《From Seekers to Warriors》


 Prologue: His First Step

    Kastrai, Western continent of Thera.


    Kastrai West Lodge.


    "Next up, Number 1096!"


    I looked down at my number badge. I see it''s the exact same number, which meant it was time for me to take my Seeker evaluation. I walk through the crowd of applicants, trying to squeeze my way through to the front.


    My eyes open to a long staircase leading to a podium and at the bottom is a Lodge employee with a holographic clipboard in her hands.


    "Please make your way to the top and your evaluation will begin there."


    I nod and begin taking my steps up to the top. As I reach the apex, it seems that the podium is a transportation device. I take my position on it and wait.


    Instantly, the floor begins to shine a bright light and I had to cover my eyes. A few seconds pass and I hear voices, a male and female.


    "So this is Number 1096, nothing too impressive."


    "Relax, Hector. We haven''t even looked into his potentials yet."


    I begin to open my eyes and I''ve been transported to a completely different area. The staircase and crowd behind me disappeared and all that was left was a small hovering tablet, and four screens behind it.


    "Hi, welcome to your evaluation. Don''t be shy, please step forward and stand before the tablet."


    It was that lady''s voice from before. I follow her command and approach the floating tablet. I look towards the four screens and there are portraits of people; one lady, and two men. The last one to the right had no image at all, I wonder what''s wrong with that one.


    "We are Master Seekers within the Four Spirit Schools. Here, we will see your potential as a Seeker and will invite you to our school should we want to. Please place your hand on the tablet so we may begin."


    Again, I follow what was asked of me and placed my hand on the tablet. Suddenly, the tablet began to make scanning noises, as if my ''potentials'' were being sent to the people on the screens.


    "...!!!"


    "..."


    "I shall pass."


    "I too will pass."


    The two men responded immediately. From those words, I knew I''ve lost my opportunity with two of the four schools.


    "Hector, Seraph, how rude of you to reject him so quickly."


    I turn my attention to the lady on the left, as she explains what my situation is.


    "Young man, I''m sorry but I''ll have to say no as well. You have amazing potential, however, you have affinity in the Bear Spirit Arts. But maybe..."


    She looks to her left and calls for someone from the unused screen.


    "Hey, Ardella!"


    The screen goes white and an image of a middle-aged woman appeared. She looks as though she was fast asleep before she turned on her screen.


    *Yawn* "What''s the deal, Mariel?"


    "Take a look, this boy has an affinity for your Spirit School."


    I see this Ardella lady looking down while trying to keep her eyes open.


    "Oho...interesting, he''ll do. Send him to me."


    The screen which portrayed Ardella''s face changed to a portal of some sort. I hesitated to enter, but the nice lady gave me the all-clear.


    "It''s fine, you''ve been invited to join the Bear Spirit School. Congratulations."


    I give a final bow to the other three and walk into the portal.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The surroundings changed once again, from a small dark room to an open room made of solid wood. I look around and I see the Ardella lady lying in the middle of what seemed to be a training arena.


    "Hey, welcome to the Bear Spirit School: Ursae Style. I''m Ardella, the Grandmaster of the Bear Spirit."


    "Hello, I''m Ulrick Garside... wait! Did you say, Grandmaster?"


    Are you serious?


    The Grandmasters of Spirits are considered legends in this world. It is said that long ago, the Founding God Desmuth once traveled our world to find Warriors strong enough to help him defend our world from all invading forces. They are so powerful, stories say they are on par with the Founding God when it comes to combat. You''re telling me that this lady is one of them?


    "Take any vacant room upstairs and wait there. I''ll need to get back to these boring evaluations."


    Still surprised from what I heard, all I could muster was a soft "yes" and went straight upstairs and took one of the rooms. As soon as I shut my door, I chuck my bag onto the bed and collapse to the floor.


    I couldn''t believe my luck.


    Here I am, just a 16-year-old boy who decided to leave my village to become a Seeker. I didn''t want to be the unlucky people who left the Lodge with tears in their eyes.But now, not only am I an official Seeker but I''ll be personally taught by a Grandmaster. Maybe my luck has changed for the better after all. If she really is a Grandmaster, maybe I can ask her for a spar.


    <hr>


    A few more hours passed and the evaluations are officially over. Out of 1121 applicants, only 4 were invited to join a Spirit School. Mostly only 1 or 2 are chosen but this year''s group had some promising youngsters.


    Back in the evaluation area, the screens portraying the four representatives are still active. One of them, Mariel, greets her fellow Master with delight.


    "Aww... it''s too bad there were none for us, but lucky you Seraph! You got two students this year. That should help your Fish School increase its reputation."


    "Yeah."


    Seraph responds with a stoic tone.


    "C''mon, smile a bit. Now you got some juniors to teach and spoil!"


    "..."


    Staying silent, he disconnects his screen.


    "Haha, such a shy one. How about you Hector? Every year your school gets at least one student, what''s the secret?"


    Unbeknownst to Mariel, he too left his screen as well.


    "Rude. Oh well, our school will just need to wait for next year."


    Before she leaves, she was curious on how the boy is doing at Ardella''s school.


    "By the way, Grandmaster Ardella. How''s your new student doing?"


    "He''s in his room, looks like he''ll be a good one."


    Although Ardella appears to be excited to teach her new disciple, Mariel reveals her concerns.


    "So another one has appeared. How many does that make it now?"


    "You mean his Spirit evaluation? I don''t know, it''s been a while since the last one."


    "...You do know what this means?"


    Ardella quickly responds to Mariel.


    "I know. You don''t need to remind me."


    "I''m sorry, Grandmaster. Please excuse me."


    Mariel respects her senior before she leaves her screen. Left alone, Ardella calms herself. She displays a look of sadness and grief but immediately changes to a face of determination.


    "Maybe..."


    <hr>


    Back at Ardella''s school, she visits Ulrick in his room. She opens his door and finds him sitting frozen on his bed, as though he''s seen a ghost.


    "Hey, kid. You okay there?"


    "Uh... what?"


    "Good, you''re still alive. We''ll start training tomorrow, make sure your gear is all set for it."


    Ulrick is still unsure whether his new Master is one of those legendary people, so he decides to confirm this.


    "Excuse me, but are you really a Grandmaster of Spirit?"


    "Yeah, why would I lie?"


    "Well, you look young to be centuries old."


    Ardella lets out a small chuckle before she proclaims the truth.


    "Kid, I know you won''t believe me now, but it''s the truth."


    She suddenly flicks her long dark hair back and poses in a way that was supposed to show off her beauty.


    "Also, age can never affect true beauty."


    Unimpressed by her action, Ulrick replied with a face of distaste.


    "You damn brat! *Sigh* Believe what you will, but just know that I''m not lying."


    Before she shuts the door, Ulrick quickly asks her something he wanted to do since he got here.


    "Ardella, can we please have a match?"


    "..."


    Ulrick immediately kneels on the ground with his face on the floor.


    "It''s Master Ardella, and why should I?"


    "I''ve always been the strongest in my village, I left home because I wanted a challenge. Now, if you really are a Grandmaster of Spirit, I would like to see how I fair against the strongest."


    "...Kid, why did you become a Seeker?"


    With a strong look in his eyes, he lifts his head and says to his new Master his mission in life.


    "To be the strongest Warrior."


    Ardella could see the strength behind the boy''s words and look. She realizes he isn''t the type to back down once he announces it, she decides to humor him a little.


    "You don''t know you''re getting into. But fine, don''t cry if you can''t land a single hit on me."


    <hr><hr>

 Vol.1, Ch.1: The Beginning of their Journey

    Isura, Eastern continent of Thera.


    Within a luscious forest, a horrid and dark cave sits near the end of the walking path. Just by looking, the cave exerts an aura filled with disgust and gore. Blood and bones are scattered around the entrance, keeping people away from this forest. A request was made for someone to investigate the cave and resolve what hides inside. A long trail runs deep inside the cave and on it is a young boy, making his way towards a large crater located at the end of the path.


    The boy sports a hairband, covering half his frizzy brown hair. His unzipped jacket cloaks his dark combat top. His pants seem baggy around the waist but are slim towards his ankles, while his simple high-cut sneakers completed his look. He reaches the edge of the crater and quickly hides behind a large boulder, and peeks above to observe the vile beast. The body of a lion but with wings of a bat, plenty of livestock corpses is spread around its nest but the beast is acting cautiously and keeping its guard up. It seems as though the beast can sense the young boy nearby.


    The boy with the medium build crouches back behind the boulder and looks down at his necklace. It begins to shine, three bright white dots.


    ¡°A D-Rank and Stage 3. This will make number 10.¡±


    He unsheathes the tonfa from his hips and holds them in his hands. Maintaining concentration, he whispers a chant of some kind.


    ¡°Ursae Style, First Form: Power Paws.¡±


    A green aura began to form around the boy¡¯s arms and tonfa.


    ¡°Okay, here we go!¡±


    He jumps off the edge and lands before the beast. His landing immediately caught the beast¡¯s attention, and it springs into a stance.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, you look uglier up close. No wonder the folks nearby are afraid of you¡±


    [!!!]


    Like it understood what the boy said, the beast releases an angry howl towards him. The soundwaves reverberated through the cave, creating small trembles and falling rocks in the vicinity.


    Among the falling rubble, the boy remained unfazed, and he began to charge straight at the beast. He swings at its body but the beast counters with its tail. A stalemate at first, the boy¡¯s swing begins to slowly surpass the beast¡¯s strength and is blown back.


    Suddenly, a female voice is heard. It was coming from the boy¡¯s wristwatch.


    ¡°Oi Ulrick! What was that sound just then? You know I was resting here!¡±


    She sounded unhappy about the beast¡¯s attack.


    The boy named Ulrick jumps back and quickly taps his wristwatch. The beast regains its balance and frantically swings its tail at Ulrick, but he dodges with precision while yelling his response at his watch.


    ¡°Relax Geno! It was just a howl. No need to be dramatic about it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, whatever. Oh! While you¡¯re there, get a record of the beast. I want to put it in my book. Thanks in advance!¡±


    CLICK


    The watch¡¯s screen goes black. He jumps back, away from the beast¡¯s attack radius, and prepares himself.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Now let¡¯s finish this.¡±


    The beast yells in anger and swipes its front claws at him. Ulrick jumps into the air, straight above the beast¡¯s head. He lands on the surface above and uses it as a boost pad, charging directly at it with force.


    He generates a wide swing with his tonfa and connects at the beast¡¯s right cheek. Feeling the impact, the beast grimaces in pain and is blasted to the side of the crater.


