± I asked, still not seeing the reason for the curse.

    ¡°No. After that, I talked with Sandra because she kept pestering me and asking questions about you being a witch, and I confirmed it.¡±

    I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. ¡°Why did Sandra come to the idea that I was a witch?¡±

    ¡°She spied on you when you slept there. Your room and hers are connected by a huge double door that can be opened to make it a party room. The door is normally covered with heavy draperies and looks like a regular wall, but it isn¡¯t. She just spied on you from under the drapery. I always wanted to ask, what did you do? She wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck. I did try transformation spells and worked on my wings and claws at that time. If she saw that, she had enough to think I¡¯m a witch.¡±

    "And that vow we took triggered the curse because I talked with Sandra?" he wondered.

    I sighed and shrugged. "It looks like it did."

    He cursed under his breath. "Can you uncurse me?"

    I shook my head. "I don''t think so. I can barely touch the spell that looms over you. I don''t have the level, but I think I was able to postpone it or delay it for the time being."

    "How come you don''t have the level?" he asked, puzzled.

    I sighed and raised my hands. "I think I can delay it. Somehow the spell reacts, because it is my spell, but I don''t have enough power to modify it. If we do this regularly, maybe once a day, we can keep it at bay until we find a permanent solution."

    After that, we just stood there, looking at each other in silence for quite some time.

 Chapter 268 - Flight of Fate

    We decided to stop for the night in a glade by the river. I pitched my tent on the uneven bedrock and we went to gather wood for a fire. I was hungry but didn¡¯t dare go hunting and leave him alone, so we made do with a scrawny ''rabbit'' I caught by chance. It had barely enough meat for a meal, but it sufficed for my human form. I had some water in my inventory, but it wouldn¡¯t last long.

    Our progress had been much slower than I anticipated. Even in my feline form, we couldn¡¯t move quickly. This wasn¡¯t a place for a level one human like him, so we had to advance cautiously, and I had to clear a path for him.

    The myriads of stars lit the sky with strange, unknown constellations as we settled down to sleep. I watched as the red moon rose and sighed. It would have been such a romantic setting if I wasn¡¯t exhausted, with a boy I had no romantic feelings for, and being relentlessly hunted by flocks of mosquitoes.

    We had only one sleeping bag, mine, and he wanted to sleep without it, but that made no sense¡ªthe night was too chilly. I had my old bed, but it wouldn¡¯t fit in the tent. At least I took out the pillow. We huddled together on the ninety-centimeter-wide latex mattress I had, using the sleeping bag as a blanket.

    The tent had a mosquito net, so we didn¡¯t need to close it completely. Despite the net, mosquitoes were annoyingly active, only partially repelled by my aura. My aura works against mosquitoes if I concentrate it, as I do when I ''disinfect'' the boys, but I can''t keep it that concentrated all the time. That requires active mental effort. Maybe I could train my aura more, to do it automatically, like creating cleaning bubbles. It would be wonderful to develop an anti-mosquito repelling aura!

    We hadn¡¯t talked much since the revelation about the curse¡¯s source, each of us trying to digest the information. Killing the pesky mosquitoes with my aura provided a distraction that eventually helped me fall asleep.

    It was a relatively restless night, with us waking each other up countless times. At one point, I got an elbow to the nose as he fought something in a dream. We had to go outside for the toilet several times, and I forbade him from going alone, wanting to keep him within my aura''s protection. When we finally stood up early in the morning, we were both more tired than when we went to sleep, unable to enjoy the vibrancy of the nature around us.

    I scrounged some food from my inventory for breakfast, but as we were packing up, I saw trouble coming: a sybrex had appeared, sniffing at the edge of our glade.

    Sybrex are a reptilian species, partially similar to Earth''s Komodo dragons, but more agile. They move on four legs but stand higher and hunt in packs. They look like large wolves or bears covered in scales, with reptilian heads. They are ferocious and stubborn hunters.

    I wanted to kill it, but by the time I told Mike to stay put and switched into my lynx form, it had run away. I couldn¡¯t risk following it and leaving Mike alone. We set off again, but after about ten minutes, I saw the sybrex trailing us.

    "Fuck, we''re getting into trouble," I said with a growl.

    Mike looked back and saw the beast. "You mean that crocodile?" he asked, showing he partially understood my growling.

    I growled back, telling him it wasn¡¯t a crocodile. The sybrex crouched low, like a cat ready to pounce. Just as I thought of transforming back into human form to talk to Mike and put him up in a tree while I chased the trailing sybrex, a whole group of them appeared in front of us.

    Did the first one call the others? It could be. The problem was that the smaller sybrexes could climb trees, so that option was moot once the pack showed up.

    The first sybrex was level fifty-six, but the new ones were level nineteen, sixteen, seventy-one, and seventy-five.

    "Don¡¯t worry about me, save yourself," Mike said, misunderstanding the situation. He thought I was in danger.

    I pushed him towards a natural redoubt formed by some rocks. The beasts weren¡¯t here for me; they were after him.

    ¡°Is this my curse again?¡± he sighed.

    It wasn¡¯t. This was just bad luck. We were in the pack''s territory, and they smelled easy prey. The sybrexes communicated with low and high-pitched sounds, showing an uncanny level of coordination. Their tactic was simple but effective: one or two would provoke me, simulating attacks, while the others waited for the moment to strike at Mike. It was the same way they would hunt a lone rhinoceros with its calf.

    Any time I moved to follow one of the attackers, another would prepare to jump at Mike. I was constantly on the defensive. They knew my strength and tempered their attacks to easily disengage, not letting me capitalize on any opportunity. It was a game of patience and endurance. The first mistake would be fatal, and they had time and numbers on their side, while I was alone.

    "Leave me and go away!" he insisted, but I growled, unsatisfied with his suggestion.

    After a while, he came up with another proposal. "Could you outrun them?"

    Now, this was a bit more optimistic. I growled back: yes, I could outrun them, but not with him on my back. The jungle was too dense.

    As time passed and more sybrexes arrived, their attacks became less frequent. We were now surrounded by twenty-some beasts. Were they waiting for something?

    I was trying to think of my options. I could try to fly with Mike, but it was too risky. First, with such a heavy load, I would need too long to fly high enough to be protected from their attacks. Secondly, they could follow, and I would soon run out of mana. I could tell Mike to climb a tree, but the trees around here were not that huge, and the sybrexes were better climbers than he was.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    What other options did I have?

    What would Lynx do? He would simply disappear. Could I do the same?

    As the sybrexes remained calm at a distance, I transformed into human form, spelled a protective mirror around us, and then transformed back into a lynx. The sudden change managed to confuse the beasts, and one of them came to investigate.

    This was the mistake I had anticipated, and I pounced, sinking my fangs into the intruder. The other sybrexes desperately tried to free their comrade, attacking from all sides, but their efforts were in vain. By the time they managed to reach me, their companion was already dead.

    I had hoped this would deter them, but it only seemed to strengthen their resolve. As I stood there, eating the foul-smelling, poisonous creature, more sybrexes arrived, and their levels were even higher. Several were now in the eighties. They didn''t attack outright but drew the circle tighter, forcing me to push back by jumping and attacking repeatedly.

    It was a massive pack, likely split into smaller groups that could quickly assemble if their territory was challenged. They seemed to mistake me for a rival beast with its cub, trying to establish a new territory. This, I theorized, was why they were so compelled to kill Mike.

    We were still there by nightfall, and I was out of ideas.

    "You know something?" he finally asked.

    "What?" I growled, turning on the other side.

    "You can''t fly with me because I''m too heavy, and they''ll give chase, isn''t it?"

    I growled, confirming the fact.

    "Can you transform me into a bird?" he asked.

    That question took me by surprise. I guess I could do that, but would it make sense?

    "Look, as Ju said, this is not a game. I''ve been studying a book on transformations for a while, and I might be able to transform you, but you should know that transforming you would alter your soul. Plus, things can go awry. Every spell can fail or misfire. What if something goes wrong?"

    He listened patiently to my long growled speech, but I guess he didn''t understand a word. He kept silent for a while, and I thought he had given up on the idea until he spoke again.

    "I had always dreamed of flying. I wanted to join the delta planning team, but my parents wouldn''t allow it. They said I wasn''t trained enough and that if I took up some sports, they might consider it eventually. As if they ever would!"

    I huffed and shifted my position, forcing some of the sybrex to retreat. "Will it come to a showdown now?" I wondered, but they retreated.

    ¡°Oh, Mike,¡± I growled, ¡°just because your parents didn''t let you try delta planning, you want to be a bird? Which kind? A hawk? A vulture? An owl? A parakeet? Every bird has a different personality, so which one do you want mixed with your soul? By the way, don''t forget that I am a feline!¡±

    He chuckled, seeing me lick my lips.

    ¡°A feline and a bird! Oh, come on, try something else to scare me. Delta planning would''ve only been a surrogate. Now I have the chance to fly for real! But I don''t want to look like those stupid avians we saw earlier. They looked like dumb turkeys and weren''t even good fliers. I want something totally different, like how you''re a feline. But I want to be a bird.

    You said that you often let magic decide because it finds the best option, the one that suits you most. Why not let magic decide what kind of bird I become? I''ll be able to fly, and as a bonus, we''ll be out of this jungle soon!¡±

    I shook my head and took a deep breath. This idea had some merit, offering us a potential escape route. Were we desperate enough to try it? I transformed back into a human, attempting to keep myself unseen. I cast an illusion around us once more but remained in human form for the moment. It was risky, but we needed to strategize our way out. I whispered to him.

    ¡°Mike, this might work, but there are risks. Are you sure you want to take them?¡±

    He snorted.

    ¡°The sooner we''re out of here, the better! Besides getting away from these beasts, we were moving too slowly even without them. Just make sure it can fly fast!¡±

    I was tense, my heart beating faster in my chest, but the sybrex weren''t advancing.

    ¡°Fine!" I said. "Just one more word, there are plenty of flying creatures out there, and you''ll still be low level. Just stick close to me, okay? Normally, I''d suggest sleeping on it, but¡­¡±

    He chuckled.

    I heard movement in the bushes and growled a warning. The steps retreated. I turned to him.

    ¡°Alright, let''s do it!¡±

    I touched him, and he hugged me briefly. I focused on the spell. Letting magic decide seemed like our best bet since I hadn''t studied birds. I hoped it would work out correctly.

    My magic swirled around us, uncertain, like a dark cloud. Thankfully, Mike kept his eyes closed with a smile on his lips. In the next moment, the magic concentrated over his form and he disappeared.

    ¡°Mike?¡±

    I stood up, looking around. His clothes lay in a heap on the ground. Where could he have gone?

    ¡°Mike?¡± I asked again, fear creeping into my gut.

    Something trembled under his shirt. I quickly took it off and found a small bird trapped within. A swallow?

    Just as I freed the trembling bird, I sensed imminent danger ¡ª deadly danger. I flapped my wings and took off just as a beast landed where I had been moments before.

    Other beasts jumped, attempting to reach me as I gained altitude with the tiny bird in my grasp.

 Chapter 269 - A Price to Pay

    The Uldaman University Campus sprawled over several picturesque hills in the North-Western region of Uldaman City, nestled just East of the majestic Imperial Palace. The expansive area comprised a variety of buildings, each with its own unique purpose and architectural style. Lecture halls and seminar rooms dotted the landscape, providing spaces for intellectual discourse and learning. State-of-the-art laboratories buzzed with scientific exploration, while numerous student dormitories offered a range of accommodations to suit different preferences and budgets.

    Two grand libraries stood as the intellectual heart of the campus, housing countless volumes of knowledge and quiet study spaces. The campus was also equipped with armories and training halls, reflecting the university''s commitment to a well-rounded education that included physical prowess and strategic skills. Dining options abounded, from affordable eateries perfect for students on a budget to upscale restaurants offering gourmet cuisine, all scattered throughout the verdant grounds.

    The campus itself was a garden-like sanctuary, featuring vibrant flower beds, intricate labyrinthine bushes, and numerous benches inviting students and faculty to relax and enjoy the scenery. Fruit trees lined the pathways, providing a natural bounty and adding to the serene atmosphere.

    Beneath this idyllic surface lay a vast network of tunnels and catacombs, ingeniously connecting the buildings. These underground passages were particularly vital during the harsh, long winters, ensuring that the university community could navigate the campus comfortably and efficiently, regardless of the weather conditions above.

    Alice walked quickly along the winding path toward the Emerald Lecture Hall. She needed to find the location ?e on street d, which was entirely different from location a?, where she had mistakenly headed before. Location ?e was 105, while location a? was 501. They sounded the same in Guaravian and Vinayan but were written differently; a heat e was written ?e in Vinayan but a? in Guaravian.

    Her tardiness was due to the numerical differences between the two systems¡ªGuaravian numbers placed the smaller digits at the front, while Vinayan numbers placed them at the end. The Guaravian guard had misunderstood her question and directed her to the wrong place.

    She sighed. There was no need to worry; Hew and Tina would wait for her if they had already finished their class. But what really troubled her was the lack of news from Lores. It had been three days since Lores had jumped from the flying ship to save Mike. What if they were dead?

    She shook her head, trying to dispel the disturbing thought. Maybe Mike had lost his messages during the fall, and Lores had none with her.

    The area where the incident had occurred was one of the worst possible locations. Perhaps only falling into the volcanic fields that lay beyond would have been more dire. The Calestres Forest, where the two were now, spanned vast stretches of the border between the former Kingdom and the Vinayan Empire, making it one of the most feared regions on the continent. The road connecting Guaranga to Uldaman took a wide detour to avoid it.

    She had great hopes that Lores would survive. The demon girl had shown uncanny survivability and resourcefulness, but Mike? Even with Lores by his side, his chances looked grim.

    She sighed. What would she do if Lores didn''t return at all? Suddenly, everyone was looking to her for decisions, and everything had become her responsibility.

    Julietta had fallen into a catatonic sleep the moment Lores left the flying ship and had not awakened since. Alice had arranged for Lynx to take Julietta off the ship and carry her, so others wouldn¡¯t see her incapacitated state. Now, Julietta was in their rooms, guarded by Lynx. This was another point of worry for Alice, as she didn''t know how long the elf could survive without food or drink. What could she do?

    To add to her concerns, their financial means had been greatly reduced, as she had no way to access Julietta''s money. This was one reason why she had booked a cheap apartment for all of them in the student district, further northwest of the university, near the outer wall. Housing was cheaper there, and they could blend in more easily with the student population.

    Luckily, Spartacius'' food bag was working, which solved one major problem: feeding them, especially Lynx. Without it, her finances would have been ruined within weeks. After all, who could afford to buy a cow every other day and stay solvent?

    Initially, she had been reluctant, but eventually, she agreed to let the boys attend courses at the university. Participating in open lectures was mostly free and it was a great opportunity for the three young men and Tina to expand their knowledge.

    Their alibi was that they were all students from the Arhang Islands, a small archipelago to the west of Adwana. Since the game had introduced English as a language spoken on that archipelago, and one of the starting points for players was there, they had a good explanation for their low levels and language, even though by now they all spoke Vinayan. Even Hew, who had finally reached the point where he had a magic foundation, was now attending lectures at the Emerald Hall to learn about finance and mathematics, while Tom and Michael were more interested in the study of war at the War Institute.

    Tina was still undecided about her field of study. She was more interested in natural sciences, but for now, Alice had asked everyone to stay in groups of at least two and agree on what to study. Currently, Tina was with Hew in the Emerald Hall.

    The university campus was reputed to be very secure, but Alice watched with concern as a ragtag group of demonstrators gathered. There was always some kind of protest or demonstration happening, but this group seemed larger than usual. Though she didn''t pay attention to their chants, she kept an eye on them. They were religious zealots, shouting slogans and trying to stop passersby to preach their ''teachings''. As long as they didn''t aggressively push or touch people, it was bearable.

    The real problem with these religious zealots arose when they felt their religion or deity was insulted. Then, they could become dangerous.

    "There''s a new bishop in town," a passerby remarked.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Surprised to be addressed, Alice turned and saw a dark-haired woman around her age, also eyeing the zealots. Alice raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" she asked.

    "The old patriarch died unexpectedly yesterday, and his nephew, Kyrylys, has taken over his insignia. There are rumors that not everyone inside the church agrees with this," the woman said, stepping closer.

    Alice had a feeling that the woman was around level thirty, but she refrained from identifying her to avoid seeming impolite. Some people didn''t like being directly identified, and the feeling Alice got was enough to gauge her.

    From the woman''s dress, Alice recognized her as one of the campus guards. "Which religion do you mean?" she asked.

    The guard woman huffed.

    "It''s obvious you''re not from here! It''s the new twin gods religion!" the guard-woman said.

    "Well, it''s not that new," Alice protested.

    The woman laughed. "In this kingdom, it is new. Hell, on this continent!" the woman added laughing even louder.

    Alice shrugged but before she could leave, the woman asked, "Are you here to meet your prot¨¦g¨¦s?"

    Surprised, Alice raised a brow, hesitating on what to answer. The woman smiled and explained,

    "I''ve seen you bringing them to the lectures and taking them back each day." She shrugged. "It''s my job to know what''s happening. Felicia is my name," she said with a slight bow.

    Vinayans didn''t usually shake hands, except in very close, familiar settings. A small bow or nod was the normal greeting.

    "Alice," she responded. "Indeed, I am here for my... prot¨¦g¨¦s."

    ¡°There¡¯s a training room with a dense magic atmosphere that students can use for free,¡± the guard-woman explained. ¡°The student fee for most courses is only one silver per week. They can meditate there for free or even do some physical exercises. It could help those who are magic-starved.¡±

    Alice chuckled at the term. Calling the boys "magic-starved" was quite appropriate, even if a little derogatory. Besides that, the advice wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea!¡± Alice acknowledged.

    After exchanging a few more words, she said goodbye and continued on to meet Hew and Tina.

    Once in front of the Emerald Lecture Hall, Alice observed that the doors were open, but most students were still inside. She nodded to a couple of bodyguards she recognized. While most students didn''t have bodyguards, some did. However, even the prince''s bodyguards waited outside the lecture halls for him. She supposed there might be a couple of bodyguards disguised as students, but officially, the prince was just a student like any other.

    She glanced inside and saw a group of students still chatting in the middle of the room. When Tina saw her, she came out.

    "They still have something to talk about," Tina said after greeting her.

    "Who?"

    "Hetaxia and some students."

    Alice raised an eyebrow. "Who is Hetaxia?"

    "The lecturer," came the answer. "There were some monks who came in as ''students'' and now try to convince and convert people, but Hetaxia is putting them to shame with her logic."

    The level sixty-two priestess trembled uncontrollably, sweat trickling down her brow. Her ankles were bound to the chair¡¯s legs, her hands tied behind her back. She tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but the bindings were too tight.

    "This... this... Your grace, this is not necessary..." she mumbled through her tears to the older man who was pacing in front of her. He stopped and looked at her for a moment.

    "Then why were you hiding from me and my men? Why didn¡¯t you report back?"

    "But... but... your grace... I just came back from the jungle... the young viscount..."

    "He is no viscount yet; I am not dead," the man said with a sigh. "So why didn¡¯t you report?"

    "I... I... I couldn''t. I just barely made it out. I had no money, and I was afraid..."

    "You were afraid?"

    "It... it... it ate them... it simply ate them... it just stood there, munching on Dirk''s hand and looking at me..."

    "So, a beast eats your team, and you run and hide?"

    He came close, leaning over the priestess.

    "And you do not report to me? You let my son think she was dead? How could you?"

    "I... I... The connection was always handled by Heather or Dirk. I never wrote... I didn''t know... I''m sorry... I barely made it out alive... without money..."

    "What? Did the beast take your money?" the rogue behind her sneered, pulling the cords even tighter.

    "I told you everything. I told you how it happened. It shredded my belly and belt in one swipe. I lost everything, including my staff. I barely escaped alive..."

    The viscount turned towards the rogue and sighed.

    "I have no more use for her. Dispose of her at your discretion." He then left the room.

 Chapter 270 - Reunion

    Even with Mike''s new ability to transform, it took us another ten grueling days to reach Uldaman. However, the whole unwanted and unneeded adventure had a consolation prize: by the time we arrived, Mike had reached level five.

    Though still a low level, the change in him was noticeable. He had shed some of his extra weight, and there was a new determination in his eyes. He had become proficient in fighting with a staff and could fend off a hog or a wild dog if push came to shove. Achieving this level of progress in just ten days was highly unusual, and I suspected the transformation ability was helping in ways I didn''t yet understand.

    As surprising as it might be, we ran into the Trewars again.

    Despite their snail''s pace with two oxen-pulled wagons, they had managed to keep up with us.

    Emerging from the jungle, I was surprised to see them on the road. I thought their destination had been Guaranga, but as we sat by the evening fire, I learned otherwise. They were traveling through the land in search of the best place to spend the long winter, a place that promised the best survival chances. Guaranga didn¡¯t fit the bill.

    After we decided to go meet and greet them, it resulted in a bit of a cumbersome situation as Mike had to appear dressed in my bathrobe. I could not find anything else in my wardrobe that would fit him, except him wrapping himself in a blanket. Thankfully, Netor later provided him with a pair of trousers, a shirt, and a pair of shoes.

    Mike rewarded them by recounting his fall from the zeppelin¡ªwhat they call a flying ship¡ªour fight with the avians, the sybrexes, and the struggle we endured until we reached the road, including the spider¡¯s web he got caught in.

    As they continued discussing our epic journey, I began nodding off, my head drooping from tiredness and my eyes closing involuntarily. I stood up, excused myself, and went to sleep in the tent. I left Mike with the Trewars, as their reunion seemed to have surprisingly energized him.

    I don¡¯t know if he finally told them about his transformation; he didn¡¯t mention it during the story about the sybrexes. I wonder if he¡¯ll keep it a secret from Elenia too. But it''s his transformation, his secret, so it''s up to him to decide when and to whom to reveal it.

    Speaking of transformations, interestingly, in the morning I woke up in my lynx form and almost exited the tent like that. For a moment, panic surged through me as I realized Mike wasn''t in the tent. But then I spotted him in my domain: he was already up, standing near a wagon where Tehia and Elenia were preparing breakfast.

    After breakfast, we walked with the Trewars to the next village, chatting along the way. It was a relatively large village with over three hundred houses and even a post office. These post offices also functioned as subunits of the adventurers'' guild, so the two of us headed there.

    The post office clerk, a young girl of sixteen working part-time, was excited to meet us. She even offered us tea on the house while we browsed through the quest lists. Although we could buy messages to send, unfortunately, this post office was not linked to the overall adventurers'' guild network due to its small size.

    These small one-silver messages are, in fact, very complex spells introduced with the adventurers'' guilds. Messaging existed before, but not in such a standardized and accessible way. Now, all you needed to do was register with the guild. Once registered, you could buy these message scrolls, write your message, and even opt for upgraded messages that could contain voice mail. Upon sending, the scroll would transform into a small magic bird that would attempt to reach its destination.

    The logic is simple: the bird flies to where you ''think'' the addressee is and searches the area. If it doesn''t find them or starts approaching exhaustion, it heads to the nearest post office and registers there.

    You can check any post office for your message, and the message will automatically find you through the internal network.

    As we were both now penniless, our first priority was to earn some money. Then, we could write a message to Alice and, in the next bigger village, find a mailbox where we could check for any replies or messages from her.

    I could have asked the Trewars to lend us some money¡ªthey might have agreed¡ªbut I didn''t want to impose on them too much. They were careful with their finances, and who knows if we would meet again. They were heading to Uldaman now, but we would be leaving as soon as I got the nomination for my future fief.

    Questing was a good and easy way to make money, especially with my level and our flying ability. Plus, we could use the earnings to pay back Netor for his clothes.

    As I sifted through the list of quests, I took a sip from the teacup and casually asked Mike, "You didn''t come to sleep in the tent last night..."

    The clerk, who was about four meters away, suddenly seemed very engrossed in reading a book, while Mike''s face turned red. I wondered why that was.

    "Ahm... I thought it would be improper to sleep with you in the tent," he finally mumbled.

    I raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

    "We already did that several times in the jungle, and you didn''t seem to find it improper then," I pointed out.

    He sighed, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. "Well, theoretically, we took turns to stay on guard outside," he replied.

    So that''s what he told the Trewars? The idea of him guarding me from jungle beasts was laughable, but I kept a straight face. There was something more he wasn¡¯t saying.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°So, where did you sleep then?¡± I asked.

    His answer came like a shot from a shotgun.

    ¡°I slept with the juniors in the open, between the wagons. The two families sleep in the wagons with the smaller kids, and the adults sleep by the fire in the open where one keeps watch. That''s where I slept.¡±

    ¡°And did it just happen that Elenia slept there too?¡± I asked.

    He looked alarmed as I brought it up. He sighed.

    ¡°True, but we didn¡¯t do anything, I mean...¡±

    His cheeks couldn¡¯t get any redder. He took a deep breath, which seemed to stabilize and calm him.

    ¡°She was just there, near me, that¡¯s all,¡± he said finally.

    I watched him, half amused, half alarmed. He was clearly fond of her, and after our conversation in Guaranga, it was obvious Elenia was very fond of him too. This was probably the first "love at first sight" I''d ever witnessed. Was it really so? Did she have any interest in pushing this further? But she seemed genuine when we talked about him and his curse.

    I sighed. Maybe if we hadn''t met them again, it would have been just a random happening. But looking at him now, it seemed to be getting serious. I shrugged. It wasn''t really my business.

    ¡°Did she register with the guild? Once we''re in Uldaman, you could send her a message...¡± I suggested.

    His eyes, dreamy and full of hope, turned to me.

    ¡°May I?¡± he asked.

    The memory of me asking for permission to go out when I was four or five flashed through my mind. "Mama, may I go out and play with Lola?"

    I sighed. Why does he feel the need to ask for my permission? It was the perfect occasion to make fun of him, and I almost did, but I only shrugged.

    ¡°Of course you may!¡± I turned back to the list, considering the chapter closed. ¡°Now, this quest about a pest invasion on the Holmark farm seems like a good one, or what do you think about this fox burrow in the vicinity?¡± I turned towards the clerk. ¡°Which quests could be completed the fastest?"

    We had the firepower to tackle most of them, but I didn''t want to waste too much time here. We just needed enough silver to send some messages and continue our journey.

    *

    Two days later, we had enough money to sleep and eat in an inn. We then flew towards Uldaman, catching up with the Trewars once again. This time, it wasn''t a surprise. I kept an eye out for them as we advanced. We could have shortened our route, but I wanted to meet them again and repay Netor for the clothes he had given Mike.

    We slept by their camp once more but left very early in the morning. This time, Mike embraced and kissed Elenia goodbye before we walked off and disappeared into the morning fog, ready to take flight.

    My spell to delay the curse on Mike seemed to work fine, but I had to "rewind" it at least once a day. I couldn¡¯t precisely describe how it worked, but I could visualize it. It was like a dark cloud of magic accumulating above his head, triggered when it gathered enough energy. My rewind worked like putting it back to a previous state, removing that energy.

    It helped, but it wasn¡¯t a perfect solution. The curse sometimes triggered randomly at lower power, depending on the circumstances. It was like a continuous spell accumulating energy to do some mischief; the more energy it had, the worse the results were. Sometimes, even a little energy was enough to trigger something. At least it wasn''t a sickness spell-curse or a life-consuming one.

    Now, thinking about it, the curse was crafted as I would make them. It was clearly my curse. What worried me was why it did not cease after a certain time. Was I so vengeful and unforgiving?

    *

    Ethea had already set and Gomer was just following; it was late in the evening when we finally arrived in Uldaman at the address Alice had sent us.

    We found a very bored Lynx and a confused Ju, who had just woken up and thought she was still on the flying ship. Unfortunately, her enslavement ring was putting her in this kind of magical sustained coma whenever she was away from it.

    Despite this, she refused to take the ring from me, fearing what it might do to her sanity if she were to carry it. Oh, well!

    A few moments later, Alice arrived with the others, and our meeting quickly turned into a spontaneous group hug.

    "Wow, you made it, you made it!" Tina exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace me tightly, burying her head against my chest. "You made it!" she whispered again, tears brimming in her eyes.

    It did shock me to realize how much I was missing them! I looked at them in surprise; they had all changed and evolved. Tina was now a level nine mage, closing in on level ten. Hew was only at level one but had established his magical foundation. Tom was identifying as a martial fighter, level two. Did that mean that some of his karate skills were now supported by magic? How and what? I was curious to find out.

    To put the cherry on top, Michael had reached level three! He was still identifying as just plain ''human'' but level three!

    ¡°Wow!¡± Tina said, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°Mike is butler level five! How did you do that?¡±

    Butler? I turned to look at Mike. Indeed, he did identify as a butler! How? What skills did he gather? This must have happened in the last few days. I opened my mouth to ask him, but then refrained with an effort.

    ¡°Next time I¡¯m the one to fall from the zeppelin to get my levels up, OK?¡± Tom said.

    ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Hew protested.

    "What bothers me," Lynx said, "is why Mike is wearing Netor''s clothes and where are his blue jeans?"

    "They must have fallen over a new species of blue jean moths in the jungle," Tom acknowledged.

    As they continued their banter, Alice asked me about the curse.

    ¡°What about the curse? Is it still active? Did you have any problems with it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well...¡± I sighed, then raised my eyes. ¡°We know now where it is coming from and how to suspend it for a while...¡±

    At this, Alice raised a brow, looking intrigued.

    "What''s the problem? Why does it sound like you don''t like it?"

    "I am... I mean, I was the one who cursed him."

    Tina''s jaw nearly hit the ground. "You''re not serious," she said.

    "But I am!"

    And I told them about that day at Hew''s cabin when we took an ''innocent'' vow.

 Chapter 271 â€“ Midnight Supper

    The news about the curse''s origins dampened the atmosphere for a while, but it didn''t completely break the mood. There were still so many stories to tell and so much news to share, even though we''d only been apart for ten days!

    We moved to the living room and took our places around a huge table that could accommodate about twenty people. I was surprised by the extravagant, almost luxurious apartment Alice had rented. It occupied the entire ground floor of a villa. The living room had two broad doors that could open onto a terrace overlooking the garden. On either side of the door, there were huge windows filling the entire wall, offering a view of the garden.

    At the far end of the garden was the barn where our mounts were supposed to stay.

    The living room itself was enormous, with a fireplace on the opposite side of the garden doors and a cozy corner with a couple of armchairs and a couch. In the center of the room was the long, elongated table oriented parallel to the garden view.

    As we sat around the table, Tina, with Michael''s help, started pulling out evening meals for everyone from Spartaciu''s food bag while we continued talking.

    ¡°So, Mike only talked with his sister about your magic skills and that activated the curse? Does talking about your skills here endanger anybody?¡± Alice asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, it shouldn''t be a problem. I don''t remember exactly what we said at the time, but I think this should be fine!¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Lynx said, shaking his head. ¡°You need to be sure. The boys risk their lives if you''re wrong!¡±

    I sighed, feeling conflicted. I couldn¡¯t recall the exact wording of what we had said. Thankfully, Hew stepped in to save me:

    ¡°She only begged us not to blurt anything about her magic abilities,¡± he said. ¡°Then Tom came up with the idea to swear a pact. How was it? Something like, ''I swear not to betray her''?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Tom countered, ¡°it was Mike who did the final wording, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Mike shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t remember the exact wording,¡± he said with a sigh.

    ¡°Oh, but yes, Tom is right!¡± Hew said, recalling. ¡°It was: ¡®I swear to not reveal anything about her magical abilities to anyone else unless she approves it.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Mike nodded in approval.

    A moment of silence followed.

    ¡°If you did it, can¡¯t you remove it?¡± Tina wondered.

    I shook my head with a sigh. ¡°The spell is too strong for my current power. I cannot undo it. For me now, it¡¯s like a giant dead weight that I¡¯m too weak to even rattle. All I can do is adjust it a little, like pulling energy from it and thus delaying it.¡±

    ¡°Well, this means they shouldn¡¯t talk about your magical abilities with anyone else until you can solve it. That¡¯s what it is,¡± Michael said with a shrug.

    ¡°Besides that, you should inspect them daily,¡± Alice added. ¡°Just to make sure nothing happened¡­¡±

    I nodded. I was already inspecting everyone for parasites, so adding a curse check wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.

    ¡°So how did you manage to gain some levels?¡± Mike turned to Tom.

    I was grateful for the change in conversation. There wasn¡¯t much more to say about the painful subject of the curse.

    I was surprised to hear Tom¡¯s answer. Encouraged by Alice, they had enrolled as student candidates. This allowed them not only to follow courses, which were mostly free, but also to participate as observers in many seminars and use some facilities. That¡¯s how Tom had access to a sports training room, where he practiced his karate katas. Michael had been enrolled in a mage apprentice class, where he was trying to find his affinities, while Tina was following a fire mage course. Hew was studying mathematics and philosophy.

    ¡°How did you finance all this?¡± I wondered, looking at Alice. I knew she had changed the initial apartment for a bigger one besides taking on these additional costs. I didn¡¯t know Alice to be the type to spend all her money fast.

    Alice shrugged modestly. ¡°Well, I did have some savings, but¡­¡±

    Tina didn¡¯t let her finish and spilled the beans with a broad grin on her face. ¡°She¡¯s working as an archery trainer! And guess who¡¯s one of her pupils!¡±

    Alice, working as a trainer? She had the levels to teach archery, but I never saw her giving lessons.

    "I always did teach the orphans when I was in Lilytown..." Alice explained.

    ¡°The little princess!¡± Tina continued, not giving me time to guess.

    ¡°What? Who?¡± I wondered. At first, I thought it was some kind of nickname, but then I learned it was really a princess.

    Alice then filled us in on the whole story: The king had four sons with his first wife, who were now great dukes, each with their own family. After his first wife died, he married a Vinayan noble and had three children with her¡ªa boy, now sixteen, and two girls, fourteen and twelve.

    The boy was suffering from an illness that stunted his magical development, causing significant concern among the royals about the girls potentially facing the same issue. The royal doctors had diagnosed it as severe anemia but were unsure of the exact cause. Rumors suggested it was due to bad blood, implying bad genes, which of course, couldn''t be attributed to the king.

    The boy hadn''t progressed past level six. The girls were now at the same level and were being closely monitored. As I pondered these low levels, Alice further explained that children gaining too many levels too quickly could result in serious growth problems, potentially causing magic-induced dwarfism. This is because the body and mind might stabilize too early, capping their growth and magical potential at a very young age.

    Accumulating some magic was beneficial, but pushing too much too early could be disastrous. Consequently, as a rule, any magic training only started after children reached puberty. The most dangerous period was before the age of ten. Generally, twelve years old was the age to begin magical studies. By sixteen, a noble was expected to reach levels between eight and sixteen.

    When I heard that, my heart skipped a beat, and my mind raced to thoughts of Michael and Tina. Were they progressing too fast? Tina was already level nine! I glanced at her, worry etched on my face.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Tina chuckled, seeing my expression. "Hold your horses, Lores. We''re doing fine," she said with a smile.

    "But, but, Michael has suddenly gained three levels! Isn''t that dangerous?" I asked, still concerned.

    She shook her head dismissively, but Alice stepped in to reassure me. "He''s already fourteen. Tina will soon celebrate her fourteenth birthday, so don''t worry, they are doing great."

    I sighed in relief. I hadn''t known that this could be a problem. In my mind, it was always about levels, levels, levels¡ªthe more, the better. Suddenly, there were so many more problems when you had children in your herd!

    "So," Tom continued the story, "there had been an altercation between the princess and her new trainer. Alice, unaware of who she was talking to, had intervened. The princess was very dissatisfied with the replacement because her trusted trainer was sick."

    "And rightly so!" Alice added. "He was exaggerating the mystical aspect. In a real fight, if you stop to ask Aldea for permission before using any magic, you''re dead before you even shoot an arrow."

    "Another Twin Gods religion nut?" Lynx asked.

    "No," Alice shook her head. "This is a different one. It''s a version of that religion plaguing the Denka countries. They''re called Genna''s Witnesses."

    "Oh, a different kind of nut!" Lynx exclaimed with a sigh, while Tom continued.

    "I was there when the altercation happened and it was really funny to see. The trainer had furiously demanded that Alice either shut up or show what she could do and teach the girl that one technique. She was expecting her to fail as you cannot teach a technique so easily, in one go. However, Alice''s straightforward and efficient approach was such a novelty for the princess that she insisted on training only with Alice until her original trainer returned. That''s how she became the backup royal trainer."

    ¡°And they listen to what the princess wants?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a lot of noise behind the scenes, but in the end, yes, they do not dare to contradict her directly,¡± Hew acknowledged. ¡°Besides, the princess has the queen¡¯s ear.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you can finance everything?¡± I asked, looking surprised at Alice. ¡°You¡¯re doing really well!¡±

    She shrugged modestly.

    ¡°You know,¡± Tom suddenly said, ¡°if we¡¯re going to stay in this world longer, this is a good place to be! A lot of young people, scientific research, but there are also parties and fun!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hew agreed. ¡°I like this place. It''s nice and clean, the place is secure, and people are polite. It¡¯s like a retro movie where you can¡¯t quite tell if it¡¯s the fifties or the nineteenth century.¡±

    ¡°I like it too,¡± Michael added, while Tina nodded.

    ¡°We can¡¯t all stay here and live off Alice¡¯s salary!¡± Ju said, shaking her head. ¡°But if the domain brings in the expected income, we could come back and stay here for some time. It¡¯s how many noble families manage.¡±

    ¡°This place is too clean! Where are the beggars? Not everyone seems well off, but I''ve never seen anyone begging for food like in the villages outside. You''d expect a big town like this to have some struggling people,¡± Mike wondered aloud.

    ¡°The guards throw beggars out of town,¡± Alice explained. ¡°If they¡¯re caught begging repeatedly, they¡¯re branded with iron like burglars and thieves and aren¡¯t allowed back into any town or village. They become outcasts. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t see burglars or thieves here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some people with iron rings around their necks. Are they slaves? Are there still slaves here?¡± Tina asked.

    Ju nodded. ¡°While slave markets are forbidden, owning slaves isn¡¯t. Some people are debt slaves, working off their debts, while others are bought in other countries and brought here as slaves. It¡¯s a legal gray area. If a slave runs away, the guards won¡¯t capture and return them, but there are others who will do it for money. If they try to capture an escaped slave in the market and the slave fights back, the guards might arrest the captors for creating disorder. But most slaves are controlled so thoroughly that they don¡¯t even think of escaping, even after unimaginable abuse.¡±

    ¡°So, not everything is as nice and beautiful as it appears at first sight,¡± Michael observed.

    We continued talking late into the night, eating, drinking, and sharing our impressions of this world while learning more from Ju, Tina, and Alice.

    *

    After everyone went to sleep, my mind was still too active to let me rest. I found an armchair in a corner of the dining room and settled in it with a half-empty glass of wine in my hand. I wanted to sit for a moment and try to make some order in my stressed mind.

    Mike saw me and approached with a bottle in his hand to fill my glass. I chuckled at his butler act. He''d been subtly playing this role most of the evening.

    "It''s all right, Mike. I don''t want to get drunk; I just need to sort out my thoughts," I said.

    "What troubles your ladyship?" he inquired with a stern face.

    I raised a brow at him insisting on playing the game, then sighed. "Why do you do this to me, Mike?"

    "You''re going to the palace tomorrow to place your bid for a barony. How you present yourself can affect how seriously they take your request. So, a bit of practice can''t hurt," he shrugged. "And it''s good for me too, for my skills. So, those are my reasons. May I take a seat?"

    "OK, if you want to. It''s fine, you may sit. So, you think I need practice?"

    He did not sit on the other armchair but pulled a chair and sat down.

    "Yes. You don¡¯t take yourself seriously enough, you¡¯re not used to people showing you respect, and you¡¯re not used to demanding it."

    He sighed, and as I stayed silent for a couple of moments, he asked, "So, what ails you, my lady?"

    I chuckled and sipped my wine.

    "Mike, I''m not worthy of respect. I''m just a fucking coward. I could bring us all back to our world in a couple of days if I did it right. It''s only my ineptitude and fear that keep us here. Do you understand?" I raised my brows and looked at him. "We could end this fast. I could remove the curse from you. All I need is some courage, but I don''t have it. You see why I''m not worth your respect? So, stop the nonsense. There''s no reason to call me ''lady.''"

    "How would you do those wonders?" he asked, filling my glass again.

    "In vino veritas, eh? I''ll tell you anyhow what I need to do. I lost part of my power because I refused to get summoned. Now, I hope that maybe with time I''ll get my powers back, but in reality, I regained some of my power when I accepted some summons. Then and only then. All I need to do is accept some summons. I don''t know, maybe one would be enough, or maybe ten, but it can be done. Once I do the needed summons, I''ll have my power back and can solve all our problems. See? It''s only my cowardice that forces us to stay here, that keeps you with that damn curse hanging like a Damocles sword over your head."

    "But you risk being killed when summoned, don''t you?" he asked.

    I sighed.

    "Possibly. Or maybe I''d just have to clean a cottage. It''s true, sometimes it can be really bad. Like when I was used as a tank to fight mobs in a dungeon, or... Just think, what would people need a demoness for? I''ve learned that there are ways to trap a demon and milk its mana. In that case, I wouldn''t die fast but be unable to return for some time until I could escape. A lot of shit could happen, and yes, I might die, but here''s the rub: I should respawn. If I''m truly a demon, I should respawn."

    I sipped some more from the glass but didn''t let him refill it.

    "That''s a hard test. Is there any other way you can find out if you''d respawn? And, more importantly, do you lose something if you die?"

    I scratched my forehead near one horn. There''s a particularly itchy spot there.

    "What other way? Killing me halfway? No, there''s no other way. And yes, I may lose something. If I correctly understood what the other demon told me, I''d lose the memories of my lightfire spells. That means I wouldn''t be able to move from Hades on my own anymore."

    "So, you''d not only risk your life but also risk losing the ability to ever take us out of here? You risk not even being able to come back? Then I''d say it''s not worth the risk."

    ¡°What about your curse?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What if you die and can''t come back? What would I do then?¡± he shook his head. ¡°No, lady, it''s not just fear keeping you from accepting summons. It''s probably best not to take them.¡±

 Chapter 272 - Chains of Consequence

    My butler woke me up earlier than I wanted or agreed to, insisting I make my visit to the palace. No amount of bitching or threats helped.

    ¡°How dare you enter a lady''s room while she sleeps?¡± I protested.

    He shrugged off my complaint. ¡°I''ve seen you sleeping before, my lady. Remember? You told me you need to place the request early, or you might be postponed until tomorrow.¡±

    I sighed, annoyed. If Elenia were nearby, he wouldn''t remember anything but standing guard outside the tent. Yet, when it comes to my sleep, he suddenly has no problem recalling every detail!

    I turned over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being postponed? Tomorrow is also a day! You''re fired! Let me sleep!¡±

    He chuckled. "You can''t fire me, you don''t pay me anything!"

    After that small victory that left me speechless, he declared, "Breakfast is served!"

    Seeing that I still didn''t move, he resorted to threats. "I don''t want to use the cold water I brought with me, but if necessary¡­"

    ¡°Don''t you dare! You''re risking your life!¡± I yelled in outrage, raising my eyes to see... he had none. It was just an empty threat. I snorted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t pay you?¡± I asked, surprised.

    He nodded eagerly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t, but you should correct that!¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t we talk about payment before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but talk is cheap,¡± he replied. ¡°You said you¡¯d fit the bill, and that was all!¡±

    I chuckled and rolled my eyes as I stood up, wrapping myself in the bed linen. Since our travels through the jungle, I seem to transform during the night and find myself in the morning, out of my pajamas, somewhere in my room¡ªspread on my bed, beside it, or sometimes under it.

    I went to wash up and found myself facing a new problem. Last night, Mike had shown me how everything worked, but I¡¯d partially forgotten. I still remembered how to flush the toilet, but couldn¡¯t manage to get any warm water. Drats, the way they implement bathrooms, water flows, and heating isn¡¯t standardized, and I¡¯ve encountered a different version each time. Well, cold water it is. At least I was really awake after that shower.

    After having breakfast together with the ''students,'' I headed to the palace accompanied by Ju.

    With her following a step behind me, I realized I now looked like one of those rich nobles, strutting around to display my elf servant. I had to work hard to ignore the envious and sometimes disdainful looks I received.

    The palace was adjacent to the vast university compound, and in less than a quarter of an hour, we entered it. Guards were stationed at the entry and lined the corridors, but access to most areas was permitted. Some restricted sections required special allowances, but I didn''t need to go there. I knew exactly where the magistrate for veteran affairs and war compensations was located and headed straight there. I had visited this office with Cala a few times to cash in smaller rewards when I needed money, or at least I had Cala''s memory of going there.

    While I could remember the palace vividly, I had completely forgotten how to operate those water taps. Or perhaps I had never learned that part at all. It was clear that when that fateful explosion happened in the Death Node, some fragments of Cala''s mind were embedded in mine, but not everything. Again and again, I discovered missing pieces, and I still wasn''t sure what it all meant.

    As I pondered this and casually admired the beautiful architecture of the palace, we passed a green yard just in front of the magistrate''s office. Suddenly, a boy jumped from a group of people and ran directly toward us. My mind was elsewhere, and before I could react or say anything, he dropped to his knees and took Ju''s hand in his.

    "Sister, please help me!" he mumbled.

    He was trembling all over, burring his face in Ju''s robe as he clung to her legs. From the group, a guard had jumped to follow him, and then two more followed.

    Everything happened so fast that I didn''t even realize those weren''t royal guards. Barely seconds after it all began, the first guard reached us, only to have a thirty-centimeter sickle materialize in front of him. His eyes widened in shock, but he couldn''t stop and impaled himself on it.

    He hung there, trembling feebly like a bug pinned to an invisible wall. Ju raised her hand, warning the other two guards.

    "Stop, and I will heal him!"

    I turned to look at them, my mouth opening to say something but closing again as my mind struggled to comprehend the situation.

    The two remaining guards halted, staring at their impaled colleague in horror. They then turned their heads back, clearly waiting for instructions. A woman in the group, dressed in a very elegant gown, nodded reluctantly, clearly displeased to have her conversation interrupted.

    I just had the time to identify them: guard, level sixty-five, guard, level sixty-eight.

    At that moment, several royal guards burst into the yard just as the sickle vanished and the flailing man fell to the ground. Ju knelt beside him and began to heal him. The man, breathing hard and coughing blood, soon showed no signs of the horrible wound except for the spilled blood and the cut in his shirt.

    The royal guards approached us cautiously but determined, forming a half-circle with drawn swords, isolating us from the rest of the people.

    As I stood there, peaceful and cooperative, while Ju healed the wounded guard, one of the royal guards, a red-haired woman in her twenties who seemed to be in charge, raised her left hand, possibly signaling the others to stop. She sheathed her sword and walked closer while the others remained ready nearby.

    "Was that spell that spilled blood yours?" she asked, directing her question at me.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Obviously she would suspect me, not the healer or the scared young boy.

    Only then did I notice the collar around the boy''s neck and his long ears, finally understanding the situation: a young elf slave had seized his chance to escape. That ''spell'' had been Lynx''s claw.

    I sighed and nodded. "Who else?" I said with a shrug. "I''m sorry. I thought he would stop before impaling himself on it."

    She raised an eyebrow, taking me in. "I see," she answered.

    More royal guards arrived, but she signaled that everything was under control. She turned back to me.

    "Spilling blood inside the palace is a felony that may carry the death penalty if you are found guilty of aggravated assault. You are under arrest!" she declared, watching me attentively to gauge my reaction.

    I knew it was bad, but not that bad. I sighed, raising both hands placatingly. Fighting now would be stupid. Besides, I hoped there was still a way to walk free.

    Ju raised a hand. "May we just walk into the next room first, for a short moment? My lady was just about to place a claim with the magistrate."

    I thought the guards would explode with fury at such audacity, but to my surprise, they accommodated her.

    "Ah, veterans," she mumbled. "It''s okay to walk into the next room and stay there until I come to take you!"

    I suppose she wanted to get the story of the incident from the other people without us there. She turned towards her guards.

    ¡°You accompany her and wait for me there!¡±

    They nodded. The kneeling boy was still trembling on his knees, clinging to Ju''s hand. She spoke gently to him.

    ¡°You can stand up now, you are safe. Come with us, please.¡±

    Strangely, I wasn''t particularly alarmed. The guards didn¡¯t seem particularly hostile, and I hoped I could escape if I really wanted to. I remembered that Cala had been arrested a couple of years ago when she was level eighty-two for participating in a party that went swimming in the forbidden royal bath.

    The royal cells in the palace had been clean, and the guards surprisingly civilized.

    Well, that¡¯s how I entered the magistrate¡¯s room¡ªto place my bid for a domain¡ªwith a royal guard escort, followed by Ju and an escaped slave. I''m not sure I made the impression Mike wanted me to make there.

    The conversation with the magistrate had been very short and efficient. He took my token and promised that I would get the nomination as soon as I got out of jail, dead or alive. He assured me that the normal wait time was less than a week, but he also recommended that I prepare a representative and my testament in case I am found guilty. In any case, the nomination festivity will be on the first Kargath day after my liberation.

    Soon, the red-haired royal guard woman came, and we started walking towards the guard¡¯s headquarters and prison.

    ¡°You know, there are a lot of people who would sympathize with what you did,¡± the woman explained. ¡°Even among the guards. But the law is the law," she added with a sigh. "You spilled blood inside the palace walls, so you have to face the judge. A good point for you is that your... elf healed Madam Clarissa''s man.¡±

    ¡°Madam Clarissa?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°The head of the Clarissa Company, one of the leading handler houses...¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± I exclaimed.

    We walked further in silence for a few moments.

    ¡°She doesn''t take it personally against you. She said that if you pay fifty gold upfront, she won''t raise any other charges. Anyway, I understand she has now booked a fifty gold debt line for you in their companie''s accounts.¡±

    She shrugged, not expecting a reply from me, then continued on another theme.

    "You know, something bothers me..." she said and paused. I stopped to look at her, waiting for her to continue. She nodded toward the young boy who was following in a distance together with Ju.

    ¡°This boy had been tested before being allowed into the palace. To ensure no such scene occurs, each slave brought inside this compound is interrogated by the guards. They have the option to run away right there. If someone brings a slave here, it''s like daring us to do something, knowing we can''t intervene directly. That''s why we often separate the slaves and ask them a few questions to give them a chance to escape. Yet he was meek and followed her without saying a word to the guard. The question is, why did he suddenly risk everything by asking you to free him? You could have let her guards take him back.¡±

    ¡°You mean this was a trap?¡± I wondered, surprised.

    She shrugged, eyeing me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don''t know. He seemed genuinely afraid, but who knows. Maybe he managed to break free from the compulsion to follow his master... or did you help?¡± She looked at me, trying to see if I had influenced the young boy, then started walking again. ¡°Oh, well, why would you have done that? To get arrested? Whatever, it¡¯s not my business. You¡¯ll get your questions from the judge...¡±

    I sighed and followed her.

    "Nice spell, by the way!" she said with a grin, changing the subject again. "Stopping a level sixty-two guard with one spell? You''ve got my respect, lady!"

    I rolled my eyes at the undeserved praise. Lynx had managed to remain completely unnoticed, even after displaying his claw so spectacularly.

    ¡°You use the adventurers'' scale?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just theirs; they don¡¯t have a monopoly on it. More or less everyone uses it nowadays. It¡¯s the best scientifically done measurement," she replied. "Just because they use it doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t.¡±

    Five minutes later, I found myself looking at Ju and the boy from behind bars. Due to the ring, she was forced to stay within a few hundred meters of me, but the guards were kind enough to let her stay by my side. The boy still clung to her hand and hasn''t spoken a word since the event. With him being an elf it was very difficult for me to estimate his age.

    We were in an annex to the guards'' headquarters, and at the end of the corridor, I could see a main room bustling with guards. In our section, only a couple of guards were talking softly. There were no other prisoners in this wing, except for one visibly inebriated noble in a cell opposite mine, closer to the main room.

    Ju was sitting on a simple wooden bench opposite my cell. I sighed.

    ¡°If there could be just one time when I start something and nothing bad happens. Seriously, I go visit you and get blasted, I try to wash myself and ants attack us, I sing a song and that almost starts a war, I fly the zeppelin and Mike falls, I walk to the magistrate and end up in prison! It feels like I¡¯m cursed!¡±

    She looked up at me guiltily.

    ¡°I can guarantee there''s no curse on you,¡± she said hesitantly, but the guilty look in her eyes said much more.

    I took a deep breath. ¡°Did you do something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± she coughed into her hand. ¡°I¡¯m always doing something. Not sure what you mean specifically.¡±

    There was no need to ask her any more; it was clear she had done something¡ªperhaps removed a geas from the boy¡ªbut this wasn¡¯t the place for details. It was better for me not to know what had really happened.

    ¡°Was it really necessary?¡± I wanted to ask, but seeing the wide-eyed boy clinging to her hand, I swallowed my words. I looked at her with half-closed eyes and instinctively scratched my scalp near the left horn.

    ¡°Could it not wait?¡±

    She shook her head without saying anything.

    ¡°So let me get this straight. Somehow his geas is... malfunctioning, and I idiotically cast a spell to impale that guard, because I¡¯m that stupid!¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± There was a cough from the shadows to the right of Ju, startling the young boy. ¡°You can¡¯t stop them by throwing flowers. Besides, one would expect someone at his level to react faster.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. Lynx had followed us even here.

    I sighed. ¡°Okay, okay. We¡¯ll solve this one way or another. Let¡¯s see what''s coming up,¡± I said, nodding towards the guards.

 Chapter 273 - Bargains Behind Bars

    The cell was relatively large for a prison cell, measuring about three meters deep and five meters long. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of massive stone blocks, perfectly fitted together to create a surprisingly smooth surface. The sides and the front facing the corridor were made of iron bars, spaced roughly ten centimeters apart. A two-meter wooden bench ran along the only wall, fixed at one end and suspended by two heavy iron chains at the other, likely serving as both a seat and a bed.

    Hanging beside the bench was a thick iron collar, along with several other iron rings that could presumably be used to restrain prisoners. There was also a pot in one corner¡ªwas that supposed to be the toilet? Was I really expected to use it in full view of everyone? Drats!

    Another pot held what looked like water.

    As I took in my new ''domain,'' Ju was softly speaking to the boy in Elvish, likely trying to calm him down.

    It didn''t take long for Alice to visit. Lynx had informed her and was likely accompanying her incognito, probably inspecting security in case I needed to escape. After some casual chatting, I discreetly handed her Ju''s ring in a small sachet to place in her inventory box. This wouldn''t make Alice Ju''s master, but it would allow Ju to leave with her.

    Just as Alice departed, the red-haired guard who had ''captured'' me returned down the corridor.

    "You have a visitor," she noted.

    I shrugged. "Alice just left."

    "No, your butler is here to see you. This is no place for¡ª"

    Before she could finish, Mike''s voice came from behind her, cutting her off.

    "Milady!"

    "Mike?!"

    The guard, clearly annoyed, turned and pointed back down the corridor. "I told you to wait there!"

    Mike shrugged, wearing an innocent expression. "But how could I wait when I heard my lady''s voice? As I mentioned to the captain earlier, I''m here to deliver the lady''s supper and today''s newspapers!"

    The red-haired guard snorted and rolled her eyes but didn''t protest further, allowing him into my cell and closing the door behind him. Once inside, Mike promptly extracted a small table and a chair from his inventory.

    "You''ll take that back!" the red-haired guard admonished, pointing at the table.

    "Of course, as the captain ordered," Mike replied with a nod. "However, all utensils needed to serve supper are allowed. As soon as the lady finishes her meal, I''ll remove everything."

    She snorted again, shaking her head in mild exasperation, but left without further comment. I chuckled at his antics, though I felt a bit of comfort in the familiarity of it all. I took a seat while he set the table, carefully laying out a plate and a spoon. He filled the plate with hot soup and placed a couple of newspapers beside it.

    "Bon app¨¦tit, my lady!" he declared.

    I picked up the spoon and took a sip. The soup was delicious, warming me up instantly.

    I always thought he''d eventually tire of this butler act. Who really wants to be a butler, anyway? But he kept surprising me, and the truth was, it did help me a lot.

    "You made this?" I asked, gesturing to the soup.

    He chuckled. "Your ladyship is too kind! I bought it from Friechie''s," he explained. As if I knew what ''Friechie''s'' was. I shrugged and nodded toward the newspapers.

    "Anything interesting in there?" I asked. There must have been a reason he''d brought them.

    "I took the liberty of picking up the ''Express,''" he said. "It''s a progressive student newspaper, but they''ve got an article about a bloody incident at the palace in this afternoon''s edition."

    That caught my attention.

    "A bloody incident at the palace?" I echoed, picking up the newspaper.

    As I read the article, I couldn''t make sense of it at first. The story was so far from the truth that I didn''t even recognize it as being about me. But as I read on, it became clear they were talking about the incident with the freed slave, and there was a picture¡ªa painting¡ªof me standing over the kneeling boy, surrounded by bloodied guards. The girl in the picture did bear a resemblance to me.

    "Is that supposed to be me?" I asked, surprised, looking at the sketch. Mike nodded. As I examined it more closely, I scoffed.

    "Oh, I''m looking truly inspiring here, but I doubt my breasts were exposed during the whole ordeal!" I protested, pointing at the page. If I didn''t know better, I''d say they were inspired by that famous painting, ''Liberty Leading the People.''

    He chuckled. "Must''ve been either some aftermath of fireball blasts or just artistic license, you know? There''s a student movement to ban all slaves, and it looks like they''ve decided to use you as their symbol."

    "I thought there weren''t any slaves," I wondered aloud.

    "Yeah, I thought so too, but it turns out it''s more complicated. Private individuals can''t buy or sell slaves in the Kingdom, but the state can. That''s the key issue here. War prisoners who aren''t ransomed or exchanged become slaves. Debt serfs are basically slaves too, though they have a few more rights and are usually only enslaved for a set period, as determined by a judge, similar to most prisoners. You can rent slaves from the state, but you can''t buy or sell them¡ªthe state has a monopoly on that. Well, except for those bought abroad."

    "Interesting. Then why don''t they return an escaped slave to their master?" I asked.

    "Because those slaves haven''t broken any laws here. They''re seen as wrongfully enslaved; they can''t be forced back to their masters since they haven''t been convicted of any crime that would warrant enslavement."

    Just as I was finishing supper, the red-haired guard appeared again.

    "A certain Baron Esterghom is here to see you," she announced, looking weary.

    I raised an eyebrow. "Baron Esterghom? What could the old man want?" I wondered aloud. "Please, let him in."

    She clicked her tongue, looking a bit incredulous. "I want to remind you that this isn''t a reception hall," she said, clearly not amused by the situation.

    I rolled my eyes, unsure how to respond. She continued, "He has brought a package for you. You should know that any packages must be inspected."

    I shrugged, curious about what the Baron could have brought. Cookies, maybe?

    "Okay," I agreed.

    I turned to Mike. "Do you have any tea?"

    He smiled. "Of course!" He removed the empty plate from the table and placed two cups and a teapot on it. He even pulled out a second chair, catching me off guard.

    "Oh, I see you''re prepared!" I remarked, wondering where he had gotten the inventory item from.

    "I got it from Tina," Mike explained, clearly understanding my curious expression.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Five minutes later, the jovial, round face of Baron Esterghom appeared in the corridor. His cheeks were even redder than the last time I saw him, probably from the effort of getting here.

    ¡°Baron Esterghom!¡± I greeted.

    ¡°Lady Lores! I''m glad to see you made it safely out of that dreadful forest, but I didn''t expect to find you here!¡± he exclaimed.

    I raised an eyebrow, but before I could respond, he continued. ¡°Well, I wanted to return your belongings, and when I heard you were here at the palace instead of your residence, I decided to visit.¡±

    The red-haired guard opened the cell door, feeling compelled to remind him, ¡°Baron, only the items that have been inspected!¡±

    He rolled his eyes as he entered the cell. ¡°Of course!¡± he assured her as the door closed behind him.

    ¡°My belongings?¡± I asked, unsure of what he meant.

    ¡°The robe and... other items you left behind the last time we met on the zeppelin, Lady Lores. Imagine, they insisted on unpacking everything to check!¡± he explained.

    Ah, drats. Now I understood why his cheeks were red. I also wondered if it was from embarrassment or annoyance at having his package inspected.

    ¡°Please, take a seat, Baron. Tea or... Mike, do you have some wine?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my lady!¡± Mike responded promptly.

    ¡°No, thank you, tea will be fine. I see you''ve made yourself quite comfortable here!¡± the Baron said, accepting a cup of tea from Mike. ¡°Ahem, my wife asked if you could share the address of that lingerie boutique, if you don''t mind...¡±

    I rolled my eyes, trying to imagine the conversation he must have had with his wife. We chatted for another ten minutes before he left, wishing me all the best.

    Not long after the Baron left, the red-haired guard returned, looking flustered.

    "An archwizard is here to see you!" she announced, clearly taken aback.

    I looked at her in surprise. "An archwizard? You mean Archwizard Godain?" I asked, recalling the name from the zeppelin flight.

    She nodded. "Yes!"

    I muttered to myself, "I wonder what he wants."

    As she turned to leave, I overheard her muttering under her breath, "Maybe he''s bringing another pair of panties?" My sharp ears caught it, and I raised an eyebrow, noticing her face flush even more as she hurried down the corridor.

    Mike, unfazed, continued tidying up the table and placed a saucer with biscuits on it. "Do you happen to have more teacups, Mike?" I asked, concerned. He smiled reassuringly and nodded, clearly having anticipated the need.

    The archwizard accepted a glass of wine along with some biscuits. The conversation flowed smoothly; he was a very polite old man. He asked about my journey through the wilderness, curious about the uncharted territories, the people, and the creatures we encountered. But eventually, he revealed his true interest: the spell I used to leave the zeppelin. Unfortunately for him, I had to disappoint; I wasn''t about to disclose that it was shadow-melding. Even if the spell wasn''t solely demon-related, it was close enough that I preferred to keep it to myself.

    After the archwizard departed, the red-haired guard returned, looking mildly exasperated.

    "You really have a busy social life!" she remarked.

    I shrugged. I didn''t really have much of a social life, but what could I say?

    "Would the young lady care for a glass of wine?" Mike offered, but she shook her head.

    "No thanks, I''m on duty..."

    "It was just a few visits," I tried to protest.

    "A few? That''s three already, and the fourth is here!" she retorted.

    "The fourth?" I echoed, puzzled. "And why is it always you dealing with my visitors?"

    "Because as long as you''re here, you''re my responsibility," she explained, then added, "A Viscount of Genevais wants to speak with you."

    I saw Mike raise an eyebrow, but he gave no other indication that he recognized the name.

    "Oh! I''m not sure I want to meet him," I said.

    The guard shrugged. "I''m the one who approves visits, not you, and I won''t refuse a viscount. You can hide in a corner of your cage and try to ignore him if you don''t want to talk to him!"

    I was taken aback by her acidic comment.

    "Please rest assured that my lady doesn''t need to hide in a corner," Mike said, his expression dead serious, leaving the guard a bit flustered as she walked away.

    I braced myself for the young, arrogant nobleman to strut down the corridor, but to my surprise, a relatively older man, probably in his late fifties or sixties, appeared. He was partially bald, with the remaining hair covered by a strange hat, and he wore the typical aristocratic attire. I raised an eyebrow at the unexpected sight.

    ¡°Lady Lores, despite the circumstances, I''m pleased to finally meet you in person.¡±

    However, his smug grin made it clear he took some satisfaction in my current situation. I sighed inwardly.

    "Viscount? Unless you''ve had an incredibly rapid aging process in the last few days, you don''t look quite as I expected," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Would you like some refreshment?"

    He waved dismissively at the guard standing by the metal door and gestured towards the bench outside the cell. "I hope you don''t mind if I sit out here," he said, taking a seat. The guard nodded and left us.

    He sighed, then continued, "It seems to be a trend with the younger generation to introduce themselves with titles ''in spe''. Oh, well..."

    I cast Identify on him: ¡°Swordsman, level fifty-three.¡± He raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing the magic.

    ¡°I see you''re not wearing mana-draining cuffs. A bit of an oversight on the guard''s part, but you should avoid using magic while you''re here,¡± he remarked, with a casual shrug. ¡°But what am I doing? My apologies for the bluntness; my mouth often runs ahead of my intentions. I''m here to discuss a potential arrangement, not to escalate matters. Consider this a friendly warning¡ªnot to use magic on other visitors or officials who come to see you.¡±

    I watched him dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Mike took out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

    ¡°Would you like some wine, sir?¡± Mike offered.

    I watched Mike, curious to see how he would manage to offer the wine to the viscount, who was standing a couple of meters away from the iron bars. But the viscount waved it off, declining the offer. Mike filled my glass as the viscount continued speaking.

    ¡°I¡¯m here because of the unfortunate incident involving my foolish son. His tendency to drink and surround himself with the wrong crowd led to that regrettable situation. Rest assured, I¡¯ve taken steps to ensure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand, Viscount,¡± I replied, puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.

    ¡°I want this dispute to end here,¡± he explained. ¡°So, I¡¯m asking you to promise not to take any action against my son, and in return, I will refrain from taking any actions against you or your house. He may be a foolish boy, but he¡¯s still my only son.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his proposition.

    ¡°I should promise?¡± I asked, a hint of incredulity in my voice. ¡°Wasn''t it your son who caused all the trouble?¡±

    The viscount sighed, nodding in acknowledgment. ¡°True, he¡¯s been an idiot, but you¡¯re not in the best position either. A lot of trouble could come your way. Wouldn''t it be better to bury this issue now? All I''m asking is for you and your gang to promise not to take any action against my house, and we can consider the matter closed.¡± He shrugged and added, almost as an aside, ¡°I always prefer to take the high and bloodless road when possible.¡±

    I shot him a glare at the mention of "me and my gang," barely restraining my irritation. Before I could respond, Mike spoke up with unexpected initiative.

    ¡°Would your lordship consider a mutual vow?¡± Mike suggested smoothly. ¡°My lady will promise not to take any aggressive actions, and in return, your lordship and your house will vow the same. Of course, with all the consequences that breaking such a vow entails.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, surprised at Mike''s boldness. The viscount huffed, clearly taken aback.

    ¡°Your butler seems to forget that we are not equals!¡± He looked ready to stand up and leave, but then reconsidered. Addressing me, he continued, ¡°Very well, I agree. It would not be said that the house of Genevais is not magnanimous.¡±

    I nodded, accepting the terms.

    ¡°Then we have a deal?¡± I asked, watching him closely.

    He stood up, his expression stern. ¡°Indeed. But mark my words, if any harm comes to my son or my house, you¡¯ll face severe consequences.¡± He nodded sharply, adding, ¡°We have a deal.¡±

    ¡°The same here, Viscount. So it is agreed, we have a deal!¡± I replied. As I nodded, a dark cloud seemed to form above us, swirling ominously and flying like a small dark bird to enter his chest. The viscount stumbled back, clearly unsettled by the sensation.

    ¡°What was that?¡± he muttered, visibly rattled as he steadied himself. He looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He hadn''t seen the cloud but he had felt the magic.

 Chapter 274 â€“ Squad Meeting

    Mike discreetly wiped the sweat from his brow. The two paladins towering over him watched his every move. He had never felt so... small, like an insect about to be crushed under a giant''s foot.

    "Some more wine, Your Highness?" he asked.

    "No, thank you," the prince replied with a charming smile. "I''d prefer the same fruit juice Lady Lores is drinking."

    "Of course, sir, just a moment!" Mike answered, pulling a couple of fruits from his inventory and preparing to squeeze them under the vigilant eyes of the paladins.

    If he had known his job would be this stressful, he might not have volunteered for it. He thought yesterday was the most stressful day, and indeed it was stressful, but today was worse, and it was not yet over¡­

    Yesterday, the visit of the little princess had come just after the judge announced his verdict. It had been a strange judgment day. The judge had entered the room accompanied by ten guards with more left to guard the corridor.

    In that cramped room, surrounded by guards, he launched into a lengthy tirade, complaining about being forced to handle this high-profile trial so quickly and in such a place. Desperate to ease the tension, Mike offered him a glass of wine during a brief pause. To Mike¡¯s surprise, the judge accepted¡ªand eventually downed two bottles¡ªranting all the while. After asking a few irrelevant questions, he finally sentenced Lady Lores to thirty-three days of penitence.

    It almost seemed as though the sentence had already been decided beforehand, and the judge had entered the cell just to complete a formality.

    It was unclear what that sentence entailed, but it seemed she had to remain in this temporary prison. She might be asked to do some communal work, but nothing was decided yet. Worse still, the judge ordered Mike to deliver ten bottles of the same wine to his residence by the evening, under threat of penalties.

    And just when Mike wanted to run and buy the wine for the judge, the little princess came to visit, and he had to stay to satisfy all her whims. She wanted some honey cake, then a juice. What would they have done if he hadn''t been there?

    Luckily, he had some cakes and honey on hand, so he had quickly ¡®made¡¯ the honey cookies. But they acted as if he had to solve everything! His budget was limited, even though Alice had given him gold, as if she somehow knew what might happen.

    In the evening, he had to rush to buy the wine, begging the handler who had already closed his business, then find the judge''s residence.

    At least tonight, he hoped to meet Elenia. She had replied to his message, even though he knew the one silver it had cost was a lot for her family.

    With that thought in mind, he served the prince the juice with a cheerful face.

    ¡°Hmm! Exquisite!¡± the prince exclaimed. ¡°Sir Gamesh, have the cook get the recipe, will you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my prince,¡± the paladin responded.

    The prince then turned to continue his conversation with his charming companion: Lores. She was also clearly enjoying herself, speaking freely with the prince as if they were old friends. He was surprised to see how smooth and free the conversation flowed.

    When the prince finally left, after the paladin named Gamesh had reminded him a couple of times that they were late to another very important meeting, Mike almost crumbled to the floor out of exhaustion. It was good to feel Lores¡¯ hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

    ¡°You did well,¡± she said.

    Those simple words touched him in a surprising way, energizing and giving him confidence. Was there magic at play? He didn''t know, but it felt good.

    It was fortunate that she had reset the curse shortly before the prince had entered; otherwise, who knows what might have happened. She reset it again now, just to be sure.

    Tired as he was, Mike walked like a sleepwalker to their new home. As he entered the apartment, he found everyone gathered in the main room.

    Hew was just asking Tom.

    ¡°So, what did you learn?¡± Hew asked, but before Tom could answer, Lynx cut him off.

    ¡°Let''s hear the news from Mike first,¡± he said, looking at him with keen eyes.

    Mike sighed but nodded; however, he barely had time to nod and say ¡°OK¡± before Tina interrupted.

    ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve leveled up¡ªyou¡¯re at level six now!¡± she shrieked in surprise.

    Mike raised a brow. ¡°Hah, who would¡¯ve thought? Enduring those two high-level paladins might¡¯ve had some perks after all!¡±

    ¡°How high? What level were they?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°And why were they even there?¡± Tom added.

    ¡°Let the boy tell his story,¡± Ju sighed, trying to halt the interruptions. Mike shot her a grateful glance.

    ¡°Well, we had a visit from the prince today.¡± he managed to say.

    ¡°What? You mean Prince Kotusawendu?¡± Tina asked, her eyes wide. Mike nodded, and Tina couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Wow, after the princess, now the prince? Lores sure knows how to network!¡±

    ¡°He was escorted by two level ninety paladins,¡± Mike explained. ¡°I was sweating the whole time under their aura¡ªit was really tough to do my butler duties like that.¡±

    Alice nodded. "No surprise there¡ªbeing around two such high-level individuals is bound to have an effect. Even if they don¡¯t mean any harm, they need to keep their auras up, constantly scanning the area to protect the prince. That kind of pressure would stress anyone out. There are fewer than twenty people in this entire kingdom with levels above ninety, and you met two of them? Sir Gamesh is Kotusawendu''s bodyguard, but I wonder who the second one was. Did the prince ask about Lores'' sentence?"

    Mike shook his head. "No. From what I gathered, the sentence is final. If everything goes smoothly, Lores should be out in thirty-two days."

    "Then why was he there?" Ju asked.

    "Probably to check on Lores after the princess visited her the day before," Alice speculated, shaking her head. "The queen might¡¯ve sent him, and the second paladin could¡¯ve been one of her bodyguards. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned to the princess that I know Lores..."

    "I think you handled it well, and honestly, I believe the prince might like Lores," Mike said.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    To his surprise, Ju didn¡¯t seem too pleased by this.

    "Uh," Ju sighed, "Palace politics is a labyrinth, filled with pitfalls and hidden traps. We should stay as far away from it as possible."

    "Why do you say that?" Tom asked. "Could you give us a quick rundown? You know, like ''Palace Intrigues for Dummies''? And how does all this connect to Lores and her freeing this poor boy who just sits innocently in the corner?¡± He pointed at the elf boy, who looked up in surprise, clearly aware they were talking about him.

    Ju sighed, raising her hand, and the boy hurried over to her, like a chick seeking shelter under its mother hen.

    "For starters, most of the kingdom¡¯s slaves are Vynaians," she explained. "Entire armies were defeated and captured, and even now, twenty years later, they remain enslaved. The queen herself is Vynaian. The lesser nobility, who didn¡¯t fight against the Guaravian army, are seen as traitors by the other Vynaians. So, in their eyes, the queen is a traitor."

    She gently caressed the boy¡¯s head as he leaned against her, his curiosity evident as he peeked out from under her arm. He was starting to feel more comfortable with the group. Ju continued, her voice soft but firm.

    "The queen is pushing for a new law that would allow families to buy the freedom of their relatives still enslaved. It hasn¡¯t passed the high council yet, but the idea is gaining traction. If prisoners from other countries can be freed this way, why not Vynaians? However, many Guaravian nobles fear a revolt, worrying that freed slaves might seek revenge.

    The King¡¯s rule is widely seen as just, which keeps the empire stable. But some high-ranking Guaravians aren¡¯t satisfied with their share of the spoils. They question why any Vynaian nobles still exist, why their lands weren¡¯t confiscated and given to Guaravian heroes who bled for the empire in countless wars.

    Here in the capital, most of the students are Vynaians. This was once the heart of their empire, and the majority of the population is still Vynaian. The movement to free the slaves is essentially a Vynaian movement, but they¡¯re careful not to make it too obvious. Instead of outright demanding the freedom of all Vynaian slaves, they push for the freedom of all slaves. There are various proposals, one suggesting that all slaves, like debt slaves who are freed after seven years, should be released after a certain period of servitude. Why not free all prisoners of war after twenty years?"

    "That explains the positive reaction to Lores freeing a slave, even though he was an elf," Ju continued. "In fact, some newspapers didn¡¯t even mention that he was an elf. The prince and princess support some form of freedom for former prisoners of war, but they¡¯re in a delicate position. To the Vynaians, they¡¯re the children of a traitoress; to the Guaravians, they¡¯re enemy Vynaians. Both sides view them with suspicion, and their only real power comes from the King. As long as the King supports his wife and children, they¡¯re safe, but if anything happens to him or he changes his mind... Well, that¡¯s why getting too close to them could drag Lores into even more trouble."

    Ju paused, giving Tom a knowing look. "Does that clear things up a bit?"

    Tom nodded. "Yeah, it does. But what about the role of religions in all this?"

    Ju sighed, then covered her face with her hands and began to laugh softly.

    "You''re opening a whole can of worms with that question. There are countless factions, and much of the infighting stems from different religious sects. The Vynaian Empire was open to all faiths, with three major religions and dozens of smaller sects, all kept in a delicate balance by the emperor.

    Guarava, on the other hand, was dominated by the Twin Gods religion. It had a minor presence in the empire before, but now it''s spreading rapidly, especially within the capital. Although they¡¯re still a relatively small group, they have strong backing from many Guaravian nobles and merchants. Most of their new converts are here in the capital, where the religion might soon rival the other three major faiths. So, we could say there are four major religions here now.

    "What religion does the king follow?" Michael asked.

    "He¡¯s said to follow the Twin Gods religion, being Guaravian himself, but his tolerance doesn¡¯t sit well with the Guaravian priests. His wife, the queen, is rumored to be a follower of Sheeba, the Goddess of Fire, a belief held by a small religious community in the northwest. It¡¯s also whispered that their children follow Sheeba, but if that¡¯s true, it¡¯s a closely guarded secret. They were baptized by the Twin Gods priests and participate in all the major ceremonies. The Guaravian clergy would love to see their religion become the state religion, as it was in Guaravia, but doing so would likely spark revolts across most, if not all, of the empire''s provinces."

    "Okay, I got your point, now I see why you call it a labyrinth full of pitfalls and hidden traps," Tom said, nodding in understanding. He then turned to Mike. "Sorry for the interruption. Please, go on..."

    Mike took a sip of the juice Tina had served him and sighed. "Why couldn¡¯t I borrow the food bag to serve all those people visiting Lores?" he wondered aloud.

    "We went over this yesterday, Mike," Ju replied. "You just don¡¯t have enough mana to use it properly. Even Tina¡¯s relying on my mana, or Alice¡¯s, or Lynx¡¯s. Lores isn¡¯t supposed to be using her mana in prison, and besides, food made with her mana is... well, it¡¯s like throwing random mushrooms into a stew. We¡¯ve tested it."

    Mike sighed again. "Yeah, but it would be so useful. Why couldn¡¯t I ask the paladins to spare some mana?"

    Tom laughed, "You mean the random mushrooms stew would be useful?" Tina joined in with a chuckle, while Ju sighed, and Alice stepped in to explain.

    "They might suspect you¡¯re trying to take samples from their mana to access some forbidden areas. And what if they say it''s fine to use Lores'' mana? Then what do you do? Plus, magical items like this are rare and have a limited lifespan. We agreed it¡¯s better to save it for when we really need it and to limit its use. So, did anything else happen?"

    Mike nodded. "The prince stayed with us for more than an hour. He talked a lot with Lores, trying to get a sense of who she is, what her beliefs are, what she wants, who her friends are¡ªthings like that."

    "And what did she say?" Tina asked, curious.

    Mike sighed. "She''s so stubborn! She didn¡¯t tell them she¡¯s from the Arhang Islands like us. Instead, she claimed she was from somewhere north of Guaranga. Why would she say that? Can¡¯t she just tell them the same story we do?" he wondered aloud.

    "Those high-level paladins might have skills or tools to detect lies," Lynx answered. ¡°This said I don¡¯t know why she did say that...¡±

    ¡°Can it be that she cannot lie?¡± Tina asked turning towards Alice. ¡°Did you not say demons cannot lie?¡± she wondered

    ¡°But, was that not a lie?¡± Michael wondered

    Alice chimed in, "Maybe she can lie? I don''t know; however, if you think about her human identity, it was created while she was on the road in Guarava, north of Guaranga, right?"

    Tom huffed ¡°Huh, so she lied by telling them the truth...¡±

    "What else did she say?" Alice asked.

    "She said her family had repudiated her for religious reasons and that she doesn¡¯t want to talk about them. She told them we¡¯re her family now and that she wants to make a name for herself."

    Lynx nodded. "True, true, true. If those paladins had any way of detecting lies, and I suspect they did, they would have found she only served them the truth."

    ¡°Did you say he likes her?¡± Tina asked.

    Mike chuckled. "Yeah, their personalities seem to mesh well. They found plenty to chat about and seemed to enjoy it. He asked a lot of direct questions, like about her relationship with Baron Esterghom, about the viscount and her singing."

    ¡°Oh!¡± Tina exclaimed. ¡°It would be so romantic if she ended up with a prince!¡±

    Mike shook his head. "The prince has a long-standing platonic relationship with a girl he¡¯s known since childhood. Unfortunately, she had a terrible accident three years ago that left her paralyzed, and not even the best magic healers have been able to help her."

    "Is that so?" Ju wondered.

    Mike nodded.

    "Yes. I heard the story from another butler yesterday when I went to buy that wine for the judge. Apparently, it happened during an unsanctioned incursion into a dungeon. There was a school training session, but some kids, including the prince, decided to go delving without their teachers or instructors one night. That''s when the accident occurred. Since then, the prince¡¯s progress has stalled, and his best friend has remained bedridden. His advancement was slow even before the incident, so it''s possible his stagnation isn''t directly related to it."

    Mike glanced around the room, and seeing that there were no more questions, he wrapped up.

    "Well, that''s about all from my side. Now I¡¯m curious to hear what Tom''s news from the adventurer''s guild is!"

 Chapter 275 - The Kings Gambit

    I sighed in relief as the paladin arrived. She was a strikingly beautiful girl, with the flawless features typical of high-level individuals. In a cheerful voice, she informed me that my time of penitence was over and that I should follow her to the judge for a final review, where he would also announce the decision regarding my token recognition request. It seemed they decided to wrap up both matters in one go.

    It had been an intriguing experience, this stay in the palace jail, but I was glad it was finally coming to an end. Now, I had to head to the judge¡¯s office, where I was expected to endure the delivery of a long sermon about refraining from drawing blood within the palace grounds. Oh, well.

    As I followed my lovely paladin guide, I let my mind wander back over the events of the past few days.

    Tom''s visit to the adventurers'' guild didn¡¯t yield much. Our goal was to see if we could find any players still logging in, so the boys could send messages home. As strange as that might sound, it would have at least been a sign of life. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work out. Tom couldn¡¯t find a single active player.

    What struck me as odd was that most adventurers didn¡¯t even seem to realize they had been controlled by players at some point. For some reason, only a small number seemed aware of it. It was strange, because when I was inside with Spartacius, it felt like everyone knew. Maybe they had forgotten, or perhaps only the characters of players who logged in during a specific time had become aware? I¡¯m not sure.

    In any case, Tom managed to find just one person who understood what he was looking for. But even that person warned him to tone it down and stop asking questions. There was a fear that word might reach the clergy, or worse, a royal inquisitor.

    Oh well, this only meant that we wouldn¡¯t be able to send messages home. It didn¡¯t rattle me too much¡ªmy relationship with home was pretty strained anyway¡ªbut I could understand the boys¡¯ frustration.

    As these thoughts drifted through my mind, with my gaze fixed on the shimmering locks of my lovely guide''s hair, it suddenly hit me that we have entered a heavily protected area. I paused, hesitating for a moment, and noticed that my paladin escort seemed tense. She was on high alert, ready to grab her weapon at any moment, though she tried to hide it. It was interesting to think I could cause such stress to a level seventy paladin. Theoretically, she should feel far above my level.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re Dame Madorra, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked. I had already met her a couple of times before as she had escorted various persons to my cell.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you one of the queen¡¯s bodyguards?¡± I wondered

    She shook her head. ¡°No, I serve directly under His Majesty, the King of Kings, under the command of Great Paladin Nebesko.¡±

    Uh, someone from the King''s Guard? How does it come that even the king is interested in me? Wasn''t it enough to deal with the queen and the princelings? And that name¡ªNebesko! I remembered it. Cala had sparred with him a few times in friendly bouts, though I couldn¡¯t exactly mention that now.

    ¡°Oh? Is Nebesko still level ninety-eight, or did he finally manage to level up? He used to complain about being stuck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Great Paladin Nebesko to you, Lady Lores, unless you¡¯d like to extend your stay in jail. And yes, he¡¯s still level ninety-eight,¡± Dame Madorra replied, her tone firm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d mind, Dame Madorra,¡± I said, resuming my walk. As we continued, my mana sight revealed runes hidden behind a painting on the wall¡ªrunes I recognized from the lich¡¯s tower.

    Uh, fuck! That''s not good! I thought at the same moment when a voice came from the shadows: ¡°She¡¯s right, I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡±

    I sighed and I inclined my head, nodding as I recognized the silhouette: Nebesko himself. He returned the nod.

    ¡°Shall we proceed?¡± he said, gesturing toward the next room.

    Oh well, this felt like a trap, and just then I sensed a subtle ping of mana¡ªit was Lynx¡¯s signal, letting me know he¡¯d reached the limit of how far he could shadow me while staying hidden. I was at the edge of his domain. Any steps beyond this, and I was truly on my own.

    My heart pounded louder in my chest. Were they planning to kill me?

    "It¡¯s just standard procedure. The King himself will be present for your nomination, so we¡¯re taking the highest security measures. Let¡¯s not keep Judge Karambo waiting, shall we?¡± Nebesko¡¯s voice was calm, almost reassuring, as he gestured towards the door.

    This was the last moment I could¡¯ve tried to escape with Lynx¡¯s help. I knew he¡¯d risk everything to free me, and we might even succeed. I hesitated, taking a deep breath, then stepped into the room.

    The vast room was surprisingly crowded, with at least thirty to forty people present, not including the numerous guards stationed along the walls. The judge sat on an elevated throne-like seat on a stage to the left, surrounded by several attendants and clerks. Rows of benches lined the sides and the center of the room, mostly occupied by chattering nobles. Among them, I recognized a few familiar faces: a duke I had known during my time as Cala, and my recent "friend," the viscount. The walls were adorned with grand paintings of the king and scenes of glorious battles.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    As I stepped inside, a hush fell over the room, and every eye turned toward me.

    "Finally!" the judge exclaimed, glancing up as I entered. "Let¡¯s proceed," he said, gesturing towards a small podium where I was expected to stand.

    As I walked, following my lovely paladin guide, I could hear whispers and murmured comments trailing my every step.

    "Oh, great," I thought, "I should have dressed better." Slowly, the fear that had been gnawing at me began to dissipate. Maybe this really was just a formality. I almost chuckled as I glanced at the judge¡ªJudge Karambo. Hopefully, the expensive wine Mike had procured would have softened his disposition toward me.

    He now seemed much more in his element, and after a brief introduction by one of his aides, he launched into a lengthy speech about youth, and the dangers of sparring and fighting within the palace. Curiously, there was no mention of the freed slave, as though my actions had been nothing more than a reckless stunt. He wrapped up with some stern remarks, but then shifted to declaring me a "Hero of the Kingdom." It sounded promising at first, and for a moment, I thought everything was fine¡ªuntil I noticed a girl approaching me, carrying my token and a small piece of silver.

    "According to the laws of the Kingdom," the judge intoned, "every Hero of the Kingdom must solemnly prove their identity before the Noble''s Council prior to their nomination and acceptance among them. Lady Lores, please proceed to solemnly imbue your token with your mana to synchronize it with the sample before your mission."

    The pompous speech didn¡¯t change the fact that they must have altered the laws!

    "This must be a new law! Wasn¡¯t it that the token could be presented by anyone?" I protested.

    The judge sighed as murmurs rippled through the audience.

    "It was so, but this is the new law of the Kingdom," one of his aides explained.

    "Oh. So you can¡¯t sell a token on the market anymore?" I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

    Another sigh from the judge, but the aide continued while I caught snippets of conversation among the nobles.

    "We are not here to debate the laws," the aide said, "but to clarify, a token can still be sold and bought. However, it no longer entitles the buyer to a noble domain. Only the true hero is entitled to a domain. The token itself retains intrinsic value in gold and remains rich in symbolism."

    "And what happens if I refuse this identification?" I asked, my tone now openly skeptical.

    The aide sighed, and the chatter among the nobles grew louder.

    "In a normal case, nothing much¡ªyou would receive compensation based on the token¡¯s estimated value. But, since you¡¯ve already claimed to be the Hero, that would count as perjury and could have serious repercussions. I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d refuse, though. Everyone knows you¡¯re the true hero, right? Why refuse the identification?"

    "Oh, fuck!" I thought "Not even my inventory recognizes me as Cala, so how could I possibly fool this token? I could''ve avoided this entire circus and just lived quietly as an adventurer. Why did I ever think this would be a good idea?"

    But how could I have known they¡¯d change the laws?

    I was too far out¡ªbeyond Lynx¡¯s domain. He¡¯d signaled me when I was at the edge, so what now? Should I try to escape, or should I take the jail time and plan my escape later?"

    Behind a heavy curtain, a level ninety-one mage, Thores, King of Kings, was deep in conversation with his second-in-command, the level ninety-seven paladin, Dame Adria.

    ¡°Is it her, or isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s the real question,¡± the king mused, a sly grin on his face.

    Adria tilted her head slightly. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she come under her real name if it were truly her, Your Highness?¡±

    The king chuckled. ¡°Cala the Assassin! If you were the most wanted being in the entire world, what would you do? I heard the Golden Emperor has raised the bounty to fifteen heavy gulden!¡±

    ¡°That''s fifteen thousand gold!? My word, that would solve a few budget issues!¡± Adria huffed, then quickly composed herself. ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness!¡±

    The king¡¯s laughter was soft, almost conspiratorial.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your take¡ªwill she go through with it, or will she try to escape?¡± he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

    Adria raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you planning to capture her, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Only if she tries to flee!¡± the king replied with a smirk.

    ¡°But, Your Highness, are you certain it¡¯s really her? What if it¡¯s just an impostor?¡±

    ¡°She was rumored to have a level ninety-seven lynx mount. How many people have you seen strutting around with such an extraordinary beast?¡± The king chuckled again. ¡°No doubt about it, it¡¯s her!¡±

    ¡°Then why not capture her regardless?¡± Adria pressed.

    The king shrugged. ¡°Why take unnecessary risks? If she accepts the domain, she belongs to us. We know who she is, even if no one else does. We have proof it¡¯s her, and we¡¯ll know where she lives, making it easier to sell her to the Emperor if we ever need that ransom money.¡±

    ¡°But, Your Highness, do you think she could now still escape despite all our precautions?¡±

    ¡°A level ninety-four assassin¡ªsome say she¡¯s even level ninety-five now. That¡¯s not something to be taken lightly. I¡¯ve witnessed her matches with Nebesko. She¡¯s capable of causing significant damage and escaping if she chooses. Look at her perfect disguise¡ªimpossible to gauge her true level and class. Judge her by that!¡±

    ¡°Then why would she come forward to request the domain? Why risk exposure?¡±

    ¡°Greed, of course. It¡¯s the downfall of many. Pure, unadulterated greed!¡±

 Chapter 276 - Bound by Shadows, Tested by Light

    I stared in shock at the small token Dame Madorra handed me, something she¡¯d picked up from the judge¡¯s aide. They shouldn¡¯t even have this token! Cala had accepted the quest from the assassins'' guild, marking the mission''s start and end with this very token. How could they possibly have it? This was a double betrayal! The token had been infused with her mana within the Black Church when she received her reward. The Kingdom shouldn¡¯t have known who completed the mission! So much for the Black Church''s "anonymized questing."

    The whole token-rewards business had been quite lucrative, with nobles always eager to pay hefty sums for them, proudly displaying their medals, and getting rewarded with more land from the king. Yes, Cala had boasted about completing the quest¡ªI hadn''t exactly kept it under wraps¡ªbut how and why did the Black Church hand it over to the kingdom?

    I lifted my gaze to the room full of onlookers. Most of these fools probably didn¡¯t know that I didn¡¯t take the quest directly from the kingdom but through the assassins'' guild. Not that explaining it would earn me any brownie points now. Quite the contrary¡ªit would likely make things worse. The Black Church was one of the most secretive and feared institutions in the world, with its direct ties to the assassins'' guild.

    I turned my eyes back at the small token. The moment I imbued it with mana, the sample was bound to resonate negatively. Instead of the golden yellow it should have turned, it would shift to a deep blue, almost black¡ªa clear sign of the deception.

    As all eyes were fixed on me, I took a deep breath, staring at the token in my hand. My decision was already made. Why should I let them throw me into a cell, bind me in whatever way they saw fit, when I was still free? Give up my freedom willingly? Never! Not as long as I could move and fight back! True, they had overwhelming power, but I had no intention of fighting to win¡ªonly to escape.

    I was steeling myself, preparing to cast ¡°darkness.¡± The spell would instantly throw them into confusion, disrupting their coordination. If Lynx was alert, the sudden darkness would spur him into action. He had the mana manipulation skills to detect and possibly disrupt the runes that were restraining me¡ªand likely him as well. That would be enough to turn the tide.

    With my ability to transform and the cover of darkness, I figured I had a solid chance of escaping before they could erect a containment field. Even if they managed to cast it quickly, I still had hope, knowing Lynx could help me shatter it. As I felt the mana coalescing within me, ready to unleash the ¡°darkness,¡± I locked eyes with Nebesko, trying to read his next move. Then, with deliberate slowness, I began to imbue the token with mana.

    My lynx form was higher leveled, but would I even be able to transform? And even if I could, I hadn¡¯t had time to train its skills. The battle would be tense, especially given the circumstances¡ªthe runes I had already detected, and possibly those I hadn¡¯t, the additional troops lingering around, potential traps, and... I froze as a soft golden glow lit up from my hand.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    "This is impossible," I thought. "Mana signatures can''t be faked. Does this mean I¡¯m really Cala? But then why did Lynx say I wasn¡¯t? Why didn¡¯t Cala¡¯s inventory work?"

    A thousand questions raced through my mind. I was more confused than they were.

    ¡°Hero, could you hold your hand higher so everyone can see?¡±

    The judge''s voice jolted me from my reverie, and I automatically did as requested.

    If they had attacked me at that moment, they likely would have overwhelmed me easily¡ªI was that shocked and confused.

    Behind the curtain, the King chuckled.

    "So, she chose to accept the domain after all."

    "But why did I sense she was preparing to cast something?" Dame Adria asked.

    "That was probably a warning..." the King replied.

    Dame Adria chuckled.

    "A warning? Even at her level, she should know her place¡ªwe outclass her by far!"

    The King shook his head.

    "Never underestimate your enemy. Her team might be here, even though we haven¡¯t been able to confirm it. That¡¯s almost more concerning than if we had detected them. Remember, Elefteares was a tough nut to crack, defended by special elite troops. She knows we shouldn¡¯t have the Black Church''s token and was likely readying something¡ªprobably darkness, and who knows what else¡ªif things went south."

    "The Black Church''s token?" Dame Adria exclaimed, flabbergasted.

    The King of Kings huffed and sighed.

    "Me and my big mouth. You didn¡¯t hear that, and you won¡¯t repeat it! Now, let me get ready¡ªmy part in the ceremony is coming up. As that astute viscount suggested, we¡¯re giving her a place where she¡¯ll have to work for us. Have you heard about that orc-infested domain near the Eastern border?"

    "Ahetia Province, Your Highness? The one where the Ahetian governor had to retreat, defeated, and begged for the imperial army to restore dominion?"

    "Exactly!"

    "Does it still belong to us? And isn''t that too large for a barony?"

    "Well, if she can clean it up, it will belong to us again, and she''ll have earned the right to govern it on our behalf... at least for a while."

 Chapter 277 - Ahetias Lion

    Everyone had the day off to explore the new town, while I was set to head out on a ''mission.'' As I slipped into my dress, I hesitated, unsure whether to conceal my wings or not. In the end, I decided to take Ju''s advice and hide them, so as not to appear too far outside the norm. Maybe it was just her elvish prejudice talking.

    We were in Koreia, the provincial capital of Ahetia. It was a growing town, but nowhere near as cosmopolitan as Uldaman, and only a fraction of its size. Nearly everyone here was human, which might explain Ju''s creeping paranoia. Ahetia was a vast province, roughly the size of California, but sparsely populated, with only around three million people, about half of whom were concentrated in the five or six major cities.

    There was no zeppelin line to Koreia, so we had to fly from Uldaman to Maratha, the province''s second most important city near its western border, and from there, use coach transport and a couple of fixed portals. The zeppelins couldn¡¯t venture further due to the wyverns inhabiting the mountains about a hundred and fifty kilometers north of Koreia.

    On very clear days, the white peaks of those mountains could be seen from the provincial capital''s highest points. Technically, they were still part of the province, but few dared to enter, and even fewer returned.

    These wyverns were fiercely territorial and aggressive towards any perceived rivals, which was why no zeppelin line existed and why no avian creatures lived on Adrai, the other continent.

    However, the wyvern population on this continent was much smaller than on Adrai, allowing for the development of some flying machines, flying mounts, and even avian tribes in areas not dominated by wyverns.

    I was planning to visit some of the bigger taverns around the army district to try and gather followers for our endeavor. The idea had come from Michael. In the game, this was the best way to recruit followers, and theoretically, it should still work, he¡¯d said. Well, we wouldn¡¯t lose much¡ªmaybe just the cost of a few drinks¡ªif it didn¡¯t pan out, so I decided to go along with it.

    At first, I felt a bit unsure, but as I got closer to the district, my confidence grew. Perhaps Cala¡¯s memories were helping; she¡¯d done some recruiting for her raids back in the day. I passed by a couple of taverns that looked too run-down¡ªno point recruiting from places where you''d find the kind of people more suited to robbery than anything else. We needed people who could help free my castle and, eventually, help administer it.

    In Uldaman, I¡¯d heard rumors about gangs of outlaws occupying the area around my castle, but here, there was no such talk. On the other hand, I was told that the property hadn¡¯t been properly administered for some time, so it was possible we¡¯d encounter marauders or squatters when we arrived. The few followers I hoped to recruit today might not be enough to clear them out, but the plan was to first inspect the area. If we did find a gang too difficult to dislodge, I could always return to the regional capital and recruit a couple hundred soldiers.

    Hiring that small army would cost a fair bit¡ªaround ten gold per hundred soldiers per day¡ªmoney I didn¡¯t have on hand. I could take out a loan against the domain, but I hated the idea of being in debt. As long as I could avoid it, I would. Why spend that kind of money on a mere rumor?

    Finally, I found an inn that looked promising: ¡°Ahetia''s Lion.¡± It was a massive building with several floors and a sprawling ground-floor room packed with at least a hundred tables. Most of the seats were occupied by various classes of soldiers, mercenaries, and even a few bandits scattered about, all talking, playing cards, drinking, and eating.

    As I entered, I noticed the prostitutes by the stairs leading to the first floor. They greeted me, but I kept walking, careful not to engage. I didn¡¯t want to be rude, but I also didn¡¯t want to give the impression that I was looking for company. There were all kinds of offers on display, though not in an overly disturbing way. From upstairs, I could hear music and lively chatter and further above were the rooms that could be rented by the hour.

    The custom for signaling that you had job offers was to pick up a small flag from the bar and place it on your table. People would come by to inquire about the work, and word about your job offerings would quickly spread by word of mouth throughout the entire inn.  When you were done recruiting, you simply laid the flag flat on the table. This straightforward method seemed to still be in practice; I spotted two such tables, one of which appeared to be recruiting for the army.

    I didn¡¯t want to start the recruiting process immediately. First, I wanted to get a sense of the kind of people frequenting this establishment, and besides, I had some thoughts of my own to mull over. After scanning the room, I found an empty table and sat down. A young waiter appeared almost instantly to take my order.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "A skoal, please," I ordered.

    The waiter smiled, clearly surprised by my politeness. "Certainly, my lady. Anything else?" he asked with a bow.

    ''Waiter, level fifteen,'' my Identify spell informed me. A surprisingly high level for someone so young: he must have been not older than fifteen. Maybe fourteen.

    "No, that will be all for now." I answered.

    "Very well, my lady," he replied with another bow, disappearing in an instant. He returned less than a minute later, placing the skoal on my table.

    I was glad to see they served skoal¡ªa kind of beer mixed with fruit juice and distilled alcohol. I had ordered it instinctively and chuckled as I picked it up. It had been Cala¡¯s favorite drink, and just stepping into this kind of establishment seemed to have automatically brought out her side of me.

    Speaking of Cala, I had been mulling over what happened with that token in the judge''s room. No, I wasn¡¯t truly Cala. That was clear for me now. I didn¡¯t have all her memories or thoughts, just fragments, as if the process fusing us had been interrupted. Maybe that interruption saved our lives. I don¡¯t think we would have survived another, even bigger explosion.

    So, how did that trick with the token work?

    After much back and forth these past few days, I had a theory. According to this theory, Cala was still connected to me in that ethereal world, but no longer through White Flower, our common possessor. The ethereal world was outside our space-time¡ªperhaps a different realm, with its own set of properties. I recalled that Black Angel that White Flower had also ''connected'' to me. It was exactly as she described, added like a piece of baggage in the ethereal world. So now, I likely had two additional ''baggages'': Cala and White Flower. This must have happened during the third implosion in the Death Node. After that, there were no more disturbances and no further explosions occurred.

    Being completely in the ethereal world, they obviously couldn''t communicate with me, not being in this space-time. Time had no significance for them. If they were to return to this world, it would likely feel to them as if only a second had passed since the Death Node explosion, and they suddenly found themselves somewhere else.

    But with her body somehow attached to mine, I could tap into her mana, as I instinctively did when casting that spell.

    How did this happen? Call it divine intervention, perhaps. Maybe that warning I received not long ago was a clue: ¡°Lores Deimosdottir, some things may be better left unspoken.¡±

    Lores Deimosdottir. Did that mean what I thought it did?

    Oh well, back to Cala: could I free her? Could I free White Flower? If I understood White Flower and the Black Angel correctly, it should be possible. Either I would need to learn how to do it, or they might be brought back into this world automatically if I died. Okay, since I had no intention of dying anytime soon, I should probably look for some books about the ethereal world and figure out how to free them that way.

    I took another sip from my "beer" and realized the glass was empty. I glanced up, and the waiter noticed immediately. Now that¡¯s a good waiter! I made another small gesture, and he nodded in acknowledgment. Soon enough, a second ''skoal'' was placed on my table.

    I sipped from the glass, savoring the taste, and then stared contentedly at it. Its very dark, shimmering black color reminded me of Sid and I sighed.

    The boys had done some research, and Hew discovered in some dragon tales, that a motherly breath from a mother dragon, or a dragon¡¯s call, should be enough to wake him. That sounded promising, but where was I supposed to find a dragon?