    The outcome of this attack didn¡¯t look like one that would have come from a teenager. The beast was about three times his size and definitely weighed much more.


    The rock face on the left crumbles upon the beast and although it took a hard hit, the beast gets back up slowly. From that one attack, the beast looked to be defeated, but it showed some spirit to continue. Impressed by its action, Ulrick readies himself.


    ¡°What''s wrong? Giving up already?.¡±


    He rushes at it, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. Unable to keep its sight on the boy, the beast felt a heavy impact on its back legs. It falls back onto its tail but another strike lands on its front legs, bringing the beast down to the ground. Ulrick appears before the beast and places his right tonfa on top of its head


    ¡°It¡¯s my win.¡±


    With his weapon still shrouded, he raises his tonfa and delivers a powerful blow onto the beast¡¯s skull, creating a massive split in the earth beneath them. The beast is no more, and the white glimmer from his necklace disappears. He deactivates the green force and puts his tonfa away.


    ¡°Five hits to defeat a Stage 3. I still need to get stronger.¡±


    From the defeated beast, visible steam begins to linger.


    ¡°Gotta get the tracker.¡±


    Ulrick reaches into his hidden breast pocket and grabs a device.


    Similar to a flask in design, the hand-size device has a screen on the front, filled with various information. He flips the lid off, and the steam flows into the device.


    As the steam is being collected, the body of the beast begins to disintegrate into thin air. Once all the content was collected, an electronic voice emerged from the flask.


    Calculation in progress


    ....DING!


    You have defeated D-Rank, Stage 3: Winged Lion (1)


    Your marks have been updated - D-Rank: 10/10


    ¡°With this, I¡¯ve finished my first set of marks.¡±


    He puts the device away and begins to climb up the crater. Once he got to the top, he ran back to the entrance, not wasting any time to see his friend.


    <hr>


    Ulrick reaches the cave entrance and is greeted to a large forest area. Already nightfall, the tall trees, and beautiful flowers are illuminated by the fireflies gathered around them. The lovely view relaxes Ulrick, that is until a female appears in his sights.


    The girl in question had long blonde hair that was tied by a red rope towards the end. Her robe-like clothing comprises the colors white and blue, with light armor around her chest and left shoulder. She also had tall brown boots that gave her a slight height advantage compared to Ulrick.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°So¡­ how¡¯d it go? Did you get the record as I asked you to?¡±


    ¡°Such a view is ruined by you, Geno.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and tell me what I want.¡±


    The two begin traveling through the forest and making their way back to the village that requested the beast hunt. During which, Ulrick describes the beast he fought to Geno. The beast¡¯s appearance, rank, and attack patterns, also him reaching one of his marks. Engrossed in their conversation; they decided to camp in the forest, knowing they won¡¯t reach the village until sunrise tomorrow.


    ¡°You make dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°What? I made dinner last time, it¡¯s your turn. I just fought a beast and completed one of my marks. Don¡¯t you think I deserve some rest?¡±


    The bickering went on, but ultimately Ulrick got stuck with cooking duty. They find a safe spot to stay for the night and they lay their sleeping bag by a tall tree. He goes looking for food, while Geno searches for branches to start a fire. Ulrick finds food in the shape of two rabbits, the perfect meal for a successful mission.


    As he prepares the meat, Geno takes out a book from her backpack. A thick book with the title ¡®Beastology Records¡¯ on the front; although it appears to be in childish writing. She places the book on a nearby stump and flicks through the pages; looking for a specific record. She finds the page, which shows a description of a beast similar to what Ulrick defeated.


    ¡°The record I got from the Kastrai Lodge is of a C-Rank Winged Lion. However, the wings were of an eagle.¡±


    She ponders even further about the possibilities.


    ¡°Could different ranks of the same beast have different features?¡±


    While her mind was too focused on her records, Ulrick called out for her.


    ¡°Hey, Geno! The food is ready, eat it while it¡¯s hot¡±


    ¡°Oh ho! Thanks, Ulri- cooked over the fire again? Can¡¯t you make something like stew or pasta.¡±


    ¡°Just appreciate what I made, and you cook next time!¡±


    They went back and forth once more until Geno decided to call it a night. Ulrick kicks dirt onto the fire and they both entered their sleeping bags. Laying under the clear night sky, they both fall to sleep to the ambient nature sounds of the forest.


    <hr>


    To the east of the cave, resides a small fisherman village along the coast of the continent. Every day at midnight, the men would set sail to collect fish and return home by sunset. The women at home sot through the catching haul and place them into large baskets for the Village Head and his son to deliver to the nearby town and exchange for income. All was going well when the beast appeared and halted their lives. For weeks, this monster kept haunting their village but thankfully no one was killed. One day the Village Head''s son, Henry, left the village to request Seekers to defeat the beast. Since his departure, there hasn''t been any word and the village is on its last legs.


    The present morning, the Village Head goes around and sees how his people are doing. So far, everyone has been doing well, but reaching the end of their food ration is starting to become a concern. The Head also worries for his son, Henry, who hasn''t returned from the Lodge. The Head visits the last home, and it''s his son''s childhood friend.


    ¡°Good morning, Head.¡±


    ¡°Samuel, how are you and your family?¡±


    "We''re hanging there. We still have some rations to survive on but..."


    "I understand."


    Before he departs, a little boy comes running by and speaks to the village elder.


    "Excuse me sir, but are the shriekers back from the fight?"


    Both the Head and Samuel were perplexed at the little boy''s question. Samuel pats his head and asks him about it.


    "Jonas, what are you talking about?"


    "Shriekers, daddy! They came by a few days ago and said they''ll fight the bad beast.".


    "...!!!"


    The two adults immediately understood what was being said.


    "Head, did you know about this?"


    "I don''t, Samuel. I would have heard about Seekers coming through our village."


    Moments later, galloping is heard from the village¡¯s southern entrance. The horse¡¯s strides became louder by the second and a male voice begins to yell for his father and friend.


    ¡°Father! Samuel!¡±


    Henry stops before them and greets them with excitement.


    ¡°Father! I rode as soon as I heard the news. Have they returned?¡±


    The village head and Samuel both shake their heads.


    ¡°We''ve just heard about the Seekers, son. But no, they haven''t returned.¡±


    ¡°Henry! Looks like your trip to the Lodge was a success!"


    Though he left home while the beast was close by, Henry is thankful all his hard work paid off. Soon his village will return to the way it was.


    As they exchanged words, two figures emerged in the direction of the forest. It was Ulrick and Geno, the Seekers that Samuel¡¯s kid spoke of. The Village Head, happy to see them alive and safe, quickly approaches them and asks them the important question.


    ¡°Strong Seekers, were you¡­ able to finish the beast?¡±


    ¡°Yep! You guys should be safe now.¡±


    Before the Head could express any happiness, he wanted to be absolutely sure.


    ¡°Please excuse my rudeness, but may I see the proof?¡±


    ¡°Oh sure, one second.¡±


    Ulrick reaches into his pocket and takes out the flask device, scrolling through the screen.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ there! Here you go.¡±


    He shows the screen to the village¡¯s head, which displayed the following:


    7....


    8¡­.


    9¡­.


    10. D-Rank, Stage 3: Winged Lion (1)


    There it was! The description perfectly matched the monster that has been tormenting them the past weeks. The head looks back at Ulrick, who¡¯s sporting a large grin on his face. He knew Ulrick wasn¡¯t lying, but he needed confirmation to believe the impossible.


    Unable to contain his emotions, the head turns towards his village and yells at the top of his voice.


    ¡°My people! The Seekers have quelled the beast! We have been freed from our fears! Come out! Relish in the sunlight!¡±


    Little by little, the villagers open their doors. Acting like they were seeing daylight for the first time, they gradually leave their homes and assemble at the center of the village. Jonas approaches his father while Henry''s wife confirms with him.


    "Papa, did they do it?¡±


    ¡°Is it true, Henry?¡±


    Both nod and tears form in their eyes. Even with their answers, most were still unable to believe the news.


    ¡°C¡¯mon guys, the beast is gone. Act a little more cheerful, will you?¡±


    Ulrick¡¯s large smile portrayed a thousand words. It finally reached the villagers and all their faces went from disbelief to ecstasy. The people were cheering, crying, and smiling from cheek to cheek. Husbands hugging their wives, mothers kissing their children, kids jumping for joy. It was as if a curse was lifted from this place. During the celebration, an elderly woman slowly walks up to Geno and grabs her hand firmly.


    ¡°Thank you, child¡±


    The villagers saw the granny¡¯s action, and everyone followed suit. They rushed towards Ulrick and Geno and gathered around their saviors, thanking them from the bottom of their hearts.


    ¡°Thank you, Seekers!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve saved us from that wretched life¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Big Sis! Big Brother!¡±


    Everybody¡¯s generosity overlapped, so much it became too difficult to thank each and every person. With a loud voice, Geno responds to the villagers'' gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine everyone, we''re happy to help. Please use that same energy when rebuilding your community!¡±


    The village¡¯s morale shot up, and everyone was excited to have their lives back. Henry forces his way through the crowd and speaks to their heroes.


    ¡°Thank you once again. Please take this with you for your reward.¡±


    He hands Geno a completion pass with a code and his signature.


    ¡°I will happily accept it. Thanks again.¡±


    She stores the document in her side bag and announces their farewell to the village.


    ¡°I know it has been very short, but we must be off.¡±


    Although the village wasn''t able to celebrate this moment with their saviors, they were happy to see them off.


    They both leave the village through the southern entrance, the same way Henry arrived from. As Ulrick waves his goodbye to the villagers, a young voice is heard, calling for them.


    ¡°Big Bro! Big Sis!¡±


    Ulrick pauses and sees the boy, while Geno stops and turns.


    ¡°Hey Geno, it¡¯s that kid who told us the way to the cave.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. you¡¯re right. Wonder what he wants?¡±


    The boy catches up and embraces Ulrick¡¯s leg. Ulrick then crouches down and speaks to the boy on his level.


    ¡°Hey little guy, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll come back and see us again, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Jonas.¡±


    Both Ulrick and Geno look at each other. Jonas gives them a sad but adorable look. Unable to disappoint him, Ulrick and Geno smiled and simultaneously responded.


    ¡°Of course, Jonas!¡±


    The little boy smiles and runs back to his family who was waiting at the entrance. All the villagers stop at the entrance and continue waving and shouting goodbye to their heroes. Geno and Ulrick leave the saved village and travel to the closest Lodge, the North Isura Lodge.


    <hr>

 Vol.1, Ch.2: Life of a Seeker

    Viston, the capital city of the Isura continent.


    The capital consists of multiple cities, all sitting on large rock edges of the tallest mountain in the range. With the Seekers Lodge located at the top, the rock edges are divided into three levels. To commute to each level, wooden bridges were constructed. For horse carts and large deliveries, platform mechanisms were built on each level. A separate platform is built from ground to the top of the mountain, a quick trip for Seekers to use. The two walk towards the Lodge-exclusive platform and as expected, there are others who are waiting as well. Four to be exact, but only one of them seems to be a Seeker. The leader of the party; average height, built man with a large sword on his back, approaches the two, and greets them happily.


    ¡°Hello, you guys are Seekers yes? I¡¯m Basil Whittaker. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes we are. I¡¯m Ulrick Garside, and she is Genovera Koval.¡±


    Basil observes Ulrick even deeper. He can see how toned his body and muscles are even with his clothing on.


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m not that strong, but I can tell how powerful you are considering your age.¡±


    ¡°Haha really? I mean, I¡¯m still training, and I¡¯m definitely weaker than Geno, but¡­¡±


    Ulrick humbly blushes at Basil¡¯s compliment as the two seem to hit it off. Geno sighs at Ulrick¡¯s obvious expression; but behind the two she sees three ladies, all showing their annoyance at what just transpired. They seem to be Basil¡¯s party members, but it made more sense to call them his devoted fans. The platform arrives at ground level and Geno takes the hint. She interrupts the boys¡¯ friendly conversation and grabs Ulrick by the collar, dragging him along onto the platform.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Basil, but we must go now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Geno! Stop pulling me. C¡¯mon Basil, you¡¯re going to the Lodge too yeah?¡±


    As Basil was about to follow them, one of the girls pulled him by the sleeve and slyly held him back.


    ¡°Basil, We want to see the other levels. Please?¡±


    ¡°Well of course. I''m sorry Ulrick, we¡¯ll take the scenic route. I hope we¡¯ll meet again at the Lodge.¡±


    Basil bows in farewell, and he and his group walk towards the wooden bridge. The three ladies turn their heads and give piercing glares at Ulrick. The platform begins its course to the top and the two walk to the available seats on the side. Being the oblivious person he is, Ulrick questioned Geno about her behavior and why the girls gave him such a look. She explained to him the situation during the ride.


    ¡°Yikes¡­ Didn¡¯t see that coming. Good eye, Geno.¡±


    ¡°You really need to check your surroundings more often. Hunting monsters is not the only battlefield Seekers face.¡±


    Geno¡¯s words speak some truth. It¡¯s what Ulrick expected from a person who has been a Seeker for over a year. But this one felt different, her eyes portrayed a certain feeling. It¡¯s almost as if she speaks from experience. Ulrick didn¡¯t want to pry anymore than he should, and so he nodded. The views from the platform were amazing. Passing the second level, the entirety of the Isura continent was almost in sight. The region was full of grasslands and forests, with small to medium size villages spread among the area. They could also see the village they recently helped. Three minutes have passed, and the platform arrives at its destination. They step off the platform and follow the path towards the Lodge¡¯s entrance. This Lodge is three tiers tall with two smaller towers on either side. It seems that one tower provides accommodation while the other is for smithing and shopping.


    As they approach the front, the glass doors slide open, and the two walk into the lobby area. The area was very advanced, having multiple screens on all sides. One side shows available requests in the area; the other has lounging and communication desks, mailing out messages to anywhere around the world. Ulrick and Geno approach the receptionist''s desk; the lady behind the desk slightly bows and welcomes the two.


    ¡°Welcome to North Isura Lodge. How may I assist you today?¡±


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to receive our reward from a hunting request.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, may I please have the job document.¡±


    Geno hands over the document given to her by Henry. The receptionist accepts the document and types away on her screen. A card is forged under the screen, the lady takes it and walks behind her to open a numbered locker. Inside contains a small bag, she grabs it and hands it over to Ulrick and Geno.


    ¡°Hunt Request Code: 9345, Here is the reward - 150 vens.¡±


    Geno takes the reward and adds it to their current income.


    ¡°With this, we should have enough to rest and stock up. It should also be enough to pay for my weapon repairs.¡±


    She gets excited, the thought of finally getting her most precious weapon back where it belongs. She looks at Ulrick, and he too is excited for her. The receptionist then responds with further information.


    ¡°For accommodation, payment must be made for the first night. For extra nights, payment will be taken after the first night.¡±


    ¡°Please put us down for two rooms.¡±


    The receptionist bows and types on her screen, and again two cards were created. She hands them over to Ulrick and Geno.


    ¡°Rooms 52 and 53. You will find your rooms on the right in the accommodation tower. Please enjoy your stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As Geno conveys her gratitude, the receptionist glances at Ulrick and discloses important information on her screen.


    ¡°Mr. Garside, I see you¡¯ve successfully completed one of your marks. Would you like to be transmitted to your school?¡±


    Although he wanted to get stronger, he wanted to see the capital city and everything it offers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go later, I¡¯d like to stay here and explore a bit. Plus I want to see Geno back in action with her awesome weapon.¡±


    ¡°Very well, please come back to the receptionist''s desk whenever you wish to return.¡±


    Ulrick responds to the receptionist¡¯s kindness with a bow. Geno, smiling at his previous comment, tells him where she¡¯s heading off.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to the smith and getting my weapon. Are you gonna be okay on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you when I see you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Geno heads towards the left tower. Meanwhile, Ulrick waves at the receptionist goodbye and approach the stairs leading to the upper floors.


    [2nd Floor: Application Area, 3rd Floor: Seeker Training Rooms]


    Seeing that he had nothing else to do, Ulrick decides to explore the Lodge.


    ¡°That sounds like fun, meet new people and get some training in.¡±


    <hr>


    Ulrick arrives on the second floor, the Application Area. This is where people sign up to become Seekers. Here, newcomers will need to attend an orientation meeting, which is followed by an evaluation screening.


    Almost anyone can become a Seeker, the only regulation is that you need to be 16 or over to apply. However, the most important element to becoming a Seeker, is whether or not you have high potential.


    Ulrick sees a large group of people in a meeting room and he sees an orientation about to commence. From looking at the crowd, there seems to be about 1,500 people trying to be Seekers. It brought a bit of nostalgia in Ulrick, back when he first applied at the Lodge close to his hometown. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    He decided to stop by and see if there were any strong newcomers in the batch. At first glance, he couldn¡¯t see anyone too special, but suddenly he felt a chill. His sights went straight to the stage and there was a large man standing at the center.


    ¡°Hello and welcome to the North Isura Lodge. I¡¯m the Lodge Director and 2-Star Seeker, Tyson Margrave.¡±


    This strong presence was coming from the old gent leading the orientation. He''s tall, has a buzzcut, and is wearing a grey suit and tie.


    It¡¯s rare to have the Lodge Director lead an orientation, due to their busy schedule. The person who led Ulrick¡¯s orientation was a lady who worked at the Lodge. He could tell this man is strong, and had a lot of battle experience, considering all the scars he wears on his face.


    ¡°To be frank, I only see some of you that have the potential to be Seekers.¡±


    From that one line, he delivered the feeling of disappointment in the newcomers.


    ¡°Should you become a Seeker, you will grow stronger. And maybe someday, one of you will become a Warrior and stang alongside our Founding God, Desmuth.¡±


    The man then takes out a device and necklace from his pocket and continues.


    ¡°Now these here are what you¡¯ll receive, once you become a Seeker. A necklace that will scan a monster¡¯s rank, and a device that collects their life force, known as a tracker. Your goal is to complete your marks, and get stronger to become a Warrior.¡±


    A holographic screen appears behind Margrave and on it shows different colors and information that seemed overwhelming at first.


    [MONSTER RANKS]


    D = White


    C = Green


    B = Blue


    A = Red


    S = Gold


    [SEEKER POTENTIALS]


    Body = Strength, Endurance, Agility


    Mind = Reason, Willpower, Perception


    Spirit = Bear, Fish, Bird, Snake


    ¡°For Monster ranks, your necklace will shine one of the following colors. Meaning, the monster you encounter is the associated rank.¡±


    The people in the crowd begin to mumble. The Director glared back at them, and they were brought to silence.


    ¡°Within each monster rank, there consists of five stages. The number of colored dots will indicate the stage level.¡±


    The information was made easy to understand, thanks to Margrave¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°At first, the stages might seem unnecessary. However, there have been cases where higher stage monsters will give multiple marks, or stage 5 monsters evolving to the next rank during a battle. So be careful, act smart, consider everything when you decide on your mark.¡±


    As Margrave continued his talk, some began to tremble. The thought of fighting a monster close to evolution was frightening to them. A man in the front immediately raises his hand.


    ¡°Yes, Number 116.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Margrave, you said you were a 2-Star. Why isn¡¯t there any information about ¡®Stars¡¯ on the screen?¡±


    Margrave proceeds to answer the man¡¯s query.


    ¡°In regards to Stars, it¡¯s simply a rating system of your potential as a Seeker.¡±


    He continues, having caught everybody¡¯s attention.


    ¡°As you can see on the screen, there are three potentials a Seeker has: Body, your innate physical attribute. Mind, passive skills that will naturally unlock as you grow. Finally, theSpirit, your affinity for the powerful Spirit Animal Arts.¡±


    Margrave further explains the Star rankings.


    ¡°The number of stars indicates how many potentials you are compatible with. For example, if your evaluation shows you to have Strength, but none in the rest, you are a 1-Star Seeker.¡±


    This information brought some smiles in the crowd. If you can get at least one potential, you¡¯ll be a Seeker, and still have that regal reputation among the commoners. But, Margrave follows on with dreadful revelations.


    ¡°While being a 1-Star does mean some level of prestige; to truly be a Seeker and potentially a Warrior, one must have an affinity with one of the Spirit Animals.¡±


    While Ulrick was lucky to have affinity in all three potentials, those who did not have any Spirit affinity during his evaluation session were immediately rejected.


    ¡°As you know, there are four schools that have been training generations of Warriors in the Spirit Animal Arts. It is said that these arts originated from our God, and were passed down to the current Grandmasters.¡±


    Margrave proceeds with his speech.


    ¡°If you do not have Spirit affinity, you will be immediately rejected. That means you cannot be a Warrior of Desmuth, it''s as simple as that.¡±


    Although what he says is true, Ulrick is grateful to his Master. If it wasn¡¯t for her, he wouldn¡¯t be where he is now. He will always have respect for his Master, regardless of how people feel about her.


    As he remained focused on Margrave¡¯s speech, someone tapped on his shoulder.