    Tom had the bright idea to ask me to transform him into a dragon. It sounded like a great plan, so we quickly called an ad-hoc council, discussed if there were any risks, and decided to give it a try. I attempted the spell right away, but it fizzled out as soon as I tried to focus on the concept of a dragon.

    Why?

    After some research in the transformation book, I found the answer: he simply wasn¡¯t dragon material. You can¡¯t just transform into anything you want; there are always certain requirements to meet.

    Next up was Tina, but I got the same result. This time, though, the spell fizzled badly, leaving me with some superficial burns. Nothing serious, but unpleasant enough to teach me a lesson.

    I learned to test the spell first before fully committing, and that way, I realized¡ªwithout burning myself¡ªthat nobody was truly dragon material. Not even Alice had the right qualities for it. Lynx came the closest, but even with him, the spell fluctuated, and I didn¡¯t want to risk forcing it.

    "May I sit at your table, my lady?" A broad-shouldered rogue, dressed in a mix of peasant garb and trapper¡¯s gear, asked politely, pulling me out of my thoughts.

    I glanced around. The tavern was relatively full, with a few scattered chairs still available at other tables. My table had two free benches on either side and was in a prime spot near the terrace doors. Outside, the sun was already blazing, making it uncomfortably hot. The remaining seats inside were too close to the kitchen, where waves of smoke and steam drifted out.

    "Be my guest," I replied magnanimously, raising a hand. My instincts¡ªor rather, Cala¡¯s instincts¡ªtelling me that he might be a good recruit.

 Chapter 278 - The Dragons Call

    I spread my wings and soared above the forest. The villages were becoming fewer and farther between, but I was still finding a solitary peasant or lumberjack, to give them the fright of their life when my shadow loomed over them. Honestly, I was not doing it on purpose, I swear!

    In these parts, most large flying creatures were feared predators. Not just the rare wyverns that occasionally ventured into this area, but also a species of flying lizards with an impressive wingspan of up to five meters. Known as quetzas, these creatures would perch atop towering trees or high vantage points, then leap and glide towards their unsuspecting prey. While their diet primarily consisted of sheep, deer, pigs, or rabbits, humans were not safe from becoming a potential meal.

    We''d rented two coaches for the journey to my domain. Our destination was an inn situated not far from the fort, or whatever that supposed fortification was, and from there, I planned to inspect the estate. We''d made some inquiries through the merchant guild, and it was confirmed that the roads were clear. However, I was informed to expect additional small taxes that could be levied for passage, especially around the domain. Nothing too significant, but it could amount to 1 silver per person for merchants and 1 copper for peasants.

    Eight of my new followers were in the first coach, with Durham riding his horse at the front of the procession. In the second coach were my friends and I, with Lynx trotting alongside when Tina wasn''t riding or when I wasn''t flying. When I took to the skies, Lynx would usually follow me, ready to provide protection if I needed it.

    The coach ride from Ahetia took four days, including a portal at the beginning that shortened the journey by more than one hundred kilometers. It cost me two gold for the two coaches and fifty silver for Lynx and Durham''s horse, but it was worth the expense.

    Durham, a paladin, was the one of the last persons I recruited that fateful evening. Things had started off well with Moran, and then I managed to recruit a couple of his friends. As soon as I posted the flag, even more people came to join our ranks. In the end, my little troop consisted of carefully selected nine people - four women and five men.

    There was Loretta, a brunette warrior with a solid build. She was a soldier whose contract had just ended the day before. An archer named Dozha had dark, almost black hair with subtle brown undertones. She was slender and airy. The third girl, Laona, was a passable mage but not top tier, while the fourth, Hexera, was a skilled sorcerer.

    The boys were all close combat fighters: two warriors, Dohum and Krassem; a rogue named Tenessar with black hair and darker skin; and Durham, a paladin.

    Loretta and Tenessar were Moran''s friends. Some of the others were acquaintances, while the rest were just random people who happened to be there.

    They all had levels between thirty and forty, which was high for mercenaries but relatively low for what I had planned. The only exceptions were Moran at level fifty-one and Durham at level forty-nine, who were a class higher. However, the chances of finding more recruits with similar levels were practically null.

    I couldn''t find a dedicated healer. Durham could only perform minimal, superficial healing and provide a paladin bonus, but that was it. Well, I had Ju for healing, but it''s always good to have a healer you can send on missions, and I wasn''t planning to send Ju anywhere. There had been a priest who volunteered, but once I used truth rays on him... well, it''s good that he left five minutes later. Let''s just leave it at that.

    The ''truth rays'' spell ended my recruiting campaign. It confirmed my theory about White Flower being with me, as I had gained access to her mana. My level, spells, and memories had nothing to do with her. I didn''t cast the spell using her mind or knowledge, but her mana. The problem was that not all spells and types of mana were compatible. Many of Flo''s spells were specialized applications of her unique mana, which she called ''white''. When I cast ''truth rays'', I did my best to use her mana, as the spell was designed for it, and I obviously succeeded since the priest spoke freely about things he probably didn''t intend to confess.

    However, there seemed to be a ''small problem'' with this procedure. Just letting her mana circulate in my veins to cast the spell made me drunk by the minute. It didn''t matter that I tried to clean it up afterwards. Once that mana had seeped into my veins, I started to wobble and lose my vision. My head felt heavy, and I had to rest it on my hand. At least I had the presence of mind to call off the recruiting session, but after that, I blacked out.

    Next morning, I was woken up much too early for my liking, even though the two suns were high in the sky. My new recruits had gathered in front of the door to receive the promised advance money for their preparations. When I checked my purse, I realized I had more than one gold less, which would translate to at least two hundred skoals. I wondered what we all drank?

    Fighting a horrible headache, I learned that Moran, Tenessar, and Loretta were the ones who had accompanied me home the previous night. They wanted to make sure I arrived in one piece. Meeting Loretta''s eyes, I realized she must have been suffering from a headache as much as I was. Ju had the presence of mind to give us a hangover drink while we struggled to discuss more details about the planned travel.

    Everybody from my ''home group'', especially the boys, seemed to be up to date with many funny happenings, and I finally understood that my friend, Lynx, had followed me all the time and seemed to have had a very amusing evening.

    Now, who would believe me that the cause was some unfortunate mana mixture?

    Well, here we were, almost reaching our destination, and I was still trying to avoid talking to anybody. The memory of me acting like a drunkard that night was still too fresh in my mind. I couldn''t mingle with them and look them in the eye, as I had the impression that their smiles had a double meaning, and each burst of laughter made me question if they were laughing at me. So, I preferred to find something to keep myself busy.

    That''s how I went again to ''inspect'' the forest around. Usually, Lynx was shadowing me, but when I wanted solitude, he was kind enough not to disturb me. Maybe he regretted making fun of me? No, scratch that, he had too much fun recalling when I wanted to enter the wrong villa, confusing it with a bus station, or when I wanted to pay for a train ticket, using a plank for an interactive terminal, or when I...

    I transformed into a lynx and went for a fast run.

    Feeling the power in my muscles and the speed at which I was running had a reassuring, elating effect on me. It almost made me drunk in a different way, and since it seemed that wide swaths of the forest were completely wild and untamed, that cheered my inner lynx even more.

    I let the feelings soothe my mind, so it took some time before I decided to turn back and meet the coaches. "They must be close to the destination, if they haven''t arrived already," I thought to myself.

    Indeed, when I caught sight of the coaches, I also saw some stone towers in the distance. They were probably the towers of the property. If that was the case, the property was really big. It seemed to be something like a castle, but I was still too far away to distinguish many details, and the main building was hidden behind trees.

    As I ran towards the coaches at a light trot, I thought again about my ''dragon in the decaying ring'' problem. All our problems seem to eventually find a solution, but not this one. Just yesterday, Alice had reminded me of it. There were some mountains far away in the North that were supposed to host at least one dragon. Should we try to go there?

    Or should we involve some mages in trying to move Sid outside of the ring? But one doesn''t levitate a dragon with just a couple of mages; we needed a small army. Could they even do that? Levitating a book or an apple seemed to be a great feat for a mage. And what would happen with Sid after that with so many people who would know about him?

    What about trying more people for the dragon transformation spell? But who? Should I have talked with Nebesko about it? Of course, if Alice was not dragon material, my demoted self could not be either, but what about me in my lynx form?

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    As soon as I had that thought, I stopped running. Could I even say the spell in lynx form? I tried to think about it, and it seemed possible. That was great, so why not try it?

    I started the spell, and it seemed to be working, but it was draining a lot of mana. By now, I was getting used to these mana-intensive spells¡ªwhat really mattered was maintaining focus and feeding the spell the required energy until it activated.

    I stopped moving to concentrate fully on the spell, my eyes on the coaches as they approached a bridge. Three small black figures were blocking the way. At first, I dismissed them, my thoughts entirely absorbed in the spell. But something was off about those figures. It looked like they had green overalls under their armor.

    As I focused more closely, I could hardly believe what I was seeing with my lynx eyes: orcs!

    ¡°Dammit!¡± I thought, ¡°My friends are being attacked by orcs, and here I am, strolling through the forest! And Lynx is probably somewhere behind me. Oh, fuck!¡±

    The two carriages came to a halt. I broke into a run towards them, just in time to see Alice stepping out of her carriage and approaching the orcs. Not far off, there were more of them¡ªmaybe a dozen, sitting and watching.

    What did that mean? Were they challenging the strongest among them to a one-on-one fight? That was possible with orcs, especially this close to the wororc tribes, who often engaged in such rites. I had faith in Alice¡¯s abilities, but would these brutes actually fight fair?

    Or was this just a negotiation, with the larger group waiting on the sidelines, ready to attack if things didn¡¯t go their way?

    As these thoughts raced through my mind, I realized my concentration on the spell was wavering, right when it was on the brink of completion. I had to decide quickly what to do with it. Should I discard it? That might cause a backlash since it was nearly finished. Instead, I decided to let it run. ¡°A dragon? That might actually be perfect for dealing with these orcs!¡±

    A wave of dark magic engulfed me, momentarily blinding me. When my vision cleared, I was a galloping dragon. But in that split second of blindness, I failed to avoid a tree, crashing through it and sending splinters flying like a train barreling through a glasshouse.

    All eyes turned to me. I was still about a hundred meters away, and to my relief, there was no fighting yet. Alice had just turned back toward the carriage when she looked up at me.

    A horn blared, and to my surprise, the orc group snapped into action with remarkable speed and discipline. They quickly armed themselves and came running.

    What were these fools thinking? Did they really plan to fight a dragon? Their discipline and determination were impressive, especially considering that, in the face of a dragon, their remaining lives expectancy could be measured in seconds, not minutes.

    I sent out an identification pulse as I was close enough, an <<identify all>> Cala pulse, and gasped. Oh, fuck¡ªthese were monsters! Among them were some seriously high-level threats: one at level ninety-one and three in the eighties! Sure, I was a dragon now, towering over them in more ways than one, but I didn¡¯t know how to fly, let alone how to unleash any kind of dragonfire.

    "Well, maybe my instincts will kick in. Worst case, I¡¯ll just chew them up like a lynx," I thought.

    I slowed my trot, confused by what I was seeing. Were they forming a defensive line in front of the coaches? Yes, they were! A wall of black, towering shields bristling with spear tips pointed straight at me. A few casters and two bowmen took their positions behind the shield wall.

    Then I saw Alice stepping down from one of the coaches, with Ju close behind her. Both moved to take their place behind the shields as the coaches started to pull away. Were they trying to remove the weaker ones from the fight? I was stunned to see Tenessar and Durham leap from the other coach and run to join the orcs.

    I slowed down even more. What was going on? Had they decided to join forces against the bigger threat¡ªme?

    I tried to explain myself.

    <u>"Alice! It''s me!"</u> I yelled, but what came out of my mouth was something else entirely¡ªa furious, terrifying bark that seemed to shake the very air. I watched as they all recoiled, even the level ninety-one orc. I must have put too much mana into the yell, wanting them to hear me, but it clearly didn¡¯t work the same way as when I was human. Several of them dropped to their knees, including a couple of orcs and Durham, who needed Tenessar¡¯s help to stay upright, though his own knees were wobbling too.

    I stopped, realizing I needed to be more careful. I tried again, this time attempting to vocalize the words more gently.

    <u>"Oh, come on, it''s me."</u>

    But the sounds that emerged were just more strange, guttural roars. Maybe they were friendlier roars? At least they weren¡¯t retreating this time. But then, suddenly, a portal opened up.

    Before I could process what the portal was, a massive shadow shot out of it. It moved so quickly that it was barely more than a blur, but when I looked up into the sky, I saw it clearly¡ªa dragon.

    "How can it fly so fast?" I wondered. It didn¡¯t flap its wings; it moved like a jet, like a black arrow cutting the sky.

    "Mama! Mama! Mama!" I heard the yells in my mind, while my ears picked up more dragon roars. When I noticed Alice staring at her ring in confusion, it clicked.

    "Sid?" I thought, and he heard me. I knew he did, even though he didn¡¯t reply right away. I could feel his joy at hearing my voice.

    "Yes, Mama, it¡¯s me!" he answered.

    It was heartbreaking to hear him confuse me with his mama, especially when I remembered that intense conversation in the grotto with him and Flo. I knew it was better to tell the truth, even if it might disappoint him at first.

    "I''m not your mama, Sid. I''m Lores," I said gently.

    "You''re not Mama?" he exclaimed.

    The despair in his voice was so overwhelming that it pained my dragon heart. He landed in front of me, scrutinizing me closely.

    "But... but... I''m as close as White Flower to you!" I tried to lift his spirits.

    "You look so much like Mama," he sighed, his voice filled with longing.

    "You called White Flower ''aunt.'' I''m like White Flower!" I said, trying to cheer him up.

    I racked my brain, recalling what I¡¯d learned recently about dragons, what little did people know about them. They are said to live in small, matriarchal communities until they mature, which could take hundreds of years.

    Sid wasn¡¯t even a decade old yet. I swallowed hard, trying to view him through this lens.

    ¡°Yes, but she wasn¡¯t a dragon¡­¡± he explained, then quickly added, ¡°Can I call you Mama?¡±

    I didn¡¯t realize it at the time, but this was his dragon way of asking if he could stay with me, under my protection. I almost said a resounding NO, but then, I was a dragon now, a female dragon, and my dragon instincts were influencing my thoughts. Besides, who would be hurt if Sid called me "Mama" in his mind?

    ¡°Sure,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Mama?¡± he half-questioned as he moved to huddle under my giant wing.

    I sighed, raising my massive shoulders as I let Sid nestle in. My eyes met Lynx''s, who simply shrugged in response.

    On the bridge, Hordius, the level ninety-one orc lieutenant, turned to his captain, Drackar, who had just arrived with a small company to reinforce their group against the dragon threat.

    ¡°<u>What did I just see?¡±</u> Hordius asked in Orcish, his voice low and tense.

    Drackar¡¯s gaze flicked from the two dragons to Alice, the elf, and the two humans, then back again. <u>¡°Maybe our guests will offer an explanation,¡±</u> he replied. <u>¡°But for now, </u><u>sound... no, </u><u>no trumpets¡ªdon¡¯t provoke them. Send a courier to the castle and place the garrison on high alert. Pull our boys back towards the castle, but keep within reach. The coaches are secure, and there¡¯s no sense in aggravating the dragons. I¡¯ll walk back with the humans and the elf to the inn. Tell Wortar to meet me there with a couple of guards, horses ready.¡±</u>

    <u>¡°Aye, captain!¡±</u> Hordius responded, quickly moving to carry out the orders.

 Chapter 279 - Echoes in the Forest

    As I was engrossed in my conversation with Sid, I somehow missed that the two coaches had crossed over the bridge. Now that they were moving further away, I nearly sprinted behind them.

    "Hey guys, where are you going?"</u> I asked in my booming voice.

    The only response to my roars was the orcs'' line becoming increasingly tense.

    I sighed, torn between whether to walk over the orcs or not. Nobody seemed to understand me. Nobody? I turned to Sid who was watching me, unsure of what to do. He did understand me!

    "Should I do something, mama? Should I stop them?" he asked, ready to lend a helping claw or two.

    I quickly looked back at the coaches and caught a glimpse of Alice seated on the coachman''s bench, giving me a discreet hand signal that everything was under control. It was a brief gesture, a swift flick of the wrist, in that sign language she and Cala had devised over the years. In that fleeting motion, she conveyed a sense of reassurance, and I immediately grasped her meaning.

    "No."I turned towards Sid. "Let them go."

    He let out a growl and nodded, continuing to scan the orcs.

    I let out a sigh. So, after that initial moment of misunderstanding, Alice had finally grasped the situation at hand! It seemed that Ju, too, had caught on, as she appeared highly agitated. Through the coach''s side window, her eyes locked with mine, filled with a mix of concern and fear. One might have thought she was terrified of the dragon, but as our gazes met, I realized her apprehension stemmed from her worry for my well-being after the transformation. She was fearful for the state of my soul, fearing I might be too stressed by the change. However, I had to admit¡ªthere was a strange contentment, a deep sense of peace, in this new dragon form. Perhaps Ju¡¯s concerns were unfounded after all. Maybe she had misjudged the situation.

    I shrugged. It seemed Alice had made a conscious decision to keep her distance, likely to avoid having to explain everything to the orcs. Her actions also suggested that she didn¡¯t think the situation was immediately dangerous, and well¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t devour the orcs after all.

    I sighed and turned to Sid. "Let¡¯s head into the woods and have a little chat," I said in my mind, feeling the instant telepathic reply: ¡°Sure, mama!¡±

    Telepathy really is a cool thing.

    "You guys do remember I¡¯m not a telepath, right? Too much to ask for a translation, eh?" Lynx grumbled from his side, though he followed us anyway.

    While I was telling Sid a summary of what had happened and where we were, Sid kept interpreting things in a way that put me in a positive light. It came naturally and surprisingly sometimes, leaving me speechless. For instance, I explained that we had the situation with the decaying ring, and nobody knew how to wake him up. He then completed the story by himself:

    "And then you came and woke me up with your dragon call, saving me from oblivion! Thank you, mama!"

    It was a bit unnerving but also strangely fulfilling, like my soul needed such praise, contrary to what Lynx was adding, as if trying to puncture my too bloated ego.

    "Yep, she chose the best moment to do it, and almost got us to fight Alice and our guys. Well done, Lores!"

    I snorted, annoyed. Somehow, Lynx was managing to understand the context and was placing his puncturing comments based on the verbal feedback from Sid. He seemed to enjoy the fun of playing riddles.

    As I paused my storytelling, Sid asked if he could see Alice and Tina again. I explained that yes, of course, we would meet them.

    Well, maybe it was time to go to the inn and meet them. Even though Alice had made that sign that everything was under control, I still feared the orcs might do some mischief, so I decided to turn back into my human form and go together with Sid and Lynx to meet them.

    While dark clouds of the spell gathered around me, I had a short moment of hesitation, thinking that I maybe should go back first to the lynx form. But then, I decided to go with the spell and transform directly into a human.

    Once the dark clouds surrounding me dissipated, I heard Sid praising me. "Cool spell! Mama, I like your improved human avatar!"

    Improved? What did he mean by that? I wasn''t sure if it was something good, but I couldn''t answer him as suddenly, I got the feeling that I was being torn apart. A moan escaped my lips, and I almost fell down. His giant head balanced in front of me, with his big black eyes looking worried at me. Behind me, I felt Lynx trying to support me.

    I fell to my knees and then rested on one hand. As I was breathing hard, I saw that my hand had claws. It was not a human hand; it was a paw. A lynx''s paw.

    It took me a long time to do something or say something, frozen due to the splitting pain.

    Other parts didn''t feel quite right; my legs were strangely curved with prominent muscles. At least my breasts and belly seemed to be okay.

    "Tell us if we can do something," Lynx said after a certain time.

    After another couple of minutes, Sid turned to him.

    "I know that creating a human avatar can be a long and painful process. It''s a good start!" he whispered.

    While until then my brain had been shock-pain-frozen, slowly a few brain cells had started to work. I briefly wondered if the mishap happened because of that brief moment of hesitation or if this was the soul stretching backlash that Ju had warned me about?

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "What do you know about creating a human avatar?" I asked.

    My voice surprised me; it was harsh and guttural, but the words were understandable.

    His eyes lit up at my question, and he eagerly responded.

    "My mommy had told me many stories about spells. So many stories! There were several about creating avatars!" His tone changed suddenly as he exclaimed, "Oh, I miss my mommy so much! You won''t leave me, right?"

    "Of course not!" I replied, trying to sound consoling as he placed his huge head in my reach. I touched him, and he sighed, then after a short break, continued,

    "I learned of a young dragon who wanted to create himself a human avatar. He had worked for months to create it, changing back and forth, correcting the mistakes. At times, it even changed a bit his dragon form, and he had to change back, but it worked in the end."

    "How long did it take him?" I wondered.

    "I don''t know, mama," he replied, lowering his head in shame. "But I know it was a long time. And I know he died¡ªkilled while in human form! Human forms are so much weaker!"

    Him calling me ''mama'' was starting to grate on my nerves. When I agreed to it, I hadn¡¯t really thought it through. "Can you call me Lores when we talk?" I asked.

    A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. "Is this a punishment because I didn''t know the answer to your question?" he whispered, his reaction surprising and shocking me.

    "No, no! It''s... I¡¯d just prefer if you called me Lores."

    I was about to explain that ''mama'' made me feel old, but I stopped myself at the last second. Who knew how he¡¯d react to that?

    He let out a huge sigh, and a grin spread across his dragon face, showing off a lot of sharp teeth. "Oh, cool! So I can call you Lores, and it¡¯s not a punishment?"

    "Of course!" I replied, relieved to have that sorted out.

    As I finally gathered my wits enough to conjure a mirror in the air, I took a good look at myself: I mostly resembled a female human, but my legs were bent wrong, more like a feline''s, and though my arms were human, they ended in paws. Strangely, I hadn¡¯t noticed before, but I had a long, wide reptilian tail. My back was partially covered in chestnut hair, and my face was a strange mix of reptilian and human. Two huge black horns spiraled upward from my head.

    I sighed in despair, but before I could dwell too long on my reflection, Lynx interrupted my self-admiration session.

    "I don¡¯t want to rush you, but I sense Alice and Ju are approaching us."

    Even in my current state, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of envy toward Lynx. He could sense them, even though we couldn''t see or hear a thing. How far did his domain reach? True, we were in the forest, and visibility was limited, but still!

    ¡°I wonder why Tina didn¡¯t come!¡± Sid grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wanted to, but they probably told her it was too dangerous,¡± Lynx explained soothingly.

    ¡°Is someone following them?¡± I asked, as Lynx''s explanation reminded me of the orcs.

    Lynx''s ears twitched slightly, his eyes narrowing as he focused for a moment. "I don''t sense anyone right now, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to stay alert."

    ¡°I''ll go get the girls!¡± Lynx suddenly said and vanished into the forest. Less than a minute later, he reappeared with Ju and Alice in tow.

    As soon as Ju caught sight of me, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Oh, my! What have you done?!¡±

    ¡°If you tell me ''I told you so,'' I swear I''m gonna explode!¡± I snapped back, already bracing for her lecture.

    ¡°You may have wrecked all your transformations! Don''t you understand how this works? It¡¯ll take you eons to recover!¡± she scolded, her voice sharp with frustration.

    ¡°Now''s not the time, Ju,¡± Alice interrupted sternly. ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t make a fuss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making a fuss,¡± Ju said, though her tone softened. She took a breath and explained more calmly, ¡°It¡¯s like trying to cram too many things into a tiny space. Force them in, and you end up with a pile of broken pieces.¡±

    She sighed, noticing Alice''s disapproving glare. Then, placing a hand gently on my shoulder, I felt a soothing spell wash over me, easing some of my tension.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ju said, her voice quieter. ¡°It¡¯s fixable, but you¡¯re going to need time to rest and work on it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the orcs?¡± Lynx asked.

    ¡°They all report to a captain named Drackar,¡± Alice explained. ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite gauge his strength, but I know the name. He¡¯s a well-known mercenary captain. Cala once negotiated with him for a raid, but in the end, he didn¡¯t join. Back then, Cala said he was a respectable captain and that his orcs always keep their word. Do you remember him?¡± she asked, turning to me.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I do know him, though we only communicated through an intermediary. I haven¡¯t met him face-to-face. He¡¯s a native wororc¡ªruthless but honorable. That¡¯s about the extent of what I know.¡± I sighed, recalling the details. ¡°So, what did they want at the bridge?¡±

    ¡°They were charging a tax for crossing¡ªone silver per coach, twenty copper for horsemen. I had to calm Durham down; he wanted to challenge them.¡±

    I huffed. ¡°You did the right thing. Some of those orcs are pretty high-level. But are you sure they won¡¯t attack once you¡¯ve left?¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare. It¡¯d be dishonorable. They won¡¯t touch anyone unless one of ours does something reckless,¡± Alice assured. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re just content to exploit the domain for now. There was also a boy from the inn working as their interpreter. He was happy to fill us in on details¡ªhe¡¯s earning ten copper per coach, which is pretty good pay if you think about it.¡±

    I sighed. "So, we¡¯ll have to dislodge them... That could turn bloody. They¡¯ve got some pretty high-level fighters in their ranks."

    ¡°I¡¯d guess the captain¡¯s around level ninety-six,¡± Ju chimed in, though she didn¡¯t sound entirely certain. At Alice¡¯s curious look, Ju shrugged innocently. ¡°I have my ways of gauging people. I send out small healing pulses. Most don¡¯t even realize I¡¯m doing it¡­¡±

    Alice sighed and shrugged, then turned back to me. ¡°Well, he wants to meet you.¡±

    Ju¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe?¡±

    Alice shrugged. ¡°The locals claim it¡¯s been safer since the orcs took over the domain. They¡¯re administering it through the xsoha. From what I gather, it might be possible to reclaim the domain without a fight¡ªmaybe after paying some kind of ransom.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay ransom! I¡¯d grill them until they leave! How dare they squat on Lores¡¯ land?¡± Sid interjected, his voice sharp with indignation.

    Alice raised a brow at his sudden outburst. ¡°Maybe meet and talk with Drackar first before jumping into a fight?¡± she suggested calmly.

    ¡°How many orcs does he have?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Probably a couple hundred fighters,¡± Alice replied, then added, ¡°and an unusually high number of them are high-level. It feels almost like standing in front of the king. This is an elite troop, or at least the part I¡¯ve seen.¡±

    ¡°This could be a trap! You¡¯re too weak in your human form!¡± Sid protested, turning to me with concern.

    ¡°If we¡¯re thinking about a fight, we¡¯ve got a lot of soft spots with us, don¡¯t we?¡± Lynx added, then faced me as well. ¡°Can you fight as a dragon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I hope my instincts would kick in,¡± I replied. ¡°Still, if we can avoid a fight, I¡¯d prefer it, especially now with all those ''soft spots,'' as Lynx calls them, back at the inn.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wise,¡± Lynx nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they want. You can throw some illusions over yourself¡ªthat should be enough. I¡¯ll carry you to the inn, and Sid and I will offer protection in case things go south. What do you think, Sid?¡±

    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll fly above and circle around, and mama just has to tell me who needs burning!¡± Sid said enthusiastically.

    ¡°Should I tell them you¡¯re ready to talk? Can you manage a conversation in your current state?¡± Alice asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Lores,¡± Ju chimed in as Alice was preparing to leave. ¡°She needs some care.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Alice said with a nod. ¡°Anything else before I go? No? Then see you later at the inn!¡±

 Chapter 280 - Helicopter Cows

    I eventually managed to ride toward the inn, though not without some difficulty. Ideally, I¡¯d have laid flat on Lynx¡¯s back, but that wouldn¡¯t exactly give off a very ladylike impression. Since my tail made it impossible for Ju to sit behind me, she sat in front, with me leaning heavily on her slender back, my head resting on her shoulder and arms wrapped around her. It wasn¡¯t the most ladylike position either, but it was a little bit better, comfortable and it gave her the possibility to cast those soothing spells on me.

    I sighed. It wasn¡¯t enough to have to battle the pain, the nausea, and all the other problems caused by the transformation spell¡ªI also had to maintain appearances and try to look like a proper lady! However, I feared that an impartial observer would have noted my efforts as strained and ultimately insufficient.

    Deep orange and purple colored the horizon as one sun dipped below the treetops while the other still hovered just above the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest path.

    It was getting late, but I wasn¡¯t in any rush. I hoped the evening shadows would help mask the imperfections in my appearance.

    We had spent a lot of time to get me into a dress as my paws were practically useless for any manual tasks and I was worse than having two left hands. Then the real work had started in layering illusions to make me resemble my original self.

    I was struggling to keep a whole array of illusions in place, constantly worried I might forget to renew one. My face required the most effort to appear natural, then there was my tail, which I fought to keep invisible, and my paws that had to look like normal hands. My hairy back was thankfully hidden by the dress, along with my legs. Finally, when I managed to make my horns invisible, I sighed in relief. The image in the mirror looked like a normal girl, but the mental strain of maintaining each illusion was exhausting. At least I was improving¡ªno longer needing to constantly recast the spells as I used to. Plus, the finer details were getting easier to manage. Perhaps these bigger horns were good for something after all.

    On the road, we encountered a few peasant''s carts, but they quickly pulled aside, hurrying to clear the way as soon as they spotted me. Heads bowed respectfully as we passed.

    Ju''s delicate elven features were calm, her slender frame upright and graceful, a cascade of golden hair catching the light from the setting sun.

    "Good evening!" I called out in my raspy voice, speaking in Vynaian. They bowed even lower, clearly surprised that I had acknowledged them. A few even had the presence of mind to mumble a response.

    "Blessed be your hearts!" they responded.

    Oh right, with all the stress, it slipped my mind, ''good evening'' wasn¡¯t the usual greeting here. Besides, Ju had told me there was no need to greet them, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to ignore them entirely. At least she responded correctly, saving the moment.

    When we reached the bridge, there were no orcs in sight, just a young boy. I assumed with the orcs gone, the passage would be free. But to my surprise, after greeting us, he quickly added,

    ¡°Twenty copper for the passage, mylady!¡± while pointing to a wooden table where the toll was clearly posted for those who could read.

    I chuckled.

    "And you¡¯re going to enforce that all by yourself? What if I just walk through?"

    He shrugged with an easy confidence.

    "Some have tried that, but they ended up coming back to pay in silver." He flashed a quick smile.

    I raised an eyebrow. "And what do you do with all that money?" I asked as Ju fumbled through her pouch for some small change.

    He glanced up at me, then said matter-of-factly, "I give it to Sir Hordius, of course."

    "You never pocket a coin?" I teased, watching his expression.

    His horrified look was enough to make me shrug.

    "Really though, where are the orcs?" I asked.

    "They only stick around when they¡¯re bored and there¡¯s nothing else to do," he said with a grin. "But I heard there¡¯s a dragon in the area, so they¡¯re probably off hunting it." He sounded absolutely sure of himself.

    Sid chose that exact moment to let out a bellowing roar. The kid''s eyes shot upward, and his face turned white as a sheet.

    "Here you go," Ju said, calmly placing the twenty copper into his trembling hand. He barely noticed, his fingers shaking as he clutched the coins.

    "I''m hungry, mama!" Sid called through telepathy from above. "Can I go hunt something?"

    The roar was probably meant to get my attention, not scare the wits out of the poor kid.

    I glanced up. "Can you even hunt?"

    The kid, now ghostly pale, stammered, "Th-th-there really is a dragon!" He dropped a few coins as another deafening roar echoed from above, and in a flash, he bolted under the bridge.

    "Of course I can!" Sid boomed another proud roar from the skies to underline his words.

    I sighed. So much for keeping me safe, but I had Lynx and Ju with me, and if it came to it, I could always shift back into a dragon. I shrugged¡ªthere should be no issue with letting him go on a hunt.

    "Alright, go hunt some deer or whatever''s easy prey," I said. "Just be careful, and don¡¯t get hurt."

    I wasn¡¯t really worried¡ªhe was a dragon, after all. He practically lit up, replying instantly.

    ¡°Sure, mama! Thank you, mama! I love you, mama!¡±

    His sudden declaration of love made my heart flutter. No, I reminded myself, he¡¯s just a kid who doesn¡¯t fully grasp the weight of his words. He¡¯s happy I gave him permission to hunt, nothing more.

    ¡°Let me know if anything happens or if you¡¯re in danger, okay? And don¡¯t wander too far¡ªI need you to stay close enough to contact me at any moment.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mama!¡± he chirped back, full of excitement.

    Another booming blare echoed from above as Sid veered toward the forest.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Ju asked, craning her neck to spot him.

    ¡°Sid¡¯s hungry¡ªhe¡¯s off to chase some deer,¡± I explained as we resumed our journey.

    After winding through a few kilometers of forested road, a breathtaking panorama unfolded before us. To the left, a towering inn built of logs dominated the landscape near a tranquil lake. A river meandered lazily between rolling hills, and to the right, a village spread along its banks, nestled beneath a picturesque castle with several stone towers.

    In the distance, a few more villages and hamlets dotted the scene, with small herds of animals and people moving slowly toward their homes. It was a bucolic, almost idyllic sight¡ªlike something straight out of a medieval postcard.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ju said, her eyes lingering on the serene view.

    I nodded. "Indeed."

    Ju tilted her head, curiosity in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your domain? You haven¡¯t told us yet.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Orcmound. So now I¡¯m Lores of Orcmound.¡± I shrugged, trying to downplay it. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you all making fun of me.¡±

    She burst out laughing, the sound ringing through the peaceful scene. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be more fitting! Is that why you didn¡¯t invite us to your nomination?¡±

    ¡°No, not really. They actually took me by surprise with it. I thought I was just going to the judge¡¯s office to give a lecture about not spilling blood within the palace grounds, but... they went ahead and did the nomination ceremony right then and there.¡±

    In the distance, tall trees with darkened leaves created a thick canopy, their branches stretching upward. The last slivers of sunlight filtered through, casting a warm, golden glow over the meadow. I pointed towards it.

    ¡°You know something? I¡¯ll set my table up right there. We¡¯ll let Drackar come to me here in the field. It¡¯s better than inside the inn.¡±

    Ju raised a brow but didn¡¯t comment.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    This way, I could sit and wait for him without awkwardly navigating through the inn. Plus, if there was any trap set for me in there, this would make sure it didn''t work. Ju nodded, finally understanding my reasoning.

    ¡°All right! If you say so!¡±

    She helped me down from Lynx¡¯s back, and I pulled out a table and two chairs from my inventory. Ju helped me position them, and as the sky darkened, I retrieved two Chinese lanterns¡ªan impulse buy from ages ago that had only ever decorated my room.

    ¡°Can you light the lanterns?¡± I asked, handing them to her.

    As Ju sparked them to life, I set out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. Meanwhile, Lynx settled down behind us, like a giant cat lounging on its side, his eyes flicking between us and the surroundings with quiet interest.

    ¡°Would you be so kind as to pour the wine? I can¡¯t manage it properly with these claws,¡± I asked, gesturing to my hands.

    ¡°No, you silly,¡± Ju replied with a teasing smile. ¡°My place is to stand behind your chair, like the brave servant I am. That chair is for Drackar, not me!¡± She glanced toward the distance. ¡°And I think he¡¯s already coming.¡±

    Two black-clad riders approached at a swift trot, their dark figures cutting through the twilight. At the same time, I noticed Alice stepping out of the inn. She waved at me, and I returned the gesture.

    ¡°He¡¯s fast!¡± I remarked, impressed. Then I turned to Ju, who was shaking the bottle of wine far too vigorously. ¡°Careful with that bottle, it¡¯s sparkling wine!¡±

    ¡°How does this cork come out?¡± she asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Have you never opened sparkling wine before?¡± I protested. ¡°You just push it with your thumb, and it¡¯ll pop.¡±

    As the riders drew closer, their horses stopped abruptly about ten meters from us. In perfect sync, the orcs dismounted with a smooth, practiced jump¡ªalmost like part of a choreographed routine. At that exact moment, the cork shot out of the bottle with a loud pop. Ju, entirely unaware of the timing, had inadvertently ''fired'' it in their direction as she struggled with the bubbling wine.

    The giant orc chuckled as the cork whizzed past him. He stepped forward while his companion stayed back, holding the reins of the horses.

    I breathed a sigh of relief that the cork hadn¡¯t immediately set us on a collision course toward war.

    ¡°Blessed be your heart,¡± he greeted, his deep voice reverberating as he spoke. He then added with a question in his eyes, ¡°Lady Lores, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Blessed be your heart,¡± I replied, finally getting the formalities right. ¡°Captain Drackar? My name is Lores of Orcmound. Will you join me for a drink?¡± I gestured toward the chair. Ju had made it clear beforehand not to introduce her¡ªservants weren¡¯t introduced in this kind of setting, she¡¯d reminded me.

    He chuckled as he stepped closer. Wororcs were known to be bigger than the average orc, but this one? He was immense, even by their standards. He glanced at the chair I offered and raised a brow.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to break your furniture. Are you sure it¡¯s sturdy enough for me?¡± he asked, eyeing it. Before I could respond, he gracefully lowered himself to the ground beside the table, his bulk sinking into the earth. Even seated on the ground, he was almost eye-level with me in my chair.

    Drackar removed his helm and then his gauntlets, placing them neatly beside him. His dark red eyes glimmered in the soft glow of the lanterns as he brushed back his gray hair. His protruding lower canines gave him a fierce, bulldog-like appearance, but the way he held himself suggested control, not brutality.

    He spoke Vynaian fluently¡ªprobably learned from a magic scroll. His attire was simple yet imposing: a black breastplate over what looked like a t-shirt, leaving his thick, muscled arms bare. My gaze couldn¡¯t help but linger on his impossibly wide biceps, rippling with every subtle movement.

    ¡°Wine, Sir?¡± Ju asked with a respectful bow, stepping beside him. ¡°It¡¯s a special import from faraway lands,¡± she added smoothly.

    With a casual gesture, he allowed her to fill his glass, though his eyes remained fixed on me. His muscles shifted under his skin like coiled snakes as he moved, each motion deliberate and controlled.

    ¡°Lores of Orcmound,¡± he repeated, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. ¡°So, young lady, are you here to chase me away from this land?¡± His words cut straight to the point, his attention briefly shifting to Ju as she gracefully poured the wine.

    I huffed softly, caught off guard by his bluntness. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t a man who believed in dancing around a topic.

    ¡°I must say the thought did cross my mind,¡± I replied with a casual shrug. ¡°According to some kingdom''s paper, I¡¯m the rightful owner of this land.¡±

    ¡°This is new,¡± he mused, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°May I ask you something, Lady? Do you believe that might makes right? Is that your view?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow,¡± I admitted, tilting my head. ¡°But I have a feeling that being right without the power to enforce it is a loser¡¯s position. What are you trying to say?¡±

    He leaned forward slightly, his expression serious. ¡°We are standing on ancestral orc land. We wororcs have lived here since before the time of the elven empire. Our people are mostly nomadic, but we have a few permanent cities. There were no humans here then. We fought alongside humans against the elves, and we won. Now, you come here, claim this land as yours by some human decree, and tell us we should leave. Is that what you think is right?¡±

    His words hung in the air, carrying the weight of history and battle.

    I sighed, frustration bubbling up. I wasn¡¯t interested in history or battles.

    Why did everything have to be so complicated? All I wanted was a peaceful domain where I could relax and enjoy life until we found a way back to my world. Was that really too much to ask?

    Luckily, before I could attempt to formulate a response, Drackar continued.

    ¡°I have a proposal that might suit us both,¡± he said, his tone measured, ¡°and it will avoid any unnecessary conflict. As it stands, the domain generates forty gold per Kargath*, after all costs are accounted for¡ªincluding the upkeep of my orcs. You can take this income for yourself and your house, while we remain to defend the domain.¡±

    His offer hung in the air, practical and direct. It certainly wasn¡¯t what I had expected, but it was hard to argue with the simplicity of it.

    I blinked, trying to fully grasp what he was proposing. Lola had a saying: when a proposal is too good to be true it is very probably because it is too good to be true.

    ¡°So, you''re saying you''ll continue to administer the domain, and I should be content with just a portion of the revenue?¡± I asked, skeptical. Forty gold sounded like a decent sum, but I had a feeling the domain was generating far more than that.

    Drackar huffed and shook his head. ¡°No, you misunderstand. We don¡¯t administer the domain; the xsoha handle that. Let me put it another way: once you take over, you''ll need to hire troops to protect it unless you plan on defending it yourself. That will cost you money. I currently pay fifty-seven gold per Kargath to my five companies and officers, including myself. Any other solution you consider won¡¯t come much cheaper.¡±

    He leaned forward slightly, his eyes steady. ¡°We¡¯ll continue to do all the security work¡ªguard the domain, chase off thieves and marauders, man the walls and forts¡ªjust as any hired company would. All under your command, through me. After all expenses, what remains is forty gold. How you run the domain, how you manage the finances beyond that, is entirely up to you. I think that¡¯s a fair proposal.¡±

    His words made sense, and I could see the logic in his offer. It was a clean deal, but still, I felt like there was more to consider.

    ¡°What about the taxes?¡± I asked. ¡°Once we deduct the imperial taxes, will there be anything left? I¡¯m not about to dodge paying them.¡±

    He shrugged casually. ¡°The taxes are part of the costs¡ªwe¡¯ve been paying them. That won¡¯t change.¡±

    I frowned, shaking my head. ¡°The governor¡¯s land records show no taxes paid!¡±

    He paused, then sighed, taking a deep breath before bursting into laughter. ¡°Ah, those xsoha¡­ I told them to pay, but it seems they¡¯ve been pocketing the tax money all along. Can you believe that?¡±

    The idea of the xsoha skimming tax money right from under the orcs'' noses was almost hilarious, though it made sense¡ªDrackar had no real way to check on them. Still, you had to admire their boldness.

    ¡°But why would you pay the kingdom¡¯s taxes?¡± I asked, curious. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just funding your enemies?¡±

    He shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to spark a war over a handful of coins. And anyway, it''s human-earned money, so it¡¯s not entirely unjust to send it to a human king.¡±

    Something felt off. Wasn¡¯t Kargath, the God of War, their god? Shouldn¡¯t they be more... combative?

    ¡°Afraid of war?¡± I asked, almost teasingly.

    He stared at me as if I''d just uttered some great sacrilege. ¡°No.¡±

    Then his voice softened, taking on a tone both wise and weary. ¡°As Kargath moves through its phases, so does life. There''s a time for war, and there¡¯s a time for peace. War must be fought for a just cause, and its purpose is to lead to peace. Peace, however, breeds weak leaders, which inevitably brings war again. War strengthens us, but peace gives us time to raise our children.¡±

    His face darkened as if remembering something bitter. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many wars. If war is to come, then it will, as Kargath wills it. They sent weak troops before, and we crushed them. If they send more, we¡¯ll kill more. But then, they¡¯ll strike at our villages, at our families, when we¡¯re not there. And we¡¯ll retaliate, trying to rid the world of them. We will either die or win, but it¡¯ll only stir up more hatred, more vengeance, more bloodshed.¡±

    He sighed deeply. ¡°The cold years are coming. I want a place where my orcs can live, survive, and grow with their families through the long winter ahead. That¡¯s why I seek peace now.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± I asked, curious how far he''d go.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Then we¡¯ll discuss it and decide. I¡¯d likely choose to leave, but that¡¯s up to the assembly. I don¡¯t want to fight dragons, but if they vote to stand our ground, we won¡¯t run.¡±

    Straightforward, no threats, just facts.

    ¡°I need time to think about your offer,¡± I said, weighing my options.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he agreed, taking a sip from his glass. A second sip, and it was empty. He set it down gently. ¡°Nice wine. It sparkles on the tongue.¡±

    His deep red eyes flicked back to mine. ¡°When can I expect your decision, Lady Lores?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow evening. We can meet here again.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, my lady, then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± he answered with a nod.

    Drackar leapt to his feet with surprising ease, just as a heavy thud hit the ground a dozen meters away. His horses neighed in alarm, the other orc struggling to keep them steady as more thuds followed. Three mangled cows lay on the grass, still smoking from a crisp flame that had clearly scorched them from above.

    Drackar, if surprised at all, masked it well. He turned to me with a raised brow, clearly waiting for some kind of explanation.

    Waves of air hit us, like the downdraft of a helicopter, as giant clawed legs swung overhead, adjusting their landing. I sighed, feeling a headache building just as Sid¡¯s booming, cheery voice filled the valley, followed by a dark shadow landing atop one of the cows.

    ¡°Mama! I brought food for you and Lynx too! I¡¯m sooo hungry!¡±

    I pressed a hand to my face in sheer desperation, the word "mama" echoing in my ears again. No point in correcting him at this stage.

    ¡°You can have my part too,¡± I replied, hoping against hope the orcs didn¡¯t speak English.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re so cool!¡± Sid cheered, and Lynx abandoned his post at my side to inspect his share of the carnage.

    I rolled my eyes. Where did he even pick up that phrase?

    * Kargath is a moon, but also the time period of thirty-two days, during which the moon Kargath completes its phases.

 Chapter 281 - Good Night Stories

    While my "guardian defenders" were preoccupied with devouring a few peasants'' cows, I watched the two retreating orcs with a curious eye. Ju, finally done with playing the part of the servant, slipped into the chair across from me. I placed a second crystal glass on the table for her, and she wasted no time pouring herself some wine.

    "You¡¯re not actually thinking of accepting his proposal, are you?" she asked, once the orcs had moved far enough away for us to speak freely.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I replied, taking a sip from my glass. Then I added the thought that had been haunting my mind since I first laid eyes on them. ¡°Did you see those biceps? They''re bigger than my thighs!¡±

    Ju snorted, wine shooting out through her nose. She erupted into a mix of laughter and coughing, her face turning red as she wiped her face and hands with a handkerchief, all the while shooting me a stink eye.

    ¡°Please, don''t say things like that when I¡¯m drinking wine! Is that really your reason for considering his proposal?!¡±

    I had to swivel my ears in her direction just to catch her words over the racket. There was too much background noise. With a shrug, I answered noncommittally¡ªit wasn¡¯t exactly what I meant, though it had sounded like it. Before I could clarify, the incessant crunching and slurping finally got to me. I turned towards the source of the noise that was drowning everything out.

    "Sid, it''s not polite to chew with your mouth open!" I called out, trying to impart some basic table manners to him.

    ¡°Really?¡± **splat** **splat** ¡°Why though?¡± Sid asked, pausing to slurp the marrow from a bone with a look of utter satisfaction.

    ¡°Because it makes,¡± **crunch** ¡°a lot of unpleasant,¡± **crunch** ¡°noises,¡± Lynx chimed in, lifting his blood-smeared face from the inside of his cow. Even in the dim light of the lanterns, the mess was obvious, but he seemed quite proud of his ¡°polite¡± eating habits.

    I sighed deeply and turned back to Ju, abandoning any hope of teaching them table manners. Some battles weren''t worth fighting.

    ¡°This part¡¯s all burnt,¡± Lynx muttered to Sid, eyeing his meal.

    ¡°It¡¯s not burnt, it¡¯s just crispy,¡± Sid countered.

    ¡°How about you give me that bloody piece, and I¡¯ll trade you the crispy one?¡± Lynx offered, seizing the chance.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ OK. I like ''em crispy!¡± Sid agreed, and without a second thought, they swapped their portions.

    Ju, after a satisfied sip of wine, leaned in and whispered, ¡°Aren¡¯t they talking a bit too much? I mean, what if the humans around here hear them?" she raised an eyebrow. "You know that talking beasts aren''t exactly well-regarded in human society."

    I sighed, realizing she had a point.

    I poured the last of the wine into my glass, eyeing the bottle with regret. This was the only wine I truly liked, and my small stock of Earthly bottles was dwindling. Where would I ever find something like this again?

    As I raised my head, I noticed a small procession forming outside the inn¡ªAlice¡¯s group was heading our way. I shrugged in response to Ju¡¯s earlier concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s my domain, isn¡¯t it? I make the laws here, and I say talking beasts are fine. Besides, I can¡¯t exactly forbid them from talking, that would be too cruel. If people have a problem with it, they can deal with me."

    Ju arched her brow, but didn¡¯t say anything, her attention shifting towards the noise coming from a building a bit farther from the inn, lit with red lanterns. A scantily dressed woman ran from the building, chased by a portly orc. My ears perked up, instantly focusing on their conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving! I¡¯m free, and you can¡¯t stop me! These are my people, you bastard!¡± she yelled as she approached Alice¡¯s group. I noticed the group around Alice tense up. Quickly, I pinged the orc. He didn¡¯t seem like much of a threat: <<Innkeeper, level twenty-nine.>>

    ¡°Stella! Don¡¯t do this to me! Please, the business is going well!¡± the orc pleaded in broken Vynaian, struggling to keep up with her.

    The woman halted and spun around to face the orc.

    ¡°You damn exploiter! Time for payback!¡± she growled, raising her fist in a threatening gesture.

    I quickly assessed her: <<warrior, level thirteen>>. But there was something else¡ªan indication of another skill, marking her as a <

    >. Anger surged inside me. Had these cursed orcs forced that poor girl into such a life?

    The crunching sounds behind me suddenly stopped, as Sid must have sensed the shift in my mood.

    ¡°Mama, should I burn the orc?¡± he asked, his voice eager.

    Sid clearly picked up on the person who was getting under my skin. I sighed. These orcs talk about honor? Doing the right thing? Is this what they consider honorable? I took a deep breath, wondering if a public punishment might be in order.

    Just as I was weighing the decision, the orc raised his hands in desperation.

    ¡°OK, OK, I''ll raise your share to eighty percent! How about that?¡± he said, clearly anxious.

    The woman stood there, as if considering her options, likely thinking about how to make him squirm.

    ¡°How about eighty-five, and we¡¯ve got a deal!¡± she countered, her voice sharp.

    She certainly had him squirming!

    ¡°But, but, Stella,¡± he stammered, wringing his hands, ¡°you know I¡¯ve got to pay the cleaning staff, cover the broken furniture, all those repairs! How could I manage with only fifteen percent left? Would you take over those expenses?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she snapped. ¡°You¡¯ve been exploiting me with that sixty percent cut for too long, and now that I want out, suddenly you can offer me eighty? Eighty-five!¡± she repeated, more stubborn than ever.

    ¡°But, Stella, nobody gets eighty-five percent. Eighty is the most I can give, honestly!¡± He tried to sound reasonable, eyes darting nervously. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ll catch a cold standing out here barely dressed. Let me cover you,¡± he added, slipping off his jacket to drape it over her shoulders.

    ¡°But then, eighty percent, and no tricks this time?¡± she asked, walking beside him back toward the building.

    I rolled my eyes. These long ears I¡¯ve got really are a treasure.

    ¡°You can keep eating, Sid. No need to burn the orc today,¡± I said, watching the pair as they disappeared inside.

    A massive yawn echoed behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m done, and I¡¯m sleepy, ma. Can I sleep here? Will you tell me a bedtime story?¡± Sid caught me off guard and for a few moments, I didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    "I''m sorry, it''s not possible right now," I eventually said, my mind scrambling in a panic. Tell stories? What stories could I even tell? "I need to talk to Alice and the others," I added quickly, hoping that would satisfy him.

    He sighed behind me, then his enormous head nudged closer.

    "OK, tomorrow then? Promise? Pretty please? And... a goodnight kiss now?" he asked, his big black eyes pleading in a way that made it impossible to refuse.

    I could only nod. This was emotional blackmail at its finest. How could I say no when he looked at me like that?

    I gave him a quick kiss on his brow and gently caressed his cheek, waving to Alice with my free hand. Sid retreated a few steps, then curled himself into a pretzel-like shape, now resembling a small black hill resting behind me.

    As the group approached, my ears perked up tuning into their conversation.

    ¡°We should go free that girl! She¡¯s from the 103rd regiment! We need to find out what happened to them!¡± Durham urged, his voice filled with determination.

    ¡°But from what I¡¯ve heard, Stella seems to be free,¡± Moran said, sounding doubtful.

    ¡°No! Durham''s right! I don¡¯t trust those orcs. We need to get her out of there, bring her here, and hear her side of the story!¡± Laona, the mage, insisted.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    My followers from Ahetia''s Lion were making most of the noise, clearly energized by the idea. Meanwhile, the boys from Earth, along with Tina, stood quietly behind Alice, observing the situation without saying much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what Lady Lores has to say first,¡± Moran interjected as the group finally reached me. The chatter died down, leaving only Hexera''s nervous stammer to break the silence:

    ¡°Do... do... is that... is that the dragon? Does it¡­ does it listen to you?¡± she asked, her voice barely steady.

    A ripple of murmurs followed, as if they were only now noticing the mountain of a dragon curled up behind me. Eyes widened, heads tilted, and whispers of awe filled the air.

    ¡°Do we really have a dragon?¡±

    ¡°Not we¡ªLady Lores does.¡±

    ¡°Is it real?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen a dragon!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real!¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t there two at the crossing? Where¡¯s the second one?¡±

    ¡°What portal was that?¡±

    It seemed Alice hadn¡¯t briefed them about Sid.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s real,¡± Lynx said calmly from behind me, ¡°and please lower your voices¡ªit¡¯s sleeping.¡±

    "The beast speaks!" Krassem yelped in surprise, making Ju''s earlier warning ring true.

    "Anyone who calls me a beast from now on is lunch," Lynx decreed. He was joking, of course, but the group didn¡¯t seem to catch that.

    "I''m... I''m out of this!" Dozha suddenly exclaimed, glaring defiantly at me.

    It caught me off guard, and before I could respond, she turned on her talons and stomped toward the inn.

    "Can she just leave like that?" Laona the mage asked, startled.

    I shrugged. She¡¯d already cashed in for the day, and it was nearly over.

    "Of course. If she doesn¡¯t want to stay¡ª" I began, but then Laona cut me off, her voice sharp.

    "Then I''m out too! Talking beasts is too much for me!"

    Realizing what she had said, Laona spun on her talons and sprinted toward the archer. All eyes immediately shifted to Lynx.

    ¡°She called your bluff!¡± Tom said with a chuckle.

    Lynx rolled his eyes. ¡°I never said who''s lunch she''d be. Maybe the fleas will have her,¡± he added, trying to wiggle his way out of it.

    The group chuckled, and the tension hanging in the air finally seemed to ease.

    ¡°So, what''s the plan?¡± Alice asked, her eyes fixed on me as the group gathered around the table in a loose circle.

    I opened my mouth to answer when Sid¡¯s deep dragon voice suddenly boomed from behind.

    ¡°Mama, I cannot sleep!¡±

    Though the words were slurred with sleepiness, most of the group caught enough to understand. Every head turned toward me in shock. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It seemed that it didn¡¯t matter how often I told him to call me Lores.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Sid? Are we being too loud?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

    ¡°No, but I feel lonely. Will you come sleep by me when you''re done?¡±

    I froze. How had I ended up in this situation? I took another deep breath, then another, but no amount of breathing was going to change the fact that I couldn''t say no. Damn it!

    ¡°Sure, Sid, but it might take a while,¡± I finally said.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok,¡± he mumbled. ¡°If I know you¡¯ll come, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    His breathing evened out, and the heavy silence that followed seemed almost louder than before. I downed the rest of my wine in one swift gulp, steeling myself before anyone could ask any more questions.

    ¡°I just spoke with Drackar, the orc captain,¡± I began, breaking the silence. ¡°He¡¯s willing to hand over the domain without a fight. In fact, he¡¯s offered for his orcs to stay on as our garrison.¡±

    A few moments passed in stunned silence.

    ¡°Work with the orcs?¡± Durham murmured, his voice barely audible. A wave of whispered conversations spread through the group.

    ¡°What does that really mean for us?¡± Alice asked, cutting through the murmurs.

    ¡°It means,¡± I said, looking around the circle, ¡°we¡¯ll have control over the domain¡ªadminister it however we see fit. And the orcs? They¡¯ll be our security, manning the forts. Basically, what any mercenary troop would do, but already in place.¡±

    ¡°Do you plan to accept?¡± Tom asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°Well, we¡¯d need troops one way or another. Moran, Durham, what do you think¡ªhow many soldiers would we need to defend this domain properly?¡±

    The two exchanged glances before Moran answered, ¡°It depends, but I¡¯d say at least fifty to a hundred soldiers, plus a few mages, to provide basic defense for the castle.¡±

    Durham nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with a hundred,¡± I said, calculating quickly. ¡°That¡¯s ten gold per day for a hundred soldiers, right? That comes to about three hundred and twenty gold per Kargath. For fifty soldiers, it¡¯d be half¡ªaround one hundred and sixty.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Durham replied, ¡°but that figure includes everything¡ªfood, uniforms, weapon upkeep, the whole deal. Plus, it¡¯s the cost for a campaign. It should be less for a garrison just stationed in one domain.¡±

    ¡°How much less?¡± I asked.

    ¡°About half,¡± Durham said.

    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, mulling it over. Even with that reduction, Drackar''s offer still seemed generous. His orcs might be eating from the domain¡¯s resources and staying for free, but it was still a deal worth considering.

    ¡°Mama...¡± Sid mumbled again from behind me. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was half-asleep or still awake.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming, just a moment... dear,¡± I replied, feeling the weight of everyone¡¯s eyes on me.

    ¡°Mmmmm...¡± Sid started a low rumbling chant, which, despite his intention, sounded a bit ominous. I noticed a few concerned glances from the group.

    I sighed and turned to Alice. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll sleep on it. Let¡¯s meet tomorrow morning for breakfast?¡±

    *

    Drackar raised his hand, eyeing the one-liter jar he held with a bemused chuckle.

    ¡°She served me this tiny glass of sweet, bubbling wine. The thing was so delicate I thought it might shatter if I touched it! Who actually drinks that?¡±

    ¡°Elves?¡± Woktarod suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, considering her ears, she¡¯s probably trying to emulate one of those long-eared elves, like most human nobles,¡± Wetina chimed in, smirking.

    Woktarod, eager to keep her engaged, added, ¡°I¡¯m not sure though... Those didn¡¯t really look like elven ears to me. More like some beastkin¡¯s ears, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    Wetina, as usual, brushed off Woktarod''s attempts at conversation, leaving him visibly deflated. Though she had positioned herself between Wokta and Drackar, she leaned closer to Wokta. It wasn''t that she had any genuine interest in the giant; she simply enjoyed stirring Woktarod''s emotions, particularly since he was either too stubborn or too oblivious to realize his advances were unwelcome.

    Hordius, watching her manipulations, rolled his eyes in mild exasperation, while Wortar let out a sigh, shaking his head at the familiar scene. Wetina''s antics had become something of a routine, and it seemed only Woktarod remained unaware of the game being played at his expense.

    Meanwhile, Wokta, the giant of the group, sat quietly, his massive hands clenched into fists. Ignoring the chatter about wine and ears, he let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°So... we¡¯re just giving up without a fight?¡±

    He looked down at his hands, clearly uncomfortable. He was feeling small and weak even if he dwarfed everyone there, even Drackar.

    Drackar glanced at Wokta. The quiet shame in the giant¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t lost on him.

    ¡°Is she really a dragon?¡± Wetina asked, shaking her short, curled hair as she raised her jar to clink it with the others.

    Drackar huffed. ¡°Wokta, remember ''The Art of War'' by Drocktar? What do you do when the enemy¡¯s power is overwhelming?¡±

    ¡°I know, captain, I know,¡± Wokta replied, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists. ¡°But it still doesn¡¯t sit right.¡±

    Drackar sighed. ¡°Trust me on this, Wokta. I believe it¡¯s the right move.¡±

    He then turned to Wetina, the only female captain among them. ¡°I¡¯d bet she is a dragon. If someone had told me I¡¯d be striking deals with one, I wouldn¡¯t have believed them!¡±

    He chuckled, shaking his head before continuing. ¡°She didn¡¯t even flinch when I offered for us to stay on as guards, like it was just... normal. Human, orc¡ªit didn¡¯t matter to her. The deal was what mattered. Now tell me, which human lord would ever consider us for something like that?¡±

    ¡°You make a point, but¡­ is that all the evidence you¡¯ve got to call her a dragon? She could just as easily be someone who owns a young dragon,¡± Hordius said with a shrug.

    Drackar shook his head. ¡°Remember, there were two dragons. So where¡¯s the second one? And that ¡®baby¡¯ dragon walks around freely, calling her mama. That tells you plenty. She¡¯s likely using an avatar to pass among humans, but she¡¯s not what she appears to be. When you look at her, you¡¯re seeing layers of illusions, not her true form. She¡¯s probably got a tail and claws beneath it all. I¡¯m almost certain she is a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Most dragon stories don¡¯t have happy endings,¡± Wetina said thoughtfully. ¡°There have always been rumors about dragons living up in the northern mountains. You think they¡¯ve woken up now? Gonna burn the whole land to ash?¡±

    ¡°If she wanted to burn it down, why go through the trouble of getting ownership documents for the domain?¡± Drackar replied. ¡°I think they¡¯re just curious about us. I wonder what the king knows. Our spy at court warned us that a kingdom hero was granted this domain. And if you¡¯re a dragon in disguise, it probably isn¡¯t hard to become a ¡®hero.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll accept your offer?¡± Wokta asked, the one-liter beer jug looking small in his massive hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet one silver she does!¡± Wortar said, raising his thumb.

    ¡°I¡¯ll double that¡ªshe won¡¯t,¡± Hordius countered.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

 Chapter 282 - High Life and The Little Prince

    It was late, and sleep had long escaped me. I shifted, trying to ease the weight pressing down on me, and in the process, I pushed Ju aside. Realizing what I''ve done, I froze, worried I''d woken her, but she simply turned over and continued to sleep soundly. Poor thing must have dozed off while casting healing spells on me. Elves really are light¡ªshe barely weighed anything at all.

    I glanced around the spacious room, bathed in the eerie light of the moons. The white marble floor gleamed beneath the faint glow, and the wide double bed¡ªlarge enough to fit an entire family, pets included¡ªwas now occupied by just Ju and me. Cupboards lined the walls, along with a giant mirror and a few smaller ones. Two imposing doors led out of the room: one to the main hall and staircase, the other to Ju¡¯s adjacent room, though she hadn¡¯t bothered to use it. A pair of massive crystal double doors, separated by a column, opened onto the terrace. Clearly, security wasn¡¯t much of a concern at this height¡ªor perhaps the crystal could withstand a decent amount of battering.

    A smaller door led to a bathroom, where a marble bathtub¡ªmore like a small pool¡ªsat beneath yet another mirror, this one near the lavatory. Unfortunately, the water installation wasn¡¯t functional, a frustrating shortcoming that needed addressing soon. Until then, we were stuck hauling water by hand and relying on chamber pots.

    Unable to find my slippers, I padded barefoot toward the silk draperies and stepped out onto the terrace, which was made of the same marble as the rest of the room. In the moonlight, it appeared almost white, though during the day it showed its true pink-gray hue. Honestly, who designs a pink-gray terrace? Sid was there, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. I had laid out a few giant carpets specifically for him, even though he¡¯d insisted it wasn¡¯t needed.

    I sat down beside Sid, resting my back against him, and began my soul-strengthening exercises. They mostly involved long stretches of meditation, broken up now and then by graceful, ballet-like movements. Personally, I suspected those movements were added just to prevent your body from going numb after hours of stillness, but Ju insisted they were essential. Or maybe she just enjoyed too much watching me struggle to imitate her fluid and gracious demonstrations.

    Whatever the reason, I settled in, and almost immediately, I could swear Sid started to purr like a giant cat. I couldn''t actually hear it, but I could feel the gentle vibration through my back as I leaned against him. Chuckling to myself, I let it be and continued my meditation.

    We had been living in the castle for a full Quarter now¡ª(in Kargath''s terms, a Quarter of a Kargath is eight days) ¡ªand life was good. If you asked me, I could easily get used to this peaceful, pampered existence. It felt like a place I could genuinely call home.

    The one thing that bothered me, though, was my ''avatar.'' I had to rely on Ju, Alice, and sometimes Tina for everything¡ªfeeding me, cleaning me, even getting me dressed. Those three were the only ones who had seen how truly wrecked I was underneath my illusions. Well, them and Lynx, who could see through it all. Not even my closest friends knew the full extent of my state. I wasn¡¯t ready to let them see my half-reptilian face.

    Ju had insisted I work on strengthening my soul first before even attempting to fix my appearance. Now that I had done that, I was finally allowed to try... but only if I passed her examination.

    We didn¡¯t have to do much work ourselves. There was a staff of cleaners and cooks¡ªlocal girls from the nearby villages¡ªwho were happy to earn some money by serving at the castle. However, their access to the fifth floor was restricted to when I was down on the fourth, meeting with my friends and followers.

    Whenever I went outside, I was always wrapped in layers of illusions. To avoid awkward questions about my new horns, I kept them invisible. It was simpler that way, and it also had the bonus of making me look like a nearly perfect human girl¡ªif you ignored the ears. I thought about hiding those too, but they moved constantly on their own, instinctively and out of my control. Creating a spell to conceal them was more complicated, at least with my current level of illusion magic. Frankly speaking I didn''t bother too much with them, I had other priorities.

    I accepted Drackar¡¯s proposal, and I have to say, I had no reason to complain. I had the topmost apartment of the castle all to myself, complete with a massive terrace. And I have to give credit to whoever built it¡ªit was big and sturdy enough for Sid to land, lounge, and sleep on.

    My work at the castle so far had mainly involved delegating tasks.

    "Yes, finally, I¡¯m the boss. I don¡¯t work¡ªI delegate!" I thought, feeling smug about it. It really was satisfying to have people to delegate to.

    At first, Alice could handle just about everything by herself. But I didn¡¯t leave her completely on her own¡ªDurham took on most of the administrative responsibilities, managing contact with the Xsoha, who actually did the day-to-day work.

    The Xsoha were a kind of caste, though they had integrated themselves over the years throughout the empire and, more recently, the kingdom as well. They originated from the Southern District, or Xsoh in Vynaian, of the imperial capital. Officially, there were no castes in the kingdom, but the Xsoha were an exception due to the sheer complexity of accounting in this world. They used intricate tables for all calculations, and, having a near monopoly on these methods, most noble houses ended up hiring them to handle their administrative work. Lately, they''d even begun expanding into Guarava, where they''d never been seen before.

    Durham¡¯s role was to make decisions whenever the Xsoha came with questions, and to check over their accounting. He had volunteered for the job since he claimed to understand their calculations. There were five Xsoha families living on the lower floors of the palace, each family head with their own work area, but beyond that, I didn¡¯t know much about them yet.

    The massive castle had five floors, including a raised ground floor and two subterranean levels beneath it, with more than a hundred rooms in total. We hadn¡¯t even seen, let alone counted, all of them¡ªnot to mention the outbuildings. Sixteen towers, both large and small, gave the whole place a fairy-tale atmosphere.

    On the floor below mine¡ªthe fourth floor¡ªwere Alice''s quarters and the boys'' rooms, though most of the floor remained unused. We planned to convert some of the rooms into common spaces for meetings, but first, they needed a thorough cleaning. There was old, rotting furniture in some areas, but there was also an ancient library containing several hundred books, all in a very fragile state. The moment Ju saw it, she forbade anyone from even attempting to read them until she could arrange for a specialist to come and restore them.

    The castle sat with the meandering river on one side and a vast courtyard on the other. As the river wound around, three-quarters of the seven-meter-high walls ran along its banks, leaving only a quarter facing the more open plain. About a kilometer away lay a growing village. A narrow moat had once encircled the landward side of the walls, but over time, it had become clogged and was now in the process of being cleared and dried out. There were a couple of small metal doors along the riverside and a massive gate with a portcullis and drawbridge on the other.

    Inside the courtyard, several auxiliary buildings clustered around the castle, which stood out like a jewel in a ring. A garrison of forty orcs, led by one of Drackar''s lieutenants, was permanently stationed here. They occupied a low building opposite the main castle. Of the garrison, ten orcs were always on duty, manning the main gate, patrolling the walls, or guarding the castle entrance, while the rest remained on standby or trained in a separate yard. Most of the training and dueling grounds were outside the courtyard, in the open plain.

    Due to the sheer size of the place, you could easily spend hours without encountering an orc¡ªexcept along the walls or in the courtyard. The massive main gate remained open during the day but was locked at night.

    My followers had settled on the third floor, each claiming a room for themselves. We were down to five now. The day after Dozsa and Laona left, Hexera didn¡¯t show up for breakfast. At first, I worried something had happened to her and sent Sid to investigate. He later reported seeing all three of them traveling together on the road. It was frustrating that she hadn¡¯t even bothered to tell me she was leaving.

    To make things worse, when I informed everyone that I had accepted Drackar''s offer, Krassem made a huge scene, accusing me of making a pact with the kingdom¡¯s enemies. He even went so far as to call it treason. Durham voiced his concerns too, and even Moran admitted he wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable with orcs being stationed here. Even my boys weren¡¯t convinced it was the right decision. Eventually, I had to ask Krassem to either decide if he was staying or leaving, but to stop pestering me¡ªthe decision was already made.

    Well, with Krassem gone, I was down to five followers to handle the work. I supposed that would be enough, as their main task was to interact with the population, identify any issues, and offer a more human face to the administration. Essentially, they were meant to bridge the gap between the orcs and the locals, showing a more relatable side of governance.

    There had been a few complaints about the orcs, but nothing major¡ªmostly trivial issues. Drackar seemed to have his troop well-disciplined.

    I took a deep breath. Instead of meditating, I found myself once again going over the situation in my head. Focus on yourself, the book said. Clear your mind and picture your soul. I tried, but before I could center myself, Ju appeared, stepping out of the room.

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Ju whispered, careful not to wake Sid.

    I shrugged. ¡°Couldn''t sleep, so I figured I¡¯d meditate.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let me sit with you,¡± she said, settling down beside me.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I glanced at her, a little concerned. She¡¯d been exhausting herself lately. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, you know. You should rest in bed¡ªI¡¯m really feeling fine.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± she replied firmly.

    I hesitated. Was something keeping her up too? ¡°Are you worried about Tommy?¡± I asked, thinking of the young elf she had freed from slavery.

    Her expression softened at the mention of him.

    She sighed. "His name is Thyomeyan, and no, I¡¯m not really worried. Well, maybe a little. I left him with a trustworthy elf couple heading toward his homeland. They even knew someone from his clan, so... he¡¯ll be fine."

    I watched as she rested her head on my shoulder, then slid lower, still keeping a hand gently on my belly. Her healing magic was subtle but constant, soothing me in waves.

    ¡°You¡¯re overdoing it,¡± I said, concerned. ¡°You look exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she muttered, though her voice sounded unconvincing.

    I studied her for a moment. Her eyes seemed a little unfocused, and there was a sluggishness to her movements. ¡°Did you... drink something?¡± I asked, noticing how out of it she seemed.

    Her gaze snapped to mine, indignant. "No! I¡¯m perfectly fine, just a bit sleepy." Her furrowed brow and defensive tone said otherwise.

    Something wasn¡¯t right. Not wanting to wake Sid, I took her hand gently despite her weak protests and led her back inside the room.

    "Come on, be honest with me. Something''s off. I¡¯ve noticed for a few days now¡ªyou look groggy in the mornings. What¡¯s going on?"

    At first, she didn¡¯t want to say anything. It took nearly an hour of back-and-forth before she finally came clean.

    "So... you¡¯re using my mana to get drunk?" I asked, incredulous.

    ¡°Well, just tiny, infinitesimal motes of your mana," she tried to explain.

    "This isn¡¯t fair! You told me you were casting calming spells for me, and meanwhile, you¡¯ve been getting high on my mana?¡± I protested.

    ¡°What¡¯s unfair about it? You needed the calming spells, and while I was at it, I did a little something for myself too. What¡¯s wrong with taking a bit of your mana? It gave me nicer, more interesting dreams!" she said defensively.

    "But when I took your mana, I got completely wrecked! I couldn''t even cast a basic spell after that," I said, recalling the disaster at the ant hill.

    "That''s because you ingested way too much. Like I said, I only take tiny motes¡ªyou didn¡¯t even notice they were gone," she explained, sounding like an expert.

    "I want to try it too!" I insisted.

    "No way! You can¡¯t handle it, and you definitely can¡¯t control yourself," she protested.

    "Then no more mana for you!" I said, crossing my arms with a final shrug.

    "I can still sneak a few motes when I cast those soothing spells on you," she teased with a smirk.

    "Not if I don¡¯t let you cast them on me anymore," I shot back, raising the stakes.

    She just shrugged.

    "Alright, but don¡¯t come crying to me when you get indigestion again¡ªas it happened after that story at the ants'' hill!"

    "How does one even take these ''motes of mana?''" I asked, genuinely curious.

    She started explaining, her tone serious. "It''s not easy, since they''re too small to actually see. You have to sense them. You concentrate until you can almost imagine the tiniest details, then picture yourself grabbing one and slowly channeling it into your mana veins. It doesn''t matter if you can''t see it, the key is to feel it."

    She paused to make sure I was following. "Foreign mana can''t just enter your body on its own¡ªyou have to let it in, just like when you''re channeling your own mana. You''ll feel a little prickle right where you push it. But remember, we''re not mana-compatible¡ªquite the opposite, actually. So, you have to take tiny amounts, or you''ll end up mana-tainted again. Do you hear me?"

    Her warning hung in the air, and I nodded, not entirely sure I was ready for this experiment.

    *

    The great King of Kings, Thores, a level ninety-one mage, paced restlessly in the Purple Saloon, his favored room for private meetings. His most trusted advisors stood around him, their eyes tracking his every step. Abruptly, he stopped and turned toward Merhang, the gray eminence, the chief of spies. Merhang, a high-level rogue with no noble titles to his name, had started as a local mafia boss before climbing, through a web of machinations, to the top of the spy network. He liked being referred to simply as "the eminence."

    "A dragon, you said?" The king''s voice was laced with disbelief, still struggling to process the intel.

    "Not one, but two," Nebesko, the great paladin, interjected.

    The King sighed, turning toward him. But before he could respond, Fiona, the finance minister, cut in swiftly. "We¡¯ve only confirmed one sighting, and there¡¯s no solid evidence of a second. That could just be local exaggeration from some hothead."

    Nebesko shrugged but didn¡¯t push the matter further.

    Merhang raised a brow, adding, "There¡¯s also the peculiar detail that the dragon refers to her as ''mama,'' according to certain reports."

    The King bit his lower lip, deep in thought. "Are these reports reliable?" he asked, the weight of the situation growing heavier.

    Merhang shrugged. "It''s category B intel, but we have it from multiple sources, which lends it some weight."

    Archmage Flores, the only mage in the kingdom who outranked the king in level and the kingdom''s sole archmage, sipped her tea thoughtfully as the conversation unfolded. The room fell into a brief pause, during which she spoke, her voice measured and contemplative.

    "Archwizard Godain mentioned she cast highly unusual spells, like that instant disappearance during the zeppelin incident."

    Nebesko, not one for magic, shrugged. "I know Cala. It could¡¯ve been an assassin skill."

    The King sighed again, still uncertain what to make of all this. He turned back toward Merhang. "But she did take control of the domain from the orcs?"

    "Yes and no," Merhang replied coolly. "The orcs are still there."

    "How?" The king''s brow furrowed in confusion.

    Fiona, Duke of Cromwall, raised an eyebrow. "Could it be she''s struck some sort of arrangement with the orcs?"

    Merhang gave a slight nod. "Yes, that''s exactly what the reports indicate."

    Nebesko, ever the hardliner, grumbled under his breath. "Maybe we should''ve marched the imperial army in to clear the area when we had the chance."

    The King sighed, recognizing Nebesko''s familiar refrain. He had pushed for military action from the start, but deploying the main army would have left key regions vulnerable. Nebesko¡¯s tendency to fixate on one problem often led him to overlook the broader strategic picture.

    Merhang, undeterred, continued. "I propose we send an emissary to assess the situation firsthand. Lady Quersaw seems a fitting choice¡ªshe has the tact and the experience to handle this... delicately."

    The king nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That might be a good idea. Lady Quersaw is sagacious, shrewd, and reliable. However, I¡¯ve also been considering sending Kotu. He and the baroness have met and seemed to have at least superficially bonded.¡±

    ¡°Prince Kotusawendu?¡± Fiona raised an eyebrow.

    The king nodded again.

    ¡°Do you plan to send Lady Fara with him?¡± Fiona asked, her voice carefully neutral.

    The king snorted, clearly irritated. It was no secret that the prince was stubbornly devoted to Fara, the bedridden daughter of a count. Kotu refused to leave her side for more than a few days, much to everyone''s frustration. Perhaps it was time to address that.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way around that," the king said with a dismissive wave. "Fara doesn¡¯t need to travel. We wouldn¡¯t force the poor thing out of her sickbed. Besides, your yearly ball is coming up soon, isn¡¯t it, Fiona?¡±

    Fiona¡¯s lips curled into a knowing smile. ¡°Yes, it is. What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Could you invite Princess Therella?¡± the king asked, his voice laced with subtle intrigue.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Fiona replied, then hesitated. ¡°You want to marry Prince Kotusawendu to an elf?¡±

    The king sighed heavily. ¡°The fool should at least procreate if he¡¯s not capable of gaining any levels. Elves are good with magic¡ªthat should strengthen his line.¡±

    ¡°So, should I no longer send Lady Quersaw?¡± Merhang asked, still seeking clarity.

    ¡°We need to determine if this baroness is a threat to the kingdom or not," the king replied. "Send her with my son. They can stop by the barony on their way to Cromwall.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s quite a detour, isn¡¯t it?¡± Fiona wondered aloud.

    The king¡¯s smile deepened, clearly satisfied with his own strategy. ¡°Yes, exactly. But they''ll have to wait at the barony for Therella and ensure her safe passage. The barony borders the elven kingdom, so it¡¯s the perfect excuse for them to linger there for a while.¡±

    Fiona exchanged a glance with Merhang who nodded.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that route too close to the orc tribes¡¯ territory?¡± Archmage Flores asked, her brow furrowed. ¡°The barony borders those lands as well.¡±

    The King waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Does our baroness not already have an orc squad defending her? This will be a good test. Let¡¯s see where their true allegiances lie.¡±

    Nebesko chuckled, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Fara¡¯s not going to like this at all!¡±

    The King shot him a sharp glare, though Nebesko only shrugged, unperturbed. Being the highest level in the kingdom had its privileges, and one of them was being the only person bold enough to joke with the King.

 Chapter 283 - Pitchforks and Shovels

    I woke up with a brutal headache. Actually, calling it a headache doesn¡¯t quite capture it¡ªmy entire existence was just pain. Even the tiniest movement felt like scraping my brain against burning metal rods, as if a web of them had formed around me and any motion was pure agony.

    I took a deep breath.

    The hard marble floor beneath me was cold, but somehow, staying still and enduring the chill was the lesser evil. It still hurt, but not as bad as moving.

    I tried to piece together how I ended up there, but my mind was foggy, refusing to cooperate. The memories that surfaced didn¡¯t seem real¡ªbizarre, dreamlike phantasmagorias floated through my thoughts, mingling with fragments of what felt like ¡®normal¡¯ castle life. It was hard to tell what was real and what was just my brain playing tricks on me.

    I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the phantasmagorias to fade, trying to focus on what was left, but it was no use¡ªeverything remained a tangled mess. After what felt like an eternity, I decided to try standing. Big mistake. The moment I did that, I doubled over, retching violently. Something greenish spilled from my mouth, staining the white marble.

    Still on all fours, I glanced around, desperate for Ju. I needed some of her mana to kickstart my brain¡ªit was like it had completely short-circuited. Where could she be? I crawled across the room, every inch of me protesting as I moved.

    The once-luxurious room was in shambles, like the aftermath of a wild part. In addition to the chaos, it looked like a few spells had misfired¡ªscorch marks streaked the walls, and some furniture seemed to have been partially burned. Had we really set things on fire?

    Then I found her¡ªJu¡ªsprawled on the other side of the bed, her head hanging off the edge, drool dribbling down her face.

    "Ju!" I tried to call, but only garbled, unintelligible sounds escaped my lips.

    Her frail body looked skeletal, her face sunken with a cadaverous pallor. For a moment, I thought she was dead, until her eyes fluttered open. Her head moved slightly, and she started to grasp at the air as if searching for something invisible. Her hand clawed at the empty space, desperation etched on her face. Then, she glanced at me and mumbled something incoherent.

    I moved closer, taking her hand. She scratched at me with her other hand before finally muttering something I could understand.

    "Oh, there you are! Come here!"

    Without warning, she turned onto her side and began to snore softly.

    ¡°Ju?¡±

    I stared at her, completely baffled. The thought of taking a mote of her mana vanished from my mind. Was this the aftermath of our little mana game? What exactly had we done? Pressing my hands against the bed for support, I shakily stood, only to be greeted by the pale reflection of a ghost staring back at me from the mirror.

    My hands were trembling uncontrollably. I tried to push back the wild tangle of hair to get a clearer look at my face, but in the process, I involuntarily scratched myself. I stared in surprise at my reflection and forgot about the scratch.

    I looked human¡ªwell, mostly. The horns and pointed ears were still there, but the rest was human.

    Dressed in a stained silk pajama set, my skin was so pale I glanced around, half-wondering if there was some strange lighting at play. My eyes were sunken deep into my face, encircled by dark shadows. So, I had worked on my ''avatar,'' but this version of ''human'' was more ghost than anything. Maybe I¡¯d made myself even thinner, or maybe I really had lost weight recently. The only thing that stood out was the intense, almost orange hue of my hair¡ªa lingering side effect from my dragon transformation. It was the sole vivid color in my otherwise sickly, washed-out appearance.

    How did it come to this?

    I stood in front of the mirror for what felt like ages, trying to piece together the fractured memories of how things had spiraled to this point. My mind moved slowly, like it was stuck in a fog.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    A knock came at the door, sharp and sudden. Without thinking, I automatically said, "Yes."

    The door burst open with a sharp movement, and Alice strode into the room. She raised a brow when she saw me standing there, studying my own reflection, but she didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead, her voice was urgent.

    "Something bad has happened at the mine. I''m heading there. Do you want to come?"

    She avoided making eye contact, her whole posture impatient, like she wasn¡¯t expecting much of an answer.

    ¡°Do we have a mine?¡± I asked, genuinely puzzled.

    Alice sighed, taking a deep breath before finally looking up at me.

    "I have no time for explanations now," Alice said quickly. "I''ll head to the mine. Should I wait for you? I can update you on the way, or give you a report when I get back."

    I took a deep breath. "Can you help me put something on? I want to come with you."

    She hesitated for a moment. She wasn¡¯t my servant, and I wasn¡¯t entirely helpless, but then she rushed over to one of the cabinets, pulled out a simple leather dress, and brought it to me.

    "Are you feeling better?" she asked while helping me out of the silk pajamas.

    "I''m horribly sick!" I groaned.

    She glanced at me with a slight smirk. "No, you¡¯re feeling better. You seem like yourself today. Now let¡¯s go, the boys are waiting!"

    The coach rattled and swayed as it sped down the stony road, the sound of rain steadily drumming on the roof. Six black-clad orcs rode in formation: two in front, two at the sides, and two trailing behind. The driver was human, hunched against the weather.

    I stood by the open coach window, leaning out with my face in the wind. The cold rain lashed my skin, but it helped clear my mind.

    ¡°Be careful not to open the door!¡± Alice called, her hand hovering as if ready to pull me back at any moment.

    "So, we do have a mine?" I asked again.

    Tom, seated on the bench between Alice and Hew, rolled his eyes but nodded.

    Rain splashed inside the coach, soaking the cushions and floor on my side. Mike, wrapped tightly in a blanket, sat near me, quietly watching. I realized I couldn¡¯t remember the last time we spoke in private, though we must have at some point¡ªhis curse had been reset after all.

    Alice let out a weary sigh before answering.

    ¡°Yes, a silver mine, to be exact. The messenger said a major cave-in occurred, and a couple hundred people are currently missing.¡±

    ¡°A couple hundred?¡± I echoed in disbelief. ¡°What can we do?¡±

    She shrugged, her expression grim. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems Durham needs help.¡±

    ¡°Durham needs help? Was he down in the mine?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, but he was there trying to explain to the people the situation and they nearly lynched him.¡±

    ¡°They wanted to lynch him?¡± I asked, baffled. ¡°But, he¡¯s a paladin, a high-level one at that. What could a bunch of peasants do to him?¡±

    ¡°It can get ugly when people believe someone¡¯s to blame. They think he and the Xsoha might be responsible. It could turn into a bloodbath. Durham demanded the orcs establish order, but Drackar refused, saying the orcs won¡¯t act against the local population¡ªit¡¯s Durham¡¯s problem. I sent a message telling him to wait until I arrive. For now, they¡¯ve barricaded themselves inside the administrative building.¡±

    I blinked. I hadn¡¯t expected a peasant revolt to break out so quickly.

    ¡°And what exactly are we going to do?¡± I asked, feeling the weight of the situation.

    ¡°We¡¯ll assess things ourselves,¡± Alice replied calmly. ¡°Figure out what can actually be done, and try to pacify the masses before it gets out of hand.¡±

 Chapter 284 â€“ Orcs To The Rescue Or To Be Fleeced?

    We reached the village quickly. As our cavalcade entered, we had to slow down¡ªthe main street was packed with people, even in the pouring rain. But the presence of the orcs seemed to be enough to make an impression; the crowd immediately parted, clearing the way for us.

    Cries and shouts filled the air as we made our way through the narrow street, between clusters of distressed villagers. The road widened as we approached, and soon we came to a halt in front of a larger building. Two orcs leapt from their horses to open the door and stand guard by my side.

    With the noise of the coach and the clatter of hooves quieting, the voices around us became clearer: "Save them!" "Oh, Gods, help us!" "What can she do?" "Please, help us!" "Mammy, mammy! Where¡¯s my mammy?"

    I scanned the ground, searching for a less muddy path leading to the main building we¡¯d stopped in front of. Judging by the crowd, there were at least a hundred people gathered around. As Alice and the boys climbed down, I decided to take my chances and stepped out behind them. By my second step, cold water surged over the tops of my shoes, flooding them.

    "This way!" Alice called, and I followed, resigned.

    I sighed in frustration as my toes squelched in the soggy, cold mush that filled my shoes. I should¡¯ve worn boots. Too late for that now. Maybe once we got inside, I could make the switch.

    Two orcs followed me while the other four stayed back, guarding the coach and horses. I glanced at them: warrior, level eighty-four; warrior, level seventy-five. Alright, two very high-level monsters assigned to protect me. I shrugged. It felt like overkill, but Drackar clearly wasn¡¯t taking any chances with my safety.

    The crowd around us didn¡¯t seem particularly hostile, though a few shouts pierced the rain. As we approached the building, the main door was shut, but at least I could step onto the wooden platform running along the wall and scrape the mud off my shoes. I''d need to wash my feet before switching to boots. Alice knocked on the door, waited, then knocked harder when no one responded.

    "Durham! Open up! Lady Lores is here!" she called out.

    Meanwhile, from the crowd, a small delegation of five approached us through the rain. The man leading them, a burly fellow in his forties, spoke up.

    "Lady Lores, my name is Bertran. I¡¯m the mayor of Oxfarm, and these are our priests. May we join you?"

    I nodded. I assumed the village was called Oxfarm, but I refrained from asking, not wanting to seem too out of touch.

    Finally, the door creaked open. One of the orcs peeked inside, then stepped in, scanning the room before turning back and giving a nod to his companion.

    The two orcs took their positions on either side of the door as I walked in, followed by Alice, the boys, and the small group of villagers.

    ¡°Oh, thank the Gods, I thought I¡¯d have to fight my way out!¡± Durham exclaimed as soon as he saw us, though his relief quickly turned to a snort when he noticed the villagers behind us.

    I glanced around the room. It was spacious, with several desks and cabinets filled with what looked like index cards and binders. Inside, there were seven people: Durham, four Xsoha, and two other humans, who were soon introduced as the engineers.

    Durham and the chief engineer began explaining what had happened. Apparently, the heavy rains of the past few days had triggered a massive landslide, causing a cave-in that buried nearly an entire shift of workers in the mine¡¯s main galleries. In total, around five hundred people worked there, divided into two shifts of thirteen arcs each. Each shift had over two hundred workers.

    I blinked, thinking I must have misheard. ¡°Thirteen arcs?¡± I asked for clarification. Yes, they were working the equivalent of thirteen-hour shifts. Oh my!

    To make matters worse, after the first cave-in, workers from the previous shift were called in to help free those trapped, only to be buried themselves by a second, much larger landslide. They couldn¡¯t even account for how many were now trapped in the mine, as the rescuers had rushed in without being properly counted in the chaos. Even the main access shaft was now buried.

    The mine would have to be reopened from scratch, and connecting to the old galleries could take weeks, if not months. This meant that most of the miners were almost certainly dead, and any potential survivors were likely beyond saving. The real challenge was that their loved ones¡ªpartners, parents, children¡ªrefused to accept that grim reality.

    They suggested I address the crowd, explain the situation, offer a promise of help, and possibly discuss some kind of bonus to entice new miners to replace the dead. The five villagers who had entered with us remained silent, likely waiting to gauge my reaction before saying anything.

    "Are you certain they''re all dead?" I asked, still trying to grasp the enormity of the situation.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The chief engineer sighed heavily.

    "The access shaft was almost vertical, over a hundred meters deep, and it connected to tunnels that stretch for kilometers underground. The shaft, along with large sections of the tunnels, has completely caved in. On top of that, it''s all been flooded by the rain. Even if someone somehow survived deep in the galleries, they¡¯re probably wishing for death by now. There''s no way we can reach them in time," he explained somberly.

    Durham nodded and repeated, "You need to explain this to the people to calm them down!"

    I hate it when someone tells me what I have to do, especially when it¡¯s not what I thought I¡¯d be dealing with. Besides, I still had questions.

    "How could this happen? I mean, why did it cave in?" I asked. Shouldn''t the construction be sturdy enough to handle some rain?

    ¡°The torrential downpour weakened the ground, and a lot of water seeped into the tunnel,¡± Durham explained.

    "Shouldn''t it have held up regardless? Was the rain really that unusual?" I wondered aloud. I couldn''t recall any rain at all.

    The two exchanged glances. Only now did the mayor finally speak.

    ¡°There weren¡¯t enough support beams to hold the ceiling and the shaft," the mayor growled. "My boys warned me a cave-in was coming! I came to you just a couple of weeks ago, asking for the shaft to be reinforced¡ªand you refused! Now they''re dead! Someone has to pay for this!¡±

    His eyes blazed with anger, directed straight at Durham and the engineer. Durham turned to the engineer.

    ¡°We followed the royal standard,¡± the engineer replied calmly. ¡°Accidents happen, but no one is to blame here.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s to blame? More support beams would¡¯ve saved them!¡± the mayor shot back.

    ¡°Support beams cost money, and the extra expense wasn¡¯t approved,¡± the engineer said, his voice tight.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have standards!¡± Durham interjected, pushing back. ¡°Maybe the beams were just placed incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°The problem is the orcs!¡± one of the priests exclaimed, with the others nodding in agreement. ¡°The gods are angry with us! As long as we harbor those unholy creatures, disasters like this will continue!¡±

    ¡°My boys spoke of missing support beams, not orcs!¡± the mayor snapped, refusing to be swayed.

    As they kept arguing over whose fault the catastrophe was, I had a different kind of a problem and I could feel the stress building inside me. The air in the room was thick and stale, a mix of unpleasant smells that seemed to be growing stronger by the minute. Some of the men clearly hadn¡¯t bathed in ages, and the rain hadn¡¯t helped¡ªit only seemed to intensify the stench. A sharp wave of foul odors assaulted my nostrils, and I knew I was close to gagging.

    Before I embarrassed myself by retching all over the table, I stood up quickly, covering my mouth with one hand, and rushed out¡ªleaving Alice to take my place.

    I barely made it outside. After stumbling a few steps past the orc standing guard, I leaned over and retched into the mud. That was all I could manage to hold back. Once it passed, I slumped against the wall, taking in deep breaths of fresh air as the rain washed over my face.

    ¡°Lady Lores!¡± an orc greeted me.

    I thought he was mocking me and snorted, but when I raised my eyes, I recognized Drackar standing a few meters away.

    ¡°Drackar!¡± I exclaimed, surprised.

    I might have said nice to see you, but this was hardly a pleasant occasion. He chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯d have the same reaction with that lot inside,¡± he said, amused. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say about them.¡±

    Caught off guard by the comment and unsure how to respond, I blurted out, ¡°Is there no hope?¡±

    He chuckled again, his tusks glinting slightly in the rain.

    ¡°There¡¯s an orc saying: hope dies last. As long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s always hope.¡±

    Was he trying to tell me something deeper, or was it just casual conversation?

    ¡°No, I mean... to save those people?¡± I asked, trying to clarify.

    Drackar shrugged. ¡°Some could be saved. It¡¯s just a matter of money. Money, organization, and will.¡±

    ¡°You mean they can be saved?¡± I pressed, hopeful.

    He shook his head. ¡°I said some. I don¡¯t know how many. It depends on luck and how quickly they¡¯re dug out. The longer we wait, the worse their chances.¡±

    ¡°Then why are they still in there arguing instead of doing something?¡± I asked, gesturing toward the room I had just stormed out of.

    He lifted his hands, palms up. ¡°Like I said¡ªit¡¯s about money, organization, and will. They don¡¯t have any of those. Even if you gave them the money, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°And you could do it?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Not me. But a skilled Earth mage with mining experience could.¡±

    ¡°And do you have such a wonder worker?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    He glanced at me sideways and nodded. ¡°Yes, I happen to have one.¡±

    ¡°So what are you waiting for?¡± I asked, impatient.

    He chuckled. ¡°I take it you¡¯re prepared to offer him a couple of gold for the extra work, then? If so, I¡¯ll have him start immediately.¡±

    I snorted and nodded. What¡¯s a couple of gold if it means saving hundreds of lives? Since when did orcs become so mercantile? But just then, he had to add:

    ¡°I should warn you, though, that a couple of gold is just the beginning. More resources will be needed.¡±

 Chapter 285 - Sinking in Mud, Rising in Debt

    I looked at Drackar and wondered, Is he trying to fleece me now?

    He must have seen the doubt on my face, because he simply shrugged and stepped into the rain.

    ¡°Best if you talk directly to Borokhout the Earth mage. He¡¯s by the caved-in shaft,¡± he said.

    I hesitated, but no one seemed eager to throw down their cloak for me to keep my feet out of the mud. I would¡¯ve even accepted being carried like a princess, but... no such luck. So, I followed him, and¡ªworse than I expected¡ªmy feet sank ankle-deep into the muck, with every step making an awful, sucking sound, like plunging a clogged kitchen sink.

    After what felt like a long march¡ªthough in reality, it was no more than three or four hundred steps from the office¡ªwe arrived at the collapsed shaft. What was once a tunnel was now a massive crater, about thirty meters wide and fifteen deep, with the bottom filled with water. Around twenty people were engaged in a Sisyphean task, hauling mud and water from the pit along a set of makeshift, spiraling stairs.

    As I got closer, my left leg sank so deep into the mud that when I pulled it out, my shoe stayed behind.

    No! These were fine shoes, and they had cost me two gold barely twenty days ago!

    I yanked off the other one, but in the process, I slipped and fell on my side. Already down, I plunged my hand into the muck, nearly to my elbow, frantically searching for the lost shoe. It took a serious effort to pull it free¡ªI was half afraid it would tear apart. Once I had both muddy, ruined shoes in hand, I stashed the poor things in my inventory.

    Yeah, maybe I should¡¯ve listened to Alice when she suggested I wear boots, but who in their right mind would have guessed I¡¯d be wading through this kind of terrain?

    I stood up, completely soaked, covered in mud, and freezing, while Drackar, undisturbed by my ordeal, shouted:

    ¡°Borokhout! What¡¯s the situation?¡±

    A bearded orc turned toward us.

    ¡°Worse than I thought! I have no idea what these humans were thinking. No reinforced walls! Even goblins do better work! We¡¯re going to need a lot of new logs. Without them, the whole thing will cave in again!¡± he said, exasperated.

    ¡°What kind of wood? Where can we get it?¡± I asked.

    He pointed off toward the distant hills¡ªkilometers away.

    The thought of felling and transporting trees from that distance completely deflated my spirits. Durham and the Xsoha were right¡ªthis could take long, maybe even weeks. Then an idea struck me.

    ¡°I think I have a solution!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Sid to help, though I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll cut the wood exactly the way we need...¡±

    Drackar chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve got good loggers. If you can arrange the transport, we¡¯ll handle the rest. But... how will Sid bring those logs?¡± He paused, then asked cautiously, ¡°Sid¡¯s the dragon, right?¡±

    It seemed the idea of a dragon lending a hand was a bit hard to swallow, even for Drackar.

    I nodded, then turned to the side and closed my eyes. Where was Sid, anyway? I hadn¡¯t seen him for a while. Hopefully, he was still within range.

    ¡°Sid, Sid, can you hear me? I need your help!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lores, I hear you,¡± came his reply.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, though there was something cold and distant in his tone¡ªunlike how he usually sounded in my mind. Still, I couldn¡¯t dwell on that now. I quickly explained the situation.

    ¡°Can you come to the mine? You know where the village with the mine is, right? We need your help to carry some logs. People are trapped underground, and we need to dig them out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± he responded.

    Within minutes, Sid appeared, his massive wings casting a shadow over us, sending most of the workers into a panic¡ªdespite Drackar¡¯s attempts to calm them. Several dropped to the ground, while others stood frozen in place.

    Sid listened intently to our explanations, but the moment he spoke, it sent even more workers into a frenzy, and soon almost all the humans had fled.

    Drackar¡¯s command seemed to hold firm with his orcs, as none of them ran, though I could see they weren¡¯t exactly comfortable staying within Sid¡¯s reach. It was even more surprising when two loggers actually agreed to be carried in his claws.

    As he took off, the force of the air and the spray of water nearly knocked us to the ground. It was the first time I noticed something odd: the gust from his wings pushed the air in one direction, yet a separate wave of water and mud surged ahead of him, spraying everything in that direction. There was more at play here than just the flapping of wings and wind, but I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what.

    Most of the people who had been frozen in place while Sid was here began to move again now that he was gone.

    Not long after Sid left, I saw Alice making her way through the muddy streets toward us.

    ¡°They¡¯re still arguing over who¡¯s to blame,¡± she said, joining us. ¡°But the priests have promised to hold a big, joint funeral sermon tomorrow for all those missing and presumed dead, to help ease the pain. Meanwhile, the Xsoha are suggesting you declare two or three days of mourning, then prepare to restart construction on a new mine. They believe it¡¯s crucial for the domain to have a functioning mine. You may want to take a loan to cover for the interim period they say. You might want to talk to them about that. Also, they¡¯re proposing you offer some charity to the victims¡¯ families, but that could raise your costs.¡±

    I half-listened to Alice as I focused on the Earth mage. I was a little disappointed to see he was ¡®only¡¯ level sixty-two, but at least he seemed competent enough. He had been speaking with the only human still here, a miner''s team leader who had survived the collapse.

    They both approached me, but the human didn¡¯t dare to even look in my direction. The orc mage, on the other hand, seemed more composed now¡ªperhaps due to him being a higher level, or maybe it was the influence of Drackar''s aura. He addressed me directly:

    ¡°We¡¯ll need a water mage to control the water flows; otherwise, progress will be too slow. Everything down there might already be submerged. As you can see, it¡¯s already happening up here.¡±

    I snorted in frustration and turned to Drackar.

    ¡°Any water mages available for a couple of gold?¡±

    He chuckled and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have a water mage among my men. I¡¯ll need to reach out to the orc territories for one, but that could take some time. You might want to check with the Xsoha¡ªthey might be able to find one faster.¡±

    Alice raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re really going to try digging them out?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t that the natural thing to do? I nodded, and she smiled, pleased.

    With Alice following, I trudged barefoot through the mud back toward the administrative building. I was starting to get used to the cold, squelching embrace of the mud, though the uncertainty of what lay beneath the surface kept me on edge. Sometimes it was stones, other times leaves, branches, or... unidentifiable things. Then something moved under my foot. I yelped, pulling my leg up, and found a something dangling between my toes.

    ¡°A snake!¡± I shrieked, trying to grab it, but it slipped through my fingers. Thankfully, it freed itself from my toes and disappeared surprisingly fast back into the mud.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Alice shrugged.

    ¡°Not a snake, just a relatively harmless earthworm,¡± she explained, then glanced at my feet. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡±

    ¡°Relatively?¡± I echoed, then answered her question. ¡°In my inventory. I almost lost one...¡±

    She shook her head, though I was relieved she didn¡¯t hit me with an I told you so.

    ¡°If they feel threatened, they can give off tiny electric shocks, but nothing that should really hurt you,¡± she added, trying to calm me.

    Inside the building, it was warm and welcoming. A fire crackled in the fireplace, and I made a beeline for it. As soon as I sat in a chair by the fire, I noticed the muddy, wet trail I had left behind. Meanwhile, Alice was cleaning her boots and shaking off her clothes before entering. Oops.

    With all eyes on me and the wet trail I¡¯d left behind, I tried to shift the focus.

    ¡°Durham, we need a water mage!¡± I said, hoping to divert attention. ¡°Where can we get one?¡±

    He started with, ¡°What for?¡± but after a glance at my tired expression, he turned to the Xsoha standing nearby. ¡°Master Engerhard, what do you think?¡±

    I was still shivering from the cold, my clothes soaked through, but to my surprise, Mike appeared with a basin of warm water and set it down in front of me. He then fetched a blanket and draped it over my shoulders.

    ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold, my lady,¡± he admonished.

    ¡°Thanks, Mike! You can read minds!¡± I said gratefully, taking the towel from him.

    With a small fire spell, I heated the water even more. Closing my eyes for a moment, I let the warmth of the hot water soak into my feet, feeling some of the chill melt away.

    Master Engerhard, easily recognizable as a Xsoha by his sideburns and nose ring, shook his head thoughtfully.

    ¡°Lady Lores, we could ask our Xsoha partners to reach out to the guild, but that¡¯ll cost one silver. Alternatively, if you want to post a quest, we¡¯ll need to define the objectives and the reward. What exactly should the water mage do, and for how long? But before we move forward, may I have your attention for just a moment?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and sighed. ¡°Okay?¡± I asked, unsure of where this was going.

    ¡°For every day the mine remains inactive, the domain is bleeding money. We can manage for about five to ten days, depending on how we stretch the budget, but beyond that... we¡¯ll have to halt all operations. The treasury will be empty.¡±

    I blinked, taken aback, not entirely grasping what he meant by ''stop operations.''

    He continued, his tone steady and pragmatic.

    ¡°We need to plan ahead, not just for today or tomorrow. Unless you¡¯re willing to dip into a significant personal fortune, the best approach is to move past this catastrophe as quickly as possible. We should take the necessary steps to calm the population, as our lead priests suggested, by proclaiming those three days of mourning to let the souls of the lost rest in peace. After that, we¡¯ll need to focus on reopening the mine. And for that, we need money. To secure a loan with a low interest rate, we have to apply in advance, not in a rush.

    A strong leader makes the tough decisions during difficult times to prevent even worse ones. We don¡¯t want the domain to descend into anarchy and famine, do we?

    We¡¯ve prepared an action plan for your approval. If you take a look, there are only five key points. I¡¯m confident you have what it takes to lead us through this.¡±

    He handed me the paper, and I sighed, glancing at the list.

    ¡°How big are the losses, and where exactly are they coming from?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We can go over the details, but first we should focus on the overall plan to handle the situation, shouldn¡¯t we... my lady?¡± he replied, with a hint of impatience.

    ¡°Can you give me a number?¡± I pressed.

    He sighed, as though dealing with a stubborn child, and pulled out a binder.

    ¡°Here are the current expenses for the current Kargath*. As you can see, the losses over the last few days have reached several tens of gold.¡±

    * 1 Kargath=32 days

    He might as well have been showing me Egyptian hieroglyphs. I could read, but these numbers and their accounting methods were completely beyond me.

    ¡°May I take a look?¡± Hew said, from a nearby table where he had been reviewing some binders with a younger Xsoha. He stood up and walked over, and I felt a wave of relief at the unexpected help.

    I turned to Master Engerhard. ¡°Please go over the calculations with Hew. I¡¯ll step outside to check on the situation.¡±

    He sighed, and the priest who had previously spoken out against the orcs stepped in.

    "Your ladyship! Rushing to reopen the mine, may seem wise at first glance, but the spirits of the land need rest. This catastrophe was but a warning! The spirits demand blood! Our people tried to deny it to them, and a worse disaster followed. We need a spiritual solution to pacify them. The people should come to the churches, beg for forgiveness, repent, and pray!"

    I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "We¡¯re going to try. No, not just try¡ªwe will dig those people out!" I turned to the Xsoha. "Post a quest for a water mage to work alongside Drackar''s earth mage until we find the survivors. The pay will be two gold per day, but only for mages above level sixty. There''s no point starting with weaker ones."

    "My lady, that goes against the spirits of the land! We should first get rid of the orcs!" another priest interjected.

    "How do you know that?" I asked sharply.

    "Your ladyship, have you not seen what has already happened? Was that not warning enough?" a third priest added, his voice tinged with urgency.

    As I rubbed my feet dry with the towel Mike had given me, preparing to put on the boots, I snorted in disbelief. Meanwhile, Durham approached.

    ¡°Should I head to Huiesta to bring more workers?¡± he asked.

    I glanced at Alice, unsure what Huiesta was.

    ¡°Huiesta¡¯s the largest village to the north,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°We could start recruiting them to help reopen the mine,¡± Durham explained. ¡°As Master Engerhard mentioned, that should be our top priority.¡±

    I sighed. This wasn¡¯t what I had expected.

    ¡°Maybe now isn¡¯t the best time for that,¡± Alice mused.

    ¡°When, if not now?¡± Durham protested, pressing his point. ¡°I may need an escort from Drackar¡ªten, maybe twelve orcs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I replied, uncertain about what resources we could spare.

    With my boots finally on, I hurried outside to speak with Drackar and the orc mage, with Alice following close behind.

    To my surprise, there was already visible progress. Several orcs were working to erect a makeshift tent over the collapsed entrance, trying to stem the flow of water. As I stood there, a dark shadow momentarily passed over the sky, and a new load of logs landed nearby. Humans were now working alongside the orcs, preparing the logs for reinforcement.

    Drackar snickered at my surprise, his tusks gleaming in the rain.

    ¡°I promised my men a double schnapps ration if they managed to set up the tent in one arc**. Amazing what a little incentive can do,¡± he chuckled.¡±

    ** aprox. 1 hour

    ¡°Do we need more miners from the surrounding villages?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°No, not unless they¡¯re highly skilled and high-level. You can only have so many people working underground at once. Maybe later, when we¡¯ve got a longer distance to haul the debris, but even then, I think my orcs can handle it better. Several of them have worked in mines before. They know what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°What about a water mage?¡± I asked. ¡°The mage... uh...¡±

    ¡°Borokhout?¡± Drackar prompted.

    ¡°Yes, he mentioned needing a water mage to help. Do you know anyone?¡± I wondered.

    Drackar nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve made some inquiries. We could get a capable one here in about two arcs, but she¡¯s asking for two gold per day, paid upfront. I can call her in if you say the word.¡±

    ¡°Call her,¡± I said with a sigh.

 Chapter 286 - Shattered Foundations

    Even with the biting cold rain, standing alongside Drackar¡¯s crew, watching the progress and helping where I could, made me feel a bit better. Unfortunately, the work was dragging¡ªfar too slow for my liking.

    ¡°Why is it taking so long?¡± I asked.

    Borokhout sighed. ¡°The ground¡¯s too unstable. I¡¯m wasting a lot of time and energy just trying to hold it together, pushing it until it solidifies. If only we could reinforce the walls better! Captain, could Werhar help? Maybe burn the walls to harden them?¡±

    Drackar glanced at Borokhout, the Earthmage, and shrugged. ¡°We could try, but Werhar will run out of mana just covering this surface. You¡¯d need a dragon¡¯s breath to do it right. Problem is, the tunnels are too narrow for Lady Lores¡¯ dragon.¡±

    He¡¯d said it in jest, but once the words were out, he paused, raised a brow, and gave me a curious look. Was he assuming I was a dragon? I sighed. It wasn¡¯t a huge leap¡ªif Sid, a dragon, calls me ¡®ma¡¯, it only made sense to assume I might be one too.

    The thought stirred something uneasy in me: today he¡¯d called me Lores. That felt... off. Sid¡¯s voice had been distant lately, and now, using my name instead of ¡®ma¡¯¡ªwas he starting to feel estranged from me?

    ¡°Do you think you could cast a spell to burn the surface of this tunnel? It¡¯s mostly clay and stone,¡± Drackar eventually asked, and this time, he was looking straight at me.

    I took a deep breath. I could try a firebolt or fireball, but that would just blow the wall apart. A weak fire spell would only warm it a little. I didn¡¯t know a spell like firebreath. Did my dragon form have that ability? Maybe, but I hadn¡¯t tried it. And transforming into a dragon wasn¡¯t an option¡ªthe shaft was far too narrow.

    Did firebreath carry over to my human form? I wondered. Should I try spitting at the wall? That idea seemed ridiculous, but how exactly did dragon firebreath work? Was it some kind of burning saliva? Did dragons have glands that secreted incendiary liquids?

    The others had already moved on, discussing more practical ideas like increasing the number of support beams. Parts of the shaft were dangerously close to caving in. The water mage could repel the water, but that would only help a section of the tunnel, and he couldn''t both hold back the water and drain it from the bottom at the same time.

    I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my dragon breath. If I could channel it, maybe I could finally be really useful. Just as I felt like I might be getting somewhere, I heard alarmed yells.

    Snapping my eyes open, I saw large swathes of the earth wall in front of me had turned into glossy sheets of glass¡ªor was it porcelain?¡ªand the wooden support beams had been reduced to charred logs.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    The water mage directed the stream towards the charred beams, and a burst of steam erupted from the wall, clouding the air.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do!¡± Drackar said, as if this was exactly what he¡¯d expected. ¡°But coordinate with Egger to protect the beams. Maybe burn the walls before they put in the support next time. I¡¯ll head up and bring an air mage into this sauna¡ªwe need fresh air channeled down here.¡±

    Egger, the water mage, nodded.

    As for me, the dragon breath wasn¡¯t coming out of my mouth, even though I stood there with it open like an idiot. Instead, it seemed to form around my horns, shooting out in dark jets of burning smoke, straight in front of me or toward wherever my eyes were focused. The temperature quickly soared to unbearable levels, but the walls had solidified¡ªnow hardened ceramic or molten rock, cooled and strong. It wasn¡¯t fire in the traditional sense, but the results were far beyond what any normal flame could achieve.

    I wiped the sweat from my brow while two ice mages from Drackar''s forces worked hard to cool the still-molten rock. We¡¯d been working together like a well-oiled tunnel-boring machine for some time now. My fire-spewing seemed almost limitless. Glancing around, I noticed that most of the orcs were running around in nothing but shorts.

    I hesitated, then decided to peel off my leather dress¡ªit was just too hot. My undergarments looked enough like a bathing suit that it seemed fine. Egger, the water mage, handed me a giant cup of water, which I gladly accepted. As I took a long drink, I overheard Borokhout, the Earth mage, talking.

    ¡°We¡¯ve reached their level. One of the tunnels leads in that direction,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°That¡¯s where most of the miners should be.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Just as I turned towards him, the orc woman standing beside him looked at me. ¡°Lady Lores, aren¡¯t you hungry? Would you like to join us?¡±

    She was chewing on what looked like a giant fried bird leg and gestured towards an improvised table nearby, where six or seven orcs were seated, eating heartily.

    Only then did I realize how hungry I was.

    ¡°Give those poor folks a break¡ªthey''re out of mana and have downed as many mana potions as they can,¡± Borokhout chuckled, nodding towards the ice mages.

    One of them had already retched after trying to choke down another potion. The poor souls sat beside us, trying to recover.

    Without a second thought, I went and sat down beside them.

    While eating, I heard the familiar sound of scratching against the wall, followed by a heavy thud as Drackar landed beside us. His unnerving ability to scale and descend almost any vertical surface was on full display, even though Borokhout had built a spiral staircase along the shaft walls.

    The orcs were quicker on foot, sprinting up and down those stairs rather than using the heavy elevator platform suspended in the center of the shaft.

    Heavy platforms full with earth were carried by foot up on those stairs while the elevator brought down the empty platforms to refill. Stacking platforms turned out to be much more efficient than lugging wheelbarrows, and in the past few hours, we''d made surprisingly swift progress.

    ¡°It¡¯s night,¡± Drackar said, glancing at us. ¡°Those who are tired need to step out for a break and get a few hours of sleep.¡± Then he added bluntly, ¡°It won¡¯t help anyone if you push yourselves to the point of collapse. That¡¯ll just slow everything down.¡±

    He then turned to Borokhout, the Earthmage. ¡°Did you tell her?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Borokhout replied wearily as he sat down at the table. ¡°A break will do me some good too,¡± he added, sounding drained.

    Tell me what? I wondered, though I didn¡¯t have to wait long.

    ¡°Well, go on and tell her,¡± Drackar urged, making himself comfortable between a couple of orcs and grabbing a portion of food.

    As I turned toward Borokhout, curiosity piqued, he began to speak.

    ¡°Not only were the beams too sparse¡­¡±

    ¡°But the engineer said they followed the royal standards!¡± I interrupted.

    He chuckled. ¡°Did he now?¡± he mused, then sighed. ¡°The royal standard also requires the work of an Earthmage to solidify the walls. Did he mention that? No? Because it wasn¡¯t done! And on top of that, I found these tiny crystals¡ªdo you see?¡±

    He pulled a handful of dust from his pocket. I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that dust?¡± I asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Well, this peculiar sand is the residue from an explosive,¡± he explained. ¡°There are special kinds of crystals used in mining as explosives. The explosion can be triggered by a specific mana wave, and I also found traces of crystals used to amplify those mana waves. This matches what the couple of survivors said¡ªthat there were explosions.¡±

    ¡°But this is a mining operation. Isn''t it normal to use explosives? That must be why you found them,¡± I said with a shrug.

    He shook his head, his jaw tightening.

    ¡°No. Not according to the miners. They say no explosives were used. You think they wouldn¡¯t know? Ask them yourself.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re certain just because of these tiny pieces? How could you even find them? Is this dust really that special?¡± I asked, skeptical.

    He nodded, chuckling.

    ¡°Yes, you need to be an Earthmage to sense and separate them, but these are undeniable proof. The explosive residue and the mana wave amplification traces¡ªthis wasn¡¯t an accident.¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me this was deliberate?¡± I asked, my voice low.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°That¡¯s the conclusion I¡¯ve come to. It¡¯s probably not aimed directly at you, but more likely at us,¡± he said, gesturing to the other orcs and himself.

    I exhaled slowly, trying to process. Could he be right? I wondered, the thought settling uneasily in my mind.

 Chapter 287 - Whispers from the Depths

    "Lady Lores, maybe you should take a break too?" the water mage suggested.

    I shrugged and glanced at her. She had returned to work after a couple of hours of rest, now dressed only in a tank top and leathery shorts. She looked almost like some kind of green nymph, her reptilian-like skin glinting in the dim cavern light. Her red eyes and sharp canines gave her an air of menace, though she carried herself with a surprising friendliness.

    Her task now was mostly channeling water to cool the walls, and the heat was suffocating¡ªmade worse by the sauna-like dampness that lingered, even with the air mages struggling to keep the air moving. They were too low level to fully dispel the oppressive humidity, but at least they kept the cavern breathable.

    "Maybe later..." I replied, gratefully accepting the cup of water she handed me.

    I was exhausted, but too angry and unsettled to sleep. After hearing Borokhout''s suspicions, I went straight to confront the lead engineer.

    At first, he denied everything, then tried to downplay the importance of the royal mining support standard. He called it a mere compilation of "best practices" put together by some overly enthusiastic engineers. Then he claimed the Earth mage''s role wasn''t essential. After that, he went on about how their last Earth mage had left, and that he wasn¡¯t really a good one anyway. Excuse after excuse, until my frustration boiled over, and I felt my dragon breath starting to activate. Luckily for him, I recognized the feeling and averted my gaze, locking onto a chair instead¡ªinstantly reducing it to a heap of ashes on the now smoldering floor.

    That scared the hell out of me. Was I losing control of my temper? Did this mean I''d end up carbonizing anyone who made me angry?

    Only a few people had witnessed the incident¡ªAlice, Hew, and a Xsoha girl working with Hew. Alice stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder before pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± she said firmly.

    For a moment, I was terrified to meet her gaze, worried I might accidentally incinerate her too. But as she gently grasped my face into her palms, I had no choice. When I finally locked eyes with her, her crystal-clear blue eyes anchored me, and my heartbeat began to steady. I took a long, calming breath. How did she know this would work? Staring into her eyes felt like looking at a peaceful sky¡ªhow could anyone stay angry at that?

    The engineer had tried to slip away during the commotion, but an orc caught him before he could vanish. It was Wortar, one of Drackar''s lieutenants. Ah, so there had been one more witness to my chair-incinerating episode.

    ¡°Lady Lores isn''t finished with you,¡± Wortar said firmly, holding the man in place.

    I shot the orc a grateful grin, now feeling much calmer, and turned back to the trembling engineer. The poor guy was sweating and gasping for breath like he¡¯d just run a marathon. Engineer level twenty-two. This was our lead engineer?

    He confirmed that they didn¡¯t use explosives in their mining process, explaining it wouldn¡¯t be efficient for this type of mining. Then he launched into some odd theories about how silver supposedly regenerates¡ªfiltered from the earth, slowly forming veins and nodes inside previously exploited tunnels. That¡¯s why the mine had old, temporarily closed galleries, which they¡¯d reopen after a while to ¡°harvest¡± the silver again. Using explosives, he claimed, would disturb these delicate regeneration processes, and the ground would take much longer to recover and reform the nodes.

    His explanation only confused me further. This bizarre mineral theory had no place in any normal world I knew, but at least he stood firm on the point: no explosives had been used. He seemed more composed now.

    ¡°But the survivors spoke of explosions!¡± I pressed. I could hear his heartbeat quicken, but not alarmingly so.

    ¡°Yes, they did,¡± he admitted. ¡°But maybe they were just too shocked. A sudden cave-in can seem like an explosion to someone nearby. I don¡¯t have any other explanation,¡± he said with a shrug.

    His attempted explanation didn¡¯t convince me, but at least he didn¡¯t seem aware of any deliberate plan to blow up the mine.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hire a new Earth mage to do the work?¡± I asked.

    A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. Like a cornered rat, fear and panic seemed to turn into aggression.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m guilty of that too?¡± he snapped. ¡°Nobody wanted to work for the pittance we could offer! Sorena was a local villager¡ªshe worked for almost nothing, but even she left when her pay got cut! You approve no money for beams, no money for an Earth mage, and I¡¯m supposed to make it all work!¡±

    ¡°Who does approve the money?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes.

    He looked at me for a moment, as if trying to gauge if the question was serious.

    ¡°Sir Durham, of course,¡± he answered, wiping the sweat from his brow with his left hand, taking a deep breath. His heart was still racing, probably beating at 190 or so.

    Then, with an angry twist of his face and a voice so low it was almost a whisper, he added, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t approve more money for him, he can¡¯t give me more, Lady Lores.¡±

    I blinked, taken aback. Had I really not approved more funds for Durham? I couldn¡¯t remember. My memories of the last quarter were foggy at best. I sighed, deciding not to press the issue for now.

    ¡°How do you explain that we found this residue from explosives in the mine?¡± I asked, pulling out the small vial of dust Borokhout had given me from my inventory.

    His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the dust in my hand. ¡°May I?¡± he asked, carefully pinching a small amount between his fingers. A magnifying glass appeared from his inventory, and he examined it closely. ¡°It does look like explosive residue, but I¡¯d need to run some tests to be sure. Are you certain this came from the mine?¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He seemed calmer now, oddly at ease, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. But I let it go, for now. I needed to get back to the mine and continue our work, though the question still nagged at me: Who would organize and carry out something so terrible?

    *

    The more I thought about it, the clearer Borokhout¡¯s theory became. First, a minor cave-in to trap the working team inside one gallery. Then, as the rescue team tried to save them, the real catastrophe struck¡ªthe big cave-in, trapping both teams underground. It was all a carefully orchestrated trap, designed to wipe out as much of the qualified workforce as possible. Even if we managed to form new mining teams, and the people didn¡¯t revolt, it would take years for them to reach the skill and productivity of the ones we lost.

    Unless, of course, the orcs were playing me, and the explosive residue didn¡¯t come from the mine. But I gave that scenario a very low probability.

    Suddenly, water began trickling, then drizzling between the rocks where Borokhout was working.

    ¡°This is it! Water from the flooded tunnels!¡± one of the orc diggers exclaimed.

    ¡°Yeah! Finally!¡± Borokhout shouted in triumph¡ªthen promptly collapsed, as if he had been holding on just for this moment.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Egger cursed, rushing over to check his pulse. ¡°Mana exhaustion,¡± she muttered with a weary sigh.

    ¡°Damn,¡± the orc digger growled. ¡°Now we¡¯ll have to wait for him to recover. If we only had some tool or a snake to send through the water, we could check how far we are and whether we¡¯re even on the right tunnel. Where are the shamans when you need one?¡±

    ¡°I think I heard someone clopping!¡± another orc said, his voice tense.

    Several orcs were busy placing Borokhout on a stretcher, but the two nearby continued their conversation.

    ¡°Could just be water, flowing between the stones.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s distinct¡ªlike clopping with a hammer.¡±

    I strained to listen. I heard it too. I glanced at the water trickling through the rocks. If water could make it through, why couldn¡¯t I?

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I said, my mind already made up. Before anyone could respond, I shifted into a shadow and slipped into the narrow crevice, moving against the flow of water.

    Navigating through the tight, waterlogged rubble felt like an endless crawl, and soon, a creeping fear began to gnaw at me. What if I couldn¡¯t find a way out? What if I ended up trapped in some submerged cavern, forever imprisoned in this watery tomb? Not a bad cage for an immortal demon, I mused grimly. And what happens if my mana gets exhausted? I¡¯d never tried staying as a shadow indefinitely.

    I forced those thoughts away, but the longer it took, the harder it was to ignore them.

    Then, without warning, the space opened up. I was still submerged, but I¡¯d entered a cavern. Voices echoed faintly, and light flickered ahead. Relief surged through me, and I shifted back into human form too early, gulping down a mouthful of muddy water.

    I surfaced with a splash, coughing and sputtering¡ªstartling the life out of a huddled group of miners who clearly hadn¡¯t expected company.

    ¡°Demons!¡± one of them yelled, sparking immediate commotion as several scrambled backward in panic.

    I stood up, water sloshing around my waist, spat out another mouthful of the murky liquid, and grinned at them¡ªprobably not the most reassuring sight.

    ¡°Rescue¡¯s here! We¡¯re not far off,¡± I announced, though even I realized it didn¡¯t sound all that encouraging. ¡°We¡¯re digging a tunnel to get you out. It might still take some time, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± one of them demanded, shining a light directly in my face.

    I sighed and tried to cover my eyes with my hand. ¡°I¡¯m Lores... Lores of Orcmound. I¡¯m, uh, actually your lady¡ªI''m the baroness,¡± I added, fully aware of how unladylike I looked standing there soaked and bedraggled. I figured using my full name was better than leaving them confused.

    ¡°You¡¯re the baroness?¡± one muttered in disbelief, as murmurs spread through the group.

    Now that they were no longer blinding me with that light, I could see there were more of them huddled together than I¡¯d first realized. The air was damp and cold, heavy with the stench of urine, filth, and something else I couldn¡¯t place. As I waded closer, I noticed many of them were trembling, huddled under whatever scraps of fabric they could find. Some were lying on the ground, clearly injured, and many were wracked with deep, painful coughs.

    ¡°Are you really our lady?¡± another voice asked, uncertain.

    I nodded, taking in the sight of their suffering.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, scanning the group. ¡°Can you tell me your names, so I can pass word along?¡±

    ¡°Thorsom Gutlan!¡± ¡°Weidor Anyter!¡± ¡°Hasid!¡± ¡°Krota!¡± ¡°Demeter!¡±

    A flood of names hit me all at once. I raised my hands to wave them off. ¡°Stop, stop, stop. I can¡¯t remember all these names without writing them down. I¡¯ll need to take notes later.¡± I took a breath, looking around. ¡°What do you need? What should I bring?¡±

    ¡°Water!¡± ¡°Food!¡± ¡°Medicine!¡±

    The irony wasn¡¯t lost on me¡ªasking for water while standing in a submerged corridor. But then again, who could stomach drinking this filthy, stagnant water? I noticed they had some makeshift containers collecting droplets dripping from the ceiling, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep them going for long.

    ¡°Can we swim through?¡± one of them asked urgently. ¡°Take us out of here!¡± another voice cried. ¡°I can hold my breath for a long time¡ªjust show us the way!¡±

    I shook my head, realizing I needed to lower their expectations before panic set in.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible. I only made it through with magic,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Then use your magic! Can¡¯t you take us out?¡± one of them pleaded.

    I shook my head again. ¡°No.¡±

    The group grew more restless. ¡°You said you were digging¡ªhow far is it?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s digging? Two shifts were trapped here. Did enough people escape the cave-in? How long will it take?¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°We have an Earthmage, but he¡¯s out of mana and needs to rest. The orcs are helping. It¡¯s hard to say exactly how far, the path is submerged in rubble and I had to zig-zag through it. I think that it''s about three or four hundred steps."

    ¡°I¡¯m as thin as you are. Maybe I can make it through!¡±

    ¡°What can we do from this side? The water level¡¯s rising!¡±

    ¡°It should start to drop soon¡ªwe¡¯re clearing the way from the other side. I¡¯ll bring news that I¡¯ve found you. Just hang on and stay alive until we break through.¡±

    With that, I dissolved into smoke right in front of their eyes, startling them. I sank into the water, but fear clawed at my chest: Will I find my way back?

 Chapter 288 â€“ Its All About Money

    I sat shivering under a blanket, perched on a log near the new entrance to the shaft. It was deep into the second night, and we were inching closer to the group of miners I¡¯d found earlier. It wasn¡¯t really the cold that got to me, but the exhaustion. I hadn¡¯t slept properly in two days, aside from a few brief moments when I¡¯d drift off.

    Each time I dozed, I dreamed of Ju¡ªjust as I¡¯d seen her the last time. She stood right there, no longer the haunting figure from my vision. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to meet her gaze. I couldn¡¯t look into her eyes.

    She was here because I had asked Alice yesterday to bring her¡ªto heal the workers and be ready to tend to the miners when we finally reached them.

    Suddenly, the noise around me seemed to muffle, and before I could fully grasp what was happening, Ju wrapped her arms around me.

    "Please, forgive me!" she cried. "I can''t take it anymore. Please, don''t be angry with me!"

    I lifted my eyes to her, finding her in tears. Gently, I pulled her into my own embrace.

    "How could you ever think I''m angry with you?" I whispered, holding her close. "I was the one in agony, angry at myself and at what I was putting you through. That''s what¡¯s been tearing at me."

    She pulled back slightly, looking at me with wide, round eyes.

    "Really?" she asked, her voice soft, before hugging me tightly again. I could feel the comforting effects of her soothing spells washing over me. We stayed like that for a while until I noticed some movement in the distance. With a sigh, I murmured,

    "I think a delegation wants to speak with me."

    Ju sighed too but released me, her eyes now glowing with happiness. With a subtle flick of her wrist, she dismissed the privacy field she¡¯d cast around us. That must have been a new device she¡¯d picked up in the capital.

    I turned to face the approaching group: Durham, Master Engerhard the old Xsoha, another younger Xsoha I didn¡¯t recognize, with Tom and Hew beside him.

    Behind them, a crowd of forty or so people.

    The brief moment with Ju had a surprisingly strong effect on me. The weight of my anxiety and exhaustion seemed to lift, and I no longer felt so overwhelmed. Maybe her soothing spell had worked their magic too. With renewed energy, I raised my eyes to greet the approaching group.

    "Blessed be your heart, Lady Lores!" Master Engerhard declared as he stopped a few meters in front of me. "We have gathered the best miners from the village. They are ready and eager to rescue their comrades trapped beneath the earth. Your valiant orcs have been working tirelessly for two days now. It¡¯s time to let them rest and allow these brave men and women to finish the job."

    I almost agreed. Almost. But something about his phrasing made me hesitate¡ªyour valiant orcs.

    I took a deep breath. Wow, what a change of heart! Wasn¡¯t this the same man who had lectured me earlier about how hopeless it was to try and dig those miners out? And now he was suddenly concerned about the well-being of my orcs? The cursed abominations? Damn, they weren¡¯t even my orcs¡ªthey were Drackar¡¯s!

    Maybe if Ju hadn¡¯t refreshed me, I would have accepted his proposal without thinking twice. But now, with my mind clear again, something didn¡¯t feel right. I let out a long breath, then met Master Engerhard¡¯s gaze.

    "Master Engerhard, I have no doubt the young people behind you are eager and capable," I began, keeping my voice steady, "but the team working now is the strongest and fastest we have. Changing the team or adding more people would only slow things down. There simply isn¡¯t enough room for more to work effectively, and the orcs are working in shifts. They¡¯re stronger, quicker. No one wants to leave our people down there any longer than necessary. Every moment counts."

    To my surprise, there were murmurs of agreement from the crowd behind him. Even Alice raised an eyebrow, her expression showing a hint of approval.

    Durham stepped closer, his face grave.

    "Lady Lores, please allow me to speak openly," he said. "I beg you to consider this: there¡¯s an old saying, ''If you give an orc a plum, he''ll leave the plum and take the whole basket.'' Lady Lores, do you truly believe these renegade orcs are any different? I don¡¯t know what their plan is, but dealing with orcs never ends well. Whenever a chieftain manages to unite them, once they¡¯re done fighting each other, they start looking around for the next weakest neighbor to exploit. They look at our land, envy our prosperous cities, and then they come with swords in hand, claiming that our lands were always theirs. Orcs will always be orcs. They don¡¯t think or act like us humans."

    He finished with a dramatic gesture toward the orc standing behind me. "Ask the orc by your side, Lady Lores!"

    Instinctively, I turned to look at the orc.

    He gave a shrug and, in a rare moment of speaking, said, "What? I don''t like plums."

    Whether it was a foolish remark or a stroke of brilliance, I couldn¡¯t say, but the burst of laughter that followed took the sting out of Durham''s words, lessening the weight of his warning.

    I sighed. I knew that Cala had favored orcs for her raids because they stuck to their agreements better than most, but that was raiding, not living side by side in a community. As I was mulling over how to respond, a woman from the group spoke up before I could say anything.

    ¡°Our children trapped in that mine are tired and scared, after all they¡¯ve been through in the darkness,¡± she said. ¡°You yourself told us how distressed they are! What will they think when the first thing they''ll meet will be these dreadful-looking orcs?¡±

    Ah, so... In just two minutes, we¡¯d gone from praising the ¡®valiant orcs¡¯ to fearing the ''dreadful-looking orcs.''

    The woman had barely finished speaking when a bald man chimed in, his voice laced with accusation.

    ¡°Lady Lores, why didn¡¯t you hire the mages the Xsoha found? Everything the orcs are doing, humans could do just as well. Why bring more orcs into our lands?¡±

    I felt the tension rising. The undercurrent of distrust was clearer now.

    I stood up. That was a direct challenge, questioning my decisions. How convenient that these accusations were being lobbed from the safety of anonymity behind the crowd.

    ¡°The Xsoha searched for those mages because I paid them to do so," I said sharply. "But the mages they found wouldn¡¯t arrive for days, would cost more, and wouldn¡¯t be as effective as the ones I already found through the orcs. So, tell me¡ªwhy should I have waited?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it suspicious that the orcs were ready with their own people? Almost as if they knew they''d be needed!¡± someone called out from the back, his tone laced with insinuation. Master Engerhard raised his hands in a placating gesture.

    ¡°Lady Lores," he said, his voice measured, "I always seek what¡¯s best for the domain and heed the will of the people. These people, they want to free their families¡ªwithout putting the domain at risk of submission to orcs.¡±

    I snorted in anger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this nonsense,¡± I said, my patience wearing thin. ¡°Just go away and let us get the job done before I decide to make you disappear.¡±

    I had meant to say "disappear from my sight," but I was tired and the exhaustion made the words come out more threatening than intended. The man who¡¯d questioned about the mages stepped forward, moving closer to Durham¡¯s group while raising his voice.

    ¡°Disappear, like Goma, the lead engineer? Where is he? Did he say something the orcs didn¡¯t want to hear?¡±

    That caught me off guard. I hadn¡¯t seen him since the previous night. Could that fool have run off after my interrogation?

    Meanwhile, Master Engerhard''s voice rang out: ¡°Lady Lores, are you truly considering violence against loyal servants of the domain?¡±

    I took a deep breath and glanced at the crowd. This was starting to feel like an organized rebellion, a push to back me into a corner. They were trying to force my hand.

    I subtly pinged the lead Xsoha in the group. <<Xsoha, level thirty-nine.>> Interesting. Was ¡°Xsoha¡± a class?

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Before I could respond, Alice stepped forward, positioning herself between me and the crowd.

    ¡°There¡¯s news from the mine,¡± she announced firmly. ¡°They¡¯re calling for Lady Lores to check a new opening. Please step back and wait.¡±

    Just like that, the tension shifted, the conversation turned in a new direction.

    I sensed a presence at my side and turned to find Wortar, one of Drackar''s lieutenants, standing there. He was clad in full black leather armor, with an expandable shield on his left arm that caught my eye. It reminded me of Cala¡¯s legendary shield¡ªrare and powerful. Wortar met my gaze and gave a nod of acknowledgment.

    As the group retreated, Tom and Hew approached. Both looked exhausted, their faces showing the strain of the past days.

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Hew asked, stepping into the circle forming in front of me.

    ¡°I feel about as bad as you look,¡± I replied, earning a tired chuckle from him. Then, turning to Alice, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡±

    ¡°Come with me,¡± Alice said, gesturing for the others to follow. She led us towards the shaft¡¯s entrance, guiding us to a spot where we couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside.

    As we gathered, just before Alice could speak, Ju interrupted.

    ¡°Wait. It might be best to keep this private.¡±

    Alice nodded, and Ju touched her bracelet, summoning a dampening field around us, cutting us off from prying ears.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Alice.

    She sighed, clearly exhausted, and gave a shrug. ¡°Tenessar warned us someone¡¯s trying to stir up a revolt. I only said that to buy some time. Now, they''ll wait for you to get back.¡±

    ¡°A revolt? But they''d be crushed,¡± I said, still puzzled.

    Alice nodded. ¡°Exactly. But that''s probably part of the plan. Throwing mud at you was probably the next phase. Once the clash happens, stories will spread¡ªabout orcs beating, wounding, maybe even killing villagers and the narrative would quickly turn against you and the orcs, running through the entire domain.¡±

    I sighed, annoyed. ¡°The Xsoha?¡±

    She gave another shrug. ¡°Maybe. We¡¯re not sure yet. Moran and Tenessar are working on tracking down who¡¯s spreading these rumors and countering them. There¡¯s this ¡®would-be-mayor,¡¯ for instance¡ªthe guy who brought up the question about human mages. He¡¯s trying to overthrow the current mayor, so stirring trouble works in his favor, but he is just a minor figure from the village.¡±

    ¡°Someone''s useful idiot¡± Tom quipped from the side

    I turned to Hew. ¡°So, what''s the deal with these xsoha? What exactly are they doing?¡±

    He took a deep breath before answering. ¡°Well, this might take a while. You sure you want to dive into it now?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    He chuckled lightly. ¡°Alright. In your domain, you''ve got 6,528 people¡ªexcluding the 145 orcs and 112 xsoha. There are six villages, thirteen hamlets, and fifty-four isolated farms, totaling 3,435 serfs and their children. Each serf is required to work for three days per quarter for free for you. That means three out of every eight days are technically yours. The rest they work on their fields, which are actually still yours and they pay rent for it as you own all the land in the domain.¡±

    ¡°Do the xsoha direct them on what to do?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°No, not directly. That¡¯s handled by the village elders, or they follow orders that come down from the castle. The xsoha keep meticulous records of all the work done. For example, if a serf works on road repairs, it¡¯s recorded as road maintenance, which is valued at fifty copper per person per day. Fixing a bridge is more costly¡ªsixty-five copper per day. The same goes for wood logging, which is sixty copper per day per worker. The xsoha have detailed tables that classify all this labor, translating it into monetary terms. Their role is to ensure everything¡¯s accounted for.¡±

    ¡°Do we pay the peasants for their work?¡± I asked.

    Hew shook his head. ¡°No, as I mentioned, they have to provide this labor for free.¡±

    ¡°So, is this ¡®money¡¯ just fictive?¡± I wondered aloud.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Hew said. ¡°It¡¯s not actual money, but it gives you an estimate of how much work the serfs contribute. All of that virtual currency goes into a budget called ¡®domain work and maintenance.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Do the xsoha also work for free, three days a quarter?¡± Mike asked, joining in.

    Hew shook his head again. ¡°No, they aren¡¯t serfs. They get paid per transaction¡ªa five percent cut for recording and managing the work. Across the entire domain, that comes to about sixty gold per quarter. Their share is three gold.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s twelve gold per Kargath!¡± I exclaimed.

    Hew nodded. ¡°Yes, in addition to being fed and having free housing. But wait, there¡¯s more. The miners are paid between eighty copper and one silver twenty copper per day. They work four paid days per quarter, plus three days for free since they¡¯re serfs too. The eighth day of the quarter is always something of a holiday, though the divinity celebrated varies depending on their religion. So, altogether, you¡¯re paying around eighteen to twenty gold to the miners per quarter, and one gold to the xsoha. This makes another four gold for the Xsoha, while the miners'' total comes to around seventy gold.¡±

    ¡°So the miners are basically privileged serfs? Seventy gold per Kargath is a lot!¡± I commented.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there are nearly five hundred of them, the work is tough, and they still need to live¡ªbuy food, clothes, maintain their houses, all that. That money cycles back into the domain¡¯s economy as they buy what they need to survive. As for the mine, it generates about twenty to thirty gold profit per Kargath after covering all expenses¡ªroughly the same as the cost of the xsoha. It could be run more efficiently, but I need to dig into the details.¡±

    ¡°You mean the xsoha cost between twenty and thirty gold per Kargath?¡±

    ¡°More like thirty plus. The domain sells wood, cattle, grain, and silver ore to xsoha-approved merchants, but I suspect there are some shady deals going on there.¡±

    ¡°Fuck! These bean counters are bleeding the domain dry!¡± Tina exclaimed.

    "Tina?"

    I looked at her, surprised. She was picking up too much of my foul language, leaving behind her noble upbringing. I might have to rein that in later.

    Though honestly, it didn¡¯t seem like that much money to me¡ªjust my pair of shoes that got ruined in the mud had cost two gold, and the Earthmage was costing me two gold per day.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an enormous amount, but it is a significant drain,¡± Hew said, echoing my thoughts.

    ¡°Can we get rid of them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not easily. First, we¡¯d need to have someone to replace them and handle their work. I could organize that if necessary, but the bigger issue is the legal mess,¡± Hew replied. ¡°They claim they have a contract directly with the domain, not the domain owner. In their eyes, they¡¯re part of the domain itself. There are termination clauses, but they come with a bunch of conditions¡ªincluding about a year¡¯s worth of pay as ¡®resettlement money,¡¯ and it has to be paid upfront.¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯d have to fork out over three hundred gold just to get rid of them?¡± I asked, astonished.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Hew said with a nod, then after a sigh, added, ¡°I might be able to find some loophole to lower that amount.¡±

    ¡°Do that!¡± I said firmly. Just the thought of how hard it was to get rid of them made me even more determined to do so. ¡°And what¡¯s with that ¡®Master¡¯ title?¡±

    ¡°That means he¡¯s the highest-ranking xsoha in the domain¡ªbasically, the domain¡¯s chief accountant,¡± Hew explained. ¡°He manages the treasury and oversees all the spending.¡±

    ¡°And that idea of taking out a loan? Is the domain really that close to being bankrupt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hew replied, ¡°but I still wouldn¡¯t recommend it. If you borrow from them, they get a say in all your spending. They can even deny certain expenditures if they deem them unnecessary.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Enough about the xsoha. We¡¯ll deal with them later,¡± I muttered to myself. There was no way I was paying them three hundred gold just to get them to walk away.

    ¡°So, most of the domain¡¯s income comes from the silver mine?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No,¡± Hew corrected, ¡°only about half of it. The other half comes from selling cattle, timber, and cereals. There¡¯s even a brick workshop where neighboring domains buy from us, along with smaller things like furs and red stone used for street repairs.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re selling cereals and food, are the domain¡¯s stocks full for the winter?¡± Alice asked.

    Hew chuckled lightly. ¡°No, only partially full, and what¡¯s worse, there¡¯s not enough food for everyone. The domain has enough stores for the castle inhabitants and a bit extra as a reserve, but the villages? Their situation looks bleak.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± I muttered, ¡°then why are we selling?¡±

    ¡°We need the money,¡± Hew explained. ¡°If we didn¡¯t sell, the domain would go broke. We have to buy essentials like gardening tools, nails, canvas, and so on.¡±

    I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see an orc approaching. I raised a brow in question as he entered our circle.

    ¡°Lady Lores,¡± he said, ¡°news just came in¡ªthey¡¯ve broken through!¡±

 Chapter 289 - Deliverance

    The strange noise grew louder, like some colossal worm gnawing through the rocks. Then, she saw it¡ªimpossibly, the mountain of debris that had blocked the way began to twist and shift, and suddenly, a cylindrical gap about two feet wide was pulled free, as if by invisible hands. Briefly, light spilled through the narrow tunnel before more rocks tumbled down, blocking the view again.

    Miriam blinked in disbelief, even pinching herself to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She had never witnessed magic of this magnitude, especially not for something like this¡ªsaving them.

    When that strange woman emerged from the water, many thought she was just a mirage. Some believed she was a vengeful deep-water nymph or perhaps an earth spirit, disturbed by the mining. There were whispers that the mine had been dug too deep, stirring ancient devils from their slumber. But then the woman spoke of freeing them. Freeing them? As if that were even possible! Was this just another devilish trick, feeding them hope only to crush it later? They knew it would take weeks to dig a tunnel deep enough to reach them, and most doubted anyone would even try. How had she come through? The way was completely blocked by an avalanche of pebbles, debris, and rubble. Could she really pass through stone and walls? But then again, wasn¡¯t she a spirit?

    Another section of the debris crumbled away, and then fire scorched the walls of the opening. As the walls sizzled under a sudden spray of water, Jeremy leapt into the gap, only to cry out in pain as he scrambled across the hot stones.

    ¡°You idiot!¡± someone scolded him. ¡°Wait until we''re done!¡±

    A wave of icy rain followed, sending more steam rising from the walls.

    ¡°You can come through now,¡± a voice called.

    They exchanged uncertain glances. Light was spilling in from the other side, but thick vapors made it hard to see what lay beyond. Massive shadows loomed, and fear took hold of them. Yet there was no turning back¡ªtoo many people were pressing forward toward the tunnel.

    Miriam took a deep breath, as if bracing to dive underwater, and crawled into the newly formed tunnel. It was tight, forcing her to move on all fours, but after about five or six meters, it opened up into a much larger passage. Light flooded this tunnel¡ªso much light, both wondrous and eerie. The walls were made of what seemed like obsidian mixed with glass, glistening as they reflected the glow. And right in front of her stood three orcs, the horned woman, and... an elf? Had so few people done all this tunneling?

    Now that she could see further, there were more orcs in the wider part of the tunnel, hauling massive platforms piled with rocks. Another mage was controlling something that looked like a snake¡ªa water snake! Miriam blinked. No, it was just water being guided from one basin to another.

    ¡°Anyone who needs healing, come to me!¡± the elf called.

    Free healing? Miriam stepped closer, eyeing the elf. She didn¡¯t have serious injuries, just some scrapes and bruises, but she figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to get treated. The elf barely touched her, yet she felt instantly refreshed.

    ¡°Next!¡± the elf called as a small line began to form in front of her.

    *

    Prince Kotusawendu had been eager to meet Lady Lores, only to be met with disappointment upon discovering she wasn¡¯t at the castle. Rather than wait around, he decided to make his way to the mine, where the baroness was reportedly handling matters.

    Sir Gamesh let out an irritated snort, clearly displeased that his much-anticipated rest after days of travel was being denied.

    "Your Highness sent a messenger hours ago to announce your arrival. The fact that she isn''t here to greet you at the castle shows nothing but indolence and incompetence."

    "Perhaps it''s just her servants who are incompetent!" Lady Quersaw suggested, though Sir Gamesh wasn¡¯t inclined to accept any excuses.

    "If the servants are incompetent, it reflects poorly on their master."

    "What could she be doing at the mine?" the prince mused aloud.

    "I heard there was a major accident at the mine," Lady Demeter, the second high-paladin in the prince¡¯s guard, chimed in.

    The prince raised a brow. "What business does the lady of the domain have with that? Doesn''t she have servants to handle such things for her?"

    Sir Gamesh shrugged dismissively.

    "It just proves their incompetence," he grumbled.

    As their carriage crested a hill, they encountered yet another orc patrol. Since entering the domain, two orcs had been assigned to their convoy, and the further they progressed, the more orcs had joined. Now, six of them escorted the group. The convoy halted as the orcs exchanged a few words with the patrol.

    If these had been humans, Sir Gamesh might have praised their organization. But since they were orcs, he eyed them with suspicion.

    ¡°And where is your lady?¡± Lady Quersaw asked one of the orcs, her tone mocking.

    The female orc smiled, revealing her canines¡ªsmaller than the protruding ones typical of the males.

    "I believe I can see her from here," she said, surprising them.

    "Where?" the prince asked eagerly, leaning out of the carriage window, much to Sir Gamesh''s dismay.

    "If you look over there," the orc continued, pointing, "to the left of the village is the mine. Do you see that wooden structure? Just to the left of it is where water''s shooting up into the air, and that crowd of people under it? In that green mass, there''s an orange dot. That''s Lady Lores."

    "What kind of ritual is that?" Sir Gamesh asked, baffled.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Some pagan orc ritual, no doubt," Lady Quersaw scoffed, while the female orc sighed, shrugging. Had they never seen a company taking a shower?

    ¡°What kind of depravity is this woman involved in?¡± Sir Gamesh exclaimed, scandalized.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet,¡± Lady Quersaw replied with a smirk. ¡°If you heard the stories the servants tell about her and that elf servant of hers...¡±

    ¡°What stories?¡± Prince Kotusawendu asked, curiosity piqued.

    ¡°Your Highness, I fear your esteemed parents would never forgive me if I dared share such tales!¡± Lady Quersaw protested, though clearly enjoying her own tease, as their convoy resumed its movement toward the mine.

    *

    We did it! Out of the 314 people trapped underground since the shaft collapse, 243 had already been accounted for. There were still more to be carried out, so we didn¡¯t know exactly how many would make it in the end, but it was already a huge relief for the village. I had witnessed so many emotional reunions¡ªmothers, wives, husbands, and children embracing their loved ones¡ªthat my heart was in complete turmoil. A happy turmoil, though the faces of those still missing weighed heavily on us all.

    As we emerged from the mine, a group of orcs asked the water mage to spray a bit of water over them to wash off the grime. She obliged, and within minutes, it had turned into a joyful outburst¡ªyelling, laughing, and dancing in the makeshift rain. It was so freeing after days spent in those dark, suffocating tunnels that I couldn''t resist joining them. I danced and shouted under the cold water, letting it wash away everything, bathed in the light of the two suns.

    As I jumped and shouted in the rain, I waved at Alice and the boys. They were talking and laughing, watching us with amused expressions, and I felt a wave of happiness seeing my team there. But then it hit me¡ªsomething was off. Where were Sid and Lynx?

    The more I thought about them, especially Sid, the more uneasy I became. He had seemed down earlier, and I suddenly recalled how he''d called me "Lores" before. Why hadn¡¯t he called me "Mother"? I had asked him to call me Lores, but somehow... something didn¡¯t feel right.

    Concern gnawed at me. Without a second thought, I shifted into shadow form and slipped away from the celebration. Sid had been sad, not quite himself when we last spoke. Something must have happened.

    I darted in the direction I¡¯d last seen him coming from when I asked him for help. Stopping on the crest of a hill, I looked around. He could be anywhere. I transformed back into human form, as my shadow sight had its limitations. I debated going back to ask Alice about him, but then, by sheer luck, I caught a glimpse of movement on a small island in the lake where the river emptied. My instincts flared¡ªit had to be him.

    As I weaved my way through the forest, dodging between trees, my thoughts zeroed in on Sid. The more I focused on him, the stronger I felt his distress. He was telepathic, and either didn¡¯t know how to control it or couldn¡¯t hide his emotions. His sadness and frustration pressed on me with every step. How hadn¡¯t I noticed this earlier?

    It took me about five minutes to reach the island, and as I approached, my mind raced. What was I going to say? How was I going to fix this? I had no idea. Sid sat curled up in his familiar pretzel form, with Lynx a few meters away, watching over him.

    I materialized a short distance from them, about twenty meters away, and waved.

    ¡°Hey, guys. Mind if I join you?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

    Sid glanced up, his eyes distant. ¡°Do you need more help, Lores?¡± he asked, his tone flat. Lynx raised a brow in quiet curiosity.

    Certainty crashed down on me like a wave. Damn it! I must have done something during my ''special'' Kargath quarter that hurt Sid¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°I... I want to apologize,¡± I said as I approached them, my voice shaky.

    ¡°Apologize? For what?¡± Lynx asked, his brow furrowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure... probably for being an ass? I don¡¯t know exactly what I did, but Sid... you know how some mushrooms, when eaten, can cloud your mind and make you say or do really stupid things?¡±

    Sid turned to look slantwise at me, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes. ¡°I know, Lores. There¡¯s no need to give me a lesson on mushrooms. Or are you trying to say it wasn¡¯t your fault, but the mushrooms¡¯?¡±

    I sighed. It was difficult to tell it, but I managed with some efforts.

    ¡°Well... the truth is, it is my fault, however I look at it, but I don¡¯t remember. I... I did take something like those mushrooms recently. My mind was completely fogged up, and... I must have done or said awful things. Many awful things. It wasn¡¯t really me, but still, I know I did it. Can you forgive me? Please?¡±

    ¡°Forgive you? What for?¡± Lynx cut in with an unusual sharp tone. ¡°You told him to leave! You said he was an idiot who couldn¡¯t learn to stop eating peasants¡¯ cows, that he needed to grow up and let you live your life! And when I stood up for him, you called me a stupid beast.¡±

    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± I gasped. ¡°Did I really say that?¡±

    ¡°You looked pretty convincing when you said it,¡± Lynx replied dryly.

    ¡°Oh, no. Oh, no! Please, guys, I swear¡ªit wasn¡¯t me! I mean... it was me, but not really. How could I ever say something like that?¡±

    Sid, still quiet, finally spoke. ¡°Was it really the mushrooms?¡±

    The weight of the day, the chaos of emotions, everything that had happened overwhelmed me. Tears welled up, and I collapsed to my knees, sobbing. ¡°Please... forgive me!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to win us over with some tears,¡± Lynx said gruffly, turning his head away. But then he sighed, and after a long pause, both he and Sid moved closer.

    ¡°I... I love you guys,¡± I whispered through the tears.

    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t exaggerate,¡± Lynx muttered, though he pressed himself against my right side. Sid rested his head gently on my left.

    ¡°I thought I lost you,¡± Sid whispered, his eyes closed as I rested my hand on his brow, pulling Lynx closer with my other arm.

    ¡°You scared me!¡± Sid said between sniffs. ¡°Don¡¯t ever scare me like that again!¡±

    Was he crying?

    ¡°Never,¡± I promised softly.

    My heart was still racing, pounding dangerously fast. I closed my eyes, letting the relief and warmth wash over me. It felt so good to have them both near. Through the telepathic link with Sid, I could feel his happiness, flooding me with emotion. How could I have ever pushed him away? How could I have said those awful things? I almost ruined it, didn¡¯t I?

    I hugged them tighter, wishing we could stay like that forever.

 Chapter 290 â€“ Forever And a Day

    "I''d like to stay like this forever," Sid said, echoing my own thoughts and then he added, "It''s a pity you won¡¯t stay a dragon all the time..."

    I inhaled sharply. I understood where he was coming from, but the thought of giving up my human existence... I wasn¡¯t ready for that. How could I explain it to him without hurting his feelings? His desire was so genuine, but I feared that any attempt to explain my hesitation might come off as a rejection of him. And that was the last thing I wanted.

    "Ahm... You know, Sid... Ahm..." I fumbled for the words to explain that, technically, I was human. Or was I?

    He sighed, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. "I don''t mean you should, but... I just want to spend more time with you, you know?"

    I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Finding the right balance with Sid had always been tricky. I had to keep reminding myself that, despite being a giant dragon, he was really just a very young... person. Seeing him that way made a lot more sense, and it helped me strike the right tone. Just as I was about to promise him I¡¯d spend more time with him, he voiced his own idea.

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been thinking... about turning into a human. I want to see more of your life, be with you when you talk with them."

    I sighed. Not long ago, I had thought about convincing Lynx to take on a human form, but now, I wasn''t as eager to see it happen¡ªespecially not with Sid. The truth was, I liked them just the way they were. What if he changed? What if he wasn¡¯t the same straightforward, honest Sid I knew?

    He sensed the shift in my mood and quickly tried to reassure me. "Of course, if you don¡¯t want me to, I won¡¯t do it. It was just a thought..."

    I took another deep breath. "Sid, the problem with these transformations is that they change what you are. The book says it clearly: ''the beast will live in you,'' and in your case, ''the human will live in you.'' It will... change you."

    He lifted his head to meet my eyes, then rested it back beside me. "Oh, that¡¯s why you¡¯re worried? Would it be bad if I became more human?" he asked, curious.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°In a way, you''re already more human than most humans, Sid. The problem is... I''m not sure how to explain it right, but... humans can be such dishonest assholes. They smile at you and tell you sweet words, but they lie and would harm you just to get what they want. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d ever become like that, but... I like you just as you are, and I¡¯m scared of any change.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa! You¡¯re pretty harsh on your own species,¡± Lynx chimed in, a playful note in his voice. It was strangely endearing that he still saw me as one of them.

    The black mountain to my left, named Sid, moved up and down in a shrug.

    ¡°Not all humans are like that. Besides, I promise to stay honest with you." He chuckled. "With our telepathy, I couldn¡¯t even lie to you if I tried¡ªyou¡¯d know instantly, just like I¡¯d know if you were lying to me. If that¡¯s your only worry, then I still want to do it.¡±

    On my right side, Lynx let out a chuckle.

    "Sid, I¡¯m not letting you have all the fun! If you go through with it, I will too!¡± he added with a grin, his silvery canines glinting in the sun.

    I looked left and right, at the two, feeling disarmed as my heart began to race.

    I tried to think rationally. This is what I wanted, isn''t it? So, why was this transformation scaring me so much all of a sudden?

    After a long pause, I sighed. If they really wanted to do it, why not? I had some experience with transformations by now, and there hadn¡¯t been any disasters with the first ones. Mike¡¯s transformation had gone smoothly. They¡¯d probably be safe. I nodded.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s something to think about. But don¡¯t rush into it on a whim.¡±

    Sid huffed and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it for a while,¡± he countered. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been afraid you¡¯d want to chase me away, I would have brought it up sooner. Lynx and I have talked about it for some time, and we¡¯ve been studying your book together.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait! Now? You want to try it now?¡± I asked, alarmed.

    He raised his head and shook it firmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to try it¡ªI want to do it. You should be able to guide me through the spell, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh... Oh... Yes?¡± I took a sharp breath, feeling the rush of anxiety.

    ¡°Look,¡± I said, trying to calm down, ¡°the idea is to focus on becoming human, but remember¡ªyou need to keep your magic power intact. Keep that in mind, you need a way to transform back!¡±

    I was getting more agitated by the second, so I worked to steady my breathing, focusing on the task. My magic reached out and enveloped his, and he allowed it to happen without resistance. He trusted me.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing great!¡± I said, watching as the runes began to form around him, aligning perfectly. A beautiful, intricate fractal of transformation runes blossomed around his massive form. When you have a strong mana sight, magic really is a mesmerizing show.

    He nodded, signaling that the spell was in place. The magic swirled around him, and in the blink of an eye, where Sid¡¯s enormous body had stood, there was now a relatively slender young boy, about seventeen years old, with black hair.

    Just like that¡ªit was done.

    He burst into laughter.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I asked, curious.

    ¡°So small and weak!¡± he exclaimed.

    I glanced over his new form again: <human mage-warrior, level ninety-eight>. Weak? Not a chance! And mage-warrior? That was new to me. But wait... where were his horns?

    "How¡¯s your mana sight? Can you still feel your magic?" I asked, suddenly worried.

    "Yeah, feels fine, but the skin is so sensitive!" he answered, completely unbothered.

    Seriously? No horns and he¡¯s fine? This is so unfair! Why do I have to deal with horns? I sighed inwardly. Maybe I should study how he pulled that off...

    ¡°My turn! My turn!¡± Lynx said impatiently, practically bouncing in place.

    They didn''t give me a moment to relax, we went through the process again, with Sid watching closely. His transformation had used only a sliver of my mana since the main work had been his own. Lynx¡¯s, though, took more effort. His mana resisted me at first, more unruly than Sid¡¯s, but after some back-and-forth, we managed it.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Before me stood a towering, muscular young man with dirty blond hair, looking about twenty-two. The moment he stood up, he almost toppled over, and I had to catch him before he fell.

    ¡°Take it easy!¡± I laughed.

    A surprised yelp escaped him.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right, the skin is so sensitive!¡± he said to Sid, wide-eyed in astonishment.

    Sensitive skin? That sparked an idea.

    ¡°Come, I want to show you something!¡± I said, with a mischievous grin, heading toward the lake¡¯s shore. They followed, cautiously placing their newly transformed, bare feet on the unfamiliar ground.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lynx asked, a little wary.

    ¡°Just come! See how smooth the sand is?¡± I said as I walked across the beach, entering the water. It lapped gently at my ankles when Lynx stopped short.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°Come closer,¡± I urged. ¡°You¡¯ll see it here!¡±

    Without warning, I started spraying them with water. They yelped in surprise, trying to run away, but I chased them down. Their shrieks and laughter echoed across the shore as we splashed each other, devolving into a full-on water fight.

    The beach stretched out, seemingly endless, the air warm under the twin suns overhead. For the first time in ages it felt like I was finally having a holiday!

    *

    ¡°We''re chasing a ghost! See that orange spot over there? That''s her! And just like that¡ªgone again. Oh, sorry, we have no clue where she¡¯s disappeared to! We should head back to the castle, have a good meal, and wait until our host decides to show up!¡± Sir Gamesh grumbled, echoing his grumbling belly.

    Four paladins and four orcs followed behind, each group sizing the other up with a mix of distrust and curiosity. Prince Kotusawendu chuckled.

    ¡°And do what? Watch the xsoha counting beans?¡± he quipped, his mood lighter than before.

    He hadn¡¯t expected to feel this way. At first, he¡¯d been furious¡ªhis father, the King of Kings, had practically banished him on this trip, using him as little more than a glorified chaperone and guard for some elf princess he had no interest in.

    To be away for weeks from his beloved Lady Fara! It had felt unbearable at first. However, the King had given him a pair of tiaras that allowed telepathic connection and control. Though Kotusawendu had left reluctantly¡ªunable to defy his father¡¯s command¡ªtraveling had become more bearable as he explored new places and met new people. And with the use of the diadem, Lady Fara could not only speak to him, but even hold his hand.

    That was something impossible before. But now, through the tiara, Fara could remotely control Dame Anda, who had been assigned to wear the other half of the paired diadem.

    Kotusawendu was fairly certain this wasn''t what his father had intended when gifting them the tiaras, but it had brought an unexpected closeness to their relationship. They were interacting more intimately and with the same vivacity as in the days before the accident. Sure, Dame Anda didn¡¯t have Fara¡¯s face, but he was slowly getting used to seeing her as a stand-in, and strangely, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling at all.

    Kotusawendu¡¯s pleasant thoughts were cut short by Lady Elanea¡¯s sudden exclamation.

    "Oh! Look at those peasants by the lake, chasing that girl!"

    "Chasing? No, I think they''re just having fun," another paladin chimed in.

    "Are they playing games, or... wait a moment... that hair..." Lady Elanea squinted toward the scene, her expression uncertain.

    Sir Gamesh turned to their orc escort. "Miss, miss!"

    ¡°Teanebrun,¡± the female orc corrected, her gaze already fixed with interest on the unfolding events by the lake.

    ¡°Miss Teanebrun, isn''t that your lady over there?¡± he asked, gesturing toward the distant figure.

    The orc laughed heartily. "Oh yes, that''s her," she confirmed, though her eyes flickered with curiosity. But who are those men? she thought, though she kept that question to herself.

    ¡°Is she in danger?¡± Lady Elanea asked, concerned, as two of the ruffians appeared to get closer to the girl.

    Teanebrun smirked, shaking her head. ¡°In danger of what? Too much laughter?¡± she quipped, clearly amused by the scene.

    *

    With a surprising burst of speed, Sid lunged at me, and I let out a yelp at the cold shock of his touch. Laughing, I quickly shifted into shadow form, slipping away from his grasp before reappearing to splash him with more freezing water. He retaliated by sending a deluge back at me, a tidal wave that left me drenched and laughing as I ran for cover, trying to hide behind Lynx.

    But Lynx had stopped in his tracks, his attention drawn elsewhere. He was staring toward the strand.

    "Is something wrong?" I asked, turning to see what had caught his eye. A procession of riders¡ªabout a dozen or so¡ªwas making its way toward us. A curious mix of orcs and humans.

    "Oh... what could this be?" I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else.

    *

    ¡°Your Highness, perhaps we should avoid interrupting whatever... that is,¡± Sir Gamesh muttered, his tone unusually cautious. ¡°It might upset them¡­¡±

    Prince Kotusawendu glanced at him in surprise, slowing his horse to match the others. ¡°What¡¯s this? Since when are you so considerate, Sir Gamesh?¡±

    Lady Elanea, who had been eyeing the group near the water, raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Your Highness, I think he is just being cautious. Those men have a magic level that rivals Sir Nebesko¡¯s, and with these orcs behind us, I suspect we¡¯re hardly in a favorable position.¡±

    They halted as the group by the lake turned, and Lady Lores waved enthusiastically in their direction.

    ¡°Look at that! She¡¯s recognized us!¡± the prince said with a grin, returning her wave with equal cheer.

    Sir Gamesh, however, remained unconvinced. ¡°This could be a trap. That... individual is a mage-warrior, likely on par with our High-Paladin Nebesko, and the other... a mage-rogue of almost equal power. I¡¯ve never encountered such classes before. I can¡¯t fully gauge their abilities, and both easily surpass my own magic. Prudence dictates we withdraw immediately. Whatever they were doing before... it could be part of some heathen ritual, and¡ª¡±

    Lady Quersaw, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter. ¡°Oh, Sir Gamesh! From what her servants say, the only danger the baroness poses is to herself¡ªindulging in more pleasures than one can count! No one''s been killed, maimed, or even beaten under her orders, though there are plenty of scandalous tales about her private affairs. If you ask me, the worst you¡¯re risking here is getting doused with cold water!¡±

    *

    For dragons and lynxes, nakedness is natural. But some lingering influence from my human upbringing reminded me it might not be the best idea to present ourselves bare in human society. I quickly cast a shroud of illusions over us as we approached the shore. The prince and several companions came forward, while the mixed escort of orcs and paladins respectfully kept their distance.

    What could have brought them to my barony unannounced? I attempted a reverence, only to realize, to my dismay, that my illusions had vanished.

    ¡°Sir Gamesh, perhaps you should lower your aura,¡± the prince remarked, then greeted me with a warm smile. ¡°Lady Lores! May your heart be blessed!¡±

    A fresh set of illusions enveloped me, this time in the form of a lynx''s fur. I glanced at Lynx in surprise, then smiled before turning back to the prince.

    ¡°Your Highness, the pleasure is mine!... May your heart be blessed,¡± I added quickly, remembering the local greeting.

    ¡°You¡¯re in the presence of Sir Gamesh," the prince said, "and this is Lady Elanea and Lady Quersaw.¡±

    I nodded toward the companions.

    ¡°Lady Lores,¡± the three said almost in unison, and Sir Gamesh added, ¡°Apologies for my aura dismissing your illusions, my lady. It''s an effect I cannot turn off.¡±

    I shrugged. So Lynx could project illusions on a level that even Sir Gamesh couldn''t dismiss? Impressive.

    ¡°Would you introduce us to your companions?¡± the prince asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°Oh, of course! Where are my manners?¡± I said quickly. ¡°This is Sid. Sid is... my son, and this is Lynx¡ªLyn Xi! Lyn of Xi, his best friend and a dear friend of mine.¡±

    Lynx gave me an amused glare, his white teeth gleaming in the sunshine.

    I couldn''t introduce Sid as an ''adopted son''¡ªthere was no concept of formal adoption here, only taking on proteges. To call him that would have hurt him, and there was no way I¡¯d risk wounding him again. So, I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled warmly.

 Chapter 291 â€“ Game Over

    My heart was finally beginning to rest after the strain of recent days. I couldn¡¯t quite relax yet, but at least I was feeling a little more like myself. It was a relief to see Sid and Lynx speaking openly with the prince, though I could tell the paladins felt a bit outmatched and uneasy. I let the conversation flow, savoring the freedom of not being the center of attention.

    As we walked toward the castle, we learned that Prince Kotusawendu¡ªor ¡°Kotu,¡± as he told us to name him ¡ªwas here to await a guest from a neighboring kingdom. Together, we were expected to journey to a regional celebration hosted by Fiona, Duchess of Cromwall. The invitation included me as well, as Lady Quersaw¡ªSamantha to friends, and daughter of the Count of Quersaw¡ªhad brought my invitation with her.

    It seemed this celebration was the single most important noble gathering for the entire governorate¡ªthe prime opportunity to connect with other nobles. The governor, along with the most influential nobles, would be attending.

    Why the prince and his retinue had arrived several days before the rest of the delegation was still a mystery to me. Perhaps he simply wanted to travel and see new places? Whatever the reason, he certainly seemed content to be on the road.

    With all these new names swirling around, I felt a bit overwhelmed and worried I¡¯d forget at least half of them by tomorrow. But in the end, it wouldn¡¯t matter as much. What mattered was that I had finally reconnected with Sid and Lynx.

    *

    Mike was furious with himself. The last time he¡¯d seen Lores, he¡¯d forgotten to remind her to reset his curse. When he finally remembered, he¡¯d put it off, waiting for a better moment¡ªand now she was off somewhere. He knew she was incredibly busy, and he¡¯d wasted his chance back at the pit. Now, all he could do was wait and survive until she returned.

    Taking a steadying breath, he moved carefully to his room¡¯s balcony. He scanned his surroundings, checking everything before settling into the recliner. After so many rainy days, it was a perfect sunny day, and he was determined to at least enjoy a bit of the sun.

    It was already the second day since Lores had reset his curse, and he knew he couldn¡¯t give it even the smallest chance. He¡¯d learned to live with it, figuring out ways to blunt its effects. The best strategy was simple: do nothing. The curse was like a mischievous little gremlin lurking in the shadows, waiting to seize any opportunity to cause him harm. The trick was to deny it those chances. On the first day, that pesky gremlin might only manage to make him drop something or cause some small mishap, but the longer it waited, the stronger it grew. That¡¯s why he¡¯d decided not to leave his apartment; though, in his mind, the balcony still counted as part of it.

    The curse likely fed off his mana¡ªa diabolical routine, so complex yet so simple, gathering mana over time to fuel some mischievous spells. Like any piece of software, it should have its weaknesses, especially as it relied on the physical world to function. Only, in this case, that world included magic. That''s why it worked in this world and did not work in the other! He chuckled at his own theory: spells as a type of code.

    Dressed in only his shorts and a bath towel, he adjusted the pillows and settled comfortably into the wooden recliner. After a sip of tea, his eyes drifted to his small game device on the table. It was a battery-powered gadget he¡¯d luckily had in his pocket when he¡¯d come to this world. He picked it up, scrolling for a game. Use it or lose it, he thought, knowing the battery would die eventually, but it would still give him a good few hours of play.

    He started a game, one eye still on the entry gate. The second he saw Lores arrive, he¡¯d wave her down to remind her.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    *

    Dame Anda was having a bad day. The prince had left early in the morning without asking her to join him. Being just a stand-in, an intermediary between the prince and his beloved Fara, had begun to feel deeply unsettling. She had started to dread those sessions.

    At first, she¡¯d been excited when she heard what would be asked of her. As the fifth daughter of a low-ranking noble, her chances of advancing in society had been limited, especially for someone with few gifts. Her looks were unremarkable, and she¡¯d never displayed any magical talent or remarkable abilities, nor had she shown much drive to work and gain levels.

    She was, as adventurers would say, at level six. She could cast a few basic spells¡ªlight a candle, and on a good day, manage a minor firebolt every few hours. That had been her proudest achievement, but it wasn''t nearly enough to earn her any real recognition.

    At first, the chance to travel with the prince, to be part of his entourage, and to play a secret role had seemed too good to be true. She couldn¡¯t believe her luck. The attention and the intrigue surrounding her mission were thrilling. Rumors flew¡ªsome believed the prince had finally gotten over his obsession with Fara, while others suspected she must have some hidden magical talent, like divination. Surely it couldn¡¯t be her looks, so they assumed it was something more mysterious!

    But the excitement soon faded. The truth was disappointingly mundane: to the prince, she was nothing more than a means to communicate with Fara. She¡¯d even started to hate those moments when he touched her hand, knowing it wasn¡¯t meant for her. Why else would he leave her alone, save for their ¡®meeting hours¡¯?

    She held herself in high regard and had hoped the prince might grow to admire, if not love her. What a disappointment it had been. In her mind, she was far too clever and witty for this shallow prince! After all, wasn''t his own mother a mere daughter of a lesser noble? It was he who was the peasant between them, not she.

    As she wandered through the upper floors of the castle, lost in her seething thoughts about the prince, a faint and unusual sound caught her attention. It was a strange mix of beeps and chirps, rhythmic and oddly captivating¡ªlike nothing she¡¯d ever heard before.

    Curious, she moved closer to the balustrade and peered down, scanning for the source. Two floors below, she spotted a man lounging on a balcony, sunbathing. At first, she thought he held a small creature, maybe a bird or some other animal in his hands. But as she squinted, she saw it wasn¡¯t alive¡ªit was something square and reflective, like a crystal that caught the sun¡¯s light. And yet, she could swear she saw small images moving across it.

    What kind of spell could produce such magic? He was tapping his fingers across its surface with a look of concentration. She leaned over the balustrade, trying to get a better view, fascinated and mystified by whatever strange enchantment this was.

    *

    Mike had just managed to line up the falling geometric pieces perfectly and was on the cusp of reaching a new level when a sharp, startled yelp caught his attention. He looked up, searching for the source, just as something heavy crashed down on him. The impact knocked him backward in the chair, and when he blinked away the shock, he saw a figure sprawled on the floor in front of him¡ªa woman lying flat on her back, her legs now draped over his.

    As he tried to regain his bearings, he noticed the body in front of him twitching in a few final spasms before going completely still. Panic started to surge as he tried to move but found he couldn¡¯t. His neck, he realized with growing dread, must have snapped. He couldn¡¯t cry out, couldn¡¯t even speak. He was trapped, utterly helpless.

    A dark stain began to seep from the back of the woman¡¯s head, spreading slowly across the stone floor of the balcony. Her face, fixed with a strangely calm expression, seemed to gaze up at the sky as though searching for answers. His handheld device emitted a few insistent beeps, and soon enough, the chilling note ¡°Game Over¡± flashed across the screen in the silence that followed.

 Chapter 292 â€“ A Normal Day

    Vice-Master Blumhard paced furiously around the small, dimly lit room.

    ¡°That stupid woman!¡± he spat, pausing to look over at his revered chief. Master Engerhard shook his head, letting out a sigh.

    ¡°Don''t underestimate her¡ªshe''s not stupid,¡± he replied.

    Blumhard¡¯s eyes narrowed in disbelief. ¡°Not stupid? Sounds almost like admiration, Master Engerhard! You mean to say she didn¡¯t waste all that money on rescuing those miners out of some foolish sympathy? She just got lucky, that¡¯s all. If those damn orcs hadn¡¯t helped, she never would have pulled it off!¡±

    Master Engerhard let out a huff, then sighed again. ¡°She¡¯s no bleeding heart, that one. Do you really think she¡¯d spend that gold out of care for those stinking plebs? She did it to protect her interests¡ªthe mine. Now she¡¯ll be able to reopen it sooner and might even avoid taking on a loan.¡±

    "Just watch how quickly they''ll press the miners back to work! Under the guise of ''searching for stragglers,'' they''ll reopen every gallery. Forget the three days of mourning required across the domain¡ªit¡¯s all work, work, work now to support the miners. Appealing to solidarity, ha! She¡¯s outmaneuvered us."

    Apprentice Ellehard always listened with admiration to the high-level discussions between the two masters. She¡¯d come to see their ruthless, fearless quirkiness as something to aspire to. How cleverly they managed even the orcs! They had always been the true power in the domain¡ªmasters of the Xsoha, who held their grip regardless of who ruled on the surface. One day, she hoped to rise to such a level herself, a reputable Xsoha master.

    Sensing an opportunity for her one per day allotted question, she raised her eyes tentatively. ¡°Master Engerhard, forgive me, but I don¡¯t understand. Why does it matter to us if she avoids taking the loan?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t strain that little pea brain of yours, dear,¡± Engerhard replied dismissively, waving her off. ¡°Is the slave prepared?¡±

    Though disappointed at his response, Ellehard nodded. She understood her master was testing her; the answer was something she¡¯d need to uncover herself. Master Engerhard¡¯s face brightened at her response.

    "Ah. Finally, some good news! Let¡¯s savor this moment.¡±

    *

    When I learned that Mike had nearly died because of me, it felt like a hammer blow. And hearing that a woman from the prince''s entourage had lost her life¡ªa second hit. Luck in misfortune was all that saved us this time; the woman¡¯s fall had been witnessed, and an alarm raised in time for Ju to attempt something extraordinary: resurrection. She¡¯d brought the woman back, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯d died. Now, under the paladins¡¯ care, the woman lay bedridden and weak, while Ju, after the huge effort of resurrection and then expending every last bit of her mana to heal Mike as well, was sick herself, fighting to recover.

    No one blamed me openly, and no one spoke to the prince about the curse¡ªbut I didn¡¯t need them to. I knew I was responsible, and that knowledge was punishment enough.

    How did it come to this? How could I have let it happen?

    I drifted to my room as if in a trance, buried my face in a pillow, and let the tears come, thanking Ju for what she¡¯d done. When Tom and Hew came in and tried to talk to me, I shifted into a shadow and slipped away, running until I found a quiet spot between the castle wall and the river. The twin suns shone brightly, their light dancing across the water, offering a small, flickering comfort against the heaviness inside me.

    Sitting down, I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of my situation.

    The truth was glaring and painful: I was a catastrophe. A walking disaster, harming everyone close to me. And who was close? My friends. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I disappeared? If I just went back to hell? No¡ªI stay here and create my own hell instead. But why did I have to drag everyone else into it?

    As I sat there, head in my hands, tangled in dark thoughts, I heard footsteps on the path between the wall and the water. I looked up to see Sid approaching. I shrugged inwardly¡ªof course he¡¯d find me with his telepathy, and I hadn¡¯t even tried to block him out.

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t run from me, please,¡± he said softly, meeting my gaze.

    That one sentence struck me silent; I had no response. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do anything that might hurt him, so I just stood still. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. It was a bit awkward, but his hug was warm, grounding, and gradually, I felt my heart begin to settle, finding a flicker of peace.

    After a while, Lynx appeared along the path, followed closely by the others. They all gathered around me on the narrow strip of land between the wall and the river.

    ¡°You¡¯re not guilty,¡± Mike said as he sat down beside me on my left. ¡°Stop dwelling on it.¡±

    I wiped my nose, feeling as though I¡¯d cry again. ¡°I can¡¯t, Mike! It is my fault! How could I possibly stop thinking about it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. If anyone¡¯s to blame, it¡¯s me,¡± he insisted. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone out on the balcony. I got too used to the curse and took it lightly. And I should¡¯ve muted that damn device. But most of all, I shouldn¡¯t have talked to Sandra about you! I¡¯ve got plenty of reasons to feel responsible here¡ªnot you.¡±

    I looked over at Alice, feeling desperate. ¡°This curse has to end. I¡¯ve tried everything, and nothing worked. But there¡¯s one thing we haven¡¯t tried. Alice, please¡ªjust shoot me. It¡¯ll end the curse, that¡¯s the answer.¡±

    Alice shook her head slowly. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense, Lores. I¡¯m not doing that.¡±

    Sid¡¯s face went pale, his expression scared, and I felt like I¡¯d swallowed a stone. I¡¯d just told him I wouldn¡¯t hurt him, and here I was, causing him pain again.

    ¡°I¡¯d respawn anyway, don¡¯t worry,¡± I added, trying to reassure him.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Lynx muttered, managing to make things worse.

    ¡°There must be another way!¡± Tom protested. He sighed. ¡°The fact is, he only talked to his sister. Was that really a betrayal?¡±

    ¡°Technically, yes,¡± Hew replied. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t see it as one, the curse does.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Tom gave a frustrated shrug. ¡°How does the curse even decide what¡¯s betrayal? Lores, do you think it was one?¡±

    ¡°Why ask me?¡± I replied, though they all knew my answer. ¡°You know I don¡¯t think it was a betrayal. Not really.¡±

    I paused, searching myself. Was I entirely sure? I took a deep breath. Mike telling Sandra I was a witch, after everything she¡¯d seen¡ªthat didn¡¯t change anything. It wasn¡¯t a betrayal.

    And in that moment, I felt a shift, a spark. I turned to him, stunned.

    ¡°Oh. My. Fucking. God,¡± I gasped.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Lynx said, giving me a sidelong look, ¡°any chance you could express that in sentences for mere mortals not fluent in these sorts of metaphors?¡±

    I snorted, throwing Lynx an evil-eye glance, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°The curse is gone,¡± I said slowly, then repeated it louder, again and again. ¡°The damn curse is gone! That damn curse is GONE!¡±

    ¡°You sound almost...angry?¡± Tom ventured.

    I sighed, feeling the frustration rise. ¡°I¡¯m angry at myself. Was it really that simple? Was that all I had to do?¡± I hung my head and knocked it with my fists. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize it sooner? Why? Why? Why did that poor woman have to die because of me?¡±

    Mike shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think the curse made her fall. It never affected anyone but me¡ªor things directly connected to me. We know she heard my gadget making noise and got curious about what kind of ¡®spells¡¯ I was casting. Sometimes¡­shit just happens. Thank heavens Ju was there in time to set things right. We really owe those maids who called her.¡±

    I sighed, looking at him closely. ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Definitely!¡± he replied, pulling me into a hug.

    I held him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay, and I¡¯m so sorry all these things happened to you because of me.¡±

    He shrugged, grinning. ¡°Hey, it kept life interesting. Would you ever have gone off alone with me into the wild otherwise? Just the two of us? With so much else going on out here?¡± he joked, making me laugh as I wiped away my tears.

    I wanted to believe him¡ªbut was it really that simple? Would I ever truly know?

    I stood, and we began walking back toward the gate.

    *

    Drackar surveyed the group gathered near the orcs¡¯ training field, their faces a mix of curiosity and nerves as they sat on the logs before him.

    ¡°I did promise Lady Lores that I¡¯d train you as we do our own children,¡± he began. ¡°You won¡¯t get the full regimen since you¡¯ve got other duties, but for the hours you spend with the trainers, I expect you to give your best.¡± His gaze swept over them. ¡°Before I assign trainers, any questions?¡±

    Tina raised her hand tentatively. Though Drackar hadn¡¯t specified they should, she felt too intimidated by the towering orc to speak freely. Noticing her, he nodded.

    ¡°Why do we casters need to go through this physical training?¡± she asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I focus on magic training? If magic¡¯s going to improve our strength and reflexes anyway, why add extra physical exercises?¡±

    Drackar chuckled, a rumbling sound that made Tina sit up a bit straighter.

    ¡°Trained muscles do increase power, much like magic does, but with a physical edge. Magic theory claims it integrates into your tissues, yes, but the stronger the muscles to start with, the further it takes you,¡± he explained. ¡°A well-trained person can go toe-to-toe with an opponent one, two, or even three levels above them. A warrior in peak condition might hold their own against foes as much as five levels higher. Now, remember that not everyone hits the average¡ªsome fall below. So in combat, there¡¯s a range of nearly eight to ten levels that can be bridged just with training. Do you really want to sit at the bottom of that scale?¡± He gave Tina a pointed look, letting the question settle before continuing.

    ¡°Now, for casters, it¡¯s a bit different,¡± Drackar went on, ¡°but physical fitness is still key¡ªnot for strength, but for speed, agility, and balance. I¡¯ve seen plenty of powerful casters taken down by rogues well below their level simply because they lacked the reflexes. Many mages take a fixed position to cast, and that¡¯s a tactic that, more often than not, gets them eliminated. Moving, reacting quickly¡ªthat¡¯s what keeps you in the fight.¡±

    ¡°How do levels perform against each other?¡± Michael asked

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak primarily for close-combat fighters," Drackar answered with a nod, "though the principles do extend to other classes, even if more factors come into play for them. Take a level-eight fighter: he should beat a level-seven opponent most of the time. Against two level-sevens, though, he¡¯d probably lose. However, facing two opponents at levels five or six? He¡¯d have roughly a fifty percent chance of winning. This scaling pattern continues right up the ranks¡ª but with an lightly increased difference. A level ninety, for instance, could potentially handle two level-eighty. He may have problems with two above level eighty-five. It¡¯s what we call the ¡®doubling axiom.¡¯¡±

    Tom¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Does this mean doubling power?¡±

    Drackar shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not quite as literal as that. Being able to take on two opponents doesn¡¯t mean doubling physical power. Physical power might double only after about nine levels, with speed increasing by about fifty percent within that range. But it doesn¡¯t double every nine levels. Think of it this way: if you can lift a single sack of grain at level one, by level fifty, you¡¯d be lifting fifteen or more. That¡¯s roughly the trajectory physical power takes.¡±

    Tina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So, at level fifty, I should be able to lift a horse?¡±

    Drackar gave her an approving nod. ¡°Certainly, lady, but that¡¯s a modest goal. By level eighty, you¡¯d want an elephant to give you a proper challenge. That said, your starting point¡ªyour natural strength¡ªplays a big role.¡±

    Hew nodded thoughtfully. ¡°So¡­ constitution really matters, then?¡±

    Drackar¡¯s expression softened in satisfaction. ¡°Precisely. Constitution is essential, but it¡¯s only one part of the equation. Skills and levels are just as crucial, if not more so, but here¡¯s the catch: knowing how to use those skills matters even more. You could have all the spells and counter-spells you like, but without the insight to use them at the right moment, they¡¯re just wasted energy. Training is important, yes, but so is honing those skills in real combat.¡±

    ¡°Real fights?¡± Tina asked, her eyes round with surprise.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Drackar replied, ¡°Dungeon delving is one of the best ways to truly test your skills and limits. There, you¡¯ll know what you¡¯re made of.¡±

    Michael tilted his head, still intrigued. ¡°So, based on what you¡¯re saying, two level ninety-fives could take on a level one hundred?¡±

    Drackar shook his head firmly. ¡°No. Reaching level one hundred comes with a massive power boost, a transformation, really. But it¡¯s not just that¡ªthe path through levels ninety-eight and ninety-nine is a bottleneck. Passing those levels is more than leveling up; it¡¯s a true evolution. Only a rare few ever make it that far, and they¡¯re in a class of their own. There¡¯s not much more I can tell you, but there are books in the library that might shed light on it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if Aunt Ju ever lets us near them,¡± Tina muttered.

    Drackar looked at them, eyebrows raised. ¡°She doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Only after they¡¯ve been rejuvenated by a specialist,¡± Michael clarified.

    Drackar gave a nod of understanding. ¡°Ah, that makes sense¡ªsome of those books are very fragile. Alright, enough talking. Ready for some exercises?¡±

 Chapter 293 - Lines in the Sand

    The next day, while the prince¡¯s paladins questioned the castle staff about Dame Anda¡¯s accident, I gathered with my friends and followers for a meeting. We were seated in a spacious room on the fifth floor with a grand balcony on the side opposite to my own. Mike had nicknamed it the ¡°council room.¡±

    The room featured two large double doors opening onto the east terrace, a fireplace across from them, and an imposing oval mahogany table at its center. It could seat around twenty, though only a few of the original chairs remained, so we¡¯d filled the gaps with a variety of mismatched seats.

    Everyone was there: my five steadfast followers¡ªMoran, Durham, Dohum, Loretta, and Tenessar¡ªmy friends Tom, Hew, and Mike, as well as Alice, Lynx, Sid, and even Tina and Michael. It was just after breakfast, and only tea, coffee, and some cookies were laid out on the table.

    Only Ju was absent, pinned to our bed by a relentless headache since yesterday. The resurrection had drained nearly all her mana, and healing Mike afterward had been too much for her. She was already dealing with headaches from the ¡®mana detoxification¡¯ we were going through, and getting completely drained on top of that must have triggered this monstrous headache that kept her down. Poor girl.

    The air was pleasantly warm, not quite hot, and the two suns bathed the room in a golden light. It was the kind of day that would be perfect for lounging on the shore with a good book. I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee, while Mike gestured to the cup in my hand.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost out of coffee. Groceries are low, and we¡¯ll soon be out of salt! We¡¯ve got a good cook now, but he needs ingredients to make the food decent. The domain can¡¯t supply everything, so could we arrange a transport to the nearest town for a shopping run?¡± he asked.

    After I shrugged, he continued, ¡°The prince¡¯s room is barely furnished, and the paladin rooms are spartan at best. I¡¯ve already borrowed some furniture from the inn for the prince, but we really need to buy more just to make these rooms presentable. We should also hire a skilled mage to restore the wards and, at the very least, get the water running again. Nothing works properly! ¡±

    ¡°Have you tried asking the orcs for help with the wards?¡± Loretta asked.

    Dohum shook his head. ¡°No point. They don¡¯t have a decent wards mage; I already checked.¡±

    "Where¡¯d you pull that furniture from, Mike¡ªthe inn, or that red-lantern establishment?¡± Tom asked, eyeing him suspiciously. ¡°Because my bedside locker looks like a stylized sexy fairy carrying a platform!¡±

    I snorted at Tom¡¯s question, and Mike just shrugged. ¡°Be grateful you even have a bedside locker. If it''s an issue, we can always take it away.¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Tom protested, a bit too quickly.

    Hew cut in with the practical question. ¡°How much are we looking at for all this?¡±

    Mike sighed, turning to face him. ¡°Depends on the final list, but if we strip it down to essentials and use the Xsoha-provided prices¡ªwhich, by the way, are only marked as ¡®informational¡¯¡ªwe¡¯d be looking at fifty gold to cover a reasonable spread. Bare minimum, I¡¯d say twenty or thirty gold just to make things passable.¡±

    Durham broke into a coughing fit at the mention of thirty gold, and Hew took a deep breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you call bare necessities? Thirty gold?¡± he muttered, shrugging. ¡°Better ask Ju for that kind of money; the treasury¡¯s about as full as a mouse¡¯s pantry right now.¡±

    ¡°They make chairs and tables out of twigs in the Northern Rim village,¡± Loretta suggested. ¡°The same place that does those woven baskets. We could use some of those¡­¡±

    Dohum looked at her incredulously. ¡°You want to put the prince and the royal delegation on twig chairs?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she countered, ¡°but we could swap out some of our own room furniture with pieces from around the domain.¡±

    ¡°Not bad!¡± Tenessar said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m volunteering the furniture from my room. Those twig chairs are fine by me, and the solid wood cabinets from the nearby village would be plenty for my needs. I don¡¯t need anything fancy.¡±

    ¡°Duly noted,¡± Mike said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll toss in my room¡¯s furniture too. Anyone else? Maybe we can scrape together something functional on the cheap.¡±

    I glanced at Sid, half-expecting him to look bored, but he was deep in a heated discussion with Tina about Drackar''s training, seated comfortably in his corner near Lynx. Their animated gestures told me it was intense. Since I couldn¡¯t catch their words, I raised a brow and turned back to Hew.

    ¡°What kind of treasury are we running here, nearly empty?¡± I protested.

    Hew sighed. ¡°The treasury¡¯s been cleaned out again and again over the years¡ªany extra funds were skimmed off. Right now, we¡¯ve got seventeen gold and some silver left. If Mike takes it all for essentials, we¡¯re out of money by the end of the day. If not, we¡¯ll be dry within three days.¡±

    ¡°What about the mine?¡± Tom asked, sounding hopeful.

    Hew shook his head again. ¡°Even if they started ore collection today¡ªwhich they haven¡¯t; they¡¯re still searching for survivors¡ªit would take time to process and sell. And in three days, we¡¯re due for the Xsoha quarterly pay, which is another twenty gold minimum.¡±

    I sighed. "What if we don¡¯t pay them right on time? They could wait a few days!"

    ¡°Not recommended,¡± Hew replied. ¡°They¡¯ll just cover it from the Xsoha bank and label it as a loan. It¡¯s automatic.¡±

    Ah, the Xsoha. They were doing useful work, sure, but their services seemed absurdly overpriced. Ju had the money to handle it, but the thought of paying those rates grated on me.

    Lynx cleared his throat, giving a casual shrug. "You know, my offer still stands. We could settle this pretty easily."

    I rolled my eyes. Lynx had been campaigning for a little ¡°side venture¡±¡ªa nice, lucrative heist on a bank or a wealthy noble¡¯s estate. He was convinced we could pull it off without a hitch, maybe even make it a series of jobs to cover our costs long-term. But the idea of becoming Lores, the robber baron, was not how I planned to succeed in society.

    ¡°Thanks, Lyn, but no," I said firmly, making sure to keep it vague so the others didn¡¯t pick up on his creative financing suggestions.

    He threw his hands up in mock exasperation. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it! Why make things so complicated?¡±

    I sighed, shaking my head as I turned to Hew. ¡°Have you checked if there¡¯s any way to end the Xsoha¡¯s contract without a penalty?¡±

    Durham looked taken aback. ¡°You want to get rid of the Xsoha?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re eating up too much of our funds.¡±

    A low murmur of surprise rippled through the followers on their side of the table.

    ¡°But the domain can¡¯t run without them,¡± Dohum finally said, after a pause. ¡°Who else would track all the work¡ªthe serfs¡¯ labor, the ore production, grain collection, cattle counts, everything we produce, buy, and sell?¡±

    Hew stepped in, ¡°Almost everything functions without them, Dohum. Their main tasks are recording and verifying transactions and overseeing finances.¡±

    Loretta leaned in, whispering, ¡°What¡¯s a financial transaction?¡±

    ¡°Any time money changes hands,¡± Dohum explained quietly before turning to me, a bit firmer. ¡°Without them, we¡¯d lose control of our records. You¡¯d need to hire an entire new team to handle the accounts, and everyone knows the Xsoha are the best at it. You¡¯d likely end up paying more for a team that can¡¯t do half as well.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It can be done,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We don¡¯t need to control every little thing; we could manage with random checks.¡±

    Hew gave a long sigh, then looked up at me.

    ¡°I might have found a way,¡± he replied, answering my question from before. My eyebrows shot up, my curiosity piqued.

    ¡°Alright? Let¡¯s hear it!¡± I urged.

    ¡°Well,¡± he began, ¡°since the Xsoha contract is directly with the domain, failing to pay the tax when the orcs were in charge could technically count as a breach of that contract¡ªa felony against the domain.¡±

    ¡°Hew, you¡¯re brilliant!¡± I broke into a broad grin.

    Durham, however, wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°But the orcs kept all the money! How could they have paid the tax?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the story, yes,¡± Hew replied calmly, ¡°but it¡¯s not accurate. The orcs actually left enough for the Xsoha to cover the tax.¡±

    Durham looked dubious, and Dohum shook his head in agreement. ¡°And we¡¯re supposed to take the orcs at their word?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just their word,¡± Hew explained. ¡°It¡¯s in the records¡ªevery booking is logged, showing they took the money but withheld it. The evidence is right there.¡±

    Durham¡¯s face tightened with concern. ¡°You can¡¯t just remove the Xsoha from the domain! Who¡¯s going to record the roadwork? Are you planning to handle that? And what about the mine? The Xsoha register all the work, materials, and expenditures! Now, with the chief engineer missing, we¡¯re down to an apprentice. Taking out the Xsoha would be a disaster!¡±

    Tom raised a hand. ¡°I can cover that,¡± he offered, then shrugged. ¡°My family¡¯s in mining. I¡¯ve got some operational know-how, and I¡¯ve reviewed the records with Hew.¡±

    Durham didn¡¯t look reassured. ¡°A little bit of knowledge won¡¯t be enough. Should I still handle the spending approvals?¡± he asked warily.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d take that on myself,¡± Tom replied, turning to me. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you, Lores?¡±

    I nodded, seeing the determination in his eyes.

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be moving to Oxfarm?¡± Michael asked.

    Tom shrugged again. ¡°Not moving, it''s just four kilometers away¡ªperfect for getting in some riding practice. Though, I¡¯ll likely be spending a lot of time there initially, so maybe I¡¯ll need a place to stay close by the first quarter* or so.¡±

    (* a Kargath quarter = 8 days)

    *

    After the meeting wrapped up and everyone dispersed to their tasks, I made my way over to Sid. He and Lynx were still sitting in their chairs, casually sipping their drinks and chatting.

    "So, are you already bored of these human meetings?" I asked as I approached.

    He looked up at me, smiling brightly. "No, Mom. It¡¯s actually a lot more interesting than I expected¡ªseeing all these details! I didn¡¯t realize how much I¡¯d been missing before."

    "What¡¯s your take on it all?¡± I prompted, curious.

    He paused, then asked, ¡°Mom, can I ask you something? Why don¡¯t you just burn the bad guys? I mean, you let these problems fester, and they cause you so much trouble!¡±

    Did he somehow know about my almost setting the poor engineer on fire? Was this a veiled reference to that? Incidentally, we still didn¡¯t know what had become of him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just go around burning people,¡± I reasoned. ¡°You have to be sure they¡¯re guilty, and then give them the punishment they actually deserve.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°If you say so, Mom. I still don¡¯t get it, but... you¡¯re the boss. Anyway, if you do need someone burned down, just let me know, okay?¡±

    I snorted in disbelief, but finally relented. ¡°Alright, Sid, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    He beamed at me, looking pleased with himself. Rolling my eyes, I left to check on Ju.

    I mulled it over, realizing that maybe Lynx wasn¡¯t the best influence on Sid¡¯s development. I might want to keep a closer eye on him.

    *

    In a meeting room on the ground floor of a building across the castle courtyard, a group of orcs were gathered around a bottle Drackar had brought. Each one downed their glass, offering their thoughts on the quality¡ªit was a trial run for a new booze supplier from the Orclands. As he refilled their glasses, Drackar turned to Wetina.

    "How¡¯s training going?" he asked.

    She chuckled. "Slow. They haven¡¯t shown much talent yet, and motivation¡¯s lacking. If they want real progress, they¡¯ll need to understand it takes a lot more work." She shrugged. "A bit like the average orc, actually. That little one, Tina¡ªshe¡¯s the most talented of the bunch, but even she needs a kick in the ass to put in the work."

    ¡°What about the two mages?¡± Drackar asked.

    ¡°Oh, those two are a different story,¡± Wetina replied. ¡°They seem to have a solid command of their classes¡ªat least, as far as we can tell¡ªand they¡¯re eager to learn new techniques, which isn¡¯t typical. Most high-level types focus on perfecting what they already know and ignore anything outside their wheelhouse.¡±

    Hordius leaned in, intrigued. ¡°Is one of them really that dragon?¡±

    Drackar shrugged. ¡°Possibly. But she did ask me to stop spreading stories about dragons.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late for that?¡± Woktarod asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Drackar sighed. ¡°All the sightings could technically be explained by illusions. With mages that powerful, it¡¯s entirely possible.¡±

    ¡°Even the footprints? The broken trees? The roars?¡±

    Drackar shrugged again. ¡°Yes, even those.¡±

    Drackar chuckled. "It would fit their style, actually¡ªthey act more like young pranksters than the old, seasoned powerhouses they probably are.¡±

    ¡°And should we comply with her wishes?¡± Wokta asked, still uneasy about having a non-orc overseeing their domain.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Wetina replied. ¡°Do you really want to risk crossing a hegemon?¡±

    Hordius narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are we certain she¡¯s a hegemon?¡±

    Drackar nodded. ¡°From what her son¡¯s told me, she is. And she¡¯s not just a first-level one, either.¡±

    ¡°That might explain why she looks so young¡ªhegemons live much longer,¡± Hordius mused. ¡°Does that mean she could defend us, even against K''hordock?¡±

    Wokta grumbled. ¡°Are we really hiding behind a beastkin¡¯s skirt?¡±

    ¡°A dragon¡¯s skirt, Wokta,¡± Wetina corrected with a slight smile. ¡°But the real question is, would she actually side with us? Or would she and K¡¯hordock strike a deal that leaves us in the dust?¡±

    ¡°So, we just keep playing nice?¡± Woktarod asked.

    ¡°With the Great Chief aligning the tribes under K''hordock, our choices are limited: either we play along her game, or we fight and die, or run even farther,¡± Drackar replied.

    ¡°Or we could submit,¡± Wokta suggested.

    ¡°Never!¡± Wetina said defiantly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we already submitting to her?¡± Hordius questioned. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    Silence fell, all eyes on Drackar, waiting for his answer.

    He finally spoke. ¡°The difference? Did she come here demanding we submit?¡±

    ¡°Well, she did come¡­¡± Wetina said hesitantly.

    ¡°Yes, she came because the King granted her the domain. But she didn¡¯t demand submission, didn¡¯t even tell us to leave. We offered to serve as her garrison, and she accepted. If she asks us to do something, we¡¯re free to refuse and walk away. With K''hordock, it would be another matter entirely¡ªwe¡¯d be bound by an oath of fealty, and any defiance would mean treason. That¡¯s why I¡¯d rather stay under her charge. If anyone would rather submit and return to the tribes, you know where the door is.¡±

    "Chief, you know we''ll follow you to hell if that¡¯s where you lead us," Wokta, the giant, said with a shrug.

    ¡°To hell and back out if possible!¡± Woktarod laughed, raising his glass. "And this drink¡ªI''d say we keep this provider!"

    ¡°Cheers to that!¡± Wetina agreed, clinking her glass against his.

    "A bit too soft, but it''ll do," Wokta added, clinking his glass in turn.

 Chapter 294 â€“ Lores Deimosdottir

    There were so many things to fix and so many problems to solve that just talking to everyone and figuring out what to do swallowed up the whole rest of my day. When I finally got back to my room, ready to collapse, I found poor Ju clinging to her pillow with a tired, pale look on her face.

    I tried to keep quiet so as not to disturb her, tiptoeing to the bathroom to get changed and brush my teeth.

    As I squeezed the last bit of toothpaste from the tube, I sighed: what am I going to do now, as this runs out? I need to find some kind of substitute here!

    We¡¯d managed to get some local soap, at least!

    As I washed my hands in the basin and poured the used water into the disposal barrel, I shook my head in disbelief. Here I was, in a beautifully tiled marble bathroom, fully lit, with a big mirror on a wall, but without a drop of running water! It¡¯s such an unappreciated blessing¡ªonly when it¡¯s gone do you realize its true value. I¡¯d give anything to be able to take a shower right now!

    I shuffled back into the room, slipped off my slippers, and climbed into the giant bed, where poor Ju was curled up, looking miserable. Gently, I started to caress her temple, hoping to ease her discomfort, when the door creaked open, and the shadowy silhouette of a tall figure appeared in the doorway.

    ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Sid announced bluntly.

    I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked, doing my best to stifle a sigh.

    Instead of answering, he just asked, ¡°Mom, can I stay with you?¡±

    For a moment, my mind went completely blank, struggling to process his request¡ªuntil I remembered that, as a dragon, he used to sleep out in the open on the terrace.

    Now that he was a young man, I¡¯d given him his own room, but it was clear he felt lonely there.

    ¡°Did you have a bad dream?¡± I asked, wondering what had sent him my way.

    ¡°I dreamed that Alice shot you, and then I couldn¡¯t find you. You were just¡­gone,¡± he began, his face shadowed with worry. ¡°So I woke up and wanted to see if you were still here.¡±

    I sighed softly. ¡°Come in. You know Alice would never shoot me, right?¡±

    Before I¡¯d even finished the sentence, he¡¯d blurred into motion¡ªa streak of light¡ªand landed beside me in bed, wearing a satisfied grin. Ah, levels! I only hoped he hadn¡¯t damaged the floor with that wild leap, though he somehow managed to settle down without shaking the whole bed.

    ¡°Can you tell me a story?¡± he asked, already commandeering my pillow.

    My mind went blank. I¡¯d been here before¡ªhe¡¯d already asked me for a story once, and yet, somehow, I was caught off guard again. My mind scrambled for anything I could pull from memory, any tale, but nothing came up. So, in the end, I decided to share a real story: how I met Spartacius and our adventures in the Paris-Dakar rally. It seemed like a good choice, as he listened with keen interest, but I didn¡¯t even make it to the end of the first leg before I heard him yawning. Moments later, he was asleep.

    Good to know¡ªI still had ten more rally legs left to recount! If this worked so well, I had bedtime stories for the next ten days.

    Since my bed was occupied and my sleep already disturbed, I made my way to the terrace to enjoy the sunset. It was the long stretch of summer here, and the suns were only just setting. The last warm rays touched my skin as a vibrant panorama unfolded before me: the river, winding left toward the north, curved westward, flowing past a small fort and eventually spilling into a lake a few kilometers ahead. If I looked closely, I could see hints of another, larger lake beyond it¡ªthe subtle changes in water color giving it away.

    To the right of the river, golden fields rolled gently over the low hills, ripe for harvest, while down the valley toward the lake, a vast green forest spanned both riverbanks. To the north, steeper hills with rocky peaks dotted the landscape, and further still, the Northern Rim¡ªa rugged line of cliffs¡ªmarked the domain''s edge about ten miles from the castle.

    Underneath a sky ablaze with reds slowly melting into violet, the brilliant, shifting colors pulled my thoughts into quiet reflection.