    ¡°Ulrick, what¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    It was Geno, who seemed to be making her way to the training area.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, Geno. Sorry, I was just listening to the orientation.¡±


    ¡°Did you already forget some things? You can be such a child.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I just wanted to see if there were any strong newcomers.¡±


    Seeing she didn¡¯t want to tease him any further, she tells Ulrick to follow her.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go to the training rooms. Now I got back my weapon, I¡¯ll need to polish my skills.¡±


    Sure enough, Ulrick agrees and follows her to the training rooms. They leave for the third floor as Margrave continues his orientation.


    <hr>


    It¡¯s already sunset, both Geno and Ulrick exit the Lodge. Geno, with an obvious grin, is happy that her weapon is back and she''s still adept with it. Ulrick was impressed by the Lodge¡¯s training area.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used the Lodge¡¯s training rooms but it¡¯s amazing technology. I didn¡¯t know you could fight a simulation of a monster from your tracker.¡±


    ¡°It is a simulation, but it¡¯s still good for gaining some experience. You could also use monster records kept by the Lodge, but that will cost you an excessive amount of vens.¡±


    They head to the platform terminal that leads to the lower levels. Nothing better than having a big feast after a good workout. On top of that, Geno wanted to celebrate both Ulrick¡¯s achievement and the return of her weapon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try the food here. Hopefully, it¡¯s not just meat fried over an open fire.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho, are you going to pay for my meal Geno?¡±


    ¡°Of course! That¡¯s how thoughtful I am.¡±


    Before reaching the terminal, they see a person running from the eastern woodlands. On closer inspection, it appeared to be one of the girls from Basil¡¯s party. She looked to be injured and sweating profusely.


    ¡°Please help! Basil will die!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    As soon as they understood, Geno and Ulrick ran straight towards her. The girl was on her last legs and began to fall from exhaustion; thankfully Geno was quick enough to catch her. Ulrick then grabs a bottle of water from his bag and passes it to her. She takes it with no hesitation and drinks the entire content, speaking immediately after she finishes.


    ¡°Haah... haah¡­. please help us¡­ cough, cough.¡±


    Geno soothes the girl.


    ¡°Relax, take it slow. Tell us what happened.¡±


    The girl catches her breath and then explains what occurred.


    ¡°Before we reached the Lodge, a group of men suddenly approached us and they wanted to buy me and my sisters.¡±


    Already, Geno and Ulrick do not like the sound of this. The girl starts to cry as she carries on with her recount.


    ¡°We obviously rejected them, but Basil was disgusted and punched the leader. They ganged up on him and after that, they took us into the woods. They were¡­. they were going to....¡±


    As though she knew where this was going, Geno quickly comforts her. She places her hand on the girl¡¯s head, as the girl cries on Geno¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. What happened next?¡±


    ¡°...Before they did anything, Basil appeared and fought them off. He only had time to untie me, before he got attacked by the leader. He told me to run for the Lodge and get help.¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t keep her emotions in check. Her tears kept pouring out as she went on.


    ¡°Now he¡¯s alone, fighting that disgusting man. I know he¡¯s strong but he won¡¯t make it! He¡¯s just a 1-Star! He¡¯s up against a 2-Star Seeker with a Spirit affinity!¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry to ask more than I should, but is he a Snake Spirit User?"


    "...Yes."


    After hearing the girl''s weak answer, Geno slowly passes the girl to Ulrick and stands on her feet.


    ¡°Ulrick, take her to the Lodge¡¯s infirmary and tell them what¡¯s happened. I¡¯ll go and get Basil and the girls.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    A change occurred within Geno. Ulrick, trusting her words, follows her command and carries the girl to the Lodge.


    A rush of violent emotions flowed within Geno - anger, rage, fury¡­ kill.


    She prepares as though she¡¯s hunting down a high-ranking beast. She shrouds herself in a silky and translucent white aura.


    ¡°Avedato Style, First Form: Aviation.¡±


    The invoked aura gathers to her back and transforms into wings. She unfurls the conjured wings, and immediately launches into the sky, flying towards the woods at lightning speed.


    <hr>

 Vol.1, Ch.3: A Clash of Spirits

    North Isura Lodge.


    As I run to the Lodge with the injured girl in my arms, I look back and see Geno with her wings, and fly to where Basil is. She is strong, I¡¯ve seen it myself. I just hope she doesn¡¯t do anything excessive, considering how she looked before she left. However, my main concern should be this girl''s health.


    Through the glass doors, I rush to the receptionist counter and ask the lady where the infirmary is.


    ¡°In the accommodation tower, to the right.¡±


    I thank the receptionist and run towards the infirmary. As I rapidly make my way, she grabs on to my jacket and begins to mumble.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t die¡­ we still need you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Geno will make sure they¡¯re safe. Your injuries need to be tended to.¡±


    I passed the infirmary¡¯s lobby and as I approached the nurses¡¯ desk, one of them saw the girl in my arms and immediately led me to an unoccupied bed. I place her on the bed; and the nurse returns with a doctor, checking the girl¡¯s vitals.


    ¡°She''ll be fine, small bruises and cuts, and signs of exhaustion. Nurse, please prepare the equipment. I¡¯m sorry young man, but I¡¯ll need you to wait in the lobby area.¡±


    I follow the doctor¡¯s request and leave the girl in their hands.


    As I sit in the lobby, I start to wonder how Geno is doing. I try to contact her with my communicator but get no response.


    From what the girl has told us, the leader is a 2-Star with a Spirit affinity. I don¡¯t know what Spirit Animal he possesses. Just by appearance, Basil¡¯s weapon tells me his 1-Star affinity is in Strength. Geno should be okay, but I couldn¡¯t help to feel a little uneasy about it. Thankfully, the doctor exits the recovery room with a reassuring look.


    ¡°Her treatment was successful, we took care of her injuries. She just needs to rest now.¡±


    The good news gave me a sigh of relief.


    The doctor pats my shoulder and returns to his duties. As the doctor leaves, I see a large man walking from the main building and towards the infirmary. He appears to have a bodyguard behind him. As they enter the infirmary lobby, the burly man approaches me.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear she¡¯s fine, Ulrick Garside.¡±


    I remember this man from before. It¡¯s Tyson Margrave, the Director of this Lodge. Up close, this man¡¯s power is no joke, but the man behind him was strong too. Would I be able to take them on? Then it hit me on how this man knew my name.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir, but how do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am the Lodge Director so I have my ways."


    A slight grin appears on his face. I then proceed to ask him another question.


    ¡°Why is Mr. Director here at the infirmary?¡±


    His smile disappears and his expression turns into a stern and focused look.


    ¡°I wish to know what happened to the girl. Will you tell me?¡±


    His eyes tell me he can be trusted. I tell him everything the girl conveyed to me, and where Geno is currently at.


    ¡°...I see. Gilbert.¡±


    The man behind him quickly stands beside Mr. Margrave and responds.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°Gather some members of the Protection Division. Leave as soon as possible.¡±


    The man named Gilbert nods, and disappears.


    Mr. Margrave turns around and begins to walk towards the Lodge entrance. He stops after a few steps and calls out for me.


    ¡°Do you wish to come along, Mr. Garside?¡±


    I instantly replied.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good, then let us be off.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Over already, old man? Way... to interrupt... our... fun, dickhead!¡±


    The leader continually kicks at Basil¡¯s bloody body. His two followers are behind him; keeping their eyes on the prisoners, Basil¡¯s party members. The girls were cuffed to a large tree and were unconscious. Their clothes ripped in places, but thankfully nothing more.


    After his constant cheap kicks; the leader turns around and looks at the two girls, imagining all the things he will do to his beautiful, new toys. Before he could take a step, Basil grabs the man¡¯s foot and curses him under the softest breath.


    ¡°You¡­ will pay..¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? At least let me enjoy myself before that happens.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHA!¡±


    He and his followers laughed hysterically before he performed his final attack on Basil.


    ¡°Repticara Style, Second Form: Striking Tail!¡±


    His chant releases red aura from his arm and transforms into a spear-like tail. He raises his aura-shrouded arm into the air and swings down with force. The attack lands on the back of Basil¡¯s head, leaving his body motionless.


    His consciousness fading, Basil¡¯s eyes begin to shut. His last sight would be these ugly men having their way with his beloved teammates. His life flashes before him - leaving his home, meeting his first love, losing his only love, swearing to protect her daughters. He couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible for what will happen to his daughters.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Scarlett¡­ Abby.¡±


    All of a sudden, a gust of wind blows onto the scene. The three men had to shield their eyes as the dust was caught in the wind. Basil, who was able to keep his eyes open for a moment, sees a blurry figure before him and slowly looks at their face.


    ¡°You¡­ with Ulrick¡­¡±


    ¡°You did well Basil. I¡¯ll take care of the rest, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ tha-¡±


    Basil passes out.


    The leader drops his arms and sees Geno laying Basil by a large rock. A girl with a slender and attractive build. Her long, blonde hair and beautiful garments swaying in the wind. Her crisp, blue eyes focused on her target. The exact woman this man wanted.


    He tries to negotiate with her.


    ¡°Hey there gorgeous, what made you come here?¡±


    Geno remains silent.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you gonna say something?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The man couldn''t contain himself. He salivates at the thought of having her as his possession.


    ¡°The silent type huh¡­ I wonder how loud you¡¯ll be in bed.¡±


    Geno grits her teeth. She couldn¡¯t stand him any longer.


    His perverted smirk made her blood boil. She observes her surroundings and sees the two girls trapped between his followers. She begins her plan of attack.


    ¡°How about it? Want to be my wo-¡±


    Geno disappeared before he could finish, and all he could hear was the sound of grunts and cries. He looks behind him and sees his lackeys already on the ground. One was knocked out while the other was clutching his stomach. He hears sounds coming from behind and looks back at Basil¡¯s body. Now the captured girls are by his side.


    Sweat begins to fall from the man¡¯s forehead; his attention quickly goes to Geno, whose wings are openly displayed. Seeing them, he knew what he was up against.


    ¡°...So you¡¯ve got a Spirit affinity too, blondie.¡±


    Geno doesn¡¯t reply.


    Instead, she keeps her concentration on him, intentionally expressing her urge to kill this beast disguised as a man. Realizing he may need to go all out, he removes his coat and equips his claws.


    ¡°My name is Roland Osorio, Snake Spirit: Repticara School. I request a formal challenge.¡±


    ¡°Genovera Koval, Bird Spirit: Avedato School. I accept.¡±


    When a formal challenge is made between Spirit schools, it¡¯s tradition to accept until one admits defeat or dies. They both take out their trackers and reveal the information of themselves to each other.