    From one thought to the next, I drifted back to the memory of trying to explain how I¡¯d gained my levels. The fiery sky mirrored the blazing nova I¡¯d seen in that death node, bringing the memory to life. Sid had sparked this line of thought when he asked if I was a "hegemon." I''d never heard that word before, but it seems that''s how orcs¡ªperhaps others, too¡ªrefer to those who surpass level one hundred.

    I¡¯d attempted to explain it to them once, but the moment I tried, a strange message had silenced me: "Lores Deimosdottir, some things are best left unspoken." The name seemed to carry a weight, stirring something deep within me.

    Quietly, I murmured, ¡°Lores Deimosdottir.¡±

    There was a moment of confusion, then a faint spark, like distant lightning¡ªnot as sharp as before, perhaps because I was growing used to it.

    The sky dimmed abruptly, and the world around me morphed into a stark, surreal landscape. Dark, silvery dust¡ªthe same I¡¯d seen in the death node¡ªblanketed everything, muting the once vibrant colors. Strange, jagged rock formations rose around me, like twisted crystals and petrified trees jutting out at impossible angles. It felt like standing on some eerie, alien moon.

    I looked up, and there was Deimos, massive and imposing, hanging in the sky. Strange filaments stretched across its surface and beyond. As I watched, suddenly a face appeared¡ªthough it was not a face in any human sense. Yet, somehow, I understood it as one, and it sent a chill through me, more profound than fear.

    ¡°Lores Deimosdottir, you came to visit me?¡± it asked, the voice resounding through the air, as though the entire landscape were speaking.

    The words reverberated in my mind with a force that was both surreal and overwhelming, leaving me unable to tell if I¡¯d truly heard them or if they were echoing within. Deimos loomed, its massive presence too large for a star, yet too unearthly to simply be a moon. But what shattered my sense of reality was that it had spoken¡ªto me.

    The impossibility of it struck like lightning. I yelped, instinctively jumping back, and suddenly, with a dizzying shift, I found myself once more on the terrace. My skin was damp with sweat, and my heart pounded as I looked out over the horizon. The suns had slipped fully beyond sight, leaving the world bathed in twilight¡ªyet brighter than the shadowed, lunar-scape I¡¯d just seen.

    I stood there trembling, clutching the railing to steady myself. Moments later, Ju stumbled out of bed, alarmed, her eyes wide as she hurried over to check on me.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked softly, then pulled me into a warm embrace. ¡°No, you¡¯re not! What happened?¡±

    I sank into her arms, drawing comfort from her presence as I tried to steady myself. ¡°Shh! You¡¯ll wake Sid,¡± I whispered, feeling my voice shake.

    Ju just shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s out like a rock. But why did you yelp like that?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t even know. I saw something...¡± I trailed off, struggling to find words for the surreal encounter. But it was hard to explain, let alone believe.

    ¡°Something that scared you to hell?¡± she said, holding me even tighter.

    I chuckled weakly. ¡°You have no idea how right you are.¡±

    She tilted her head to look at me, her eyes questioning and steady. ¡°Does it... does it have something to do with who you are?¡± she whispered into my ear, barely louder than a breath.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I nodded, feeling a chill go down my spine as the memory surfaced again.

    ¡°What did you see?¡± she murmured.

    I hesitated before answering, knowing it sounded impossible yet feeling it in my bones. ¡°My father,¡± I whispered. The words were barely audible, but my gut told me it was true, with a certainty I couldn¡¯t shake.

    She shifted back just enough to look at me, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Your father? And that was so terrifying?¡±

    I felt my mind reel back to the vision. ¡°No¡­ yes¡­ maybe. It wasn¡¯t fear, exactly. More like¡­ shock. I was meditating, reflecting on things, and then suddenly, I was there. I saw him.¡± My heart raced just saying it out loud.

    She let out a small huff, curiosity and determination lighting her eyes. ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s important. Do you want to try again?¡± She held out her hand, her tone as gentle as her touch. ¡°I¡¯ll be here. I¡¯m not going to sleep anytime soon anyway.¡±

    I looked at her, my heart torn between dread and a strange sense of longing. Did I even want to go back? That¡­ entity had looked at me, spoken to me. Could that have been real? Or was it some illusion? But it had felt so undeniably real.

    Meeting her gaze again, I pulled her close, her warmth grounding me. She practically hummed with life magic, as if offering protection just by being here.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you go,¡± she whispered firmly. ¡°You¡¯re safe with me.¡±

    A chuckle escaped me as I imagined her facing down that star-moon with a fierce scowl, ready to scold it into submission. Despite the fear, the curiosity was stronger. I took a deep breath, feeling steadier. I wanted to see it again.

    "Okay," I said, pulling her close and patting the terrace''s floor beside me. "Sit here with me."

    She settled in, taking my hand in hers, and I closed my eyes, trying to focus. But nothing happened. After a moment, I opened one eye to see her laughing softly.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    I shrugged. I wracked my brain, wondering what I''d done differently before. Shifting into a more comfortable position, I thought back to the moment it had all happened. How did I trigger it?

    It did not matter what I did, nothing happened. That is, until my mind circled back to that phrase, and  that name: my name.

    I focused on the words and spoke them softly and instantly, the strange, moonlit landscape unfurled before me, vast and surreal.

    I felt a faint tug in my hand; she was still gripping me, holding tight. But although I could feel her presence, I couldn¡¯t see her.

    I lifted my gaze to the vast, star-speckled sky, crisscrossed with glowing filaments like some cosmic aurora borealis. Then I found it again: the moon¡ªor was it? No, I knew now, it was more than a moon. This was a star, hanging larger in the sky than our own moon, its gaseous filaments swirling slowly across its surface. Or was it a planet, something like Jupiter?

    The longer I stared, the stronger I felt pulled towards it, as if drawn by some unseen force. It grew larger and larger, consuming more of the sky, details sharpening as it expanded before my eyes. Then, as it shifted, the now familiar face emerged once more, staring directly at me, silent but intensely present.

    For a long moment, it simply looked at me. And then¡ªI could swear I heard it¡ªa low chuckle rippled through the stillness.

    ¡°If you wish, you may bring her here with you," it said suddenly, the deep voice resonating within me, "but know that if you leave her alone here, she may not find her way back.¡±

    A chill swept through me as I looked down at my hand, seeing Julietta¡¯s faint form¡ªa ghostly outline, barely tethered. I glanced around, feeling the weight of the desolate, alien landscape pressing in. The thought of her soul fading in this place struck me with a pang of dread. My grip on her hand grew stronger.

    My eyes lifted back to the face above.

    ¡°Father?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°Daughter,¡± it responded. And somehow, I felt it smile, if this being could indeed smile.

    ¡°Are you... a god?¡± I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

    I felt it shrug¡ªa sensation more than a sight. ¡°What is a god?¡± it asked.

    I left the question unanswered.

    "Am I really here?" I asked, feeling silly as soon as it left my lips. Yet the answer that came to my question, surprised me.

    ¡°Your consciousness is here. Your name is the key that brought you.¡±

    I nodded slowly, trying to process this. "And if I were to bring her, what would I be bringing?"

    ¡°Her consciousness, as well,¡± it replied, with a measured calm. ¡°But be careful in separating her consciousness from her body. The soul anchors it, and if you keep her too long here, it risks breaking away.¡±

    The warning sent a shiver down my spine. Why am I talking with him about bringing Ju here?

    "Did you... did you... make me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

    ¡°I gave you the chance to be,¡± he replied.

    "I don''t want to be a demon!" The words burst out before I could hold them back.

    ¡°You died,¡± he replied simply, as if that explained everything. And maybe it did.

    I stood silent, my thoughts frozen, the weight of those words sinking in.

    ¡°Why did you¡­ do this to me?¡± I finally asked

    ¡°I saw an opportunity," he said smoothly, "and I thought you had potential. Would you have preferred that I hadn''t?¡±

    I swallowed, ¡°What¡­ what would¡¯ve happened otherwise?¡±

    He gave me a long, unreadable look. ¡°Can¡¯t you imagine? But if you really want to know, you could find out for yourself. Wander the lower planes¡ªjust be cautious not to dive too deeply, or you may find yourself unable to pull free from certain beings lurking below. You¡¯re likely strong enough to resist their grasp, but even for you, it would be¡­ painful.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°What¡­ what am I?¡± I hesitated, then forced the question out. ¡°Am I a succubus?¡±

    He chuckled, a low, echoing sound. ¡°You are an arch-demon. You are what you wish to be¡ªand what you believe you can be. An arch-demon can assume any demon form.¡±

    ¡°Do I have a soul? Do demons¡­ have souls?¡±

    ¡°Any demon can capture and exploit souls. You have one¡ªyour own. But you could use others to grow stronger. That¡¯s how many do it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that!¡± I insisted, recoiling.

    "Not even your own?" he said with a casual shrug.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered fiercely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep mine.¡±

    ¡°Then keep it,¡± he said, as though it were the simplest choice in the world.

    A wave of shimmering aurora washed over my face, soft as a caress.

    ¡°Your time here is running out,¡± he said, ¡°Don¡¯t linger too long away from your body, or you may lose it. Especially now, while you¡¯re still young. Farewell¡­ for now.¡±

    I jolted awake on the terrace, my fingers clenched around Ju¡¯s hand. Her deep green eyes locked onto mine, filled with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she whispered, hugging me close. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    I took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm my heartbeat and gather my thoughts.

    ¡°You kept murmuring something¡ªLores De¡¯mot¡¯tir? What does it mean?¡± she asked, her brow creased.

    My hands tightened over hers as I hesitated, words caught in my throat.

    ¡°If you care about me,¡± I finally whispered, ¡°please try to forget what you heard.¡±

    She hugged me tighter, no questions asked.

 Chapter 295 - Dark Clouds

    The Xsoha Master was making me wait, and I wasn¡¯t pleased. I''d sent him a request for a meeting first thing in the morning¡ªby now, he should be waiting at the door to be invited in. But he wasn¡¯t. I glanced outside, irritated, taking another sip of my precious coffee. Alice had already left with Lynx to see if she could buy more and handle all those acquisitions Mike had mentioned.

    I wondered what their arrangement was and if Lynx had agreed to the trip only to explore the town with her. Knowing him, he¡¯d be poking his inquisitive nose into every shop he could find.

    I smiled at the thought and took another sip, checking the suns. Was it ten? Eleven? Something around that, I guessed. This world had its charms, but precise timekeeping wasn¡¯t one of them. Most days, that was fine¡ªbut when you were waiting on someone who should be there, it started to grate. The best they had were water clocks and the twin gods'' clocks. Water clocks were just fancy hourglasses, while twin gods clocks relied on the dual suns¡¯ shadows and involved a complicated surface you had to interpret. Some people even switched surfaces depending on the year and season. Most people didn¡¯t mind, but being stuck waiting for someone I¡¯d clearly instructed to be here right after breakfast really pissed me off.

    Maybe I should fund a water clock project and build a high tower to display the time, like the one in the capital. There¡¯s a grand water clock there, synchronized with Kargath''s lunar rotations, atop a tall tower where different hours appear as various colors. It was a brainchild of the first prince, Archduke of Edurhim, though it never caught on outside the capital. Phrases like "Let¡¯s meet in the middle of the pink hours" or "during the green hours" are common there, but anywhere else, saying that would earn you more than a few strange looks.

    At last, I heard movement and saw the vice-master waiting at the doorway, his nose ring swinging with each heavy breath. He must¡¯ve rushed up the stairs; the thin, middle-aged man with dark, oily hair streaked with white didn¡¯t look in the best of shape.

    ¡°Lady Lores, you called?¡± he asked, slightly out of breath.

    I sighed and nodded to the orcs to let him in.

    ¡°Where is the Xsoha Master?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Master Engerhard is unavailable¡ªurgent matters required him to be in the capital.¡±

    ¡°Koreia or Uldaman?¡± I mused. What on earth could the old sack be up to?

    ¡°Why, our capital, Koreia, my sweet lady!¡±

    We¡¯ll see just how sweet I am once you hear what I have to say, I thought to myself.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said dismissively. ¡°There¡¯s no need to delay this conversation. If he isn¡¯t here, I¡¯ll tell you directly: I no longer require the services of the Xsoha.¡±

    He bowed, putting on an exaggerated expression of dismay.

    ¡°Oh, my lady, such dreadful news! What could we have done to warrant such a response? Surely, there¡¯s something we can do to repair our bond?¡±

    His feigned distress wasn¡¯t fooling me. If anything, he looked more prepared than surprised by the announcement.

    ¡°You¡¯ve undermined the trust of the domain by neglecting to pay the required taxes before I took charge here.¡±

    ¡°But, my lady, those were matters from before your tenure! Surely, we needn¡¯t tarnish our relationship over affairs from that chaotic time! Master Engerhard is currently resolving these... misunderstandings in the capital as we speak. All has already been set right; there¡¯s no need for drastic action on your part.¡±

    Drats, did they know what I was going to say? This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence!

    ¡°It¡¯s for me to decide,¡± I said, holding firm. ¡°I am the domain¡¯s owner. I am the baron.¡±

    ¡°Sweet Lady, Baroness¡­¡± he replied with that irritatingly patronizing look. I wasn¡¯t about to let him finish.

    I shrugged. ¡°And as such, you¡¯re fired.¡±

    ¡°My lady, you¡¯re lashing out at the wrong ones! The Xsoha are honest, devoted workers, yet you cast us aside and surround yourself with treacherous orcs? Did you know these are renegade orcs, hunted by their own? Who knows what lies they¡¯ve fed you about us? Their own people don¡¯t even trust them!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already made my decision, under-Master Blumbard.¡±

    ¡°Then understand, my lady, we cannot allow this blemish on our reputation to go unchallenged. We will contest your decision in court.¡±

    ¡°You seem to forget, under-Master,¡± I said calmly, ¡°that I am the highest authority in the domain, and I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±

    He sighed as if he were explaining to a stubborn child.

    ¡°I¡¯m only the vice-master, Lady Lores. Vice-Master Blumhard, at your service. Conflicts between the domain and the Xsoha are not within the authority of a mere domain court, my lady; these matters are decided in the high courts of the capital.¡±

    I gave a sigh of my own, making it clear I didn¡¯t accept a word of his reasoning.

    ¡°You and your families will leave the castle by tomorrow evening.¡±

    ¡°But Lady Lores, you cannot enforce this until there¡¯s a decision from the high court. Surely you understand that such an atrocious decision will be overturned, and until then, you cannot act. Think of the costs that¡¯ll fall on the domain when the court reverses this! No, we refuse to move. This is truly what¡¯s best for the domain, dear lady.¡±

    Did he just tell me I couldn¡¯t do anything? Let¡¯s see about that.

    I felt a wicked grin spread across my face.

    ¡°If you and your people aren¡¯t gone by tomorrow evening, I¡¯ll have you deported by force. Want to test me? I suggest you don¡¯t make me prove it.¡±

    ¡°But my lady, you couldn¡¯t possibly¡ª¡±

    ¡°This conversation is over! Kurr, would you kindly escort my ¡®guest¡¯ to the lower floors? And if he resists or complains... feel free to kick him down the stairs if need be.¡±

    Kurr grinned, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eye. I was starting to recognize more of the orcs, and Kurr stood out¡ªa hulking warrior at level eighty-five, nearly Drackar¡¯s equal in size, with dark brown-green skin heavily speckled in black. I¡¯d learned he hailed from Wortar¡¯s tribe, and Wortar himself seemed to have taken on the task of selecting my personal guard.

    Kurr let out a low, hearty laugh.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure, Lady Lores!¡±

    The Xsoha, casting an anxious glance between me and the advancing orc, made a quick decision to retreat without another word.

    *

    I tried to focus on my other tasks, but my thoughts kept circling back to the conversation with the Xsoha. Someone must have tipped them off about my plans, allowing them to make those preemptive moves. This slip could end up costing me and might stir up even more trouble with the regional capital.

    It had to be someone among the castle''s staff; the servants had too many chances to overhear conversations while moving around the estate. I¡¯d need to be more discerning about who I keep close and start using more noise-dampening devices like the one Ju had bought.

    Even if the Xsoha did end up paying the taxes retroactively, I was banking on my case holding up¡ªbut I didn¡¯t have much court experience to lean on. Well, unless I counted that last jail stint back in the capital.

    One of the servants entered the room.

    "Lady Lores, High-Paladin Gamesh wishes to speak with you. Shall I let him in?"

    "Send him in," I replied.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Moments later, the tall paladin entered, striding quickly. His black hair fluttered slightly over his temples, contrasting sharply with the gleaming baldness that covered the rest of his head. With his long neck and slightly stooped posture, he looked a bit like an ostrich sporting a haircut.

    ¡°Lady Lores! Blessed be your heart! I¡¯m glad to see you in a good mood!¡±

    I chuckled at his remark. Good mood? Far from it.

    ¡°Sir Gamesh! Blessed be your heart as well. Is this a courtesy visit, or are there issues to address?¡±

    ¡°There are a few matters I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Lady Lores¡ªprivately, if possible.¡± His eyes scanned the room, though it was empty. I nodded to the servant to close the door.

    ¡°You may speak, Sir Gamesh.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± he said, clearing his throat. ¡°Incidentally, Lady Lores, I¡¯ve been asked to intercede by a rather agitated group of Xsoha who mentioned you¡¯ve given them until tomorrow evening to vacate the castle.¡±

    I let out a huff. Clearly, the Xsoha hadn¡¯t wasted a moment complaining.

    ¡°Yes, and?¡± I prompted.

    He gave a small shrug. ¡°I thought you should know, you aren¡¯t the first noble to try and ¡®cut them out,¡¯ so to speak. I¡¯ve seen this play out before with other houses, and, more often than not, they end up returning with a vengeance and some aggressively inked contracts.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re a tight-knit community, well-connected to the high courts, and they know the law inside and out. Good luck with this one¡ªyou¡¯ll need it!¡±

    Oddly enough, he seemed genuinely sympathetic.

    ¡°Is that the reason you came to me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, Lady Lores. There are two matters, actually. As I mentioned before, we¡¯re due to meet a delegation, and they¡¯ll be arriving here soon. It will include a small elite unit of elves, a scholar, Princess Therella, and her lady-in-waiting.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me... Sir Gamesh, you didn¡¯t mention they¡¯d be coming here, nor that they were elves!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I make that clear? My mistake, my lady, apologies!¡±

    I snorted at his faked excuse; he¡¯d obviously kept us in the dark on purpose.

    "Princess Therella?" I echoed, my tone less than enthusiastic. "Alright. I''ll check with Mike about hosting a princess here."

    "Thank you, Lady. The prince trusts you to do your utmost to make her comfortable. I understand an elf mage may arrive ahead of time to assist with preparations. Please inform the troops as well. Now, as for the second matter¡ªthis concerns Dame Anda."

    I stifled a sigh at the thought of more efforts, then raised my eyebrows at the mention of Dame Anda. What now?

    "Is there something suspicious about the accident?" I asked, fearing somebody might have spoken about the curse.

    He shook his head.

    "No, we''ve concluded it was just a foolish accident. Dame Hiera was on guard in a tower at the time and saw the entire incident. She saw Dame Anda leaning out over the balustrade, looking down at something. We¡¯ve since learned that she was looking at Mr. Mike."

    "That¡¯s unfortunate." I said, relief obvious on my face: I''m a bad liar. "Can I do anything for her? Hasn¡¯t she recovered yet?"

    He looked at me, his gaze sharpening as if he sensed something more.

    "She has indeed recovered but... she left," he said.

    "Oh?" That took me by surprise, though I couldn¡¯t see how it concerned me.

    "She kept speaking about encountering the devil while she was... gone. She claimed he was coming to claim her soul and that her only hope of salvation was to join a monastery. She refused to spend another night here, where she believes she saw him. She¡¯s resolved to devote herself to the Church of Holy Light."

    The Church of Holy Light, or the Illumination Church, was one of the kingdom''s principal religions. But why was he telling me this? Could she have seen something about me during her near-death? I hadn¡¯t even been at the castle then¡­ had I?

    "Alright. Thanks for letting me know. What can I do?"

    Damn. Why did I even ask?

    "Lady Lores, Dame Anda''s role wasn¡¯t exactly¡­ conventional, and I must ask for your discretion in what I¡¯m about to share," he said, dropping his voice.

    I nodded. "I understand¡­"

    He sighed, glanced around, and leaned closer to whisper.

    "Dame Anda was, in essence, a conduit. Prince Kotusawendu maintains a¡­ particularly close connection with Lady Fara. Unable to travel, Lady Fara used Dame Anda to relay messages between them."

    "I¡¯m not sure I understand why you¡¯re telling me this, Sir Gamesh," I replied, skeptical.

    He took a deep breath, bracing himself. "I¡¯ll get to the point. There¡¯s a set of enchanted tiaras that allowed Lady Fara to communicate directly with the prince, through Dame Anda. But with Dame Anda gone, this line of connection is cut off, and it¡¯s causing complications for the prince. We urgently need someone to fill Dame Anda¡¯s role."

    I shrugged, recalling Ju¡¯s warning. She had always cautioned us not to get entangled in royal intrigues. "No matter what you do, you end up a loser," she''d said.

    I shrugged. "Alright, then. But there¡¯s an establishment with red lights at its doors just a mile up the river. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone there willing to wear a tiara while intercoursing with the prince, if that''s all he needs."

    Sir Gamesh choked, visibly horrified, and sputtered, ¡°Lady Lores, you completely misunderstand! The prince and Lady Fara¡¯s relationship is nothing of the sort¡ªthey¡¯ve merely held hands!¡±

    ¡°Well, that makes it even easier, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I replied. ¡°If those ladies don¡¯t suit your preferences, there are plenty of charming paladins in your retinue. Surely one of them would be willing to hold hands with the prince.¡±

    He sighed in exasperation. ¡°Lady Lores, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so resistant to considering any support for Prince Kotusawendu. I¡¯m relying on your complete discretion regarding this matter. You must see¡ªit¡¯s a delicate situation. We can¡¯t afford to involve too many people in such a sensitive issue. Even the suggestion of one of our paladin ladies meeting with the prince alone could lead to unwelcome rumors, despite our knowing it¡¯s innocent.¡±

    "And wasn¡¯t that also the case with Dame Anda?" I mused, but before I could voice my full thought, he continued.

    ¡°Additionally, it appears that the tiara¡¯s functionality conflicts with the paladin class," he went on. "In the past, attempts to use it simply as a communication tool led to... unpleasant outcomes. I was hoping you might assist us in finding a suitable candidate¡ªsomeone highly trustworthy and committed to secrecy or, alternatively, someone ¡®expendable.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Expendable?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are we talking about frying someone¡¯s brain with this device?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Not exactly. The issue lies with holy magic¡ªit causes a backlash for any priest or paladin who tries to use it. By ¡®expendable,¡¯ I mean someone whose memory we could potentially erase afterward. Some individuals might even see it as a fresh start: a new life with no memories of the past but a small fortune awaiting them back in the capital.¡±

    I sighed, running over possible candidates in my mind. Perhaps it would be better to find a solution I could control, rather than leaving it to them to pluck some ¡®expendable¡¯ girl from a nearby village. But who could handle a task like this? Alice? Ju? Tina? I didn''t want to impose this on any of them! Perhaps a housemaid? But, I didn¡¯t know them well enough for a decision like this. Maybe Mike would have a suggestion. I turned back to the paladin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think it over and get back to you with a proposal,¡± I said.

    He nodded, a hint of urgency in his eyes. ¡°Please be swift. We need a solution before sunset.¡±

    I held back a scoff. Couldn¡¯t this little prince last a single day without whispering to his precious Fara? Honestly, the entitlement!

    After the paladin left, I sighed, exasperated¡ªonly to hear a voice behind me.

    "Mom, when you''re done working, will you come up the hill with me? Look at those dark clouds! A storm¡¯s coming!"

    I spun around, startled, to see Sid sitting there in a pivot chair with a book in his hands.

    "Sid, you¡¯ve been here the whole time?" My heart skipped a beat, though I quickly calmed myself. Sid wouldn¡¯t do anything to betray my trust. "You know you¡¯re not supposed to talk to anyone about what you heard here, right?"

    "Of course, Mom!" he replied with a grin.

    ¡°Is that from the library? Ju will be pretty upset if she finds out you¡¯re reading them before they''re restored.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ju gave it to me! I asked her for something about dragons,¡± he explained, proudly.

    Aunt Ju? I squinted at the title, finally reassured when I saw it was one from my world.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it say ¡®fairy tales¡¯ on the cover?¡±

    Sid quickly covered the words with his fingers, protesting, ¡°It¡¯s a dragon history book, Mom! The Life of Firelord Askar!¡±

    I shrugged and rolled my eyes.

 Chapter 296 - Stormbound

    Going out? Not on an empty stomach!

    I couldn¡¯t quite see why Sid was so excited about the storm; I was hoping the weather might calm and spare us, though the heavy clouds gathering in the west were less than reassuring.

    Since my meeting with the paladin had made me miss the common lunch with friends, I was now having a private meal with Sid in Ju¡¯s room. Our poor kitchen staff were already on their second round of climbing the stairs with dishes from the ground-floor kitchen. Maybe someday I should consider an elevator...

    But why Ju¡¯s room? My quarters didn¡¯t have a large enough table, and the council room faced east. Sid had insisted we sit side by side at a table with a clear view of the window to watch the thick, dark clouds amassing in the west.

    The room was about the same size as mine, facing the common terrace. Two wide double doors, mostly made of a glass-like mineral, could slide open to let in fresh air. In theory, a spell could adjust their transparency and color, but we hadn¡¯t figured that out yet. Ju hoped some of the scrolls in one of the armoires lining the left and east walls, currently behind us, might hold the answers.

    Her bed, a modest ninety centimeters wide, sat along the left wall, while the right side of the room held a few sofas, a door leading to my room, and another to the shared bathroom. The furniture, crafted from a bright, almost white enchanted wood, had survived remarkably well, though the leather upholstery on the sofas¡ªoriginally enchanted too¡ªwas worn and badly in need of repair.

    The soft pink pastel marble flooring coordinated well with the furnishings, although a bit too pink for my taste. Ju insisted it was temporary and could be changed once we uncovered the right spells.

    Originally just a bedroom, Ju had added a table in the center, which we were now using for lunch.

    As I tried to eat as elegantly as possible using my fork and knife with style, trying to set a good example for Sid, I found myself making slow progress through my stew.

    ¡°Do you still have a lot of work to do after lunch?¡± he asked, shifting in his chair as though he couldn¡¯t keep still. ¡°How long will it take for you to finish?¡±

    I glanced at his plates¡ªall empty. When the maid brought honey cookies, he grabbed one, popped it into his mouth, and looked at me expectantly.

    ¡°I still have some work,"... but nothing I couldn¡¯t set aside for later. "Why do you ask?¡±

    As I asked, a pang of guilt crept in¡ªI knew I hadn¡¯t been spending enough time with him.

    With his mouth full but doing his best to keep it closed, just as I¡¯d taught him, he mumbled his response:

    ¡°Oh, come on, Mom. Look at those clouds¡ªit¡¯s getting stormy outside! We should hurry up to the highest hill!¡±

    I snorted. That was certainly a creative interpretation of not talking with your mouth full. And, of course, he was still determined to drag me outside right as the rain was about to start.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to rain, and I¡¯ll get soaked again!¡± I protested, memories of the mine days surfacing.

    ¡°Oh, please, Mom, this is different. It¡¯s a storm!¡±

    I sighed. Not just rain but a storm, and he wants to be out in it? Well, if he¡¯s that eager, I suppose I can brave the rain with him...

    I was starting to get curious about why he was so eager to head out into the storm, so I stood up with a shrug.

    ¡°If you¡¯re done, let¡¯s go, then!¡±

    His enthusiasm was something else. Grabbing another cookie, he darted for the window, clearly planning to fly straight out.

    ¡°Hey, hold on! We¡¯re going by foot!¡± I protested. I wasn¡¯t keen on drawing attention with flying dragons, especially with visitors expected. Plus, I wasn¡¯t certain I¡¯d manage a smooth transformation before I''d hit the yard.

    ¡°Alright, Mom,¡± he answered, looking a bit deflated.

    As we stepped into the yard, a burly orc approached us.

    ¡°Are you headed out, my lady? Would you like horses?¡±

    I recognized Wortar, one of Drackar¡¯s lieutenants.

    Sid glanced at me, then up at the clouds.

    "Mom doesn¡¯t know how to ride, so we might be faster on foot,¡± he said.

    ¡°We could bring a very gentle mare that I can lead for the lady,¡± Wortar offered. ¡°A storm¡¯s on its way, and we should move quickly.¡±

    Sid¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s the whole point! Alright, bring the horses!¡±

    While Sid led our small group eagerly, with two orcs following close behind, I found myself perched atop a ¡°gentle¡± mare, bouncing along in her rhythm, shaken like a sack of potatoes and struggling to find my balance. I knew Sid had been taking riding lessons, but was surprised to see how skilled he¡¯d already become.

    Luckily, the ride didn¡¯t last long. In under ten minutes, we arrived at the base of the highest hill north of the castle. The sky was darkening, and the wind grew stronger with every gust, though the rain hadn¡¯t started yet.

    ¡°This is it!¡± Sid declared, satisfied as he looked up the steep hill. ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here on foot!¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Should I come with you while Gonzack keeps the horses?¡± Wortar asked, glancing uncomfortable at the hill.

    ¡°No!¡± Sid protested. ¡°We can¡¯t be looking out for you right now¡ªwe¡¯re here to have fun! Head back to the castle; we¡¯ll meet you there!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Wortar began, though he trailed off as I fumbled a bit, deciding how to dismount. Finally, I took a leap off the horse, which startled it slightly at my sudden move.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I assured Wortar, giving him a quick nod. ¡°Besides, Sid¡¯s more than strong enough to keep me safe, aren¡¯t you, Sid?¡±

    Sid chuckled, a bit puffed up by the praise, and Wortar muttered, ¡°Drackar¡¯s going to eat my ears for this,¡± as he and Gonzack headed back.

    As soon as they were gone, Sid grinned and began tugging off his tunic. ¡°Last one to the top¡¯s a lame duck!¡± he declared, transforming into a dragon and bounding up the hill.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll see about that!¡± I snorted, melding into shadow and racing up the hill as fast as I could.

    ¡°Yippee! I¡¯m here first!¡± Sid¡¯s triumphant voice echoed in my mind.

    I reappeared in human form and teased, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, my dear lame duck!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cheating, Mom! I didn¡¯t even fly!¡± he shot back as he spotted me, though he didn¡¯t seem bothered at all. Instead, his gaze shifted to the dark clouds rolling in, nearly close enough to touch from the hilltop.

    The storm was truly upon us now¡ªlightning streaked across the sky in rapid flashes. A crackling thunderbolt struck something nearby, sending a shudder through the ground almost in sync with the blinding light, only adding to his excitement.

    ¡°This is so cool!¡± he exclaimed, grinning wide. ¡°Just like that first day I learned to fly!¡±

    As the rain began pelting down, another flash of lightning struck close by, followed instantly by a booming thunderclap. Wind gusted around us, snapping branches and even toppling a few trees. Sid stretched his wings wide, his face absolutely radiant with joy.

    ¡°This is dangerous, Sid. We should get down¡ªlightning can strike us up here!¡± I warned, remembering the old school warnings.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Mom! Lightning can¡¯t hurt us! I know it! My... mama told me! Trust me! Be a dragon and spread your wings, please!¡±

    "My mama told me." - That must have been his real mom, isn''t it? I sighed and considered what he had just said: lightning couldn¡¯t harm him? Could that be true? Taking a deep breath, I shifted into dragon form. The spell still took a little time, but I was getting faster. I lifted my head, took in the stormy sky, and spread my wings, though a bit unsure. The wind caught them, nearly toppling me, and I let out a chuckle.

    ¡°Feel that, Mom?¡± he shouted in my mind. ¡°It wants to lift you! Now jump!¡±

    I pushed off the ground, only to drop back down, crashing into some bushes.

    Sid rolled over in laughter, crushing a few bushes himself before getting back on his feet. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun? Try higher! Jump higher!¡± he urged.

    His enthusiasm was infectious. I leaped again, managing to glide a few meters this time. Sid shot down the slope, veering sharply upward and vanishing momentarily from view. His excited trumpet echoed as he landed nearby, shaking the ground.

    ¡°Oh yeah! Jump, Mom! Jump higher!¡±

    I put a little more strength into my legs, leapt higher¡ªand this time, I flew. The ground fell away as I soared above the treetops, and a rush of panic made me pull my wings in tight. I plummeted back down, landing hard and taking out a few trees in the process. Sid just laughed, landing gracefully beside me, as if we¡¯d only been rolling in the grass. His excitement was infectious, and I chuckled despite myself.

    ¡°Higher! Higher!¡± he urged. And finally, I did it¡ªI jumped, let my wings take me, and really flew. My instincts kicked in as I glided over the trees, though my first attempt to veer left ended in another crash through the forest. It stung, if only my pride, but little by little, I managed. By the third try, I was able to take a curve, even climb a bit. Each attempt brought more confidence, even as Sid flew circles around me, laughing like the storm itself.

    At last, I was truly flying, and it was exhilarating. To stretch my wings wide, defy the rain and wind¡ªthere was a wildness in it that resonated with something deep inside. I understood why Sid loved it so much.

    He shot past me, fast as a comet, skimming the treetops, weaving between trees, and cutting sharp curves that seemed impossible. His pure, unrestrained joy filled my mind, echoing like the roar of the storm. I¡¯d never seen him so free, so completely alive. His happiness was boundless, spilling over and filling the sky.

    *

    Later on, after another hard landing, I decided I¡¯d had enough. I could finally manage to fly, take turns, go up and down, but landing was still a challenge¡ªI always seemed to come in too fast, crashing through anything in my path.

    "Alright, I¡¯m calling it," I said to Sid, who was still circling high in the sky.

    "Already done, Ma?" he asked, sounding surprised.

    Already? We were clowning since hours in the pelting rain.

    "Mom, can I stay a while longer?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

    I considered it. He wouldn¡¯t catch cold, and he certainly wasn¡¯t in any danger from the wildlife. So, why not?

    "Alright," I said. "But let me know if anything happens!"

    "Sure, Mom, sure!" he called, veering right and vanishing into the clouds.

    I took a deep breath. All in all, it had been a good day, and I had to admit I¡¯d missed flying¡ªit was more satisfying than so many other things.

    I wondered: should I reshape my human form to have wings, or stay as I was, wingless? Shadowmelding was useful, but flying had its own thrill. I sighed, torn. Keeping my horns hidden under illusions most of the time made me appear perfectly human. Adding wings would complicate things, as they were harder to hide and would only emphasize that I wasn¡¯t fully human. For now, maybe it was best left as it was.

    I shrugged, looking around for my clothes, pleasantly surprised to find them without much trouble. As I dressed, I debated whether to take Sid¡¯s clothes too, but ultimately left them neatly draped over a tree branch.

    I glanced toward the castle, barely visible through the rain yet glowing softly through the misty darkness, like something out of a fairy tale. Its towers were faintly lit, giving it an enchanted look. I knew Mike had been planning to add some lighting around the walls, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to turn out this beautiful.

    The downpour had lessened to a gentle rain, but it was still coming down. Was I really going to walk all the way back down in this weather? That would be at least a half-hour trek, and it was getting quite dark around me.

    I snorted at my own indecision, undressed again, and shifted into a dragon. I was not trudging through mud and rain all the way back!

    With a leap off the gentle slope, I managed to get airborne just in time, but not without cutting a couple of treetops. I flapped hard, aimed for the castle, and glided down, making a smooth curve before landing with a solid thud a hundred meters from the outer wall, on the river¡¯s side. My best landing yet. With any luck, no one was on guard duty on this side in this rain.

    I transformed back, climbed the ravine as a shadow, cloaked myself with illusions of my dress and boots - it didn''t make sense to put the wet dress on again - and walked toward the wall. To my surprise, the gate was open and the bridge lowered. An entire troop of orcs was waiting there.

    ¡°Lady Lores! You¡¯re back!¡±

 Chapter 297 â€“ Imprints

    I initially thought they¡¯d left the gate open for my return, but they were actually waiting for the elves¡¯ delegation. An elf mage had been sent ahead to announce their arrival and make preparations for their quarters.

    At the gate stood Loretta and Dohum, likely there to lend a human touch to the orc guard detail. More orcs were stationed in the towers, keeping watch. Clad in black armor with steel weapons occasionally catching the light, they added a menacing edge to the scene, a stark contrast against the castle¡¯s ethereal glow.

    As I entered the yard, I took in the sight of the castle: light beacons illuminated the walls and towers, casting that fantasy-like glow over the entire structure. I wondered what Mike had done to achieve this effect¡ªand at what cost. But it was worth it; he was clearly pulling out all the stops to make a strong impression, and it was absolutely beautiful.

    As I crossed the yard toward the entry door, admiring Mike¡¯s handiwork, Sir Gamesh appeared from one of the castle entrances.

    ¡°Lady Lores! Lady Lores! I¡¯m glad to see you! Do you have a solution for our problems, Lady Lores?¡±

    I sighed and quickly pulled a blanket from my inventory to cover myself; this fool would surely dispel my illusions again! I wrapped it around myself just in time, fashioning it like a Roman toga as he joined me.

    I almost gave him a hasty response, like: Can that princeling not go a day without talking to his girlfriend? But I stopped to calm myself. The truth was, I got along well with the prince. He¡¯d shown himself more down-to-earth and approachable than many nobles. So, why was it so hard to find someone willing to chat with him for half an hour?

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s just conversation he¡¯s after, and nothing more?¡± I asked again, seeking clarity.

    ¡°Lady Lores,¡± he exclaimed with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve never been present when the prince spoke with Lady Fara, but Dame Elanea was. Neither she nor Dame Anda ever raised any concerns, so I can confidently say you have nothing to worry about.¡±

    I sighed. I wasn¡¯t about to ask Alice or Ju to handle this, let alone Tina. He was, after all, closer to me than any of them.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll speak to him myself then, Sir Gamesh.¡±

    He looked surprised at first but then visibly relieved.

    ¡°In that case, might we proceed right away, Lady Lores?¡± he asked eagerly.

    ¡°Sir Gamesh, I¡¯d like to wash up and change first¡ªI¡¯ve just come in from the rain.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s all, may I suggest the prince¡¯s bath? A mage repaired it, so it¡¯s working perfectly. Dame Anda¡¯s maid can assist you with the preparations if you like.¡±

    I hesitated, then nodded. Why not? I was still in my own castle, and I could finally take a proper bath!

    ¡°Can that mage work on the other installations too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Possibly, but you¡¯d need to make arrangements with him. He did it as a courtesy for us¡ªit¡¯s an elf mage who arrived ahead of the delegation to prepare accommodations for their group.¡±

    Ah, to bring our accommodations up from the standard of these primitive neanderthals, was it? It stung all the more because it was true; we hadn¡¯t yet managed to fix it ourselves.

    I followed Sir Gamesh to the prince¡¯s quarters and was glad I¡¯d agreed to use his bath. Dame Anda¡¯s maid demonstrated how everything worked, then insisted on helping me wash my hair. To my surprise, I discovered she was also a skilled masseuse. She was so good, in fact, that by the time I went to meet the prince, I felt entirely at ease, pacified and mollified.

    I met the prince dressed in a fluffy satin gown, and after about fifteen minutes of casual chatting, he mentioned that it was time to put on the diadem. Once I placed it on my head, we waited. At first, nothing happened; we continued talking and sipping refreshments. I began to hope that perhaps Dame Fara had forgotten or simply couldn¡¯t connect¡ªwhen suddenly, I felt it stir, as though the diadem was coming to life, guided by an alien will attempting to take control of my body.

    Instinctively, I fought back at first, until I realized what I was doing. Taking a deep breath, I let go and allowed it to happen. The experience was odd but not nearly as uncomfortable or unsettling as I had expected. I couldn¡¯t read the thoughts or mind of the other person controlling my body, but I sensed that I could disrupt her hold with some effort. For now, though, I chose not to interfere.

    The sensation grew less awkward as time went on, but I still didn¡¯t feel entirely at ease. It¡¯s strange, watching yourself speak and gesture in ways that don¡¯t quite feel like you. In some ways, it reminded me of being controlled by White Flower, though her influence had felt different¡ªas if she were a part of me rather than an entirely separate presence.

    Still, it hadn¡¯t been all that bad. Overall, it was a relatively pleasant evening. The prince was kind and thoughtful enough to stay and chat with me afterward, which kept me from feeling entirely like a puppet. Perhaps he genuinely enjoyed our conversations?

    The delegation didn¡¯t show up¡ªprobably because of the weather, or so the paladins assumed.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t mind; it meant I could finally head to bed. As I hurried toward my room, I passed through the library and spotted Sid, deeply engrossed in yet another book. He looked up as I walked by, closed his book and stopped me with a question.

    ¡°Hi Mom! Mom, I have a question about a girl, Kate.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. Are we already at the stage of girl questions?

    "Who is Kate?" I asked.

    "She''s the maid who cleans my room," he explained. "I looked at her and came to the conclusion that I need her!"

    My eyelashes fluttered in panic. "What do you mean, you need her?"

    He seemed totally unfazed by my reaction. "Well, she should have more time for me and be freed from other duties," he explained, though something in his tone felt oddly stubborn and awkward. My instincts nudged me¡ªhe was holding something back. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts and think rationally.

    Now, Lores, I told myself, what could a youngster like Sid possibly want with Kate?

    As my breathing settled, I managed a smile. ¡°What kind of work?¡± I asked, curious.

    ¡°Cleaning,¡± he replied, a bit evasively. ¡°I watched her¡ªshe¡¯s quick and good at it. I want her to help me clean and get a few more rooms ready.¡±

    I sighed, feeling a weight lift from my chest, then chuckled at the thought of the poor girl. With Sid watching her work, of course she¡¯d try to be as quick and efficient as possible just to finish and get away. Could I refuse such a simple request from him?

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Of course, you can ask her to help, but don¡¯t overwork her, alright? If there¡¯s too much to do, just spread it across more staff. Mike can assign them if you ask him.¡±

    He shook his head.

    "I want to keep this a bit of a secret, Mom, just for me and... whoever I want to invite. Is that okay?" he asked with an innocent look.

    I almost smirked but kept a serious expression with some effort. Kids always need a secret space; there was nothing wrong with him wanting it cleaned by our staff. I could even encourage it.

    "Of course!" I replied with a nod.

    I thought that settled things, but just as I took a step toward the inviting bed, he spoke up again.

    "Oh, and Mom, I''d like to make the red tower my tower¡ªis that okay?"

    At first, his question threw me. Then it clicked. So, his special room must be there!

    "The red tower?" I asked, trying to recall which of the seventeen towers that could be.

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly red, but that¡¯s what I call it. Come on, I¡¯ll show you,¡± he said, leading me to the window. He pointed out the second-highest tower of the castle.

    "Why do you call it the red tower?¡± I asked, seeing nothing particularly red about it.

    ¡°See that line of red bricks? Right there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, got it! Why didn¡¯t you go for the highest tower?¡± I teased.

    He exhaled as though I¡¯d just missed something very obvious. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s reserved for you! I picked the second-highest," he explained with utmost seriousness.

    I fought back a chuckle. ¡°Well, it¡¯s thoughtful of you, Sid. But you know, if you wanted, you could have the highest tower too.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± He paused, considering it, then shook his head. ¡°No, I already picked the second-highest! I¡¯ll stick with the red tower. Besides, it¡¯d be too much for poor Kate to clean both.¡±

    "Alright, fine by me! But, why do you need the tower, Sid? I¡¯m fine with you having it¡ªI¡¯m just curious what you plan to do with it!¡±

    He looked at me warily, as if worried I might change my mind, but then his face brightened, and he began explaining with growing excitement.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a must, Mom! A respected dragon has to have a tower! That¡¯s the first step to being respected. Then, he needs two very important things in that tower! It¡¯s all in the book!¡±

    ¡°The fairy tale book Ju gave you?¡± I asked, trying not to grin.

    A flash of irritation crossed his face. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s a dragon history book!¡± he insisted, as he¡¯d reminded me before.

    I chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright. So, what does your ¡®history¡¯ book say you need a tower for?¡±

    He looked left and right to make sure no one else was around, then leaned in close and spoke in a hushed voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I want to keep my hoard in there!¡± He took a deep breath, excitement lighting up his face. ¡°Mom, every dragon needs a hoard, right? That¡¯s the first step to being a respected dragon! I want to put my hoard in the tower, and nobody should be able to go in without my permission.¡±

    My eyebrows shot up in surprise. It did make a sort of sense; every kid dreams of pirate treasure and hidden stashes.

    ¡°A hoard? You have a hoard? What exactly are you hoarding?¡± I asked, intrigued.

    He shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Mom, treasures, of course! What else would a dragon hoard?¡±

    What kind of treasures could he have been collecting? I made a mental note to take a peek someday, but for now, I¡¯d let him surprise me.

    ¡°OK, Sid, OK. As I said, that tower is yours. I¡¯m going to bed now.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he replied. ¡°Perfect! I¡¯ll go fetch Kate. Bye, Mom!¡±

    I rolled my eyes and headed straight to my room, where my bed¡ªand the familiar sound of a snoring elf¡ªwere waiting. Finally, some well-deserved rest after a long, exhausting day! I went into the bathroom, cleaned my teeth with the new powder Mike had given me as a toothpaste replacement, washed my face, changed into my pajamas, and slipped into bed.

    Just as I was about to drift off, a soft voice sounded in my mind.

    ¡°Mom, can I come in and sleep in your bed?¡±

    I pressed my fingers to my brows, trying to think clearly. How late was it? The light streaming in from the moons, filtering through the satin drapes as they moved gently in the night breeze, didn¡¯t help me judge the time.

    ¡°Sure, Sid,¡± I replied.

    I hadn¡¯t even finished my thought when Sid was already in bed beside me. He must have been waiting just outside the door for me to say yes.

    ¡°Hey, close the door!¡± I whispered.

    Fast as the wind, the door was shut, and my pillow promptly claimed.

    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± he murmured, pulling my blanket over himself before falling quiet without even asking for a story. I reached out and gently smoothed his hair as he hugged the pillow closer.

    I shifted over to Ju¡¯s pillow, and she mumbled something in her sleep, turning to give me just enough space. I tugged a corner of her blanket over myself, and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.

    *

    Merthid yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes to a new day breaking. She made her way to the kitchen, where she found the piece of bread left out for her, took a quick drink of water, and then headed to open the gate for the geese.

    The geese greeted her warmly, some of them nibbling her fingers as if to chide her gently for being late, though never with any intent to hurt. She giggled and started toward the river, the geese trailing along behind her. She knew just the spot¡ªa pleasant stretch near the castle, with cool shade from the bushes for her to rest under, and for the geese, the promise of shallow pools and winding river branches teeming with food.

    When she reached the river, Merthid discovered her usual spot had been trampled, the bushes crushed. Disappointed but undeterred, she searched for a while and soon found a decent spot nearby¡ªa small, sheltered nook in the riverbank. She settled in, nibbling at the piece of bread that would be her only food for the day. She knew that she¡¯d get something more to eat only later, once she returned home, but she didn¡¯t mind; her work was simple¡ªjust keep an eye on the geese. And here by the castle, there were no large quetzas that might threaten her or the flock.

    After a pleasant day, as she was preparing to head home in the late afternoon, she glanced at the ground where she¡¯d been resting so comfortably. Her heart raced as she took in what lay before her: the whole hollow she had nestled into was actually a massive footprint. A giant foot had pressed into the earth, creating that stable, smooth spot where she¡¯d been sleeping so peacefully. A footprint as big as she was. The sight overwhelmed her, and her legs buckled as she fainted.

    The gentle nibbling of the alarmed geese at her toes woke her a little while later. Heart pounding as though it might burst from her chest, she stood and forced herself to look again. Yes, it was indeed a footprint. This time, she managed to stay on her feet.

    She looked around and spotted another footprint further off, then another¡ªfour in total. But strangely, they didn¡¯t continue in any direction; there were no other giant footprints before or after them. It was as if some huge creature had stepped out of the water¡­ but there weren¡¯t any prints leading into the river, either. Perhaps the river had washed away any others. But if so, where had the creature gone?

    Looking more closely, she noticed something even odder: a set of human footprints, bare and delicate, appearing right beside the last giant print, as though the monster had vanished and a person had appeared in its place. Yet even these human footprints didn¡¯t come from anywhere or lead anywhere beyond that spot. They simply existed, as if someone had materialized out of thin air.

    As she climbed up the riverbank, her heart still racing, she saw more of the human tracks in the grass ahead¡ªfeminine, slight, like those of a woman or young person. They headed straight toward the castle, as though someone had dropped from the sky and walked directly there. The geese began to pinch her, reminding her of the time. She looked up at the twin gods in the sky; it was getting late. With a last, uneasy glance at the footprints, she hurried home.

 Chapter 298 - A Spark in the Powder Keg

    When I woke up, Ju was already out of bed. I smiled, listening to the birds chirping outside¡ªit¡¯s such a nice way to wake up, surrounded by birdsong! She might¡¯ve left some food for them on the terrace; Ju has a way with animals. But then again, of course she does... she¡¯s an elf. A wood-elf, to be precise.

    Yawning and stretching, I glanced around to locate her, remembering she¡¯d invited me to join her for breakfast, though I¡¯d been too sleepy to agree at the time. ¡°Just five more minutes!¡± I¡¯d mumbled back then, clinging to sleep.

    She had to be nearby since she couldn¡¯t stray too far from the ring.

    During the night, we¡¯d ended up moving to her room because Sid had been restless. I¡¯d felt his excitement over our telepathic link¡ªhe¡¯d probably been dreaming about flying again.

    Rolling onto my other side, I looked toward the terrace connecting our rooms. The pink satin drapes swayed gently in the breeze, and sunlight poured over half the terrace, hinting it was already well into the morning. But the extra five minutes or so of sleep had done wonders, I felt fully restored, finally ready to start the day.

    I chuckled at the memory of those stormy hours flying with Sid, and his excited talk afterward about needing a place for his dragon hoard. It had been a truly remarkable day.

    Note to self: I need to get him some real books on dragons to replace that fairy tale collection he¡¯s been reading. The question was, where could I even find such books?

    I glanced around for my slippers¡ªmissing, of course. So, I padded across the cold marble to the bathroom, freshened up, and checked my face in the mirror. Last night, Sid had rolled over and smacked me in his sleep, so I half-expected a bruise, but thankfully, there was nothing.

    Pulling a blanket over my pajamas, I tiptoed barefoot to my room through the connecting door. Sid was sprawled out across the bed, a blissful grin on his face. I covered him gently, making sure not to wake him.

    Still no sign of my slippers. With a sigh, I headed barefoot to our council room to see if breakfast was still an option. Mike had set up a buffet for all of us, including the remaining followers.

    Only my bandmates were still around, enjoying an extended coffee break and chatting away. Guess I overslept more than just five minutes! Their heads turned when they heard my bare feet padding across the marble floor.

    "Morning!" I greeted. "Did you save me something to eat?"

    "Plenty!" Hew replied, just as Mike stood to pull out a chair for me.

    "Oh, Mike, you don¡¯t have to¡­" I started to protest, but he just shrugged.

    "Want me to get your usual breakfast? We¡¯ve got a couple of new cooks; let me know if it¡¯s any good," he said, pouring me a coffee.

    "You¡¯ve got to try the bread," Tom added, still chewing. "Fresh from the oven!"

    "Is this the last of the coffee?" I asked, savoring the first sip.

    "Nope, Alice brought in a fresh batch," Mike replied. "She¡¯s out in the barn, actually¡ªscouting a new horse since Lynx said he¡¯ll only be available for special cases."

    I chuckled at that.

    "How are Lyn and Sid integrating?" I wondered aloud.

    Mike sighed, but Tom jumped in first. "You introduced Sid as your son! Did you really think that through?"

    A sudden flare of anger rose in me. Who was he to question my choices? I tried to swallow it down, working to keep my tone even. "That¡¯s a serious question, Tom."

    I decided to leave it at that for the moment, refusing to let the anger have its way. Why was I so defensive? Turning to Mike, I asked, "Who can hear us here?"

    He shook his head. "Technically, no one. I borrowed Ju¡¯s bracelet and activated it. Part of why I arranged the buffet; staff will only be over on that side."

    I nodded, appreciating his foresight. Smart. I took a deep breath¡ªthese were my friends, I need not forget that!

    ¡°Well done,¡± I said to Mike. ¡°Someone must¡¯ve tipped off the Xsoha about my plan to expel them¡ªthey¡¯d already prepped a counter. I did manage to expel them, but now they¡¯re likely to drag me through some legal channels.¡±

    ¡°Hm? You don¡¯t sound all that worried,¡± Hew observed.

    I sighed.

    ¡°I am concerned,¡± I admitted, ¡°just not sure what action to take yet. For now, it¡¯s best we¡¯re more careful about where and what we say, so securing this area was a smart move.¡±

    ¡°We need to find the leak,¡± Tom suggested. ¡°One way is to give out different information to different people and see what surfaces. You can even create varying versions of the same story,¡± he explained.

    I turned to him, feeling calm enough to speak.

    "Good point," I replied. Or maybe I could use truth rays, though I¡¯d need someone else to handle the follow-up questions afterward¡ªthat spell does make me a bit tipsy, so I kept that option to myself for now. "Now, about Sid¡­" I began, gathering my thoughts. "I''ve adopted him, so he is my son. Since adoption doesn¡¯t quite exist here, it¡¯s simpler just to call him my son outright. Let no one suggest otherwise! Has anyone asked you about it?"

    Something in me bristled at having to explain myself, but I kept it in check. Tom raised a brow, then nodded.

    "Plenty have asked. Naturally, I confirmed it. But there¡¯s still the matter of the lynx mount no longer in the barn¡ªand then there¡¯s the dragon talk¡­¡±

    His answer reassured me. "Hmm. We could say the mount¡¯s out hunting in the forest. I might even play that part sometimes¡ªcould be fun. As for the dragon¡­ they¡¯re just tales and illusions, right? Think that¡¯ll fly?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Tricky, but possible.¡±

    "Why a son?" Hew asked, curiosity laced in his voice. "Why not a cousin or a brother if you want him as family? Honestly, you look too young to have a son that grown up¡ªthat''s why I¡¯m asking!"

    I snorted. Humans, always with the questions. You have to explain everything to them!

    "Hew, it¡¯s about what we are. As a junior dragon, he needs a mother. Without that bond, he feels lost, incomplete. He¡¯s too young to be on his own, and as a mother dragon, you just¡­ sense these things."

    "Lores, the mother dragon!" Tom quipped, only to lift his hands defensively as I shot him a look. "Got it, no jokes, no comments! We love you, Lores!"

    Satisfied the matter was settled, I turned toward Mike. "Where are the others?"

    "Ju¡¯s downstairs, doing her doctor stuff."

    "Doctor stuff?"

    "People from the villages come by with wounds, ailments¡ªshe sees if she can help them. She also asked if you¡¯d stop in. There are a few cases with parasites, and she hoped you could handle that. If you agree, she''ll set up some appointments for you."

    I sighed. Ju always had a way of grounding me, even when she wasn''t there. Now I was officially Pest Control Lores. With a nod, I gestured for him to continue.

    ¡°Tina and Michael are with Drackar¡ªhe wants to assess their training progress. I think Lynx¡ªuh, Lyn¡ªis with them too, unless he''s out on his rounds. Loretta, Tenessar, and Moran went to check on the villages, making sure things are running smoothly now that the Xsoha are gone. Hew wants to start rounds tomorrow to log the work, and we were just discussing the best way to organize them. Oh, and Durham asked to speak with you. He even submitted an official request for an audience¡ªhe said you¡¯re so hard to reach¡­¡± Mike finished with a wry look.

    I raised an eyebrow and sighed.

    ¡°Did I forget anyone?¡± Mike glanced at the other two.

    ¡°Sir Gamesh!¡± Tom replied.

    ¡°Oh, right! Sir Gamesh also wants to know who failed to inform you of the prince¡¯s visit. I told him it was my mistake,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hew added with a chuckle. ¡°Before he heard that, he demanded a public flogging of the ¡®idiot responsible.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± I muttered. Another mishap from my ¡®Ju-mana-week¡¯¡ªor whatever they call them here. ¡°He has no right to meddle in my affairs!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t discipline me, it might look like you deliberately ignored the prince,¡± Mike explained.

    ¡°I¡¯m already doing plenty for that prince,¡± I protested. ¡°He should really stop pestering me. Fine, we¡¯ll say I ¡®flogged¡¯ you.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Tom chimed in from the side. ¡°He got a private flogging session? Can I sign up for one, too? I can just see you in a leather suit¡­¡±

    I snorted, cutting him off. ¡°Tom! Is there anything you can¡¯t turn into some perverse joke?¡± I asked, aghast.

    He shook his head with a mischievous grin. ¡°Nope, that¡¯s me. You know that by now. Just so you know, you look adorable when you¡¯re mad!¡±

    I sighed in exasperation and turned to Mike, the more level-headed one. ¡°Alright, keep it vague. You¡¯ve been punished, and if anyone wants details, they can come to me for answers¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to say anything. Anything else? Where is Sir Gamesh now?¡±

    "They went hunting," Mike explained.

    "Hunting?" I asked, surprised.

    He nodded. "Yeah, a bear was spotted nearby. Probably level ten or so. They officially requested permission, and I went ahead and told them you''d granted it."

    I shrugged. "Oh. Alright, then."

    ¡°Right, there¡¯s one other thing,¡± Tom added. ¡°That neighbor¡­¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Ah, Baron Dillingwater!¡± Mike said, recalling it.

    ¡°What about him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He sent over a wagon with serfs who¡¯d tried to flee his domain. Eleven in total. Ju ended up paying the guard eleven silver for bringing them back."

    I blinked. "Wait... Serfs are trying to escape? And they¡¯re being brought back?¡±

    Tom sighed. ¡°That does seem to be the case.¡±

    ¡°Can they be freed?¡± I asked, mulling over the options. "What if we refuse to take them back?"

    Hew shook his head. ¡°Freeing them isn¡¯t possible. If you don¡¯t take them, they¡¯re just reassigned to other domains in need of labor. You can grant them a pass¡ªa document that allows them to relocate with their families to another domain. That way, at least, they¡¯d have some say in where they go.¡±

    ¡°They really can¡¯t be freed?¡± I asked again, hoping for a loophole.

    Tom nodded. ¡°They¡¯re bound to the land they¡¯re born on as serfs. That¡¯s the law here. Technically, they could move between domains or even to a town, but as serfs, they pay taxes through labor instead of money. That¡¯s the main difference.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, got it. But it still feels so¡­ wrong. I guess we should start offering an allowance to anyone wanting to leave.¡±

    ¡°Careful with your decisions," Mike cautioned. "The system may be flawed, but it holds things together, for better or worse. I know you¡¯d like to free everyone, but remember, you¡¯re responsible for the entire domain and everyone in it. You could let them go if you want, but soon we¡¯ll need more hands for the harvest¡ªand after that, to prepare the fields for the second. If we fall behind, we might even lose that second yield.¡±

    I sighed, weighing my options, feeling the pull between doing what felt right and what was needed to keep things running.

    *

    As I headed downstairs after breakfast, I met Sid coming up the stairs like any regular human, instead of just flying straight up to the fifth floor.

    "You missed breakfast! Where were you?" I asked. "Aren''t you hungry?"

    "I got breakfast from Kate," he explained.

    I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You ate properly, right?"

    He nodded with a little smile. "Yes, Mom. I didn¡¯t slurp or chew with my mouth open!"

    Not exactly the answer I¡¯d expected, but hopefully Kate had set out a hearty breakfast for him¡ªand it was good to know he was minding his manners.

    "And how did it go with Kate? Everything alright?"

    ¡°Oh, she was a little scared at first, but she says it¡¯s fine now.¡±

    I raised a brow.

    ¡°Why was she scared?" I asked. "Did you do something she didn¡¯t like?¡±

    ¡°Mom!?" he replied, feigning indignation. "I only took her up to the rooms I wanted prepared and had breakfast served. That¡¯s all!¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±

    Still, why did he want to have breakfast separately from us? And the poor girl was probably intimidated by his high level.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Kate, actually? The tall one with dark hair?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s Katerine,¡± he explained. ¡°Kate is the blonde one with friendly eyes!¡±

    Well then. Sid seemed to know the housemaids better than I did. Blonde with friendly eyes? There had to be at least five or six blondes, and didn¡¯t they all have friendly eyes? I shrugged.

    *

    The King of Kings paced the grand room, his heavy steps echoing off marble floors, then turned toward Merhang, the Gray Eminence, with a weary sigh.

    ¡°Read it,¡± he ordered.

    Merhang ripped the magic seal and infused the letter with a touch of mana. The words began to materialize as though spoken by the prince himself.

    ¡°Dear Dad¡­¡±

    The King snorted, waving his hand dismissively. Merhang, taking the hint, skimmed ahead.

    ¡°The journey has been quite¡­¡±

    ¡°Skip!¡± the King said, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°The scenery here is¡­¡±

    ¡°Skip!¡±

    ¡°We saw the baroness bathing in public, surrounded by a band of orcs¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, now it¡¯s getting interesting!¡± chuckled Nebesko, standing off to the side.

    The King scowled in disdain.

    Merhang glanced up briefly, then continued, ¡°...but we lost her in the crowd.¡±

    ¡°Did he even make it to his destination?¡± the King asked, his tone heavy with exasperation.

    Merhang gave a slight nod. ¡°Yes, Majesty. The missive was sent after his arrival at what appears to be a silver mine within the baroness¡¯s domain.¡±

    The King let out a weary sigh. ¡°The boy is utterly useless. What does your spy have to report?¡±

    Merhang¡¯s expression flickered with faint amusement. ¡°Her latest report came in today and includes more details. Shall I skip over the baroness¡¯s... colorful behavior? There¡¯s quite a bit about that.¡±

    ¡°Skip it,¡± the King said dismissively, though Nebesko let out a disappointed sigh.

    Merhang glanced up, momentarily catching the King¡¯s eye, before continuing. ¡°Her paladin and one of her warriors were somewhat loose-lipped, but the rest of her staff proved fiercely loyal, making it difficult to gather much more information. However, they did catch sight of her bathing with two men in the lake¡ªone introduced as her son, the other possibly an uncle or a close family friend.¡±

    ¡°A son?¡± the King asked, his eyebrows lifting ever so slightly.

    Merhang raised his eyes and nodded to confirm.

    "Yes, and there are troubling reports about both his and his friend''s power. They¡¯re said to be on par with Nebesko.¡±

    The King of Kings chuckled dryly, clasping his hands behind his back as he began to pace again.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not surprised, Merhang. Cala has built a reputation for herself¡ªI expected her to attract formidable allies. But a son powerful enough to rival Nebesko? Now that is... intriguing.¡± He paused, glancing sharply at the Gray Eminence, his eyes narrowing with deliberation.

    ¡°Who made this evaluation? Are there any more details? How could he have grown that strong so quickly?¡± Nebesko interjected, his voice laced with both unease and a flicker of excitement.

    Merhang consulted the letter again and nodded. ¡°Our source states the boy¡¯s magical aura is unusually potent. It¡¯s not just raw power¡ªit¡¯s distinct, almost... ancient. Sir Gamesh remarked that it felt otherworldly. He¡¯s cautious, even uneasy, about both the boy and his companion. Gamesh believes he felt there something... older, something beyond this realm.¡±

    The King tilted his head, a spark of intrigue lighting his expression. ¡°Gamesh is sensible, but an alarmist if there ever was one. And they have this powerful boy posing as her son?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Majesty,¡± Merhang confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s officially presented as such, and their behavior strongly supports the claim. It¡¯s convincing enough to suggest it may be true.¡±

    The King of Kings let out a low chuckle. ¡°So, we may finally have a complete picture of Cala¡¯s team. They were supposed to be five: the elf, the archer, the son, and the friend. Five, including Cala herself. Interesting that she had her son embedded in her group all along. Though this only loosely fits the intelligence we had on her team. How old is she supposed to be?¡±

    Archmage Flores interjected, his tone pensive. ¡°She might have performed one of those dark, forbidden rituals to amplify his power. It¡¯s hard to explain otherwise.¡±

    ¡°The team may have evolved over time, or perhaps the earlier details we had were deliberate misinformation,¡± Merhang replied smoothly. ¡°As for her age, our preliminary evaluation places her between twenty-eight and thirty-two.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right!¡± Fiona, Duchess of Cromwall, said with a soft chuckle. ¡°Or she had her ¡®son¡¯ very young!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not unheard of,¡± Nebesko replied with a shrug.

    Merhang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°True. But,¡± he turned toward the Duchess, ¡°there¡¯s also the possibility that Cala is older than she appears, and her current identity is just one of many she¡¯s taken over the years. Her look is completely manufactured.¡±

    Archmage Flores¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°What classes are the son and the friend?¡± he asked, a spark of concern in his voice.

    ¡°Both have mage classes,¡± Merhang replied. ¡°One is a mage-warrior, the other a mage-rogue.¡±

    A heavy silence fell over the room as the implications sank in.

    ¡°That¡¯s unheard of!¡± Archmage Flores finally exclaimed. ¡°Two archmages of unknown classes? They could be incredibly dangerous for the Kingdom. And what about the dragon rumors?¡±

    Merhang gave a slight shrug. ¡°No confirmed sightings yet, but plenty of stories from the orcs¡ªwhich are notoriously unreliable¡ªas well as the peasants. There are also signs and traces, but nothing definitive.¡±

    ¡°Peasants might mistake a wyvern for a dragon,¡± Fiona said dismissively. ¡°Though even a wyvern would be no small matter. Still,¡± she turned to the King, her expression shrewd, ¡°with such strong fighters at her command, I¡¯m left wondering¡ªwhat exactly is her role in all this?¡±

    The King of Kings huffed, a faint trace of amusement dancing in his eyes.

    ¡°She¡¯s exactly where she¡¯s meant to be. That barony borders both the orc tribes and an elven kingdom¡ªright at their shared edge. And when you put orcs and elves together in the same place, it¡¯s like mixing the components for an explosion. All it takes is a tiny spark, and boom.¡±

    ¡°And if there¡¯s no spark?¡± Nebesko asked, his tone laced with curiosity as the King''s smirk widened and Merhang chuckled softly.

    ¡°Then we provide one.¡± he said. ¡°Now, I see why those orc assassins had to be contracted. But the real question is: who¡¯s the fuel for the fire?¡±

    ¡°A certain princess, of course¡ªTherella,¡± the King answered with a touch of venom in his voice. ¡°The orcs will get their revenge on the elven king¡¯s family. And what better way to inflame those feminized elves and spur them into a blood feud against the orcs than such a grievance?¡±

    ¡°But the barony and the prince might be in danger!¡± Fiona pointed out, her tone edged with concern.

    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why it¡¯s good that Cala has high-level fighters with her,¡± the King replied, a glint of calculation in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to make nice with those orcs, but it only makes things more interesting. If something happens to the prince, we¡¯ll have a solid pretext to bear grievances and claim more land once the big war concludes¡ªbecause mark my words, there will be a big war. When two fight, the third wins, isn¡¯t that how it goes? Besides, if she succeeds, we win. If she fails, we still win.¡±

    Nebesko frowned slightly. ¡°So, are we meant to help her¡ªagainst either the orcs or the elves?¡±

    ¡°Why would the orcs attack her? Didn¡¯t she align herself with some of them?¡± Fiona asked, her brow furrowed.

    ¡°Drackar¡¯s orcs are renegades,¡± the King explained, his voice steady and assured. ¡°Almost as despised by the tribes as the elves are. Their presence doesn¡¯t diffuse the tension; it adds fuel to the fire. Cala and her team are just another spark in this volatile mix.¡± He turned to Nebesko. ¡°And no, of course not. We¡¯ll encourage her, promise support, but we won¡¯t commit our troops. We don¡¯t need a war spilling into our domains.¡±

    Fiona glanced at him, her expression a mix of awe and suspicion. ¡°Your Majesty, did you know Cala would come here? I¡¯m baffled by your foresight. Is this... the oracles¡¯ work?¡±

    The King shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. ¡°Any good plan requires only minor adjustments as events unfold,¡± he said dismissively, as though it were the simplest truth in the world.

    Archmage Flores crossed his arms, still unconvinced. ¡°The elves may be too strong for the orc tribes. We could end up with a vast elven kingdom on our border¡ªand no orcs left to buffer it.¡±

    The King chuckled lightly, shaking his head. ¡°I doubt it. The elves have some very high levels, true, but the orcs have the numbers. The orc tribes might fall first, but they¡¯ll call for aid from Hologomora, the Orc Kingdom. And let¡¯s not forget K¡¯hordock¡ªHologomora''s High King - he¡¯s no ordinary warlock; he¡¯s a force of chaos. He¡¯ll take down a few of those high-ranking elves before this is over. The elves might emerge victorious, but they¡¯ll be too weakened to handle another grinding war. The orcs will face the same fate."

    "The key to dealing with elves is attrition¡ªgrind them down, strip away their weaker members, and their society crumbles. What remains will be a handful of ancient monsters rotting away in their grand halls. As for the orcs? Similar story. In the long run, all that land will be ours.¡±

    His gaze shifted to Fiona. ¡°When do you leave for your residence and the celebration?¡±

    She nodded, her posture straightening. ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 299 - Unveiled Threads

    I headed downstairs to help Ju with the pest control work she¡¯d asked for, and what do I find? My slippers¡ªright there, on her feet! With a sigh and an eye roll, I resisted the urge to snatch them back and leave her barefoot. Maybe I let it slide because I was already wearing my boots.

    After wrapping up the medical hour, we headed to the barn, where Ju insisted on giving me a horse riding lesson. ¡°A baroness who can¡¯t ride? Unacceptable,¡± she declared. Personally, I didn¡¯t see the contradiction, but reasoning with her was futile. Before I knew it, I was being rhythmically jostled on the back of a ''gentle'' mare, circling around Ju while she bombarded me with instructions¡ªand colorful commentary about what the mare supposedly thought of me. She doesn¡¯t actually speak horse, but she claims to interpret their body language. Or maybe she was just having fun and making it all up.

    No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t get in sync with the beast. After a while, my backside felt sore enough to serve as a constant reminder of my failure. In my opinion, that was the only tangible outcome of this so-called training. Honestly, I started to suspect Ju might have a bit of a sadistic streak and had cleverly found a way to torment me under the guise of helpful instruction.

    At noon, we had what Mike called a proper "business lunch," this time in a spacious room on the first floor. Previously occupied by the Xsoha, the area was now being reorganized under Mike¡¯s direction. The room was conveniently closer to the kitchens, with wide windows that opened onto a terrace overlooking the castle¡¯s inner yard. On the opposite side, a sturdy fireplace dominated the wall, adding a touch of warmth to the space.

    A large mahogany table stretched lengthwise along the windows, its polished surface gleaming in the light. The floor was a mix of granite stones bordered by wooden plaques. I knew Mike had debated whether to replace the wood entirely or just restore it. For now, a thorough cleaning had left it looking serviceable enough for my taste.

    The rest of the room was sparsely furnished, the walls bare and awaiting decoration. Mike, ever the perfectionist, was still working on it, though I didn¡¯t mind the minimalist aesthetic for now.

    The conversation centered mostly on administrative matters. Taking over the Xsoha¡¯s duties had gone relatively smoothly, though a few minor errors and hiccups had cropped up here and there. I also discovered that the Xsoha hadn¡¯t entirely vacated the domain. While they weren¡¯t actively working here anymore, a group of them was still staying at the inn.

    ¡°What are they doing there?¡± I asked, puzzled. Why would they spend money to stay at the inn within the domain?

    ¡°Most of them moved on to the nearest town,¡± Alice said, confirming my suspicions. ¡°But a few were left behind to manage their possessions within the domain.¡±

    That caught me off guard.

    ¡°They have possessions here?¡± I asked, surprised.

    Alice glanced at Durham, but when no one else spoke, she took it upon herself to answer.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve just learned. Apparently, the Xsoha own many of the peasants¡¯ houses.¡±

    ¡°What? How is that even possible?¡± I asked, incredulous.

    ¡°Peasants borrow money from the Xsoha,¡± Durham explained. ¡°When they can¡¯t pay it back, their houses become Xsoha property. Now they pay rent for those houses in the form of money, work, or goods.¡± He seemed to know the most about these Xsoha dealings.

    ¡°But the land belongs to me¡ªbelongs to the domain,¡± I protested. ¡°How can they own those houses?¡±

    ¡°The houses built by serfs on the domain are considered their property,¡± Ju explained calmly. ¡°Of course, they need the domain owner¡¯s approval to build, but traditionally, the domain owners don¡¯t interfere with these rights. It¡¯s similar to the parcels of land peasants farm.¡±

    She continued, ¡°The peasants have parcels that are technically theirs, though they still belong to the domain. They pay for those parcels with a portion of their harvest. However, there have been cases where peasants ¡®sold¡¯ their parcels to the Xsoha, leaving them paying twice¡ªonce to the domain and once to the Xsoha from their harvest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why much of the grain production is leaving the domain,¡± Loretta added, her tone sharp with displeasure. ¡°I mean the peasants¡¯ share of it.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s one of the reasons the peasants have no reserves for the long winter,¡± Tenessar said, summing it up grimly.

    ¡°Oh, fuck! They¡¯ll starve when the long winter comes!¡± I blurted out, dismayed.

    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t borrow money if they can¡¯t pay it back,¡± Durham stated coldly, his tone as unyielding as his words.

    ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± I countered, ignoring his bluntness. ¡°We need to do something about it. But what can we do?¡±

    ¡°Pay the peasants¡¯ debts?¡± Loretta suggested, though her tone betrayed she wasn¡¯t entirely confident in the idea.

    ¡°So they can borrow more from the Xsoha?¡± Durham shot back.

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Hew asked, frowning.

    Durham shrugged. ¡°Because they can? Maybe they¡¯d buy more cows, or something flashy from the town market¡ªlike those so-called trinkets that promise to increase field production. Or just new linens and clothes.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Do those trinkets even work?¡± I wondered aloud, feeling a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.

    Ju rolled her eyes, the gesture practically dripping with disdain. ¡°Most of them are just painted bits of ceramic with no magical value,¡± she explained. ¡°Though a few do work. The real problem is that the peasants can¡¯t reliably tell the difference. And even when they buy something legitimate, the results are almost always grossly overstated.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let things stay like this,¡± I said, trying to sound resolute.

    ¡°And do what, exactly?¡± Durham challenged, his tone making it clear he thought I had no plan.

    I sighed and shrugged, unable to counter him.

    ¡°Some baronies forbid peasants from selling grain unless they can prove they have a certain amount in reserve,¡± Moran offered, his voice measured.

    I raised a brow at him. ¡°You don¡¯t sound too convinced by that idea.¡±

    He shrugged in return. ¡°In most cases, it doesn¡¯t work well. They bribe whoever¡¯s in charge of inspections or trick them by hiding the real situation¡ªlike covering a pile of dirt with a thin layer of grain to make it look like they have more.¡±

    I let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the problem settle in. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s table this for now. But before our next meeting, I want all of you to think about it and bring me suggestions¡ªanything we can actually do to fix this.¡±

    After the meeting, Durham approached me for a private audience, so we retreated to another room where coffee was promptly served.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked, cutting straight to the point.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, Lady Lores,¡± he began, his tone steady but laced with urgency. ¡°I¡¯m the fifth son of a minor noble family. No lands now, and probably none in the future given my place in the inheritance line, but I know a thing or two about domain administration. You¡¯re making a grave mistake by antagonizing the Xsoha. They have powerful backing¡ªsome even say they¡¯re the King¡¯s way of keeping the nobles in check.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to resolve this situation peacefully,¡± he added, leaning forward slightly.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®peacefully¡¯?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the legal battles, which you¡¯re almost guaranteed to lose,¡± he said, his voice growing sharper. ¡°The domain could soon face an outright attack. A couple of hundred gold coins and the promise of more can hire plenty of marauders to wreak havoc. What would you do then?¡±

    I raised a brow, unimpressed. ¡°That¡¯s what the orcs are for, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t be everywhere, all the time,¡± Durham countered, his expression serious.

    I snorted softly, taking a deliberate sip of my coffee.

    ¡°I think the orcs can handle any would-be marauders,¡± I said, keeping my tone even. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the legal side of things. Some clown told them about the unpaid taxes¡ªand I plan to use that against them.¡±

    Durham coughed into his hand, shifting uncomfortably. ¡°That clown may have been me, my lady,¡± he admitted. ¡°I... might have let it slip when I was trying to get their version of the story. You see, I didn¡¯t believe the orcs at first, and the Xsoha assured me they were lying.¡±

    For a moment, I stared at him, wondering what possessed him to confess. Perhaps he remembered the priest from the recruiting session, the one who betrayed himself under my gaze, and thought I might have some spell to uncover the truth. Or maybe he was just that naive.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    I turned sharply and yelled toward the door, where I knew the orc who stood guard. ¡°Towax!¡± I yelled.

    The door swung open immediately, revealing a burly orc, alert and ready.

    ¡°Please ensure this person leaves the domain at once,¡± I ordered, my voice cold.

    ¡°Lady Lores!¡± Durham protested, his voice tinged with panic.

    I felt a sharp heat near my temples¡ªthe faint activation of my horns. ¡°The audience is finished. Leave!¡± I commanded.

    *

    ¡°Please, have mercy on the furniture,¡± Mike said with a sigh, eyeing the ashes of the freshly bought fauteuil that had the misfortune of being under Durham during our audience. ¡°The furniture can¡¯t run, you know!¡±

    He walked over to me, stopping by the open window where I was letting the smoke escape.

    I sighed heavily. ¡°He was the idiot who told the Xsoha about the tax situation, and he had the nerve to claim I didn¡¯t explicitly tell him not to!¡± I grumbled. ¡°Is he gone?¡±

    Mike nodded. ¡°Yes. Drackar assigned a small troop to escort him out.¡±

    The rest of the afternoon drifted by in a blur of small, forgettable tasks. Nothing worth calling an accomplishment, but somehow, I felt as drained as if I¡¯d endured a full day of school with all my favorite teachers.

    *

    In the evening, I headed off for my private session with the prince and finally crossed paths with the elf mage who had fixed the bathroom. His name was Thielo, an arcane mage specializing in magical inscriptions and tools, and he was level seventy-seven. For his level, he seemed rather old. Not that he looked ancient¡ªelves usually had the ageless appearance of teenagers¡ªbut Thielo had the look of a mature man in his sixties. He had a thin build, a long nose, bushy gray eyebrows, and gray hair that was long enough to flutter around his ears.

    I took the opportunity to ask him to fix the water in our quarters. He explained that this had originally been an elf castle, which was why no one else knew how to maintain the installations. Thielo wasn¡¯t cheap, but he clearly knew his craft. There was some additional work needed, like cleaning out the sewers to prevent future clogs. While he refused to do it himself, he at least showed me where and what to do.

    All in all, it had been a productive day. Not only had I tackled various issues, but I¡¯d also uncovered the ''leak'' in my entourage. Just as I was about to head to the evening meal, however, a very pale and flustered Dame Elanea appeared, her expression enough to set anyone on edge.

    ¡°A catastrophe has happened, my prince,¡± she said, her voice trembling. ¡°The elven delegation is here, and they¡¯re demanding to speak with you!¡±

 Chapter 300 - Shadows of the Shrine

    Just as I was preparing to head to the evening meal, a very pale and visibly shaken Dame Elanea burst through the doorway. Her helm dangled loosely from her left hand, her usually immaculate hair in disarray. She was breathing hard, as if she¡¯d just sprinted across the entire castle, and the look on her face was enough to make anyone¡¯s stomach drop.

    ¡°A catastrophe has happened, my prince!¡± she gasped out, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°The elven delegation has arrived¡ªand they¡¯re demanding to speak with you immediately!¡±

    ¡°Where are they?¡± I asked, my mind racing.

    ¡°Outside the castle gates, waiting for His Highness,¡± Dame Elanea replied, letting out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they come inside? Is it because of the orcs?¡± I pressed.

    The prince placed a steadying hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Perhaps we should first hear what Dame Elanea has to say,¡± he suggested quietly.

    I swallowed hard, realizing he was right. Dame Elanea turned to me, her piercing, icy gaze locking onto mine.

    ¡°They speak of war,¡± she declared grimly. ¡°Princess Therella has been captured¡ªlikely killed¡ªby orcs. The elven delegation demands to know where our prince stands in this conflict.¡±

    War with elves had always been a pain in the ass. Their low birth rate meant they lacked the numbers, but their children were born with a natural advantage in magic, often starting at levels between ten and, in rare cases, fifty or sixty. Royal lineages consistently reached the higher end of this spectrum. Coupled with their incredible longevity, this allowed them to attain exceptional levels over time.

    However, their aversion to violence, their cautious, risk-averse tendencies with many elves living secluded in their villages for centuries, gaining only a handful of levels as they tended orchards or cultivated fruit, made them reluctant warriors.

    Even so, those who did reach the highest levels were a force to be reckoned with. These old monsters rarely took direct action. Their mere presence¡ªor the threat of their involvement¡ªwas usually enough to bend situations to their will.

    To hear them speak openly of war was, therefore, a turbocharged escalation. Then again, the death of a royal could warrant such a dramatic shift.

    Dame Elanea, noticing my shock and confusion, seemed to revel in it, her lips curling into a sly grin as she added,

    "So yes, they won¡¯t step now inside because of the orcs¡ª they¡¯ll come in after their reinforcements arrive. Perhaps you should make yourself scarce by then, Lady Lores, as their plan seems to involve taking over and razing the castle."

    "Why would they attack the castle? We don¡¯t have the princess here!" I stammered.

    "They seem to think otherwise," she replied with a nonchalant shrug, then turned to the prince with a pointed look.

    "Your Highness, my advice is to distance ourselves from the orcs immediately. We need to avoid any implication that the Kingdom is involved in this catastrophe."

    The prince nodded, his expression unreadable.

    "Dame Elanea, your advice is appreciated. I will consult with Sir Gamesh and Lady Lores before making any decisions. For now, we must speak with the elves to understand what has happened. The mere presence of orcs here isn¡¯t sufficient cause to declare war. Is this everything you know about the situation?"

    I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by how composed and mature he acted under the circumstances.

    Dame Elanea let out a faint sigh of disappointment but quickly straightened, her expression tightening as she replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    "I need to talk to Drackar," I said abruptly, standing up.

    The prince gave a small nod. "We¡¯ll meet in the yard before speaking with the elves. Let¡¯s approach them together."

    "Okay," I replied, already heading for the door. From the corner of my eye, I caught Sir Gamesh wincing at my casual tone towards the prince. But right now, I had no time for such formalities.

    To move faster, I shifted into shadow form, sweeping up my belongings before they even touched the ground. Finally, I¡¯d mastered using my inventory in this form.

    Dame Elanea yelped in surprise, shuddering as though a chill had run down her spine. "Brrr. I always get frissons when she does that!" she muttered, glancing around warily, as though expecting the shadows to reach out. "It¡¯s so creepy! Like she¡¯s some kind of ghost!"

    The prince chuckled softly, while Sir Gamesh released a long-suffering sigh. "There may be some unpleasant decisions that need to be made, Your Highness," he said gravely.

    As I crossed the yard, I found it buzzing with unrest. Word of the elves¡¯ arrival was spreading fast, and everyone was eager to learn more. In a quieter corner, Drackar was deep in conversation with Ju.

    I materialized beside them, cloaked in shadow just long enough to reappear dressed in an illusion. Drackar''s reaction told me he had sensed my approach; his hand had instinctively gone to the pommel of his sword, but he didn¡¯t draw it, merely relaxing as he turned to face me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, wasting no time.

    Drackar sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, good to see you Lady Lores! Unfortunately, we know only what the elves¡¯ envoy relayed to that paladin at the main door. The eastern riverbank¡ªthe area they traveled through¡ªhasn¡¯t been patrolled as requested by the prince through to Sir Gamesh and your Alice.¡± His voice grew heavy. ¡°Besides that, two of our kids are missing.¡±

    ¡°How old and what level are these kids?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at Drackar. ¡°And where did they go?¡±

    ¡°Fifteen and seventeen,¡± he replied, ¡°Both are sons of Drell, a soldier from the fifth company. Their levels are around ten. They¡¯d mentioned wanting to go hunting but knew full well they shouldn¡¯t venture into that area today.¡±

    ¡°Are there many orc children here?¡± I asked, tilting my head in curiosity. I couldn¡¯t recall seeing any.

    ¡°No,¡± Drackar said with a shake of his head. ¡°Our families typically stay in settlements within the tribal lands. However, Drell¡¯s wife passed recently, and Wetina allowed him to bring the boys here to live with the troop. Drell believed her death wasn¡¯t an accident, which is why he wanted them close.¡±

    I winced hearing that. ¡°Ugh. Could these kids possibly have anything to do with the princess¡¯s disappearance?¡±

    Drackar let out a long sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how. There¡¯s no clear connection between the two events. However, we need to send search parties for the boys. Should they go on the eastern riverbank too?¡±

    I exchanged a quick glance with Ju, but before I could decide what to do, I spotted the prince stepping into the yard, fully armed and ready to meet the elves. Turning back to Drackar, I spoke quickly.

    "Hold off on sending the search troops until we¡¯ve spoken with the elves,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Sid to scout from above.¡±

    He nodded silently. As I started toward the prince, Ju caught my arm.

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t go to meet the elves wearing illusions,¡± she suggested.

    I sighed, knowing she was right. Quickly, I cloaked the area in front of me with another layer of illusions and hurriedly changed into my dress. As I wrestled to pull the fine dress over my horns without skewering it in my haste, I vowed that one day, I¡¯d master doing this straight from my inventory.

    Midway through, Sid¡¯s voice buzzed in my mind, already responding to my telepathic call.

    ¡°Mom, I saw a couple of young orcs spying on the elves earlier. Should I check if the elves have them?¡±

    My stomach twisted. Oh, no! Not this!

    "Don''t go," I told Sid, irritation creeping into my voice. If that was the case, I already had a good idea where they might be. "I''ll check myself. Where are you?"

    "In my tower with my guest! Would you like to come?"

    I sighed. His tone was cheerful, and there was a hint of pride in his voice. It was clear he wanted to show me something, but this was absolutely the worst time for one of his games.

    "Not now, Sid. Maybe later."

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As I turned toward the prince, Lyn hurried over, urgency written all over his face.

    "We need to talk!" he said.

    I let out another sigh. Why does everyone want to talk when there''s no time, and the house is figuratively burning down around us?

    "Not now, Lyn. I''m going to meet the elves. We can talk after this," I explained, trying to keep my tone steady.

    He looked like he wanted to protest but thought better of it. With a curt nod, he turned and made his way toward the parapet, his steps heavy with frustration.

    Pleasantly surprised that Lyn had listened without a word of protest, I quickly joined the prince. Despite Dame Elanea¡¯s insistence that the elves wanted to speak solely with him, the prince stated that, as the baroness of the domain, I should also attend. It suited me perfectly.

    The delegation consisted of the prince, myself, Sir Gamesh, and three other paladins. Ju would follow discreetly behind with Alice. Although Ju had previously mentioned that elves held little regard for those of their kind who worked with humans¡ªespecially in servile roles like hers¡ªshe reluctantly agreed to accompany me after a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    The situation grew complicated as the paladins arrived with their horses, including the prince''s. Watching them prepare, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of unease. Horses and I had a less-than-amicable history¡ªevery single one I''d ridden so far seemed to take great joy in either throwing me off or outright refusing my presence. Even the "gentle" mare only tolerated me when Kurr or Ju intervened to calm her.

    I was just about to ask Ju if she could help me with the mare again when, coming out of the barn, my lynx mount appeared, striding confidently across the yard. For a split second, I was baffled, instinctively glancing toward the parapet where Lyn still stood. Then it hit me¡ªit was only an illusion.

    I couldn¡¯t suppress a happy chuckle as I climbed onto its back.

    "You thought you''d leave without me, eh?" Lynx grumbled in his beast tongue, his low growl carrying just the right amount of sass.

    "I missed you too," I replied, brushing my hand over his shoulder. He let out a deep, rumbling chuckle in response, his stride steady as we set off.

    We left the castle at a deliberate pace, the tension palpable. Two of the paladins rode beside us, their staffs held high, casting a soft glow of holy light over our group. The ethereal sheen felt oddly comforting.

    I glanced at the prince, riding just ahead of me. His demeanor towards me had always been friendly, but ever since I¡¯d orchestrated his chats with Fara, he had started treating me like an old comrade.

    When we were about fifty paces from their camp, two figures emerged from the shadows. One was a warrior, his stance rigid and imposing, and the other a priestess whose aura radiated calm authority.

    The warrior raised a hand, his voice sharp and commanding. "No step closer, humans!"

    I pinged them. The warrior was level ninety-six, and the priestess¡ªa remarkable level ninety-nine. The strongest individuals I¡¯d encountered so far. Well, aside from me, of course.

    As we halted as instructed, the priestess stepped forward, her gaze sharp.

    ¡°Give me my little T¡¯rella back! Is she still alive? What ransom do you want?!¡± the priestess cried, her voice trembling with both fear and anger.

    I tilted my head, letting out a sigh. Her pain was palpable.

    ¡°If I knew where she was, she would already be here with us,¡± I replied, dismounting Lynx in a flutter of satin.

    As I landed, a wet splash reached my ears, and I felt the cold seeping into my shoes. A glance downward revealed the treacherous puddle I¡¯d leapt into. Mud oozed over the edges of my soft, lovely shoes, staining them. At least it wasn¡¯t as bad as the mine¡¯s endless muck, but still¡ªa pang of regret hit me. Maybe I should¡¯ve take the time to put on my boots.

    The warrior¡¯s sharp voice interrupted my thoughts, addressing the paladins. ¡°Is the beastgirl speaking for the prince?¡±

    I raised my head, meeting his gaze. ¡°My name is Lores of Orcmound. I own this castle, and you are on my land. With me is His Highness, Prince Kotusawendu, and members of his suite. Now, who are you, and what is it you seek?¡±

    The prince, standing slightly behind me, seemed content to let me lead the exchange. His quiet confidence emboldened me, though the tension in the air was palpable.

    The priestess studied me with suspicion, while the warrior, responded with a dismissive shrug.

    ¡°I am General Wogt Thunderstrike, and this is Vice-Queen Levaite Hara,¡± he declared, his tone sharp and commanding. ¡°Even from here, I can tell your castle is crawling with orcs, ¡®Lady¡¯ Lores.¡± His emphasis on my title dripped with disdain.

    ¡°So, little orc servant,¡± he continued, as though addressing someone far beneath him, ¡°we¡¯ve been tracking the assassins who ambushed our princess and captured your orc scouts in the process. For your own good, I hope the princess hasn¡¯t been harmed! The sooner she¡¯s returned to us, the fewer problems you¡¯ll have.¡± He pointed toward the castle with a threatening gesture. ¡°Release her immediately, or you won¡¯t have a castle by the time this is over!¡±

    I kept my tone measured, though his words grated on me. ¡°What scouts and what assassins are you talking about?¡± I asked, ¡°What did happen, why is your princess missing if you chased the culprits?¡±

    The general stepped closer, his face darkening, but the priestess silenced him with a sudden exclamation.

    ¡°Juliletta?¡± Vice-Queen Levaite¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief.

    I turned toward the source of her surprise and saw Julietta approaching us with calm poise.

    ¡°Hello, Aunt Levaite,¡± Julietta said in elvish, her tone polite but sad. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again¡ªthough I wish it were under better circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Julietta Trachenorma?¡± the elf warrior, Wogt, exclaimed, his expression torn between shock and suspicion.

    ¡°Hello, nephew!¡± Julietta replied, offering a slight nod.

    Oh, wonderful, I thought. An elf family reunion on my doorstep.

    ¡°What are you doing here, girl?¡± the priestess, Levaite, interjected. Her sharp eyes scanned Julietta. ¡°There are many rumors about you. Are you free to speak your mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Aunt Levaite, I am free to speak my mind,¡± Julietta assured her. Then, with a faint smirk, she added, ¡°Just so you know, Lores speaks Elvish too.¡±

    The priestess¡¯s eyebrows rose. Her gaze shifted to me and she inclined her head slightly.

    ¡°Hello again, Lady Lores,¡± she said. ¡°I did not know you were one of the initiates.¡±

    It was my turn to raise a brow, confused by the implication. It seemed that merely speaking Elvish carried some weight.

    "Hello Vice-Queen!" I said nodding

    ¡°Her speaking Elvish doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s on our side,¡± Wogt said, gesturing dismissively toward me.

    ¡°Aunt Levaite,¡± Julietta cut in, her voice firm, ¡°can you tell us what has happened? I¡¯ll translate for the prince,¡± she offered, glancing at Kotusawendu.

    The vice-queen hesitated for a moment before nodding, her expression softening slightly.

    ¡°On our way here, we passed by the shrine of Haerea, our Goddess of the Shadows,¡± Levaite began, her voice steady but tinged with sorrow. ¡°The shrine lies on the border between our two kingdoms. Therella, as is tradition, went for her pilgrimage. Everyone must face the Goddess of the Shadows alone¡ªso it is in death, and so it is in pilgrimage."

    ¡°To ensure her safety, General Wogt went ahead. As the area was deemed secure, Therella entered alone and I followed at a distance, as is required, keeping far enough away so that we could not see one another¡ªany intrusion would render the pilgrimage invalid. Others from our group were also performing their pilgrimages and followed behind me.¡±

    Levaite paused, her expression darkening. ¡°As I neared the shrine, I was ambushed by a pair of vicious assassins. Only my swift reaction and the power granted to me by our gods allowed me to survive. By the time General Wogt reached me, the attackers had fled. That was when we realized that my little T''rella was missing.

    ¡°We immediately sounded the alarm, and our troops began a search.¡± Her voice wavered slightly before she composed herself, a faint flicker of pain in her eyes.

    "Our warriors discovered two young scouts who confessed to spying on us and relaying information about our pilgrimage through a magic scroll," the vice-queen said, her tone laced with frustration. "They clearly knew about the shrine and how the pilgrimage must be conducted¡ªthey set a trap based on that knowledge. The scouts also admitted they came from this castle."

    She paused, raising her gaze to meet mine. "Now, tell me¡ªwhat do you have to say in your defense?"

    I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I had a suspicion about who the scouts were, but had they truly done this? Could Drackar have lied to me? I exchanged a glance with Ju, seeking her silent counsel: too bad she wasn''t a telephat like Sid.

    "I need to speak with the prisoners," I said.

    The general huffed, clearly unimpressed, but the vice-queen stepped closer, taking my hands in hers. Her eyes searched mine, filled with desperation.

    "Please," she said softly, "help us find my little T¡¯rella."

    Then, turning to Ju, she added with a touch of warmth, "Will you stay with us for a while? There is so much I wish to talk to you about..."

    Even as I sympathized with the vice-queen¡¯s plight, her request raised some unsettling questions. Was she hoping to take Ju as leverage until the missing princess was found? I exchanged a quick glance with Ju. She couldn¡¯t stray far from the ring, and this place was too far from the castle.

    "I¡¯ll leave Alice with you," I said finally, noticing the hopeful glint in her eyes that betrayed her desire to stay.

    With that, I turned my attention to the two orc prisoners. They looked very much like the teenagers Drackar had described¡ª and now unnervingly docile. Their glassy eyes and monotone speech made it evident they had been dosed with some kind of truth serum. They spoke freely, mechanically recounting the events as I¡¯d heard them from the vice-queen.

    ¡°How could these low-level idiots have slipped past the scrutiny of the elves?¡± Lynx grumbled, padding up beside me. His low growl startled both the prisoners and their elven guards, who stiffened visibly.

 Chapter 301 â€“ Become a Respected Dragon In Two Easy Steps

    Above us stretched a dark sky, dotted with countless stars forming constellations I couldn¡¯t name. To the west, a shimmering nebula caught the eye¡ªa celestial anomaly known as the Eye of Akhorus, named after the one-eyed god of the nomadic orc tribes. Other faiths had their own names for it, but this was the one that stuck with me. Ahead, the castle loomed, bathed in the eerie glow of Mike¡¯s enchanted torches. Their flickering light cast shifting shadows over the walls and towers, making the place look like a bastion of some monster, like the lair of a malevolent sorceress. Was it just my imagination running wild? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the nearby villagers viewed it.

    I sighed as the prince and Sir Gamesh peppered me with questions about what had been agreed, their voices a constant drone as our mounts trotted steadily toward the castle. The path was still illuminated by the holy light of two paladins riding ahead. I fought the urge to snap at them to extinguish those damn lights so I could properly admire the sky.

    Well, not much had been settled, but at least for now, there were no hostilities. The elves had agreed to stay put in their current encampment, giving me a brief window to investigate. I needed to dig into the orcs¡¯ ranks, uncover the extent of the treason, and¡ªmost crucially¡ªfind out what had happened to Princess Therella.

    Leaving Ju and Alice behind gnawed at me. I hated it, feared for their safety, and felt the simmering urge to burn the entire elven camp to the ground and drag my friends back. But I knew Ju wouldn¡¯t appreciate that, and it wasn¡¯t a solution¡ªnot yet, anyway. The best course of action was to resolve this mess quickly. Or at the very least, find out where that elusive princess had vanished to.

    While discussing the situation with the prince, Lynx kept harassing me with his low growls, his observations rumbling through my thoughts. Annoying as he was, he had a point. Those kids were far too low-level to sneak past unnoticed. If the elves had missed them, their flank security must have been laughably lax.

    And then there was the ambush. How had the assassins managed to stay hidden long enough to strike? The general had gone ahead, hadn¡¯t he? Shouldn¡¯t he have spotted them? I didn¡¯t know the attackers¡¯ exact levels, but the fact that the priestess had managed to fend them off, even when caught off guard, was curious. True, she was a high-level priestess, but Ju had mentioned that her strengths were almost entirely in healing, with barely any offensive magic. Yet she had survived. That raised more questions than answers.

    "Your mount seems rather displeased," Sir Gamesh remarked, his tone carefully measured. "Aren¡¯t you worried it might bite someone?"

    I snorted, catching his subtle attempt to wedge himself between me and the prince. Nice try, but no. I gave Lynx a pat on the shoulder.

    "Sir Gamesh, he¡¯s not particularly fond of elves," I replied with a shrug, my tone light but pointed. "Especially that general. Let¡¯s just say the impression wasn¡¯t favorable and he tries to convey it in this way."

    I turned towards Sir Gamesh, a sly grin tugging at my lips, Dame Elania happening to be just behind him.

    "Don¡¯t worry," I said breezily, "he only eats those who try to harass me."

    Lynx let out a low, rumbling protest, which only made the moment more amusing. Dame Elanea gasped, her eyes darting to Lynx.

    ¡°Oh, that one!¡± the prince chuckled at my feeble attempt at humor. ¡°I think I can sympathize with your mount!¡±

    I couldn''t openly converse with Lynx in his current form¡ªdoing so would reveal to everyone that I understood beast tongue and that his growls were far more than simple noises. But there was a loophole: monologuing. It allowed me to frame my thoughts aloud, giving Lynx the chance to respond in his own way, even before we reached the castle.

    From what he¡¯d been hinting, he suspected something far darker. Either some of the elves, including the esteemed General Wogt, were complicit in the assassination attempt, or they¡¯d learned of the plan and conveniently allowed it to unfold. Lynx¡¯s theory? Wogt might just be itching for a war to call his own.

    Drackar''s orcs had only learned about the elf delegation at the last minute. Even then, they didn¡¯t know the specifics¡ªjust that a delegation was coming. Sir Gamesh had kept most of us, including me, largely in the dark. It wasn¡¯t until much later that I even found out about the princess. But the attackers? They seemed to know exactly who their targets were: the princess and the vice-queen. And somehow, they also knew about the shrine, which I hadn¡¯t even heard of before now.

    Could they have gotten their intel from sources within the elven ranks? Or, more troublingly, from someone inside the Kingdom? The thought gnawed at me.

    Ugh, I hated these tangled plots where you couldn¡¯t tell friend from foe! So much of it didn¡¯t add up. Why attack the vice-queen with a force that was clearly inadequate? If Drackar had orchestrated this, he could have sent far more capable orcs. But then again, why would Drackar want to ignite a war with the elves in the first place? What could he possibly stand to gain?

    As I stepped into the castle¡¯s yard, I motioned for an orc to summon Drackar to the office. I needed to inform him about the two young orcs and see what more I could glean from him. I sighed, already anticipating the challenge. If only I could handle Flo¡¯s truth rays without ending up embarrassingly drunk¡ªthis was precisely the kind of situation where they¡¯d be invaluable.

    Unfortunately, even if I managed to get some, regular truth serums like the ones used on the young orcs wouldn¡¯t work on mid-level individuals, let alone someone as formidable as Drackar or his lieutenants.

    Before confronting him, though, I decided to head to my room. My shoes were still caked in mud, and my feet felt grimy. A fresh pair of shoes and a quick wash would at least help me feel somewhat composed.

    I bid the prince farewell, promising to keep him updated on my investigation. He nodded and turned toward the east wing, where he and the paladins were staying. Meanwhile, I slipped into the main hall, my mind already racing through the questions I¡¯d need to ask Drackar.

    I had barely taken two steps into the hall when a horde of gremlins came charging toward me, shouting at the top of their lungs¡ªonly to skid to a halt just short of collision.

    "Not Alice," declared the leader of the pack.

    At those magic words, the entire group froze, exchanging disappointed looks. Their leader turned to the maid, who was valiantly trying to wrangle the lot of them, herding them like unruly cats.

    "My lady," the maid said, offering a quick curtsy. Another couple of human women appeared behind her, bowing their heads as they curtsied as well. Clearly, this was one of Alice¡¯s projects involving the orphans from the domain. I sighed.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "I''m sorry, children," I said, my tone softer now. "Alice has to stay with Lady Ju and the elves for a little while longer."

    Turning to the maid, I couldn¡¯t help but let a bit of my frustration slip. "Why are these children not in bed yet?"

    The maid dipped her head apologetically. "I''m deeply sorry, my lady. They heard the horses and thought Lady Alice had returned," she explained, as if that would excuse the pandemonium.

    I sighed again, resigning myself to the chaos of the moment. Without another word, I ascended the stairs, leaving the poor women to handle the gremlins alone. They¡¯d have to fight their battle without me tonight.

    As I reached the fifth level and passed the library, a cheery voice called out, ¡°Hi, Mom!¡±

    I still wasn¡¯t used to being called "Mom." It took me a few moments to gather my thoughts. Since the days of playing house with Lola when I was five, no one had called me that. The memory made me chuckle, and I turned to face Sid. He was seated comfortably, sifting through the books Ju had left behind, likely hunting for another fairy tale about dragons.

    He looked up, his eyes bright. ¡°Oh my, you look tired, Mom!¡±

    I shrugged, letting out a weary sigh. ¡°I¡¯m dealing with some elf troubles, and the orcs aren¡¯t exactly making things easier either.¡± I paused, raising a brow. ¡°And you? Why are you still up and not in bed?¡±

    Given how Sid usually slept through half the day, I was surprised at how lively and alert he seemed. He flashed a grin, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth, his energy almost contagious.

    ¡°I had things to do in my tower! I want to become a respected dragon!" he declared proudly, puffing out his chest. "When you have time, I''ll show you everything!"

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead gave him a sidelong glance, taking a measured breath.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make time tomorrow,¡± I promised.

    My instincts nudged me¡ªhe was definitely planning some kind of surprise. I didn¡¯t need our telepathic link to figure that out. But I had bigger issues to tackle tonight. I turned toward my room, taking a step before pausing and glancing back.

    ¡°Sid, have you seen anything unusual? You know Princess Therella is missing, right?¡±

    Given his habit of flying around, he might¡¯ve spotted something that could shed light on the princess¡¯s disappearance. He stopped rifling through the books, his face lighting up as he responded.

    ¡°I know, Mom. Everyone¡¯s talking about it! By the way, is it true that Ju is a princess? I had a hunch, but I wasn¡¯t sure!¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. How did he hear about that already? I wondered.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I acknowledged with a nod. ¡°I think she¡¯s unhappy it was discovered, but sooner or later, it was bound to come out¡­¡±

    A wide grin spread across Sid¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hah! I knew it! Now it makes perfect sense why you keep her locked in your room!¡± he declared triumphantly, as if he¡¯d just cracked an ancient riddle.

    My cheeks instantly flushed red. Locked? Ju wasn¡¯t locked in my room! Sure, she was there often¡ªmaybe more often than not¡ªbut that was just a girl thing! We liked to chat, share stories, and occasionally, she¡¯d sleep in my room. I felt safe in her arms, comfortable even. That was it. Nothing improper!

    I almost let his comment slide, but my curiosity got the better of me.

    ¡°Why on earth would you say that?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes.

    Sid beamed with pride, like he was about to share some universal truth.

    ¡°Because, Mom, every respectable dragon has a princess in their tower! It¡¯s common knowledge!¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Hah! Where did you even get that idea?¡±

    ¡°I read it in that book about dragons! That¡¯s why I wanted my own tower!¡± Sid declared, puffing up his chest proudly.

    ¡°Sid, just so we¡¯re clear, you will not put Ju in your tower. Got it?¡± I said firmly.

    ¡°Mom! How could you even think I¡¯d take your princess?¡± he replied, sounding genuinely offended.

    My tired brain, slow as it was, finally started ringing alarm bells. I blinked, trying to process what he¡¯d just said. Surely not... My mind struggled to catch up with reality.

    ¡°Sid,¡± I asked carefully, ¡°do you have a princess in your tower?¡±

    He nodded eagerly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

    ¡°Of course! Every dragon needs a hoard and a princess in their tower! That¡¯s how they show they¡¯re important!¡± he explained, his tone as proud as if he¡¯d just recited a universal law.

    Oh, the fucking fuck! My knees buckled, and I nearly collapsed. I gasped for air, clinging to the hope that there was some innocent explanation. Sid wasn¡¯t the type to kidnap girls¡­ right?

    ¡°Is¡­ is Kate your princess?¡± I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

    Sid shook his head, his expression a mix of disappointment and regret.

    ¡°I like Kate, but unfortunately, she¡¯s no princess,¡± he said with a sigh, as if this was a tragedy he¡¯d come to accept.

    I stared at him, my mind racing. Summoning every ounce of composure, I forced out the question I dreaded.

    ¡°So you¡­ you¡­ had something to do with Therella¡¯s disappearance?¡±

    Sid¡¯s cheerful demeanor shifted.

    ¡°Mom, may I not answer this question?¡± he asked raising a brow.

    I blinked, my breath caught in my throat. Then, against all reason, I started to laugh. It wasn¡¯t a normal laugh¡ªit was the kind that came when everything had gone so absurdly wrong you couldn¡¯t do anything else. A hysterical, choking laugh.

    This was too stupid to be true.

    He watched me slantwise, his expression calm but watchful. Strangely, I found myself more worried about him than anything else.

    I¡¯m not allowed to yell. I¡¯m not allowed to yell, I reminded myself, gripping onto whatever rational thought I could muster.

    ¡°She¡¯s okay and unharmed¡­ I hope¡­¡± I managed.

    ¡°Of course, Mom. As much as I can know something like that about a missing person,¡± he said, with a maddeningly casual tone. ¡°She¡¯s doing fine¡ªreading a book and waiting for some food.¡±

    It was oddly reassuring, despite the convoluted phrasing. There were still questions gnawing at me, but at least the girl wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. I took a slow, deliberate breath in and out.

    ¡°Will you bring me to her?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

    Sid shook his head, a solemn look on his face.

    ¡°Mom, I can invite you to visit me, but I can¡¯t bring you to her. That would mean breaking my word. You might meet her accidentally if you follow me¡­ or come to visit my tower. But before that happens, will you promise me something?¡±

    His tone was serious now.

 Chapter 302 - Of Dragons and Damsels

    Sid wanted me to promise that I wouldn¡¯t force the girl to do anything against her will. While I had no intention of coercing her, I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about giving such an open-ended promise. My instincts kicked in, and I began to probe deeper, trying to understand why he was asking for this assurance.

    What kind of princessnapping comes with added conditions? I wondered. This whole situation felt more like a bizarre negotiation.

    ¡°Because I promised her I wouldn¡¯t force her to return to the elves,¡± Sid said matter-of-factly.

    My confusion must have shown because he quickly launched into an explanation, clearly eager to clear things up.

    ¡°Mom, she was running away because they were trying to force her to marry some idiot prince, and she didn¡¯t want that!¡± Sid declared with the fervor of someone deeply invested in his cause. ¡°She told me she wants to live free¡ªthe life of an adventurer!¡±

    Oh, great. So she was running away from royal obligations, and her grand adventuring debut involved freeloading in Sid¡¯s tower while playing the role of a damsel in distress? How convenient.

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Sid! Start from the beginning. Tell me exactly how this happened, step by step¡ªand what, exactly, did you promise her?¡±

    "Mom, Lynx had been spying on the elves and told me things were getting interesting with their delegation. He overheard some heated arguments between the leading priestess, the general, and the princess. From what he gathered, the princess was totally against this mission, but she didn¡¯t have the power to change anything."

    "When did he tell you this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

    "I ran into him after our flight hour," Sid explained. "He said he was bored with them and went off to hunt a buffalo or something. After that, I decided to take a look myself and see what the elves were up to. That¡¯s when I saw the princess running away."

    "Running away?" I echoed. "Are you sure that¡¯s what she was doing?"

    "Yes, Mom," he said confidently. "She told me herself afterward. From above, I saw the general heading off in one direction, the high priestess following him, and the princess sneaking off in another."

    "So, I went right up to her and greeted her," Sid continued, his voice full of pride. "At first, she was scared and told me she could summon a whole battalion of elf soldiers if she needed to. She somehow knew I was a dragon, even though I hadn''t shown her my true form."

    That caught my attention. How could she know? I filed the thought away for later. Sid pressed on.

    "I asked her, if she was so ready to call for help, why did it look like she was sneaking off? Then she asked me what I was doing there, so I told her I was looking for a princess to bring to my tower and asked her if she would be interested. At first she laughed, but then we started talking about the conditions."

    As he laid out the terms of their agreement, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It was almost a mirror of what he had seen between me and Ju. Essentially, he had offered her free lodging in his tower, with the freedom to come and go as she pleased, as long as she returned to sleep there each night.

    I scratched my head, torn between laughing and crying. Great, just great. I was the role model of the year. And leave it to Sid to find himself a princess to populate his tower!

    Strictly speaking, the elves had been proven right after all¡ªand that was the most uncomfortable part of this whole mess. We did have the princess. Now the real challenge was figuring out how to untangle ourselves without sparking a war. My exhaustion morphed into the pounding headache I¡¯d dreaded all day.

    Digging through my inventory, I found a few flasks labeled as hangover remedies. Close enough. I uncorked one and raised it to my lips, ready for some sweet relief.

    ¡°Does anyone else know you¡¯re hoarding a princess?¡± I asked, shooting him a pointed look as I prepared to sip.

    Sid shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s not hoarding, Mom. Princesses are captured and kept for ransom¡ªor because they¡¯re beautiful. Like Ju. She¡¯s beautiful!¡±

    I choked mid-sip, spilling half the contents down my front.

    "And is your princess not beautiful?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Therella is beautiful," Sid admitted, "but she''s difficult. She has so many wants, not like Ju. You hit the jackpot with Ju¡ªshe¡¯s capable, beautiful, and simple! My princess? She¡¯s low level, wants more maids, won¡¯t eat anything but special vegetarian dishes, and needs clothes made from fine satin. Kate can¡¯t keep up with her demands! She wants warm baths, plush towels, fancy creams, expensive soaps, aromatic oils¡­ and a bunch of other things. Honestly, maybe I should ransom her. But who¡¯d even want her? Do the elves actually want her back?"

    Half a day with the princess, and he was already ready to give up.

    "You can¡¯t ransom her if you promised not to go against her will," I reminded him. "Why don¡¯t you tell her that if she wants to live the life of an adventurer, she has to earn her keep¡ªclothes, food, everything."

    Sid¡¯s eyes lit up. "Oh, true that! Good idea, Mom!"

    "OK, let me meet the girl, then I need to talk with her aunt," I said, slipping into action mode.

    Sid nodded. "Fly behind me. You¡¯ll need to transform the moment you enter the tower, or you¡¯ll break it."

    "Wait!" I protested, "Too risky. I¡¯ll probably mistime it and wreck the whole thing. You fly ahead¡ªI¡¯ll shadowmeld and meet you inside."

    Without waiting for his reply, I slipped off my shoes. By the time I had my dress halfway off, Sid was already gone, a trail of enthusiasm in his wake. I melded into shadow form and raced to the tower, arriving just in time to see him enter the room.

    From the bed, a soft, melodic voice called out, "Sid, dear, did you bring the bubble soap I asked for?"

    "Hello," I greeted, but my timing was off. I was still in shadow form, and my voice echoed eerily in the room.

    "Yikes!" the princess squeaked, leaping to the far side of the bed, her wide eyes scanning for the source of the ghostly sound.

    "Mom, did you follow me?" Sid said, feigning surprise, though not very convincingly.

    "Your mom?" Therella exclaimed, her face a mix of shock and dismay. "You didn¡¯t tell me you live with your mom! I thought this was your tower!"

    I materialized, quickly wrapping myself in a set of illusions to avoid appearing naked. "It''s his tower," I said firmly, "but this is my castle."

    "Yow!" the girl yelped again, her gaze locking onto me like she was staring at a ghost¡ªor worse. She blinked rapidly, her face a mix of confusion and alarm. What? Do I really look that bad? Sure, I was tired, but come on.

    She was young, maybe in her twenties by human standards, though with elves, who knew? Her long auburn hair spilled over her shoulders, framing a strikingly angular face. She wore a velvet skirt with a dramatic slit up her right leg, a belt laden with golden nuggets, probably inventory items¡ªeach one containing more than my entire wardrobe¡ªand a tank top fastened with what looked suspiciously like diamond buttons. A delicate diadem perched atop her head, but what really stood out were her mismatched eyes: one a piercing greenish-blue, the other a warm auburn.

    Those eyes were blinking furiously now, flicking back and forth as if trying to reconcile what she was seeing.

    I don¡¯t know what possessed me at that moment¡ªprobably the days of accumulated stress finally snapping. I turned to Sid, keeping my face dead serious. "She''s too meager," I said, "You¡¯ll never make a proper stew with this one. We¡¯ll need at least a couple more."

    Sid¡¯s jaw dropped. The princess froze mid-blink, her mouth hanging open in utter disbelief. Silence blanketed the room for a solid five seconds

    Finally, Sid broke the silence, his voice laced with indignation as the girl clung to him like a lifeline.

    ¡°Mom, this is not funny! Look how scared she is! Tell her you didn¡¯t mean it!¡±

    I sighed, glancing at the princess. ¡°How scared do you think her aunt was when she thought she had been abducted by orcs?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re not going to eat me?¡± she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

    I shook my head, feeling a pang of guilt. ¡°Of course not. But you two should know¡ªyou almost started a war.¡±

    She paled even further, still using Sid as a makeshift shield. Her wide, mismatched eyes stared at me as if she would be still seeing nightmares.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ You can be¡­ many¡­¡± she mumbled, her words faltering as she rubbed her eyes with trembling hands.

    I froze, her cryptic statement sinking in. Then it hit me¡ªshe knew. She had somehow recognized Sid as a dragon, and now she was seeing what I could transform into. I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my composure.

    ¡°You can see what I can transform into?¡± I asked carefully.

    She nodded, her expression a mix of awe and terror. I sighed again. This definitely complicated things, though I prayed she couldn¡¯t pick up on some finer details of my transformations. Nothing to be done now, short of devouring her... Though, no, that joke had already run its course.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, forcing some calm into my voice. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal: you¡¯ll come with me and talk to your aunt. I¡¯ll guarantee you can return to Sid¡¯s tower afterward, but we need to clear this up.¡±

    She hesitated but eventually gave a small nod. Progress. Now, I just had to hope this wouldn¡¯t spiral even further out of control.

 Chapter 303 - Stirring the Abyss

    Sid and his priorities!

    After meeting Therella, he insisted I take a look at his hoard.

    ¡°Ma, it¡¯ll only take a couple of minutes! You¡¯re already here in my tower! Why not? Please? The elves can wait!¡±

    How could I say no to him?

    ¡°Fine. But after that, you¡¯re going straight to bed! Meanwhile, I¡¯ll take the princess and talk to her aunt. Deal?¡±

    ¡°OK, Mom!¡± he agreed with a grin.

    So, off I went to see his hoard. I half expected the typical kid''s treasure: random shiny stones or some sentimental trinkets he¡¯d declared precious.

    Well, I was wrong¡ªagain. I followed him down to the basement of his tower. With a small infusion of mana, the massive stone blocking the entrance slid aside, revealing a surprisingly cozy chamber. As I stepped through the narrow gateway, the space unfolded¡ªa vast, cylindrical room occupying the entire basement beneath the tower. It was large enough to comfortably house a dragon, with a narrow staircase spiraling along the curved stone walls.

    The room appeared to have been carved directly into the bedrock beneath the castle. Had Sid enlarged it, or had it always been this grand? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. The walls shimmered faintly, lined with clusters of small crystals that cast a soft, pleasant glow across the chamber.

    In the center, an impressive collection gleamed in the light: several semi-precious and precious stones, a smattering of gold nuggets, and a scattering of coins.

    "How did you get all this?" I asked, genuinely curious.

    "Well, the coins are mostly from Ju," he began matter-of-factly. "But a few of the gold coins I found in a grotto not far from here. Some of the ore is from that little dungeon on the Northern Rim. Most of the precious stones, though? I collected them from the land. When I fly overhead, I can sense them! Anytime there¡¯s a precious stone, a gold nugget, or something like that, it creates a little distortion in the mana flow. I just have to dig it out!"

    "Oh, wow!"

    Well, if gathering his hoard makes him happy, why should I have a problem with it? He must have been working on it since some time, who knows where it had been hidden before.

    Happy that I''d seen his hoard and approved of it, he prepared himself for the night, transformed into a dragon, and curled himself protectively around his treasure. I smiled to myself. Let¡¯s see how long this lasts before he sneaks into my room and reclaims my pillow, I mused.

    Standing on tiptoe, I pressed a gentle kiss to his brow and gave his head a brief hug, feeling his happiness and satisfaction ripple through our telepathic link. Then, with a deep breath, I turned and left to deal with the little princess problem waiting for me.

    The meeting with Drackar afterward was brief. I informed him about the attack on the vice-queen and shared the news that we had found the princess. Of course, no one would ever know that Sid¡¯s primary motive was to populate his tower¡ªnot if I had anything to say about it. As far as I was concerned, she was just a runaway kid who had come under our protection.

    The real thorn in my side was the attack on the vice-queen. Drackar assured me he¡¯d look into the incident with the two orc teenagers and promised to get to the bottom of it. For now, I decided to let the orcs handle their investigation first.

    Lynx returned to the castle just as I wrapped up my conversation with Drackar. He strolled in casually, yawning wide enough to show off his sharp, pearly teeth.

    ¡°Just so you know, I think there was only one attempted murder,¡± he said with a slight shrug, ¡°and that was aimed at the princess.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Was the attack on the queen a mistake?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yep. I''ve just been there and checked the traces. It doesn¡¯t add up otherwise. The assassins weren¡¯t prepared to deal with someone as strong as the healer. They bolted the moment they met real resistance.¡±

    He tilted his head, his expression shifting to one of curiosity. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Sid getting along with his princess?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it and chuckled.

    ¡°Since when did you know?¡± I asked, crossing my arms, then sighed ¡°He already seems fed up with her. He even asked me if the elves might want her back...¡±

    Lynx shrugged, ¡°I had a hunch. He was way too interested when I first mentioned her. Plus, he¡¯s been oddly fixated on that whole ¡®dragon and princess¡¯ story.¡± He yawned again, his sharp teeth gleaming briefly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m beat,¡± he said, stretching lazily. ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed. If you need me, you know where to find me.¡±

    With a casual wave, he turned and strolled off toward his room, still yawning.

    Lynx¡¯s yawning proved to be contagious, and soon I was yawning uncontrollably myself, tears forming in my eyes. Unfortunately, no amount of yawning would erase the fact that my work wasn¡¯t done yet.

    Battling the headache already threatening to take over, I summoned Loretta. ¡°Go and inform the prince and his paladins that we¡¯ve located the princess,¡± I instructed. ¡°Let them know I¡¯ll be meeting with the elves shortly. If the prince is already asleep, there should be a paladin on guard who can relay the message to him as soon as it¡¯s appropriate.¡±

    She nodded briskly and hurried off, leaving me to gather my thoughts for what promised to be an exhausting meeting with the elves.

    For a brief moment, I considered waking Lynx, my trusted mount, to accompany us, but in the end, I decided to trust Kurr and his ever-reliable mare. Leaving him to prepare the horses, I went back to Sid¡¯s tower to fetch Therella.

    Before long, we were on our way, leaving the castle behind. Our small group consisted of Therella, Tenessar, Kurr, and a couple of orcs for added security. The ride was quiet, the tension growing thicker as we drew closer to the elven camp.

    As the camp came into view, Therella broke the silence, turning to me with an inquiring look. ¡°May I speak to my aunt and cousin alone?¡± she asked.

    I paused, weighing her request. It wasn¡¯t an easy decision, but after a moment of thought, I nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± I said.

    As the elves accepted Therella''s proposal and the vice-queen and the general activated an isolation field around themselves and Therella, I turned and headed toward Alice and Ju.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ju asked the moment we had our own isolation field securely in place.

    I shrugged lightly. ¡°Let them have their talk. The girl ran away, and Sid decided to offer her refuge in his tower. You know, inspired by a book some elf gave him about dragons hosting princesses for all sorts of reasons.¡±

    Ju sighed. ¡°I knew this would somehow end up being my fault, but until now, I couldn¡¯t imagine how!¡± she quipped, her tone walking the line between humor and exasperation.

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    "Yeah, but seriously, that might have saved her life!" I said, my tone more somber. "Lynx thinks the assassination attempt was aimed at her, not the vice-queen. Her running away and ending up with Sid probably kept her alive¡ªand at least spared us the headache of combing the district for a runaway princess or bracing for a war." I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Though Sid promised her she wouldn¡¯t be forced to go back with the elves. I can¡¯t help but wonder how your aunt and the general will handle that part."

    Ju let out her own sigh.

    "That¡¯s going to be tricky," she admitted. "For some people, Therella is just a pawn in a larger game. There are plans¡ªthere have to be. She wasn¡¯t sent here just for a casual visit. I¡¯m not even sure if the general has the authority to decide what happens next. They might need to consult with their leaders or, worse, try to force her to go with them."

    I shook my head firmly.

    "That''s not going to happen. I promised Sid we wouldn''t let them force her to go against her will, and I intend to keep that promise," I said, my voice resolute.

    Ju''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "You promised Sid¡ªand you¡¯d go to war over it?" She shook her head in exasperation. "I''ll talk to my aunt. We need to find a solution before things escalate." She chuckled, a teasing glint in her eye. "We don¡¯t want a repeat of Helen of Troy, do we? Though, is the princess worth it?"

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I snorted.

    "According to him, she¡¯s no match for you. He¡¯s downright envious of how capable, beautiful, and at the same time simple and hardworking my princess is."

    Ju burst into laughter, nodding with mock satisfaction.

    "Finally! Someone who appreciates me!" she exclaimed, her grin widening. Then, with a playful nudge, she added, "You never said those words to your princess."

    "Oh, come on." I shrugged. "Everyone already sees it. There¡¯s no need to repeat the obvious," I replied, arching a brow in amusement.

    Alice chuckled softly, a sound that reminded me she was still there, observing the exchange with quiet amusement.

    "Alice," I said, turning to her, "there was a small horde of children in the main hall looking for you."

    ¡°They¡¯re still not asleep?¡± she asked, her worry evident.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°They heard the cavalcade coming and thought you were back,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she murmured, her expression clouded.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Most of them are orphans from the mine,¡± she explained, her tone subdued. ¡°Some lost both parents, and a few still have their mothers but lost their fathers. The villagers do what they can to help, but for those who lost their homes too, it¡¯s much harder. They have to wait until someone agrees to take them in.¡±

    ¡°Lost their houses?¡± I echoed, frowning.

    She sighed, her weariness palpable. ¡°Debt,¡± she said simply. ¡°Their families were already in debt. When the fathers died, there was no way to pay it off, and their homes were taken. Those are the ones I¡¯ve taken under my care.¡±

    ¡°Hew was proposing to give them a pension from the domain if a parent dies in the mine,¡± Ju added thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s just one idea for addressing the issue, but he¡¯ll need to review the earning projections for the coming months before deciding what that pension could realistically be. We can discuss it in our next meeting!¡±

    I nodded, appreciating the suggestion.

    Meanwhile, our attention shifted to the trio as they began approaching us. Ju dismissed the isolation field, and the vice-queen Levaite¡¯s voice greeted us.

    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see my little T¡¯rella is safe and well,¡± she said warmly. ¡°We¡¯ve agreed to her conditions. If she wishes to stay here for a while and you¡¯re happy to host her, I think it could be an excellent opportunity for her to grow and learn. I¡¯d be delighted to sit down and discuss the details of her stay, especially to ensure her safety.¡±

    Ju threw me a surprised look, one that clearly said What just happened? I could already feel the questions brewing for later.

    I was just as taken aback by how smoothly things seemed to be going. No arguments, no demands¡ªjust a polite agreement, but I

    Deciding to let Ju take the lead on most of the follow-up negotiations, I didn¡¯t object when we all headed toward the castle.

    It had been a hectic and eventful night. By the time late morning rolled around, the suns were already high in the sky. Therella and Vice-Queen Levaite were chatting cheerfully in the council room with Ju, Tom, Mike, and another elf woman introduced as Lady Astarte¡ªTherella''s lady-in-waiting. Some kind of guard and confidant rolled into one.

    To my relief, Sid was still asleep. The last thing I needed was for him to bring up his supposed need for a princess in his tower. That problem seemed settled for now, and there was no need to draw attention to it.

    Too exhausted to contribute much myself, I lingered in the room anyway, keeping an ear on the conversation to ensure it didn¡¯t veer in an unhelpful direction. Meanwhile, I sipped on some of the fruit juice from the kitchen, savoring the brief moment of peace.

    When Hew entered the room, I seized the opportunity to excuse myself. I told them I was heading to bed¡ªI was dangerously close to falling asleep on my feet. The elves, it seemed, could handle a sleepless night far better than I could. My brain had started drawing blanks, and more than once, I caught myself staring off into the void.

    To my surprise, Ju followed me.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Ju asked, her worried gaze following me as we entered my room.

    I shrugged, too tired to muster much of a response.

    ¡°Dead tired. I don¡¯t have a¡­ ayahahaaah!¡±

    That sound escaped involuntarily as her hands began kneading the muscles in my neck. I hadn¡¯t realized just how tense they were until now.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

    ¡°Yeaaaaaah,¡± I answered meekly, melting under her touch.

    She chuckled, her hands not stopping their magic as she deftly began unbuttoning my tunic.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± I protested, craning my neck to look at her.

    She laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a knot of stress. I¡¯m going to massage your back!¡±

    ¡°What do you know about massage?¡± I muttered, though I found myself moving to lie down on the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve studied for five years at the Massage Academy, you clueless girl! I know what I¡¯m doing!¡± she replied with a smug grin, her hands already working their way down my back.

    "That''s a thing? Massage academy?" I asked, my words broken by a few very unladylike moans as her hands worked their way across my poor, knotted back muscles. Somehow, she found every point of tension, her fingers gliding over them with a skill that transformed discomfort into sheer bliss.

    Ju shrugged casually.

    ¡°After several hundred years of trying different things, you end up with all kinds of interesting hobbies. Besides, massage isn¡¯t just a business in the elven world¡ªit¡¯s a deeply ingrained part of our culture,¡± she explained, her tone both proud and lighthearted.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was normal to feel this good, but tried to keep the conversation flowing. ¡°So, what do you even study at a massage academy?¡±

    She paused for a moment, her fingers never missing a beat. ¡°Oh, all sorts of things. Anatomy, including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, muscles, bones¡ªhow everything connects and interacts. Magic synergies¡ªwhat works together, what clashes. Damage assessment, various illnesses, treatments...¡±

    ¡°Sounds¡­ complex,¡± I murmured, struggling to reconcile the simplicity of the act with the intricate study she described. ¡°How can something so simple be made so complicated?¡±

    She chuckled warmly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s an art. You¡¯d be surprised how much science goes into creating simplicity.¡±

    ¡°Do you study meridians, like in Chinese traditional medicine?¡± I asked, curious.

    Though I couldn¡¯t see her face, I just knew she was rolling her eyes.

    ¡°I have a feeling your knowledge of Chinese traditional medicine is about as deep as your grasp of elven culture,¡± she quipped.

    I snorted at her jab. ¡°Why do I get the sense you¡¯re making fun of me?¡± I shot back, then shrugged it off.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, though,¡± I mused. ¡°How can two worlds be so different yet have so many similarities? Cultures, architecture¡ªsome things feel oddly familiar. Even animals! We both have cows, for crying out loud! How could that happen by pure chance?¡±

    She chuckled softly.

    ¡°Pure chance? Come on, we both know there¡¯s a portal connecting our worlds. Who¡¯s to say there aren¡¯t others? Even the one we know of might have existed for ages. That means communication between the two worlds¡ªsporadic as it might¡¯ve been¡ªhas always been there.

    ¡°But here¡¯s the thing: one world is rich in magic, the other almost devoid of it. That makes all the difference. Creatures that rely on magic can¡¯t survive on Earth. Elves like me would struggle immensely¡ªif not outright perish¡ªin a world without magic. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have elves on Earth, even though a few might¡¯ve passed through, like I did. And those plants that helped me survive? They¡¯d wither away without constant magical care.

    ¡°That¡¯s why your world lacks magical creatures altogether. No magic, no survival. Honestly, I think most evolution happened here, on this planet. Magic plays a key role in shaping and guiding evolution. Without it, the process just doesn¡¯t work the same. But try explaining that to those so-called scholars on Earth. They wouldn¡¯t get it...¡±

    Her soothing voice, full of insight, wove its way through my mind as her magical hands worked on my aching muscles. The combination was intoxicating. My thoughts grew hazy, and before I knew it, I had drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

    My sweet slumber ended abruptly.

    It was Ju again, gently shaking my shoulder, but something felt off¡ªterribly off. A sense of dread hung in the air, and though she tried to maintain a calm demeanor, I could hear the quickened rhythm of her heartbeat.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    Her chest rose and fell beneath her shirt, betraying the agitation she was trying so hard to hide.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± she said, her voice steady but brittle. ¡°Everything is under control now.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the answer I needed. It wasn¡¯t the answer that would let me rest easy. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself upright, the bed creaking faintly beneath me.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I repeated, my tone sharper this time.

    She hesitated, then finally said, ¡°There¡¯s been an assassination attempt on Hew. But he¡¯s okay now. He¡¯s... recovering.¡±

    ¡°Recovering from what?¡± I pressed, my stomach twisting.

    ¡°From resurrection,¡± she whispered, the word slicing through the room like a blade.

    A heavy darkness seemed to descend over everything, and something deep inside me stirred.

 Chapter 304 â€“ A Different Kind of Resurrection

    Hew had died today. If not for Ju''s quick thinking and the fortunate presence of her aunt, I wouldn¡¯t have him alive again¡ªresurrected from the dead.

    As if that weren¡¯t enough, there¡¯d also been an assassination attempt on Tom near the mine. Fortunately, the orcs had been more vigilant.

    But the details only made it worse. In Tom''s case, the attacker had been a demon¡ªa demon someone had deliberately summoned to kill him!

    And Hew? A peasant had stabbed him in the chest with a knife during what should have been a routine work discussion. None of the witnesses had seen it coming, and no one had a clue why it happened.

    Ju stood by the table, a thick book resting in her hand, though her eyes weren¡¯t on the pages. Instead, they were fixed on me, her gaze heavy with concern.

    I was seething. Black mana surged through my veins, darkening them beneath my skin as it grew paler by the second.

    "You''re only hurting yourself," Ju said, her tone measured, trying to calm me.

    I clenched my fists, grasping at the empty air, and let out a raw yell of frustration. She sighed but held back from saying anything else.

    It was clear that both I and the barony were under coordinated attack. The problem was, I had no idea who was behind it. Sure, I had my suspicions, but without proof, my hands were tied. What if I lashed out at the wrong people and made everything worse?

    My aura had never been this dark. In a way, I was lucky I¡¯d been demoted. If I still held my full powers, it would probably be unbearable¡ªor outright impossible¡ªfor anyone to stay near me with such suffocating darkness radiating from me.

    ¡°Next time¡ªif there¡¯s any next time¡ªI¡¯ll resurrect the attacker. Then we can get answers,¡± Ju said.

    I rubbed my running nose, and she handed me a clean handkerchief. The thought of wasting a resurrection spell on some idiot only to be blocked from using it again for three days gnawed at me. With the frequency of these attacks¡ªand the vulnerability of my companions¡ªit was too great a risk.

    For now, I¡¯d forbidden them from leaving the castle. An arrow or crossbow bolt could easily spell their end, especially now with both Ju and her aunt on cooldown for their resurrection spells. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, but it was the best I could do.

    "Did you know that Therella went off with Sid to explore the dungeon?" Ju asked, probably to change the subject¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t have picked a worse topic for me.

    "That octogenarian cougar-hag needs to stay away from my little Sid!" I snapped, my indignation spilling over.

    Ju arched a brow and chuckled, clearly amused by my outburst. "She¡¯s not an octogenarian. She¡¯ll turn eighty next human year. She¡¯s only seventy-nine in human years, which makes her an irresponsible teenager by elf standards. Besides, it was Sid¡¯s idea."

    "Only seventy-nine!" I snorted in protest, the sound coming out so awkward it made me grab for my handkerchief again. Ju offered me another one, but I waved her off. This one would last a little longer¡ªor so I hoped.

    "Thanks!" I said, waving her off, though I couldn¡¯t shake the nagging suspicion that somehow Therella had manipulated Sid into proposing the whole thing. I shrugged it off. There wasn¡¯t any proof, and I couldn¡¯t do anything to change it now.

    ¡°Did the two of them go alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ju replied. ¡°They told me it¡¯s just a preliminary check. She wants to go back later with Tina and the prince.¡±

    I scowled, the image of Sid transformed into a dragon and letting her ride on his back flashing through my mind. They did take ''secretly'' off from his tower. He¡¯d thought it was ¡°cool¡± and ¡°funny.¡± Drats!

    "I can¡¯t wait to get rid of the princelings!" I exclaimed, irritation tainting my voice.

    "Sid and Therella seem to be having a good time. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so against it," Ju countered with a light shrug.

    I snorted again, a sound of pure frustration, and threw up my hands. ¡°What do they hope to accomplish? The dungeon might react violently if high-level people like Sid enter it! Besides, it¡¯s pointless if Sid or Lynx just clears it out for them. Where¡¯s the value in that? How did your aunt react to all this?¡±

    Ju answered with an amused smile.

    ¡°She was delighted. Lynx has a talent for masking his presence. The paladins will probably stay outside with Sid, while Lynx does... well, nothing¡ªunless the three run into trouble. He¡¯s just backup.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t such a bad plan. I took a deep breath and glanced at her. She had successfully shifted my focus away from the attacks on my friends.

    ¡°How does a dungeon even work?¡± I wondered, now that she had opened the subject. To me, it was all just ''magic'' without any real explanation.

    Her eyes lit up with interest¡ªit was clear this was a topic she had studied thoroughly.

    ¡°The theory,¡± she began, leaning slightly forward, ¡°is that dungeons are actually living beings. When you step into a dungeon, you¡¯re stepping inside its body. The creatures¡ªor mobs¡ªyou encounter are like its cells, performing tasks the dungeon needs. The dungeon learns and adapts over time, even copying some of the beings it assimilates.

    ¡°When intruders enter, it¡¯s like an immune response. The mobs act like white blood cells, attacking you based on how much of a threat you pose. A smaller group means a less intense reaction, which is why smaller parties can explore more safely.

    ¡°The brain of the dungeon is its core,¡± she continued, her voice almost reverent. ¡°Destroy the core, and the dungeon dies. In mana-rich areas, where specific crystals are present and other unknown conditions align, a dungeon can be born. As it grows, it expands, digging deeper into the mountain. But it needs free mana circulation to survive¡ªthat¡¯s why there¡¯s always an opening, even if parts of it can temporarily seal themselves off.¡±

    I nodded slowly, absorbing her explanation. It did make sense in a strange way.

    "What about the precious ore dungeons build inside them? Why would they do that?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

    "Transmutation," Ju replied. "They transmute elements into precious metals and crystals. It¡¯s not entirely clear why, though. It might just be a byproduct of their processes, or it could play a role in their metabolism or mana circulation. Some scholars suggest that mana circulation is intrinsic to their metabolism."

    She shrugged lightly.

    "That¡¯s the gist of it. There are entire books, studies, and dissertations on the subject. Should I pick up something for you?"

    I shook my head.

    "Nah. That¡¯s the least of my worries right now."

    She raised her eyes to meet mine.

    ¡°Do you feel better?¡±

    I took a deep breath, ¡°Yes,¡± I said, with a determined nod. ¡°And I think I have an idea!¡±

    Her smile faltered, freezing on her lips as she watched me askance. ¡°What idea?¡± she asked, with hesitation in her voice.

    I grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to trust my ideas too much¡­¡± I teased, holding up the book I¡¯d been clutching.

    Her brow arched as she glanced at it. ¡°That¡¯s from the library!¡± she exclaimed, worry creeping into her tone. ¡°Was it restored?¡±

    I nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Yes, the elf scholar who came with your aunt restored it. And I think I finally know why I¡¯ve been having trouble when repairing or creating things with magic!¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Her eyes widened, her brows shooting up in genuine surprise. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her voice brimming with interest. ¡°Explain!¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± I said, raising a finger to halt her questions. ¡°Let me test my idea first. Come with me!¡±

    ¡°OK?¡± she replied, standing slowly, still puzzled, but willing to follow.

    We descended the stairs, the soft clatter of our steps echoing through the quiet hallways.

    ¡°Lady Lores!¡± the orc guard greeted, his posture straightening as he spotted me.

    ¡°Is the body of the assassin still in our custody?¡± I asked, cutting straight to the point.

    ¡°I believe so, my lady. It should still be in the dakta,¡± he replied, gesturing toward a sturdy building on the other side of the courtyard.

    The dakta¡ªthe orc term for company storage room¡ªhad been repurposed in recent times, now serving also as a makeshift prison and, evidently, a morgue.

    As we stepped into the dimly lit dakta, the smell of aged wood and faint iron greeted us. An old orc, Muherjo, stood guard inside, his presence commanding despite his ravaged appearance. He bore the scars of a veteran¡ªone hand missing, an eyepatch covering the void where his left eye had been, and a crudely fitted prosthetic replacing part of his left leg. The injuries, I¡¯d been told, were the results of an acid attack during a long-past battle. Since they hadn¡¯t been treated immediately, the wounds had left their permanent mark.

    Ju had been trying for some time to convince Muherjo to let her experiment with restorative magic on him, but he¡¯d remained steadfast in his refusal. Crafting such a spell would require delving into uncharted magical territory¡ªpainful and uncertain for him, and arduous for her.

    Muherjo greeted me with a respectful bow. ¡°My lady,¡± he said in his gravelly tone before his single eye shifted to Ju. ¡°Lady Ju,¡± he continued, his voice firm, ¡°my answer is still no!¡± He shook his head, his expression resolute.

    Ju chuckled but didn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°Good to see you too, Muherjo. Let me know if you change your mind! Lady Lores has some questions for you¡± she replied with a wry smile.

    He turned his single, inquiring eye toward me.

    ¡°We are here to check on the assassin¡¯s body. Is it still here?¡± I asked.

    He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. ¡°Yes, my lady. Why would they leave the body of a dead man in my dakta? Nobody¡¯s come to claim him.¡± He paused, tilting his head. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Very well, my lady. Please, follow me.¡±

    With that, he opened a heavy wooden door that protested loudly on its hinges, the creaking sound reverberating through the room. He led us down a dim, narrow corridor, the air growing colder and carrying a faint metallic tang.

    As we followed, my gaze was drawn to a cell on the left side of the corridor. Inside were a woman and a small child huddled together. The sight made me stop in my tracks.

    ¡°What¡¯s with them?¡± I asked, frowning as I studied their gaunt, wary faces.

    Muherjo halted as well, turning back to glance at the pair with a nonchalant shrug.

    ¡°Serfs, my lady. They were brought in yesterday by the baron¡¯s men. These two aren¡¯t from your domain, your ladyship,¡± he added with a subtle shake of his head. ¡°They¡¯ll be taken back to their own lands when their party returns. Must be from a domain farther out¡­¡±

    The woman looked up at us, her expression a fragile balance of fear and defiance as she clutched the child tightly to her side. A pang of unease stirred in me, and I found myself stepping toward the cell.

    Muherjo hesitated, his single eye darting between me and the locked door. When I nodded, he reluctantly pulled out a key and unlocked it.

    The woman immediately dropped her head to the ground in a deep bow, pressing the child protectively against her.

    I activated my identification skill, and the words materialized in my mind:

    <

    >

    Yet, something didn¡¯t sit right. A nagging inconsistency tugged at the edges of my perception. I activated the skill again, focusing harder this time. There was... something more. I sighed softly. Identification wasn¡¯t perfect, not by a long shot. I¡¯d encountered these oddities before and was beginning to piece together the patterns.

    When someone had dual specializations, the skill would only show the primary one¡ªthe dominant path¡ªand their overall level. But with careful observation, you could sometimes sense the outlines of a secondary talent, faint but present.

    And this woman... She carried the faint traces of alchemical skills.

    ¡°Are you an alchemist?¡± I asked, my voice steady but probing.

    She didn¡¯t dare lift her head. ¡°Please, my lady,¡± she stammered, her tone pleading, ¡°I¡¯m just a peasant.¡±

    I shifted my gaze to the child clinging to her side and used my skill again.

    <<Child ¨C White Mage : Level 3>>

    I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°Your child has the aptitude for healing,¡± I observed aloud. ¡°She could become a healer.¡±

    The woman gasped and clutched the child even tighter. Her words tumbled out in a frantic rush, almost tripping over each other.

    ¡°Please, my lady! We won¡¯t trouble you! I beg you¡ªleave my child alone! Please!¡±

    ¡°Muherjo, why is she wearing a collar?¡± I asked, turning to face my orc companion.

    He shrugged, stepping closer. ¡°In most domains, serfs are required to wear collars,¡± he explained, his fingers brushing the metal as he examined the engraved mark. ¡°The owner¡¯s name is... hmm... O? That would suggest your domain, my lady. But no one here wears collars. Maybe there¡¯s part of the name missing...¡±

    I inhaled deeply as realization dawned. The pieces began to fall into place.

    ¡°Please remove the collar,¡± I said in a calm but firm tone. ¡°Since she¡¯s our serf, take her to Loretta. Make sure they¡¯re both fed and given one of the free rooms on the ground floor for the night. Tomorrow, the child can join Alice''s group.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t take Rianda away from me!¡± the woman cried, bowing even lower, her forehead pressed to the ground.

    I crouched, gently taking her chin and tilting her face upward. Her hazel eyes - beautiful but brimming with fear - met mine.

    ¡°You¡¯ll stay together,¡± I assured her softly. ¡°No one will take your child from you. Alice will just help check her aptitudes¡ªonly if you¡¯re comfortable with that.¡±

    I refrained from mentioning the school Alice was working on; it was still a distant plan, and I didn¡¯t want to add to her worry.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Roberta, your ladyship,¡± she replied, her voice a little steadier, though the fear lingered in her eyes.

    ¡°Alright, Roberta. You¡¯ll go with Muherjo now to have those collars removed, and then to Loretta. If anyone questions you, just tell them Lady Lores sent you.¡±

    I turned to Muherjo. He nodded, showing that he knew already what he had to do without needing further explanation.

    As the old orc guided Roberta and her child out of the room, I exhaled slowly and turned toward the back of the dakta, where the assassin¡¯s body awaited.

    "Count Ottmar would be displeased if he finds out," Ju said with a chuckle, walking a step behind me.

    I rolled my eyes. "The old fool shouldn¡¯t use the initials of my domain. The tiny ''v'' inside the ''O'' is nearly illegible." I shook my head, irritated. Ottmar Viscountcy was a domain farther toward the capital. "How did this girl even make it this far?"

    "Probably luck, slipping through the forests," Ju guessed. "She¡¯s terrified, and for good reason. She knows they¡¯d likely take her daughter away the moment they discover her aptitudes. That¡¯s the fate of most serf children like her."

    We entered the final room, the faint smell of aged wood and decay settling over us. Between a collection of wooden coffins, a partially naked body lay stretched out on a cold, flat plate.

    "So, what do you plan to do with this... uh... body?" Ju asked, her tone skeptical as she gestured vaguely at the lifeless form.

    I held up the book in my hand. Her brows furrowed as she read the title, and her expression shifted to one of disbelief.

    "That¡¯s a very rare and valuable resurrection tome. What are you trying to do?"

    I shrugged casually, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Just testing an idea."

    Ju shook her head, her confusion deepening. "You can''t just practice on a dead body. It doesn''t work like that!"

    "Why not?" I asked, tilting my head with genuine curiosity.

    She sighed and tried to explain. "You can''t connect white magic to this body. It''s far too late¡ªthere''s no purpose for the magic to latch onto. Besides, you don¡¯t have the required level of white magic. So, what exactly are you planning to do with your dark magic?"

    I chuckled, amused by her growing unease. "That¡¯s exactly the point. But first..." I flipped open the book, running my fingers across its pages. "...let me consult with my daddy."

    Her eyes widened as I sat down with the book in my lap, already focusing on the intricate diagrams and runes. She stared at me like I had lost my mind.

    "I think I¡¯m starting to get worried..." she mumbled under her breath, her gaze darting between me and the lifeless body on the slab.

 Chapter 305 - Flickers of Creation

    While I had joked earlier about consulting my ''daddy'', the truth was that the thought terrified me. My bravado had been a flimsy shield, a way to mask my fear. But now that I¡¯d said it aloud, could I really back out? I hesitated, before finally closing my eyes and murmuring my name.

    The shift happened even faster this time¡ªI could feel the change before I even opened my eyes. When I did, the landscape unfolded before me, stark and alien. Instinctively, I drew in a deep breath, and the faint, acrid scent of sulfur tickled my senses, clinging to the air like a whispered warning.

    The field sprawled before me like a blackened, jagged sea frozen mid-turmoil. Its surface was a chaotic maze of twisted ridges, razor-sharp edges, and bulbous outcroppings, all cloaked in an obsidian sheen that caught and reflected the dim, eerie light.

    Scattered cracks marred the desolate ground, revealing glimpses of a dull, smoldering red glow beneath, as if that earth¡¯s veins still carried some ancient, molten lifeblood. Pale ash clung to the surface in irregular patches, dusting the terrain with a ghostly pallor¡ªpatches of that dark magic dust Flo had once used for her "experiment."

    The landscape exuded an aura of alien hostility, yet there was an inexplicable familiarity about it that gnawed at the edges of my mind. I shrugged it off and let my gaze drift upward.

    Above me, the strange dark star hung in the black expanse of a dotted sky, distant yet oppressive. A part of me whispered the word father, as I tried to form a coherent question from the swirl of thoughts in my mind.

    I received an answer I already knew, though I couldn''t explain how I had come to know it. It was as if a fog had lifted from my mind, bringing a sudden, sharp clarity. Yet, with that clarity came the undeniable weight of understanding¡ªI would have to pay for this knowledge eventually. Nothing in this world comes without a price.

    I closed my eyes, letting the realization settle, and when I opened them again, I was back in the decrepit dakta room where the air was thick with the faint, musty smell of aged wood and decay.

    "Well?" Ju asked with a playful lilt in her voice. "Are you afraid of doing it?"

    I shook my head.

    "I already did it," I replied casually.

    She stared at me, her brows arching high. "You''re joking. You just closed and opened your eyes?" Her gaze flicked to the book in my hand. "It takes years¡ªsometimes a lifetime isn¡¯t enough to study that tome!" Her expression shifted, her nose wrinkling as if she''d caught a whiff of something foul. "You smell of sulfur!"

    I chuckled, brushing off her comment about the smell¡ªhow could I have brought it back with me if only my soul had traveled? Instead, I stood up, letting her disbelief linger for just a moment longer.

    "Watch this," I said with a grin, turning my attention to the lifeless body sprawled on the slab before us.

    Black magic coiled around me, dark and restless, as though drawn directly from the death node itself. The display wasn¡¯t as grandiose as the radiant spectacle of a resurrection spell, where the caster momentarily looks like an angel descending from the heavens. Still, it was dramatic enough to make Ju¡¯s brow arch skeptically¡ªuntil the decapitated head found its body and, with a grotesque slowness, the zombie sat upright on the slab.

    ¡°Gaaah!¡± Ju shrieked, stumbling backward in horror. She quickly ducked behind me, peeking out with wide, terrified eyes.

    The zombie turned its head toward her, its movements deliberate and unsettling. Meanwhile, I studied my creation, intrigued, and realized with some amusement that it seemed to be observing me just as curiously.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, my voice steady.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a name, master,¡± it replied, its voice a slow, slurred rumble, each word dragging as if it were pulling itself from a long-forgotten grave. ¡°But I was called Dugho¡­ before.¡±

    I snorted, shaking my head. Giving my creation a name felt unnecessary¡ªa sentimental gesture I had no intention of indulging in.

    ¡°Why did you kill Hew?¡± I asked.

    The zombie shook its head in exasperation, almost snorting in disdain.

    ¡°Bad man! Guilty! Because, Senka died!¡± it blurted out hurriedly.

    I raised an eyebrow, surprised. ¡°Who was Senka?¡± I asked, utterly baffled. Was this zombie creation spinning fantasies?

    ¡°My wife! Supposed to be! M''wife!¡±

    ¡°When did Senka die? Who told you he was guilty?¡±

    The zombie shook its head again, like I was clueless for not knowing something so obvious.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t clear? Everybody! Knew! She was with him each night¡ªlike the night before and the night before that. They were together, and then she was gone! They told he made her be gone!¡±

    ¡°They?¡± I pressed.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°All of them! Xsoha! Because of him she¡¯s gone!¡±

    Even with its garbled voice, the zombie was forming surprisingly coherent sentences. A picture was beginning to emerge. I exchanged a glance with Ju.

    ¡°Is Senka that girl who worked with Hew on the archive?¡± I asked, turning toward her as she lingered behind me.

    ¡°Mine!¡± the zombie rumbled from its perch.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ju answered hesitantly. ¡°But she wasn¡¯t married, and I haven¡¯t heard anything about her... passing?¡±

    ¡°With me!¡± the zombie protested, spewing something foul in its effort to speak. ¡°Blumhard told! He marriage spell! She not coming because wile man!¡±

    Married through a spell? I¡¯d heard of such practices among the Xsoha but hadn¡¯t had the chance to investigate them yet.

    ¡°I think there are several spells on him, but it¡¯s hard to tell. Everything¡¯s so... muddled,¡± Ju said, her voice strained as she pushed her magic over the zombie, her face twisted in visible disgust. ¡°This feels all kinds of wrong,¡± she muttered under her breath.

    She stepped cautiously to my side, though she looked ready to leap behind me at any moment.

    I studied the zombie. Its mind was a tangled mess, and I was surprised I¡¯d managed to extract as much information as I had. It was unlikely we¡¯d get the full truth, but we knew enough to piece some things together.

    I turned toward Ju. ¡°Do you want to ask it any more questions?¡±

    She shook her head, visibly startled by my question, and I dismissed the zombie with a sigh and a flick of my wrist. The magic sustaining it vanished, and the body collapsed backward onto the slab, then tumbling to the ground with a heavy thud. The head rolled away, bumping against the wall, and then the entire form began to disintegrate. A foul mist boiled out from within, consuming it entirely until nothing remained but a faint dark trace on the floor. The spell had devoured the body completely.

    ¡°You... you know necromancy?¡± Ju stammered, her voice trembling slightly as she stared at me, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Demons aren¡¯t necromancers,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Besides, necromancers¡¯ creations don¡¯t retain memories of their past lives.¡± I chuckled softly, glancing at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you recognize the spell? That was a resurrection spell cast with black magic¡ªor, more precisely, death magic. Oblivion consumed the body once it was dismissed. I suppose you could call it a death knight¡¯s spell.¡±

    Her head shook again, her expression utterly stunned. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

    I looked at her, a new idea sparking in my mind.

    ¡°You know something? That devil who tried to kill Tom¡ªI want to see the place where he was killed. I doubt there¡¯s anything left of him, but there might be enough residue for me to summon him. I¡¯ve got a few questions I¡¯d like answered.¡±

    Ju¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But there¡¯s no summoning circle there, and we don¡¯t know the ritual,¡± she pointed out.

    ¡°I think there are some books in your library about summoning,¡± I replied.

    Her expression shifted to one of alarm. ¡°Did you touch those books?¡± she asked, her tone laced with fear.

    ¡°I know how to restore them,¡± I said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve found a way.¡±

    Her curiosity flickered. ¡°You mentioned something about that. How does it work?¡±

    ¡°Well, for a while now, I¡¯ve been trying to repair things, but I noticed the repairs wouldn¡¯t hold¡ªthey¡¯d come undone later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a well-known problem. Only the most skilled wizards seem able to prevent it,¡± she acknowledged.

    ¡°Exactly. Have you ever wondered why some healing spells cause flesh to decay afterward, requiring constant care, while others¡ªespecially those used by elves¡ªare seamless and clean?¡±

    ¡°Because elves use more mana for their spells?¡± she guessed, tilting her head thoughtfully.

    ¡°Well, that''s partially the answer,¡± I said, ¡°but why do they use more mana? I''ve watched the elf scholar repairing scrolls, and I think I¡¯ve noticed a pattern. When we create matter out of nothing we tap into the void. The void is teeming with particles waiting to be born. We pull them out to create matter, but in doing so, we create an imbalance. These particles are inherently unstable and tend to decay, reverting to their previous state.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that create a lot of radiation?¡± she mused, a thoughtful frown crossing her face.

    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s not radioactive decay I¡¯m talking about,¡± I clarified. ¡°It¡¯s decay at the level of protons and neutrons. When we bring these particles into existence through magic, we don¡¯t invest enough energy¡ªor magic¡ªto fully stabilize them. Something is missing. That¡¯s why elves, who overdo it with mana during healing, produce better results. Probably the same principle applies to priests, paladins, and high-grade healing potions. It all comes down to creating stable matter¡ªlike missing some key quarks in hastily created protons.¡±

    Ju tilted her head, absorbing the explanation. ¡°So, when healing goes wrong, it¡¯s not just a bad spell; it¡¯s incomplete matter?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°A kind of magical shortcut. The elves, with their excessive mana use, essentially ¡®pay the full price,¡¯ making their creations¡ªor restorations¡ªstable. Everyone else¡­ well, we¡¯re essentially crafting something halfway and hoping it holds together.¡±

    She shrugged, a faint smile playing at her lips.

    ¡°Hm. Interesting theory. Alright, if you manage to restore the books well enough to pass my inspection, you can take them and read them!¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± I said, flashing a broad, proud smile. Then, as a new thought struck me, I added, ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s another layer to this: stability can go both ways. I can create things that are stable, sure, but I can also make things so unstable they break apart and dissolve the moment I release my control over them.¡±

    She frowned, tilting her head. ¡°What would that even be useful for?¡±

    ¡°This is probably how those magic-conjured arrows work,¡± I explained. ¡°You summon them just stable enough to last a few moments¡ªlong enough to fly through the air and cause deep wounds when they hit. They require way less mana to conjure compared to fully stable creations but are just as effective in the short term. Essentially, they¡¯re disposable weapons.¡±

    Her eyes lit up with realization, and she nodded.

    ¡°That makes sense! Efficiency in magic without overspending. Smart.¡±

 Chapter 306 - Dark, Darker, Darkest

    I stepped out of the dakta with a spring in my step, feeling a small rush of triumph. I¡¯d managed to interrogate the... zombie. Well, sure, I didn¡¯t have any solid proof in hand, but at least I had a name¡ªor at least a direction¡ªtoward identifying one of my enemies. That was something.

    Now, the next step was figuring out what that devil had to say. I felt cautiously optimistic... or rather, hopeful. Confident might be a stretch. Still, I was sure¡ªno, I had to be sure¡ªthat I could summon it again. I must have some kind of affinity for tracking devils. If not? Well, I¡¯d be more than a little disappointed, to say the least.

    As I crossed the yard, I noticed Sir Gamesh hurrying toward me, and I couldn¡¯t help but snort in frustration. Oh, no! Not him! He¡¯s probably going to drag me off for another hour or two with the prince when I have far more pressing matters to deal with. Please, gods, no more sessions with the prince today!

    ¡°Lady Lores! Lady Lores!¡± he called as he approached, then abruptly stopped about ten steps away.

    ¡°May I come closer, Lady Lores?¡± he asked hesitantly.

    It took me a moment to understand his hesitation, but then it dawned on me¡ªhe was worried my clothes were, once again, just illusions.

    I sighed heavily. Really? I was wearing a beautiful blue dress, long and flowing, with a charming neckline, a wide leather belt emphasizing my waist, and a bold slit climbing up to my hip on the right side. And he still thought this was all a trick? Honestly!

    "It''s fine, Sir Gamesh, you can come closer," I said, rolling my eyes while Ju giggled, clearly amused by the exchange.

    His face brightened immediately.

    "Lady Lores, I must thank you for your wise foresight!"

    I blinked, caught off guard, and raised an eyebrow, silently questioning what he meant. He smiled, eager to explain.

    "Your idea to initiate these dungeon runs for the prince was truly inspired! I haven¡¯t seen him this happy and engaged in ages. For the first time in years, I feel like he''s truly making progress!"

    I sighed, unsure of how to respond. It hadn¡¯t been my idea at all¡ªit was one of Therella¡¯s schemes, cooked up with Sid¡¯s help for her own agenda. Yet somehow, it seemed to be working wonders for the prince. With Sir Gamesh practically showering me in praise, I found myself at a loss. Before I could attempt a protest, he came in with his inevitable request.

    "Would you be so kind as to arrange another session for the prince? He¡¯s absolutely brimming with excitement to share his experiences with his betrothed lady!"

    I fought the urge to groan. Of course, he is.

    "Sir Gamesh, you are a shining example of diplomacy and loyalty¡ªI find myself still learning from you!" Ju said with a beaming smile before turning to me. "I understand you''ll call me later when you need me, Lady Lores. In the meantime, I¡¯ll go look for the materials you requested." She gave a small, graceful bow and departed.

    I snorted, irritated by her smooth exit, but nodded. There was no escaping now¡ªSir Gamesh was practically glowing with delight over the prince''s progress. How could I refuse him when he looked so genuinely pleased? Resigned, I followed him toward the prince¡¯s apartments while he continued to shower me with praise, his enthusiasm for the prince''s newfound passion for dungeoneering practically spilling over.

    As we walked, I couldn''t help but anticipate the next part. After the session, they¡¯d likely insist I stay for dinner. But I was already planning my excuses. I had far too many pressing matters to handle and couldn¡¯t afford to lose more time indulging in unnecessary socializing.

    I stepped into the room, prepared to start the session, but found only Dame Elanea waiting for me. The prince hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Trying to quell my uneasiness, I accepted a coffee while she sipped her tea, the two of us making polite small talk as we waited. Ten, perhaps fifteen minutes passed¡ªthough to me, they felt like hours¡ªbefore he finally arrived.

    But once he entered, my impatience evaporated. The prince had a natural charm and an easy manner that made conversations with him thoroughly enjoyable. We chatted for a bit, and he eagerly recounted, in meticulous detail, the dungeon session he had completed with Therella. His enthusiasm, while endearing, struck me as slightly misplaced when I compared it to the grueling and perilous dungeoneering I knew from Cala''s time. Still, I wasn¡¯t about to rain on his parade.

    It was during this conversation that I learned the whole dungeoneering idea had been framed as though it were my initiative. Apparently, the prince had initially agreed to it out of sheer courtesy, but now, judging by his excitement, he was thoroughly invested.

    I debated whether I should protest and clarify that the idea hadn¡¯t been mine, but quickly decided against it. Any attempt to set the record straight would likely come across as false modesty, and besides, no one would really believe me. So, I let it slide.

    Before long, Dame Elanea politely requested that I put on the diadem. How they manage to synchronize these things so flawlessly was beyond me, but they certainly succeeded. Moments later, I found myself channeling Dame Fara, speaking on her behalf as the prince enthusiastically recounted every intricate detail of his most recent dungeoneering venture. His passion was evident, and he spared no effort in conveying just how thrilling the experience had been for him.

    I drifted in and out of their conversation. When this whole setup had started, it had been intriguing¡ªnovel, even¡ªbut by the third or fourth time, it had grown tiresome. I couldn¡¯t fully disengage since Dame Fara was using me as her mouthpiece, but I wasn¡¯t actively focusing on what they were discussing anymore. That¡¯s why it caught me completely off guard when their hands¡ªno, my hand¡ªtouched his.

    It seemed she intended to embrace him, and I froze, unsure of what to do. I hadn¡¯t agreed to this. Should I resist? Could I even resist?

    But then, the diadem''s influence surged, an invisible force bearing down on me with overwhelming pressure. A foreign presence loomed in my mind, forceful and invasive, shoving my consciousness to the edges of my awareness. I felt like a spectator in my own body as the alien will took control. Against everything I wanted, my arms moved of their own accord. I embraced him¡ªan act that was hers, not mine.

    He looked as startled as I felt when my lips brushed his, fleeting but enough to trigger something I hadn¡¯t anticipated¡ªa pull.

    I felt it, unmistakable this time. She was draining his life energy.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d noticed this sensation during our earlier sessions, but back then, it had been so faint I assumed it was just a side effect of the diadem or something I was misinterpreting. Now, however, it was undeniable, clear and distinct¡ªand chillingly familiar. I had felt this before, within myself.

    Desperate and trapped in the corner of my own mind, I tried to resist, to scream out in protest, but it was useless. My body wasn¡¯t mine to command.

    His knees buckled, and he leaned heavily against me. Instinctively, I helped steady him and guided him back into his chair, fighting against the diadem¡¯s force that urged me to keep him close. The invasive presence behind the diadem resisted, trying to hold him tighter, but I managed to push just enough to break away¡ªthough the drain continued. His life force was still slipping away.

    Suddenly, my mana surged, wrapping around me in a protective barrier and pushing fiercely against the invasive connection. A wave of anger and defiance flooded through me, unbidden and unstoppable. I stepped back abruptly, yanking the now-heated diadem from my head.

    At the exact moment the connection severed, I felt a jolt of panic from the other end¡ªraw and unguarded. The diadem hit the floor with a sharp hiss, skidding across it as if it had been forged from red-hot iron.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    A wave of shock and nausea rolled over me, my breath catching in my throat as realization struck. What I had felt was unmistakable¡ªa succubus pull. There was no Dame Fara on the other side. It had been a succubus all along.

    Or, worse, could Dame Fara be a succubus?

    The revelation hit me like a hammer blow. It all made sense now¡ªthe prince¡¯s stagnation in his magic, his inability to progress. How could he evolve if, each time he accumulated even a shred of life energy, it was siphoned away by a succubus feeding on him?

    Shocked and struggling to steady myself, I blinked through the haze of nausea, trying to make sense of everything. Dame Elanea was closing in on me, her stance aggressive and her hand already moving to her sword. Of course, she was concerned for the prince¡ªhe was slumped over, seemingly unconscious in his chair¡ªbut her reaction was far more intense than I had anticipated.

    I turned quickly to check the prince. He wasn¡¯t moving, his breathing shallow, but he didn¡¯t look dead. As I swung back to face Dame Elanea, I raised my hands in what I hoped was a calming gesture.

    ¡°The prince...¡± I began, my voice trembling. ¡°The prince is fine, but this... this... it¡¯s a devil!¡±

    I barely had time to get the words out before Dame Elanea¡¯s blade flashed.

    It was too fast. Far too fast.

    The sword pierced my chest with terrifying precision, and the world seemed to tilt. My eyes went wide, disbelief and pain flooding my senses all at once. A searing agony split my chest in two as the blade drove deeper, and I instinctively tried to gasp, to scream¡ªbut only a wet, choking sound escaped me.

    I staggered back, chest heaving as blood dripped onto the marble floor. My vision wavered, but I forced myself to stay upright.

    Blood bubbled up, hot and metallic in my mouth, as Dame Elanea twisted the sword. Fresh waves of agony radiated through me, and my legs gave way, unable to support me anymore.

    I crumpled to my knees, gasping and spluttering as crimson droplets splattered the floor beneath me. My mind was reeling, desperately clawing for answers. Why? Why had she attacked me?

    Everything blurred, the pain too overwhelming to focus on anything but survival. My thoughts spiraled in chaos as the room began to darken.

    Dame Elanea¡¯s sword gleamed menacingly under the searing light she¡¯d cast, and her eyes burned with frustration.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be a problem!¡± she growled. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t that fool Gamesh have chosen some simple village girl? Now I have this to deal with.¡±

    With a sharp cry, I dissolved into shadow, desperately trying to slip into the cracks between the light. But no sooner had I vanished than the radiant pulse of her domain forced me back into solid form.

    Damn it!

    I skidded to the far side of the room, the pain in my chest burning hotter with every breath. With a flick of my hand, I cast <Darkness>, but the holy light shredded through it as if it were nothing but a veil of smoke. The walls practically glowed with burning radiance, leaving no refuge for me to hide.

    I could feel the magic pressing down on me like the weight of the sun itself. The edges of my skin prickled, and I could almost hear my flesh sizzle.

    I was trapped.

    Desperation clawed at me as I tripped and fell and her sword pinned me to the floor, searing through my midsection with unrelenting, burning agony. Blood pooled beneath me, and every inch of my body screamed in pain. My attempts to shadowmeld flickered uselessly, her domain snuffing out any semblance of magic I tried to summon.

    Elanea loomed over me, her expression one of cruel curiosity as her iron grip clamped around my neck like a vice. I clawed at her hand, my strength waning with every second.

    ¡°You really are an interesting little creature,¡± she mused, tilting her head as though I were a specimen pinned to a board. ¡°Perhaps I should bring you back to my lord. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d enjoy studying you thoroughly.¡±

    Her words sent a wave of terror coursing through me, sharper even than the sword burning in my gut. I thrashed weakly as she materialized a cage on the glowing floor beside me.

    The sight of the narrow bars, shimmering with suppressive magic, made my heart race. My breaths came in ragged gasps as panic overtook me.

    ¡°No,¡± I croaked, blood dribbling from my lips. ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t¡­ put me in there!¡±

    Elanea¡¯s smirk widened as she tightened her grip on my neck.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have much of a choice, little shadow,¡± she said, her voice dripping with condescension.

    The heat from her domain scorched my skin as she began dragging me toward the cage. I kicked and clawed at the floor, my fingers slipping on the blood, piss and sweat smeared beneath me.

    Every instinct screamed to fight, to do something¡ªanything¡ªto avoid being shoved into that cursed cage. If I was trapped in there, I knew it would be the end.

    Somewhere deep inside, a spark of rage ignited, faint but unyielding. I had to find a way out. I had to.

    I could still choose another ending.

    Closing my eyes, I whispered my name under my breath.

    Her grip tightened around my neck instantly.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± she hissed.

    I felt the strain in her hold ¨C a tug, a struggle ¨C as if something was pulling me away from her. She was fighting to keep me. Could she do it?

    Panic gnawed at the edges of my thoughts. I dreaded opening my eyes, afraid I¡¯d still find myself pinned to the cold floor.

    But then ¨C that faint, acrid trace of sulfur hit my nose.

    I opened my eyes.

    The castle room was gone.

    In its place stretched the now familiar blackened expanse ¨C jagged and wild, a chaotic maze of twisted ridges and razor-sharp edges, like a sea frozen mid-turmoil. The ground cracked beneath my feet with every subtle shift.

    Her hands were still around my neck ¨C but now they trembled.

    I twisted easily in her grip, breaking free, and met her gaze. Her eyes were wide, brimming with something I hadn¡¯t seen in them before ¨C fear.

    Her stare darted wildly around the blackened landscape.

    ¡°What... what is this?¡± she stammered, stumbling back as if the ground itself threatened to swallow her whole.

    I gasped for air, trembling as the heavy weight around my neck was gone. The phantom touch of her grip still lingered.

    His voice echoed faintly in my mind.

    ¡°I accept your offer. Your debt has been redeemed.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t offered anything, had I?

    Raising my head slowly, I saw Deimos illuminating the sky with its shimmering aurora borealis, vast and imposing against the darkness. I thought I saw a face on it.

    A scream had pierced the void, but by the time I lowered my gaze, she was gone.

    Reality snapped back and I was back in the prince¡¯s chamber, struggling on all fours, palms slick with my own blood as I tried to steady myself. Pain radiated down my spine ¨C a deep gash carved through my back, the exact place her sword had been.

    A hideous cage lay abandoned beside me, as if mocking the near miss. The suffocating weight of her domain was already dissipating, the light dimming.

    And there, sprawled not far from me, was her body.

    Or what was left of it.

    A desiccated husk ¨C shriveled, brittle ¨C as though centuries had passed over her in the span of a breath. Her armor barely clung to the withered remains, ashen flesh crumbling away.

    I watched, horrified, as the body began to fracture, disintegrating like charred paper. Bits of her flaked away, turning to fine ash, until there was nothing left but a pile of armor and the faintest outline of her presence burned into the stone floor.

    I stayed there, frozen, as the last echoes of her existence scattered to the wind.

 Chapter 307 - Beam Me to My Room, Please

    My wounds had stopped bleeding after the last shadowmeld, but the pain and horror still clung to every inch of my body and mind. The fact that I was still moving¡ªstill functioning¡ªafter being stabbed so many times was proof of the ridiculous resilience that came with higher levels. But even that had its limits, and I could feel mine creeping closer.

    Then the whole building shuddered with a violent impact, the kind that sinks into your bones. A deep, thunderous boom followed, shaking loose dust and debris from above. It felt like the place had just been struck by a bunker-buster bomb.

    Before I could react, massive claws punched through the stone wall, tearing away an entire section as if the fortress were made of wet paper.

    Through the swirling dust and crumbling stone, a colossal dragon¡¯s head pushed into view, framed by the jagged edges of the shattered wall.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Sid¡¯s voice thundered in dragon-tongue, shaking the remaining walls and scattering fresh waves of debris.

    His eyes narrowed, fierce and wild. ¡°Mom, are you hurt?¡±

    I could barely breathe.

    I could feel his worry¡ªsharp and raw¡ªthreaded with anger that simmered just beneath the surface. He must have sensed my pain, felt the panic thrumming through me.

    As his enormous head lowered, I rushed forward without hesitation, wrapping my arms as far around him as I could. The cool, rough scales beneath my hands grounded me, and for the first time since the chaos began, I felt something close to peace.

    The world outside this moment didn¡¯t matter. Let the ants in their hives¡ªthose scurrying figures below¡ªshout, run, or scramble. Let them make sense of the destruction however they wished.

    I had Sid. That was enough.

    His deep rumble vibrated through my chest, calming the storm inside me. Our heartbeats aligned, the connection between us steady and grounding. As his massive paw curled gently around me, shielding me from the crumbling stone and lingering dust, I let the tears fall¡ªsilent and heavy.

    I pressed my forehead to his scales, letting the rough warmth of him soak into my skin. There was something primal in that embrace, something that dissolved the fear still clinging to me.

    Gradually, my senses sharpened, and I peeled my mind away from the refuge his presence offered to assess the room.

    Therella stood to the side, wide-eyed and pale, her hands gripping the edge of the broken wall as if it might somehow stabilize her. By the look on her face, Sid¡¯s dramatic arrival hadn¡¯t exactly been a gentle descent.

    The paladins, were only now stirring to action. I could see the confusion on their faces as they hesitated, weapons half-drawn. The room had been soundproofed so thoroughly by that cursed domain spell that not a whisper of the battle had escaped.

    I could have screamed until my throat bled¡ªno one would have heard.

    Only Sid had felt me.

    The pile of cloth and armor that had once been Dame Elanea lay still in the settling dust. I stared at it for a long moment, waiting for something¡ªmaybe a flicker of movement, maybe some final curse or lingering malice. But there was nothing. Just silence and ash.

    I felt¡­ nothing. No satisfaction. No guilt. Only a quiet sense of inevitability.

    Whatever had happened to her was beyond my understanding, and maybe that was for the best. There were questions I wasn¡¯t ready to face, things that brushed too close to the edge of reason and left dark shadows behind my eyes.

    I exhaled slowly, turning away from the remains, I leaned into Sid¡¯s presence. His warmth, his solidity¡ªthose were the things grounding me now.

    The yard was chaos. Orc soldiers dashed about like headless chickens but kept a wide berth from Sid¡¯s looming form. Even some elves had gathered, seemingly putting aside their usual hostility toward the orcs and humans.

    Off to the side, I spotted Alice wrangling with "my boys", trying to keep them from getting too close. Tina had shown up too, lingering near them as Ju quietly approached me. The tension was still thick, but there was a shift¡ªa slow descent from panic into wary curiosity. My mind, sluggish from pain and exhaustion, finally started to piece itself back together.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Ju¡¯s hand settled lightly against my back. She could heal me outright, but her mana always left me foggy and disoriented.

    ¡°Life steal me,¡± she whispered, pressing a blanket into my hands as Sid gently shifted his massive claws, giving her space.

    I ran my fingers over Sid¡¯s brow in a wordless thank you, feeling the warmth of his scales beneath my palm before turning toward Ju.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I murmured, exhaling as I draped the blanket around my shoulders.

    With a clearer head, I took in the scene around me. I was standing atop the rubble of the collapsed wall, bits of stone and splintered wood shifting beneath my feet.

    Near the prince, three paladins hovered in a more relaxed defensive posture, while a fourth knelt by his side, fingers pressed to the unconscious royal¡¯s neck, checking his pulse. The prince, blissfully unaware of the chaos around him, slept on¡ªstill lost in his succubus-induced slumber.

    A few feet away, another paladin held the cracked diadem between his thumb and forefinger, studying it as if unsure whether to throw it or purify it on the spot. Beside him, yet another was sifting through the remains of Dame Elanea¡ªjust armor and cloth now, crumpled beside the narrow iron cage. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from that cage. Small. Cramped.

    I glanced at Ju, offering a weak smirk. "It¡¯s not every day someone tries to stuff me into a glorified birdcage." I mumbled. Ju raised a brow. I pulled the blanket closer.

    I met Sir Gamesh¡¯s gaze as he stood closest to me, his expression tight with concern but not aggression. His eyes searched mine, and beneath the confusion and quiet alarm, I didn¡¯t sense hostility. That alone brought a sliver of relief. If I was reading this right, he hadn¡¯t been part of whatever palace intrigue had targeted the prince.

    Damn it. Ju had warned me about royal politics, and yet here I was¡ªalmost collateral damage in one of their shadow games.

    Behind the paladins, Lynx was already prowling at the edges of the debris, his muscles coiled, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. In the courtyard below, the orcs were reorganizing with brisk efficiency. Drackar stood at the center of it, flanked by his lieutenants, sharp-eyed and unflinching. A short distance away, the three elves had withdrawn slightly, keeping Therella close between them like a delicate treasure they weren¡¯t willing to risk.

    I leaned heavily on Ju, feeling the warmth of her mana flow as I drew from her, my battered body greedily drinking in the energy. My eyes drifted to the shredded blue dress lying in a heap on the rubble¡ªthe spot where I had first shadowmelded. Blood smeared the fabric in dark stains.

    Lifting my gaze, I let out a long breath and addressed Sir Gamesh.

    ¡°Prince Kotusawendu was drained by a succubus. That¡¯s why he¡¯s still asleep,¡± I explained, keeping my tone even. ¡°He probably won¡¯t remember much of what happened.¡±

    I let out a long breath, ¡°From the feel of it, this wasn¡¯t the first time. I¡¯d wager he¡¯s been regularly drained for some time now¡ªkept just weak enough to prevent him from evolving his magic.¡±

    Gamesh¡¯s brows knit further, his gaze flicking to the unconscious prince as if searching for signs he had missed.

    ¡°Dame Elanea was part of it,¡± I continued, ¡°When I uncovered the truth, she tried to kill me¡ªor lock me away. I suppose either would¡¯ve worked.¡± I gestured vaguely toward the crumpled heap of armor and fabric that had once been her.

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it,¡± I added with a sigh.

    Silence stretched between us, save for clanking of orc soldiers reorganizing in the yard. I didn¡¯t know if Gamesh believed me, but I saw the wheels turning in his head.

    I let out a long sigh and turned to Drackar.

    ¡°Maybe call Borokhout, the Earthmage? He should try to patch this up before the whole section comes down,¡± I suggested.

    Drackar chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it, Lady Lores. Oh, and when you have a moment, I have the report you requested.¡±

    I arched a brow. That had to be about the orc youths tangled in the assassination attempt against Therella. I didn¡¯t have the mental bandwidth to even glance at it right now.

    ¡°Later,¡± I replied with a faint nod. I leaned toward Ju, dropping my voice to a whisper.

    ¡°Beam me to my room, please.¡±

    She chuckled but didn¡¯t break stride as we started walking. My attempt at humor didn¡¯t fool her.

    ¡°You¡¯re still trembling,¡± she said softly, wrapping an arm around me in a steadying hug. Sid trailed behind like a looming shadow. I didn¡¯t doubt for a second that he¡¯d incinerate anyone who so much as looked at me the wrong way.

    Well, I don''t think that we can still pretend that there is no dragon in the castle.

 Chapter 308 - The Warlords Legacy

    Hordius lifted his beer mug, squinting into it as if searching for hidden flaws. He exhaled sharply, clearly unimpressed.

    "And here I was, hoping we¡¯d finally be rid of those scheming humans. But no¡ªjust more talking. No fight, no bloodshed, no glory."

    Wetina flicked her dark green mane, the motion almost dismissive, and shrugged.

    ¡°She did take out one of those high-paladins, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Her short, curly hair seemed determined to rebel, with a few stray strands stubbornly falling across her face. She pushed them back with a flick of her hand, her expression somewhere between amused and exasperated.

    Wokta, the giant, chuckled¡ªa low rumble like distant rolling stones. His massive hand enveloped one of the mugs on the table, making it look comically small as he took a long, satisfied sip. He tilted his head thoughtfully.

    "She looked a bit rattled after that fight. That paladin must¡¯ve given her hell," he mused, raising a bushy brow.

    Wetina sighed, "High-paladin. Over level ninety. They don¡¯t go down easy. Who started that fight? And how? That might be enough to hurt her badly in the beginning. With their healing and armor, those paladins are practically unkillable."

    "Meh," Woktarod scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. Contradicting Wetina had become his new hobby. "Shouldn¡¯t be much trouble for a real hegemon."

    Wetina rolled her eyes. "Sure. But did you see what was left of the paladin? Just a pile of clothes and armor. No body. That must have been a hell of a spell!"

    "Speaking of piles of clothes, is it true that she was naked?¡± Woktarod wondered his eyes blinking. "Who fights without armor?"

    ¡°Hah! Is that seriously all you can think about?¡± Wetina laughed, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes. She gave a half-hearted shrug. ¡°It¡¯s probably one of those movement or transformation spells¡ªmaybe something that shreds her clothes or armor in the process.¡±

    She paused for a beat, brushing a rogue curl from her face, then grinned, a glint of mischief in her eyes. ¡°Still, I would¡¯ve killed to be a fly on the wall for that fight! Boss, what do you think? Maybe we could ask the paladins for some sparring matches? Could be worth it.¡±

    Wetina¡¯s tone was light, but there was a spark of genuine interest beneath the jest.

    Drackar chuckled, tilting his head thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it. It might not be a bad idea.¡± His expression shifted as he raised a questioning brow. ¡°But is that what you wanted to tell me?¡±

    Wetina¡¯s demeanor turned serious as she shook her head. ¡°No, boss. There was a young merchant who struck me as a little too curious for comfort, so...¡±

    Drackar¡¯s brow arched higher. ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So... I might have tossed him into a barrel,¡± Wetina confessed, flashing a sheepish grin.

    Woktarod erupted in laughter, nearly spilling his drink. ¡°A barrel? Gods, Wetina, you can¡¯t just pickle merchants whenever they annoy you! Did you at least haggle a discount out of him afterward?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Wetina replied, her grin widening. ¡°But after the sixth dunk, he started spilling something else¡ªan interesting story.¡±

    Drackar¡¯s expression hardened as he leaned forward. ¡°I trust it was worth the effort. You know I don¡¯t appreciate you harassing merchants without a good reason...¡±

    Wetina¡¯s grin turned triumphant. ¡°It was worth it. He admitted he was here to gather information on Lady Lores. But more than that, I found some dangerous scrolls in his possession. When I pressed him further, he confessed he was planning to kill her.¡±

    Drackar¡¯s brow arched higher, his gaze sharpening.

    ¡°What level is he? And how sure are you his answers weren¡¯t just the ramblings of someone who¡¯s had their head dunked in stale rainwater one too many times?¡±

    Wetina shook her head firmly.

    ¡°Boss, he¡¯s a low-level fool playing merchant. He¡¯s got more stubbornness than sense, but he had a solid reason for hating her. He claimed he was a survivor from Nok¡¯Torsa¡­ and that she was one of the seven warlords who raided it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s one of the seven?¡± Wokta muttered, eyes widening with surprise.

    A heavy silence settled over the room, broken only by the sound of Drackar¡¯s slow, measured breathing.

    Drackar''s eyes narrowed as he considered the implications.

    ¡°It could be,¡± he admitted, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Some of the reports we¡¯ve gathered from the human kingdom hint at a connection, but the descriptions don¡¯t align.¡±

    Woktarod slowly turned his head towards Drackar, his expression skeptical but curious.

    ¡°Can this really be?¡± he rumbled.

    Drackar nodded again, slower this time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡±

    Hordius let out a low, gruff huff, baring his sharp canines.

    ¡°She might¡¯ve altered her appearance. If she is one of the seven, that explains a lot,¡± he growled.

    All eyes shifted towards him, waiting for him to elaborate.

    ¡°Nok''Torsa¡¯s treasury hold,¡± Hordius continued, voice heavy with certainty. ¡°No one ever found the gold after the raid. Rumor was, the raiders couldn¡¯t get to it. None of the high magistrates survived to reveal where it was hidden.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Woktarod¡¯s brow furrowed.

    ¡°How much gold are we talking about?¡±

    Wetina leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper as if speaking the number aloud would summon ghosts.

    "Millions. In heavy gold coins.¡±

    A chill settled over the room.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t add up,¡± Woktarod said, shaking his head. ¡°Nok''Torsa is two hundred leagues from here. Why would she stake her claim here of all places?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the closest human-held land to Nok''Torsa,¡± Hordius replied, his voice low and edged with suspicion.

    ¡°Then why not just sail there?¡± Woktarod pressed.

    Hordius shrugged, frustration flickering across his scarred face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. But tell me this ¨C doesn¡¯t it strike you as strange? The raid succeeded, but the real prize ¨C the treasury ¨C vanished. Nok''Torsa was the wealthiest city on the coast. After the tribes rallied and retook the citadel, most of the remaining raiders were wiped out, still scouring for that gold. And now, one warlord just so happens to settle in the nearest barony to the ruins? That¡¯s no coincidence.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°She knows where the treasure is, but for some reason, she can¡¯t get to it. Maybe she¡¯s looking for some gullible orcs to help dig it out.¡±

    He turned sharply toward Drackar, his voice dropping to a growl.

    ¡°And this is the bitch you want to trust with our secrets? To bring our families under her rule?¡±

    The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of Hordius'' words lingering. Drackar''s gaze hardened as he met Hordius¡¯ fiery glare.

    ¡°You think she would need our help to claim a treasure she already knows the location of?¡± Drackar''s voice was low but carried the weight of authority. ¡°If she is one of the seven, she¡¯s not the kind to beg for assistance.¡±

    Hordius crossed his arms, his massive frame shifting uncomfortably.

    ¡°Then why here? Why now?¡±

    Drackar exhaled through his nose, casting a long glance out the narrow window at the orc camp outside. The rhythmic clang of blacksmiths and the distant shouts of sparring soldiers carried on the breeze, grounding him.

    ¡°She¡¯s no fool,¡± Drackar said at last, his tone calm but firm. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what she¡¯s after, but I trust her. She¡¯s never broken her word in any deal we¡¯ve struck. If she is one of the seven, I¡¯ll find out¡ªand we¡¯ll decide what¡¯s best for the tribe from there.¡±

    ¡°How do you plan to do that?¡± Woktarod pressed, narrowing his eyes.

    Drackar¡¯s grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he downed the rest of his beer in one smooth gulp. He set the empty mug down with a thud.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her.¡±

    *

    The fight with the paladin left a murkiness in my soul that I couldn¡¯t shake. It lingered, heavy and unsettling, until I felt worn down and disoriented¡ªlike I needed to step away from everything and let my thoughts settle. I craved time to reflect, but at the same time, I dreaded it. Reflection brought questions I wasn¡¯t ready to face¡ªquestions about who I was, what I was. How much of me was truly free will, and how much was a construct shaped by some so-called god?

    How had I learned that spell so easily? How could Deimos simply implant the knowledge in my mind, as if it had always been there? And if he could do that¡­ what else had been placed inside me without my knowing? Was I still¡­ me? Or was I just a vessel meant to serve? A collector of souls, bound to his will?

    I shook my head, trying to chase the thought away. That ¡°delivery¡± had been a rescue, hadn¡¯t it? I had been saved. No one forced me to act¡ªI had chosen, hadn¡¯t I? My will was my own¡­ wasn¡¯t it?

    But how much of that was truly mine? I could move, speak, and make decisions freely. Nothing compelled me, and yet the unease sat there like a stone in my chest. Why did it feel so frightening?

    I didn¡¯t want to shut myself away, not when solitude only seemed to feed these doubts. So after some time, I wandered down to the council room. My boys were there, lingering over cups of coffee after lunch. I had already eaten with Ju in my quarters earlier, and I welcomed the company¡ªand the chance to drink coffee with them and feel, at least for a while, that things were normal.

    They chatted about a range of topics while I listened, half-drifting in my own thoughts. Still, just sitting there with them eased something inside me, grounding me in a way I hadn''t realized I needed.

    My quiet reflection was cut short when Drackar entered, his expression serious as he approached. Clearly, he had something on his mind.

    Drackar¡¯s gaze flickered across the room, taking in each face with a quiet intensity. His usual ease was gone.

    ¡°We can discuss the report later, Drackar. I¡¯m not in the mood for politics right now,¡± I tried, hoping to brush him off.

    But he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Lady Lores, there are matters that cannot wait. I must insist.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and sat up a little straighter, despite the exhaustion clinging to me. Drackar rarely pushed this hard, and it wasn¡¯t like him to be this formal. Something was off.

    ¡°These are serious issues,¡± he added, his voice lower now. ¡°Ones you may prefer to address in private.¡±

    I exhaled slowly, tempted to dismiss him again. Instead, I lifted a hand, gesturing at the others. Hew, Tom, Mike, Ju, and Alice¡ªmy inner circle, the ones who knew me better than anyone else.

    ¡°I trust everyone here,¡± I said firmly, leaning back in my chair. ¡°I have no secrets from them. Speak freely.¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°Very well¡­¡±

    Julietta stood up.

    "Captain Drackar, would you like to drink a coffee?" she offered.

    I blinked surprised, but then caught myself and gestured toward an empty chair at the table, realizing I should at least try to be polite. Ju was right, after all, the rest of us were already drinking.

    "Please!" I said

    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse,¡± he replied with a nod, easing into the seat.

    Without a word, Ju reached for the kettle and poured a fresh cup, sliding it across the table. Drackar accepted it carefully, taking a slow sip with a nod of appreciation before turning his attention back to me. As I met his gaze he asked.

    ¡°Did you raid Nok''Torsa, Lady Lores?¡±

    The question hung in the air like a blade.

    Tom broke the silence first, frowning. ¡°How? When?¡±

    Before anyone else could react, I felt the pressure shift as Ju activated her isolation ring, sealing us from prying ears. A soft hum vibrated through the space, and in the next blink, Lynx materialized on the far side of the table, settling in like he¡¯d been there the whole time.

    ¡°Oh, now this is going to get interesting,¡± Lynx remarked, reaching casually for a cup. He glanced at Ju with wide, pleading eyes.

    Ju sighed, already knowing where this was going. With a smile, she poured Lynx some coffee.

    Lynx grinned, cradling the cup like it was the highlight of his day, all the while looking directly at me, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

 Chapter 309 - Ruins, Laments and Reverie

    Julietta¡¯s eyes narrowed as she leaned into the back of my chair, her fingers curling tightly around the edge of the wooden frame.

    ¡°And knowing that would change what exactly? Why is this relevant to you, Captain Drackar?¡± she asked, her tone edged, clearly angling to redirect the heat away from me.

    I took a slow sip of my coffee, letting the silence hang as I watched Drackar over the rim of my cup.

    He gave a thoughtful nod, his expression calm and difficult to read. ¡°Because it matters to the orc tribes. Nok''Torsa held¡­ significance for them,¡± he replied evenly. ¡°It¡¯s also a matter of security. To be blunt¡ª¡± his gaze flicked toward me before settling back on Julietta¡ª¡°we recently apprehended a human merchant. He had plans to take revenge on Lady Lores, claiming he survived the raid on Nok''Torsa. The man was blinded by hatred, reckless in his approach, but others may not be as foolish. If what he said is true, she was one of the seven Doombringer warlords responsible for the attack.¡±

    He lifted his head, meeting Julietta¡¯s sharp gaze. ¡°I believe that¡¯s reason enough to ask the question, Lady Julietta.¡±

    As our boys were looking curious at each other Alice''s brow furrowed as she glanced around the room. ¡°Okay¡­ but can someone explain exactly what this is all about? I¡¯ve heard bits about the raid, but not the whole picture.¡±

    I exhaled slowly, swirling the remaining coffee in my cup. ¡°You¡¯re right, Alice. Almost two years ago, Evilleet Bloodhand¡ªone of the legendary players¡ªput out an announcement in the dark channels. He was planning another raid...¡±

    Julietta¡¯s sharp intake of breath cut me off. She lifted a hand, palm facing outward. ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± she interrupted, her eyes narrowing as she scanned each face in the room. Her tone dropped, ¡°Before we continue¡ªunderstand this. Everything we discuss here, on this subject, stays within these walls. Am I clear?¡±

    Tom raised an eyebrow but nodded along with the others. ¡°Why the secrecy?¡± he asked, though his tone was more curious than defiant.

    Julietta held his gaze for a long second before shifting back into her chair and picking herself a cup of coffee. ¡°Just trust me.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Drackar chimed in, though he arched an inquisitive brow, watching the subtle shifts in the room¡¯s atmosphere. This wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d expected things to go.

    Julietta¡¯s voice dropped to a low, steady rhythm.

    ¡°Founded roughly seven hundred years ago by ambitious merchants, Nok''Torsa grew into a thriving city of two hundred thousand souls. It lies about six hundred kilometers from here, perched on the northern coast of the continent. The city was uniquely positioned¡ªnestled between the lands of the orc tribes, with whom it maintained strong economic ties, and the marshes ruled by the aquatic Moas tribes. As the northernmost port, Nok''Torsa became a crucial stop for ships bound for Adrai to the northeast and the Arhang Islands to the west. It also flourished as a major trading point with Serenity, one of the few human settlements whose merchants were trusted in their waters.

    The tribes watched its prosperity with envy, yet much of their own livelihood was entwined with the city¡¯s fate.

    Five high-magistrates ruled¡ªan elf, two humans, an orc, and a dwarf. Each represented one of the five districts, which loosely mirrored the racial demographics within them. Even the elven district, though governed by an elf, housed in total more humans, orcs and dwarves than elves.

    It wasn¡¯t just a city,¡± she added, her tone softening. ¡°It was more than that¡ªa cultural and economic heartbeat of the continent. It had been a living, breathing force that connected nations, tribes, merchants, and travelers alike.¡±

    She made a short pause to drink more coffee, the room quiet save for the occasional creak of wood or the distant murmur of the castle beyond.

    ¡°Why are you speaking about the city in the past tense?¡± Mike asked, his brow furrowed.

    Ju sighed, her voice dropping even lower.

    ¡°Because Nok''Torsa is nothing more than a haunted ruin now. Two years ago, the city was sacked by an army led by seven warlords¡ªthe Doombringers, also known as the Seven Scourges.

    Evilleet Bloodhand, the bloodwarrior and highest warlord, led them. He was their leader. Tarak Deadarmy, the necromancer. Pepin the Blast, arcane mage. Icesara Whitechapel, ice mage. Hans Firestorm, fire mage. Iyhita Windblume, windwarrior. And the last of them¡ªCalamity Lara, known as Cala the Assassin, Tenebra¡¯s emissary. It¡¯s said she was the one who opened the gates.

    The city was razed, its streets soaked in blood. Anyone who resisted was slaughtered. Those who survived were shackled and sold as slaves. The massacre and fighting stretched on for days. By the time the orc tribes rallied and sent an army to aid the city, it was too late. When they arrived, they joined in the pillaging, the rapes, the butchery.

    What followed was chaos. The orcs and the pillagers clashed. The Doombringers retreated to the citadel with their spoils and captives. It¡¯s said most of them escaped through portals, taking their wealth and slaves with them, but others stayed behind, still searching for Nok''Torsa¡¯s hidden treasures.

    For twenty-five days, the citadel was under siege. In the end, a deal was struck¡ªthose inside were allowed to leave with half their bounty and slaves. By then, only about one hundred and fifty pillagers remained. But the moment they stepped out, they were ambushed and killed.

    Since then, the ruins of Nok''Torsa have become the stuff of legend. The city¡¯s vaults were filled with untold riches¡ªmillions in gold coins. The library alone held priceless tomes. Nobles and merchants who once called the city home were known for their wealth.

    Even now, treasure hunters venture there, lured by stories of forgotten fortunes. But few return. Some say the ruins are cursed, haunted by the spirits of the dead¡ªundead, ghosts, and worse. Whatever still lurks there, it guards Nok''Torsa¡¯s secrets well.¡±

    Ju shrugged, offering a tired smile as if the weight of the story itself had settled on her shoulders.

    ¡°That¡¯s how the Guaravian newspapers reported it at the time,¡± she said. ¡°Now you understand why it matters whether Lores is tied to what happened. The rapes, the pillaging¡ªif people think she was part of that, it¡¯s a stain on all of us. We need to deny any connection.¡±

    Tom¡¯s eyes narrowed as he glanced my way.

    ¡°Rapes and plunder?¡± he asked, skepticism cutting through his voice.

    I snorted, crossing my arms.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t rape anyone, Tom.¡±

    Tom raised a brow, his curiosity piqued. ¡°And what about the remaining treasures?¡±

    I shrugged casually, swirling the last of the coffee in my cup. ¡°For the past two years, every adventurer and their dog has been poking around those ruins. Whatever¡¯s left now is either too well hidden or too dangerous to grab. The easy pickings are long gone. What¡¯s left are the ones that bite back.¡±

    I leaned back in my chair, stretching my legs out under the table. ¡°If we¡¯re feeling particularly adventurous, maybe we¡¯ll try our luck at treasure hunting in the winter. But you,¡± I pointed at him with a slight smirk, ¡°need to gain a few levels first. And by a few, I mean a lot, Tom.¡±

    He grinned sheepishly but didn¡¯t argue.

    Ju turned back to Drackar, arching a brow.

    ¡°Did I miss anything important, Captain?¡±

    Drackar gave a noncommittal shrug, leaning back in his chair.

    ¡°I think you covered the essentials. I wasn¡¯t aware the tribes'' army had taken part in the pillaging and rapes. From their stories, it was a valiant but ultimately futile rescue mission. Nothing about¡­ that.¡±

    His eyes darkened, but he said no more.

    I huffed, rolling my eyes as I leaned back in my chair.

    ¡°The city had golden statues, gold filigree lining the balconies, frescoes and bas-reliefs coated with gold¡ªopulence everywhere you looked. During the attack, a massive fire swept through the districts and raged for days. That fire melted the gold, and it seeped into the cracks of the stone walls. That¡¯s why so many raiders stayed behind, why the city ended up in ruins¡ªwhole buildings torn apart just to recover gold from the rubble and cracks.

    The ten thousand raiders were a mess of high-level fighters, mercenaries, pirates, thieves¡ªa lot of NP... anyone willing to pick the bones of a dying city. You can imagine the kind of mischief that followed¡ªrapes, murders, and all the chaos that comes when you let wolves loose in a pen.

    The tribes managed to gather an army of fifty thousand, mostly warriors eager to make a name for themselves or get rich. But by the time they arrived, it was too late. The city had been picked clean and the easy treasures were long gone. When they saw the devastation, they knew there¡¯d be no reward from the city itself. So, they took what they could¡ªplundering what remained, claiming it was justified since their lives were already on the line. And why not? Gold was glinting between the ruins.

    When they found survivors¡ªpoor fools who managed to hide behind some magical wards¡ªwell... if someone was hoarding treasure, it usually ended with a blade between the ribs. Captivity wasn¡¯t unheard of, but it wasn¡¯t common. Fewer witnesses meant fewer problems. A handful were freed, mostly orcs but not exclusively.

    As for the big fight at the citadel¡ªthat¡¯s half true. Some raiders holed up there, but by then, the main force had already left. The ones who stayed behind were either treasure hunters still searching or those the raid leaders left to rot and fend for themselves." I shrugged, "There had not been enough portals for everybody. There was still plenty of gold and valuables left to spark conflict, leading to enough skirmishes to cost the tribes thousands of warriors ¡ª often fighting among themselves as much as against others."

    Hew leaned forward, brow furrowed. "Didn''t the city have any defenses of its own?"

    I nodded. "They did¡ªaround five thousand mercenaries, and not the cheap kind. They were well-paid and well-trained. The fighting in the first days was brutal. One of the towers never fell, even when the tribes'' army arrived. About five hundred people holed up inside and survived. There weren¡¯t any treasures in that tower¡ªprobably why they were left alone. It was the carpenter¡¯s guild tower. All they had were tools and a few weapons.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    The city¡¯s real problem was that the outer defenses were breached almost immediately. The battle happened inside the streets, and by then, there was little the mercenaries could do."

    Drackar¡¯s gaze narrowed, ¡°So, am I to understand that you are the Doombringer, Cala the Assassin?¡±

    I almost snorted. If I dragged that zombie from the dakta out, would he think I was Tarak instead? Pity I¡¯d dismissed it.

    I exhaled, resting back in my chair. "Well... here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m not her."

    Drackar raised a brow, clearly not convinced.

    "But," I added, before he could speak, "Cala was there. She wasn¡¯t one of the Doombringers, though. That was their guild¡ªEvilleet was the guildmaster. Cala was never a member.

    That said..." I spread my hands, offering a dry smile. "This position comes with me being her. So, for better or worse¡ªyeah, I guess I¡¯m her now."

    I tilted my head, watching Drackar carefully.

    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°If anyone asks, we¡¯ll deny that you are Cala. Those who know better will assume we¡¯re just lying, as orcs apparently do - but in truth, we wouldn¡¯t be lying at all,¡± he finished, grinning.

    ¡°Exactly. A beautiful mess of half-truths.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°But what about you and your men? Where were you during all this? Did you not join the tribes¡¯ army?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Our split from the tribes started even before Nok¡¯Torsa. They didn¡¯t bother calling on us. Thought it would be an easy raid¡ªjust show up and collect the rewards. By that point, my men and I had already settled here, laying the groundwork.¡±

    I raised a brow. ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s what you wanted to discuss?¡±

    Drackar¡¯s expression shifted, a touch more serious now. ¡°Not exactly, Lady Lores. It¡¯s related, but not the heart of it.¡±

    He leaned forward, meeting my gaze. ¡°I came to ask your permission to allow orc families from our tribe to settle within your domain.¡±

    Ju¡¯s sharp intake of breath cut through the room. ¡°You want to resettle orcs here? In this domain?¡± She stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Drackar, that would strain relations with the King¡ªpossibly beyond repair!¡±

    Drackar exhaled slowly, nodding. ¡°I know,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Yet our families are no longer safe within the orc tribes'' grounds. Deadly incidents have already happened. We need to move them out of there fast, worst case only temporarily.¡±

    ¡°Why is that happening?¡± Tom wondered.

    ¡°We didn''t want to accept K''hordock as our Highest Warlord. That is, in case of war, he would be our commander. We already had a strained relationship with the confederation before, as we had a dispute with the previous Highest Warlord, but after refusing to even recognize the current Highest Warlord, we were excluded and have to go our own way.¡±

    Ju gasped. Mike raised his eyes to look at me.

    ¡°I think he has a solid case¡± he said, then turned to look at Tom and Hew ¡°What do you think?¡±

    They both nodded. I exchanged a look with Lynx and Alice then did the same.

    ¡°I think we all agree with this. The question is where to?¡±

    Drackar''s gaze was steady, though a flicker of relief crossed his eyes as he saw the nods around the room.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, bowing his head slightly. ¡°I understand the risks this brings to your doorstep, Lady Lores, but we have few choices left.¡±

    I rested my chin on my hand, fingers drumming lightly on the table. ¡°I get it¡ªthe question is where to settle them.¡±

    Ju crossed her arms, clearly still uneasy. ¡°We cannot simply place somewhere an entire orc tribe without someone noticing. Under what pretext we do that?¡±

    Hew glanced at me. ¡°There¡¯s that forest south of the river, near the second lake,¡± he suggested, his tone measured. ¡°The population¡¯s sparse, and there¡¯s plenty of space to build without bothering anyone. Technically, it¡¯s within the barony, but no one really goes out that way. It sits along the quieter trade route to the orc tribes. I¡¯d like to take a look at any site we choose for a settlement¡ªbefore we commit.¡±

    Drackar nodded. ¡°I understand that. We¡¯re not asking for handouts. If necessary, we can build from scratch, take the outskirts or land that hasn¡¯t been used in decades.¡±

    Tom leaned forward. ¡°What about Huiesta, the mining town? We have there empty houses. The ground might not be much for farming, but there¡¯s shelter.¡±

    Drackar considered it for a moment. ¡°That could work,¡± he admitted. ¡°Orcs aren¡¯t shy about hard labor. We can make it livable.¡±

    I caught Alice¡¯s eye and she gave a slight nod of agreement.