    Roland Osorio (23), 2-Stars


    Body: Endurance


    Spirit: Snake, Repticara School


    Marks: D-Rank: 10/10, C-Rank: 1/7, B-Rank: 1/5


    Genovera Koval (19), 3-Stars


    Body: Agility


    Mind: Perception


    Spirit: Bird, Avedato School


    Marks: D-Rank: 10/10, C-Rank: 5/7


    Roland was surprised at Geno¡¯s potentials and mark completion.


    She had already completed her D-Rank and close to completing her C-Rank.


    On the other hand, he had just completed his D-Rank a few months ago and was only able to record a C and B-Rank by accompanying a senior Seeker from the same school.


    ¡°I might die...¡±


    That was the only thing that came to mind when he saw her potential.


    She breaks his silent thought by unsheathing her repaired katana. Her weapon exhibited a stunning pattern on the blade, like serene waves. Intricate designs were beveled into the guard and handle.


    Both take their stance, waiting for the commencement of battle.


    "Hey. Did you know someone called Alissa Xander?"


    Confused, Roland gave her a straight answer.


    "Huh? Who''s that?"


    "Tsk... Not him."


    Scarlett, the oldest of the girls, begins to wake up. She sees her sister and Basil lying beside her. She quickly checks to see their health only to stop and witness what''s unfolding. She recognizes Geno from this morning. Although she isn¡¯t one, Scarlett understands this is a proper duel between Seekers. She silently watches from the sideline, praying for Geno¡¯s victory. A breeze gently blows, swaying the nearby trees. As the wind eases, the two firmly grip their weapons. The moment the wind disappears, Geno advances at Roland with speed, catching him by surprise. Luckily, he moved fast enough to block her strike.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Just from one contact, he knew he needed to do anything to win this match.


    <hr>


    Both continue to trade blows with each other¡¯s weapons. Each clash created shockwaves within the forest, depicting the amount of strength the two have.


    Roland starts to get annoyed.


    "How can a girl of her stature cause this much force?"


    He starts doubting his own abilities when facing the young female. Suddenly, Geno disappears and multiple slashes appear all over his body. Although his Body potential increases his defense, her attacks still caused some pain.


    ¡°Ugh.. damn you!¡±


    Zipping around him, she constantly attacks with katana and scabbard on all angles. Roland is still able to resist and casts a Spirit Form.


    ¡°Repitcara Style, Third Form: Slither!¡±


    Red aura envelops his body, allowing him to emulate a snake¡¯s movement. He slithers his way out of the prison, and into the woods.


    His cowardice pushed Geno to take flight and scan the area from above. Although she''s unable to find him physically, she suddenly senses a powerful aura coming from the right. She flies towards the detected location and finds Roland hiding in the shrubs.


    ¡°Got you.¡±


    Geno lowers her altitude to the tree¡¯s height, and all Roland could see was the number of leaves being blasted into the sky. Roland knew she was close and approaching fast. Knowing he couldn¡¯t take her attack head-on, Roland quickly reacts.


    ¡°First Form: Shedding!¡±


    In the nick of time, he creates a double which takes Geno¡¯s swift and powerful slash. The double crumbles on impact. Geno turns around and sees Roland running towards where Scarlett and the others are. He makes it into the open, panting and scared. He knew she was someone too powerful. His panting immediately stopped. He could feel the immense aura extruding from where he came from. So dominant, it almost suffocated him. Slowly, Geno approaches the scared Roland and asks him a straightforward question.


    ¡°Any last words?¡±


    He was trapped, unable to act. He falls to his knees and his face drops to the ground. He needed to think of something¡­ anything. Then, it hit him. A devilish grin shows on his hidden face. Slowly, he raises his head and begins his nasty plot. He places his hands together as if worshipping Geno like a god.


    ¡°I beg you! Please spare me! I was wrong.¡±


    Geno, disgusted by his actions, lifts her blade and delivers what should have been the final blow.


    Scarlett, sitting on the side, has seen this trick before. Basil fell for the same thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get close to him!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Too late!¡±


    ¡°Fourth Form: Stunning Eyes!¡±


    He releases an immense amount of aura, and it forms into large snake eyes. Unable to react in time, Geno locks eyes with him and becomes completely frozen. Wanting to help her, Scarlett tries to stand but couldn¡¯t put pressure on her right foot. Paralyzed, Roland slowly walks towards her. He gently caresses her frozen face, as if he had all the time in the world.


    ¡°For such a beauty, you¡¯re too much for me. So I¡¯m gonna kill you and that old man, and take back what belongs to me!¡±


    He looks at Scarlett, conveying his disturbing pleasure. His aura then travels to his arms and weapons. They increase in power, as Roland prepares to attack with his claws simultaneously.


    ¡°Goodbye, blondie.¡±


    SHATTER!


    The blades on Roland¡¯s fists disintegrated on impact. Confused, he looks at Geno. Unfrozen and covered in her white wings, her aura caused his weapons to break.


    ¡°Looks like your paralysis is relative to your strength compared to your opponents. You¡¯ve been lacking in your training.¡±


    ¡°Second Form: Safeguard.¡±


    The enlarged wings fold back to its place and return to normal size. She puts away her weapon and appears behind Roland in a flash.


    ¡°Though you had more forms to use, they were nothing more than weak imitations. Nothing else from a snake."


    She grabs Roland from behind and immediately flies into the sky with speed. The air pressure from the flight kept Roland from opening his eyes. All of a sudden, he stops, and no more pressure could be felt. He slowly opens his eyes. Up in the sky, the only thing keeping him from falling is a small girl¡¯s hold on his forearm.


    ¡°AAAAHHH! Please! Please spare me! I won¡¯t do it again, promise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late Roland.¡±


    ¡°Please! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    Geno ominously encourages him.


    "You won''t die, not at this height."


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    She lets go. His drop felt like an eternity. All that Scarlett and Geno could hear were the screams of a man, desperately crying for help.


    ¡°Please! I surrender!¡±


    CRASH!


    His body crashes into the ground, knocked out, and barely alive. Gracefully landing back on the ground, Geno releases her wings.


    ¡°You deserved it, pig.¡±


    She walks away from Roland and checks on Scarlett and the others. She approaches Scarlett, ensuring everything is alright.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine now, it¡¯s over.¡±


    As tears begin to fall, Scarlett embraces Geno.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    As she continues to comfort Scarlett, Ulrick arrives with reinforcement from the Lodge.


    ¡°Geno! Everything alright?¡±


    She smiles at Ulrick, pointing to the pit behind her.


    ¡°Yeah, over there. All of them are unconscious.¡±


    <hr>


    North Isura Lodge, Director¡¯s Office.


    Ulrick and Geno find themselves waiting in the Director¡¯s office. Not sure why they simply followed his request after the Roland incident.


    ¡°Once we return to the Lodge, may I see you two in my office? It won¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°...Is what he said to us, but he¡¯s sure taking his time.¡±


    Geno comments as she slouches on the seat. All she wanted to do was take a long bath before heading to bed. Ulrick kept fidgeting in his seat, and couldn''t contain his enthusiasm.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late. There was an important call I needed to take.¡±


    Director Margrave comes through his office door, apologizing for his tardiness. Geno immediately sits up.


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯d like to thank you two for resolving this matter. As we speak, Basil and his daughters are in the infirmary and are recuperating.¡±


    Geno sighs in relief before asking her about Roland''s fate.


    ¡°And what of Roland and his men?¡±


    ¡°Because the two men with him were civilians, they have been imprisoned at the local military station. Roland is now being transported to the Grandmaster of the Snake. It was decided they will take care of his punishment.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the news she wanted to hear, but it¡¯s better than letting them roam freely.


    "You did well holding back, Ms. Koval."


    "?"


    Geno looked confused at Margrave''s comment. He immediately changes the subject.


    ¡°Now, about why I called you two here.¡±


    Margrave rummages through his folders and pulls out a hunt request form.


    ¡°I would like you two to take this request.¡±


    Geno receives the form while Ulrick scoots over to read the content.


    Request Code: 0012


    Type: Extermination


    Monster Rank: C


    Description: A town in Southern Isura has been overtaken by a mob of wolves. On closer inspection, the mob seems to have a leader. A powerful white wolf, twice the size of a regular wolf, maybe a Stage 4 or 5.


    Ulrick and Geno were a little dumbfounded by the request. The content of the request doesn¡¯t seem to be much different from a regular hunt request. Geno then asks the Director.


    ¡°Is there anything special about this request that you needed us to see it?¡±


    Margrave responds with a stern look.


    ¡°We may be facing an evolved beast.¡±


    Both Ulrick and Geno were shocked by the revelation.


    ¡°An evolved? That¡¯s something I haven¡¯t faced before.¡±


    Ulrick ponders as he recalls all the beasts he¡¯s encountered. Geno, still feeling uneasy about the request, interrogates Margrave even further.


    ¡°Mr. Director, I still don¡¯t understand. Why us?¡±


    He leans back on his chair and crosses his arms.


    ¡°Evolved monsters are rare cases and are powerful beings. After evolving, not only does it grow stronger but it may potentially have a unique skill.¡±


    Margrave looks back at the two and explains further.


    ¡°As for why I¡¯m telling you, I believe 3-Star Seekers have more chances of defeating this monster. Right now, there are only you two in the Isura region.¡±


    He looks into his drawer once more and finds a folder. In it, he pulls out two sheets that discloses the two in front of him.


    ¡°Ulrick from Usrae and Genovera from Avedato. One completing his D-Ranks within his first year, and one whose almost cleared her C-Ranks just over a year of being a Seeker."


    He looks at the two with a bright smile.


    "I honestly believe there''s something about you two. Just call it an old man''s intuition."


    Still feeling unsure about the foreseeable challenge, she directs another question at Margrave.


    "Sir, why can''t you and your team complete this mission?"


    "The future generation of Seekers are always my priority. Oldies like me should only act when its necessary."


    He continues on.


    "Plus, I''m a retired Seeker and my Protection Division is already very strong. There''s no benefit for us to take marks meant for ambitious Seekers."


    Margrave responds with his honest opinion. Ulrick stands up from his seat and speaks.


    ¡°Sir, how long do we have until we begin the request?¡±


    Margrave grins and answers.


    ¡°The wolves are currently occupying a desolated town down south. We believe they will not act for at least a month.¡±


    ¡°Count me in, Sir!¡±


    Ulrick exclaims.


    Margrave looks at Geno, who still showing some uncertainty.