    I straightened in my chair. ¡°Alright. The old mining town it is. Start moving your people there immediately. We¡¯ll send scouts and supplies to help establish things, but this needs to be done quietly.¡±

    Ju rubbed her temples but didn¡¯t argue further. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯ll need to smooth this over with the King somehow.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°The mine needs workers¡ªthat¡¯s easy enough to prove and gives us a solid reason. Over time, we can build a second settlement by the river, like Hew suggested. Then they¡¯ll have the choice of where they¡¯d prefer to stay.¡±

    ¡°What about those houses that are Xsoha property?¡± Mike asked

    ¡°Oh, damn! True. Most empty houses are Xsoha property. We could requisition them?¡± Tom exclaimed

    "Yes, and don''t start me with the Xsoha. I have solid proof that they were implied in the attack against Hew."

    "Is the proof solid enough for a high-court?" Alice wondered

    I chuckled "Actually not." I turned towards Tom "We requisition the houses as long as there is need, then we should build new ones. We have the manpower and most materials, don''t we?"

    Hew nodded.

    I turned to Drackar.

    ¡°I want enhanced security for Hew and Tom when they leave the castle. We can¡¯t risk more attacks like the one the other day.¡±

    Hew frowned. ¡°But I need to meet with people. How else can I do my job?¡±

    I almost told him you don¡¯t have to do that job, but the words stuck. Who else would handle it? And, truthfully, he seemed to enjoy the work¡ªfeeling useful suited him.

    Drackar nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been considering this¡ªnot just for when they leave the grounds. The last attack on Mr. Hew happened right in the castle yard. My suggestion is to assign Wetina as his permanent bodyguard, if that arrangement is acceptable.¡±

    ¡°Wetina?¡± I asked, raising a brow. ¡°Would she be enough?¡±

    Drackar chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest her if I had any doubts. She¡¯s one of my lieutenants¡ª level ninety-two rogue. More than capable. Of course, she¡¯d continue to receive her lieutenant¡¯s pay.¡±

    I gave a nod of approval. ¡°That works.¡±

    "For Mr. Tom, I¡¯ll need to do some checks first,¡± Drackar continued. ¡°We need someone who can accompany him inside the mine and provide assistance if needed. Preferably an Earthmage or someone with similar skills.¡± His gaze shifted to me. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you require a permanent guard as well, Lady Lores?¡±

    I considered it briefly before shaking my head. ¡°Not for now.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°There is one more matter,¡± he said, his tone lowering slightly. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss it with you in private.¡±

    My brows lifted in surprise. What could he possibly need to say privately?

    ¡°Whenever you have the time,¡± he added. ¡°Just let me know.¡±

    I gave a small nod. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Shortly after Drackar left, Wetina arrived. As far as I could read orc expressions ¨C which wasn¡¯t much ¨C she didn¡¯t look thrilled about her new assignment. In fact, she seemed downright fuming, though maybe that was just her default mood. Either way, Hew didn¡¯t seem to mind. The moment she showed up, he was practically out the door, finally able to leave the castle again.

    As the meeting wrapped up and the room started to clear, Alice lingered behind, approaching me with a certain look that made me brace for more bad news.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to discuss with you,¡± she said, her tone serious.

    I arched a brow. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a large memorial mass tomorrow at Huiesta for the people who died in the mine collapse. It¡¯s tradition to hire laments singers to perform after the service, but the ones we hired canceled. No replacements. If we¡¯re left without singers, it¡¯ll be seen as a bad omen. Considering the orcs are moving in soon¡­ well, it¡¯s the perfect storm for unrest.¡±

    I exhaled sharply. ¡°Oh, hell. You¡¯re right. Can¡¯t we just find some locals to handle it?¡±

    Alice shook her head. ¡°I thought about it, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same. That¡¯s what poor serfs do when someone in their family dies ¨C they make do with whoever they can find because they can¡¯t afford proper singers. For us to do it, it¡¯ll send the wrong message, like we care so little about the lives lost that we won¡¯t even honor them properly.¡±

    I sighed, rubbing my temples. ¡°Great. And I¡¯m guessing none in the neighborhood have anyone available on such short notice?¡±

    Alice shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked around. Either they¡¯re busy, or they¡¯re unwilling to make the trip. There are a few local women who know the songs, but¡­ they¡¯re not quite good enough. It would feel underwhelming.¡±

    I exhaled slowly, already sensing where this was headed. And sure enough, Alice didn¡¯t disappoint.

    ¡°Could you sing with them?¡± she asked, ¡°I know you can sing ¨C and if people see and hear you, it will send a completely different message. You could even swap out a few songs for ones you know well. They don¡¯t have to be the same; just something beautiful and solemn. Please? I really think it will mean a lot for the people to see that you care. Afterward, you could speak to the mayor, explain about the orcs moving in.¡±

    I pinched the bridge of my nose. Damn it. She wasn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I exhaled. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Tom and see what we can arrange. But if I¡¯m going to do this, I need some time with those women. We¡¯ll need to rehearse.¡±

    Alice nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll handle that. I¡¯ll prepare a room downstairs ¨C somewhere quiet. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s set for the afternoon.¡±

    She glanced around, making sure no one else was within earshot. By now, we were alone in the room.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, watching her carefully.

    It was obvious she was debating whether to bring something up, her hesitation only piquing my curiosity. She bit her lip, exhaled quietly, then took the plunge.

    ¡°I know this might not be my place, but¡­ did you notice Julietta¡¯s eyes when she was talking to Drackar?¡±

    I frowned, tilting my head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    She didn¡¯t dance around it. ¡°I think she likes him. And he likes her¡ª a lot.¡±

    I blinked, then shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything. Why are you telling me this?¡±

    She sighed, her voice thoughtful and measured.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t tell you, who else would? I think they¡¯re both unsure where you stand in all this, but no one¡¯s brave enough to ask you directly.¡±

    Hm. Now that I thought about it, I wasn¡¯t so sure. From what I remembered, Drackar¡¯s eyes had been more on me than Julietta. Maybe Alice had misread the situation. Then again, I wasn¡¯t exactly an expert at deciphering expressions and feelings.

    I gave a nonchalant shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing against it,¡± I said, though even I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced by my tone. And Drackar still wanted to have that private talk with me. Somehow, I doubted it was to confess feelings for Julietta. If anything, the big green orc seemed more likely to lay his heart bare to me.

    I shot Alice a wink. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±

 Chapter 310 - Proofs of My Reasonableness

    The two lament singers Alice had found had a decent repertoire of songs, but there were noticeable differences in their versions. When we tried to determine which one was correct, each firmly insisted theirs was the authentic rendition. After much back-and-forth without resolution, we were on the verge of despair. That¡¯s when one of the women caring for "Alice''s children," the orphans, pointed out that the variations weren¡¯t such a big deal. She explained that it was common practice for lament singers to add their own flourishes intentionally, both to enhance their performance and to increase the perceived value of their unique interpretation.

    To think that she was only there by chance, trailing a couple of children who had wandered into the room to listen to the music¡ªand I had been this close to yelling at them...

    As a side note, I did not decapitate, bury alive, or burn the two lament singers¡ªneither instantly nor later in the evening¡ªfor wasting our precious time with their nonsense, though I did entertain the thought a few times. I take that as undeniable proof that I am, in fact, a very reasonable person.

    After a while, we involved more of the household women and even many of the children in the singing. Surprisingly, Alice¡¯s suggestion to include the children turned out to be an excellent idea, especially once I started infusing magic to emphasize the emotions, as Flo had taught me. It was humbling to witness the depth of feeling those women and children poured into the songs. In the end, it wasn¡¯t so much about me singing, but rather me acting as a resonator and amplifier for their voices and emotions. The quality of those songs surpassed anything I could have imagined.

    Despite having only that afternoon for rehearsals, by evening, we were satisfied with the repertoire we had prepared. Tom''s guitar blended beautifully with the songs, while Mike had managed to procure some drums. On the percussion side, we had to hold back some of the more enthusiastic children who were eager to overdo it. Thankfully, the older children took it upon themselves to rein in the younger or rowdier ones, sparing us the effort.

    Hew, however, was still without a proper instrument for his part, but we decided to make do.

    We wrapped up before the evening meal, pleased with the progress we had made and confident in our solution. Alice took on the task of handling the logistics for the next day, ensuring everyone would be transported to the mining town on time.

    *

    After dinner, I went up to my apartment and found Ju in our room. We decided to chat on the terrace, enjoying the sunset. However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to notice that I wasn¡¯t quite myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked, her gaze narrowing as she studied me. ¡°Did those lament songs get to you? You seem unusually melancholic this evening.¡±

    I shrugged, not ready to jump straight into the conversation. ¡°I keep thinking about the raid. Remember the Seven Scourges?¡±

    Ju gasped, a flicker of concern flashing across her face. ¡°Oh dear! You¡¯re feeling guilty about the raid, but that wasn¡¯t you!¡± she said, trying to soothe me.

    I shook my head. ¡°Ahem, well, that too, but that¡¯s not exactly what I was trying to say¡­¡±

    ¡°No?¡± she asked, her brows arching in confusion.

    ¡°Remember how you introduced Cala?¡± I prompted.

    ¡°Calamity Lara, known as Cala the Assassin?¡± she recited.

    ¡°Tenebra¡¯s emissary,¡± I added, the title falling from my lips like an ominous weight.

    ¡°Ah, yes? Why bring that up? Is it bothering you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a silly thought that crossed my mind. You know Tenebra is, theoretically, a mythological figure from this world¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not theoretical¡ªshe is a mythological figure from this world,¡± Ju interrupted firmly.

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± I said, waving off her correction, ¡°but I interacted with her, and even had an anklet from her... well Cala did¡­¡±

    "In the game..." she said

    Then her eyes went wide.

    ¡°What?¡± Ju leaned in. ¡°You¡¯re saying the game¡¯s Tenebra actually acted in the real world?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± I said, nodding with a grin. ¡°She did.¡±

    She was still processing the shock, grappling with the implications, while I continued.

    ¡°She orchestrated Isera¡¯s killing, and I can¡¯t shake the feeling that she had a hand in the unraveling of the game world as well.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°You mean the Angel of Death orchestrated the killing of Nature¡¯s Angel?¡± Ju asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

    ¡°Exactly. Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d be very curious to hear her side of the story about how this world became a game world. Honestly, I¡¯d love to meet her.¡±

    Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°Nooo! What are you saying? Do you have a death wish?¡±

    I chuckled softly. ¡°No, silly. I just want to have a chat with her.¡±

    Ju visibly shivered, and I could see the fear ripple through her. ¡°You don¡¯t just have a chat with the Angel of Death! Even saying her name sends a chill down my spine!¡±

    I pulled her into a comforting hug. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it was a silly thought. Forget it.¡± I released her and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Sid and wish him good night. I haven¡¯t seen him all day. Then I¡¯ll come back to sleep.¡±

    *

    I hugged Ju once more before dissolving into a shadow, moving swiftly to check on Sid. In less than ten seconds, I was in front of his chamber. I materialized back into human form and pressed my hand against the giant round stone blocking the entry. The stone rumbled as it rolled aside, revealing the entrance.

    As I stepped in, the sight of him sleeping peacefully greeted me. Curled into a perfect ring, his usual sleeping position, Sid looked content and serene. I was about to descend to give him a soft kiss on the brow when I froze.

    There she was.

    Therella, stretched out in all her glory, clad in her pajamas, draped over Sid like a barbie doll someone had casually placed atop a massive, slumbering dog. The sight made my breath hitch, and for a moment, I almost screamed. I almost let loose every thunderbolt I had at my disposal, ready to turn the chamber into a cacophony of chaos.

    It took every ounce of my self-control to resist the urge to incinerate her on the spot¡ªor at the very least, to explode into a dramatic tirade. The real problem wasn¡¯t her, though. It was Sid. He wouldn¡¯t understand. He¡¯d wake up shocked and confused, wondering why I had acted so irrationally.

    No, I couldn¡¯t ruin his peaceful slumber. He was happy, I could feel it, and I wasn¡¯t about to shatter that. Already, he was starting to sense my agitation, a subtle ripple in the tranquil bond we shared. I quickly worked to correct my feelings, swallowing my fury and frustration.

    No, I wasn¡¯t angry with him. I was delighted to see him resting so peacefully. I forced my emotions to settle, projecting calm and love instead of the storm brewing within me.

    I hoped I was doing the right thing. With our telepathic connection, I would immediately know if anything unpleasant happened to him. Taking a step back, then another, I quietly closed the door behind me.

    As I stood there, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm still swirling inside me. Dark clouds crackled between my fingers, a manifestation of my indecision about what I should do next.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good to let them be,¡± Lynx said behind me, his voice soft but steady.

    I snorted, half in frustration, half in disbelief. ¡°Spying on me again, huh?¡± I turned to face him, sighing as I did. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you there when I needed you?! Sid sensed me, but you? Where were you? Off chasing some deer?!¡±

    His ears drooped, and his eyes lowered, guilt written all over his face. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think anything would happen,¡± he mumbled, his words barely audible. ¡°After two boring sessions with that prince, I thought it¡¯d be just as dull.¡±

    I raised a brow, my shoulders dropping. As much as I wanted to stay mad, I couldn¡¯t stay angry with Lynx for more than ten seconds.

    ¡°You were there for the first two sessions?¡± I asked.

    He shrugged, then raised his gaze to meet mine. ¡°Of course! I didn¡¯t trust them at first, but after two sessions, I fell for it. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    His eyes lowered again, filled with guilt. I sighed, reaching out to gently caress his brow with my left hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, Lynx. Who tasked you with always watching over me? Go to sleep, or enjoy the night however you¡¯d like. Honestly, I¡¯ll tell you if I need shadowing. You¡¯re overstretching yourself trying to always be by my side.¡±

    I hugged him, and I swear he started to purr. That sound only made me squeeze him tighter, a warmth blooming in my chest. After a while, I reluctantly released him.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going upstairs to find something to drink from my bar. Do you want to join Ju and me for a drink?¡±

    He shrugged, a playful grin tugging at his lips. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll leave it to you two. I think I¡¯ll go chase a deer, as you said. My appetite¡¯s back!¡±

    I chuckled, pitying the poor deer, and then dissolved into a shadow. Ten seconds later, I was in my room, rummaging through the bar.

    ¡°What are we celebrating?¡± Ju called out from the bathroom, her voice carrying over the clink of bottles.

    ¡°Celebrating?¡± I repeated indignantly. ¡°I need something strong! You said you had something from the orcs for me to test?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, the green flask! They said it¡¯s from trolls. Can you believe that? Troll mojo! Pour me a small portion too¡ªI¡¯ve been curious.¡±

    I picked up a dangerously ominous bottle filled with a glowing green liquid that seemed to shimmer with its own eerie light. Without hesitation, I took a swig directly from the bottle.

    ¡°Ah! Exactly what I need!¡± I exclaimed, the liquid burning a fiery trail down my throat.

    I poured two glasses and handed one to Ju as she emerged from the bathroom in her gauzy pajama, hand already reaching for the drink.

    ¡°Alcohol is bad for your health, but this stuff?¡± she said wisely, raising her glass. ¡°This is so much worse.¡±

    I took a deep breath, holding my glass, and sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine what I just saw.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow as she sipped cautiously.

    I launched into my tale, pouring out every detail as the fiery troll concoction fueled my words.

 Chapter 311 - Late-Night Revelations

    I couldn¡¯t sleep. The thought of that old hag, that septuagenarian cougar, comfortably snoozing in Sid¡¯s room refused to let me rest. Ju, of course, found my worry hilarious. In her opinion, if Sid decided to roll over in his sleep, it was Therella who¡¯d be in danger. Oh, well.

    Now Ju was sleeping like an angel. It seemed that our troll mojo had a very different effect on her than it did on me. Maybe elves handle that poison¡ªpardon, drink¡ªdifferently.

    Unable to sleep and unsure what to do¡ªaside from pouring myself another glass of troll mojo¡ªI remembered that Drackar had asked to speak with me privately. It was late, but not yet midnight, and for reasons I couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint, I felt unusually energetic.

    Carefully, I extricated myself from the bed without waking Ju. I took a few steps toward the door but then stopped and sighed. ¡°Life is so complicated,¡± I thought. ¡°I can¡¯t just wander downstairs in my nightgown. Being a baroness comes with certain expectations.¡±

    Quietly, I rummaged through my wardrobe until I found something suitable: a beautiful red evening dress Ju had picked out for me during our trip to the capital. It flowed elegantly to my knees, with a daring slit on the right side that climbed all the way to my hip. The design left my arms and back bare and featured a tasteful, eye-catching neckline.

    I marveled again at how Ju had organized my shoes in neat parallel racks opposite the mirrored cabinets that housed my clothes. My wardrobe was practically a walk-in dressing room. After a bit more searching, I found a pair of high heels that perfectly complemented the dress, accentuating the curves of my calves.

    Satisfied with my reflection in the mirror, I grabbed the bottle of troll mojo and a few glasses, tucking them into my inventory. Once I finished my talk with Drackar, I figured I might find Alice, the boys, or perhaps even Drackar and his lieutenants willing to test the drink with me. Anything to keep my mind from wandering back to Sid.

    With a quiet grin and a spring in my step, I started descending the stairs, ready for whatever the night had in store.

    As I glanced at the broad wooden balustrade running along the staircase, an idea popped into my mind.

    Should I?

    Without giving myself time to overthink it, I sat on the balustrade in a very daring position and let myself slide down one floor, fighting to keep my balance the whole way. Sure, it would have been easier on my belly, but not nearly as thrilling.

    It was exhilarating¡ªpure, childish fun¡ªbut the landing nearly wrecked my shoes. I laughed softly, slipped them off, and padded barefoot down to the next floor.

    Why hadn¡¯t I done this sooner? Ever since I first laid eyes on that balustrade, I¡¯d wanted to try it. The satin dress had been perfect for sliding, too! I made a mental note to repeat this at some point¡ªpreferably without the heels.

    By the time I reached the ground floor, I was already a seasoned balustrade-sliding expert, thoroughly pleased with my newfound skill. I nearly startled the two orcs standing guard at the entry as I landed gracefully on my feet.

    ¡°Lady Lores?¡± one of them asked, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion as he tilted his head to get a better look at me.

    ¡°Hello!¡± I greeted him with a wide, cheerful grin, brushing a stray strand of hair off my face. ¡°Where¡¯s Drackar?¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Lady Lores,¡± the other guard said, recovering from his initial surprise. ¡°Captain Drackar is currently making his evening round. He should be somewhere on the East wall right now,¡± he added, gesturing toward the opposite side of the yard. ¡°Shall I send someone to fetch him?¡±

    ¡°Do so!¡± I replied, flashing a polite smile.

    Five minutes later, Drackar arrived, his steady steps hurried.

    ¡°You called, Lady Lores?¡± he asked, his tone calm but curiosity evident in his eyes.

    I shrugged lightly. ¡°Did you not say I should let you know when I was free for a talk? Well, here I am,¡± I replied with a faint smile, suddenly recalling the pair of shoes tucked away in my inventory. I decided it was time to put them on.

    His face lit up instantly¡ªnot, I assumed, at the sight of my lovely shoes, but perhaps at the prospect of finally having this conversation. Meanwhile, the guards exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether they should offer assistance. One even took a cautious step forward, ready to steady me if needed, but by the time he moved, I was already finished slipping on the heels.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Drackar had done to train his orcs to be so unusually polite and attentive. Orcs weren¡¯t exactly renowned for their gallantry, or even kindness for that matter, yet these guards were far more civil than one might expect.

    ¡°Oh, of course, Lady Lores!¡± Drackar said, snapping back to attention. ¡°Would you be so kind as to follow me?¡± He gestured toward a quieter area along the wall, ready to lead the way.

    As I nodded, he turned and began walking along the wall at a brisk pace. I followed in silence, wondering just how far he intended to go. After several minutes, he stopped in front of an unremarkable door that looked as though it led to a basement.

    A different basement entry? I wondered, curiosity piqued.

    When he opened the door, a wave of stale, damp air wafted out to greet me. Instinctively, I took a discreet sip of the troll mojo I had tucked away. It was surprisingly effective, dulling the unpleasantness of the air as I followed him inside.

    The door revealed a flight of stairs that descended far deeper than I expected. As soon as I stepped in, Drackar lit a torch, and with a faint flicker of magic, an entire line of torches along the walls ignited, casting a warm, flickering glow. He closed the door behind us, sealing the corridor in a sense of isolation, and continued forward between the narrow stone walls.

    The walls themselves caught my attention¡ªthey were different from those above. The stones were darker, striated with unusual patterns, and clearly from a different quarry. The floor was uneven and dusty, a fact that immediately made me regret my choice of attire. My lovely shoes were not made for this kind of terrain, and I was beginning to wonder if my elegant red dress had been a grave miscalculation.

    The trip didn¡¯t end there. Drackar stopped in front of one of the wooden doors on the left side, opened it, and revealed yet another set of stairs descending further into the depths. He took a torch from the sconce above and started down. The soft sound of the door closing behind us echoed faintly as I followed.

    Surprisingly, the air quality improved on this level. The stone walls were dry, the atmosphere no longer stale. At last, he broke the silence.

    ¡°All these chambers were once used as warehouses, but also as living quarters during the winter months in earlier times,¡± he explained.

    ¡°You mean we should start storing food reserves down here?¡± I asked.

    He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an option, depending on how you want to organize life during the long winters. Remember, the ground above will be buried under meters of snow. We might even need to dig tunnels to move between buildings.¡±

    ¡°Is this what you brought me down here to show me?¡± I asked, growing curious.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± he replied, his tone calm. ¡°But since we¡¯re here, I thought you should know. We¡¯re almost there, Lady Lores¡ªjust one more level.¡±

    One more level? I thought, surprised.

    "How old is this part? It seems ancient, but wooden doors can¡¯t last that long," I remarked.

    He chuckled softly.

    "Self-repairing enchantments, Lady Lores. As long as there¡¯s magic here, they endure. And deep below, it¡¯s believed a dragon vein runs through this mountain."

    Finally, we arrived in a circular chamber carved directly into the foundation stone, its raw and ancient design reminding me somewhat of Sid¡¯s room, though this was deeper within the mountain. At the center stood a massive stone pillar, about five meters in diameter, encircled by the room¡¯s broad, circular ring. Bass-reliefs adorned the walls, intricate and aged, while several stone slabs resembling benches lined the edges.

    Drackar moved to a handle on the wall, securing the torch he¡¯d been carrying. Its light flared brighter, illuminating the room further as several crystals embedded around the space began to glow.

    He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed casually. "You might want to sit," he suggested, gesturing to one of the slabs. "I have a story to tell you, and it¡¯ll take a few minutes."

    I glanced around. If this is his idea of a romantic rendezvous, I might need a bit more troll mojo in my system. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I cast a warming spell on the slab and settled onto it, the pleasant heat spreading through my thighs.

    I slipped off my splendid little shoes, now a bit dusty from the descent, and made myself comfortable, pulling my legs up beneath me on the slab. Reaching into my inventory, I retrieved the troll mojo and two glasses, setting them on the slab beside me.

    "If we¡¯re going to sit here and tell stories, we might as well enjoy a drink," I said with a grin, pouring the glowing liquid into the glasses. The bottle¡¯s eerie luminescence cast a strange light on the stone around us. I teased: ¡°Though fair warning¡ªI¡¯ve already got a head start.¡±

    He raised a brow.

    ¡°Oh!" he replied with a chuckle. "Before I begin, what exactly are the effects of this troll mojo?¡±

    I tilted my head thoughtfully. ¡°So far, it just warms the belly. Honestly, a bit underwhelming.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He grinned, his tusks glinting faintly in the crystal light.

    ¡°Good to know. But you should be aware¡ªtroll mojo isn¡¯t one-size-fits-all. Its effects vary depending on the troll tribe, or even the specific family, that brewed it."

    After a shrug, he raised his eyes to look at me and continued.

    ¡°I must ask you to keep this place, and what I¡¯m about to tell you, a secret,¡± he said.

    A secret story? Now this was getting interesting. I raised a brow, intrigued, then nodded.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I replied, gesturing toward one of the glasses as I picked up the other.

    He smiled faintly. ¡°Not even my lieutenants know the full story¡ªor about this room and its purpose.¡±

    I glanced around, taking in the eerie atmosphere. It looked more like a dungeon designed for torture than anything else. Strange place for a first rendezvous, I thought, stifling a chuckle.

    ¡°And you¡¯re telling me because¡­?¡± I asked, teasingly.

    ¡°Because I trust you,¡± he said simply, ¡°and my gut tells me it¡¯s the right thing to do. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve mentioned this, but this place was once an ancient orc fortress.¡±

    He picked up his glass, and I followed suit. We clinked them together before he tipped a bit of the liquid onto the floor.

    ¡°For the dead,¡± he murmured.

    I raised a brow in surprise but mirrored his gesture, pouring a few drops onto the stone. Afterward, we both drank.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this an elven castle? Everyone seems to believe so,¡± I said, pulling a pillow from my inventory to prop against the wall as a backrest.

    He chuckled softly, then shrugged with a sigh. ¡°The castle was built on the ruins of an old fortress... This was my family¡¯s fief, a long time ago.¡±

    His gaze grew distant, as if seeing something far beyond the room.

    Family stories, I thought, stifling a smirk. He¡¯s trying to impress me. Though, I had to admit, this ancient chamber did have an imposing, almost otherworldly presence. But if this were a torture chamber, where were the instruments? My eyes drifted to the central pillar, where four chains¡ªtwo high and two low¡ªhung ominously. They gleamed like polished obsidian, untouched by rust or decay, as if waiting, ready to be used.

    The pillar''s stone caught my attention next. Unlike the rough stone of other parts of the fortress, here it seemed... crystalline. The polished surfaces reflected the torchlight in an unsettling way, casting faint, fractured patterns that danced eerily across the room. There was an undeniable aura about this place¡ªominous and heavy.

    ¡°Now, the reason I brought you here,¡± he began, his tone more serious, ¡°is because, according to legend, this old dungeon houses a thousand-year-old spirit tool. If it truly works, it could be used to create a domain around the castle. Such a domain would offer significant advantages¡ªlike ensuring no one can cast a portal within its bounds without your permission. Plus, any domain created by someone else would be undermined by yours.¡±

    ¡°You mean like the domain the paladin created?¡± I asked, intrigued.

    ¡°Exactly. Good example. With this domain in place, they could still create their own, gaining certain advantages, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to impose their rules on you. Your domain would lie beneath theirs and override it.¡±

    I tilted my head, ¡°That sounds incredibly useful, but why are you showing this to me? Why not make it your domain?¡±

    He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the mana or the capabilities to even initiate the process. Awakening the spirit tool is far beyond me. I¡¯ve tried before, and even my uncle, who was a high mage, couldn¡¯t do it. While I hope that someday one of my descendants might succeed, it seems wasteful to leave it dormant now¡ªespecially if it works and you have the ability to awaken it.¡±

    I pondered whether it was just a legend. If a high mage couldn¡¯t awaken it, what chance did I have? Perhaps only if I could access my full power. As I considered, he continued explaining.

    ¡°Any attack against your domain, or against my tribe, would be severely hindered. They wouldn¡¯t be able to use portals or teleportation within the domain, but we could. That alone could change the outcome of a battle¡ªand that¡¯s just one of the perks the domain offers.¡±

    ¡°Is the spirit tool really that intelligent and versatile?¡± I asked, curiosity deepening.

    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± he confirmed with a firm nod.

    ¡°What kind of spirit tool are we talking about?¡± I pressed.

    He sighed and lowered his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s a legend about her, but... perhaps it¡¯s better not to dwell on those details. It¡¯s just a sad story.¡±

    I arched a brow, the warmth of my spell under me, combined with the troll mojo, leaving me feeling unusually content and indulgent. The thought of leaning against his strong green hands didn¡¯t seem so far-fetched at the moment.

    I shook away the treacherous thoughts and refilled both of our glasses, the bottle¡¯s glow reflecting between us.

    ¡°A spirit tool story,¡± I declared, ¡°is exactly what I want to hear right now.¡±

    He chuckled softly and raised his glass. We clinked again, and once more, he dripped a bit of the drink onto the floor. I raised a brow at him, questioning silently.

    ¡°For the spirit tool,¡± he said with a wistful sigh. ¡°As I mentioned, it¡¯s a sad story. Are you certain you want to hear it?¡±

    I mirrored his action, dripping a bit from my glass¡ªwhat a waste. ¡°For the spirit tool,¡± I repeated. ¡°If we¡¯re going to use it, I suppose I should learn its story.¡±

    ¡°Her story,¡± he corrected. ¡°Very well,¡± he said, taking a deep breath. He emptied his glass in one go, and as I refilled it, he began.

    ¡°Do you see those chains on the pillar over there? That¡¯s where she was bound¡ªYisila, the elf. Look closely, and you might discern her silhouette against the stone. That shadow there... it¡¯s said to be her.¡±

    I squinted toward the pillar, and now that he pointed it out, a faint outline resembling a tall figure with long hair, arms and legs chained to the stone, emerged from the interplay of light and shadow. The longer I stared, the clearer it became, as if her presence lingered in the very rock.

    ¡°She was that tall?¡± I asked, glancing at him.

    He nodded pensively. ¡°Yes, she was. Yisila was exceptional¡ªboth in stature and spirit.¡±

    "Or so the story says..." he added after a while.

    ¡°She was in love with Wrohex, my great-great-great-grandfather¡ªor something like that,¡± Drackar began, his words starting to slur ever so slightly, a clear sign the troll mojo was working its magic. ¡°They were both very young at the time. Wrohex was the fifth and youngest son in his family. They met by chance in the forest, where she once saved him from a dangerous beast. After that, they started meeting in secret, regularly, and their romance deepened.¡±

    He paused to sip from his glass, which I had dutifully refilled, before continuing. ¡°One day, Yisila decided she couldn¡¯t follow the path her family had laid out for her. In elven society, it¡¯s the grandmothers who decide whom a girl must marry and what role she¡¯ll play in their community. But, as we¡¯ve seen in our own dealings with Miss Therella,¡± he added with a knowing glance, ¡°young elven women sometimes have very different ideas.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the way his speech began to loll a little, the troll mojo loosening his tongue and blurring the edges of his usually composed demeanor. I refilled his glass once more and topped off my own. This was turning into quite the tale.

    ¡°Oh, well, Yisila''s family did not take kindly to the idea of her running away,¡± Drackar said, taking another sip from his glass. ¡°They assumed the orcs had kidnapped her. Wrohex had hidden her inside the tower, keeping her presence a secret even from his parents. But the elves managed to track her down and discovered where she was. In a surprise attack, they took over the tower, killed most of its defenders, and captured both Yisila and Wrohex.¡±

    He paused, his expression heavy. ¡°In their desperation, just before being captured, the two performed an ancient spell to bind themselves in marriage¡ªthe way wood elves used to marry in those days. The spell tied their lives together, making it impossible for her family to marry her off to another elf while the bond existed.¡±

    I raised a brow, intrigued. ¡°What did her family do?¡±

    ¡°They believed she¡¯d been brainwashed¡ªenchanted with who knows what orcish spell. Killing him wasn¡¯t an option because it would have killed her as well. He was just a simple warrior, unable to cast any spell. The only way to break it was if she willingly undid it herself, or...¡± He hesitated, his voice darkening, ¡°...if they could drain her magic completely to force the spell to break.¡±

    ¡°So making her run out of mana would have sufficed?¡± I asked, leaning in.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t just about draining her mana. They needed to go deeper, to reach her very essence¡ªmuch like what a succubus demon might do¡ªbefore attempting to remove the spell. It was a dangerous and invasive method, but they believed it could work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying the elves bound her there to drain her magic?¡± I asked, horrified.

    He nodded with a sigh.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t intend to harm her more than they believed was necessary to save her. In their minds, it was like treating a sickness¡ªsometimes you have to hurt the body to heal it. This place was originally a dungeon where mages were restrained to have their mana drained. One of my ancestors, Gorak the Mad, used it for his experiments. The central pillar you see was designed to aid in creating a domain around the tower. But Gorak didn¡¯t want to use his own mana for that¡ªhe thought, why not use the mana of captured mages instead?¡±

    He sighed,

    ¡°Of course, his experiments failed, likely because creating such a domain requires the mage¡¯s genuine intent for it to exist. Oh, well, the elves knew the story about Gorak and this dungeon and decided it was the perfect place to ¡®cure¡¯ poor Yisila.¡±

    "Wrohex had been forced to witness it all," he said, his voice heavy. "He begged her¡ªpleaded for her to give up, to relent¡ªbut she refused. She fought against the draining power with everything she had, crying and resisting until her very essence left her. It¡¯s believed she sacrificed herself to save him, though no one knows the exact mechanism or how it happened. The spell binding them should have taken both their lives, yet somehow, she transformed into a spirit tool, and he descended into madness."

    He paused, his gaze distant.

    "With the power granted by the domain that emerged in her sacrifice, he broke free of his chains and drove out the invaders. He became the ruler of this place¡ªbut at the cost of losing her, and with it, his sanity."

    He let out a sad chuckle, his gaze drifting to meet mine.

    ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s an old story," he said, his tone resigned. "A family tale that¡¯s been passed down for at least a thousand years. Generations later, my ancestors could no longer access the spirit tool. A few centuries after that, the fortress fell. The elves took over and built their castle on these ruins, completely unaware of what lay hidden beneath.

    He paused, leaning slightly against the wall. "This room is protected in a way only my family understands. You can¡¯t find it unless you¡¯re a descendant of my bloodline¡ªor you¡¯ve been brought here, as you have. But if you manage to establish a connection with the spirit tool, the magic will recognize you, and you¡¯ll be able to enter on your own. It¡¯s enchanted to ensure anyone who comes searching for it will simply overlook the entrance, no matter how hard they try.¡±

    "A spirit tool that hasn¡¯t been active in hundreds of years?" I repeated skeptically. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can awaken it,¡± I said plainly.

    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, at least we tried,¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°All I know is that you have to place your hands on her chains and make contact. What happens next, I couldn¡¯t tell you. That¡¯s the supposed way to awaken the spirit tool, but if it deems you unworthy or if you lack the power to wake her, nothing will happen. You don¡¯t have to try now. Wait until you¡ª¡±

    I waved off his words, standing up and walking toward the pillar.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just give it a quick try and settle this,¡± I said.

    A simple demonstration that it doesn¡¯t work, and we can move on to discussing more practical matters - I thought to myself.

 Chapter 312 - Guided by Grace

    Seeing the shadow etched on the pillar, I rose onto the balls of my feet, stretching to where her hands were supposed to be, and pressed mine against the cold chains. From that very moment, Drackar''s voice faded completely from my awareness.

    In an instant, I was somewhere else¡ªa void, an endless expanse of darkness. The air felt heavy, almost tangible, as if I were submerged in a thick, dense fog. For a long, disorienting moment, there was nothing¡ªno sound, no form, just the impenetrable blackness pressing in. I turned in place, trying to find any sense of direction, but everywhere I looked, it was the same: endless fog and an all-consuming void.

    I was on the verge of panic when I felt something stir¡ªa faint, almost imperceptible connection. For a brief moment, hope flared. I thought it might be the way out. I drifted¡ªno, floated¡ªtoward the sensation, but nothing changed. The darkness pressed on, and the connection remained distant, elusive.

    Was it just a trick of this strange place?

    I tried changing direction, fumbling in the void, until I nearly lost the fragile thread of that connection entirely. A sharp fear gripped me¡ªthe idea of being adrift in this endless emptiness with no anchor, no sense of direction, was too much to bear. Clinging to that fragile thread, I turned back toward it, refusing to let go.

    At first, there was nothing¡ªno change, no sense of progress. But as I focused, the connection grew stronger, pulling me along. After what felt like an eternity, I saw it¡ªa tiny, fragile light far below me, like the flicker of a match in the vast dark. A glowworm. So faint, so distant, yet unmistakably there.

    I felt like a snowflake, drifting gently toward the faint light. The closer I got, the stronger and clearer it became, until I could make out the outline of a small glade. It was like stepping into a dream. Flowers swayed lightly in an unseen breeze, butterflies danced in the air, and a small, serene lake glimmered in the soft light. Within the lake, a goldfish swam lazily, its scales catching the faint glow like scattered gold.

    On the shore, an elf sat quietly. She was barely there¡ªa transparent figure, her form visible only as pale, shimmering contours, as though she were nothing more than a delicate reflection cast on the water. Yet, she noticed me. Slowly, she turned her gaze upward, her translucent eyes meeting mine.

    ¡°Yisila?¡± I asked softly, my voice trembling slightly in the stillness.

    She tilted her head to one side, her expression unreadable. Without a word, she raised a delicate hand toward me. Hesitant, I reached out, taking her hand in mine. For a moment, I feared it would vanish like mist beneath my touch, but instead, it grew more solid, more real. The faintest warmth began to radiate from her hand, and the fragile connection between us deepened.

    Drackar sighed heavily, his gaze resting on the figure bound in the chains. They hadn''t agreed on anything definitive. What was he supposed to do now? Leave her there? The uncertainty gnawed at him. What if something went wrong? How long was this supposed to take?

    He could feel her mana being drained, the flow no longer a faint trickle but now surging steadily, almost visible to the naked eye. How much could she endure? How long could a mage survive completely drained of mana? Hours? Days, perhaps? The questions circled relentlessly in his mind. And then, there was the matter of disentangling her from the chains. The way they wrapped tighter around her, like a predator slowly constricting its prey, was deeply unsettling. Was this how it was supposed to work?

    It hadn¡¯t been like this when he tried to reach the spirit tool. Back then, the chains had remained lifeless, inert, as if mocking his efforts. But now, they moved with purpose, their intent undeniable.

    Drackar''s eyes fell on the troll mojo bottle nearby. This was going to be a long night. With a resigned sigh, he picked up the bottle and his glass, lowered himself to the floor, and poured another drink.

    ¡°To you, Lady Lores,¡± he murmured, raising his glass toward her before taking a long sip.

    When I opened my eyes, I felt the chains slowly loosening their grip on my hands. My muscles were cramped and aching, my limbs numb. As I tried to step back, something tugged at my ankles. Were the chains wrapped around my legs too? I attempted another step, only to stumble worse, tangling further in the bindings.

    Desperately trying to keep my balance, I stumbled a few more steps before crumpling backward, collapsing to the ground. My body felt drained, exhausted, and utterly confused. Every muscle protested, refusing to cooperate.

    The lump I landed on stirred beneath me.

    ¡°Drackar?¡± I murmured weakly.

    Two powerful green hands grabbed hold of me.

    ¡°Ahm...¡± he started, his words slurring slightly.

    He was trying to push me somewhere¡ªupright, maybe¡ªbut his coordination seemed just as off as mine. I slipped to his side, catching a glimpse of his face out of the corner of my eye.

    ¡°Good to see you in one piece,¡± he said, his words lolling with what I could only assume was troll mojo-induced sluggishness.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Did it work?" he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and lethargy.

    "I guess it did," he added, tilting his face to gaze up at the ceiling. How he could see that up there was beyond me.

    "This troll mojo has a delayed effect," he continued, shifting his slanted gaze toward me. "I''m feeling at peace, detached from my body, and completely drunk. I can barely coordinate my hands."

    I chuckled softly. Strangely, I felt both satisfied and utterly drained, my body heavy and numb.

    "I''d rather sleep in my bed," I countered, stealing a sidelong glance at him. "But I''m too lazy and tired to move."

    He let out a small laugh. "Me too," he admitted. "You could always tell the spirit tool to bring you to your bed. It''s a good test¡ªit should be able to teleport you."

    "She can do that? How?" I asked intrigued.

    "Think about the connection you have with her," he said. "She acts like an extension of your brain."

    I focused on my room and suddenly, as if summoned by my thoughts, a layout of the castle appeared vividly in my mind. It was like a three-dimensional magical domain chart, detailed and precise. Cool!

    Interestingly, Ju wasn''t in my bed. Was she awake? Or perhaps the chart didn¡¯t display people. Then I noticed some figures moving around¡ªso much for that theory - or maybe unless they were moving?

    "I can see my bed!" I announced, excitement creeping into my voice.

    "Good! It really worked! Kargath be thanked! Ask her to place you there. Good night!" Drackar said, his words already slurring into sleepiness.

    I almost did as he suggested but stopped myself. "I can¡¯t leave you here!" I protested.

    He chuckled, "Well, you could teleport someone with you," he said, "but I guess you don¡¯t want me snoring in your bed!"

    "Yeah, but I can put you in your bed!" I countered.

    This time, he didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I heard the unmistakable sound of a snore. I chuckled softly to myself.

    I knew his room was above the barracks. Deciding to try teleporting him there first, I thought about his quarters. If the spirit tool couldn''t handle another teleport, I could always shadowmeld back to my room afterward. With a deep breath, I focused on the task, silently hoping this would work without a hitch.

    Teleporting with him didn¡¯t seem to work at first. My body alone was highlighted as "ready to teleport"¡ªthat is, until I grabbed him. With him in tow, the teleportation worked smoothly enough, and I found myself sprawled on a wide bed in a dark, simple room. Drackar was lying beside me, completely lost in his Troll mojo-induced Nirvana dreams.

    I attempted to teleport myself to my room, but it didn¡¯t work. I shrugged, a little resigned. I¡¯d half-expected something like this might happen. Switching tactics, I tried to shadowmeld. Instead of disappearing into the shadows, I only wobbled awkwardly in place.

    What was happening?

    Then it hit me¡ªpart of the reason I felt so utterly drained was that I was utterly drained. My mana reserves were completely empty. It wasn¡¯t just the Troll mojo playing tricks on me¡ªit was the very real fatigue of magical exhaustion. The realization brought on a pang of frustration, coupled with a sharper awareness of my pounding headache.

    With a heavy sigh, I glanced around the room. Despite its simplicity, there was a strange, subtle luminosity to the space. My gaze shifted to the window, and I suddenly realized it was no longer night. The sky outside was bright, and the muffled noise of activity drifted in through the walls.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It was already day.

    ¡°Oh, drats!¡± I mumbled, barely audible as I willed myself into action. With an inhuman effort, I forced myself to sit upright, then pushed myself to stand on unsteady legs that felt like they¡¯d been replaced with jelly. A few wobbly steps propelled me to the window. Resting my forehead against the cool glass, I peered outside.

    The yard was bustling. A column of carriages was rolling out, and people were gathered, their voices carrying faintly through the thick panes.

    ¡°Oh, fucking fuck!¡± I exclaimed as the first few carriages started heading toward the gate.

    The realization struck me like a slap: The lament singing! They¡¯d decided to leave without me! Panic surged through my tired body, and with sheer force of will, I made my legs move toward the door.

    Just as I was ready to open it, I froze, hearing voices and noise on the other side. Orcish laughter, the clatter of dice, and the unmistakable sound of mugs clinking against wood. My stomach dropped¡ªwas his room directly connected to some kind of guard station?

    I hesitated, gripping the handle tightly. I couldn¡¯t risk being seen coming out of his room, dressed in an evening gown, of all things. Turning back toward the window in desperation, I arrived just in time to see the last carriage exiting the yard.

    Great. Just great.

    I opened the window and leaned out to survey my options. Below, a cluster of horses milled about, their reins loosely tied. A small slab jutted out from the wall¡ªa precarious ledge that led to the rainpipe. Perfect, I thought, with more optimism than sense. I could use the ledge to reach the pipe and shimmy my way down.

    Leaning further, I tried to plot my descent. But the moment I stretched out, I felt my balance betray me. A sharp gasp escaped me as I flailed for the window frame, my fingers brushing uselessly against the sill. Gravity took over, and I tumbled head over heels.

    The world spun, and instinct took control. My arms stretched forward, grasping wildly. By sheer dumb luck¡ªor perhaps fate¡ªI landed squarely on the back of one of the horses. The impact knocked the wind out of me, leaving me gasping and dazed.

    The horse, on the other hand, made plenty of noise to compensate for my silence. It neighed and reared slightly, its luck being that the room was only on the first floor.

    I clung to its neck like a tiger pouncing on its prey, my head spinning and lungs burning. Well, that could¡¯ve gone worse... probably.

    The horse beneath me panicked, bucking and twisting in a desperate attempt to throw me off. I clung with all my might, gripping its neck as though my life depended on it. The other horses caught the frenzy, bolting in every direction, their hooves thundering on the ground. My mount, however, seemed intent on performing a full rodeo routine, leaping and twisting wildly.

    After a few chaotic seconds, everything became a blur of motion, and then, suddenly, it stopped. Or rather, I stopped. The horse seemed to vanish beneath me¡ªor perhaps I¡¯d been plucked away mid-flight. Strong arms cradled me in a firm but gentle hold, and I looked up to see Lynx carrying me in a princess carry, his expression calm but with a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

    ¡°Where have you been? Everyone¡¯s been looking for you!¡± he said, his voice laced with a mix of relief and subtle amusement.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if he genuinely didn¡¯t realize where I¡¯d fallen from or if he was sparing me the embarrassment. Either way, I was grateful he didn¡¯t press.

    ¡°Can you take me to Huiesta, please? And¡­ don¡¯t ask questions?¡± I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you were trying to do?¡± he said with a wry chuckle. ¡°We can catch up to them in a couple of minutes.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief as he deftly made us both invisible, sparing me from the curious¡ªor judgmental¡ªeyes of the orcs in the yard. They were running in all directions, shouting and trying to calm the panicked horses.

    ¡°Can you hold on tight?¡± Lynx asked, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t run that fast as a human¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I replied, bracing myself as he transformed into his lynx form.

    We didn¡¯t catch the carriages, and that was entirely my fault. I had to make several stops along the way for troll mojo- and stomach-related reasons. By the time we finally arrived in Huiesta, I was halfway presentable and barely functional. To my surprise, there was no mass being held. Instead, the square was packed with an unruly crowd of restless people.

    In the center of the group, I spotted Alice deep in conversation with a petite woman dressed in priestess robes. Before I could make my way toward them, Ju appeared at my side, her face a mixture of concern and exasperation.

    ¡°Where have you been?!¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Not now, Ju,¡± I replied with a weary sigh, waving her off. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°The priests are missing for the mass,¡± she explained grimly.

    ¡°And who is Alice talking to?¡± I asked, nodding toward the small figure in priestess garb.

    ¡°She¡¯s just an acolyte,¡± Ju replied. ¡°She can¡¯t lead the mass, but Alice is trying to convince her to step in.¡±

    ¡°Does she even know what to do?¡± I asked, furrowing my brow.

    ¡°After attending for years and training for it, I¡¯d imagine she knows the basics,¡± Ju said. ¡°That¡¯s what they prepare for, after all.¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to her,¡± I decided, stepping forward.

    ¡°Not dressed like that!¡± Ju stopped me, pointing at my red evening dress with a firm look.

    I sighed. Of course, she was right. This wasn¡¯t exactly the outfit for inspiring confidence in a devout crowd. Thankfully, I had recovered enough mana to manage some semblance of a transformation. Ignoring the pounding headache, I focused, altering the elegant red dress into a modest black garment, its design resembling that of a nun''s robe, covering me from neck to ankle.

    ¡°Satisfied?¡± I asked, glancing at her with a faint smirk.

    She looked me over, then gave a small approving nod. ¡°Now you can go.¡±

    ¡°You need to disperse the people,¡± the acolyte was saying firmly to Alice. ¡°We have no mass today. The chief priest has said he will announce another date later.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s out of the question,¡± I interjected as I approached, offering a polite but firm greeting.

    Alice turned toward me, and I caught the flicker of relief in her eyes as she greeted me in return.

    ¡°Baroness, I must explain...¡± the acolyte began, her tone edging into the condescension reserved for dealing with particularly difficult children.

    I ignored her and turned toward Julietta instead. ¡°Ju, could you please establish a privacy field for me and our esteemed priestess?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a priestess. I¡¯m just an acolyte,¡± she corrected weakly, her voice faltering under the weight of the moment.

    I gave her a tired smile as the field shimmered into place around us. "Thank you, Ju."

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked, my tired eyes locking onto hers. Her assertiveness began to crumble, giving way to an almost childlike meekness. It seemed she didn¡¯t like what she saw in my gaze, and her response came out as a nervous stammer.

    ¡°B... B... Basela, Lady Lores.¡±

    Now, that was more like it.

    ¡°What have you been told to do and say?¡± I asked, sighing deeply before adding, ¡°And don¡¯t even think about lying to me.¡±

    Her eyes flashed with defiance, and she lifted her trembling chin to meet my gaze. ¡°You cannot try to frighten me!¡± she snapped, her voice quivering with both fear and indignation.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to frighten you,¡± I replied, my tone soft and conciliatory. ¡°I¡¯m just so very tired of all these petty acts of sabotage. Just yesterday, a high-paladin tried to kill me because I was close to uncovering the conspiracy she was part of. Would you like to know what happened to her?¡±

    I didn¡¯t wait for her answer. Somewhere deep within, I instinctively knew I could show her. This strange, unbidden faculty¡ªwhere had it come from? No matter. I reached out and gently touched her temple, channeling the memory of Dame Elanea¡¯s final moments directly into her mind.

    The flicker of anger in her eyes vanished, replaced by shock and a trembling uncertainty.

    The next moment, she nearly collapsed, and I had to catch her. Her face turned ghostly pale.

    ¡°But, but... I only came here to tell these people the priest couldn¡¯t come. Nobody else wanted to come! They didn¡¯t want me to come! I... I came because I care for the people. I didn¡¯t want to¡­¡± Her voice broke as she began to cry, her sobs turning into incoherent whines.

    I pulled her into a hug, gently patting her back in an attempt to calm her.

    ¡°You only need to hold the mass,¡± I said softly. ¡°Is that too much to ask?¡± I pushed her to arm''s length to meet her tear-streaked face.

    She wiped her eyes and nose with her sleeve, her voice barely audible. ¡°They¡¯ll expel me from the church if I do that. I¡¯ll never become a priest. At least as an acolyte, I still have hope¡ªmaybe in ten years¡­¡±

    ¡°What does a priest earn?¡± I asked, tilting my head curiously.

    ¡°Housing and four silver a quarter (8 days), plus whatever the community decides to give,¡± she murmured, her eyes timidly meeting mine.

    ¡°Acolyte Basela, I hereby appoint you as Huiesta¡¯s Twin Gods priest. You¡¯ll live in the parochial house, and you can choose from the congregation who you wish to serve as your acolyte and assist you in fulfilling your duties,¡± I declared firmly.

    Her eyes widened, her voice trembling as she asked, ¡°Can you even do that?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can,¡± I replied with unwavering confidence. Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but who would contest me? That alone made it true.

    ¡°But¡­ but they¡¯ll expel me from the church! They¡¯ll throw me out of the house!¡± she asked, her hands trembling.

    ¡°Nobody can throw you out of the parochial house¡ªit belongs to the barony,¡± I countered. ¡°And you know, there are plenty of independent Twin Gods priests.¡±

    ¡°Not that many,¡± she muttered hesitantly, her voice weak, ¡°and they¡¯re always under so much pressure¡­¡±

    ¡°If they excommunicate you¡ªwhich I highly doubt¡ªthey¡¯ll only make you another independent priest. And I guarantee that this parochial house, this church, and this town will stand behind you. Perhaps we¡¯ll even build a bigger church. Now, do we have a deal?¡±

    She hesitated only a moment before nodding in agreement.

    I gestured to Ju to release the privacy field, then turned to Alice, ready to proceed.

 Chapter 313 -The Quiet Before

    ¡°Alice, please inform everyone that the honorable Basela will be holding the mass shortly, and afterward, we¡¯ll perform the laments.¡±

    Alice raised a brow, but her lips curved into a relieved smile as she nodded. Raising her hands, she called out to gather the attention of the restless crowd.

    Meanwhile, I turned to Ju, leaning into her shoulder for support.

    ¡°Help me find a quiet corner to change,¡± I murmured, ¡°I¡¯m low on mana and need to recharge a bit before we start the laments.¡±

    Her right brow arched sharply as she studied me, her eyes narrowing with concern.

    ¡°You look completely spent! What on earth have you done?¡± Her eyes flicked to my wrists, and she gasped. ¡°Are those chain marks?¡±

    Damn! I hadn¡¯t even noticed the faint traces left by the chains. I sighed. She was practically bursting with questions, but what could I possibly tell her?

    ¡°Believe me, there¡¯s an explanation for this¡ªbut not now, please,¡± I murmured, my tone pleading. ¡°Once this is over and we¡¯re back in our room, okay?¡± All the while, my mind raced, frantically trying to piece together how I¡¯d explain it when the time came.

    The crowd began to shift and part as people hurried to claim the best spots in front of the makeshift stage prepared for the mass.

    Ju nodded, though I saw her tightening her lips, but she didn¡¯t press further. I let out a grateful sigh as we moved against the flow of the crowd, making our way toward a nearby building. Like many houses in Huiesta, it stood empty, its forlorn silence a stark contrast to the bustling square behind us.

    The door to the simple house creaked open with a protesting squeal after I gave it a firm shove with my shoulder. We stepped into a dusty, long-abandoned room, the only small window covered with wood planks. The air inside carried the stillness of years, the space stripped of anything useful¡ªsave for a broken stove and a couple of rickety, half-destroyed chairs.

    We left the door ajar to catch the sounds of the world outside. With a sigh of relief, I let the illusions of my makeshift attire dissolve, revealing the red evening gown beneath. Ju arched a brow at the sight of it but said nothing.

    From outside came the soft rise of a chanted voice, shaky at first but unmistakable. The freshly minted priestess had begun. For a brief moment, I feared her nerves might overwhelm her, and that she''d falter in front of the crowd. But as the moments passed, her voice grew steadier, louder, and more assured, filling the air with a quiet confidence.

    With a relieved sigh, I began pulling out various pieces of clothing from my inventory, showing them to Ju. I trusted her completely when it came to deciding what I should wear for different occasions. Left to my own devices, I knew I would fail spectacularly. After some deliberation, she settled on a gray skirt that fell below my knees, paired with long boots and a shirt with full sleeves.

    As I began to undress, I couldn¡¯t help but ask,

    ¡°How is it that you left the castle without me?¡±

    She chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

    ¡°Well, the guards informed us that you had slipped out during the night with Drackar,¡± she paused, coughing lightly to mask her amusement, ¡°dressed in a striking red evening gown. Besides, Sid assured us that you were fine. Given all that, Alice was certain you would eventually meet us in Huiesta. She pointed out that you can travel much faster on your own¡ªor with Sid¡ªand knew that you¡¯d promised the children to join them and sing in Huiesta. She simply couldn¡¯t imagine you breaking that promise.¡±

    Realizing the conversation was again steering into dangerous territory, I decided it was time to shift the topic. As I adjusted the shirt, I glanced around the room and asked, ¡°How come there are so many empty houses here in Huiesta?¡±

    Ju shrugged, leaning lightly against the wall. ¡°This used to be an old mining town. Most of these houses were abandoned after a mining collapse, similar to what we just dealt with. The mine here was never reopened, so a lot of the residents migrated to Oxfarm, where the new mine is. Unfortunately, about half the victims of the Oxfarm disaster were originally from here. That¡¯s why this mass was organized in Huiesta.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± I murmured, the pieces falling into place. ¡°So we¡¯ll probably have to repeat this whole event in Oxfarm.¡±

    She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°In principle, yes. Though I can¡¯t help but wonder why the priests there haven¡¯t done it already. Now they¡¯re gone too.¡±

    "Was this also a silver mine?" I asked curiously.

    "No, it was a coal mine," Ju replied. "But with wood prices so low, it was deemed unprofitable and abandoned after the collapse."

    I watched my image in a mirror: she had managed to craft that elusive balance: not too poor but not overly rich, not bland yet not ostentatious. She now asked me to top it off with a leather jacket to give my appearance the final touch.

    As we exited the building and headed toward the congregation, I was startled to see the prince seated in the front row, surrounded by a group of paladins.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°The prince is here?¡± I asked, surprised.

    Ju shrugged. ¡°Yes, and also my aunt, the vice-queen, with some elves.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Why are they here?¡± I asked, raising a brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how they found out,¡± she admitted. ¡°I think it¡¯s a mix of courtesy and curiosity.¡± She finished with a casual shrug. ¡°Someone probably mentioned that you¡¯d be singing.¡±

    Just then, I spotted Alice heading our way.

    ¡°She¡¯s wrapping up the mass in a few minutes,¡± Alice announced. ¡°I was just coming to fetch you.¡±

    As we moved closer, I got a better look at the group gathered in the front.

    ¡°Is that Therella hiding behind the queen?¡± I chuckled, noticing her sullen expression. ¡°Why does she look so miserable? Was she dragged here against her will? Is she pouting?¡±

    Alice smirked. ¡°She¡¯s sulking because Sid wouldn¡¯t give her the grand entrance she wanted. She wanted him to fly her here in some big dramatic show, but he insisted they take the carriage like everyone else.¡±

    A grin spread across my face. Sid was still sticking to my request to avoid showing off as a dragon in public. Although it wasn¡¯t common knowledge that Sid was the dragon, and I preferred to keep it that way, the dragon¡¯s existence was no longer a secret. Yet the fact that he¡¯d snubbed Therella¡¯s grandiose plans made my heart skip with satisfaction.

    Ju shook her head with a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯re just mean,¡± she said, teasingly.

    Then it was time for us to perform. Lucky for me, I was functional and with enough mana left to manage the task. The priestess took a seat beside her simple altar, which had been moved to one side of the stage, while the lament singers, including myself, positioned ourselves on the other. A group of people brought out chairs and a bench for the children. I was given a chair near Tom and Mike.

    The audience¡ªseveral hundred strong¡ªwas gathered in a loose half-circle before us. The prince and the vice-queen sat in the front row, on chairs and benches borrowed from somewhere. Beyond their guards, many others stood, while some had climbed onto mounds of excavated rock to get a better view.

    A few women from Alice¡¯s childcare group guided the children onto the stage, forming a half-circle to my left. Once everyone was settled, Alice stepped forward. She delivered a short, halting speech about the lost miners and their grieving families. Her words were simple but heartfelt, and they resonated with the crowd. Finally, she introduced us and gave a brief explanation of what we would be singing.

    I knew I didn¡¯t have enough raw emotion within me to make the performance truly impactful. But feelings were crucial to the quality of the songs¡ªthat much I¡¯d learned from my performances back on Earth. I tried to conjure the right mood, to immerse myself in the moment, but then I realized it would be forced. Manufactured emotions mixed into music never translate well.

    As Tom began to lead, his guitar accompanied by Mike''s drums, I hesitated, desperate for how to begin. Then inspiration struck: I focused on the emotions of the children in the choir. I¡¯d experimented with this yesterday, and it had worked surprisingly well. Their emotions were raw and genuine¡ªmore so than mine¡ªso I pushed further, channeling their feelings into my voice, giving them an outlet through song.

    The result was beyond anything I¡¯d anticipated. The songs carried a profound depth¡ªan ache of longing, heartache, and near despair¡ªbut also a fragile thread of hope and love. It was their feelings, amplified through me, that gave the performance its richness and resonance.

    In this world, they didn¡¯t applaud but cheered, their voices carrying the weight of their emotions.

    As we performed, the crowd stood silently, listening intently. By the time we finished, I could feel the atmosphere shift. The anger and frustration that had been palpable earlier had melted away, leaving behind an air of sorrow, longing, and an unexpected sense of forgiveness. I noticed tear-streaked cheeks throughout the congregation. For a few moments, there was only silence, heavy and meaningful, before the cheers began. And once they started, it seemed they wouldn¡¯t stop.

    The cheers were still echoing when the vice-queen approached me. To my surprise, she inclined her head in a respectful bow. Her eyes were glistening with genuine tears, one of which she brushed away with a delicate hand.

    ¡°That was no act,¡± I thought, surprised by the sincerity of her emotion.

    With a sad but warm smile, she spoke. ¡°I never dared to hope I¡¯d hear a disciple of the Hesperides again. It touched my heart. Wonderfully done, Lady Lores.¡±

    I blinked, not fully grasping what she meant about the Hesperides. At first, I thought it might be some kind of elaborate elven compliment. But when I glanced at Ju, I noticed her face had gone pale.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± I asked her, my confusion growing.

    The vice-queen looked between us, then sighed and raised a brow. ¡°Children! They don¡¯t even know what they do,¡± she muttered. Then, stepping closer to me, she lowered her voice.

    ¡°The Hesperides was the finest singing school to ever exist¡ªa unique and unparalleled tradition. Their mastery lay in magically infusing feelings into their songs, creating interpretations so powerful and evocative that, once heard, no other rendition could compare. Listening to anyone else attempt the same song would feel... cheap. Vulgar. As if it was an insult to the music itself.¡±

    Her gaze softened as she continued. ¡°But the Hesperides were destroyed nearly a century ago during the great revolution. They sided with the people, their songs stirring courage and unity among the oppressed. Their music became the voice of grievance, sorrow, and hope, galvanizing the masses.

    ¡°The revolution nearly toppled Emperor Constancius¡ªnearly. In the end, internal strife among the leaders and the betrayal of the Guaravian King ensured its failure. Furious, Emperor Constancius declared the Hesperides enemies of the empire and his personal adversaries. He sent special commando troops to hunt them down. Every singer, every teacher, every student. They were wiped out.¡±

    She paused, her expression grave. ¡°And yet, Lady Lores, whoever taught you to sing... knew their secrets. I am old enough to remember how their songs were sung, and I recognize it when I hear it.¡±

    She shrugged lightly, as if trying to ease the weight of her words. ¡°That¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you, children. But it¡¯s a remarkable thing, to see their legacy live on.¡±

    I gasped, trying to think of a reply when a distant horn cut through the air. Another followed, then another, each one sounding more urgent than the last. We exchanged confused glances, unsure of what the signal could mean when Wetina came running toward us.

    "Lady Lores," she said, her voice tinged with urgency, "we are under attack!"

    Her words landed like a thunderclap.

    Just then, the sound of heavy huffs pounding the earth drew my gaze towards the South. Through a rising cloud of dust, a group of black-clad riders appeared at the crest of the nearest hill. They began their descent toward the village, more emerging with each moment. It was as though a wave of black steel was surging over the horizon, unstoppable and ominous.

 Chapter 314 - Waves of Chaos

    The pounding of hundreds of heavy hooves growing louder, each beat vibrating through the ground, accompanying the movement of a hundred riders clad in black steel armor thundering down the hill, like an all-devouring black wave, were more than enough to stir panic in the crowd despite Wetina¡¯s voice cutting through the chaos.

    ¡°It¡¯s Drackar! It¡¯s Drackar!¡± she yelled.

    I snorted realizing the confusion.

    ¡°Calm down! They are our troops!¡± I said, infusing my voice with mana. That did seem to ease most of the tension, though a few still darted toward the side streets. Ju leaned in close, whispering in my ear.

    ¡°Maybe we should design a new flag for the barony? It¡¯d make our troops easier to recognize!¡±

    I nodded, picturing Drackar riding beneath a black flag emblazoned with a white dove* clutching an olive branch in its beak. It would definitely leave an impression. I tucked the thought away for later.

    Wiping the sweat from my brow, I realized the leather jacket I¡¯d worn was proving to be a serious mistake. With the suns blazing overhead, I was practically roasting alive.

    As I shrugged off my jacket, Ju¡¯s scandalized gaze locked onto me.

    ¡°I¡¯m melting,¡± I muttered, hoping to explain myself.

    ¡°Oh, I thought you were just making yourself presentable for your friend,¡± she whispered in my ear, her eyes gleaming with sly amusement.

    I shook my head, half in disbelief, half in exasperation.

    The company halted just before entering the village, and only a small group of riders advanced at a light trot through the crowd. The remaining people instinctively parted to make way, their murmurs fading into silence.

    The riders stopped and dismounted in near-perfect unison, their movements fluid despite their heavy armor. Metal boots hit the ground with a series of resounding thuds. Drackar handed his reins to an accompanying orc and strode toward us. He looked worn, his expression grim, and his complexion darker than usual.

    ¡°Blessed be your hearts!¡± he called out loudly in greeting, and several people, including me answered. He turned to me, nodding respectfully.

    ¡°Lady Lores, we are under attack. My recommendation is that you and these good folks retreat to the castle while we deal with the attackers.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± I asked, wondering as to how could he show up at the exact moment the horns sounded? Since how long were we under attack?

    Drackar blinked, momentarily confused by my question, scratching sheepishly his head with his left hand.

    ¡°Ah!" he replied "We were training with the troops after noticing... let¡¯s just say, some lapses in discipline. Since we knew about the congregation, we''d already planned to be nearby, ready in case we were needed. The moment we received the warnings, I decided it was best to hurry here and secure the perimeter around your ladyship without delay.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him.

    ¡°What kind of attacks?¡± I asked. The entire congregation seemed to be hanging on our words, eager to know what was happening.

    ¡°Arson and random killings,¡± he said grimly. ¡°We don''t know who they are. They¡¯ve hit three places so far¡ªtwo villages and one hamlet. In each, they killed a few peasants, set fire to houses and food stocks, then disappeared before our boys could catch them.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°There¡¯s still fire in Donnercup, the hamlet on the Northern Rim,¡± he continued, pointing northward. ¡°But the southern village, Deraa, is the real worry. We¡¯ve had no further news from there. It could be bad.¡±

    ¡°Mom! Let me check what¡¯s there!¡± Sid¡¯s eager voice echoed in my mind.

    I nodded instinctively, but realizing that he¡¯d used telepathy, I quickly replied, ¡°OK, do so, but be careful!¡±

    ¡°Sure, Mom!¡± he chirped, his excitement palpable.

    ¡°There¡¯s smoke to the east,¡± Woktarod interjected, pointing along with several others toward the hazy horizon.

    Drackar sighed, his expression darkening. ¡°That¡¯s new. It might be Malahe village.¡±

    ¡°How did they get there so fast?¡± Tom wondered aloud, his voice tinged with alarm.

    ¡°Where are they coming from?¡± another voice chimed in.

    ¡°Are they everywhere?¡±

    ¡°How many are there?¡±

    The questions swirled in the air like a rising storm. Two attacks on the Northern Rim and one on the southern border of the barony¡ªwas this a coordinated assault, closing in from all sides?

    Before I could fully process the implications, a deafening, earth-shaking dragon¡¯s growl shattered the tension. Sid soared above us, brimming with eagerness, his roar reverberating through the air.

    ¡°Ahm...¡± Drackar hesitated, his eyes darting to me inquiringly.

    ¡°Where should the dragon go first, Drackar?¡± I asked, keeping my tone calm despite the murmurs rising from the crowd around us.

    ¡°I think Malahe village is the most critical. It''s all the way to the East and we have no news from there. Then the Deraa village, but you and the others here should head to the safety of the castle''s garrison and the protective field you erected last night. It¡¯s the most secure place right now.¡±

    I felt a wave of relief hearing Drackar mention the protective field. We hadn¡¯t had the chance to agree on how to explain the spirit tool¡¯s barrier to the people, and now that was settled.

    ¡°You did what?¡± Ju asked, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

    I nodded to Drackar, then took Ju¡¯s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to remind her we¡¯d talk about it later.

    Turning to Alice, I said, ¡°Alice, please take the lead and guide our people back to safety.¡±

    Then I addressed the vice-queen and the prince. ¡°Your Highness,¡± I said respectfully, ¡°as Captain Drackar mentioned, the castle is now protected by an additional domain field. It would be wise for you to retire there until we resolve this situation.¡±

    Finally, I turned back to Ju. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything later. For now, I¡¯ll stay here with Captain Drackar.¡±

    She shook her head firmly. ¡°I¡¯m staying too. There won¡¯t be another healer here, while the castle will have plenty¡ª¡± she gestured toward the paladins and elves ¡°¡ªso you¡¯ll need me.¡±

    She had a point, and I could see there was no convincing her otherwise. I let the matter drop. Ju always did have a knack for being right when it mattered.

    Most of the villagers had dispersed, while the people from the castle gathered around Alice to form an orderly column. Drackar instructed Hordius to take half of his orcs to accompany the group retreating to the castle, ensuring their safety.

    There was a brief commotion when the prince initially refused to leave, arguing against retreating. Some of the paladins even suggested opening a portal to the capital for his safety. After some tense deliberation, however, the prince reluctantly agreed to retire to the castle, as did the vice-queen and her elves.

    Before leaving, Alice approached me, her brow furrowed with concern.

    ¡°Should we leave now or wait for the children? They¡¯re on the way to a farm about half an hour from here. It was planned as part of their visit after the lament singing!¡±

    I sighed, weighing the risks. ¡°Go now, Alice. We¡¯ll take care of the children and bring them safely to the castle.¡±

    She sighed, her expression apologetic.

    ¡°Sorry for adding to your worries,¡± she said softly.

    Before I could respond, she pulled me into a quick, warm hug. Then, without another word, she turned and hurried off to join the column.

 Chapter 315 - Questions Remain

    After Alice and her group departed, we moved with Drackar and the orcs to the outskirts of Huiesta, where the rest of his troops were stationed. I wanted to get a better understanding of how he and his orcs operated, as well as the dangers we were up against.

    We had no idea where the raiders were, so Drackar¡¯s orcs remained on high alert, ready to mobilize the moment any of our troops made contact with the enemy. It was maddening to hear reports of burning villages and murdered peasants without ever seeing the enemy ourselves.

    Drackar¡¯s orcs used their own messaging system, somewhat like the one silver messages employed by the adventurers¡¯ guild¡ªthough without the convenience of mailboxes. If a message failed to reach its intended recipient, it was simply lost. The system wasn¡¯t perfect, but it worked well enough for their purposes.

    Of the villages attacked, Donnercup was the closest to us. Drackar had scouts spread throughout most of the domain, which is how we learned that at least two peasants in Donnercup had been killed, with the rest likely fleeing into the forest. A few houses were still burning, and there was a significant risk the fire could spread to other homes or food stocks.

    Without wasting time, Drackar sent Woktarod and twenty grunts to Donnercup to help contain the fire. Hopefully, once the peasants saw the orcs and realized the raiders had gone, they would come out of hiding and assist in saving what remained of their village.

    To get a better look at the map I¡¯d received from the orcs and discuss the situation with Drackar, I pulled a table and several chairs out of my inventory. The sight of the table must have triggered a memory for Ju, because as soon as she saw it, she quipped, ¡°Should I serve some wine? Do you still have any of that sparkling wine?¡±

    I rolled my eyes, barely suppressing a grin. I hadn¡¯t used the table since that first memorable meeting with Drackar, back when we came to take over the barony.

    ¡°Actually, coffee would be ideal!¡± I replied in jest, spreading the map of the barony across the table. ¡°So, you said the villages here, here, and here were attacked?¡± I asked, pointing to the marked locations as I tried to piece together where the attackers might be operating from.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Drackar confirmed with a nod, ¡°And possibly there as well!¡± he added, gesturing toward Malahe village, where Sid was heading.

    The attacks were scattered across the domain¡ªtwo in the north, one in the south, and now potentially one in the east. All of them happening in quick succession.

    ¡°Where are they now? Did they retreat beyond the domain, or are they hiding somewhere in the woods?¡± I asked, my finger hovering over the marked areas on the map.

    Wortar let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯ve sent troops to search the surrounding areas, but we haven¡¯t found a single trace of them.¡±

    ¡°Could they really be hiding that well?¡± I wondered aloud.

    Drackar shook his head. ¡°Unlikely. It¡¯s nearly impossible to hide from hounds¡ªthey can track even the faintest scent. And we¡¯ve also got hunters with flying pets surveying the area from above. The strange thing is, their tracks begin and end suddenly at the same point.¡±

    I frowned, staring at the map in frustration as my thoughts churned. We were in a world where magic was a reality¡ªthey must be using some kind of trickery. But what kind? And more importantly, what was the purpose of these seemingly random attacks?

    Before I could dive deeper into my thoughts, Ju appeared at the side of the table, placing a tray down with a thermos bottle and several neatly arranged cups.

    ¡°Coffee, my lady?¡± she asked, stepping forward with practiced grace, lifting the thermos in one hand.

    I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. ¡°You have coffee?¡± I asked, nodding in response to her offer as I watched the dark liquid pour smoothly into a porcelain cup. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Of course, my lady. What kind of servant would I be if I couldn¡¯t anticipate her ladyship¡¯s wishes?¡± she quipped, her tone balanced somewhere between playful and serious. Then, turning toward Drackar, she added with a slight smirk, ¡°Sir, Captain, coffee?¡±

    As I took the cup, the warmth seeped into my fingers, and the rich aroma curled into my senses. I was grateful for the coffee, but my gaze flicked toward Ju, wondering why she was leaning so heavily into her ¡°servant¡± act.

    Before I could dwell on it further, just as I took a sip, Wortar gestured toward Oxfarm.

    ¡°Captain, Lady Lores, if I may speak openly?¡±

    I nodded, setting my cup down as he continued.

    ¡°If we try to chase them, we¡¯ll always be a step behind. My proposal is to focus on defending a few key villages¡ªplaces we can hold¡ªlike Oxfarm or Huiesta, or any other settlements you consider crucial. We can¡¯t protect everything, but we can protect a few. If we try to defend all, we may end up losing everything.¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the others feel abandoned?¡± I asked.

    Drackar nodded, a determined expression on his face. ¡°It may seem that way, but Wortar has a point. If we spread our forces too thin, they¡¯ll pick us off one by one. What do you think, Lady Lores? Should we concentrate on a few key locations until we get a better grasp of who we¡¯re up against and how they operate?¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the proposal, but I had no better alternative. As I mulled over how to respond, watching Ju quietly refilling my cup, Sid¡¯s vexed voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.

    ¡°Mom, there were five raiders at Malahe. I burned two, but the other three escaped through something like a gate!¡±

    How dare they escape rightful punishment! - He didn''t voice that, but I knew he was angry about it.

    ¡°What kind of gate?¡± I asked, my mind racing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom. It melted into the air before I could get a proper look at it.¡±

    ¡°And the raiders? What did they look like?¡± I pressed, trying to determine if we were dealing with mercenaries, soldiers, or just desperate scavengers.

    His answer made me pause. ¡°Like coal?¡±

    For a second, I was thrown off, but then the realization hit, and I sighed. ¡°No, I mean before¡ªwere they orcs or humans?¡±

    "Mom, probably humans," Sid replied, his tone thoughtful but uncertain. "But orcs and humans look very much alike. It¡¯s hard to tell them apart."

    That left me momentarily speechless. Unable to process the information just yet, I set the thought aside and turned to Drackar, meeting his intense red eyes.

    ¡°Could they be using some kind of portals?¡± I asked.

    Ju shook her head firmly, her nearly white-blond hair whipping furiously with the motion.

    ¡°Not portals. Portals are one-way and expensive,¡± she explained. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t know of any active portal points here in the domain. That¡¯s why even the prince had to walk.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked, genuinely curious.

    Ju¡¯s brows shot up, surprised by the question. Then, with a sigh, she raised her arms, as if preparing to lecture a group of students, and launched into an explanation.

    ¡°The theory of portals is this: a mage doesn¡¯t actually create a portal. Portals already exist, linking what we assume are fixed nodes or planes to our own, and they¡¯re always unidirectional. A mage¡¯s role is simply to temporarily sever one end¡ªthe entry point¡ªand take control of it for a limited time.¡±

    She gestured animatedly as she continued, clearly in her element. ¡°That¡¯s why there can never be two portals open to the same location at the same time. If one mage has already opened a portal to Guaranga, for example, another mage would have to wait for the first one to close before opening theirs. Fortunately, casting portals is difficult, requiring rare ingredients and a massive amount of power to both open and sustain. So while it''s uncommon, portal queues do happen. When they do, a mage has to hold their spell longer until their turn comes.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    I rolled my eyes at Ju¡¯s long-winded explanation, but I couldn¡¯t really fault her¡ªI had asked for it. Still, her detailed breakdown only deepened the mystery. If portals weren¡¯t an option, then what exactly had Sid seen?

    ¡°Yes, but Sid saw several of them escaping through a gate that melted into the air!¡± I blurted out before I could stop myself.

    I immediately regretted it. That was a careless slip¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have said Sid''s name. For a fleeting moment, I considered brushing past it, pretending no one had noticed. But honesty seemed like the better choice.

    With a small shrug, I admitted, ¡°Sid is the dragon. But please, keep this to yourselves.¡±

    Drackar and Wortar exchanged a glance before Drackar nodded.

    ¡°We already had our suspicions,¡± he said, ¡°But we¡¯ll keep it to ourselves. That said, Sid is probably right. It sounds like they¡¯re using teleportation gates, not portals. Did he manage to capture or kill any of them? Do we have more information about who we¡¯re dealing with?¡±

    ¡°Teleportation gates?¡± I echoed, deliberately sidestepping Sid¡¯s description of the attackers.

    ¡°Warlocks can make them,¡± Wortar explained. ¡°These gates don¡¯t allow for long-distance travel. A skilled warlock can link two gates across a few leagues, but they need a direct line of sight between the two points. The real question is¡ªhow are they creating so many gates in different locations? They must have a whole team of warlocks, or¡­¡±

    "Mom, a wyvern!" Sid suddenly cut in.

    ¡°A wyvern?¡± I exclaimed aloud.

    Wortar nodded at my reaction, ¡°Or a warlock riding a wyvern¡­ That could also work.¡±

    ¡°Where is it, Sid?¡± I asked.

    "Here! It¡¯s camouflaged with illusions, but not well enough."

    Here¡­? I nearly rolled my eyes, but then I stopped. I knew where he was¡ªI always had a sense of the direction his telepathy came from. Trusting that instinct, I turned eastward and lifted my gaze. And there he was, high above, his wings barely moving as he glided.

    I raised a hand and pointed. The three others at the table followed my gesture, their eyes scanning the sky.

    ¡°But where¡¯s the wyvern?¡± Ju asked, frowning.

    "Camouflaged..." I muttered, watching intently, waiting for Sid to reveal it somehow.

    Without warning, Sid made a sharp turn in midair, rolling onto his back before plunging straight downward. I¡¯d never seen a bird move like that¡ªmaybe a fighter jet at an air show, but not a living creature. He streaked toward the ground like a meteor, and I expected him to level out at any moment.

    My breath caught as he vanished from sight. I yelped, nearly dropping my coffee.

    "Sid! Are you okay?"

    For a split second, I feared he¡¯d crashed. Then, his voice chimed back in my mind, casual and cheerful.

    "Sure, Mom! The wyvern is dead. Can I eat it?"

    I gulped. That was all?

    "Ahm... And... was anyone riding it?"

    "Yep! I ate it already! It tried to shoot a spell at me, Mom!"

    I gasped. That was¡­ unexpected. Maybe it was time for a serious conversation about what does and does not go on the menu.

    "Mom, you promised to make me an inventory! Will you make me one?"

    I blinked, trying to process that.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Drackar asked, noticing the sudden pallor on my face.

    I sighed, offering a small shrug. ¡°The wyvern is dead,¡± I announced.

    They exchanged glances.

    ¡°Who was riding it?¡± Ju asked.

    ¡°Unidentifiable¡­ after such a plunge,¡± I replied with an innocent blink, ignoring the way her brows knitted together.

    Pushing past her scrutiny, I turned my attention back to Sid. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll make you an inventory. But why do you need it?¡±

    "To store the wyvern until I finish it! Its flesh is sooo special! That¡¯s why I asked if I could eat it! I thought you might want it too! Yum, yum!"

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. We were in the middle of an attack, and this was what he was thinking about? Food?

    I exhaled slowly, counting to ten before answering. ¡°I¡¯ll make it today when we¡¯re finished. Okay?¡±

    "Cool! Thanks, Mom!" Sid chirped happily.

    I rubbed my temples.

    ¡°It makes perfect sense,¡± Drackar said.

    I blinked, momentarily confused¡ªI must have missed part of the conversation.

    He continued, ¡°The group might be relatively small, which is why they retreat the moment we arrive with larger numbers. They¡¯re not here for an actual fight; their goal is to sow panic and disorder. At Deraa, we had only one scout, and we¡¯ve likely lost him. My guess is that one or two of them were flying on the camouflaged wyvern, placing the gates, while the rest teleported through, torched the village, and then retreated. Meanwhile the wyvern moved on to set up a new gate elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°They must be operating from a central location, somewhere high up,¡± Wortar mused.

    ¡°True. But where?¡± I wondered aloud, scanning the map again.

    ¡°One of the two heights of the Saddle would be ideal,¡± Drackar said decisively. ¡°It¡¯s within range of all the attacks, nearly deserted, and positioned right in the middle of the barony.¡±

    The Saddle was a formation of two hills resembling¡ªunsurprisingly¡ªa saddle, located west of Oxfarm and south of our current position in Huiesta. A small hamlet by the same name sat on the southern slope of the lower hill, which meant if they were hiding there, they were most likely using the higher peak.

    A stronghold hidden in plain sight.

    Wortar lifted his gaze to meet Drackar¡¯s. ¡°Maybe I should take a small troop and scout the area?¡±

    Drackar shook his head, much to Wortar¡¯s displeasure. ¡°No. Their whole group is likely there, and we don¡¯t know their full strength yet. We should wait for Woktarod to return and go together. I don¡¯t want to split our forces too much.¡±

    I frowned. Why wait when we had Sid? He could scout the area much faster and without the risk of running into an ambush.

    ¡°Sid, can you go check the Saddle? That¡¯s probably where they¡¯re hiding.¡±

    "Sure, Mom! But can you guard the wyvern in the meantime? I don¡¯t want scavengers getting to it! I¡¯ll bring it to you¡ªjust make sure no one touches it, okay?"

    I hesitated. ¡°Can you even carry that?¡± I asked, skeptical.

    Apparently, he could.

    Moments later, to my astonishment, I saw him soaring through the sky, a massive wyvern clutched tightly in his claws.

    ¡°What in the¡ª?¡± Wortar muttered, watching in wide-eyed the display.

    I shrugged, ¡°I sent Sid to check the Saddle, but until he¡¯s back, we need to guard the wyvern from scavengers.¡±

    A few moments later, Sid released the giant wyvern, letting it drop with a resounding thud that shook the ground not far from us. Without missing a beat, he soared off toward the Saddle.

    Drackar quickly assigned a small troop of orcs to guard the wyvern. Meanwhile, Sid flew toward the suspected hideout. It wasn¡¯t long before his voice chimed in my mind.

    ¡°I found the place, Mom, but¡­ they¡¯re all dead.¡±

    ¡°All dead?¡± I echoed, frowning. ¡°Did you kill them?¡±

    ¡°No, Mom, they were already dead when I got here. Judging by the traces¡­ I think Lynx was here.¡±

    I raised a brow. Lynx? How had he found the place so quickly? I glanced around and realized¡ªof course he wasn¡¯t here with us. I should have known he¡¯d be investigating the attackers on his own.

    Drackar must have noticed my expression. ¡°Is something wrong, Lady Lores?¡±

    I offered him a weak smile and shrugged. ¡°He found their central teleportation point¡­ but they¡¯re already dead.¡±

    ¡°All dead?¡± Drackar repeated, his brows shooting higher.

    I shrugged ¡°Yes. Looks like Lyn got to them first.¡±

    The orcs exchanged looks. It was a bit of an anticlimactic end to the incursion. After all this chaos, there would be no grand confrontation¡ªjust corpses and lingering questions.

    I decided to stay put and wait for Lynx to return. Meanwhile, I sent Sid to continue circling the barony, making sure there were no more raiders lurking in the shadows.

 Chapter 316 - A Special Day and a Cook Delivering a Dragons Message

    I sat in my chair, rubbing my temples, trying to ward off the headache creeping in. I knew my days were coming, and the realization both irritated and depressed me. How was I supposed to think clearly like this? Honestly, couldn¡¯t they¡ªwhoever they were, attacking the barony¡ªat least show some decency and call a truce for a few days?

    I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, when a subtle shift in the atmosphere made me pause. The low murmur of voices around me had faded into silence.

    I looked up¡ªand there was Lynx, striding toward me with unmistakable pride, something clamped in his jaws.

    I frowned, momentarily thrown. Why had he chosen to approach in his lynx form rather than as a human? It would make talking in front of all these people significantly more difficult.

    He stopped just a step away from the table, dropped his cargo onto the ground, placed a firm paw over it¡­ and then¡ª

    Meowed. Well, kind of.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, barely managing to keep the irritation out of my voice.

    Lynx didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he lifted his paw ever so slightly, watching intently¡ªalmost as if expecting his prey to make a run for it. Then, with an air of smug satisfaction, he stepped back, grinning like a cat that had just dropped a particularly interesting gift at my feet.

    I sighed, exasperated by the theatrics, rolled my eyes, and pushed myself up from my chair. As I stepped closer, I got a better look at the pathetic heap on the ground, writhing and curling in on itself, as if trying to disappear entirely.

    ¡°Well now,¡± I mused, crouching slightly to get a better look. ¡°What the hell do we have here?¡±

    My Identify spell kicked in.

    << Warlock, Level Sixty-Eight >>

    Oh. Oh.

    A high-level warlock.

    Well, wasn¡¯t this interesting?

    ¡°Great Lady, oh, Great Lady, please have pity on me! Please!¡± the warlock whimpered, his entire body trembling.

    I sighed. So now I have to interrogate this idiot?

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± I said flatly. ¡°That depends on how willing you are to satisfy my curiosity¡ªand not waste my time trying to fool me.¡±

    Something was definitely wrong with him. He was clutching his right hand with his left, and from the way he lay there, unable to even push himself up, I couldn¡¯t tell if he was too injured to move¡­ or simply too terrified to try. His whole body shuddered, and his frantic eyes darted around as if searching for an escape that didn¡¯t exist.

    I raised a questioning brow at Lynx, but he pointedly ignored me, as if he had far more important matters to attend to.

    Like his paws and claws.

    Now sitting on his haunches, Lynx had shifted his attention to meticulously grooming himself, licking his paws between each curved talon with exaggerated care.

    Around us, the gathered onlookers stared at him with a mix of awe and fear.

    And Lynx? Oh, he knew they were watching. He was practically basking in it, despite doing everything in his power to appear uninterested.

    I chuckled, watching as he carefully cleaned one massive claw after another¡ªclaws as long as sickles, gleaming as he displayed them with casual indifference.

    Now that was a disturbing sight.

    In the background, I could hear several peasants murmuring among themselves, but I couldn¡¯t make out their words as Drackar¡¯s voice cut through the noise.

    ¡°Lady Lores! I think you might want to hear this.¡±

    I hate being rushed. As if dealing with this interrogation and an impending headache wasn¡¯t enough, now he was interrupting me? How exactly am I supposed to work under these conditions?

    I only forgave him because he was Drackar. But he owed me for this¡ªbig time.

    Raising a brow, I gave him an intrigued look. His red eyes locked onto mine as he spoke.

    ¡°A certain Captain Schwarzkopf, leading two battalions of His Majesty¡¯s soldiers, is currently stationed in front of the outpost at the Wailing Waterfall,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s requesting free passage to ensure peace and security in the domain.¡±

    I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temple. Oh, fantastic. Just what I needed today.

    I blinked, stunned, but Drackar¡¯s grin only widened.

    ¡°They just happened to be conducting exercises in the neighboring domain when they coincidentally heard from fleeing peasants that there was panic and disorder in your barony,¡± he explained, his voice dripping with amusement. ¡°So, out of the goodness of their hearts, they¡¯ve come to restore order.¡±

    I stared at him, my mind racing. How on earth did any peasants even manage to flee the domain? They couldn¡¯t teleport. And even if they had run, how fast would they have needed to be for these soldiers to already be knocking on our borders? Did they all fly here?

    Before I could voice my frustration, Ju chimed in¡ªjust to make things worse.

    ¡°Just for your information,¡± she said, far too casually, ¡°once they step inside your domain, you will be responsible for financing their stay. And, of course, they¡¯ll have the right to weigh in on any security-related decisions. Oh, and they won¡¯t leave until they decide order has been restored¡­ to their satisfaction.¡±

    She flashed me a tight smile. ¡°Oh, and they¡¯ll bring their own Xsoha accounting team.¡±

    I closed my eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply.

    I exhaled sharply, the sound coming out more like a deep, guttural growl than a sigh. Even I was surprised by the raw edge in my voice¡ªas if the lynx in me had spoken instead. Maybe Lynx¡¯s presence, watching the entire exchange with keen interest, was affecting me more than I realized.

    ¡°Oh, what a surprise,¡± I said through clenched teeth before turning my attention back to the warlock. ¡°What can you tell me about this?¡±

    He winced, as did most of the onlookers around me. My voice alone seemed to lash through the air like a whip, making them recoil as if I¡¯d physically struck them.

    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know, Great Lady!¡± the warlock whined, his entire body trembling. ¡°All I know is that we sent a message after the third village was set aflame.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡± I demanded, my voice dropping into another low growl.

    He hesitated for a second too long. A gentle, but pointed tap of a claw against his side encouraged him to rethink his pause.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Great Lady!¡± he blurted, words spilling out in a rush. ¡°I was only paid to open gates¡ªthat was my entire job, Great Lady! How could I possibly know what they were planning?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Did you not just say the message was to be sent after the third village was burned? How can you claim to know nothing?¡±

    He raised his trembling hands, the palms hanging as if broken, in a pathetic attempt to shield himself.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s just what I heard them saying, Great Lady!¡± he stammered.

    Liar or coward? Probably both. But either way, he had some of the answers I needed.

    ¡°Who hired you?¡± I demanded.

    ¡°A¡ªa certain Danek!¡± the warlock stammered. ¡°He was recruiting soldiers and warlocks at the Lyon¡¯s Inn, Great Lady. Twenty gold per day just to open gates¡ªas long as I had mana. No fighting, no questions, just make some damned gates¡ªoh, pardon my speech, Great Lady! That was my job, I swear! I¡¯m only good at making gates, Great Lady! I¡¯ll open as many as you want¡ªjust please spare me!¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    Drackar, however, took a step forward, his voice cutting through the warlock¡¯s desperate pleas. ¡°Apologies for the interruption, Lady Lores, but what should I tell our guards? According to their report, the soldiers at the outpost are looking very ready to force their way through.¡±

    I sighed. Of course they are.

    As if this day wasn¡¯t already frustrating enough.

    *

    Tenessar cursed his luck. One day. One day per quarter, he was assigned to the orc outpost at this border crossing, and of course this was the day all hell decided to break loose.

    The Easternmost outpost at the Wailing Waterfall was normally the quietest in the domain. The only traffic consisted of human merchants and the occasional peasant taking goods to sell in the neighboring territory. Everyone was friendly, paying the minimal toll with a joke or a grin. Ever since Lady Lores had taken over, peasants from the domain didn¡¯t even have to pay anymore, and they were far happier to see his face at the checkpoint rather than an orc¡¯s.

    And now? Now he had two full battalions of hardened war veterans glaring him down.

    A fast-trotting horse kicked up dust as the corporal rode up, his expression tense.

    ¡°Have you got an answer from your Lady?¡± he asked.

    Tenessar shook his head. He needed more time¡ªanything to stall and avoid a direct fight. Hopefully, Lady Lores would see reason and allow them passage. This kind of slaughter was pointless. A part of him still held out hope for her, while another part¡­ another part was just afraid of what would happen if she refused.

    Sooner or later, she would learn how things really worked in the Kingdom¡ªjust as so many others had before her.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he replied with a deliberately casual shrug. ¡°Who knows what she¡¯s doing? I know how the Lady is¡ªshe could be sleeping, or eating. They¡¯ll just have to wait until she has time for them.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was the best stall tactic he had.

    The corporal chuckled, shaking his head.

    ¡°Are you really that important to her?¡± he mused before shrugging. ¡°I heard the domain is burning. Look over there¡ª¡± he gestured toward a distant column of smoke rising against the horizon, then pointed to another in the distance. ¡°And over there, too. I told you, the domain is in flames. We have orders to enter and restore order, whether you allow us or not. The captain only stopped out of consideration for you, but his patience is wearing thin.¡±

    He paused, then smirked. ¡°Ah, and here comes your answer now,¡± he added, nodding toward the approaching figure of a corpulent orc.

    Tenessar turned to see Gorok trudging forward with his usual slow, balanced gait. Gorok? He was a peon¡ªhis job was to cook and carry baggage. Why on earth would they send him with a message?

    Tenessar sighed. ¡°Do we have any news?¡±

    ¡°Grunt.¡± The orc said¡ªa clear yes.

    Tenessar, having learned to interpret the orcs¡¯ array of grunts, raised his brows expectantly. ¡°So? What does it say?¡±

    Gorok scratched the side of his thick neck before answering in the same casual tone he might use to announce the evening meal.

    ¡°Captain Drackar says the humans should mind their own business.¡±

    Tenessar exhaled sharply. A cold wave ran down his spine, raising the hairs on his arms.

    This was it. It was coming to a fight. And soon, he would have to make a choice. Would he stand by his word, fight alongside the orcs, and die with them?

    Or would he throw away his honor and side with the humans?

    He closed his eyes, accepting the inevitable. He would stand with the orcs. He would die for his honor. And no one would know, no one would sing of it, no one would even care. But that was just the way he was.

    Still, a small, hopeless part of him clung to the chance of a miracle. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± he asked, grasping for something¡ªanything¡ªthat might change the course of what was coming.

    Gorok shook his head, letting out a different kind of grunt.

    Tenessar raised a brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I got the Lady¡¯s message exactly right,¡± the orc admitted with a tired shrug. ¡°Something about¡­ a coming delivery, and what happened to attackers¡­ and about would-be attackers. Or something like that.¡±

    Tenessar sighed. For the love of the Gods¡­ Why had the outpost leader sent this orc, of all orcs, to deliver an important message? They were only fifty meters away¡ªhe could have just come himself!

    Still, a bitter part of him was almost grateful. Being sent to speak with the humans had given him an option. He always liked having an option. Even if it was an illusion. Even if it meant the orcs hadn¡¯t trusted him enough to let him stay behind when things turned ugly.

    And they would turn ugly.

    There were only four more orcs at the outpost. How could they possibly hope to stand against two battalions? They wouldn¡¯t even be a proper resistance¡ªjust a speed bump in the road.

    Unruly, his gaze drifted toward the human lines beyond the trees. They weren¡¯t in full battle formation yet, still lounging in that deceptive ease soldiers adopted before the order came.

    But that could change at any moment.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± the corporal asked, raising a brow. ¡°Is this a threat?¡±

    Gorok simply shrugged.

    Before anyone could respond, a shadow passed over them¡ªbrief, fleeting. By the time they raised their eyes, there was nothing but the endless blue sky framed by the treetops.

    Then¡ªthud.

    And another.

    Tenessar turned sharply, his breath catching as two charred, blackened logs crashed to the ground behind them.

    No. Not logs.

    His stomach twisted as he looked closer¡ªthose were bodies. Burned beyond recognition, still smoldering.

    A low grinding noise, like wind turning millstones, rumbled from the outpost. He turned just in time to see it.

    A massive dragon had descended, landing behind the outpost with a grace that defied its size. It was so enormous that the outpost¡¯s walls barely reached its knees, yet it moved with the effortless fluidity of a shadow gliding over the ground.

    The sound came from stones, rocks, and wood being crushed beneath its weight, like dried leaves underfoot.

    Tenessar had heard the stories¡ªhow everyone at the castle had spoken of the dragon. But stories were just words, fleeting and insubstantial.

    This? This was real.

    The dragon lowered its head, and for a brief, frozen moment, Tenessar thought this was it¡ªhe was going to die.

    But the dragon didn¡¯t strike.

    Instead, it growled.

    A deep, earth-shaking rumble that vibrated through his bones, through the ground, through the very air itself.

    And then¡ª It was gone.

    With a single, powerful push, it launched itself into the sky, wings cutting through the air like a storm given form. The force of its ascent nearly knocked Tenessar off balance as it passed over them, a shadow swallowing the sunlight¡ª

    And then, just as swiftly as it had appeared¡ª It vanished.

    ¡°So, that was it,¡± Gorok said simply, as if the entire display had been nothing more than a passing breeze. Then, in the same tone he used every day, he turned to Tenessar and announced, ¡°Lunch is ready.¡±

    With a grunt in the corporal¡¯s direction, he turned his back on the humans and started walking toward the outpost, completely unfazed, as if this were just another ordinary day.

    Tenessar took a deep breath, his gaze drifting back toward the human lines.

    Total silence. Not a word, not a movement. The forest itself seemed to be holding its breath.

    He shrugged and followed Gorok.

    Whatever was about to happen next wasn¡¯t his problem¡ªnot yet, at least. And if he was going to die today, he might as well do it after enjoying the best part of outpost duty.

    The soup. Gorok was a second to none cook.

 Chapter 317 - Just Another Normal Day

    As Drackar walked off to check on his orcs, I took another sip of coffee, sinking deeper into my chair. My gaze flicked to Ju.

    ¡°Do you happen to have something for pain?¡± I whispered. ¡°A spell or something?¡±

    She stepped closer, concern flashing in her eyes. ¡°Is something wrong, my lady?¡±

    I snorted at her playing the chaperon role and rubbed my temples. ¡°I have my days, and I hate it.¡±

    She gasped. ¡°Even as a¡­¡±

    I knew exactly what she was about to ask. Even as a demon, do I still have my days? A shudder ran down my spine at the thought¡ªhaving my days for all eternity? No, thank you.

    But then¡­ was this only happening because I had taken on a human form? Did the transformation include everything? Maybe I had studied the wrong discipline. Instead of transformation, perhaps I should have focused on shapeshifting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any spells for that,¡± Ju admitted. ¡°We elves only deal with the problem once per our elves¡¯ year¡ªwhich is about forty of your years. So¡­ it never really seemed worth the effort to develop a counterspell. Still unpleasant, though.¡± She sighed and started rummaging through her inventory. ¡°Let me check if I have something that might help.¡±

    Before she could find anything, Lynx¡¯s deep, growling voice cut in.

    ¡°I have a better idea.¡±

    I turned towards the growling beast.

    ¡°This is a girls problem!¡± I whispered back, since I was the only one who could understand him, but he shrugged my protest off, completely unfazed.

    ¡°I happen to have very fine ears¡ªsorry for eavesdropping,¡± he said, sounding anything but sorry. ¡°But I do know one thing for sure¡ªlynx ladies feel their best when they go hunting. So¡­ how about a hunting party?¡± he added with an exaggerated wiggle of his brows.

    That did it¡ªI burst out laughing.

    He took that as encouragement and continued, ¡°You know, the bad guys got beaten, we should celebrate.¡±

    I blinked at the growling lynx, considering his words. Maybe he had a point. If I shifted into my lynx form, I shouldn¡¯t have this problem anymore¡­ right?

    With that thought, the decision was made.

    I turned to Ju.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she asked, raising a brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m going hunting with Lynx,¡± I said simply. ¡°You¡¯ll coordinate things here in my stead. If anything happens, have the horns sound the alarm¡ªI¡¯ll hear them no matter where I am and come back fast. Also, tell Drackar to inform the castle that the invaders have been dealt with. The queen and the prince should know that everything is under control.¡±

    ¡°Hunting?¡± she repeated, her expression caught between amusement and confusion. Then, after a brief pause, she nodded. ¡°Take care.¡±

    Leaving the barony¡¯s troubles in Ju¡¯s capable hands, I rode off on Lynx¡¯s back. At least, that¡¯s what it looked like while there were still eyes on us.

    The moment we left the village behind, I jumped down, tucked my clothes into my inventory, and shifted into lynx form.

    Ahhh. Instant relief. My headache was gone.

    With a satisfied flick of my tail, I trotted alongside Lynx, feeling lighter already. As we passed a peasant¡¯s carriage on the road, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when the buffalo pulling it took one look at us and promptly collapsed, playing dead.

    Amused, I glanced at Lynx.

    ¡°So, how exactly did you figure out where they were attacking from?¡± I growled as we padded along.

    Lynx flicked an ear, ¡°When I saw the fire at Donnercup, I ran there and caught sight of them just as they were leaving. I barely managed to take down the last one, but I followed the others through the gate. Cleaned the place up and stuck around since another gate was still open. Three idiots came through it later.¡±

    I stopped mid-step, then burst out laughing.

    ¡°Oh, those must have been the guys that escaped Sid! Lol,¡± I wheezed, rolling over in the dirt, tail flicking.

    Lynx watched me with an amused gleam in his eyes, clearly pleased with himself.

    ¡°But you risked too much!¡± I protested, righting myself. ¡°One does not just jump blindly into a teleportation gate¡ªwho knows what could¡¯ve been waiting on the other side? It could¡¯ve been a death trap!¡±

    He just shrugged, utterly unbothered. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let them escape,¡± he growled, ¡°Not after what I saw. They killed a young family in Donnercup¡ªmother, father, and child. Once I was on the other side¡­ well¡ªsurprise, motherfuckers!¡±

    I shook my head. He can be so reckless when he gets emotional.

    Without thinking, I lunged forward and hugged him¡ªa bit of an awkward feat in lynx form, but I managed. We rolled over the grass, a tangled blur of fur, only to startle yet another unfortunate pair of peasants lounging in the shade of a haystack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again, you hear me?¡± I huffed, giving his neck a playful bite before resting my head on his shoulder. ¡°What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?¡± I sighed, turning to look into his eyes.

    Lynx rolled his own and gave me a gentle shove with his shoulder, clearly embarrassed by the affection.

    ¡°Catch me if you can!¡± he suddenly challenged, springing to his feet and bolting away.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    And just like that, the tension vanished.

    We ran. We played. For hours, we chased each other through the fields, darting between trees, pouncing and dodging, switching between cat and mouse, hunter and prey.

    I never could have imagined something so simple¡ªso instinctual¡ªcould be this much fun.

    And then, the crowning moment¡ªthe hunt: it was exhilarating.

    To move unseen, to slip between the grass and the shadows, watching the prey graze, stupidly and innocently unaware. To see them lift their heads now and then, ears twitching, eyes scanning the surroundings¡ªyet never spotting me prowling just beyond their senses. It sent a rush through my veins, an intoxicating mix of instincts I never knew I had, releasing strange and wild hormones into my blood.

    But the real thrill? The moment of the chase.

    That split second when I leapt¡ªwhen they saw me¡ªwhen their blissful ignorance shattered into raw terror. It was disturbing, and yet, strangely gratifying. A clash of emotions warring inside me¡ªhorror on one side, exhilaration on the other.

    And then¡ªthe climax. My jaws closing around the deer¡¯s neck, the pulse of life beating against my teeth, the sharp tang of blood filling my mouth. It sent a shudder through me, a sensation so intense it built into a crescendo I never could have imagined.

    Later, as we lay stretched in the grass, chewing lazily on the spoils of our hunt, a deep sense of peace settled over me.

    A stillness. A belonging. A gratitude I hadn''t felt in ages.

    By the time we returned from the river, the sky had deepened into dusk, shadows stretching long over the landscape.

    Just before reaching the camp, I shifted back into my human form, mounting Lynx so I could ride in as though nothing unusual had happened.

    ¡°My lady, how was the hunting party?¡± Ju asked, looking up from where she sat, surrounded by Alice¡¯s children, deep in the middle of one of her stories.

    ¡°Truly rewarding,¡± I answered with a satisfied stretch¡ªthough my expression twisted into a grimace as the headache began creeping back in.

    As the camp settled for the night, a quiet hum of settling bodies and crackling fires filled the air.

    I prepared my own spot to sleep. Pulling a mat from my inventory, I laid out my sleeping bag near Ju, close enough to eavesdrop on her tales.

    Her voice wove through the night, painting the story¡¯s final strokes¡ªabout a hero who, in the end, transformed into a constellation. She lifted her hand to the sky, pointing out the stars that formed his shape, guiding the children¡¯s curious eyes to the patterns above.

    She lingered there, shifting seamlessly into an explanation of stars and constellations, her soft and melodic voice carrying on for another twenty minutes or so.

    The sky stretched above us, a breathtaking canopy of stars scattered across the vast darkness. It was a different sky, true, but since I had never been well-versed in the constellations of my own world, the change didn¡¯t make much difference to me. What truly mattered was the sheer number of stars I could see.

    Back home, city lights smother the night, drowning out all but the brightest specks. But here¡ªhere, the heavens were ablaze with stars and galaxies, their strange, mesmerizing patterns etched across the darkness. It was humbling. It wasn¡¯t just beautiful; it was something deeper, something that touched the soul. Standing beneath that endless expanse, you couldn¡¯t help but feel it¡ªa profound sense that the world is so much more than the sliver of land beneath your feet.

    As the children drifted off to sleep and I teetered on the edge of dreams, I felt Ju nudge me gently from the side.

    ¡°Make some room,¡± she whispered, slipping in beside me.

    Wrapped in her soothing warmth, I surrendered instantly to sleep.

    The next moment¡ªor at least what felt like the next moment¡ªI heard Sid¡¯s shrill voice cutting through my dreams.

    ¡°Mom, mom!¡±

    I cracked open one eye to see the dark sky stretched above me. Though the eastern horizon had begun to blush with the first light of dawn, it was still early.

    So¡­ not exactly the next moment. More like hours later.

    I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. ¡°What is it? Did something happen?¡± I asked, sitting up and glancing around in search of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s morning, Mom!¡± Sid announced, far too cheerfully.

    I sighed. So much for sleeping in.

    My shoulders slumped in despair.

    ¡°It¡¯s still dark, Sid. Go back to bed,¡± I groaned, letting myself fall back beside Ju. How did we even both fit inside my sleeping bag?

    Sid, of course, was completely unimpressed by my argument.

    ¡°Mom! You promised you¡¯d make me an inventory! It¡¯s already morning!¡±

    Did I? Ugh. Yeah, I did say something about that. I took a deep breath, rubbing my face.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°By the wyvern!¡± he replied eagerly.

    I sighed, accepting my fate, and pushed myself up. Grabbing a blanket, I wrapped it around my shoulders as Ju let out a sleepy moan of protest, shifting to her other side.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± I murmured.

    The camp was still asleep, undisturbed by my quiet steps. As I walked through in my pajamas, blanket draped around me like some wandering ghost, the sentinels acknowledged me with silent nods.

    Just another normal morning¡­

    ¡°Why do you need the inventory?¡± I asked as I found him by the giant wyvern, happily chewing away.

    ¡°To put the rest inside, Mom! It¡¯s a pity to let it spoil.¡±

    Oh, right. He had mentioned that already.

    I sighed and sat down on a log. ¡°Alright, put your paw here.¡±

    Sid eagerly placed his massive paw beside me, and I focused on the spell. It took about five minutes to complete, and by the time I was done, I was sweating slightly¡ªbut it was worth it. Surprisingly, the process had gone smoother than when I first cast it for myself.

    As soon as the spell settled into place, Sid¡¯s face lit up with excitement.

    ¡°Cool! Thanks, Mom! You¡¯re the best!¡±

    I smirked, shaking my head as he continued, ¡°Once I finish eating, I¡¯ll take the wyvern with me and go check if there are any more raiders!¡±

    ¡°That would be a good idea,¡± I said with a yawn, stretching lazily. ¡°Let me know if you see anything.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Mom!¡±

    I trudged back toward my sleeping spot, already looking forward to sinking into my bedroll again. Just as I arrived, the sharp blare of the trumpet shattered the quiet for the morning call.

    I froze.

    Oh, drats.

    So much for going back to sleep.

    I left the noisy camp together with Lynx, slipping away from the commotion for another round in the forest. We hunted again¡ªjust enough for a hearty breakfast¡ªthen bathed in the river before curling up in the sun for several blissful hours of sleep.

    By the time noon approached, we made our way, heading toward Drackar¡¯s column as they neared the castle.

    I waved as I rode Lynx toward them, catching Drackar¡¯s and Ju¡¯s attention and they veered toward me.

    As we greeted each other, Ju¡¯s eyes locked onto something ahead.

    ¡°Is that the shield you were talking about?¡± she asked, pointing at the castle.

    I raised a brow. The shield? Hadn¡¯t Drackar said the barrier was supposed to be invisible? Frowning, I turned to look¡ªand gasped.

    A translucent, greenish shield shimmered above the castle, floating like a massive soap bubble. It reminded me of those delicate glass-domed castles people shook to make it snow inside.

    I snapped my head toward Drackar. His expression had shifted¡ªconcern darkening his features as he glanced at me.

    What the hell was happening?

    Before I could voice the question, Ju leaned in close.

    ¡°You still have blood on your face,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 318 - Welcome to the Hotel Lores

    While Ju dampened a handkerchief to wipe my cheek, I turned my gaze back to the castle. Strange greenish lines flickered across the shield, shifting like an eerie aurora borealis.

    Ju scrubbed at my cheek with increasing effort. The bloodstains must have dried into a stubborn crust¡ªprobably in places my tongue hadn¡¯t managed to reach. I sighed. Nobody''s perfect.

    With a shrug, I turned to Drackar. His eyes were locked onto the shimmering shield.

    "Is this normal?" I asked.

    He hesitated, then shrugged.

    "I¡¯ve never seen it before..." he admitted, as if trying to excuse himself.

    "Shouldn''t the shield be broader?" I wondered aloud.

    Hadn''t Drackar mentioned something about protecting the entire barony? Yet, the shield barely extended beyond the castle, just reaching the outer wall and gate.

    Drackar let out a weary sigh. "I didn''t think it would be visible at all, so I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening," he admitted, his expression clouded with frustration. "It¡¯s supposed to expand gradually, drawing magic from the environment until it stabilizes. Maybe it just needs more time... or maybe it¡¯s consuming more magic than I thought? For some reason?"

    Ju glanced between us, her eyes sharp with curiosity, trying to piece together what kind of shield we had conjured and how we had done it.

    "What was the last message we got from the castle?" I asked.

    "Oh, there were several," Ju replied. "They arrived just as we finished dealing with the incursion. Apparently, they¡¯re planning to throw a party to celebrate."

    "A party?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

    Drackar gave a small nod.

    "Yes," Ju confirmed. "A party."

    As we approached the central gate under the torrid glare of the twin suns, the only sound that greeted us was the rhythmic chirping of crickets¡ªno tower guards, no response to our calls.

    Even more unsettling was the sight of a large, triangular red flag fluttering above the gate. Fixed to the pole along its shorter side, it bore the image of what looked like a black dragon. A shiver ran down my spine. I had no idea whose banner this was, but it certainly looked like someone had taken over my castle. My eyes narrowed as my blood pressure spiked. Hopefully, they hadn¡¯t harmed my friends.

    I turned sharply to Drackar.

    "Do you know which bastard owns that banner?"

    Behind me, Ju erupted into a coughing fit.

    "Ahm," she cleared her throat, clearly scrambling for words. "I... saw your sketches for a new banner and thought I''d surprise you. I consulted with a lot of people¡ªincluding Captain Drackar¡ªand this is what we came up with, to the best of our understanding," she added, doing her best to distribute the guilt evenly.

    I blinked at her, utterly dumbfounded.

    "But... but in my drawing, my banner was white on black!" I protested.

    Ju responded with an uncertain shrug. "Yes, I see what you mean. But the dragon is black¡ªblack on black wouldn¡¯t work. That¡¯s probably why you made it white in the first place. However, white on black looks too much like a brigand¡¯s flag, so I changed the background to red. You remember, I asked you, and you said the background didn¡¯t have to be black¡ªred could also be fine. But¡­ you did mention you¡¯d like to see it first, right?"

    I blinked again, shifting my gaze from her to the banner. How had my simple painting of a dove carrying an olive branch turned into a fire-breathing dragon?

    "I was thinking of symbolizing a bringer of peace," I muttered.

    Drackar, arms crossed, smirked as he studied the banner. "That¡¯s also a way of putting it," he said dryly. "Exactly how I imagined it. Good work, Lady Julietta!"

    "But¡­ how did you even manage to do it?" I asked, still struggling to believe it.

    "I asked my aunt to help¡­" Ju admitted.

    Oh. So no enemy takeover, no coup¡ªeveryone clearly knew who the owner of that banner was.

    But that still didn¡¯t explain the eerie silence.

    I looked at the banner again. Honestly¡­ it actually looked quite good.

    As we drew closer to the gate, movement caught my eye. Someone was waving from one of the tower''s balconies.

    "Is that Wokta?" Ju asked, turning to Drackar for confirmation.

    "It seems to be him," Drackar replied.

    A moment later, Wokta disappeared from sight. Then came a deep rumble, and suddenly, one side of the gate groaned open. Wokta pushed it wide before moving to the other side to do the same.

    "Why is Wokta opening the gate himself?" I wondered aloud.

    He moved oddly, swaying as he walked¡ªunsteady, almost as if¡­

    "Is he drunk?" Ju asked, narrowing her eyes.

    Drackar turned and shot her a sharp look, but even he couldn¡¯t deny what we were all seeing. Wokta now stood in front of the gate, legs wobbling, shifting his weight like a sailor on the deck of a ship caught in a storm.

    Drackar exhaled, clearly uncomfortable. "It does look like it¡­" he admitted.

    We halted about a meter from the shimmering shield. Even from this distance, it was clearly visible. I was the first to step through, and the moment I did, new sounds drifted from the castle. Music?

    "What¡¯s this music?" Ju asked, frowning at the castle. "Is the party still going on?"

    Before we could make sense of it, Wokta approached, a wide smile on his face, arms spread in welcome.

    "Welcome, welcome!" he greeted, swaying alarmingly on his feet under Drackar¡¯s horrified gaze.

    Since we were all still mounted, he went straight to Lynx and wrapped him in a slightly off-balance embrace. "Welcome!" he repeated, his voice a little too enthusiastic.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Drackar, still staring at the empty watchtowers, turned to him sharply. "Where are the others?"

    Wokta hiccupped, then straightened¡ªor at least tried to.

    "They were called by His Majesty, Sir, to join the party¡­ and haven¡¯t returned yet¡­ Sir," he reported, the drilled precision of military discipline momentarily taking over, though his wobbling stance made it look almost comical.

    "Party?" Drackar repeated, his face darkening with barely contained fury. "Why would they disobey my orders to stay at their posts?"

    Wokta, now standing as stiff as possible¡ªthough dangerously tilted¡ªmanaged to respond without too much slurring.

    "Sir, you ordered us to execute His Majesty¡¯s commands as if they came from yourself!"

    The stress was clearly too much for Wokta. He nearly stumbled, catching himself by leaning heavily on Lynx.

    "Which one of them majesty¡¯s ordered the guard to the party?" Drackar pressed, his voice sharp with frustration.

    "Both of them!" Wokta declared. "They wanted me to go too, but I said I couldn¡¯t leave the gates completely unguarded!"

    Drackar rolled his eyes. "You''re drunk. What did you drink?"

    Wokta looked genuinely wounded by the accusation. "I stood at the gates all night! I haven¡¯t had anything but water, Sir!" He sounded indignant, though his grip on Lynx¡¯s shoulder remained suspiciously firm.

    "Don¡¯t lie to me!" Drackar snapped.

    Wokta¡¯s eyes went round with shock. "I would never do such a thing, Sir!"

    Before Drackar could retort, Ju interrupted, her nose wrinkling. "What¡¯s that smell?"

    Only then did I notice it¡ªa faint, unfamiliar scent lingering in the air. Subtle, but unsettling.

    I turned to Drackar, searching his face for answers. He sniffed the air and shrugged.

    "I don¡¯t smell anything," he said, unimpressed.

    Lynx, however, growled at me. "I smelled this on you when we left!"

    I blinked, then it clicked.

    "Troll-mojo?" I muttered.

    Ju burst into laughter.

    "The air is full of troll-mojo!" she exclaimed, then turned to me with a look of both amusement and curiosity. "How did you do this?"

    Then, narrowing her eyes in a sidelong glance, she added with a chuckle, "I wonder how my aunt is doing."

    "Shit, we missed the party!" Lynx groaned from beneath me.

    *

    "You poisoned us!" Dame Hiera accused, her voice sharp with indignation. A paladin I¡¯d had little interaction with until now, she was clearly not in the mood for pleasantries.

    We were gathered in the main hall, discussing the situation with the prince and his leading paladins. The queen was still indisposed.

    "How could she have known that some idiot had broken those barrels of troll-mojo?" Ju countered smoothly.

    No one actually knew who that idiot was, but for now, this was our best defense. Worst case, we could have convinced Tom, Mike, or Hew to take the blame¡ªif they hadn¡¯t been completely incapacitated. Low-level people couldn¡¯t purge troll-mojo from their system that quickly.

    "One barrel caused all this?" Dame Hiera pressed.

    "No, there were several," Ju clarified. "They must have rolled down the stairs and broken open."

    "Why didn¡¯t he cast an alarm spell?" another paladin asked, frowning.

    Ju kept a perfectly straight face. "Not everybody can cast alarm spells. Besides, he probably got knocked unconscious immediately."

    I stared at Ju, dumbfounded, marveling at how effortlessly she could lie.

    "That must have cost a fortune! Troll-mojo is expensive!" another paladin blurted out.

    "That''s your concern?" Dame Hiera hissed, shooting him a glare.

    Before anyone could respond, another voice cut in.

    "Speaking of money¡ªwho¡¯s paying my bill?"

    Barak, the owner of the valley¡¯s brothel, stood with arms crossed, looking entirely too comfortable in the middle of a royal debriefing.

    Apparently, someone had the brilliant idea of calling the girls from the brothel to the castle. They were still here, slowly recovering after dancing all night. Yet now, miraculously, no one could remember who had invited them.

    I could investigate. I could even find the culprit. But¡­ then what?

    I sighed. "That will be on me, Master Barak."

    The sum wasn¡¯t that high. The domain could absorb it.

    "Very well, Lady Lores," he said with a wide, pleased smile, practically oozing satisfaction.

    With great effort, I refrained from snorting¡ªor rolling my eyes.

    "That was it? Just some barrels of troll-mojo?" Sir Gamesh asked, his expression uneasy.

    I shook my head. "The real problem was that there was no wind," I tried to explain.

    "Because of your damn ¡®protection¡¯ shield!" Dame Hiera erupted again, her temper barely restrained.

    "Dame Hiera!" Sir Gamesh interjected, attempting to calm her down.

    "The shield doesn¡¯t block the wind!" I protested, though, if I was being honest, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what else I had messed up that night.

    Through it all, the prince remained unusually silent. From time to time, he exchanged glances with Therella, and the two of them smirked and chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation far more than they should have.

    Then, abruptly, the prince straightened and clapped his hands together. "I think I¡¯ve heard enough!" he declared.

    And just like that, the session was over.

    Luckily for me, Dame Hiera was the exception. Most of the revelers were raving about what they claimed was the most extraordinary party they had ever attended¡ªat least, those who actually remembered it. Some, like Dame Hiera, were struggling to come to terms with their own actions or piecing together hazy memories. Others had simply woken up with pounding headaches and little recollection of what had transpired.

    Still, odd fragments of the night lingered in their minds, and now, they were eagerly comparing notes, trying to reconstruct the chaotic spectacle.

    I closed my eyes, recalling how I had found them.

    Tables groaned under the weight of food and drinks, a massive all-you-can-eat buffet left in glorious disarray. The few loudspeakers¡ªprobably the only ones in existence in this world¡ªblasted their final notes, their volume cranked to eleven, consuming the last of their batteries. The deep, sultry melodies of Hew¡¯s one-of-a-kind-in-this-world music box pulsed through the air, setting the slow, intoxicating rhythm of the aftermath.

    People¡ªorc, elf, and human alike¡ªwere sprawled throughout the hall, dancing, eating, sitting, or simply passed out where they fell. In adjacent rooms, some had collapsed into sleep, while others remained, stubbornly active.

    In one corner, I spotted Alice, lounging on a pile of leather cushions, resting her back against Sir Gamesh. From their position, it seemed like they had originally intended to keep watch over the room but had ultimately succumbed to exhaustion, now dozing peacefully against each other.

    As I stared, Alice¡¯s eyes fluttered open.

    I yelped in surprise.

    ¡°Hi, Lores,¡± she greeted me casually, as if she had just woken from an afternoon nap. Then, with a mischievous grin, she stretched and added, ¡°Wanna dance? I learned a new one!¡±

    It had taken me yet another chain-hanging session to reprogram the shield¡¯s spirit, forcing it to stop spewing troll-mojo into the air.

    ¡°Think of it this way,¡± Ju said ¡°What might have happened if we all had stayed inside?¡±

 Chapter 319 - Lores (Almost) Alone at Her Castle

    The best part of the troll-mojo incident was that all our visitors suddenly decided to leave earlier than planned. Originally, they were supposed to stay until just before the grand feast at Fiona¡¯s¡ªDuchess of Cromwall¡¯s¡ªresidence. But now, as if struck by divine revelation, they miraculously remembered or conveniently discovered urgent matters that required their attention before heading there.

    We barely had enough time to throw together the bare minimum for a departure ceremony. Apparently, royal guests couldn¡¯t simply leave like normal people¡ªno, their departure had to be accompanied by a certain degree of pomp, as if the world itself needed to acknowledge their absence.

    And so, I found myself standing in the castle yard with my entourage, waiting for the departure signal. At last, the prince''s chief paladin, Sir Gamesh, raised his hand¡ªa sign that they were ready.

    They were all mounted, of course. Protocol and all that nonsense, because heaven forbid they step through a portal like ordinary mortals. No, their exit required a gateway fit for riders.

    Once I saw the signal, I closed my eyes, reaching out to the spirit to allow for the portal initialization. When I opened them again, I was pleased to see that it had worked¡ªthe blue skies of Koreia, Ahetia¡¯s provincial capital, stretched beyond the shimmering frame of the portal. It had opened on a hill southeast of the city, offering a clear view of some of Koreia¡¯s landmarks: the three central cathedrals of its major religions and the governor¡¯s palace.

    From Koreia, they would have to travel east to reach Dolomar, Cromwall¡¯s main city¡ªFiona¡¯s seat of power and the place where I was expected to reunite with them for the grand feast.

    With the blaring of trumpets, the column set itself in motion. The first paladins urged their horses forward, crossing through the portal, while Sir Gamesh gave me a formal salute.

    The prince waved to us, and at his side, Therella touched her lips and blew a gentle kiss in our direction. Was that meant for Sid? For me? Or for Ju?

    Rumors had been swirling that the prince and Therella were planning to announce their engagement soon¡ªperhaps even at Fiona¡¯s gathering. However, it was known that Therella had grown quite fond of Sid and visited him regularly, which was already causing a scandal. Human society had always looked down on elves, branding them as too frivolous and libertine, and the vice-queen herself had to step in to prevent Therella from spending nights in Sid¡¯s chamber.

    I, for one, have to confess that they had been nothing but perfectly well-behaved. But try explaining that to your average pearl-clutching, flubdub aunt-in-law.

    Oh well, now that they were leaving, I was perfectly fine with it. But yeah¡­ when it first happened, I wasn¡¯t much better than the average pearl-clutching, flubdub¡ªuh, whatever.

    Sid, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t particularly bothered that his princess was leaving. He had far more pressing concerns¡ªlike digesting the absurd amounts of meat he had consumed, which had left him looking downright apathetic these past few days. My instincts told me not to worry, and after digging up a book on dragons in the library, I was relieved to find my gut feeling confirmed.

    Apparently, dragons went through growth spurts, and during those, they spent long periods in their lairs, sleeping off their meals.

    And honestly, who wouldn¡¯t feel sluggish after eating nearly an entire wyvern? Sid had been working his way through the beast almost nonstop, taking only brief pauses, and just today, he¡¯d informed me¡ªsomewhat triumphantly¡ªthat he was finally almost done with it.

    He yawned and stretched¡ªa less-than-ideal thing to do during such a festive moment.

    ¡°Wow, I feel so sleepy, Mom! Can I go to my hoard-room, Mom?!¡± he asked, his face drowsy and unfocused.

    Ju shot him a worried glance, clearly unaware of the details. I simply shrugged in response and gave a small shake of my head to reassure her. Then, with a fond smile, I tapped Sid¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Happy dreams, honey,¡± I chuckled, rising onto the balls of my feet to press a quick kiss behind his ear.

    He laughed, instinctively raising his shoulder to shield his exposed neck.

    ¡°That tickles, Mom!¡± he protested, still laughing. Then he turned back to me, his eyes already half-closed as he yawned again.

    ¡°Hey, cover your mouth when you yawn, kid,¡± I chided.

    He ignored me entirely, just staring at me with a blissfully content expression.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°May I ask you something, Mom?¡± Sid said.

    I took his arm in one hand while waving with the other as the last paladins entered the portal, followed closely by Therella¡¯s lady-in-waiting.

    Some of the onlookers were still peering through the portal, trying to catch a better glimpse of the provincial capital before it disappeared. As I watched them, a thought nagged at me¡ªif we could see through the portal, if light could pass through, then why couldn¡¯t we travel in both directions? Everyone insisted portals were unidirectional, but why?

    ¡°Sure, honey. Do you need something?¡± I asked, just as the portal sealed itself shut with a soft whiz¡ªprompting a chorus of disappointed groans from the children who had been watching.

    The vice-queen made a discreet gesture, signaling that the elves were about to open their portal. I gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. Moments later, a golden-shimmering portal flickered to life, almost exactly where the previous one had been.

    ¡°The gold shimmer is just some added gizmo to make it look fancier,¡± Ju whispered in my ear.

    Unlike the humans, the elves didn¡¯t bother with fanfare. Two scouts crossed through first, their figures momentarily silhouetted against the vibrant green of a dense jungle on the other side. Then, a deep bass note resonated through the air¡ªthe unmistakable sound of elven long horns. It was said that only elf women were permitted to play them, the massive instruments stretching over two meters in length.

    Next, the elf general stepped through, accompanied by a few soldiers.

    I chuckled to myself. My little investigation had confirmed that the invitation for Barak¡¯s girls had come from someone in his entourage¡ªif not from the general himself. But when pressed, he had refused to discuss the matter. Oh well, it had mostly been my curiosity at work anyway. I had never actually intended to make him pay up.

    Another pair of soldiers followed, leading the way for the vice-queen¡¯s entourage.

    I had arranged for Alice¡¯s children to scatter flower petals in front of the vice-queen as she passed. They had spent hours gathering them, and now, a flurry of petals swirled through the air, drifting in front of the portal as she approached.

    Oh well¡ªpoor flowers. Such a barbaric tradition. One of the elven druids had worked tirelessly to coax those trees into bloom, only for their efforts to end in this petal massacre.

    The vice-queen waved as she stepped through the portal. I waved back before turning to Sid and pulling him a little closer.

    ¡°So?¡± I prompted him again. ¡°What was it you wanted to ask me?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± he blinked, as if only now remembering. ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­ Could you take care of Jane while I¡¯m sleeping? I know she¡¯s not a princess, but she¡¯s worth¡ª" He hesitated, then pressed on. "I¡­ I¡¯d feel better if I knew you were looking after her. You know she¡¯s an orphan, and her stepmother is really mean to her.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I murmured, glancing toward the line of servants. ¡°Was her father a miner?¡± I scanned the group until my eyes landed on the blonde maid, half-hidden behind Mike.

    Sid shook his head.

    ¡°No, he was a hunter. Her mother died a couple of years ago, and her father remarried. Then last year, he was killed in a hunting accident¡ªby a bear.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear¡­¡± I murmured, wondering where on earth he had gathered all this information. ¡°Did she complain about her stepmother?¡±

    ¡°No, she never complained, but I overheard some conversations¡­¡± He stretched again, his exhaustion plain. ¡°They say her stepmother wants to chase her away so she can remarry.¡±

    His voice trailed off in another yawn before he blinked at me, expectant. ¡°May I go to sleep now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I told you¡ªyou can go anytime,¡± I assured him. Then, after a moment, I added, ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±

    His face brightened. ¡°Thanks, Mom! You¡¯re always the best!¡±

    Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the entrance, making his way toward his tower.

    ¡°Sleep well,¡± I called after him in my mind.

    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± came his drowsy telepathic reply as he disappeared inside.

    ¡°This Jane must be really something,¡± Ju whispered at my side.

    I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± I said. ¡°Would you like to do a little digging on her? Meanwhile, I¡¯ll go check on our prisoner and have a chat with the Xsoha.¡±

    Ju gave me a look, as if she had something to say, then glanced past me and shrugged.

    ¡°Have fun,¡± she said before heading toward the main building, her steps angled toward Mike, who was just about to enter.

    I turned to face the rows of orcs standing behind me, just as Drackar approached.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Lady Lores,¡± he greeted with a respectful nod.

    ¡°Captain?¡±

    ¡°You were right in your assumption,¡± he said. ¡°The spirit seems to have tapped into our troll-mojo reserves. They¡¯re completely drained.¡±

    I chuckled, hardly sympathetic about their loss.

    Drackar continued, ¡°It seems only the barrels stored in the castle¡¯s basement were affected.¡±

    I nodded. In the end, our explanation of what had happened wasn¡¯t too far from the truth.

    ¡°Could we find a way to use this spirit¡¯s ability to defend the castle?¡± I mused aloud.

    Drackar shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really see how. While a scaled-down shield was able to contain air movement, the standard shield doesn¡¯t have that function. You have to choose one or the other. Maybe if the castle were occupied by enemy forces, we could use this to force them out¡ªas long as they didn¡¯t figure out how to disable both the shield and the spirit tool.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of for now, but it¡¯s an idea we might explore later.¡±

    I shrugged in turn and moved on to the next matter.

    ¡°Did the prisoner accept the verdict? His time to change his mind is up.¡±

    Drackar nodded. ¡°He¡¯s already in place.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good to hear.¡± I gave a small nod. ¡°I plan to visit the Xsoha at the inn. Have a couple of good-looking soldiers accompany me as guards.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Certainly, Lady Lores. I¡¯ll handpick them myself. They¡¯ll be waiting for you by the warlock¡¯s gate in a few minutes.¡±

    With that, I dismissed Drackar and headed straight for the room where Lynx was waiting for me.

    After all, I had made a spatial inventory for Sid, so of course, Lynx expected the same treatment. That was only fair. But now, even some of my followers had caught wind of it and were starting to push for their own.

    As I made my way toward the castle, I ran into a fuming Hew.

    ¡°Lores! Tell Wetina I can go to Huiesta! She won¡¯t let me leave! How am I supposed to do my job like this? Who¡¯s the boss here?¡±

    Behind him, Wetina rolled her eyes.

    ¡°The area hasn¡¯t been declared safe yet, and Lady Lores hasn¡¯t lifted the travel restrictions,¡± she countered with a weary sigh.

    While not traditionally beautiful, Wetina was striking in her own way. Well-proportioned and standing as tall as Hew¡ªif not taller when she carried herself straight¡ªshe had a presence that demanded attention. Her jet-black hair cascaded over her dark green shoulders, adding an unexpected elegance to her otherwise no-nonsense demeanor. It was the first time I had seen her wearing it loose; before, she had always kept it tightly strapped back like most warriors did.

    There was a note of concern in her eyes, one that didn¡¯t quite match her exasperated tone.

    ¡°That should be fine now, Wetina,¡± I said. ¡°But check with Drackar and have him assign a ten-guard escort¡ªthat should be enough for safety. Also, give Hew my mare so you can ride faster.¡±

    She nodded, a bright smile spreading across her face before she turned to carry out the order.

    ¡°Me? Riding?¡± Hew sputtered, his expression teetering on the edge of panic.

    I shrugged. ¡°If I can ride, you should be able to as well. Come on, Hew, a little riding sport will do you good.¡±

    He let out a heavy sigh, clearly unconvinced. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Tom?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Training with the juniors,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Does he have a guard? Who¡¯s assigned to him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Egger, mostly¡ªwhen he¡¯s here in the castle or in the mining town.¡±

    ¡°Egger? The sexy orc girl?¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Uh, and Tom hasn¡¯t tried to seduce her?¡±

    Hew burst into laughter. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s tried everything he knows, but his charm doesn¡¯t seem to work on her.¡± His face was full of amusement.

    ¡°Hm. She doesn¡¯t seem to have as many orc admirers as Wetina does. I wonder why? Is she not to their taste?¡±

    Personally, I found Egger prettier¡ªbut that was just my preference. Still, I had noticed she was somewhat of an outsider among orcs. Pariah would be too strong a word, but she certainly didn¡¯t have the devoted flock of admirers that Wetina did.

    Hew shrugged. ¡°I talked to Wetina about her once. All she said was that Egger is ¡®somehow special.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s her water magic?¡±

    As Wetina approached, I gave Hew a quick hug and wished him a good day before heading into the building to find Lynx.

    I found him in the room adjacent to the great hall, lounging on a leather sofa while waiting for me. A maid had just set down a plate of refreshments on a small table. She bowed profusely before stepping back.

    "Hey, Lyn!" I greeted.

    He grinned, revealing his sharp canines¡ªstill just as sharp in human form. Because of that, some people feared he was a vampire.

    "Hey, Lores!" he answered cheerfully.

    I made a small gesture, and the maid bowed again before leaving the room.

    Lynx grabbed a cracker from the plate, took a bite, then let out a sigh.

    "Amh¡­ I''m sorry. I talked too much. Me and my big mouth!" He shot me a guilty look. "Now everyone wants you to make them an inventory like you did for Sid. Do you know there¡¯s actually a queue? Alice organized some kind of tombola, and guess what? Durham paid two gold just to be first in line after me! He even tried to buy my spot!"

    I chuckled.

    ¡°Unfortunately, it takes all my mana¡ªand then some¡ªto complete one. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t do them all at once. Two per day is my limit. But don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯re my followers, after all. Let them have a bonus¡ªI should have thought of it myself.¡±

    Lynx nodded, satisfied.

    ¡°Now, where do you want it?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯ll look like a tattoo, but if I place it somewhere under your clothes, you¡¯ll have to undress that part every time you want to store or retrieve something.¡±

    ¡°What does the tattoo look like? Is there a specific shape?¡± he asked curiously.

    I shook my head. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s more of a fractal pattern made up of the runes that define the spell. You¡¯d need a trained eye to recognize them¡ªotherwise, they just look like nonsense. But I could arrange them into a shape if you want. Never done it before, but¡­¡±

    I had only performed this spell a handful of times, but after browsing through Flo¡¯s memories, I was fairly certain it was possible.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, leaning back slightly. ¡°Can you make it the face of your lynx?¡±

    I blinked at him, caught off guard. ¡°Why would you want that?¡±

    He shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

    ¡°Because it¡¯d be funny! I¡¯ll be able to tell peasants, Oh, sorry, your buffalo is with Lores. You¡¯ll have to talk to her to get the money for it!¡±

    I blinked, then snorted in exasperation.

    ¡°How many buffaloes do you plan to kill? Those are their work animals!¡±

    He sighed dramatically. ¡°I don¡¯t do it on purpose, but sometimes¡­ shit happens!¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    In the end, he chose his left hand for the tattoo.

    Once I finished the process, I felt a little wobbly. Meanwhile, Lynx was grinning like a child, admiring the mischievous-looking cat head now etched onto the back of his hand.

    ¡°Cool! Thanks! It looks like a mix between you and a kitty! I love kitties!¡± he said, beaming.

    I rolled my eyes again and reached for the small bell on the table, giving it a quick ring to summon an energizing drink.

    Roberta¡ªRianda¡¯s mother, and formerly a fugitive I had found in the Dakta¡ªhad taken up brewing energizing drinks based on Tina¡¯s recipes. Alice had set her up in a small room near the orcs'' barracks, where she could boil her alchemical compounds and sell the drinks for a couple of coppers.

    Once I felt steady enough on my feet, I made my way to meet my orc guards. They were already waiting for me near the gate the warlock was maintaining.

    The prisoner had been sentenced to ten years of service to the domain. His task was to maintain the warlock gates wherever they were needed¡ªcurrently, one connected the castle to Orcmound Village, where most of the palace servants came from.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve accepted the terms,¡± I said as I approached him.

    The moment he laid eyes on me, he dropped to his knees.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Just behave like anyone else in the domain and do your work.¡±

    ¡°Truly, Lady?¡± He hesitated, glancing up at me cautiously. ¡°No chains, no guard?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°We have a deal. You¡¯d better hold up your end of it.¡±

    His eyes widened slightly before he bowed his head again. ¡°Thank you, Lady Lores,¡± he mumbled, still too uncertain to stand just yet.

    I turned to inspect my guards and was satisfied with Drackar¡¯s choice. He had clearly understood what I meant¡ªthese two looked like the left and right hand of Death herself.

    One of them was Kurr, a hulking warrior at level eighty-five. He was a giant among orcs, towering over most, with massive tusks jutting from his lower jaw like curved daggers. His dark brown-green skin was heavily speckled with black, almost mottled like a predator¡¯s camouflage. Broad-shouldered and thick-limbed, he carried a massive battle-axe strapped to his back, the kind that could cleave through armor and the unfortunate soul inside it. His stance was heavy, like a fortress on legs.

    The other was something entirely different. A shadow warrior, level eighty-nine. He was leaner, but likely far meaner. His armor was a muted black, blending seamlessly with the faint shimmer of enchanted cloth that swallowed light instead of reflecting it. A long, curved dagger rested on his hip, its grip wrapped in dark leather, while an intricate set of throwing knives was strapped across his chest. His hood was pulled low, but beneath it, his sharp yellow eyes gleamed, watching, assessing.

    I nodded appreciatively as I took them in.

    ¡°Lady Lores!¡± Kurr greeted with a respectful nod as I approached. At my inquiring brow, he gestured toward his companion. ¡°This is Xartak.¡± Then, turning his attention back to me, he added, ¡°Captain said you needed an escort?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± I glanced at Xartak, though there was no need to identify him¡ªhis presence alone made it obvious. ¡°So, you¡¯re an assassin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Lores. At your service,¡± he replied, his voice a low, rumbling growl. He bowed slightly, his movements smooth.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, satisfied. Turning toward the warlock¡¯s gate, I let a small smirk tug at my lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pay my Xsoha friends a visit.¡±

 Chapter 320 - Somebody Is Stealing My Princess

    As I entered the inn, I found the remaining Xsoha gathered in the main room. A flurry of movement had stirred as I approached¡ªI had seen it in my domain view¡ªbut the moment I stepped inside, everything appeared calm. The tables were bare, save for some food and refreshments, as if nothing else had happened.

    It was my first time inside the inn¡¯s tavern, and, to be honest, it looked much better than I had expected. I made a mental note: Maybe I should stop by from time to time. The main dining hall occupied most of the ground floor, with twelve polished wooden tables arranged in a seemingly haphazard manner. The space wasn¡¯t crowded at this hour; aside from the Xsoha, there were about a dozen other guests.

    The room had vaulted ceilings and a polished wood interior, lending it a warm, inviting atmosphere. Several windows lined the two exterior-facing walls¡ªthe ones to my right and behind me, flanking the entry door¡ªeach adorned with fine white draperies that softened the daylight streaming in.

    Directly ahead, a long bar stretched across the far side of the room, with a staircase on its right and the entrance to the kitchen on the left. To my left, a small stage stood empty, save for a peculiar instrument that seemed to be a hybrid of a piano and a harp.

    About twenty Xsoha were gathered on the right side, where they had pushed three tables together. The other visitors were spread mostly across the left side, while the tables in the middle remained nearly empty.

    The innkeeper, a burly, bearded man in his fifties, stood by the door leading to the kitchen, watching over the room with an experienced gaze.

    "Hello, everybody!" I greeted as I stepped inside.

    "Lady Lores! Blessed be your heart, Lady Lores!" came the chorus of responses.

    I almost rolled my eyes at my own clumsiness¡ªagain, I had forgotten to greet them properly, in the local manner.

    "Blessed be your heart, Lady Lores," Vice-Master Blumhard replied formally on behalf of the Xsoha. Their Head Master was clearly absent.

    "Please, no need to stand," I said, motioning for them to remain seated before turning my attention to the Xsoha. "Blumhard, good to see you here. I was just looking for you," I added as I approached their table.

    Behind me, my two guards entered. A ripple of reaction spread through the room¡ªgasps, sudden silence, then hushed murmurs. I silently acknowledged Drackar''s choice. He hadn''t just sent guards¡ªhe had sent monsters in human form, and their sheer presence was enough to make an impression.

    I put on my best smile as I approached the Xsoha and addressed Vice-Master Blumhard.

    "I have a small financial inquiry for you," I said with a sigh.

    Blumhard stood up and straightened, his expression carefully neutral. "I''m honored. However, due to certain... difficulties, our master is currently unavailable. But if it¡¯s important, I can relay any questions to him, Lady Lores. You know, I''m only the vice-master," he added with a polite bow.

    I ignored his deflection and pressed on. "Since your honored master is not here, I¡¯d like to tap into your knowledge instead, Blumhard. Let¡¯s keep this short."

    Despite the tension thickening the air, he didn¡¯t so much as flinch. On the contrary, there was a flicker of something in his eyes¡ªhope, perhaps?

    "Lady Lores, we would gladly work with you at any time. You know our conditions," he said smoothly. "If you tell me what you need, I can make you an offer."

    I didn¡¯t even blink. Some people are oblivious to fate, even when the truck is right behind them, blaring its horn.

    With an innocent smile, I asked, "What would you estimate the cost of the mercenary attack on my domain to be?"

    He blinked.

    "So, that was a mercenary attack, Lady Lores?" he mused, his tone carefully measured. "Mercenary costs aren''t exactly my specialty. Any numbers I give would be... high-level estimates at best, and likely inaccurate." He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

    I chuckled. "Oh, it doesn''t have to be precise. I just wanted to compare my own estimations. I''d say the operation cost somewhere around three hundred gold¡ªgive or take a hundred."

    Blumhard nodded slowly. "I heard rumors... something about a wyvern and sophisticated warlock gates. If those reports are true, then, yes, the price could be as high as you estimate, my lady." His hand gripped the handkerchief a little tighter as the sweat started to return. "But I don¡¯t understand¡ªwhy are you asking this?"

    Ah, so now he wasn¡¯t quite as clueless about the attack as he had first pretended to be.

    I shrugged.

    "You know," I said, tilting my head slightly, "when I took over this domain, I was hoping to relax, spend time peacefully with my friends¡ªnot run around putting out fires." I sighed, letting my frustration seep into my tone. "Besides, staying angry isn¡¯t good for my health¡­ or my tender skin. Wrinkles, you see. And I do hate wrinkles."

    I let that sit for a moment before continuing. "So I asked myself¡ªwhat would bring me some measure of satisfaction? Well, here¡¯s a thought: there''s a young dragon around here, and as you know, dragons love watching their hoard grow with them. Now, I would imagine that those responsible for orchestrating such a treacherous attack might wisely consider making a small donation¡ªoh, say, ten to twenty times the cost of that attack. Perhaps, in doing so, the memory of said attack might begin to fade¡­ even if only temporarily."

    A murmur rippled through the room. Whispers and hushed exclamations filled the air.

    "So the rumors are true? There really is a dragon?"

    I rolled my eyes as Blumhard continued to process my words, his mind visibly racing.

    "But, but! Lady Lores! That sum could buy an army!" he stammered.

    I cocked my head. "I was merely giving free rein to my thoughts. Besides, it''s not for you to pay, but the instigators of that attack. You know, it is not that difficult to find out who they are. But, oh well¡ªon to the real reason I¡¯m here." I paused, then delivered my next words with deliberate calm. "I have to inform you that all Xsoha-owned possessions within my domain have been found to be infected with a rather dangerous¡­ ah¡­ sickness. A highly concerning one, in fact. And unfortunately, the only viable course of action is complete disinfection." I let my lips curl slightly before adding, "Through fire, of course."

    Blumhard paled. "But Lady Lores! You cannot¡ª"

    I sighed, as if burdened by the weight of inevitable responsibility.

    "I can," I said, with a steady but calm voice.

    As if responding to an unspoken command, my two guards stepped forward, shifting subtly to either side. Kurr placed a hand on the pommel of his sword, Xartak, who had been quietly carving a small wooden figurine, halted his work and lifted his gaze, scanning the room.

    The atmosphere changed. The air seemed heavier, the room darker. Silence pressed down like a tangible weight.

    "So," I continued, my tone light, almost conversational. "Where was I? Ah, yes. Now, I''m not entirely sure whether I¡¯ll have to charge you for the costs of incineration and cleanup of all those infected belongings. If the expense turns out to be too much to bear, well¡­ I might have to. But we¡¯ll see." I waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, that was all I wanted to say. Oh¡ªexcept for one more thing."

    I leaned slightly forward. "You''ll be so kind as to leave my domain by tomorrow morning."

    The vice-master froze. For a long moment, he remained silent, then, instead of speaking, he timidly raised his hand.

    I arched a brow. "Yes, Blumhard?"

    He hesitated before finally managing, "Lady Lores¡­ we are free people. We may walk on the king¡¯s land as any free folk would."

    His voice lacked conviction.

    I sighed as Blumhard looked at me with hopeful eyes. Scratching my head, I feigned contemplation.

    "I''ve heard that this infection¡ªwhatever it is¡ªmight be dangerous and could require quarantine for¡­ well, as long as necessary." I let that sink in before continuing, "I''ll have to check with the person I put in charge of this matter. If it''s deemed necessary, I¡¯ll have no choice but to place you under his care until we receive a full report confirming that there¡¯s no danger."

    His expression stiffened. "Quarantine?"

    "Yes, quarantine," I confirmed. "There was mention of it." I flashed him a pleasant smile. "I¡¯ll let you know this evening¡ªif you¡¯re still here."

    He blinked, trying to process my words. "But¡­ wasn''t it tomorrow morning?"

    I tilted my head. "You''re right¡ªwhat was I thinking?" My smile turned mischievous. "A dangerous sickness shouldn¡¯t be left unchecked for so long. A few hours should be more than enough." I paused for emphasis. "I¡¯ll be back in two hours to see if you¡¯re still here."

    "But¡ª"

    Before I could push the stakes any higher, an older Xsoha woman suddenly exploded, pointing a shaking finger at Blumhard.

    "Shut your damn mouth, idiot!" she snapped. "Torek! Inak! Shut his damn¡ªoh, pardon me, my lady¡ªboys, just shut his trap! He¡¯s going to¡ª" She stopped mid-sentence, then quickly corrected herself. "Give us two hours, please, Lady Lores! Gods bless your heart, Lady Lores!"

    As she spoke, two younger Xsoha sprang into action, grabbing Blumhard by the arms and all but dragging him away.

    I shrugged. No need to push them any further.

    Glancing around the tavern, I made a mental note to return one evening¡ªperhaps for a more relaxed visit next time.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Turning to the innkeeper, I gave a casual nod.

    "Have a nice day, everyone," I said before stepping outside, my guards falling into place behind me.

    *

    After the conversation at the inn¡¯s tavern, I felt relatively satisfied¡ªbut also drained. Much to my displeasure, I was surprised to find that the teleportation gate was no longer there as I stepped into the village plaza.

    I raised a brow. Did that warlock have so little mana? I couldn¡¯t imagine he¡¯d be foolish enough to try and run or rebel.

    As we made our way back along the two-kilometer path toward the castle, we ran into the warlock heading toward the village.

    The moment he saw me, his expression twisted with sheer panic. He was drenched in sweat, trembling as he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground.

    "S-sorry, Lady Lores! Sorry!" he stammered. "The children¡­ they used all my mana! They told me you allowed it, so I couldn¡¯t refuse them! They kept making me teleport them over and over until¡ªuntil I couldn¡¯t sustain the gates anymore!" His voice cracked. "I¡ªI came to set it up again, Lady Lores! Please, don¡¯t be angry with me!"

    I chuckled and shrugged. I hadn''t specifically allowed it, but I also wouldn¡¯t stop the poor children from having some fun. Perhaps some restrictions were needed, but I¡¯d leave that for Alice to figure out.

    "Go have a meal at the inn before setting it up again," I told the warlock. "Tell the innkeeper it''s on me." Then, without waiting for a reply, I continued on my way.

    Maybe I should arrange for him to be paid so he can get his own meals? He was supposed to eat with the other servants, but he looked too exhausted to wait that long. I made a mental note to speak with Alice about adjusting the arrangements.

    The walk back to the castle took me about half an hour¡ªlonger than I would have liked, thanks to my lovely shoes that were utterly unsuited for the uneven country road. Just as I stepped into the courtyard, I caught sight of Ju boarding a carriage.

    She glanced in my direction, and for a brief moment, our eyes met.

    And in that moment, I knew.

    She was leaving me.

    I stumbled, my foot catching awkwardly on the ground. No.

    Before I could hit the dirt, Xartak reacted instantly, catching me with a firm grip. His strength steadied me, but the shock left me frozen.

    I could only watch as the carriage began to move. As it passed by, Ju didn¡¯t even spare me another glance.

    A strange sensation prickled at my face. I reached up absently, touching my cheek. My fingers came away damp.

    Tears?

    I was crying?

    I stood there, unmoving, staring blankly at the gate through which the carriage had disappeared. The weight in my chest felt unfamiliar¡ªsomething hollow, something I didn¡¯t know how to name.

    I took a deep breath, then turned toward my guards, resting my hands lightly on them for support.

    "Just¡­ help me get inside, please," I whispered.

    Her sudden and unexpected departure sent a sharp jolt through my heart and mind¡ªfar stronger than I had ever imagined it would.

    Deep down, I had always known that she might leave me. I had dreaded this moment, knowing full well that at any time, she could simply take the ring and sever our bond. It was a wonder she had stayed as long as she had. And yet¡­ I was still shocked.

    With her gone, the world around me seemed duller¡ªgray and rough in ways I hadn¡¯t noticed before.

    I stumbled my way inside the castle, longing for silence, for a moment to process what had just happened. But I was given no such peace. As I stepped into the very room where I had been with Lynx not long ago, seeking solace, I was immediately met with pleas. Durham had clearly been waiting for me.

    "Please, Lady Lores, can you do it now? I need to handle some transportation work, and it would be really helpful!" He asked¡ªfor the fifth time.

    He kept talking, oblivious to the fact that I wasn¡¯t responding. My gaze remained unfocused, my mind somewhere else.

    I didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with this. I didn¡¯t have the strength for a conversation.

    Fine. I¡¯d do his damn inventory and then be done for the day.

    "Okay," I said at last, my voice flat. "Give me your hand."

    As I spoke, I waved off the maid who had just brought food for me. I had no appetite. Not now.

    Casting the spell would force my mind to shift focus¡ªaway from Julietta. Maybe it would help, even if only a little, to free my overburdened thoughts and allow me to see things from a different perspective.

    Why didn¡¯t I run after the carriage? I asked myself. Why didn¡¯t I try to stop her? Talk to her? Ask her why she was leaving?

    The answer was simple. The shock had frozen me¡ªbecause deep down, I had always feared this moment would come.

    I took a deep breath, preparing for the spell.

    As I took his sweaty hand in mine, a chuckle escaped me. The absurdity of it struck me¡ªI had asked for his hand, and he had simply given it to me. Hopefully, in this world, that phrase didn¡¯t carry the same implication as it did in mine.

    I avoided meeting his gaze, focusing instead on his hand. I hadn¡¯t even bothered to ask where the inventory was supposed to be.

    Slowly, I watched as the runes began to take shape. Almost instinctively, I started forming the kitty face again, but I quickly corrected myself, rearranging the runes into a random form. The fractals started to align, shimmering as they solidified. But something was off. The surface wouldn¡¯t remain stable.

    I focused harder, trying to force it into place, when I heard a sharp whimper. I looked up.

    Durham¡¯s face was twisted in agony. His entire body trembled, contorted as if being wrung apart.

    And in that moment, everything went wrong.

    I didn¡¯t lose control of the spell¡ªnot exactly¡ªbut something had flipped. Turned inside out. The fractals collapsed.

    A heartbeat later, Durham convulsed as if he¡¯d been fed into a meat grinder.

    Then¡ª

    A red-pink-brown vapor burst outward.

    There was no explosion, and yet something hammered against my eardrums with the force of a detonation. The outer wall collapsed.

    I squeezed my eyes shut against the shock.

    When I opened them, I was standing in the middle of the wreckage. Dust still drifted from the partially collapsed ceiling, coating the air in a heavy haze. Everything¡ªeverything¡ªwas covered in a wet, sickly mix of brown half-liquid sludge.

    A gold coin was stuck against my left eye.

    I plucked it away, blinking. No real damage. Then, instinctively, I gasped.

    And instantly regretted it.

    Something thick filled my mouth¡ªfilth, a gut-wrenching mix of blood, shit, urine and dust

    I doubled over, retching violently.

    Through the ruined doorway, a maid stood frozen in horror, staring at me through the gaping hole that had once been a door.

    I was unresponsive for a while, too stunned and shocked to react. Though I wasn¡¯t seriously hurt, my dress was practically nonexistent¡ªripped, shredded to pieces. Someone had carried me to my room, and now I lay in bed as the maids worked to clean me up.

    Then Alice burst in, breathless.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she demanded, turning to one of the maids.

    I mumbled before anyone else could answer. ¡°I¡­ I think¡­ something went wrong with my spell¡­¡±

    Alice¡¯s gaze snapped to me.

    ¡°Does it hurt? How do you feel?¡±

    I sighed, turning my head to meet her eyes. But instead of answering, I asked the only question that truly mattered.

    ¡°Did Julietta tell you anything before she left?¡±

    Alice blinked, taken aback. She shook her head.

    ¡°Julietta? I wasn¡¯t here. Didn¡¯t you send her somewhere? Because Tina told me she didn¡¯t want to leave. She said she had to¡­¡±

    I pushed myself up in bed, my exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

    ¡°What exactly did she say?¡±

    Alice hesitated. ¡°Tina was with the children. They had blocked Julietta¡¯s way because one of the boys had some scrapes, and she refused to heal him. She just kept saying she had to go. Then they asked why, and before she could answer¡­ someone shushed her.¡±

    I frowned. "Shushed her?"

    And suddenly, everything looked different. Ju, refusing to heal a child?

    ¡°Oh. My. Fucking. God!¡±

    I shot to my feet, my pulse hammering in my ears.

    Without hesitation, I reached out with my mind, connecting to the spirit tool. A map of the domain unfolded in front of my vision¡ªintangible, invisible to everyone but me. My hands moved instinctively, manipulating the projection, expanding and zooming, scanning frantically until I saw it.

    The carriage. It was still within the domain, racing at full speed¡ªtoward the orc lands.

    ¡°There!¡± I jabbed a finger at the ground, somewhere between the table and the locker. "She¡¯s still in the domain!"

    I turned toward the terrace, already casting my transformation spell.

    A few maids tried to stop me, or maybe they had just been in the way - I shoved them aside, surging forward. The terrace door didn¡¯t shatter¡ªbut the hinges snapped, the doors bursting open as I barrelled through.

    I leapt onto the balcony¡¯s balustrade and¡ªjumped.

    For a split second, I feared that the transformation wouldn¡¯t complete in time and I''d crash land into the yard. But then, my wings unfolded, stretching wide, and I was no longer human.

    I landed with one foot on the castle wall, claws gripping stone, barely avoiding the orc guard standing watch. He gawked, frozen, while a deep, guttural roar tore from my throat as I launched myself into the air.

    Somebody was stealing my princess!

 Chapter 321 - Bound and Unbound

    The fear of being too late drove me to push harder, my wings beating in a frantic, exhausting and inefficient rhythm that only spread chaos below. Travelers scattered, carts overturned, and the peasants'' cattle stampeded in all directions, fleeing from the terrifying sight overhead.

    Would I make it in time? Why couldn¡¯t I fly like Sid?

    I roared in frustration and desperation, my cry sending wildlife and livestock alike bolting across the fields.

    I needed Sid to help me. He could fly faster!

    "Sid! Sid!" I called out in my mind, pleading for his help.

    And then¡ªI saw him.

    He was lounging on a wide wooden swing, flanked by Therella and Jane, both draped in nothing more than flimsy garments, flower crowns adorning their heads. Petals drifted lazily from the sky as they laughed, sharing strawberries dipped in honey.

    The sheer absurdity of the scene nearly made me crash straight into a tree. I swerved at the last second, clipping branches with my left wing.

    "Hi, Mom!" Sid greeted me cheerfully, waving as if nothing were amiss.

    The girls turned as well, offering their own greetings¡ªTherella even blew me a kiss.

    It took me several stunned seconds to realize what I was seeing wasn¡¯t real. It was his dream.

    But how had I ended up inside it?

    My mind struggled to keep up with everything at once. On one side, the spirit tool fed me updates on the carriage¡¯s progress¡ªI could see the six-horse carriage thundering down the road at full speed. In reality, I was flying as fast as I could, skimming just above the treetops. And then there was Sid¡¯s dream¡ªwhere he lounged, grinning at me, utterly carefree, as if nothing in the world mattered.

    "Sid! Julietta is in danger, and I can''t fly as fast as you! I need your help!"

    "Sure, Mom, sure!"

    In the blink of an eye, he was flying beside me¡ªexcept he wasn¡¯t alone. Therella and Jane were perched comfortably on his back, as if they were on a leisurely ride. I watched as Jane casually adjusted her flowing mane and murmured something to Therella, who giggled in response.

    He was still dreaming!

    "You''re doing it wrong, Mom!" Sid called out, laughing. "Remember what you told me when I was just a little, small dragon? You used to call me your hummingbird! But then you said that one day, I¡¯d grow up¡ªand I wouldn''t fly like a hummingbird anymore. I''d fly like a dragon.

    Because we dragons don¡¯t flap our wings.

    We fall on our prey!"

    I realized with horror that I wouldn¡¯t be able to wake him in time. It all depended on me¡ªon my clumsy, inefficient flying.

    In his dream he thought that I was his real mother. It was endearing, but it wasn¡¯t helping. And what did he mean about falling on our prey?

    He drifted closer, his face nearly touching mine.

    "Don''t flap your wings, Ma! Listen to me the way I listened to you back then. Look ahead. Find your prey¡ªand let yourself fall toward it. Stop flapping your wings!"

    And then, something changed.

    "Let yourself fall forward! You''re doing great!" he whispered.

    The landscape beneath me no longer felt flat¡ªit was as if the world had tilted, a subtle downward slope pulling me forward. My wings stretched, catching the air differently. I was accelerating, cutting through the sky without a single wingbeat.

    My confused brain scrambled to make sense of what was happening, but one thing was clear¡ªmy speed was increasing. And for the first time, I wasn¡¯t fighting against the air. I was falling through it.

    "That''s it, Ma! You got it! I knew it! You are my Ma! Now¡ªfaster! Faster! Let yourself fall on them prey!"

    For a split second, instinct made me try to climb higher, and I nearly lost the strange momentum. But then I refocused, surrendering to the fall¡ªand suddenly, I was accelerating again.

    Falling up!

    "Oh, fuck," I muttered under my breath. "Dragons bend gravity lines. That''s how they fly!"

    Sid was gone. Just like that. Probably back in his dream, lounging on that swing. I still heard the girls giggle again.

    "Bye-bye, Mom! Good hunting!" he called.

    And then¡ªsilence. Just the rush of wind as I hurtled forward, faster than ever before.

    The landscape blurred beneath me, rushing by faster and faster as I steadily climbed higher into the sky.

    For a brief moment, my thoughts drifted back to Sid. He was still so young¡ªtoo young, I had thought, for dreams filled with girls. But clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. A flicker of guilt crossed my mind for having intruded on his dream, but he hadn¡¯t seemed to mind. And in the end, it had been completely worth it.

    Would he even remember any of it?

    I had no time to dwell on the thought.

    The ground below raced past at an intoxicating speed. Higher and higher I rose, until at last, I spotted it¡ªthe carriage, thundering across the landscape, six horses driving it forward at full gallop.

    I locked my eyes onto the carriage¡ªthat was my prey. Everything else became a blur, the world dissolving into streaks of color. The only thing that remained sharp was the carriage, growing steadily larger, its six black horses in a frenzied sprint.

    But then, something changed.

    Their movements slowed, stretching unnaturally, as if I were watching a scene unfold in slow motion. And with sudden, gut-wrenching horror, I realized¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to stop in time.

    With every ounce of strength, I flung my wings wide, muscles screaming in protest as I fought against my momentum. A deafening boom cracked through the air¡ªa sonic bang catching up to me.

    The coach driver turned, eyes going round with terror. He barely had a moment to react before he flung himself from the carriage.

    Too late.

    My right rear claw struck the coach, lifting it effortlessly into the air. The fragile structure crumpled beneath my grasp, splintering like a matchbox beneath a careless hand. I hadn¡¯t even meant to destroy it.

    Two figures tumbled from the wreckage.

    A girl dressed in white¡ª

    And a second figure clad in black, like a formal tuxedo.

    He never even reached the ground.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    I saw him for only a fraction of a second before instinct took over¡ªbefore I snapped him from the air.

    The horses were yanked into the air behind the carriage as I tumbled mid-flight, losing control. The impact when I hit the ground was brutal¡ªtrees shattered, earth caved in, and I skidded through the wreckage before coming to an abrupt, bone-jarring stop. I ended up sitting on my dragon haunches, my hind legs spread in a wide V in front of me.

    And all the while, I was still chewing on that thing.

    Spells detonated inside my mouth, artifacts cracked and exploded, but I didn¡¯t stop. I ground it down relentlessly, my jaws crushing through metal, cloth, and flesh alike until it was nothing more than paste.

    The rest of the carriage and the horses had crashed down against my belly. The poor creatures were either dead or dying, their bodies twisted and broken from the wreck. There was no saving them. So, without hesitation, I swallowed the last remnants of my first meal and turned to the horses, biting into them quickly¡ªto end their suffering.

    Julietta was on the ground, sitting about fifty, maybe a hundred meters away. Blood stained her white clothes, but she was alive.

    The coach driver didn¡¯t move. Either I had stepped on him, or he hadn¡¯t survived the fall.

    "Why did it take you so long?! Why?!" Julietta''s voice cracked with emotion as she screamed at me, tears streaming down her face.

    She was healing herself as she spoke, trembling, bewildered.

    And I? I just kept chewing. I did not knew what to say.

    She staggered closer in her tattered, bloodstained clothes, still struggling to keep her balance as she poured magic into healing herself. Laughter and sobs mixed together in her voice as she turned, baring her neck and back for me to see.

    "Look! It''s gone! The damn thing is gone!" she cried.

    For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand. But then it hit me.

    The black diamond artifact¡ªthe one embedded into her spine between her shoulder blades¡ªwas no longer there.

    I must have chewed through the controlling ring. So that was the sharp pain earlier! For a second, I had worried I¡¯d cracked one of my teeth.

    "I''m free! I''m finally free!" Julietta screamed, then whispered it again, almost in disbelief. "Free... free... free... free!"

    And then¡ªshe started to dance.

    As I tore into the next mangled horse, I watched her. What a difference from the last time I had seen her dance¡ªwhen I had forced her to perform under duress.

    Now, she moved with pure joy, spinning with a radiant, untamed grace. Magic sparked and flared around her, a furious symphony of flashing spells illuminating the area.

    After several minutes, she finally stopped dancing and came closer, her breathing uneven, her body still trembling with emotion.

    "Why did it take you so long? I was so afraid!" she repeated, wiping the tears from her eyes.

    "I thought you were leaving me," I finally admitted.

    She snorted, giving me a sideways look. "I don¡¯t speak dragon." Then, without hesitation, she reached out and tried to hug my left foot.

    I shifted into my human form so I could respond properly¡ªonly to immediately start retching.

    Something was stuck in my throat. I gagged and coughed, reaching inside and pulling out¡ªmore harness straps. Far more than should have possibly fit inside me. I spat them out, flinging the partially chewed remains aside.

    "That¡¯s gross," she said flatly, turning her head away with absolutely no sympathy for my suffering.

    I finally managed to rasp out, "I thought you were leaving me¡­" between coughs and attempts to clear my throat.

    Her eyes widened in surprise, round as moons.

    "Why would I do that?" she asked, genuine confusion in her voice.

    I sighed.

    "Because I feared that I can''t give you what you''re looking for," I admitted.

    Her eyes searched mine, looking for something¡ªanswers, maybe, or the truth I hadn''t fully voiced yet.

    "Even when I was human, I was pretty fucked up," I continued, trying to put my tangled thoughts into words. "My love interests were just... muscled idiots. I don¡¯t think I ever truly loved anyone. And now? Now I¡¯m a demon. I don¡¯t think demons can love. Not really. Demons can use and abuse, can have sex and have fun, but that¡¯s not love. So what could I offer you?

    "I could keep you, cherish you, like a precious diamond in my collection¡­ but is that love?"

    Julietta chuckled softly. Then, to my surprise, she knelt in front of me, breath still uneven, her chest rising and falling with the remnants of exhaustion and emotion.

    "You silly little demon," she murmured, pulling my face to her chest.

    I should have pulled away. I didn¡¯t.

    Instead, I found myself still, my ear pressed against her, listening to the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat. The warmth of her body. The steady, real presence of her. It felt... strangely comfortable.

    "Love takes many forms," she continued, her voice soft but certain. "I know for a fact that you love Alice. That you love your friends from Earth. It¡¯s a kind of love¡ªfriendship mixed with something maternal. And friendship? That¡¯s love too.

    "I know for a fact that you love Sid."

    "I know for a fact that you love Lynx."

    She tightened her arms around me.

    "So don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t love."

    She sat on my legs, her weight grounding me as she cupped my horns in her palms, tilting my head so I couldn¡¯t look away. She must be the only living being on this planet I would tolerate grabbing my horns like this¡ªand she was absolutely abusing it. Contrary to what most would assume, my horns were highly sensitive.

    She chuckled, then took a torn shred of her dress and wiped away the snot and tears streaking my face.

    "And I know that, in your twisted ways, you love me too!" she said, her voice filled with certainty.

    I tilted my head, giving her a sideways glance.

    "Twisted ways?" I echoed, blinking.

    "Yeah," she sighed dramatically. "You just let me fall a dozen meters while you were busy with your lunch! Is that how you handle your princess?" She punctuated her words by pressing a finger firmly against my chest.

    I shrugged, utterly unimpressed.

    "Falling from that height was nothing for a healer of your level," I said flatly. "Meanwhile, I had to make sure your would-be new master didn¡¯t survive¡ªdespite your frantic attempts to heal him. Why didn¡¯t you cast <Feather Fall> or something similar to slow yourself down? High-level healers can do that, can¡¯t they?"

    She gasped, genuinely taken aback.

    "I... I didn¡¯t think of it..."

    I rolled my eyes. Typical.

    She shrugged, then, with a playful smile, added, "Doesn¡¯t matter. You owe me a new dress to replace this one¡ªit¡¯s ruined. And by the next time we¡¯re in town, you¡¯ll buy me a couple!"

    I rolled my eyes again. One dress had already turned into a couple.

    Then she leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to my left cheek.

    "Thank you for saving me. Would you bring me back home now?"

    I froze.

    She had said home.

    And that one word hit me harder than anything else.

    She was free now¡ªno longer bound, no longer shackled by that cursed artifact. And yet, despite everything, she still called that castle home.

    Of all the things she had ever said to me, that was one of the sweetest.

    Actually, she had said so many sweet things in the past few minutes that my head was spinning.

 Chapter 322 - Shadows in the Water

    I sighed, lifting my gaze to Julietta.

    "Tell me¡ªhow did this happen?" I asked. "How did that guy get hold of your ring? Very few people even knew what it was for, and it was in my room, where only trusted people had access. Not to mention the orc guards stationed right outside!"

    Julietta crossed her arms, giving me a pointed look.

    "Well, if instead of eating him, you had just killed him, maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªyou could have used your ghoulification spell on the corpse and questioned him, like you did with that peasant. But no, you had to eat the poor bastard!"

    She tapped her chin mockingly, then smirked.

    "I wonder¡­ should we wait for it to come out the other side? Would the spell still work then? Or would someone need to, I don¡¯t know, separate what used to be horse from what used to be him before we try?"

    I snorted and rolled my eyes at her nonsense.

    "First, just tell me what you know!" I demanded, jabbing a finger at her chest.

    She sighed.

    "It was Durham who took it," she explained. "He had access to your room, and maybe he already suspected something about me¡ªprobably because of all the times I asked Alice to help me go somewhere, and she always stopped by your room first. We got careless with that." She shrugged, as if it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    "Oh well. He was waiting for me on the stairs. And then, suddenly¡ªI felt the ring by him."

    Her expression darkened.

    "He looked at me and said: ¡®Shhh! Don¡¯t talk, just follow me, and I¡¯ll lead you to your freedom. I have the cursed ring. Act normal. If someone asks you anything, answer briefly¡ªthen follow me.¡¯"

    She shook her head, frustration twisting her features.

    "What could I do? It all happened so fast!" she continued, her voice rising with the memory. "He must have had the ring in his hand, and just like that day when we first met¡ªI had to obey! The idiot ordered me to keep silent unless spoken to. He ordered me to follow him! I was desperate¡ªsomebody must have fed him a story!"

    Her eyes flashed with anger.

    "Then he said: ¡®Your family is organizing your escape. Soon, you¡¯ll be able to join them. Just do as I say.¡¯"

    She lifted her shoulders in a shrug.

    "In the yard, the children stopped me for a while. I tried to answer their questions in a way that might relay a message, but while I was distracted, that idiot handed the ring off to the other human. And the moment he ordered me into the coach, I thought I was done for."

    Her voice wavered slightly as she continued.

    "And then¡ªI saw you."

    She clenched her fists.

    "I hoped you¡¯d save me. I thought you would. But you didn¡¯t say anything! You just looked at me and let him take me away! I was so afraid! I didn¡¯t know what to think! I¡ªI feared you might have sold me!"

    I recoiled, utterly dumbfounded.

    "How could you even think that?!" I protested.

    She huffed.

    "What else was I supposed to think?! It was your paladin who took me! And he knew exactly what to say. Ugh, I¡¯d love to have a few words with that idiot!"

    I hesitated.

    "Ahm¡­ that might not be possible anymore¡­"

    She narrowed her eyes.

    "Why? Did he leave?"

    "Well¡­ ahm¡­ no."

    She kept staring at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I had no idea how to explain the accident¡ªbut after a deep sigh, I decided I had to try.

    "Okay, so¡­ you know how I promised to give everyone an inventory spell, like I did for Sid? It¡¯s cheap for me but incredibly useful for them."

    She nodded, still waiting.

    "Well¡­ when I cast the spell on him, he just¡­ ahm¡­ how do I put this¡­ he didn¡¯t explode exactly, but¡­" I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. "The room where I cast the spell? It¡¯s gone. And he¡­ well¡­ he got spread all over the ruins."

    Julietta blinked. I could see the gears turning in her head as she tried to process my words.

    "It was a fucking disturbing experience," I muttered, shuddering at the memory. "I¡¯m getting sick just thinking about it. He was¡­ he was¡ª"

    "Shhh, calm down."

    She patted my back, entirely too unfazed for my liking.

    "You ate one poor bastard and found that completely normal, and now you¡¯re making a scene because the other one¡­ exploded?" she asked, her tone half amused, half scolding.

    I opened my mouth, but she kept going, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

    "We really should have seen this coming," she mused. "You can¡¯t layer a higher-level spell onto a lower-level surface. It¡¯s like trying to enchant a cheap sword with high-tier magic¡ªit¡¯ll just break and ruin both. Or how you can¡¯t place a portal spell on a low-level scroll¡ªit¡¯ll burst. You placed a high-level dimensional spell on his too-low-level body, and¡­ well, catastrophe."

    I stared at her, still reeling.

    "But¡­ but¡­ I was only level twenty-six when I first placed it on myself!" I protested.

    She shook her head.

    "No," she corrected. "You were level one-oh-four, demoted to the equivalent of level twenty-six. If you had already had the inventory spell before the demotion, do you think it would have just killed you? That¡¯s not how it works. In cases like this, your true level carries through."

    I lifted my head, surprised.

    "True. I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way. But that means I can¡¯t fulfill my promise to give them inventory spells¡ªtheir levels are too low for it." I frowned. "I wonder why Durham was so eager to be the first to get it?"

    Julietta shrugged.

    "Probably because he knew that after pulling this stunt, he wouldn¡¯t be welcome here anymore. He must have thought really badly of you if he actually believed that story about me being forced to stay with you. He was probably going to leave as soon as possible."

    I sighed. That made a disturbing amount of sense. But there was still the second human¡ªthe one who had taken her into the carriage.

    "Who was that guy?" I asked. "How did he look? And how much did he actually know about the ring?"

    Julietta¡¯s expression darkened.

    "He knew way too much about the ring. The way Durham spoke to me, it was obvious he¡¯d been coached beforehand, making sure I had no loopholes to escape his orders. Durham himself might not have known everything, but someone did."

    Her voice dropped slightly, thoughtful.

    "I don¡¯t know who he was working for, but the fact that he was heading toward the orc lands makes me suspect K¡¯hordock. Very few knew about the ring. A few more might have suspected something, but they wouldn¡¯t have known exactly how it worked. Yet Durham had that speech prepared."

    I clenched my fists.

    "That means K¡¯hordock knows you¡¯re here. And that means you¡¯re still in danger!"

    Julietta exhaled, then smiled¡ªcalm, and undeniably free.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Yes, the risk was always there," she admitted. "But now, I am free. That makes all the difference."

    She stretched, then gave me an expectant look.

    "Let¡¯s go home and talk there?"

    As we flew back to the castle, I followed Ju¡¯s suggestion and cast an illusion of myself riding the dragon.

    "Why make it easy for others to figure out who the real dragon is?" she had said with a smirk.

    Back at the castle, I barely had a moment to rest.

    As I was summoned to the emergency meeting called by Drackar and Hew, I couldn¡¯t help but envy Sid. He was still curled up in his hoard room, peacefully digesting and radiating good vibes through our link.

    Meanwhile, I was stuck here¡ªdragged into yet another crisis¡ªwhile the weight of all that horse meat (and extras) started settling uncomfortably in my stomach.

    I barely had time for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

    At this rate, I¡¯m burning through my wardrobe way too fast. If this keeps up, I¡¯ll have to go on another shopping spree soon.

    Maybe Fiona¡¯s party would be a good opportunity¡ªword had it that plenty of traders would be there, eager to sell their goods.

    With that thought in mind, I entered the meeting room.

    It was dim, the room facing east, and with the twin suns now sinking toward the horizon, only the last traces of daylight filtered in. The lamps had yet to be lit, and the faint glow from the fireplace cast strange, flickering shadows along the walls.

    Soft murmurs filled the space as those already seated around the large table exchanged quiet words, the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. The only other sound was the steady crackling of the fire.

    There were fewer people in the room than usual, but it took me a moment to realize why¡ªI had fewer people.

    Of my own followers, only three remained: Moran, Loretta, and Tenessar. They sat at the far end of the table, engaged in discussion with Drackar and Alice.

    In the middle, Hew, Tom, and Mike were talking with Tina, another girl, and Michael. As I entered, Tina and Michael got up and left. That made sense¡ªthey weren¡¯t regular participants in our board meetings.

    I sighed, already irritated.

    "What¡¯s so urgent that it couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow?" I demanded, aghast that my precious evening¡ªmy chance to relax and sleep¡ªhad been stolen from me.

    Hew, looking as exhausted as ever, didn¡¯t flinch at my bad mood. He simply lifted his tired gaze to meet mine.

    "I need your confirmation that we can operate as a bank for the peasants," he said.

    I rolled my eyes. For this he dragged me here?

    "You don¡¯t need me for that. You already have the treasury!" I protested.

    He shrugged.

    "Yes, but this means you¡¯ll have less money available for yourself. I¡¯d have to cut it from the funds reserved for your trip to Fiona."

    I snorted in indignation but didn¡¯t argue further.

    That¡¯s when my eyes landed on the Xsoha girl sitting beside him.

    "What¡¯s this Xsoha doing here?" I asked bluntly.

    The girl visibly tensed, looking like she was about to bolt under the table.

    "She¡¯s my assistant," Hew said, unfazed. "I couldn¡¯t have managed things without her help so far¡ªand she¡¯s agreed to stay in the domain with us."

    I glanced at the Xsoha girl as I finally took my seat, Mike gently pushing the chair behind me.

    From the side, a maid rushed in.

    "A drink, Lady? Coffee? Some refreshments?"

    It was late, but if my brain was expected to function, I needed fuel. "Coffee," I ordered without hesitation.

    Turning back to Hew, I arched a brow. "How much money will I have for the party?"

    "About fifteen gold," he replied. "But that¡¯s the upper limit."

    I sighed heavily. So much for shopping freely. That budget would seriously limit the number of clothes I could buy¡ªand the fun I could have.

    "Was that all?" I asked, hoping for a quick end to this meeting.

    Hew shook his head, and Mike picked up the conversation.

    "There are three new priests that need your certification, since the official ones have left. If you agree, we can hold a small ceremony for them tomorrow morning."

    I nodded. Fine, easy enough.

    "There''s also the priest in Orcmound," he continued. "He wants to know if you¡¯d offer him protection if he stays."

    "Protection from whom?" I asked, frowning.

    "From his superiors," Mike explained. "They want him gone. But he likes the place, the community, and would gladly stay¡ªif you guarantee his safety."

    I exhaled, closing my eyes for a brief moment.

    We came here to relax while figuring out a way back to our world, and now I¡¯m working full-time and then some. Who knew being a baroness was basically a full-time job plus overtime?

    "Yes, we can do it," I said, resigned.

    This whole priest situation was getting tricky¡ªand it had the potential to create real animosity with the major religions. But what choice did I have?

    "What else?" I asked, bracing myself for more.

    "Sorry for being late!" Ju announced as she entered the room, taking a seat opposite me.

    I just shrugged. Considering she¡¯d been kidnapped, she had the best excuse for tardiness.

    She looked effortlessly lovely in a simple, fluffy house dress, the firelight casting a warm glow over her skin, making it look as smooth as silk.

    Drackar cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to the meeting.

    "The first orcs have started arriving," he reported. "They¡¯ve settled by the lake and begun building a settlement there¡ªbut they¡¯ve found something¡­ disturbing in the water."

    I raised a brow. "What disturbing things?"

    "Moas eggs," he said grimly.

    I blinked. "And that¡¯s a problem?"

    Drackar and Alice exchanged a look, but before either of them could answer, Ju raised her hand like she was in a classroom.

    "Moas are a semi-aquatic species that reproduce through eggs," she explained. "A family of three adults can lay hundreds of eggs in a single toss. Much like frogs, they have two developmental stages¡ªthe first few years, they live in water and resemble common eels. Once they mature, they lose their tails, grow limbs, and move onto land."

    I frowned. "So what¡¯s the issue with finding a few eggs here?"

    "There have never been Moas on this side of the mountains," Drackar said, his tone serious. "But with Nok''Torsa¡¯s fall, they might be migrating more easily now."

    I exhaled heavily. Of course this would somehow be my fault. I sighed.

    "Yes, and? So a pair of the damn frogs showed up and laid some eggs. Why is everyone so worked up about this?" I asked, unimpressed.

    Ju grinned. "Well, technically speaking, it wasn¡¯t a pair¡ªMoas have three parents, so it was more of a triplet that did the deed."

    I rolled my eyes. Great, a family drama.

    She leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "The problem is that Moas are a terrible foe. Once they establish themselves in a territory, getting rid of them is nearly impossible."

    I thought back to Cala¡¯s memories. She had done some Moa extermination jobs before, and they hadn¡¯t seemed that dramatic.

    Ju must have noticed my skepticism because she continued, her voice more insistent.

    "Moas have genetic memory. The moment they step onto land, they already know how to speak their language, make arrows and spears, use their clan markings, and probably much more. Imagine hundreds of them suddenly emerging from a lake or river¡ªalready able to talk, coordinate, and fight against you. And all of that could come from just one family settling here a few years ago."

    That¡­ was concerning.

    "And worse," she added, "in their aquatic form, they can survive being frozen. If multiple Moa groups are roaming the area now, their offspring could grow, get trapped in the ice, and then¡ªwhen everything thaws¡ªwe¡¯d suddenly have to deal with thousands of bellicose, starving Moas all at once."

    I frowned. Okay¡­ maybe this was a problem.

    Drackar nodded. "That¡¯s why we need to conduct cleanup raids¡ªto make sure we eliminate all the adults and as many eggs as possible."

    I frowned. "Is there no way for peaceful coexistence?"

    Both Drackar and Alice shook their heads immediately.

    "No," Ju added firmly. "Remember, they¡¯re hardwired this way. They multiply at an exponential rate, and once they eliminate all other humanoids, they just turn on each other for resources."

    I sighed.

    "Okay. Anything else?"

    Moran raised a hand. "Are we going to get an explanation about what happened today?"

    I exchanged a glance with Ju.

    Oh, well. They deserved some kind of explanation.

 Chapter 323 - Feathers, Finances and Hunger

    I was being gently rocked.

    ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡± a sweet voice whispered in my ear.

    I groaned, rolling onto my side and burrowing deeper under the blanket.

    ¡°Mmhh... just five more minutes,¡± I begged.

    ¡°Wake up! We need to go!¡± the voice insisted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll skip the first hour, Lola. Just let me sleep,¡± I mumbled, still half-asleep.

    Silence. Then¡ª

    ¡°Who''s Lola?¡± The voice now carried a note of confusion.

    That jolted me awake. I sat up, blinking at my surroundings. No, this wasn¡¯t my room. I was in a luxurious, sprawling bed, buried under an abundance of soft pillows. A svelte blonde elf girl, dressed in satin pajamas, stood barefoot beside the bed, watching me with a puzzled expression.

    I yawned and stretched, offering Julietta a sheepish smile.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Lola was my schoolmate. She used to wake me up for school,¡± I explained.

    Ju raised a brow. ¡°Are you missing her?¡±

    I snorted. ¡°Hardly. She was a backstabbing bitch who double-crossed me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Forget her.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you say her name?¡± Ju asked, smirking¡ªjust before smacking me with a pillow.

    It hit my left horn and burst open, sending a flurry of fluffy feathers into the air.

    The surprise made me lurch backward. She giggled, clearly proud of her handiwork.

    The attack had been unexpected and required immediate retaliation. I grabbed a pillow of my own and swung at her, but she dodged easily. Instead, I got clobbered again, feathers exploding in all directions.

    ¡°And why do you think I¡¯m Lola?¡± she teased, jumping onto the bed and grabbing a fresh pillow.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    After a furious pillow fight¡ªone that I lost with flying colors¡ªI lay sprawled in bed, dazed and buried in a sea of feathers.

    ¡°Go take a shower. We need to leave for Fiona¡¯s party!¡± Ju declared, victorious.

    ¡°But that¡¯s tomorrow,¡± I protested.

    I could fly fast. There was no need to leave an entire day early.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s today.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I sat up, utterly confused.

    ¡°You slept through all of yesterday,¡± she informed me, crossing her arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way I stayed in bed that long!¡±

    ¡°Well, except for a couple of hours in the night.¡± Her voice remained playful, but there was a slight tension beneath it. ¡°Where were you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I said, genuinely bewildered.

    ¡°You lie!¡± she accused¡ªand smacked me with another pillow.

    ¡°No! I swear, I have no idea!¡± I yelped, dodging and making a break for the bathroom.

    I stepped into the shower, still wondering if Ju was trying to prank me. But no¡ªeven the maids who came to wash my hair confirmed that an entire day had passed.

    It felt strange to have someone else wash me, but not unpleasant. I let the girls work with practiced efficiency, scrubbing my back, feet, and armpits¡ªgoing even further without hesitation¡ªbefore wrapping me in warm towels. As they tended to my pedicure and manicure, drying my hair with a magic heater, I had to admit¡­ I could get used to this.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t exactly ask them if they knew where I¡¯d been last night. That would be awkward.

    Could I be developing somnambulism? Or had I just been so exhausted that I got up to use the toilet and completely forgot about it?

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Either way, at least that heavy, bloated feeling in my stomach was gone. I¡¯d half expected to wake up with indigestion¡ªwho knew I could eat that much, even as a dragon? Then again, it had probably been a nervous reaction.

    The real question was: how had all that food translated into my human stomach? Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯d slept for so long. Magic transformations were a fascinating and completely baffling set of spells.

    When I arrived for breakfast, I found Julietta sitting with Alice, Hew, and Tina. The others, I learned, had already eaten.

    ¡°Morning! Hi! Where¡¯s Michael?¡± I asked Tina as I slid into my seat at their table.

    A maid appeared instantly, pouring me a cup of coffee without even asking. I grinned happily, wrapping my hands around the warm cup while another maid presented the breakfast selection. After a quick glance, I decided to keep it light.

    ¡°No ham and eggs?¡± Ju teased.

    Tina answered my earlier question instead. ¡°He¡¯s been training with the orcs since early morning.¡±

    I nodded approvingly. ¡°Oh, great!¡± Then I turned back to Ju. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough protein with that horse meat to last me a few days.¡± I tried to keep my tone casual, hoping to move past the subject quickly.

    ¡°How much did you eat?¡± Tina asked, raising a brow.

    ¡°¡­Six,¡± I admitted, feeling a bit ashamed.

    ¡°Six portions?¡± she repeated, incredulous. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot.¡±

    ¡°Six horses,¡± Ju corrected¡ªthen smirked as Tina choked on her breakfast. ¡°Plus¡­ additional spices.¡± she added with a mischievous smile.

    Hew, unfazed, cleared his throat. ¡°May I ask you something?¡±

    I was grateful to Hew for the change of subject¡ªbut I still eyed him with suspicion. Lately, every time he asked me something, it ended up meaning more work for me.

    He took my silence as approval and continued.

    ¡°I heard there will be a lot of merchants at Fiona¡¯s party. Could you check if any dwarves are selling harvesters? We might need some to bring in the full harvest.¡±

    I considered it. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Are we short on labor?¡±

    Alice nodded. ¡°Ever since you allowed them to leave, there¡¯s been a steady stream of peasants moving out. But we also need to expand the arable land if we want to increase our yields. This year¡¯s and next year¡¯s harvest will be the last ones before the long winter.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Are our reserves that bad?¡±

    Hew nodded grimly. ¡°Taking into account all our reserves¡ªincluding what the peasants have stored and estimating what they might be hiding¡ªI¡¯d say we have about thirty percent of the absolute minimum we¡¯ll need.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I gaped. ¡°That low? Can we buy food from our neighbors?¡±

    Alice shook her head. ¡°Prices are skyrocketing. Everyone is stockpiling.¡±

    I let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°And we were selling until recently! Why did Drackar allow that?¡±

    Alice sighed as well, though hers was more patient. ¡°The domain wasn¡¯t under his administration.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right,¡± I muttered, nodding.

    ¡°And the Xsoha¡¯s priority was keeping a balanced budget,¡± she continued. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t, the domain would have collapsed.¡±

    I rubbed my temples. ¡°Still, the neighbors might be able to help us in an emergency, right?¡±

    Alice shook her head again, this time more firmly. ¡°Most likely not. It¡¯s said that during the long winter, anywhere from thirty to sixty percent of the humanoid population dies. Sometimes more, sometimes less.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Ugh. Talking to you is depressing.¡±

    Ju rolled her eyes, but I ignored her and turned to Hew. ¡°I¡¯ll check for the machines, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have enough money to buy them. And who knows if they even work as advertised?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a list of confirmed workshops,¡± Hew said. ¡°Try buying from one of them first. If that fails, go straight to a dwarf¡ªthey have a reputation for honesty, so it¡¯s less risky. I can spare an extra forty gold, but that¡¯s all we have in the treasury right now. Be careful with it.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°And if it¡¯s not enough?¡±

    ¡°It probably won¡¯t be,¡± Hew admitted. ¡°But you can make a first payment. Just don¡¯t promise the second one too soon¡ªgive me at least a couple of months to gather the funds, okay?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    I turned to Ju. ¡°I¡¯m done. Shall we leave?¡±

    Just as I pushed back my chair, Tina grabbed my right hand, the one resting on the table.

    ¡°Lores?¡± Her voice was urgent, and as I turned to look at her, she blurted out in a single breath, ¡°Could you buy me a new staff, please? Mine¡¯s too low-level, and with a better one, I could do double damage! You know, for my birthday? It¡¯s next quarter, and I¡¯ll be fourteen! And I¡¯ve reached level ten!¡±

    She barely stopped to breathe before quickly adding, ¡°Erm¡­ and maybe a new sword for Michael?¡±

    My eyes widened, but I managed to keep my surprise in check.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said evasively. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    I chuckled ¡ª I wouldn¡¯t disappoint her. She had changed so much for the better lately, and that deserved some encouragement.

    Across the table, I caught Alice smiling.

 Chapter 324 - No Deals, Only Consequences

    While Ju changed into her travel attire, I packed my own travel clothes into a bag, then stashed everything neatly into my inventory. With nothing else to do, I snacked on some crackers while waiting for her to finish dressing.

    I had asked the kitchen to prepare salted crackers for me¡ªthin, crispy layers of potato, perfectly fried to my liking. I made a mental note to compliment the cook later.

    As I munched, I glanced over at Ju. She really did look stunning in her elven light armor, the one she always wore for travel.

    ¡°So, ready?¡± I asked.

    She finally nodded.

    I stuffed a few more crackers into my mouth, stepped onto the terrace, and shifted into my dragon form. Ju climbed onto my back with surprising ease.

    ¡°Are you comfortable up there?¡± I asked, twisting my head to look at her.

    Oddly enough, the crackers were still in my mouth¡ªeven after transforming. Apparently, they had turned into dragon-sized crackers. I happily chewed on them, pleasantly surprised by this quirk of transformation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full!¡± Ju scolded. Then she shrugged. ¡°Besides, you know I don¡¯t speak dragon!¡±

    I looked at her and shook my head, uneasy. Ju was so tiny compared to me that I worried a sudden movement might send her tumbling off¡ªand I wouldn¡¯t even notice until it was too late.

    ¡°Hyaaa!¡± she bragged, pushing herself deeper into the saddle she had secured to my back scales, breaking me from my thoughts.

    I snorted in mild disdain and launched myself into the air all the while accompanied by her triumphant war cry:

    ¡°Yiiiipiieee!¡±

    This time, I didn¡¯t need to use the castle¡¯s wall to gain momentum¡ªmy takeoffs were improving. The orc standing guard still jumped aside, just to be safe. A single powerful beat of my wings sent me soaring upward¡­ and nearly capsized a small fishing boat on the river below.

    Remembering Sid¡¯s teachings, I focused on controlling my own ¡®fall direction.¡¯ Soon, my outstretched wings caught the currents, lifting me even higher.

    I heard laughter from my back.

    ¡°Wow, this is amazing! Higher! Faster!¡±

    It was a beautiful day, with barely a cloud in sight. Below us, golden cornfields rippled under the gentle breeze, the river wove lazily between copses and orchards, and the landscape flowed beneath us like a living tapestry.

    To my surprise, a pair of peasants spotted us and waved.

    ¡°There! That¡¯s Malahe village!¡± she called, pointing to the left as we flew past. Then, gesturing toward an orc outpost on the road, she added, ¡°And that¡¯s the end of your barony!¡±

    I conjured a mirage beneath us, cloaking us from view as I soared even higher, scanning the land below.

    As I climbed higher, I felt Ju tense. She leaned forward, pressing her stomach against my back.

    Sensing her discomfort, I lifted my head slightly, giving her more relief from the wind. She had cast a shielding spell around herself, but I wasn¡¯t sure how much mana it drained or if she could maintain it for the entire journey.

    Down below a meandering river. Mountains to the right.

    I knew the main road led to the capital, so I could follow it for a while before veering west toward Fiona¡¯s domain. A large river flowed by her castle¡ªonce I found it, I could simply follow it there.

    The real question was when and where to turn. And whether I would be following the right river in the first place.

    Having realized the maximum speed she could comfortably handle, I accepted that the flight would take longer than I had initially planned. But the day was still young, so I wasn¡¯t too concerned.

    Since there was no way to talk to her¡ªshe didn¡¯t understand dragon¡ªI focused on flying as best I could, hoping I¡¯d find the right path. Worst case, we could always land and ask someone for directions.

    After some time, Ju relaxed and again started pointing out villages, waterfalls, and lakes that caught her interest.

    An hour into the flight, to my shock, she stood up on my back.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?!¡± I growled.

    ¡°Just stretching my legs,¡± she said casually, as if strolling across my back mid-flight was the most natural thing in the world.

    I grumbled in irritation as she plopped herself down farther along my back, tucking her legs under her like she was settling in for a picnic.

    I reminded myself that she could cast Featherfall if she fell¡­ but would that spell last all the way to the ground? It was a long way down. And worse¡ªwhat if I didn¡¯t even realize she had fallen?

    I tried to focus on flying, but then she stood up again, walked closer to my head, and pointed downward.

    ¡°Can we take a break at that inn?¡±

    I glanced down. We had just passed it.

    ¡°That would mean flying back,¡± I protested.

    ¡°Please?¡± she pressed, sensing my reluctance.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please, please?¡±

    I growled in warning¡ªthen abruptly rolled over.

    Ju yelped in panic as she tumbled off.

    I caught her in my right paw and dived.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again!¡± Ju protested as I released her in the glade behind the inn a minute later.

    I raised a brow while shifting back into human form.

    ¡°You mean I should stop listening to you, or I should stop letting you go?¡±

    She snorted, turned on her heel, and started walking toward the inn¡ªwithout waiting for me to put on my dress.

    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± I protested.

    She shrugged and kept walking, but after a few steps, she sighed, stopped, and turned back.

    Of course, my dress was hanging from one of my horns. Again. This always happened when I tried to dress myself in a hurry. With a grumble, I untangled it and tried again.

    ¡°Are you ready now?¡± she asked impatiently.

    I finally managed to get the dress on and hurried to put on my shoes. ¡°And what exactly do you want here?¡±

    ¡°I want some tea. And to use the toilet.¡±

    I threw my hands up. ¡°We could have done that anywhere in the forest!¡±

    She gave me a look like I had just committed sacrilege.

    ¡°I¡¯m a civilized elf, not some wild wood-elf,¡± she sniffed, then continued walking.

    I rolled my eyes and followed.

    The sixty years she had spent in the other world must have shaped her more than she was willing to admit.

    As I mused over her words, Ju suddenly stopped and turned toward me, holding something in her hand.

    ¡°Put this on,¡± she said.

    I glanced at the small object. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°A ring,¡± she replied matter-of-factly.

    I raised a brow as I took it. If she wanted to play dumb, I could do better.

    ¡°Oh, how thoughtful! Is this for some special occasion, or just because I¡¯m pretty?¡± I teased.

    ¡°It should display your ID as <Warrior Level 19>,¡± she explained, ignoring my sarcasm.

    I activated Identify on her.

    <<Healer Level 21>>

    <<Healer Level 91>>

    I blinked, confused.

    ¡°Are you trying to fake your level?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Because I can see your real one¡­ and I can also see that you¡¯re trying to fake it.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    She shrugged. ¡°Your Identify skill is too high for the ring to work. These rings are effective against low and medium skills users. I don¡¯t expect to run into anything stronger than that here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I muttered, shrugging.

    With that, I slipped the ring onto my finger and followed her.

    Several rows of heavy wagons were parked outside, with people bustling back and forth. It looked like a busy inn¡ªor maybe we¡¯d just had bad luck arriving at peak hours.

    Inside, the tavern was a crowded, dimly lit cavern, thick with the stench of sweat, ale, and unwashed bodies. Fortunately, they had a terrace where I could sit without suffocating.

    I ordered a light alcoholic drink, while Ju opted for tea. The moment our drinks arrived, I paid¡ªapparently, that was the custom here.

    I eyed the murky liquid in her cup. ¡°Should I clean your tea?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she replied immediately. ¡°If you purify it with magic, it¡¯ll change the taste.¡±

    I raised a brow and took a sip of my drink. ¡°Well, at least it doesn¡¯t give me vibes that it is alive like your tea does.¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The water was boiled¡ªit should be safe. I¡¯d be more worried about your so-called wine.¡±

    I shrugged. The wine wasn¡¯t terrible, just a little too sour.

    We chatted for a bit before she excused herself to use the toilet. I swirled my drink idly, taking another sip, when a young man approached my table.

    ¡°Young lady, may I join you for a drink?¡±

    He was tall, dark-haired, and sported a well-groomed mustache. Acceptable-looking, with a bright, confident smile. A glass in one hand, a wine jug in the other.

    Warrior, Level 21.

    Oh. A comrade-in-arms!

    I shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    ¡°Thanks! The name¡¯s John, fair lady.¡± He set down his wine jug and glass before extending a hand to shake.

    ¡°Lores,¡± I replied, reaching out.

    Instead of a delicate handshake, he grabbed my forearm and shook firmly¡ªthe customary greeting among soldiers. I¡¯d seen Drackar¡¯s orcs do the same. Maybe I should start adapting more to local customs.

    After settling into a free chair, he offered to pour me some wine. I declined, so he simply filled his own glass.

    ¡°A shitty place to end up,¡± he muttered to himself, shaking his head. Then, turning to me, he asked, ¡°So, what brings a pair of fair ladies like you and your companion to this godsforsaken inn?¡±

    I raised a brow, unsure of his angle.

    ¡°¡­Taking a break from the road, I guess?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Are you heading further up toward Orcmound? Is the lady, your companion, looking to offer her healing talents to one of the border barons?¡±

    I took a slow sip of wine, meeting his gaze but not answering directly. Instead, I shrugged.

    He seemed to deflate slightly. ¡°Oh, well,¡± he muttered. ¡°I ask because I¡¯m looking for someone heading in that direction.¡±

    I tilted my head. ¡°You¡¯re going to Orcmound?¡±

    His eyebrows lifted slightly at my surprise.

    He sighed. ¡°That was my plan, but lately, almost no merchants are traveling in that direction. It seems the barony doesn¡¯t want them going there.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they want merchants?¡± This time, I was genuinely confused.

    He shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Maybe they prefer orc merchants? I have no clue.¡±

    ¡°And why do you want to go there?¡± I asked, watching him closely.

    John flashed a wide grin. ¡°I was hoping to ask the baron for permission to train in the dungeon. A friend of mine got a lot stronger after training there, and she paid way less to the orcs than what the royal dungeons charge.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not afraid of the orcs?¡± I asked, studying his reaction.

    He shrugged again. ¡°My friend said they could be trusted. She and her company were in the area when their contract expired. Through some local peasants, she got in touch with the orcs, and everything worked out fine. Now she¡¯s stronger and gets better contracts. Why wouldn¡¯t it work for me¡ªespecially now that they have a human baron?¡±

    I was so focused on talking with John that I didn¡¯t notice Julietta approaching. She appeared suddenly from my right, her expression full of indignation.

    ¡°Can you believe it? The toilet is just a cabin with holes in the floor¡ªplaced on poles above the river!¡±

    I chuckled, and John nearly choked on his wine, his face turning red as he struggled to swallow.

    Only then did Ju seem to realize I wasn¡¯t alone at the table.

    ¡°I leave you alone for one minute, and you already have a suitor?¡± she huffed, dropping into her chair.

    ¡°Lady Julietta, this is John¡­¡± I introduced him, still trying to maintain the appearance that I was merely her guard.

    But before John could respond, a person passing by¡ªbalancing a heavy tray of food¡ªsuddenly gasped as if struck by lightning. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Ju.

    The tray slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she fell to her knees in front of Ju, voice trembling with desperation.

    ¡°Lady Julietta! By the Gods, please save us!¡±

    She was a woman in her thirties, her brown-reddish hair pulled back in a simple style. Dressed in a modest gray dress, her tear-filled brown eyes locked onto Ju with raw emotion.

    And as I stared at her face¡ªsomething about it stirred a flicker of recognition.

    I knew her from somewhere.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to disturb the guests?!"

    A burly man roared as he grabbed the woman¡¯s hair, yanking her back with brute force.

    That¡¯s when I saw it¡ªa slave¡¯s collar around her neck.

    He turned to Julietta with a rehearsed smile. ¡°Please excuse us, my lady. This slave is confused.¡±

    Julietta barely seemed to hear him. Her eyes were locked onto the woman, her voice barely a whisper.

    ¡°Dolena?¡±

    A slave? My stomach tightened as I recalled the last time Julietta had freed a slave¡ªand the mess that had followed.

    I took a breath, about to caution her, when her next words made me freeze.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of the peasants you allowed to leave the domain,¡± Julietta said, turning to me.

    Recognition hit me like a blow. That¡¯s why her face seemed familiar¡ªI had seen her in the palace yard. But how had she ended up as a slave?

    The man was already dragging her away.

    ¡°She¡¯s trying to fool you, my lady,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°Please forgive her insolence.¡±

    Something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Stay.¡± My voice came out firm as I slowly stood.

    John shifted beside me, his tone low and cautious. ¡°Are you sure? There¡¯s a whole band of them here.¡±

    That¡¯s when I noticed them¡ªabout twenty men at one of the long tables, all dressed like guards. Their noisy eating had come to an abrupt halt, and one burly man stood up.

    He was clad in full chainmail armor, his helmet resting on the table beside him. Several others rose to their feet as well.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want trouble,¡± he said, his voice calm but firm. ¡°It¡¯s an unfortunate accident. This slave is going to be disciplined. Allow me to pay for your food and drink as an apology for her insolence.¡±

    <<Warrior Level 29>>

    I met his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, keeping my tone measured, ¡°but my companion seems to recognize her as a peasant who was legally freed. There must be some mistake. How did this happen?¡±

    I turned to the other man¡ªthe one still holding the woman, his hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

    ¡°Let her speak,¡± I ordered.

    The leader exhaled, his patience thinning. ¡°Can¡¯t we settle this peacefully?¡±

    At that moment, all twenty guards from his table stood up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about her,¡± he continued, his stance shifting into one of authority. ¡°All I know is that I¡¯m here to ensure the transport. And by the Gods, I¡¯m going to do it.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s of such interest to you, perhaps we can come to an understanding,¡± a slimy voice drawled from a separate table.

    I turned my gaze toward the speaker¡ªa well-dressed merchant seated apart from the guards. He lounged comfortably, fine clothing draped over his corpulent frame, as two young maids from the inn attended to him.

    ¡°There are many more! My children¡ª¡± the woman choked out before a brutal strike sent her collapsing to the ground.

    The merchant barely spared her a glance. Instead, he looked at me with a smirk.

    ¡°Well?¡± he said smoothly, gesturing toward the empty seat across from him. ¡°Join me at my table, and let¡¯s talk.¡±

    I exhaled slowly.

    ¡°If there are other peasants, you¡¯re going to let them go.¡±

    The merchant¡¯s smirk vanished. His jaw tensed as he turned toward the guards.

    ¡°Kill her.¡±

    "Oh, fuck." John swore as he drew his sword, the scrape of metal against scabbard sharp in the heavy air.

    The guards spread out, moving toward us.

    ¡°Yikes!¡± Ju yelped, leaping to her feet.

    One of the more zealous guards charged at me. Without thinking, I fired a Black Bolt in his direction.

    It was just a Black Bolt, or so I thought¡ªI had seen Flo use them before.

    The dark energy struck him, enveloping his body completely. A split second later, his scabbard clattered onto the pavement¡ªhis severed hand still gripping the pommel. His boots tumbled over, feet still inside them.

    But the rest of him? Gone.

    Completely vaporized. Only a few larger bones rolled free, rattling against the ground.

    I blinked. That was¡­ unexpected. I didn¡¯t remember Flo¡¯s Black Bolts ever doing that. But then again, I had always known my affinity for black magic was stronger than hers.

    I expected the rest of the guards to attack. Instead, most of them froze in place, staring at the remnants of their comrade.

    Only one idiot decided to fire a crossbow bolt at me.

    A second Black Bolt erased his upper body from existence.

    And, of course, the slimy merchant got one too¡ªas he tried to flee. Or at least, he probably wanted to flee.

    The middle of his table vanished along with him, leaving the two halves to collapse inward, sending dishes and silverware clattering to the ground.