    ¡°And you, Ms. Koval.¡±


    She looks back at Margrave, then at Ulrick. Seeing his determination to quickly accept this kind of request astounded her. Not wanting to disappoint him, she agrees to Margrave¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°I¡¯m in as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Geno!¡±


    Ulrick cheers as Geno agrees to join.


    Margrave is pleased the two have agreed. He repeats the vital information for the request.


    ¡°As I said, you have roughly a month before you''ll leave for this request. Both of you are close to learning your next forms and I suggest you do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    They both say their farewells, and leave the Director¡¯s office. Margrave turns and looks outside his window, seeing the starry night sky. He is delighted to see how strong and confident the younger Seekers are these days.


    "I look forward to seeing how they grow."


    <hr>


    Central continent, Ogos.


    In the center of Thera lies five separate islands that make up the continent of Ogos. It is here where the Four Spirit Schools are located and is said to be where the Founding God Desmuth made his first step in this world. Entrance to Ogos is only accessible from the Lodges around the world and must be given permission by the Grandmaster of the School.


    In the south-western island, a group of men dressed in black suits exits a transportation device located before a School building. They have Roland and his men in tow and bring them to the building''s entrance. The arch above the entrance displays the name of the school:


    [Spirit of the Snake: Repticara Style School]


    They enter the building and proceed to the school''s main area. There, a man in distinct garments stands by an altar that has statue portraying a figure in prayer and snakes coiled around its arms. The man appears to be in his 20''s but the person leading the group, Gilbert, immediately bows and greets him.


    ¡°Grandmaster Seyzan, I pay my respects.¡±


    ¡°Gilbert Reddan, Margrave''s most trusted man. I have heard everything I needed from him, please show me the culprit.¡±


    Gilbert orders his men to bring the cuffed Roland to the front. As he stands almost centimeters before the Grandmaster, he falls to his knees and beg for his forgiveness.


    "Grandmaster, I''m truly sorry for what I''ve done. Please spare my life."


    ¡°Osorio, I will not deliver your punishment. Your teacher, Master Hector, will do that instead.¡±


    From the left hallway, a middle-aged man appears followed by a slender but tall man right behind him. The man in front is tall, muscular, covered in armor, and stands before the convicted. He speaks to them with his strict demeanor.


    ¡°Roland, I''m very disappointed in you. You have not only disgraced our school but the Grandmaster as well. Do you understand what this means?"


    Roland couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes and kept his head to the ground. He could not do anything but accept his punishment.Hector looks at Gilbert and proceeds to instruct him.


    ¡°Please follow Norvel and he¡¯ll lead you to the prisons below.¡±


    The slender man behind Hector walks towards the hallway they entered from. Gilbert¡¯s men follow Norvel, along with the detained Roland. As they exit the main hall, Gilbert says his farewell and follows his group from behind. They disappear into the hallway and Grandmaster Seyzan turns around and departs. Before he does, however, he leaves Hector with a few ominous words.


    ¡°Hector.¡±


    Hector instantly kneels, placing his right fist on his heart.


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Please keep watch over your students. Our school¡¯s reputation is not something you want to ruin. Please be mindful.¡±


    ¡°Yes Grandmaster, I deeply apologize! I assure you, it will not happen again!¡±


    With a soft grin, the Grandmaster continues to walk behind the altar and disappears into nothingness.


    <hr>

 Vol.1, Ch.4: Reunion

    North Isura Lodge.


    Ulrick and Geno are enjoying their breakfast at the Lodge¡¯s cafeteria. They pack their belongings and start their journey to get stronger. As they head for the building exit, they see Tyson Margrave and Gilbert waiting by the receptionist¡¯s counter.


    ¡°Mr. Director, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good morning you two, did you get a good night¡¯s rest?¡±


    They both nod with delight.


    ¡°Excellent. Before you go, please take these.¡±


    He hands them a small card. On it are their names and a stamp belonging to Tyson Margrave.


    ¡°Simply give these to the receptionist on your return, and they will allocate you two to the request.¡±


    This is the protocol when it¡¯s a request from the Director themselves. Usually, a Seeker will need to speak to the receptionist about taking a request and they will block it until its completion.


    ¡°As I said before, we will begin in a month. I wish you all the best, and train hard. If you excuse me.¡±


    Margrave bows to the two, and leaves for his office, along with Gilbert who follows closely behind.


    Ulrick and Geno store their cards into their bags and proceed to start their training.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going back to your school, Ulrick?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I need to see my Master and learn the next form. What about you, Geno?¡±


    She looks through her tracker.


    ¡°I need a bit more before my next form. I¡¯ll probably take multiple requests to complete it quicker and get my next form as well.¡±


    ¡°So, when we see each other in one month, we¡¯ll definitely be stronger.¡±


    A fist bump is exchanged between the two before they leave for their respective places.


    ¡°Very well, Mr. Garside. Please stand on the podium to start the transmission.¡±


    As he stands on the podium, the receptionist touches the necessary icons on her screen.


    ¡°Transmitting to Ursae School in the Ogos continent, in 5 seconds.¡±


    Ulrick waves goodbye to Geno before he disappears into the machine¡¯s light.


    ¡°Off he goes. I sure don¡¯t want to fall behind.¡±


    Geno walks towards the Request Zone, to look for requests and complete her C-Rank marks.


    <hr>


    Central continent, Ogos.


    After a few seconds in what felt like space travel, I opened my eyes to a place I remember fondly.


    The serenity of the trees, the tranquility of the ponds, and the red bridge that could be seen from a distance. I was back at my dojo, the Bear Spirit School of Ursae.


    I make my way through the trees and ponds until I arrive at the crossing red bridge. While the surroundings are amazing, the school itself¡­ is questionable at best. My school is not the best looking thing, actually, it¡¯s the worst thing in this beautiful garden. A shabby two-floor building that has two rooms at the top and a training arena at the bottom. Although it isn''t the prettiest of sights, it does the job of being a martial arts school. I never questioned it, but I always wondered how the garden and the surroundings can stay so alive while there''s this run-down building smack in the middle.


    ¡°Master! Master!¡±


    I yell as I cross the large bridge. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s scream is heard from the top floor.


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m sleeping here!¡±


    Yep¡­ that¡¯s her alright.


    I continue to yell for her and tell her that her student is back to learn the next Spirit form.


    ¡°Master! It¡¯s me, Ulrick!¡±


    The top left window opens and a woman in her 40''s with long black hair pops up. Her appearance looks to be of someone that just came out of bed. She yawns and squints her eyes at me.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ulrick huh? Took you long enough. Get my laundry at the back.¡±


    ¡°But Master, I¡¯m here to learn the next form. I¡¯ve completed my D-Rank marks.¡±


    ¡°Get the laundry first!¡±


    The vibration of her scream shook the environment around us. She was louder than the Winged Lion I faced. But believe me, Master is a nice person once you get to know her. As per command; I rush to the back, collect the laundry, and quickly run up the building to meet her at her door. She opens the door and I bow to my superior with respect.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, Master Ardella.¡±


    Master is a tall and slender woman, her long black hair almost touches the floor. She is still wearing her pajamas, improperly I might add, and doesn¡¯t even bother fixing herself up after not seeing her disciple for over 8 months.


    ¡°When can we begin my training, Master?¡±


    ¡°Can you relax, I just woke up.¡±


    She walks down the stairs, leading to the kitchen, and looks inside the fridge. She takes out a can of beer and snaps it open, chugging the whole content in one gulp.


    ¡°AH! That hits the spot. So, Ulrick, you completed your D-Rank huh? Let¡¯s see your tracker.¡±


    I passed her my tracker and she scrolled through the list.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Not bad. Prepare the training arena, we¡¯ll start right away.¡±


    I nod at her command and go straight to the arena, only to find the place to be a complete mess. That woman! Is she that lazy that she hasn¡¯t cleaned the place in months?


    Which reminds me, the laundry I got then looked exactly the same when I first left the school. Surely she isn''t that lazy, she''s a Grandmaster of the Spirits. One of the four strongest Warriors that the Founding God Desmuth has considered worthy to train fellow Seekers. No, she couldn''t be that careless... I¡¯m probably just imagining things.


    She comes into the arena and comments about the place.


    ¡°Oh right, since you¡¯re my only student, I haven¡¯t touched the place since you last trained. Looks like it will take you some time to clean this up, I¡¯m going back to bed.¡±


    Are you serious, Master? I come back to learn my next form and you want me to clean this up?


    I turn around to argue with her logic, only to find she¡¯s already gone. I had no choice but to do what she says if I want to get stronger.


    <hr>


    After hours of cleaning, Ulrick completes his Master¡¯s order. He lies in the middle of the cleaned training floor and takes a quick nap. He hears footsteps approaching and opens his eyes, he sees his Master standing above him in her usual attire. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you dozing off? Don¡¯t you wanna train?¡±


    He quickly bounces onto his knees and responds with energy.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    ¡°Okay, sit up and take your shirt off.¡±


    As he prepares himself, Ardella then takes out Ulrick¡¯s tracker and releases the content into the air. Activating her aura onto her hands, she gathers the content and transforms it into a small pill.


    ¡°My way of teaching new forms is slightly different from the other schools.¡±


    She gives the pill to Ulrick.


    ¡°I¡¯ve compressed all your collected marks into a solid mass. In it, there is but one strong monster.¡±


    She proceeds with the steps of the training.


    ¡°Once you eat the pill, you will need to meditate and as you dive into the depths of your soul, you should see this monster in your spirit''s sanctum. There, you¡¯ll fight said monster to the death.¡±


    She crosses her arms and continues on.


    ¡°If you win, you¡¯ll learn a new form. If you lose, well we¡¯ll get to that when it happens.¡±


    Ulrick looked a bit nervous about the losing part.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be watching over you so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡±


    She walks behind him and places her hands on his back. He feels a small amount of aura gathering where she has made contact with his back.


    ¡°Okay Ulrick, I¡¯m all set. Ready?¡±


    Ulrick nods and places the pill in his mouth.


    The moment he swallowed it, he felt an enraged and ferocious aura trying to take over his body.


    ¡°Meditate! You need to fight it!¡±


    He places his left hand over his clenched right and proceeds his meditation. His mind begins to travel into his spirit sanctum and finds himself on a large stage. Because he didn''t need to do any of this when he learned the first form, this was a new experience for him. He didn''t even know that there is a ''spirit sanctum'' in him. Before he explores this unknown place, in front of him was the last monster he fought, the Winged Lion. But something about it seemed different.