    One of the maids let out a strangled gasp before fainting on the spot, falling over the repast''s remnants.

    Ju sighed as she crouched down to check on the woman. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be that brutal.¡±

    John, still gripping his sword, raised a brow and muttered under his breath, ¡°Warrior Level Nineteen?¡±

 Chapter 325 - Inheritances No One Wants

    The fight was over in less than three seconds.

    One of the guards still sat at his table, spoon in hand, having just swallowed a bite of food. He stared at me, wide-eyed.

    The rest? They dropped their weapons. Beside me, John was swallowing hard, but he kept his sword at the ready, gripping it tightly. I had to give him credit¡ªhe had stood his ground and not run away.

    I turned toward Ju. She was crouched beside the fallen woman, checking her condition.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Ju announced. ¡°Just knocked unconscious.¡±

    She shot a glare at the guard who had been manhandling the woman. He stepped backward instantly, hands raised in a placating gesture, his face pale.

    There was no more fighting after that¡ªjust a lot of talking.

    In the end, we discovered that seventy-four former peasants from my domain had been captured and were now held as slaves in this caravan.

    Most of them were stunned to see me. Some even suspected that I had orchestrated their capture, which was frustrating but understandable given their circumstances. The majority, however, thanked us with tears in their eyes.

    Beyond them, there were eleven other slaves, unrelated to my domain. Their owner was dead, and I had no idea what to do with them now.

    It took hours of discussions with the peasants to piece together what had happened.

    Someone had been spreading lies¡ªpromising them better lives in other domains, or that they could even change their status by moving to the cities.

    At the same time, fearmongering rumors had spread about the orcs in my domain¡ªstories of horrors they had committed and even worse things they were planning. Afraid of what was to come, many fled, hoping for a chance at something better. But the moment they took to the roads, their caravans were ambushed, and they were thrown into chains.

    This wasn¡¯t just a case of a few unlucky travelers. This had been deliberate.

    According to Ju, more than five hundred peasants had already left the domain since we granted them freedom.

    What had happened to most of them?

    That was still unclear.

    A crowd had gathered around us, murmuring and shifting uneasily as the guards protested.

    They insisted they had been recently hired to protect the caravan and knew nothing about how the slaves had ended up there. That was probably true for most of them¡ªand likely the reason why they had hesitated to attack us earlier.

    Some among the crowd wanted to lynch the guards, shouting for justice, while others spoke in their defense, arguing that they were just doing a job.

    In the chaos, a few guards managed to slip away, likely aided by people in the crowd. The situation teetered on the edge of explosive so I made a quick decision¡ªI wouldn¡¯t bind the remaining guards, especially after confirming that they hadn¡¯t been the ones who had captured the peasants.

    After this, several peasants hesitantly approached me, asking if they could return to the domain. It seemed they had experienced enough of this freedom and wanted to go back.

    After discussing it with Julietta, we decided to send a message to Alice, asking her to come with some of our guards to escort those who wished to return. For those who still wanted to leave, Alice could redo their papers to ensure they had the proper documentation.

    That left the slaves¡ªand the question of what to do with them.

    Three of them were women, likely used by the slave master as house personnel, responsible for cleaning and cooking.

    Another was a pretty half-elf, who had almost certainly been used as his personal whore.

    The rest were men¡ªthree of whom were criminals, recently purchased at an auction. Another was a half-orc, also bought at the same auction, and also labeled a criminal.

    And then there was the last one¡ªan eunuch, who seemed to have been the slave master¡¯s confidant¡­ and perhaps more.

    He was the only one not in chains.

    As it was getting late and stomachs began to grumble, we ordered food for everyone.

    I invited John to eat with us¡ªafter all, the least I could do was offer him a meal for standing by our side. As for the slaves, this was likely the first proper meal they¡¯d had since some time.

    While I was mulling over who could have orchestrated the kidnapping of the peasants, Ju turned on me with a pointed glare.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯d know more if that merchant wasn¡¯t completely dead,¡± she chided. ¡°You know, just a little bit incapacitated would have been enough! But no, there¡¯s nothing left of him. Not even a shoe survived. Forget about his rings, which could have held a fortune¡­¡±

    I sighed and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wrong. Not only had my Death Bolt vaporized him entirely, but there wasn¡¯t even enough left for me to raise him as a ghoul. Maybe¡­ just maybe, that had been a bit of an overkill.

    Before Ju could continue her lecture, a lieutenant approached, saving me from further scolding.

    Apparently, while we were technically on the lands of Viscount of Treves, the main road fell under royal jurisdiction¡ªand someone had reported the fight at the relay inn to the army.

    ¡°Lady Lores of Orcmound, I presume?¡±

    The officer¡¯s gaze settled on me.

    Well, since I had introduced myself under that name after the fight¡ªand neither Ju nor John fit the bill¡ªit had to be me.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Lieutenant Horvath, at your service, my lady,¡± he said, offering a slight bow.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    He paused, clearly expecting introductions. So, I gestured toward Ju.

    ¡°Julietta Trachenorma, my company lady¡ªand John¡­ ahm¡­ warrior.¡±

    Then, turning back to him, I added, ¡°I assume this isn¡¯t a social call?¡±

    ¡°Indeed not, my lady,¡± he replied with a polite nod. ¡°I was called to judge the incident.¡±

    He let the words hang in the air for a few moments before continuing.

    ¡°It has been clearly established that you were within your rights to inquire about the status of the slaves, given that many of them were confirmed to be former peasants from your domain. Likewise, you were justified in defending yourself against the actions of Merchant Tcherour.¡±

    I nodded. So far, so good.

    Lieutenant Horvath continued,

    ¡°As the merchant died as a result of the fighting while acting as the aggressor, you are granted his possessions as reparations.

    As for his former guards, they will be separately judged by my commander. I must ask¡ªdo you have any further requests against them, or do you contest my ruling?¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°So¡­ does this mean I have to take care of the slaves now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed, my lady,¡± he confirmed with a nod. ¡°Slave purchase is forbidden in the kingdom, but ownership can be inherited. In this case, it is treated as an inheritance.

    You have three options¡ªyou may hand them over to our unit, take them with you, or free them.

    However, I must inform you that several of them are convicted criminals. If you free them, you will be legally responsible for their actions for one year¡ªbut I am sure you are aware of this.¡±

    ¡°Anything else I can do for you, my lady?¡±

    I shook my head, still trying to process the fact that I would be held responsible for any freed slave¡¯s actions.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I will return to my unit,¡± Lieutenant Horvath said with a nod. ¡°Once the verdict is confirmed by my commander, I will have a copy sent to your domain.¡±

    He turned to leave, but Julietta stopped him.

    ¡°One question, Lieutenant,¡± she said. ¡°I heard a rumor that Lady Lores¡¯ domain does not welcome traders. Do you know anything about this?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t that true, Lady Lores?¡± he asked, turning toward me.

    I frowned and shook my head.

    ¡°No. We¡¯ve actually been wondering why no merchants have come to us lately.¡±

    Horvath shrugged. ¡°It was likely circulated through commercial channels. Have there been any incidents on the roads in your territory?¡±

    I shook my head again. ¡°The roads in my domain are secure. There have been no attacks on merchants there.¡±

    He tilted his head thoughtfully.

    ¡°The peasants were attacked, so this means there is bandit activity in the area. That alone could have scared off the merchants. I¡¯ll report this to my captain, but you should know, my lady¡ªthe royal road ends here, at this inn.

    Beyond this point, the road falls under local lords¡¯ jurisdiction. You may want to contact them directly.

    However, if the issue persists, the governor may decide to send the army.¡±

    I snorted.

    ¡°A certain Captain Schwarzkopf, leading two battalions of His Majesty¡¯s soldiers, was just at the border of my domain not long ago. And yet there are bandits on that road?¡±

    Horvath shrugged.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, my lady. Maybe he was sent to clear the forest of bandits, but it¡¯s always the same¡ªwhen the army arrives, they scatter. When the army leaves, they return.

    That¡¯s why we are stationed on our part of the road¡ªthere are no bandits where we patrol. But ultimately, keeping the roads clear is the duty of the local lord.¡±

    I sighed. It wasn¡¯t his fault, after all.

    I¡¯d have to check with this Viscount of Treves myself.

    ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been my pleasure, ladies, gentleman,¡± he said with a polite salute before taking his leave.

    As soon as he was gone, I turned to Julietta, ready to discuss what to do with the slaves¡ª

    But then John¡¯s voice interrupted, stammering.

    ¡°Y-You¡­ you¡­ you¡­ are¡­ are¡­ are¡­ are¡ª¡±

    He was staring at Julietta, eyes wide.

    I rolled my eyes. Great. Someone knows the name Trachenorma.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a princess,¡± I confirmed, mildly annoyed.

    It was honestly frustrating that this seemed to shock him more than finding out that I was Lores of Orcmound.

    Then again¡­ I supposed her title was higher.

    ¡°And¡­ and¡­ and¡­¡± John stammered again¡ªthis time, looking at me.

    I chuckled. Ah, now it¡¯s my turn.

    ¡°You had to have realized by now that I am the baron?¡± I teased.

    ¡°A¡­ a¡­ apologies, my ladies¡­¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°I thought you were important, but I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±

    He suddenly stood up, looking like he was about to bolt. Then, after a deep breath, he bowed stiffly.

    ¡°My ladies, I¡¯m just a poor peasant¡¯s son with a bit of warrior talent. I joined the army a couple of years ago. I didn¡¯t mean to be insolent by sitting at your table¡ªI should take my leave.¡±

    I shrugged and gestured for him to sit back down.

    ¡°Oh, come on, John. Finish your food. Besides, you can still call me Lores.¡±

    Considering the matter settled, I turned toward Ju.

    ¡°Now, the question is¡ªwhat do I do with the slaves?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I think it¡¯s best to postpone the decision until we return. We should send them to the domain with Alice and decide there.¡±

    Then her expression darkened slightly.

    ¡°Besides¡­ Selena, the half-elf, has syphades. She¡¯s in the final stages, and she needs strong medicine. Hopefully, we can find the right treatment in Dolsa, Fiona¡¯s town.¡±

    I blinked.

    Syphades? That was a sexually transmitted disease, somewhat similar to syphilis.

    ¡°But¡­ she looked healthy?¡± I asked, still processing. ¡°Are you sure? Why would that idiot let her carry the sickness?¡±

    Ju shrugged, arching a brow¡ªclearly not even dignifying my are you sure? with a response.

    ¡°You should know that syphades doesn¡¯t just make people sick¡ªit increases sexual desire while also enhancing their physical appearance. That¡¯s how it spreads so easily¡ªthe parasite controls the host.¡±

    Her expression darkened. ¡°The damn merchant probably wanted her like this and just treated himself to avoid infection.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Great.¡±

    ¡°In this stage, treatment will be expensive,¡± Ju continued. ¡°The real question is whether it¡¯s still curable.¡±

    I rubbed my temples.

    ¡°Why does every problem come with a whole string of new problems? Every time we fix one thing, three more show up.¡±

    Ju just shrugged. ¡°This one¡¯s not that bad¡ªjust some gold you¡¯ll have to cough up.

    We just need to make sure we don¡¯t get an epidemic among our men. She does look ravishing, and at this stage¡­ well, she¡¯s probably struggling to control herself.¡±

 Chapter 326 - Collateral Havoc - Saved by Incompetence

    Night was settling in. Ethea and Ghomer had already dipped below the horizon, leaving the western sky ablaze in fiery reds and deep oranges. From the east, a shroud of darkness crept over the forest, the first stars beginning to pierce through the twilight veil.

    All around us, a chorus of cicada-like insects filled the air with their ceaseless mating calls, their rhythmic buzz creating a wall of sound that nearly drowned out the clatter of dishes and conversations drifting from inside the inn.

    A few campfires flickered, casting a shifting interplay of light and shadow over the gathering.

    I still sat at the table, with Ju and John, discussing our next move, while the peasants huddled nearby, whispering among themselves and casting wary glances in our direction.

    Some of them had probably already slipped away, unwilling to risk waiting around for whatever came next.

    That was fine by me. It might seem selfish¡ªor even outright Machiavellian¡ªto let them go, but fewer peasants in the domain meant fewer mouths to feed during the long winter ahead.

    I hoped to offset the loss of manpower with more magic and increased mechanization¡ªI knew it should be possible. I was determined to prevent anyone from starving. But if they chose to take their chances elsewhere, why should I stop them?

    Why should I waste my energy convincing an idiot that I actually had their best interests in mind?

    Frankly, I subscribed to the Smithsonian view of economics¡ªwhere more humans equal more resources, thanks to their ingenuity and innovation. That stood in direct contrast to Malthusian theory, which argued that population growth only led to scarcity and depletion.

    Sure, that was a theory from another world, but I hoped it held true here as well.

    And if it didn¡¯t?

    If I failed?

    Then at least they had the freedom to choose their own fate.

    I wasn¡¯t about to force it on them.

    A small burner in the corner of the table released a steady stream of incense, meant to ward off biting insects. Not that I needed it¡ªmy own mana was far more effective. I extended its protection to the others, letting the magic form an invisible barrier around us.

    Nearby, my eleven slaves sat in their canvas-covered wagon, settling in for the night.

    I had fed them, but afterward, I had to put them back in chains¡ªa decision that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn''t want to watch over them constantly, but I also couldn''t let them run free.

    The thought unsettled me but What else could I do?

    I hoped to find a solution soon, but I wasn¡¯t there yet.

    For now, I was already paying a couple of locals to guard them.

    Was I really much better than that merchant, Tcherour?

    I tried to shake off the thought and took another sip of my drink, refocusing on John¡¯s voice.

    But no matter how I tried, I couldn''t fully concentrate on their conversation.

    I heard the cavalcade before I saw them. Lifting my gaze toward the East road, I spotted a dust cloud rolling in through the darkness.

    A smile spread across my face. They made it before nightfall!

    As the riders drew closer, their shapes became clearer. At the front, Alice rode ahead, flanked by Moran, Loretta, and Tenessar.

    Behind them, Hordius led his Black Knights¡ªabout thirty riders in total.

    Hordius, the oldest of Drackar¡¯s lieutenants, was better known as the "Scarred Orc"¡ªand for good reason. He had more scars than all the other lieutenants combined.

    But he also had the best riding skills, making him the perfect leader for a mounted company.

    I waved as they approached and Alice returned the gesture.

    At first glance, one wouldn¡¯t even notice the orcs among the riders. Probably Alice arranged the formation that way¡ªa smart move to avoid drawing panic or trouble along the route.

    As they got closer, I spotted that Xsoha girl, Hew¡¯s apprentice, lagging at the rear of the formation. She looked exhausted.

    I chuckled to myself. She¡¯ll definitely need some healing from Ju. Why did Alice even bother bringing her?

    Their arrival sent a ripple of unease and low murmurs through the humans around, especially once people spotted the orcs among them.

    But my peasants barely reacted. Well, I had already warned them that Alice and the orcs were coming and besides, they must have gotten used to them by now.

    We settled the orcs near the five wagons left behind by the dead merchant¡ªin about the same spot where his former guards had camped.

    It was a huge relief to reunite with Alice¡ªand to offload most, if not all, of my problems onto her capable shoulders.

    While we talked, the Xsoha girl¡ªfreshly healed¡ªhad already gotten to work. She had prepared and was now expediting papers for the peasants who wanted to continue their journey.

    These documents needed to follow a specific imperial format, so having someone experienced handle them was invaluable.

    Not every traveler had papers, of course. But for the poor and powerless, having something official in hand could mean the difference between being accepted or turned away.

    To my surprise, many peasants decided to return to the domain instead.

    It had started with just one couple asking for permission to go back. Now, more and more followed. I might be OK with them leaving but I won''t push them either. As I saw no reason to refuse them, we accepted them. By the end, forty-nine peasants had gathered in the camp of the returners.

    With Alice competently handling the situation and our presence no longer necessary, we bid her and the group farewell before setting off.

    John stayed behind, happy to be allowed to join Alice''s group. As he wanted to train in the dungeon on my domain, traveling with her group was the best way to get there.

    By the time Ju and I took the west road, it was already late into the night. Pebbles grated softly beneath our boots, the rhythmic grinding nearly the only sound in the vast stillness. Now and then, a strange, muffled call cut through the silence, distant and unplaceable. Behind us, campfires flickered, their glow casting restless shadows against the trees. Above us, the sky stretched black and endless, speckled with cold, shimmering stars.

    Behind us, Kargath, the red moon¡ªnearly full¡ªshone high, its blood-tinted glow staining the gray forest with an eerie crimson aura.

    Ahead, Frigg, the blue moon, hung low and waning, a thin sickle of cold light¡ªtoo weak to balance the crimson haze swallowing the night.

    The atmosphere seemed to have wooed Ju, as she hesitated before asking,

    ¡°Should we wait until morning? Does it even make sense to go now? Will you be able to find your way in the dark?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± I shrugged. ¡°I was hoping you could help me navigate by the stars. Besides, I can see quite well at night¡ªas a dragon.¡±

    She turned to me, her eyes wide with surprise.

    ¡°Help you navigate? I know the stars, sure¡ªbut I¡¯ve never actually used them for navigation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, you at least know which way north is, don¡¯t you?¡± I said. ¡°We just need to fly generally northwest.¡±

    She snorted. ¡°And if we get lost, we just land and ask for directions? That¡¯ll work perfectly! Most likely, we¡¯ll get shot!¡±

    I chuckled, imagining the scene.

    Shotguns and the like were pretty popular with lonely farmers. While useless against high-level magic users and beasts, they tore through low-level thieves and wandering monsters with brutal efficiency.

    One of the great disadvantages of gunpowder, aside from being useless against powerful characters, was that wizards could make it explode from a distance.

    Because of that, anyone using firearms had to keep their shotguns and ammunition stored in a spatial inventory, only pulling them out at the exact moment they needed to fire.

    "Oh well, we can at least try. Otherwise, we¡¯ll completely miss the party¡­" I protested.

    ¡°Nah.¡± Ju shook her head. ¡°You know the celebrations will last for days.¡±

    I hesitated. Was she joking, or was she serious?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how far we get,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to fly by night.¡±

    I had no intention of missing the first day completely.

    After a while, I glanced around, judging that we had walked far enough.

    We were nearly a kilometer away from the relay station now.

    Beyond the firelight, the forest stretched darker, deeper, more alive. Then¡ª A violent struggle erupted in the bushes nearby, the sounds of a furious fight tearing through the night. Some beast was being slaughtered, not far from us.

    Ju stepped closer, alarmed, but I only shrugged, certain that no beast would dare approach us.

    I began undressing, tucking my shoes and robe into my inventory.

    Seeing that, Ju hesitated before reluctantly stepping back. She waited, casting occasional, uneasy glances toward the now silent forest.

    A dark cloud enveloped me¡ª and then¡ª I towered over the narrow road.

    I exhaled sharply, vapors swirling as my heated breath hit the cold air.

    The world shifted, my new perspective vast and slightly disorienting. Below, bushes and trees groaned as my massive dragon feet crushed them beneath me.

    I lowered my belly to the ground, making it easier for Ju to climb up.

    Once seated, she retrieved the saddle from her inventory and started fastening it in place.

    She grumbled under her breath, clearly unhappy about fitting it in the dark, then conjured a small light, checked her work, and finally settled into the saddle.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°You may go!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I hesitated.

    I had never taken off from flat ground before¡ªonly from heights.

    ¡°Hold tight. This might be a bit rough.¡± I warned her.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.¡± She shook her head, already impatient. Then, rising in the stirrups, she kicked her talons against my sides in a mock display.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go! Hyah, my trusted mount!¡±

    I snorted in disdain at her antics, then gave my back a sharp shake, rocking her from left to right. She yelped in surprise but held on.

    Satisfied that she was secure in the saddle, I turned my head forward and started to run.

    Running on all fours felt unnatural.

    Instincts kicked in, but I didn¡¯t fully trust them. Instead, I interfered just enough to throw myself off balance, breaking my rhythm and making my run clumsy and inefficient.

    The trees and bushes in my way didn¡¯t help either.

    I should be able to take off from flat ground!

    The thought that I had problems irritated me. The damn road was too narrow. Couldn''t they have cleared more of the forest?!

    The moment I unfurled my wings, they sliced through trees and tree branches, sending splintered wood spinning into the air. The impacts dragged me down, killing my momentum.

    Frustrated, I dug my claws into the ground, pushing harder, my legs hurling dirt and debris behind me¡ª but every time I spread my wings, I got the same result.

    I focused on creating a gravitational pull to help me lift off¡ªbut all I got was the deep rumble of rolling boulders and tree trunks tumbling behind me.

    ¡°Faster! Faster! Or we¡¯re walking the whole way!¡± Ju yelled from atop my back, having way too much fun at my expense. ¡°Hyah!¡±

    We¡¯ll walk?! I was the one doing the walking! But yeah, she was right¡ªI needed to run faster.

    I finally gave in and let my instincts take over. My pace exploded, muscles burning as I accelerated. I lifted my front half into the air, running only on my hind legs, pushing off with all my strength. Then¡ª I spread my wings. With them rising above the canopy, I finally gained more lift.

    I still clipped a few treetops, the impacts sending branches and debris tumbling in an avalanche behind me¡ª but I took off. Somehow I avoided crashing back down, slowly gaining speed and altitude.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Ju called out. ¡°That was a rough start. You should really practice that.¡±

    *

    Lieutenant Horvath rode unhappily, covering the twenty-kilometer trek back to the relay station.

    Behind him, twenty riders and two companies of foot soldiers marched at a forced pace, their boots hammering against the dirt road.

    He had barely made it back to his unit¡ªjust as he was about to collapse into sleep, the captain had sent him right back to the relay.

    Why him?

    There were three other lieutenants who could¡¯ve handled this.

    But no¡ªhis captain was convinced he had not properly clarified the situation at the inn.

    And now, the report of an orc invasion at the relay station had to be investigated.

    Horvath knew better. It was almost certainly just Lady Lores¡¯ orcs.

    There was an unspoken rule between noble houses¡ªthey allowed each other small detachments of troops within their territories. These forces helped keep the roads safe, secure transports, or relocate peasants when needed.

    But for whatever reason, the captain seemed determined to teach this troublesome baroness a lesson.

    Horvath¡¯s orders were clear: arrest the orcs. And if these were her orcs, then make it costly for the baroness to get them back.

    They had begun the march before dawn, but now, the first hints of daylight were creeping in.

    A dense fog rose from the forest, thickening by the minute, reducing visibility to just a few meters.

    Then¡ª His horse halted abruptly. A tree trunk lay across the road.

    At his command, the column came to a stop behind him.

    He sent a rider ahead to investigate but the wait dragged on longer than expected. He ordered the soldiers to form up¡ªshields locked, weapons ready.

    By the time he was debating whether to send more riders, the scout finally returned.

    ¡°What happened? Why did you take so long?¡± Horvath snapped, frustration clear in his voice.

    ¡°Sir, the road is gone.¡±

    Horvath stiffened. ¡°Gone?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a massive barricade further ahead¡ªtrees, rocks, the whole thing stacked high. I didn¡¯t go closer. It smells like a trap.¡±

    Horvath nodded grimly, then he glanced around, frowning. They were far away from the border, this area should be secure. Had they missed a turn? Was this even the right road?

    He turned to look behind them¡ªno, the road was clearly marked, just as it always had been.

    His stomach twisted at the realization that this was a trap! His head snapped around as he scanned the fog-covered trees.

    But there was only silence. No war cries. No arrows whistling through the mist. Nothing.

    Tense, he ordered the column to retreat, falling back to a more defensible position that they fortified.

    When still nothing happened, he sent scouts to investigate.

    By the time they returned, the fog had thinned considerably.

    ¡°Sir, the road has been completely destroyed for the next mile,¡± came the report. ¡°Several chariots are stuck on the relay¡¯s side, unable to pass. People are worried¡­ but the orcs are gone.¡±

    Reassured by the scouts¡¯ findings, Horvath mounted his horse and rode forward to see for himself.

    When he reached the barricade, he stared in disbelief. It looked like a natural disaster had torn through the land. A massive tangle of trees and boulders choked the path, forming an impassable wall.

    Beyond it, gaping holes¡ªsome several meters deep¡ªwere dug at regular intervals, as if the very road had been carved apart.

    The once winding path was now littered with shattered trunks, many of which had been dragged together to form the final barricade where he stood.

    His unit and mages would need days, if not weeks, to clear this wreckage.

    And all of this had happened in just a few hours?

    His gaze swept over the deep holes, their depths unnerving.

    He shook his head.

    This would take weeks to fix.

    The mage who had done this was at least as powerful as the kingdom¡¯s strongest mages.

    No¡ªstronger.

    Horvath shook his head, forcing the thought away. Heresy.

    The king was supposed to be the most powerful mage in the land, yet he had never heard of the king doing anything like this.

    And all of it¡ªall this destruction¡ªwas used for one purpose only: to delay him. To make sure he never reached the relay before the orcs were gone.

    He let out a slow breath.

    Honestly? He was glad.

    Better this happened now¡ªwhen they weren¡¯t there¡ªthan when he and his men were caught in the middle of it.

    A chuckle escaped him. He wondered what the captain would say.

    They had no proof that the baroness was behind this.

    And even if they did¡ª What good would it do?

 Chapter 327 - Late Arrivals

    Darkness surrounded us¡ªvast and unbroken, save for the scattered stars and constellations mirrored strangely below. It felt as though we were drifting through an endless void, speckled with celestial lights.

    Kargath, the red moon, had long since set, leaving only  cast its faint, cold glow. Ahead loomed Demetros, the small, dark-gray moon, barely distinguishable against the night sky. It seemed to swallow what little light remained, making the night feel even deeper, more oppressive.

    Below, the "constellations" were not the same as those above. Patches of pure blackness stretched across the land, interrupted only by flickering dots of fire¡ªa lonely farm, a distant village, an isolated outpost. True illumination was rare. Only the occasional town or city broke the darkness, and even then, only the wealthiest had street lamps lining their main roads. But the grandest lights belonged to the nobles¡¯ castles¡ªat least, the rich ones. Those shone like constellations of their own, lavishly adorned with radiance.

    Perhaps the best way to gauge a noble''s wealth was simply to look at how brightly their castle burned against the night.

    Cold air rushed against my face, each exhale trailing behind me in small clouds of vapor. I barely flapped my wings, conserving my strength¡ªyet even in my dragon form, simply holding them steady was beginning to take its toll.

    Navigating the night was easier than I had feared. Before long, I passed over Duke Thorston¡¯s castle¡ªa sprawling monstrosity that stretched across two hills. Its massive, unmistakable T shape marked it as the legacy of a noble family obsessed with immortalizing their own name. I had never seen it before, but I knew of it, a monument to vanity carved in stone.

    To my right, far in the distance, the glow of Koreia, Ahetia¡¯s provincial capital, flickered faintly. Ahead, even farther, Dolomar¡ªthe heart of Cromwall and Fiona¡¯s seat of power¡ªshimmered against the horizon, though it was likely still a hundred kilometers away.

    ¡°Heh, I can see our destination!¡± I called out, but no response came. For a brief moment, a flicker of panic ran through me¡ªhad I lost her?

    Turning my head, I exhaled in relief. She was still there, peacefully asleep on my back, her body sprawled across my scales, head resting on her hands. Her magical shields remained intact, shimmering faintly around her. She was maintaining them even in her sleep¡ªan impressive feat.

    She slept through the entire flight. By the time we arrived, it must have been past two in the morning.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here. Looks like the party¡¯s still going,¡± I said, but she didn¡¯t stir. We hadn¡¯t discussed how we would make our entrance, so I opted for subtlety, landing as quietly as possible near the entrance while keeping myself cloaked in illusion.

    A surprised yelp escaped her as I shifted forms, seamlessly catching her before she could tumble off. The transformation had required some quick maneuvering¡ªtwisting mid-change to ensure I didn¡¯t drop her¡ªbut I managed it smoothly.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why did you wake me up?¡± she mumbled groggily.

    I chuckled.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± I said with a shrug.

    She blinked sleepily, then wrapped her arms around my neck, yawning as she pressed her face against my chest.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the inn?¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s late. I just want to go to bed.¡±

    I snorted, trying to set her down, but she clung to me stubbornly.

    ¡°We have accommodations in Fiona¡¯s castle. No need for an inn,¡± I explained. ¡°Now, let me put something on. I can¡¯t walk in like this with you in my arms.¡±

    She finally let go, settling onto her feet with a sleepy chuckle. Then, glancing down at her clothes, she frowned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t walk in wearing my travel clothes! I need a bath first¡ªto clean off the dust from the road. And besides,¡± she huffed, ¡°I¡¯m not about to change like some peasant out in the wild.¡±

    ¡°What dust?¡± I muttered, rolling my eyes as I pulled the dress over my head in one smooth motion¡ªthankfully managing not to snag it on a horn this time.

    Once dressed, I rummaged around for a pair of passable shoes while she continued to protest.

    ¡°Oh, sure, you get to waltz in wearing a lovely dress, and I¡¯m supposed to enter in my travel armor?¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Then change your clothes,¡± I said without looking up.

    ¡°Not here!¡± she huffed, stomping a foot against the ground in frustration.

    I shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t have time. The party¡¯s probably winding down in the next half-hour. If we make it inside before it ends, at least we showed up.¡±

    She bickered with me all the way to the entrance, even as we started climbing the wide staircase leading to the grand gates. A few startled servants hurried toward us, no doubt wondering why we had arrived on foot instead of in a proper coach.

    I picked out one who seemed more important. ¡°Be so kind as to announce Lady Lores of Orcmoud and Princess Julietta Trachenorma of the elves.¡±

    His eyes widened in surprise before he quickly lowered into a deep bow.

    ¡°Of course, Your Highness. My Lady. Please, follow me.¡±

    We stepped through the towering doors and were guided down the grand corridors toward the hall where the festivities were still in full swing. Music filled the air¡ªlively, rhythmic. Dance music. So they were still dancing? I had no idea what the evening¡¯s program entailed. Ju probably did, but she was still a bit grumpy, so I refrained from asking.

    Our escort leaned in to whisper something to another attendant stationed by the entrance. A quiet flurry of movement followed¡ªservants slipping in and out of the hall, murmuring among themselves. It took a moment, but I soon realized they were waiting for the current dance to finish before announcing us.

    When the final notes of the music faded, the grand double doors swung open, revealing a massive hall as vast as a cathedral. The space teemed with elegantly dressed guests, some still lingering on the dance floor, while others stood in small clusters around lavish seating areas and banquet tables.

    A man, clearly someone of importance, stepped forward with deliberate poise. Gripping the ornate rod in his hand, he tapped it twice against the marble floor. The crisp sound silenced the room.

    With a voice full of authority, he announced, ¡°Her Highness, Princess Julietta Trachenorma of the Elves, and her companion, Lady Lores of Orcmoud!¡±

    I gasped, barely resisting the urge to incinerate the fool on the spot¡ªbut it was too late to fix the damage.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ju chuckled, grasping my arm and stepping forward with practiced grace. I had no choice but to follow, struggling to keep pace as all eyes turned toward us. To make matters worse, I had to lean on her for support¡ªcurse these high heels! Why had I thought wearing them was a good idea? Each step felt like a battle against gravity and regret.

    The Duke and Duchess of Cromwall approached with regal poise. After the customary formalities, Fiona leaned in to kiss my cheek, then pulled back with a questioning look.

    ¡°I was quite worried when you two didn¡¯t arrive for the evening reception. Did something happen?¡±

    Ju answered with a casual smile and a light shrug.

    ¡°As we took a short technical break at an inn, my sweet Lores discovered that some of her newly freed peasants were being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t stand for such injustice and had to fix it immediately. That¡­ delayed us a little.¡±

    I stiffened. My sweet Lores¡ªoh, that was definitely revenge for not stopping at an inn where she could have properly changed.

    I briefly considered retaliating in kind, but quickly realized that any comeback would likely backfire on me. With a sigh, I let it go. For now.

    ¡°Oh, dear, how could such injustice happen!¡± the Duchess of Cromwall exclaimed, her expression full of fake concern. I did not believe one moment that she cared.

    Meanwhile, the Duke bowed before me with the utmost formality.

    ¡°Lady Lores, the final dance of the evening is about to begin. Would you grant me the honor?¡±

    I stared at him in horror, my mind scrambling for an escape¡ªonly to feel Ju¡¯s firm hand press against my back, blocking any chance of retreat.

    ¡°Oh, Duke, of course,¡± she said smoothly, her voice practically dripping with mischief. ¡°She was worried the whole time that we¡¯d arrive too late for it.¡±

    And just like that, I found myself swept into the last dance of the night¡ªan intricate, heavily choreographed affair that I had absolutely no idea how to perform. Desperately, I tried to mimic those around me, all too aware that every gaze in the hall was fixed on me.

    Meanwhile, Ju lounged comfortably with the Duchess and her entourage, chatting away, thoroughly enjoying my predicament.

    After the dance, the Duke introduced me to a group, and soon, the conversation shifted to idle chatter and flowing wine. The drink was decent¡ªsmooth, rich¡ªbut I found no enjoyment in it. Something gnawed at me, a growing unease creeping in. Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe something deeper, but as I glanced around, a wave of sorrow, disappointment, and perhaps even disgust settled over me.

    Who were these people, really?

    The realization churned in my stomach like nausea. I was surrounded by those who saw themselves as superior, their status and cheated levels granting them power they had never truly earned. Had any of them risked their lives in a dungeon, clawing their way forward to earn every hard-fought level? Perhaps one in a hundred. The rest? Coddled by well-structured teams, carried effortlessly to victories where they had done none of the work¡ªonly delivering the final risk-free blow when the fight was already decided.

    And even then, with all the advantages at their disposal, most of them had only managed to attain mediocre levels. Yet here they stood, draped in wealth and entitlement, wielding their shallow achievements like badges of wisdom, making decisions that would shape the lives of countless subjects¡ªsimply because they had been born in some castle.

    At the first opportunity, I pulled Ju aside.

    ¡°Ju, I¡¯m tired. I just want to go to bed,¡± I said bluntly.

    She turned to look at me, her expression shifting to concern.

    ¡°You really do look exhausted,¡± she admitted, ¡°but I can¡¯t leave just yet. I¡¯m investigating something¡ªI¡¯ll explain later. If you¡¯re too tired, go ahead and retire. The staff will guide you to our rooms, and I¡¯ll join you when I can. Okay?¡±

    I sighed. I would have preferred for her to come with me, but¡­

    ¡°Are you sure you have to stay?¡± I asked, hoping for a different answer.

    ¡°I have to,¡± she repeated firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡±

    I shrugged, realizing I wasn¡¯t going to win this one. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Before leaving, I made my way to Fiona to excuse myself. She, too, commented that I looked unwell¡ªalright, no need to keep repeating that¡ªand quickly arranged for a trusted servant to guide me to the rooms assigned to us.

    Just before he left, I inquired about the wine served at the reception. He informed me that a generous selection had already been placed in our quarters, but if I needed more, it could be brought up at any time.

    I thanked him, then waved him off when he asked if I required any personal attendants. As if I needed servants just to pour myself a glass of wine.

    The room I settled into had large windows draped in sheer satin, their translucent fabric shifting gently with the breeze. The movement revealed glimpses of the open double doors leading to the terrace, where an endless black sky stretched above, dusted with stars. It was a tranquil, almost mesmerizing sight¡ªone that suited my mood perfectly.

    I sank onto the wide bed, its surface overflowing with plush pillows. Positioned directly in front of the open doors, it was an unusual but striking placement, blending seamlessly with the room¡¯s airy, elegant design.

    Sipping from my glass, I let the quiet envelop me, though loneliness clung to me like an unwelcome guest. Just as I was beginning to wallow in it, a flicker of light appeared behind me¡ªthe unmistakable glow of a spell. Probably Ju, healing herself after enduring hours in the company of those insufferable nobles. It had to be close to four in the morning by now.

    ¡°Oh, finally, you¡¯re back,¡± I said, my voice carrying a mix of relief and lingering irritation. ¡°Come have some wine with me.¡±

    I heard her light footsteps against the marble floor, measured and graceful. I didn¡¯t turn to look at her¡ªI was still a little annoyed that she had left me alone for who knows how many hours. Dawn would be breaking soon.

    ¡°As my master commands,¡± she said as she approached, slipping once again into that tired, submissive act.

    I snorted. ¡°Oh, come on, that¡¯s not even funny anymore! How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Lores before it sticks? But if you¡¯re going to ask so meekly, then yes¡ªI would love a massage. My back is killing me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lores,¡± she replied, just as meekly as before, though at least she used my name this time.

    I sighed. Well, you did make me wait for you.

    ¡°What took you so long, anyway?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I came as soon as I could,¡± she answered simply.

    She climbed onto the bed behind me and began working on my shoulders, her fingers pressing into the tense muscles of my neck and back. Ah, yes¡ªmy Achilles¡¯ heel. Massages. And she was good at them. My irritation started to melt away, replaced by a slow, creeping sense of relief. A quiet moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

    ¡°You¡¯re really good at this,¡± I murmured, no longer quite so mad at her.

    ¡°If you lie down properly, I could give you a full-body massage,¡± she offered, raising the stakes.

    Oh, well. This was probably her way of making up for abandoning me for hours. With a small, resigned sigh, I set my drink on the bedside table and stretched out on my stomach.

    She started at my calves, her hands gliding over the knots of tension in my legs, then moved to my feet. Oh. Oh, she was really good.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this good at massages,¡± I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

    She giggled happily, continuing her wondrous work, kneading tension from my muscles with practiced ease. More moans escaped me, completely unbidden.

    I was floating in bliss, fully immersed in the moment¡ªuntil the room was suddenly flooded with light.

    ¡°Who the fuck is there?¡± I snapped, my relaxation shattered. I turned toward the intruder, irritation flaring. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t need any extra servants!¡±

    Standing at the doorway, arms crossed, still clad in her travel armor, was Ju.

    She raised a single brow, her expression unreadable.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± she said, voice dripping with amusement.

 Chapter 328 - Unexpected Obligations

    Shocked, I turned to face the person I had mistaken for Ju.

    Sitting on the bed, barely clothed, was my new slave. She gazed at me with a submissive, devoted expression, her wide eyes brimming with quiet obedience. Meanwhile, with a sigh, Ju silently activated her isolation field.

    ¡°How did you do this?¡± Ju asked, her large green-brown eyes locking onto me with surprise.

    I shrugged, displaying my ignorance, then turned toward the slave. ¡°How did you get here?¡±

    She met my gaze with innocent, unblinking eyes.

    ¡°You called me, so I came,¡± she whispered, barely audible, before lowering her head.

    She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if I had simply summoned her from another room. I blinked, my mind racing.

    ¡°Explain that in more detail,¡± I prompted.

    Slowly, she lifted her gaze again and began to explain, her voice tinged with quiet confusion. Did I not know?

    She had the ability to teleport to her master¡ªabout once per day¡ªwhenever her mana was full and she sensed she was needed. And somehow, when I had placed those chains on them, I had unknowingly reinforced the master-slave bond to me.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Ju asked.

    The slave glanced briefly at me before answering.

    ¡°Yolanda, my lady.¡±

    Ju turned to me with a mischievous grin.

    ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re stuck with her for the duration of the festivities¡ªunless, of course, you plan to keep her chained up and hidden in your room...¡± She trailed off, shifting her gaze toward Yolanda with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Unless... hmm¡­ we could turn this to our advantage.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Ju hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and the slave.

    ¡°You¡¯re still bound to serve your master, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°Did any of your magical contracts expire when your former master died?¡±

    Yolanda tilted her head, a small smile playing at her lips, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.

    ¡°No contracts have expired,¡± she said smoothly. ¡°If you fear I might betray Lores, you should know that my previous master made it impossible for me to betray him. And now, since Lores is my master, that protection extends to her as well.¡±

    Ju narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then why do you call her Lores and not Master?¡±

    Yolanda gave a small shrug. ¡°Because she ordered me to.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too upset about having a new master,¡± Ju observed, watching Yolanda closely.

    ¡°Sorry for that scumbag?¡± Yolanda scoffed. ¡°Certainly not, my lady!¡±

    Ju raised a brow, then chuckled before turning to me.

    ¡°I was planning to continue my investigation, but for that, I need to leave the palace incognito,¡± she explained. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how to pull it off¡ªmy only idea was to feign illness, create an illusion of myself in the room, and have you cover for me. But now¡­ she could take my place while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, stunned. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just wait so we can go together? And do you really trust her? Besides, what exactly are you investigating?¡±

    Ju nodded. ¡°I trust her. I can sense emotions, Lores. And I have other ways of detecting lies.¡± She glanced at Yolanda. ¡°Even without contracts, she wouldn¡¯t betray you. But you can¡¯t imagine how frustrating these magical contracts are. Most slaves under them actively resist you ¡ª sabotaging, betraying, doing whatever they can to work against you when you try to free them. Only a rare few manage to resist that instinct. These master-slave contracts are a real pain in the ass.¡± She shrugged. ¡°For the first time, though, they¡¯re actually working in my favor.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°And what exactly are you investigating?¡±

    She hesitated only a moment before answering.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lost community of elves somewhere in the forest not far from here. They need rescuing.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I was planning to free her,¡± I said.

    To my surprise, Yolanda¡¯s eyes widened in panic, her body tensing.

    Ju shook her head. ¡°Not now, and not in her condition. Only if the medicine works¡ªand even then, you¡¯ll need to talk to her first.¡± She gave me a knowing look. ¡°I have a feeling Yolanda has been a slave for too long. She needs time to understand the world beyond it before you can just throw her into it.¡±

    I turned to Yolanda. She nodded, her expression on the verge of crumbling. She was terrified.

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay,¡± I murmured, still processing. Could those contracts be the reason for this reaction? It was something to investigate later.

    For now, I turned back to Ju. ¡°This story about lost elves¡ªit¡¯s probably a trap! How could that even happen? Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±

    Ju shrugged. ¡°A trap? Maybe. But how could it happen? Easily.¡± She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. ¡°After the fall of the Elven Confederation, an old druid might have decided that the new borders weren¡¯t his concern. Maybe he didn¡¯t even participate in the war. He just refused to leave his forest. And with his power, he could¡¯ve hidden his lands, kept them obscured from the world.

    ¡°But even elves aren¡¯t immortal,¡± she continued, ¡°At some point, he must have died. And when he did, the small group of young families who had chosen to stay¡ªenjoying his protection¡ªsuddenly found themselves exposed, stranded in the middle of a hostile kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, nodding. I had to admit¡ªher explanation made sense. ¡°But one portal would solve their problem,¡± I added with a shrug.

    Ju chuckled. ¡°Sure¡ªif they had a mage capable of opening one. Or if they had someone who could travel freely and enough money to buy passage through a portal to elven lands.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Then just walk to the elven lands!¡± I argued.

    She shot me a dry look. ¡°Right. Tell that to your peasants. Because, of course, the roads are perfectly safe, and nothing bad would ever happen to a small caravan of elves traveling through a hostile kingdom.¡±

    I sighed. She might have a point.

    Turning, I gestured toward Yolanda. ¡°And how exactly is she supposed to pass for you? Everyone and their cat has seen your face. She doesn¡¯t even look that much like you!¡±

    Ju chuckled again. ¡°Not exactly, but close enough. Even you fell for it.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I was drunk and had my back to her.¡±

    Ju raised a brow, smiling at me.

    ¡°But you are a master of transformations, aren¡¯t you? All it takes is a spell, and you could make her look exactly like me.¡±

    I blinked. Damn it, she¡¯s right again. But¡ª

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even think to ask her if she wants to be transformed!¡± I protested.

    Ju burst into laughter. ¡°Then let¡¯s ask her.¡± She turned to Yolanda. ¡°Would you like the ability to transform into me, to stay by her side?¡±

    Yolanda¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± she said without hesitation.

    I groaned. ¡°But that¡¯s not fair!¡± I argued. ¡°She¡¯s compelled by her contracts to agree to that!¡±

    Ju shook her head. ¡°Come on, Lores. I know she¡¯d genuinely enjoy it.¡±

    Yolanda nodded eagerly in agreement.

    I sighed in defeat but clung to one last argument. ¡°This won¡¯t work. People can identify her. Besides, you saw¡ªshe¡¯s sick!¡±

    Ju chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll give her my ring.¡± With that, she slipped the ring off her finger and handed it to Yolanda. ¡°Try identifying her now.¡±

    I hesitated but complied.

    <<Healer Level 91>>

    I blinked, confused. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    Ju smirked. ¡°You can¡¯t really see what she is, can you?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°This ring isn¡¯t bad, huh?¡± she mused. ¡°It has two obfuscation levels. She can reset it to display a lower level, like I did back at the station, or leave it like this.¡±

    My mind raced. If this was how she masked her level¡­ then what was her real one?

    I turned and identified her.

    <<White Mage Level 96>>

    I gasped. Ju just chuckled.

    ¡°You kept this a secret from me all this time?¡± I exclaimed.

    Ju let out a satisfied laugh. ¡°Oh, come on, let me have this little moment! How did you never suspect it? We fought each other back at my manor, and you still didn¡¯t figure it out?¡± She shrugged, clearly amused.

    Then, shifting back to the matter at hand, she continued, ¡°Now, about her sickness. I could identify it because I recognize the pattern: the obvious radiance? That¡¯s because the disease is feeding on her longevity to make her more attractive. Add to that the heightened sensuality. But the biggest giveaway is the heat pattern¡ªsome areas are about two degrees warmer than the rest of her body. That¡¯s the key to spotting it.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°And how do we hide it?¡±

    Ju smirked. ¡°Simple. You just need to place a heat-reflecting field over those areas. That¡¯ll do the trick.¡±

    ¡°Heat-reflecting field?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Your illusions manipulate light¡ªabsorbing, reflecting, or even generating it. Heat is just another form of light. You should be able to do it. And if you can¡¯t? Just use illusions to mask those areas completely. They¡¯ll be covered by clothing anyway, so no one¡¯s going to see anything unusual, right?¡±

    She stretched slightly, as if wrapping up a lesson. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve settled that¡­ I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait! First, I need you here to transform her,¡± I said quickly. ¡°And besides¡­ I don¡¯t think I even want to stay at this party. Last night was miserable! All those self-important idiots acting like they¡¯re better than everyone else¡ªI can¡¯t stand it!¡±

    Ju snorted. ¡°Honestly, your mood swings are giving me whiplash. We¡¯re not here just for your amusement!¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°You still need to meet the prince and Therella to formally greet them. And a few people have been asking about you¡ªa Baron Esterghom, for one, and also a certain young viscount.¡±

    ¡°Viscount?¡± I echoed, frowning.

    She shrugged. ¡°Yes, a Viscount of Genevais. He seemed very apologetic and wanted to offer his best wishes and greetings, but honestly, that¡¯s not the important part.¡± She gave me a pointed look. ¡°Tomorrow is going to be busy for both of you. Look, I get it¡ªmost of these people may be some variety of scumbag, but they¡¯re the ones in power. Unless you want to completely isolate your domain, you¡¯ll need to maintain some relationships with them.¡±

    She gestured toward the neatly folded garments in her hands. ¡°Here¡ªthese are the clothes you¡¯ll wear tomorrow.¡±

    I looked down at the clothes Ju had pulled from her inventory. A mini skirt and a blouse? Bracers and anklets adorned with vividly colored strings? I shot her a completely baffled look.

    She grinned. ¡°Tomorrow is the Bull-Leaping Festivity. It¡¯s an all-female competition, and the bulls will get wilder and wilder until a winner is found. You don¡¯t have to win, but you do have to participate¡ªand, ideally, avoid getting gored.¡± She smirked. ¡°The outfit is worn all day as a symbol of participation. It¡¯s considered highly esteemed.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, eyeing the mini skirt warily while Yolanda studied her own set with far more enthusiasm.

    ¡°What about shoes?¡± Yolanda asked.

    Ju chuckled. ¡°Pants, shoes, and hats are optional¡ªbut I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find something that fits,¡± she said, turning back to me.

    Then, considering the matter settled, she shifted seamlessly to the next topic. ¡°I checked on Jane like you asked. She¡¯s level two now, but she seems to have a natural talent for arcane magic. You should consider sending her to a school or college where she can learn the basics. Look into what options are available¡ªmaybe the prince could even recommend something.¡±

    ¡°You think Sid will sleep that long?¡± I wondered.

    Ju shrugged. ¡°Maybe. From what I know about dragons, it could take him several months¡ªbut who knows? When he wakes up, he¡¯ll be delighted to find out you took care of her.¡± She paused, then smirked. ¡°Besides, Jane¡¯s stepmother seems to be a real viper¡ªat least, according to Jane¡¯s colleagues. She¡¯d probably love the chance to go to a school.¡±

    Then, as if checking off a list, she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to talk to a merchant about farm equipment. A few of them are displaying advanced tools in the field near the stadium where the bull-leaping will take place. And make sure you visit a pharmacist to get a cure for Yolanda¡¯s sickness. Those should be your top priorities tomorrow. So, let¡¯s hear it¡ªwhat are your tasks?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I hesitated, my brain scrambling to keep up.

    Yolanda, mercifully, raised her hand and started listing. ¡°One, festivities. Two, prince, Therella, and socializing. Three, Jane. Four, farm equipment. Five, pharmacist¡ª though that¡¯s not necessary¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, it is,¡± Ju cut in. ¡°As I said, the bull-leaping starts at ten in the stadium. You don¡¯t need to stay there all day, just be present when it¡¯s your turn. Ask the organizers¡ªthey¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re scheduled.¡± She gave me a pointed look. ¡°Now, are you doing the transformation or not? It¡¯s nearly morning, and you really need some sleep. Tomorrow¡¯s going to be long.¡±

 Chapter 329 - Storms Gathering

    Thores, the great King of Kings, paced restlessly across the Purple Saloon. His most trusted advisors stood or sat around him, their eyes following his every step. To any outsider, it would have been a shocking sight¡ªthe King standing while some of his subjects remained seated¡ªbut during council meetings, protocol was suspended.

    Thores despised sitting during discussions, and he loathed the constant scramble of courtiers jumping to their feet whenever he rose. So he had issued a simple command: they were to sit, drink if they liked, and speak freely¡ªprotocol be damned.

    They had nearly concluded the meeting when Fiona brought up one last matter. The King halted mid-step and turned to her flickering hologram.

    ¡°Say that again,¡± he ordered.

    Fiona drew a deep breath. She never enjoyed challenging the King, especially not when it meant suggesting he¡¯d misjudged something¡ªbut this time, she felt certain.

    ¡°I believe we¡¯ve gravely misunderstood the situation regarding Cala. In my view, Cala¡ªwho now goes by Lores¡ªisn¡¯t the one truly calling the shots. I believe it¡¯s Julietta Trachenorma who holds the reins... and through her, the elven King Trachenorma.¡±

    The King paused, exhaling sharply, his brows drawing together in a deepening frown¡ªbut he didn¡¯t interrupt. Instead, he made a small gesture to Deka, the only maid permitted in the Purple Saloon during meetings. Trusted and perceptive, she had a knack for understanding his commands without a word¡ªalmost as if she were telepathic.

    Deka moved swiftly and silently, returning with a small glass of Hockwor¡ªa potent spirit not unlike whiskey, favored by the King in moments like these. He took the glass, downed it in a single motion, and fixed his gaze once more on the hologram of Fiona, who was currently thousands of miles away in her residence.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the situation,¡± Fiona continued. ¡°We know Cala has dragons¡ªbut how?¡± Fiona pressed. ¡°How could she possibly come to control one, let alone two dragons? Yes, we know she¡¯s high-level¡ªnearly on par with our esteemed Nebesko¡ªbut from there to achieve commanding creatures of that magnitude is a long way."

    ¡°So how did she manage it? It¡¯s not impossible, no¡ªbut it stretches the limits of what¡¯s plausible.¡±

    ¡°Now, consider this: have the elves ever worked with dragons before? Yes, they have. Their first empire was founded and sustained with the support of a dragon¡ªFirebreath, the ancient calamity.¡±

    Fiona took a deep breath, steadying herself. So far, so good¡ªthey were listening. She pressed on.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also learned that Princess Julietta was with Cala¡¯s group from the very beginning¡ªalways in the background, but always present. My reports confirm she accompanied Cala even during her visit to Uldaman, when she first received the domain. She didn¡¯t join her later¡ªshe was already there.¡±

    At this, Thores glanced toward Merhang, who gave a subtle nod in confirmation. The King raised a brow but said nothing, allowing Fiona to continue.

    ¡°A princess, traveling incognito through our lands as Cala¡¯s personal attendant,¡± she said, her tone edged with incredulity. ¡°Their ruse only unraveled when she had to meet her aunt¡ªVice-Queen Levaite of the Eastern Elven Kingdom¡ªwho was present alongside Therella for the prince¡¯s reception. If not for that meeting, we might never have learned her true identity.¡±

    Dame Adria huffed in indignation.

    ¡°An elf princess in Uldaman, and she doesn¡¯t come for an audience with the King? What a disgrace!¡±

    Nebesko snorted in agreement, nodding.

    But the King ignored their murmurs and cut straight to the heart of the matter.

    ¡°Your point isn¡¯t without merit, Fiona. But what is she after? Why take control of a minor barony? What¡¯s her plan with the dragons?¡±

    Archmage Flores gently set her teacup on the small table beside her armchair, opening her mouth to speak¡ªbut Nebesko spoke first.

    ¡°What would the elves want?¡± he said flatly. ¡°To reunite their scattered kingdoms, take revenge for the defeat we dealt them, and reclaim their lost lands.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but how?¡± the King pressed. ¡°How does any of this fit together?¡±

    Fiona, Duchess of Cromwall, raised her hand, and Thores turned back toward the shimmering projection.

    ¡°I believe she¡¯s trying to incite rebellion within the Kingdom,¡± Fiona said. ¡°That stunt she pulled in Uldaman¡ªfreeing a slave in public? That wasn¡¯t just theater. She knows the Vynaians support abolition. It was a calculated move to win their hearts, to gather sympathy and support for whatever cause she¡¯s building.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s also stirring up tension with the Xsoha,¡± Fiona continued. ¡°We already know there are plenty of nobles who distrust them. Her forces are mostly orcs¡ªwhose loyalty lies first with her, not with the King or the local lords. I believe the plan is to first destabilize the Kingdom from within.

    ¡°Then, when things are falling apart, they¡¯ll step in¡ªoffering to ¡®help¡¯ the rebellion... and only after that, they¡¯ll strike.¡±

    The King of Kings huffed, then turned toward the gray eminence, Merhang.

    ¡°She may have bitten off more than she can chew with the Xsoha¡ªbut we¡¯ll see. Has she made any concrete moves toward rebellion? Any alliances with noble houses? Secret meetings?¡±

    Merhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing we¡¯re aware of, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°But the Vice-Queen did sign an understanding with Prince Kotusawendu,¡± Dame Adria interjected.

    The King rolled his eyes. ¡°That was nothing but empty platitudes¡ªcalls for improving relations and building trust. As if anyone could ever trust the elves,¡± he scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. ¡°And now they bring dragons down upon our heads!¡±

    Archmage Flores gave a light shrug. ¡°Dragons are powerful, yes¡ªbut there are no lands ruled by dragons today.¡± She took a sip of tea before continuing. ¡°They have ruled in the past, of course¡ªbut they always lose interest. Too many people, too many problems, too much... hassle. Dragons don¡¯t enjoy administration. They don¡¯t care for politics or paperwork. All they want is to build their hoard and sleep on it.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°And after a hundred-year nap, they wake to find the world has changed entirely. In the end, all we have to do is wait for them to grow bored again.¡±

    The Archmage continued, her voice calm and thoughtful.

    ¡°We also don¡¯t yet know the nature of their relationship with the dragons. Is it a limited pact? A temporary alliance? Or something more lasting? We need more information.¡±

    The King shook his head.

    ¡°True¡ªwe do need to learn more. But we also need to prepare contingencies. And we don¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for dragons to grow bored. That could take decades.¡±

    ¡°So what are you suggesting Your Highness?¡± Nebesko asked, his tone sharp. ¡°Should we prepare to attack the elves? Both neighboring kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°That might be the solution,¡± the King replied. ¡°But if we strike, our focus should be on Trachenorma¡¯s realm¡ªthe Middle Kingdom. Still, we must be ready to fight both if it comes to that. And we¡¯ll need a pretext to rally support behind the war effort. An elven attack with significant civilian casualties¡ªpeasants, preferably¡ªwould certainly do it.¡±

    He paused, then added grimly, ¡°There¡¯s also the question of what the orcs will do¡ªand whether any of our allies will actually stand with us if we act.¡±

    The King sighed heavily. ¡°Then there¡¯s Constancia. The skirmishes along the border are troubling. We can¡¯t start a full-scale war until we know what¡¯s going on there. We may need to send negotiators¡ªsee what they want. We cannot afford a three-front conflict.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Merhang said slowly, ¡°we should give the orcs a few... ideas.¡±

    The King turned to him, interest flashing in his eyes.

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    Merhang rubbed his hands together thoughtfully as he began to explain.

    ¡°The ideal outcome would be to turn the orcs and elves against each other. To do that, we need to play the long game. First, we plant the idea among the orcs¡ªencourage them to attack Cala¡¯s domain. We let them believe that her territory isn¡¯t protected by the Kingdom, that it''s isolated.

    "Technically, this would put us at war with the orcs¡ªbut only in name. In practice, we would take no immediate action. Instead, we appeal to the elves, claiming we were attacked and requesting their help. Once elven forces are nearby, we subtly encourage them to engage the orcs¡ªto defend Cala¡¯s domain, naturally, as our ''allies.¡¯¡±

    He smiled faintly. ¡°If they take the bait and initiate hostilities, we remain on the sidelines¡ªpreparing our troops. Then, when the long winter comes¡ªwhen druidic magic, the Eastern Elven Kingdom¡¯s greatest strength, is at its weakest¡ªwe strike.¡±

    The King leaned forward slightly. ¡°And if the elves don¡¯t take the bait? What then?¡±

    Merhang shrugged. ¡°Then we let the orcs fight Cala and her dragons. That alone would disrupt any rebellion she might be organizing. And we¡¯d finally get a sense of how powerful those dragons really are.

    ¡°If the orcs win, they¡¯ll be weakened, but likely grateful¡ªwe could forge an alliance and move together against the elves.

    ¡°If the orcs lose, we step in, offer our ''support'' to Cala, and conveniently annex a slice of orc territory in the process.¡±

    He spread his hands with a satisfied expression. ¡°A win-win situation, either way.¡±

    ¡°Hm. I must give it to you¡ªit¡¯s a cunning plan,¡± the King said, nodding slowly.

    Fiona, however, remained skeptical. She raised a brow and asked, ¡°And how exactly do you plan to convince the orc tribes to attack Cala¡¯s domain?¡±

    Merhang chuckled, flashing a distinctly Machiavellian smile.

    ¡°Orc tribes? No, no¡ªwe aim higher. If you want to fight dragons, what better weapon than another dragon? And who else but the Warlock King? He has a dragon of his own, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    Dame Adria stiffened. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we involve the Warlock King?¡± she asked, a tinge of unease creeping into her voice.

    Merhang¡¯s grin only widened.

    ¡°There¡¯s history between him and this elf princess, isn¡¯t there? After the elves lost Norsewick¡ªtheir largest tree-town¡ªshe was taken as K¡¯hordock¡¯s prize. The young warlock from Hologomora, the one whose spells withered the roots of Norsewick¡¯s great tree.

    ¡°He became the Warlock King... and she, his prized slave.

    ¡°And now, that same ''prized slave'' is not only free but running about in Cala¡¯s domain, right under his nose.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d be delighted to claim her once again?¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ªNorsewick? There¡¯s only a small timber outpost by that name,¡± Nebesko said, frowning in confusion.

    The King chuckled and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± Dame Adria cut in. ¡°There was an elven town there. A major one!¡± She turned toward Merhang, her expression tightening. ¡°But that¡¯s an old story. That K¡¯hordock¡ªhe¡¯s still alive? And she was captured during the fall of Norsewick? That would make her centuries old!¡±

    Archmage Flores let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

    ¡°Children. They never study their history,¡± she said with mild amusement. Then, turning to Merhang, she added more pointedly, ¡°And your plan is to ally with K¡¯hordock?¡±

    She glanced at the King, then back to the gray eminence, her expression unreadable.

    Merhang gave a casual shrug.

    ¡°If it means defeating our enemies, I¡¯d ally with the devil himself. At least until I¡¯ve crossed the bridge¡ªfiguratively speaking, of course.¡±

    The Archmage turned back toward the King, clearly weighing her words, but seeing that he remained silent, she chose not to press further.

    As the meeting wrapped up and the King departed with Merhang, Dame Adria approached Archmage Flores.

    ¡°Excuse me, Archmage,¡± she began, ¡°there¡¯s something that confuses me.¡±

    The Archmage chuckled softly. ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    ¡°His Highness said that Cala might be ¡®biting off more than she can chew¡¯ in regard to the Xsoha. But¡­ the Xsoha are just accountants and bookkeepers. So what exactly is it that even a dragon couldn¡¯t chew?¡±

    Archmage Flores raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are they only that? And do they have no support?¡±

    Dame Adria shrugged. ¡°Well, not much more than that. It¡¯s true we endorse them as the Kingdom¡¯s preferred record keepers and financiers, but His Highness has never used force to intervene in their disputes with noble houses.¡±

    Flores leaned back slightly, her gaze thoughtful. ¡°They originate from the Permian region of Constancia, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s just where their roots are. They''re based here now.¡±

    ¡°And in Constancia, the Permians are the accountants, the bankers and the finances too,¡± the Archmage continued. ¡°They¡¯re also present in several neighboring kingdoms, aren¡¯t they? Not always called ¡®Permians,¡¯ but still the same bloodline, the same families.¡±

    She tilted her head slightly. ¡°Tell me, Adria¡ªif you placed a Xsoha beside a Permian from Constancia, could you honestly tell the difference?¡±

 Chapter 330 - Holy Days of Kargath

    Yolanda stirred at the sound of hushed voices. Drowsy but alert, she raised her head and looked around. Then, as memory returned, a pleased smile spread across her lips. She inhaled deeply, stretching languidly¡ªcareful not to wake the baroness still sleeping beside her.

    Satisfied, she gently pulled the arm she¡¯d been holding tighter against her body. Its warmth pressed against her skin, sending ripples of pleasure through her, subtle and thrilling. Unable to resist, she began planting soft kisses on the exposed shoulder before her, slowly working her way toward the chest.

    Lores stirred, then let out a soft laugh.

    ¡°Ju, stop that! It tickles!¡±

    A storm of emotions swelled in Yolanda¡¯s belly as the baroness shifted, their bodies briefly pressing together. For a moment, it overwhelmed her¡ªbut with superhuman effort, she composed herself.

    ¡°The maids are here... to help us with the morning toilet,¡± she whispered, barely containing her breath.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Lores said, lifting her head to glance around.

    It was clear that Lores was still adjusting¡ªcoming to grips with the reality that it wasn¡¯t the real Ju beside her. But for Yolanda, that brief moment of confusion was already a victory. The fact that, even for a few seconds, Lores had believed she was Julietta Trachenorma was enough to make her heart flutter with pride. And the four softly whispering maids aligned at the door, their eyes lowered in deference, clearly thought the same.

    It hadn¡¯t started this way. At first, Lores had refused to share the bed with her. It was only when Yolanda quietly laid out a blanket on the floor that Lores, hesitatingly, invited her up. The bed was wide enough, after all.

    And now¡ªnow she was basking in it.

    Teleporting to her master last night had been a stroke of brilliance. In one night, she had gone from slave to princess.

    Because deep down, Yolanda knew she was the real princess. Not that imposter running through the woods. Hopefully that pathetic ¡®original¡¯ would meet her end out there soon enough¡ªor at the very least, stay lost. Permanently.

    Yolanda would be here to fill the void.

    Lores had wanted to send the maids away, but she managed to convince her otherwise.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to chase the poor girls off,¡± Yolanda said gently. ¡°They¡¯ll think they¡¯ve disappointed you. Then they¡¯ll be chastised, and we¡¯ll get a whole new set of nervous maids to replace them. Let me help you with that instead.¡±

    It was both amusing and deeply satisfying to watch the baroness¡¯s cheeks flush with embarrassment as Yolanda assisted her. The blouse had gotten caught on one of her horns, and Lores was visibly flustered as she freed it.

    Yolanda adored the revealing outfits they were required to wear during Kargath¡¯s holy days. She embraced the look with enthusiasm, adding even more colorful ribbons to her hair and convincing Lores to do the same.

    She¡¯d wanted to decorate Lores¡¯s horns with pom-poms and floral ribbons¡ªsomething to really enhance her charm¡ªbut the stubborn girl had refused. A shame, really. She would¡¯ve looked so much more appealing.

    Still, Yolanda managed to get a few victories in. After one of the maids casually mentioned that colored ribbons on anklets and armbands helped stir the bulls during the festivities, she eagerly passed the information on. It wasn¡¯t even something she had considered, but it made for a very effective argument. Lores reluctantly agreed to add some ribbons.

    For footwear, Lores, had opted for something she called ¡°ballerinas.¡± Yolanda had wanted to wear high heels, but of course, the baroness had objected.

    Fine. Then she¡¯d walk barefoot. In protest.

    Soon, they were ready for breakfast and stepped out of the room.

    Yolanda felt positively giddy with the attention she was receiving. Everyone rushed to accommodate her slightest wish, their eyes drawn to her with barely concealed curiosity¡ªor admiration. The way people looked at her, at her form, made her head spin with possibilities. So many doors seemed to be opening all at once, and the sheer potential of it all left her just a little dizzy.

    Breakfast was arranged in an unusual setup. With so many nobles coming and going, it was a fluid affair. While some preferred the privacy of their rooms or gathered in quiet corners with close companions, most drifted into the spacious halls designated for communal dining.

    Lores had chosen one of the larger rooms, one with a charming terrace and a good view. At the moment, she was engaged in conversation with a few fellow nobles¡ªnot the most influential or interesting of the lot, just some acquaintances.

    Unfortunately, the topic was politics. Worse¡ªadministrative matters. Yolanda barely resisted the urge to flee.

    *

    Miranda took a deep breath. Any moment now, the gate would open, and she would step into the stadium. It was her turn¡ªand she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

    She was one of several hundred peasant girls finally accepted to take part in the Kargath¡¯s Days celebrations. The requirements were strict: you had to be a virgin, over sixteen, and pass a series of strength and dexterity tests, like being able to lift a heavy sack filled with sand and run with it for over two hundred steps.

    All that, just for the chance to leap over a bull in the arena.

    She raised her eyes toward the statue of Kargath¡ªthe God of War, and by extension, the God of Marriage. He shared the latter title with Nohekhta, the druidic Mother Goddess, the Green Lady of the Woods. But unlike Nohekhta, who embodied maternal love and nurturing, Kargath stood for conflict and power.

    Yet it was said they worked in harmony¡ªwar and marriage, strangely intertwined. Whenever war loomed, weddings surged¡ªfar more than in peaceful times.

    ¡°May you bless me... may you make me a free woman,¡± she whispered, exhaling slowly as she gazed up at the statue.

    If she could make it to the fourth round¡ªand pass it¡ªshe would earn her freedom. That was the round when the noble girls began their jumps. Reaching it meant she would no longer be a serf.

    To work for herself. To no longer pay taxes. To move where she wished, when she wished. To marry whomever she wished.

    That was her dream. Her goal. But what could she possibly offer the god in return? What could she promise Kargath that would be worthy of such a gift?

    The great doors creaked open, and her heart pounded so violently she nearly collapsed. It was only the gentle but firm push of one of Kargath¡¯s priestesses that nudged her back to reality. Wordlessly, she joined her four fellow hopefuls and walked toward the center of the arena.

    Thousands of voices rose in a deafening roar as the girls began to dance, some tumbling playfully across the arena floor, drawing even louder cheers and whistles. They were all strong, healthy young women from the villages, and their scantily clad forms did not go unnoticed. Appreciative comments rippled through the stands.

    Lost in prayer, Miranda missed the moment the arena¡¯s adjutant called her name. His magically amplified voice boomed across the arena¡ªbut she heard none of it.

    ¡°Wake up, Sleepy Miranda! It¡¯s your turn!¡± the adjutant called again, this time with a chuckle.

    Startled, she snapped out of her trance and hurried to make her entrance¡ªtumbling clumsily, waving with a forced smile. Laughter erupted from the crowd, and then came the chant:

    ¡°Sleepy Miranda! Sleepy Miranda!¡±

    Her heart sank.

    This was what she had feared most¡ªnot the bull, not the danger. She had imagined freezing in terror, imagined the boos and jeers as she stood motionless before the beast. But this¡ªdisdain and mockery before even the jump¡ªthis was worse. And it had already begun.

    She shut her eyes, hoping to escape the humiliation¡ªbut instead, she saw him: Kargath.

    The God of War stood vivid in her mind¡¯s eye: tall, powerful, his bare chest gleaming with strength, a massive shield in one hand and a spear in the other. It was as if the image of the statue had come to life inside her, etched into her very thoughts.

    But he was laughing at her. ¡°You¡¯ll need more than that to earn my grace.¡±

    His voice wasn¡¯t spoken, but she felt it, heavy in her bones.

    Frantically, her thoughts spun. What could she offer?

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Then the gates opened¡ªand the bull entered.

    A massive black beast, huffing and wild-eyed. It stopped in the middle of the arena, steam curling from its nostrils as it swung its head, scanning the girls.

    Then its gaze locked onto her. It snorted violently, hooves scraping against the packed earth and then charged.

    The crowd erupted, stomping their feet, the sound rising like a thunderstorm. The ground seemed to tremble beneath her, the bull coming like a natural disaster¡ªlike an earthquake bearing down.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll serve you... in war,¡± she whispered.

    And in that moment, everything shifted. Her panic vanished and calm settled over her like a cloak.

    The roar of the arena faded into silence. The adjutant might have been shouting something, but she didn¡¯t hear it.

    There was only her and the bull.

    It felt like she was back in the meadow, facing down one of the cows she used to practice with and to her own surprise, a grin tugged at her lips.

    Only when the bull was just a few meters away did Miranda move.

    With perfect timing, she launched herself toward the charging beast, seized its horns with surprising ease, and used its own momentum to catapult herself into the air. The bull jerked its head upward, trying to gore her, but only propelled her higher.

    She landed with both feet squarely on its broad back¡ªa feat she didn¡¯t always manage, even with the cows she¡¯d trained on. Without missing a beat, she pushed off again, flipping through the air, and landed lightly on her feet behind the bull¡ªstill standing.

    The crowd exploded like a volcano, erupting into deafening cheers.

    Miranda rolled away smoothly to reposition herself and check the bull¡¯s movements. Adrenaline still surged through her, but she felt sharp, clear, focused.

    Only now did the voice of the adjutant return to her ears.

    ¡°You¡¯ve passed the first trial, Sleepy Miranda!¡± he boomed, half-laughing. ¡°You can leave the arena now¡ªunless you¡¯d like to give us a double jump already?¡±

    Her cheeks flushed with heat as she jogged toward the outer wall, not daring to look back.

    Behind her, chaos unfolded. One of the other girls had been caught. She was on the ground, the bull goring her as the arena roared¡ªsome with cruel laughter, others with shocked cries. Helpers rushed forward, trying to distract the beast, trying to pull the girl to safety.

    If she died, there would be no resurrection.

    Only one high priestess had the power to bring someone back¡ªand that miracle was reserved for the noblewomen.

    *

    Miranda was exhausted¡ªbut exhilarated. A deep, unshakable certainty had taken root in her heart: Kargath favored her. She had made it to the fourth round. She was going to be a free woman. She could feel it in her bones.

    It was true that she¡¯d been injured in the last round¡ªa nasty gash along her right thigh¡ªbut the priestess had treated it as best she could. That was expected. Kargath always demanded a tribute in blood, and she had offered hers willingly.

    The wound hadn¡¯t fully healed; she still walked with a slight limp. But the pain was gone. The priestess had given her some bitter green leaves to chew, and now her leg felt strong again¡ªlike nothing had ever happened. She felt as if she were in the best shape of her life.

    Now, if only those two nobles would arrive.

    She glanced around the preparation area, searching.

    Who would be her teammates this round? It wasn¡¯t a team event in the strictest sense, but cooperation could make the task easier. And the challenge ahead would demand it.

    Each participant had to plant two small flags into the back of the bull.

    And the catch: only if all six flags were planted would they qualify for the final round.

    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but she believed that planting her own two flags might be enough to secure her freedom¡ªregardless of what the others did. Still, no one had given her a straight answer, and now it was too late to ask. Why hadn¡¯t I thought to ask earlier? she sighed inwardly. Because I never believed I¡¯d make it this far.

    Just then, two noblewomen entered the preparation area.

    They wore dresses similar in cut and style to her own¡ªshort, ceremonial, and suited for movement¡ªbut the difference in quality was unmistakable. Fine fabric, expert tailoring, subtle embellishments. Wealth and status woven into every thread.

    Miranda lowered her gaze immediately and offered a small curtsy, just as the priestess had instructed. But neither woman acknowledged her.

    ¡°I told you,¡± one of them said, her voice sharp and dismissive, ¡°you shouldn''t have paid those fifty gold to the chemist.¡±

    Miranda glanced up, and the breath caught in her throat.

    The speaker was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen¡ªan elf.

    An elf was participating? No one had mentioned that to her. No one had told her who she¡¯d be teamed with.

    She turned her attention to the other noblewoman, who remained silent, only sighing softly in response. Miranda¡¯s eyes widened. The woman had horns¡ªtwo sleek, black, sharply curved horns.

    A beastkin?

    Those were rare enough¡ªbut a noble one? She didn¡¯t seem like a servant to the elf¡­ or was she?

    Miranda¡¯s mind raced with questions she dared not ask aloud.

    ¡°See?¡± the elf huffed. ¡°You could¡¯ve bought that harvester by now! It would¡¯ve only cost seventy gold! What¡¯s more important?¡±

    Seventy gold? Miranda''s mind reeled. She had never even seen a gold coin, let alone owned one.

    The horned woman merely shrugged. ¡°The fifty gold was necessary¡ªwithout it, he wouldn¡¯t have started preparing the medicine. That¡¯s just the cost of the ingredients. I¡¯ll buy the harvester in Stoneborrow. That¡¯s where they¡¯re made. I¡¯ll fly there next time and probably get a discount¡ªno transport fees.¡±

    ¡°If they still have any,¡± the elf retorted. ¡°The merchant wasn¡¯t sure.¡±

    Before the conversation could continue, a priestess entered the room and bowed deeply.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± she said, addressing the elf, then gestured toward Miranda. ¡°This one has been chosen by fate to join your team. However, as a member of the royal bloodline, you have the right to refuse and request a new drawing.¡±

    Miranda felt her knees weaken. Royalty.

    She¡¯d been placed in a team with royalty.

    The elf turned casually to the horned woman.

    ¡°What do you think, Lores? Should we keep her?¡±

    As the one called Lores turned her gaze on her, Miranda suddenly felt exposed. Her heart began to race. There was something unsettling in that look¡ªlike the woman could see right through her.

    ¡°She¡¯s been wounded,¡± Lores said calmly, ¡°and she¡¯s under the influence of cera-leaves.¡±

    The priestess nodded in confirmation. ¡°Yes, your ladyship. She was treated and given painkillers.¡±

    Lores raised a hand, and a flask materialized in her palm with a soft shimmer of magic.

    ¡°Spit the leaves out,¡± she ordered, ¡°and drink this.¡±

    Shocked, Miranda looked briefly to the priestess for reassurance¡ªbut she knew she had no right to refuse. Swallowing hard, she obeyed, spitting the chewed leaves into her hand and taking the flask. She raised it to her lips and drank.

    For a moment, a flicker of anger sparked in Miranda¡¯s chest.

    All her life, she¡¯d been ordered around¡ªtold what to do, where to go, how to act. It was freedom she was fighting for, the right to make her own choices. And yet here she was again, obeying a command without hesitation. She hadn¡¯t even been asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t drink it all,¡± Lady Lores said calmly, just in time for Miranda to stop after the first gulp. ¡°Might be too much for you¡ªjust take what you feel is needed.¡±

    At first, she felt only a strange stillness. Then a wave of warmth bloomed in her throat, spreading outward in a matter of seconds. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant. In fact, it felt... good.

    She looked down at her leg¡ªand gasped.

    The wound was gone. Not just healed¡ªgone, as if it had never been there. She checked her hands. The small cut on her finger from yesterday¡¯s vegetable prep¡ªvanished. Even the itchy red marks from last night¡¯s mosquito bites had disappeared.

    And her mind¡ªclearer than it had ever been.

    It was one of those potions. A legendary healing draught she¡¯d only heard about in whispered stories¡ªand this woman had just handed it to her.

    She turned, ready to return the flask, but Lores merely shrugged.

    ¡°Keep it. It¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to put it¡­¡± Miranda mumbled, overwhelmed.

    Lores chuckled, taking the flask back from Miranda¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll keep it for you,¡± she said with a small smile. ¡°And give it back once we¡¯re done. Sound good?¡±

    Miranda nodded faintly.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll keep her,¡± the elf said with a casual shrug toward the priestess.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the priestess replied, bowing slightly. Then, with more formality, she added, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Julietta, and Lady Lores¡ªthis is the girl known as Sleepy Miranda. Your team is now confirmed. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll go announce it.¡±

    With that, the priestess turned and left, leaving Miranda standing there¡ªstill trying to process the fact that she was now officially on a team with royalty.

 Chapter 331 - Leap of Faith

    The arena roared as the bull¡¯s horn caught the hem of Miranda¡¯s skirt. She¡¯d been too slow to dodge completely. For several agonizing seconds, she dangled upside down from the horn, her legs flailing in the air to the crowd¡¯s uproarious laughter.

    The beast thrashed its head, its horn raking a shallow but painful scratch across her lower belly. By sheer luck, the gash was only surface-deep¡ªpainful, but not lethal.

    Around her, the arena boiled with excitement, the noise almost physical in its intensity. For a few more seconds, she hung helplessly, arms brushing the dusty ground, unable to regain control. Finally, the fabric tore¡ªthe horn ripping clean through¡ªand she dropped headfirst near the bull¡¯s pounding hooves.

    She would have been gored again, had the baroness not darted in and yanked her away at the last possible moment. Now the maddened bull charged after her.

    Miranda, shaken and bleeding, crawled on all fours toward the nearest refuge.

    The rampaging beast was too fast for her. This was no ordinary animal¡ªit was a refined creature, bred for ferocity. Only the baroness had managed to plant her flags in its back so far¡ªand even then, only through feats that bordered on suicidal.

    Yet courage hadn¡¯t left Miranda entirely. She still believed Kargath was on her side. The task ahead was simply greater than she had expected¡ªbut he was a god, wasn¡¯t he? He would find a way to guide her. She only had to give her utmost in return.

    And not everything was going smoothly for the others, either.

    The baroness had just slipped, landing ungracefully on the ground, and was forced to roll away to avoid the bull¡¯s charging horns. The beast, however, seemed to lose interest in her and instead turned to pursue the princess.

    With an expression of pure frustration, the baroness flung her flat shoes away and stood barefoot, just like Miranda.

    ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve brought tennis shoes¡ªif only I had a pair!¡± she muttered.

    Miranda blinked. Shoes made of tennis? She didn¡¯t quite understand, but before she could dwell on it, the baroness turned toward her.

    ¡°You should give up,¡± she said in a low voice, stepping closer and offering the potion once again. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you. You¡¯ll only get gored.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll lose if I give up!¡± Miranda protested.

    The baroness shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All we wanted was to participate. If we lose here, we lose. So what? That beast will kill you¡ªit¡¯s too fast, too well-trained. It¡¯s meant to kill. Just run to the exit and live.¡±

    There were only two ways to forfeit without ending gored. One was to run for the exit door and leave the arena entirely under the boos of the arena. The other was to hide in one of the three small wooden shelters scattered across the grounds¡ªmakeshift refuges offering partial protection. They weren¡¯t guaranteed to withstand the bull¡¯s fury, however the bull might lose interest.

    If all three girls took shelter and the bull lost interest, the jury could declare a forfeit and the arena would boo them, but they would be alive. For now, though, the burden fell to the princess. She was doing her best¡ªscrambling, tumbling, keeping just ahead of the bull, drawing its focus.

    Miranda shook her head firmly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I get gored,¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°Either I succeed and win my freedom¡­ or I die. But I¡¯m not going back to being a serf.¡±

    The baroness let out a sigh, then turned to glance at the princess, who was still scrambling to stay ahead of the bull.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± she muttered¡ªand without another word, she took off running, shouting to draw the bull¡¯s attention.

    Miranda glanced down at her legs¡ªhealed, but still streaked with blood. She felt a little dizzy, but the small gulp she¡¯d taken from the potion was steadily working through her system. The injuries hadn¡¯t been life-threatening, but the blood loss was catching up to her.

    Gasps and yells rippled through the arena, and Miranda snapped her head up.

    Both girls were down.

    Did the bull hit them? Or did they collide?

    But they didn¡¯t seem harmed¡ªbecause only a moment later, the princess was back on her feet, already drawing the bull¡¯s ire away.

    Miranda tried to calm her agitated breathing, steadying herself as she watched the two noblewomen in motion.

    This time, it was the baroness who moved evasively, darting and circling, while the princess launched herself into surprisingly reckless maneuvers. In one fluid leap, she planted her first flag.

    It was as if they¡¯d switched roles entirely.

    Had the princess been holding back until now? What she was showing¡ªgrace, timing, explosive speed¡ªwas something else entirely. Okay, she¡¯d shown grace before. But not these lightning-fast bursts of motion.

    Then, without hesitation, the princess charged the bull head-on, vaulted high over its horns, and in mid-air, drove her second flag into its back with surgical precision.

    She landed on her feet in a clean arc, arms raised in triumph as the arena erupted in cheers.

    ¡°This is my moment!¡± Miranda told herself, then leapt from her hiding place.

    She aimed to catch the bull by surprise¡ªrushing from the side, hoping to plant both her flags in one go. It wasn¡¯t forbidden, just frowned upon by the crowd. Still, it could work¡ªif she was fast enough.

    But she wasn¡¯t.

    The beast turned its head at the last second, and its horn drove deep into her belly. It lifted her with terrifying ease, tearing her open as it jerked its head upward¡ªgore and intestines splashing outside.

    She fell like a ragdoll, crumpling to the ground. The bull slammed her once more for good measure, tossing her aside with brutal finality.

    Then it turned and charged after the baroness, who spun on her talons and sprinted away.

    ¡°You fool!!¡± the princess shouted, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her to safety.

    Miranda¡¯s face was up towards the sky yet her vision darkened as she was dragged away. Had she seen her own heart beating?

    Her thoughts scattered and her mind slipped into unconsciousness to return brutally back, an insufferable heat burning her insides.

    She woke inside one of the wooden shelters, her body aflame with pain as the healing potion roared through her veins, hotter than ever, pounding in her skull like a war drum.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    But she was alive. Somehow, impossibly¡ªalive.

    ¡°Stay here!¡± someone said.

    She was too groggy to register the voice, but as her senses returned, she caught a glimpse¡ªof herself¡ªrunning outside and her mind swam in fog utterly confused. Can one be in two places at the same time?

    She watched herself stumble into the arena, bloodied and shaking, gulping from a potion. Her belly was no longer torn open, her intestines no longer spilling out. Somehow, impossibly, the wound was gone.

    The bull snorted, as if offended by the recovery, and turned away from the fleeing baroness¡ªfocusing once more on her.

    She stood frozen, watching it all, almost crying out in panic¡ªmove!¡ªbut just before the beast collided, her mirrored self leaned sideways, seized a horn, and vaulted onto the bull¡¯s back and the arena erupted.

    She rode the maddened bull, arms raised high.

    A heartbeat later, she slammed both flags into the creature¡¯s back.

    The bull bucked wildly, trying to throw her off, but she gripped it tight with her thighs, her arms lifted in victory as the crowd howled in exhilaration.

    It was as if she¡¯d been granted a godly vision¡ªsomething greater than her, something sacred. Was she dreaming? Or was this Kargath¡¯s hand at work?

    The baroness now sprinted toward her shelter, the bull thundering after her. A heartbeat later, just as she dove inside, the beast slammed into it with all its might.

    The shelter exploded as if struck by a powerful magical blast¡ªsplinters and planks flying in every direction. She hit the ground hard, tangled in the shattered remains.

    In the dispersing cloud of dust, a strong hand grabbed Miranda¡¯s and pulled her out.

    As they stumbled into clearer air, Miranda realized she was holding the baroness¡¯s hand¡ªand on her other side, the princess walked alongside them, still somehow radiant, even in her groggy, disheveled state.

    How can someone be that beautiful? Miranda wondered, dazed. It almost felt like a sin to look at her.

    Behind them, the bull snorted weakly, dazed and struggling to stand.

    Miranda was scraped and bruised again, but she paid it no mind. Together, they walked toward the exit, hand in hand.

    The crowd erupted¡ªchanting, cheering, stamping their feet in thunderous celebration.

    They had won.

    She had won.

    Miranda could barely believe it.

    She was free.

    *

    ¡°You made it, sis! I saw you and couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªI told everyone you were my sister!¡± Suniak, her little brother, practically bounced in place, his round eyes wide with wonder. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    She smiled softly and let out a sigh.

    Their small one-room house was overcrowded. All eight members of her family were packed inside, and even a few neighbors had squeezed in to offer their congratulations.

    The food was simple¡ªa pot of vegetable gruel with a few precious pieces of rabbit meat someone had managed to chase down¡ªand the drink was a kind of beer brewed from the same root vegetable.

    She held her clay jar of beer in her hand, having taken quiet refuge in the barn. But even in the dark of night, Suniak had tracked her down.

    ¡°How did I do that?¡± she echoed. ¡°I did it by Kargath¡¯s grace, Sunny. I couldn¡¯t have done it without his help.¡±

    They all thought she was just being modest.

    But she was only telling the truth.

    She sipped some more of her drink, still trying to settle herself. The noise of the celebration was fading, and she could feel her mother approaching before she even heard her steps.

    They had always been close. Even though her mother had disapproved of her decision to take part in Kargath¡¯s Holy Days, she hadn¡¯t condemned her¡ªhad stayed silently on her side.

    ¡°You¡¯re very pensive,¡± her mother said gently, settling beside her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Miranda sighed again. Her mother always knew.

    She shook her head. ¡°No.¡±

    Her mother smiled, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re free now.¡±

    Miranda glanced at her mother.

    She knew one of her mother¡¯s deepest fears was that she might leave. And she would. Sooner or later, she would go. She drew in a deep breath, but before she could speak, her mother gently pressed on.

    ¡°Why do you seem like you¡¯re not happy after gaining your freedom?¡± she asked. ¡°Is it the wound? Does it still hurt, even if we can¡¯t see it? Suniak said the last bull gored you badly. Is that true, or is he exaggerating?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t there?¡± Miranda asked, a bit surprised.

    Her mother lowered her gaze, shame flickering in her expression.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to see you hurt,¡± she whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Miranda let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s true. The bull tore me open. I think¡­ I even saw my own heart. My belly was open and my entrails were everywhere. But the baroness gave me a potion. It healed me.¡±

    Her mother stared at her, eyes wide, swallowing hard.

    ¡°How¡­ how¡­ and yet with that wound, you still managed to win? That¡¯s¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish.

    Miranda sighed and looked around hearing more steps approaching them, then leaned in close, lowering her voice.

    ¡°You know, Ma¡­ I think Kargath did something. I was still recovering¡ªstill broken¡ªand then¡­ I don¡¯t know. I saw myself doing it. Like I was watching from somewhere else. And then¡­ it was over.¡±

    ¡°The god intervened for you?¡± her mother asked, baffled.

    But before Miranda could answer, another voice interrupted, accompanied by a hand shaking her from behind.

    ¡°Was she a real princess? You saw her? You spoke to a real princess?¡±

    Miranda turned toward her older sister, Agarla¡ªalready eighteen and still not married, eyes wide with fascination.

    ¡°What did you promise Kargath, for him to help you so much?¡± Lisa, her other sister, asked. Seventeen, already a mother, and now expecting her second child.

    Miranda sighed and barely whispered the truth.

    ¡°I promised I¡¯d go to war. To serve him.¡±

    A collective gasp rippled through the barn.

    ¡°Oh, dear¡­ oh, dear,¡± her mother moaned. ¡°You said you wanted freedom¡ªand this is your freedom? The army? That¡¯s worse than being a serf!¡±

    Then her father quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Did you promise to go into the army, or¡ªas you just said¡ªto go to war?¡± he asked calmly.

    Miranda blinked.

    ¡°I¡­ I only said I¡¯d go to war¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°Then go to that noblewoman¡ªthe one who gave you the healing potion. Ask if she¡¯ll take you into her troop. See if you can follow her. All noble houses are gathering forces, and she, at least, showed she cared.¡±

    Miranda turned to him, surprised.

    The idea wasn¡¯t bad.

    In fact, it sounded¡­ right.

 Chapter 332 - Good Deeds and Other Mistakes

    I hadn¡¯t slept well. Again. The night before had offered only a few ragged hours of rest, and instead of catching up, I¡¯d spent the night tossing, fretting over Ju. Was she safe? What if something had happened to her? What could I do? I didn¡¯t even know where she¡¯d gone, let alone how to reach her if she needed help.

    By morning, I was stewing in my own sour thoughts, trailing a little personal raincloud of fatigue and worry. Yolanda, quite perceptive, didn¡¯t try to make conversation. She just walked beside me in silence. Somehow, she seemed to know when to speak and when to simply let me be.

    The fatigue did have one upside: I didn¡¯t give the maids any trouble during the morning toilette. My only request was that they make it quick and smooth.

    Once I was wrapped in a fresh Kargath¡¯s celebration outfit, I made my way down the now-familiar marble corridors, heading for the same large room with its charming terrace and generous view¡ªmy spot for breakfast.

    Baron Esterghom and Archwizard Godain, the only familiar faces in the sea of nobles, were nowhere to be seen. Either they were still asleep, or already on their way to the stadium. It was from them I¡¯d learned about the curious fate of the Viscount of Genevais. He had opened a portal¡ªsupposedly a simple one to Uldaman¡ªbut stepped through and vanished. Since that day, there was no news from him. The royal mages had officially declared him lost.

    His son, left behind in uncertainty, could call himself only a viscount-to-be until the King named him successor or confirmed his father¡¯s death. For reasons I couldn¡¯t quite fathom, the boy had convinced himself I was somehow to blame for his father¡¯s disappearance. Upon hearing I¡¯d arrived at Fiona¡¯s residence, he had made a swift and silent exit.

    I would¡¯ve gladly continued my conversations with the baron and the archwizard. The baron, with his knowledge of harvesters¡ªtheir costs, quirks, and which models might best suit the barony¡ªhad been an invaluable source of practical advice. And the archwizard had sparked some ideas of his own, particularly about magical education. There was, it turned out, a well-regarded institution not too far from my barony, still within our governorate. A place where I might send not only Jane, but Tina and Michael as well.

    The thought was still tumbling around in my head, not quite settled, but he had a point. And now that I considered it... even Sid might benefit from such a school. That is, if he ever managed to wake up on time¡ªand felt like going in the first place.

    Thanks to Julietta¡¯s royal status¡ªthe role Yolanda was now playing¡ªI was mercifully spared from having to engage in the exhausting dance of noble small talk.

    Fiona had arranged everything in an innovative way¡ªthese sprawling common rooms for breakfast, where guests could choose their own seats rather than being bound to assigned places. It was a clever setup, encouraging nobles to mingle and strike up conversation more freely.

    Of course, etiquette still reigned. Those of lower rank couldn¡¯t simply stroll over and strike up a chat with someone above their station. But they could join their peers¡ªor even sit among those of lesser rank without scandal.

    Sure, I could brushed off any eager baron, count, or viscount who came sniffing around for a chat¡ªbut it¡¯s hard to make progress in courtly circles when you''re busy antagonizing people by the dozen.

    With Yolanda seated beside me, cloaked in her borrowed royalty, we were left in peace. No one dared join us uninvited. That is, until Therella entered, flanked by her ever-present lady-in-waiting.

    I couldn¡¯t help the snort of irritation that slipped out. There was no avoiding her.

    ¡°Julietta! Lores!¡± she squealed the moment she spotted us. Then her gaze shifted to Yolanda, head tilting in that subtle way of hers.

    Oh, drats. ¡ªI sighed¡ª Therella and those cursed eyes of hers. She was close enough now to see through the transformation¡ªto glimpse not just Julietta, but the truth beneath: Yolanda. Even though the two already shared a natural resemblance, there were still differences¡­ and with her strange gift, Therella had no trouble spotting them.

    She now approached us with a little nasty smile on her lips, while Yolanda turned a worried face towards me. I shrugged, tapping her hand to ease her. There was no need to panic however some splaining may be necessarily.

    Before joining us, Therella turned towards her lady in waiting and sent her towards the line where the dishes with food stood as exposition, to order breakfast. The procedure was simple: all options were displayed, one could walk around and decide what one wanted to have for breakfast, then waiters would bring everything at the table in the order it was requested.

    As Therella settled herself at our table¡ªher seat promptly arranged by an attentive waiter¡ªI realized we¡¯d have only a short window to speak without her lady-in-waiting overhearing. That was likely the whole point of sending her off in the first place, rather than going to choose the food herself.

    ¡°Activate the privacy field,¡± I murmured to Yolanda, who complied without hesitation.

    Once greetings were exchanged and the waiter discreetly retreated, Therella wasted no time.

    ¡°Care to explain what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, eyes fixed on Yolanda¡ªon Julietta.

    She was clearly referring to the deception.

    I gave a small shrug, unsure how much Ju would want her to know. Still, Therella was an elf too, and that probably counted for something. Enough, at least, to offer a breadcrumb.

    ¡°Something about a stranded group of elves,¡± I said, keeping it vague.

    Therella¡¯s face lit up.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I saw the signs too!¡±

    Then, with effortless grace, she slipped something across the table toward me, as if it were the most natural gesture in the world.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°I know Ju doesn¡¯t have any portals to our kingdom,¡± she said quietly. ¡°This is one she can use¡ªif an evacuation becomes necessary.¡±

    My eyes widened in surprise. First of all, I had no idea what signs she was referring to, though it was clear she¡¯d read the same messages Ju had. More importantly, she¡¯d just handed over something we sorely lacked: a portal scroll leading straight to elven lands. An incredibly rare and costly gift¡­ and almost certainly the best solution for the elves Ju had supposedly found.

    I slipped the scroll into my inventory without fanfare. When I looked back up and saw the flicker of concern in Therella¡¯s eyes, I gave her a nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Ju gets it.¡±

    She turned slightly, casting a quick glance toward her lady-in-waiting, who was still lingering by the food displays, then looked back at me.

    ¡°I overheard a conversation between Kotu and his paladin,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°You need to be careful. You¡¯re making some very powerful entities angry. Maybe it¡¯s time to strike a deal with the Xsoha. It would be cheaper¡ªand far less dangerous.¡±

    I blinked, caught off guard. ¡°I don¡¯t think the King would go to war just to please a bunch of bureaucrats.¡±

    She shot another glance at her companion, who was now making her way back.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know?¡± Therella leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about him, but¡ª¡±

    Her conspiratorial tone startled me, but whatever she¡¯d meant to say was swallowed by timing. The lady-in-waiting returned, and just like that, the conversation shifted.

    Therella launched into a cheerful commentary about the bull-leaping session, praising our performance with a bright smile. She mentioned that she¡¯d wanted to participate herself, but had been talked out of it¡ªapparently, everyone insisted it was far too dangerous.

    After that, she asked about Sid¡ªbut even this subject seemed to be under subtle supervision. Her lady-in-waiting suddenly developed a suspicious cough, and Therella quickly reined herself in. She limited her inquiry to a polite ¡°How is he doing?¡± and sent her best regards, though I could see in her eyes she had wanted to say more.

    *

    Meeting Therella had delayed us. Breakfast took longer than I would¡¯ve liked, but it would¡¯ve been far too impolite¡ªeven for me¡ªto leave before she was done. So once we wrapped things up, I made a swift exit and headed for the nearest teleport to town.

    Credit where credit is due: Fiona had gotten a lot right with her feast arrangements, and one thing I genuinely appreciated was the network of installed gateways. There was a warlock-maintained portal leading straight to the arena¡¯s back rooms, and another that opened into the heart of the city¡¯s commercial district. A dedicated team of warlocks was working nonstop to keep them stable. Of course, these gateways were only available to the nobility and their retinues, but even so, the warlocks were clearly sweating to keep the magic flowing.

    As I strode quickly toward the gateway leading into the city, my ''slave-princess'' was struggling to keep up. Despite her huffing pace, she seemed to have decided that my mood had improved¡ªor perhaps she simply thought I¡¯d be more forgiving on a full stomach¡ªbecause she suddenly launched into commentary about yesterday¡¯s games.

    ¡°You cheated yesterday,¡± she said bluntly, ¡°and Therella seems to know it.¡±

    She¡¯d activated the privacy bubble, thankfully, but I still flinched. Those bubbles weren¡¯t perfect, and there were always people who could read lips.

    I gave a small shrug. ¡°Therella won¡¯t betray us. How else were you supposed to succeed?¡±

    She snorted. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. If Therella saw it, someone else might¡¯ve too. You took too big a risk¡ªfor that girl. They might excuse cheating for a princess, but for a commoner?¡±

    Her voice dropped slightly, but the edge remained. ¡°You think you have to do good for everyone. But sometimes it¡¯s better to let things take their course.¡±

    I slowed, letting her catch up, and glanced sideways with a raised brow. What exactly did she mean by that?

    ¡°Look,¡± she said, ¡°about that peasant girl¡­¡±

    She paused, watching me carefully before continuing.

    ¡°She told you she¡¯s going to war. So, all you really achieved was pushing a peasant girl into the army, where she¡¯ll probably get killed¡ªinstead of living out her life with a family. Unless, of course, you take her into your own troops and let her die fighting for you.¡±

    She held my gaze. ¡°Sure, she would¡¯ve been disappointed if she lost. But that¡¯s all it would¡¯ve been¡ªdisappointment. Not a death sentence.¡±

    ¡°Not a death sentence? She almost died! Should I have just left her to die?¡± I shot back. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t believe Therella would betray me.¡±

    She shook her head unconvinced.

    ¡°If you truly wanted to help, healing her only at the end would¡¯ve been smarter. If you¡¯d left her injuries alone, she¡¯d have gone into the arena limping, taken a hit from the bull before it got truly mad¡ªafter we stuck those flags in its back¡ªand it would¡¯ve ended there. Painful, yes, but survivable. Now she thinks Kargath himself favors her, and she¡¯ll do something reckless.¡±

    I let out a sigh. That was certainly one way to look at it. Maybe I had overreached.

    ¡°She¡¯s a peasant,¡± I said quietly, ¡°but she¡¯s level fourteen. That¡¯s rare. Most humans don¡¯t even reach level ten in their lifetime¡ªonly one in twenty ever do. She has potential. A future. I just gave her a chance to chase it.¡±

    Yolanda huffed.

    ¡°Chase her future? She¡¯s stupid and reckless. That image of her dangling upside down from the bull¡¯s horn, legs flailing¡ªthat¡¯s probably the peak of her entertainment value. That¡¯s what the crowd will remember. How do you even top that? She¡¯ll find a way, I¡¯m sure... especially if you keep handing her rope!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, shaking my head. Yolanda certainly had a way with words. She was no longer playing the timid slave¡ªshe¡¯d slipped into the ''princess'' role with surprising ease and confidence.

    Earlier this morning, Miranda had been waiting right outside my door, and the moment we stepped out, she asked to be accepted into my army. She¡¯d been granted access to the castle as part of our team, and when she looked up at me with those big, hopeful eyes, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to turn her down outright. So I told her to wait while I considered it. Now, she was probably pacing circles in my room, anxiously waiting for my answer.

    Yolanda clearly wasn¡¯t in favor of taking her along. And maybe she was right.

    Yesterday, even though we had qualified for the final round, we chose to forfeit. A few boos had followed the announcement, but most of the crowd seemed to understand¡ªand even applauded the decision. There was no need to risk it all. Even Yolanda, despite her higher level, would¡¯ve struggled with the next stage¡¯s bull.

    Events proved me right soon enough¡ªone marquis¡¯ daughter died during the final round and had to be resurrected. That incident quickly dampened the enthusiasm of several teams, and in the end, only three managed to finish. Each received a gold medallion and earned the honor of participating onstage in today¡¯s bull sacrifice. Personally, I was more than happy to have missed out on that privilege. Spending hours covered in bull blood while the priestesses performed their lengthy rites¡ªfor a medallion, even if it was worth several gold coins¡ªwas not my idea of a good time.

    As we neared the entry hall where the two gates were set up, I was surprised to find a queue. One of the warlocks maintaining the portals had collapsed from mana exhaustion, and the others were too drained to take another potion. They needed time to recover. Fortunately for us, it was the gate to the stadium that had stalled¡ªour destination was the city, and the portal to town still had just enough power left for the two of us to slip through.

    The small but lovely city center was almost deserted. Most people had already made their way to the stadium, where the festivities were about to begin. There were performances scheduled throughout the day, and of course, the grand sacrifice at noon. I was hoping to squeeze in a bit of shopping before then.

    More importantly, I had an appointment at the chemist¡ªfor Yolanda¡¯s treatment. I needed to collect the medicine and pay off the remaining fifty gold. A heavy burden, and at precisely the worst possible time¡­ but what choice did I have?