    ¡°It seemed to have evolved after I combined all your marks.¡±


    That was the Master¡¯s voice, echoing through the endless darkness. After closely inspecting the monster, what she said was right. He remembered Geno saying a C-Rank Winged Lion had eagle wings, which this one clearly had.


    ¡°The monster with the strongest aura is usually what appears after I compress them. But for it to evolve as well, you¡¯re a lucky one. Anyways, good luck.¡±


    Suddenly, aura began to concentrate around his arms and his tonfa appeared.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you the ability to use your Spirit Arts, now defeat it and get stronger.¡±


    From his Master¡¯s encouragement, he quickly activates his first form and directly charges the lion.


    ¡°Ursae Style, First Form: Power Paws¡±


    He swings at the lion with his augmented weapon, but it immediately flies upwards. It returns its concentration to Ulrick and dives at him with its claws. Ulrick quickly rolls to the side, dodging the attack which left a hole in the stage. He regains his stance but the lion looks over and howls at a high volume.


    The previous lion¡¯s howl had no effect on him, but this one caused him to fall to his knees. He tries to fight against the piercing volume of the howl and gingerly looks ahead. Surprised by the lion''s action, Ulrick sees it gathering lightning on its feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a lightning element. The last one had none.¡±


    Ardella responds to Ulrick''s astonishment.


    "Stop questioning and focus! This is an evolved monster, expect the unexpected!"


    The lion rushes at Ulrick, boosted in speed thanks to its lightning element. Ulrick crosses his reinforced arms before him and blocks the lion¡¯s rush. Thanks to his innate Strength, he was able to withstand the powered-up attack. However, the sparks around the lion¡¯s feet began to target Ulrick.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    He jumps back to dodge the lightning attack but unfortunately was hit on his left leg. The lightning attack left a numbing pain and he knew after one shock, his leg was out of commission.


    ¡°An evolved monster is this powerful?¡±


    Being overwhelmed with doubt, the lion swipes its front claws at him.


    ¡°Ulrick!¡±


    His Master¡¯s voice brought him back and he reacted in time. Although he blocked the attack, the force from the lion¡¯s swing blew him back to the edge of the stage.


    ¡°You need to concentrate. What¡¯s worrying you?¡±


    As though Ardella knew something was occupying Ulrick¡¯s mind, she tries to comfort him.


    ¡°Master, my next request involves an evolved monster as well.¡±


    ¡°And so? Are you scared after facing just one of them?¡±


    Wiping the blood from his mouth, he cracks a smile.


    ¡°The exact opposite.¡±


    Although he may be at death¡¯s door, the thought of fighting a stronger monster gave him excitement. He properly grips his weapons and begins his counterattack.


    ¡°Excellent! Now show me what you¡¯re made of!¡±


    <hr>


    Nodding at his Master¡¯s words, he leaps off his one working leg and charges at the beast. The lion swings his claws at him again but Ulrick swings back. At the moment of contact, his veins began to bulge all over his arm, abling him to overpower the lion¡¯s attack. The beast is blown back, but not before it releases a lightning strike towards Ulrick. He¡¯s able to jump up and out of the attack¡¯s way, however, it left him vulnerable in mid-air. Looking up, the beast releases it¡¯s howl again, trying to restrict Ulrick¡¯s movements. He forcefully repels the effect, but at the cost of him bleeding at the ears. A lightning strike is once more targeted at Ulrick during his downfall.


    Ulrick suddenly rotates at high speed and disperses the lightning to the sides. Still spinning, he continues towards the beast and lands a heavy hit on the lion¡¯s head, sending its face deep into the ground. Ulrick lands and grabs the lion by its mane, throwing it to the side of the stage with force. The beast falls off the wall and tries to stand on its feet. Ulrick charges at the beast and stabs his tonfa into its front paws. The lion is pinned to the ground and cries in pain, Ulrick braces himself.


    ¡°First Form: Power Paws!¡±


    The green aura already around his arms begins to swell in size. It starts to shape itself into a bear¡¯s arms and claws. He commences his attack on the helpless beast. Over and over, he repeatedly lands powerful blows one after the other. Combining his Strength with his enhanced First Form, his fists begin to bleed. As though he¡¯s running on adrenaline, blood keeps dripping from his arms and knuckles. As he keeps attacking at the lion, Ardella screams for her student.


    ¡°Ulrick! That¡¯s enough. The beast is already dead.¡±


    Ardella snaps Ulrick out from his rage. His heavy breaths continued as he examined the lion. Its face was almost unidentified. As the blood from his fists and ears gradually stopped, he deactivated his aura and fell to the ground. The beast abruptly bursts into steam and instantly flows towards Ulrick. As he accepts the aura, images of the beast¡¯s attacks are imprinted into his mind, as though it was teaching him his next form. He wakes up on the floor of his school¡¯s training room.


    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡±


    Ulrick turns to his Master and looks at his hands.


    ¡°Amazing. I feel as though I¡¯m a new person.¡±


    ¡°Your aura has increased, kid. I can definitely feel it.¡±


    Happy with the result, he stands up and bows before Ardella.


    ¡°Master, I have at least a month before my next request. You think I''ll be ready then?¡±


    She walks away and stands opposite from Ulrick. Suddenly, she releases a powerful aura from her body and smirks at Ulrick¡¯s question.


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±


    He grins and takes a fighting stance.


    ¡°If you think learning the First Form was hard, think again.¡±


    The aura exuding from Ardella was so dense and powerful, Ulrick¡¯s body felt heavy.


    ¡°When passing your C-Rank Advancement, your Body potential will increase. Also, you''ll be able to unlock your Mind potential. Seekers unlock this at different periods, whether it''s after their C-Rank or even their A-Rank advancement. You should have felt your one during the fight."


    As he repeats the fight in his head, he really couldn''t think of anything that came to mind. She chuckles at her student''s unawareness.


    "So you didn''t notice. That''s fine, we''ll get it eventually. The main concern is the next form, the beast should have given you a snippet of it."


    He remembers the images that popped in his head after defeating the lion. He nods at his Master''s words with excitement.


    ¡°You may be excited now but you do know how I feel about failure, right Ulrick?¡±


    He wipes the sweat dripping down his head as he clearly understands what she meant.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    <hr><hr>


    [CURRENT STATUS]


    Ulrick Garside (17), 3-Star Seeker


    Body: Strength


    Mind: Willpower


    Spirit: Bear*, Ursae School


    Marks: D-Rank: 10/10


    Genovera Koval (19), 3-Star Seeker


    Body: Agility


    Mind: Perception


    Spirit: Bird, Avedato School


    Marks: D-Rank: 10/10, C-Rank: 5/7


    <hr><hr>

 Vol.2, Ch.1: Preparing for Battle

    Ogos, Bear Spirit School of Ursae.


    It''s been two weeks since Ulrick went to train with his Master to learn his new form. He stands in the middle of the training arena, calmly while being alert. Suddenly, Ardella attacks him from behind and he immediately reacts, blocking her strike.


    "Not too shabby."


    Ardella drops to the floor and sweeps Ulrick''s legs, catching him off guard. He falls onto his back and crosses his arm in front of him to block Ardella''s stomp from above. He kicks his Master away and regains his stance, and activates his augmented arms before he attacks.


    "First Form: Power Paws."


    Ulrick''s usage of his first form has improved dramatically, thanks to his aura increase. The shape of his Spirit aura now has the look of a bear''s, and the power has also increased. He rushes his Master and engages hand-to-hand combat. Ulrick attacks from all sides and angles but Ardella is able to block every strike, without the use of her Spirit aura. Without any hesitation, Ardella lightly shrouds her leg with aura and swings towards Ulrick''s face.


    SMASH!


    Her kick sends him sliding back to the edge of the arena, thankfully he was able to block her kick in time. Even so, his arms were shaking in pain and he was amazed at how powerful a Grandmaster of Spirit is with just a small amount of aura.


    "Alright, that''s enough!"


    Ulrick deactivates his aura and bows to his Master.


    "Thank you very much!"


    "You did pretty well considering this is our first sparring match since you first joined my school. You should be ready for your next major hunt."


    She walks up to him and checks his sore arms.


    "How''s the damage?"


    "It''s still sore, but it should be good in a few seconds."


    "Looks like your getting used to your newly acquired power. So, are you heading back to Isura?"


    Ulrick nods at his Master''s query.


    "Yes, the request begins a week from now. I do want to hunt a bit before I start."


    "Judging your current self, you should be able to take on C-Rank Stage 3 with minimum problems. But still, be vigilant for anything."


    "Expect the unexpected. I will, Master."


    Ardella gives a little smile. She''s proud of how much this young man has developed into a strong Seeker. She walks towards a small shrine located near the back wall of the training arena. The shrine depicts a statue of a woman walking side-by-side with a bear and is placed on top of a cupboard covered with a tablecloth. She pulls the cloth away and unlocks the sliding door, and takes out a pair of arm braces of the sort.


    She brings the armor to Ulrick and hands it to him.


    "Take these."


    Ulrick receives the gift but asks her why.


    "What are these for?"


    She caresses the arm braces like its something important to her.


    "They were once mine. I was to give it to a student who I believed was to become a strong Warrior."


    Although he didn''t mean to bring it up Ulrick asked about those before him.


    "Weren''t there anyone before me that could have received these?"


    "...I only had two students before you. Sadly, they both died before they were to become Warriors."


    Feeling guilty for bringing up past memories, he looks away from his Master''s sorrowful face. Ardella understood Ulrick did not mean any harm when he asked that question. She places her hand on his head and comforts him.


    "Haha, don''t worry. Although you still far from being one, I believe you will be a powerful Warrior. So please take this as my gift for your promising future."


    As though she''s giving her blessing, Ulrick accepts her gift and wears them. He happily shows them off to his Master.


    "What do you think, Master?"


    "Eh... looked better on me."


    Ulrick retaliates Ardella''s snappy comment and she does nothing but laughs.


    The following day, Ulrick packs his bag for his journey back to the North Isura Lodge. Wearing his new arm braces, he heads downstairs and exits through the front. There, he meets Ardella at the bridge, and both travel to the transportation device. They reach their destination and Ulrick steps onto the device. Before he departs, he says his farewell.


    "See you soon, Master. I promise to take care of these for you."


    "You better. They were mine after all so I''ll be cross if you destroy them."


    He gives her a smile and ensures her everything will be alright. Ardella then begins his travel back to the Lodge.


    "Transport to North Isura Lodge."


    Voice recognition, Grandmaster Ardella confirmed.


    Transporting to North Isura Lodge, beginning in five seconds.


    The light from the device shines and begins to cover Ulrick. As he waves his Master goodbye, he disappears into the light and is off to his allocated destination.


    "Take care, kid."


    <hr>


    North Isura Lodge.


    After a few seconds, Ulrick''s body begins to materialize on one of the available teleportation devices in the Lodge lobby. He walks towards the receptionist and asks the lady if Geno is back from her training.


    "Excuse me, has a Seeker named Genovera checked in?"


    "Please give me a moment."


    "...I cannot find her on our active list. However, she was last seen here about 25 days ago when she left for her Spirit School."


    It looks like Geno is still training for her next form. Considering he had no one else to wait for, Ulrick decides to head for the Request Zone and take on a hunt. He feels ready to take a challenge and officially begin his C-Rank marks before taking on Director Margrave''s request. Walking into the Request Zone, he sees there are plenty of different ranked requests posted on the wall. Based on what Ardella told him, he can take care of C-Rank Stage 3 with little help. Looking at the C-Rank list, Ulrick finds one that''s not too far from the Lodge.


    Request Code: 5246


    Type: Extermination


    Monster Rank: C-Rank, Stage 2-3


    Description: About a 30-minute travel east of the North Isura Lodge, a mysterious creature has taken control of a local village''s outpost. Visitors and locals are unable to pass by. Speak to Cpt. Yorenz for more detailed information.


    Happy with his decision, Ulrick speaks to the receptionist to place his name for the request. After this, he leaves immediately to not only start his C-Rank marks but also see how well he can handle on his own. Traveling alone reminded him of how he began his own journey. Almost a year ago; Ardella transferred him back to the West Kastrai Lodge, where he was first evaluated. Ulrick remembered the hardships he went through trying to learn the basic transportations around Thera. Luckily, he met Geno during one of his D-Rank requests. She too, was on her way to complete a C-Rank request and since then we''ve been together ever since.


    All that reminiscing made the time go fast and he was already able to see the outpost tower of the village. Before he could reach it, however, he sees soldiers living in a small settlement a few kilometers before the outpost. Ulrick checks in on them and thinks that the person who posted this request may also be there.As he approaches the settlement, the soldiers on guard point their spears at him and question his reason for approaching them.


    "Halt! What is your reason for coming here?"


    "Hi, I''m looking for a Captain Yorenz? I''m here for the request he posted at the Lodge."


    The two soldiers look at each other before one enters the settlement in haste. Seconds later, a large man in heavy armor walks towards Ulrick and speaks with him.


    "Are you the Seeker that took my request?"


    Ulrick takes out his tracker and shows the man his Seeker status.


    "Yeah. Ulrick, 3-Star. I came to ask a few questions about the mysterious creature."


    "Okay, please come this way."


    Yorenz leads Ulrick into the soldier settlement and into the Captain''s tent to have a private conversation. Yorenz pulls a folding chair for Ulrick to sit on while he pulls out a cigarette and lights it on fire.


    *Exhales* "Two days ago, two of my men were killed during their night patrol. All of a sudden, a piercing screech was heard and I ran out of my office to see what it was."


    He pauses in fear. His left arm begins to shiver and grabs it tightly with his other hand.


    "I couldn''t clearly see it, but it was something out of nightmares. Having a Body affinity of Strength, I thought I could handle it but I was too afraid. Its aura was too disgusting to fight against."


    Based on his description of nightmares, Ulrick immediately thought of a Demon type creature. He couldn''t be sure until he sees it upfront.


    "Has it left the outpost?"


    "No. But if anyone does get in close proximity, it releases its screech. Some of my men are in the infirmary because of this."


    After hearing enough, Ulrick stands up from his seat and begins his travel to the outpost.


    "Captain, please keep anyone from going to the outpost. I''ll manage the beast myself."


    "Please, Ulrick. I pray to Desmuth for your success."


    <hr>


    Outpost Tower, south-east of the Soldier settlement.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ulrick arrives at the outpost and he immediately understood what Yorenz meant when he said a ''disgusting aura''. Before he entered the front gate, he prepared himself just as a precaution. He shrouds himself with his Spirit aura as a protection from the sound attack. He opens the front doors to the outpost and immediately the beast releases its shriek.


    SCREECH!


    Thankfully, Ulrick''s preparation worked and was unfazed from the attack. He immediately runs up to the top of the tower to face the beast. He kicks down the door leading to the top and before him is a human-sized imp with legs from a donkey and horns of a ram. The imp reacts to seeing a human and releases a pitchfork made of fire from its stomach. Before he attacks, Ulrick grabs its horn and throws it into an open area within the outpost. Although he put some force in his throw, the imp was able to land safely on its feet. Ulrick then looks at his necklace and shines two spots of green in the diamond.


    "Stage 2. Let''s go!"


    Instantly, the imp throws its pitchfork at Ulrick''s eyes but he manages to dodge in time.


    "Too slow!"


    The imp ignores Ulrick''s remark and rushes him with another conjured pitchfork. Ulrick pulls out his tonfa and blocks the imp''s strikes. He manages to block every swing from its pitchfork but the same could be said for the imp, blocking Ulrick''s attack because of the long-distance advantage of its weapon. Getting tired of this stalemate, Ulrick activates his first form and strengthen his next strike.


    "Ursae Style, First Form: Power Paws."


    The attack lands onto the pitchfork and is immediately snapped in half. Ulrick swings his other tonfa and lands a blow on the imp''s stomach, sending it flying towards the stone barricade of the outpost. Before it crashes into the wall, Ulrick builds his Spirit aura to his legs.


    "Second Form: Voltage Dance."


    The green aura around his legs emulates the shape of lightning and instantly appears at the stone wall, kicking the imp down through the wooden floors and buried into the ground. The imp slowly crawls out of the hole. As it reaches even ground, Ulrick is there and grabs the demonic beast''s head with his enhanced first form.


    "Sorry, bud. You''re too weak."


    Ulrick clutches his grip and shatters the imp''s skull. Its body goes limp and falls back to the deepest area of the hole. Ulrick looks down at his necklace and sees the shine fading away. He withdraws his aura and jumps down to the demon''s body to collect its lifeforce. He takes out his tracker and collects his first C-Rank mark.


    Calculation in progress


    ...DING!


    You have defeated C-Rank, Stage 2: Impish Fiend


    Your marks have been updated - D-Rank: 10/10, C-Rank: 1/7


    Returning to the soldier settlement, Ulrick sees the captain standing by the entrance. He approaches him and gives his report on the beast''s defeat.


    "Thank you, Ulrick."


    "No problems."


    The two share a handshake and Yorenz gives Ulrick the completion document for him to receive his reward back at the Lodge. Before Ulrick could leave, however, all the soldiers come rushing out of the settlement and personally thank the young Seeker. Within the hugs and the smacks to the back, all Ulrick could do was accept their thanks.


    "Ulrick, why you don''t stay a bit. We''ll have a feast!"


    "Thanks, Captain, but t''s fine. There''s someone I''m waiting for back at the Lodge."


    "Oho, is it a girl?"


    He nudges Ulrick by the shoulder. Ulrick didn''t want to make this more complicated and he just laughs off the Captain''s remark.


    "That''s too bad. Well, the next time we see you we''ll definitely have a big feast."


    "You better keep your promise, Captain."


    He leaves and waves the soldiers goodbye. Ulrick begins to run back to the Lodge in hopes that Geno has returned from her training. While he was excited to see Geno again and see how powerful she''s become, he was even more excited to fight the beast.


    <hr>


    North Isura Lodge.


    Director''s Office.


    A man in a black suit approaches Margrave''s front door.


    KNOCK, KNOCK


    "Sir, both Mr. Garside and Ms. Koval have returned from their month''s training."


    Gilbert Reddan enters into Margrave''s office to share the information that was given to him by the receptionist. Sitting at his desk and typing away on his personal laptop, he pauses from the news and removes his reading glasses.


    "Excellent. Where are they currently?"


    "Mr. Garside is currently on a C-Rank request, while Ms. Koval is in the training room."


    Margrave begins to store his belongings in the drawers and begins to meet his requested Seekers at the receptionist''s desk. As he buttons up his blazer, he directs his subordinate to wait outside his office while he prepares the necessary things for the request.


    "Very well, sir."


    Gilbert bows to his superior''s wish and turns around to leave the office. However, something stops him from doing so. He remembered something important that he wanted to ask Margrave.


    "Sir, may I ask you something that''s been bothering me for some time now?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Before he speaks, Gilbert wanted to word his question.


    "Is it wise for us to help the anomaly?"


    Margrave looks at Gilbert with a serious expression. He understands the anger and frustration he may have pent up inside him.


    "Don''t be so prejudice, Gilbert. Things may be different this time around."


    "...I understand, sir."


    Gilbert continues his walk outside the office and shuts the door behind him.


    <hr>


    South Isura, Town of Barando.


    A few distances south of a beast-infested village lies a large city that is surrounded by stone walls. The city has one entrance that can only be accessible by the long constructed staircase. Inside the walls, buildings such as towers, highrises, and small cottages cover the majority of the land. To the south-west of the land, next to the entrance, resides the military base with a training hall to the side. However, instead of having soldiers doing their training in the hall, it''s filled with families with children who''ve lost their homes to the beasts. Citizens of the town have volunteered to help those in need; cooking large meals like soups and bread, offering second-hand clothing and spare bedding, and providing medical support to the injured and the elderly.


    At the front doors, a man with a military uniform is seen observing the people. While it hurts him seeing people living like this, it was the only way to save them and provide them proper shelter. The man then walks back towards the military base, up the elevator, and into the office which has [Commander''s Office] on the door. He unlocks the door and looks outside the window, seeing the view over the wall. Suddenly, the phone on his desk rings and he answers the call.


    "Commander Pascal speaking."


    A monotonous voice speaks.


    "The mayor wishes to speak with you. Please hold while I forward your call."


    A sour expression appears on the commander''s face. The mayor was the last person he wanted to speak to at the moment.


    "Pascal! Why are those vermins stealing my rations? Do you not care about my wellbeing?"


    A young male, in his 30''s, began yelling at the commander.


    "Mayor Watkins, those who lost their homes to the beast are in need of help. I''ve simply done that."


    "Don''t give me that saintly response. They are ruining my city!"


    The commander kept squeezing his fist tighter. Just hearing this man whining about unreasonable issues was tipping Pascal towards the edge. Ever since the previous mayor passed, the city has never been the same. The previous mayor would walk the streets of Barando, greet his people with a smile, and listen to their concerns. He would make decisions that would benefit his people and was loved by all. That all changed four months ago when he unexpectedly passed away. Because he didn''t allocate a successor, it was decided by his government body that his only son, Jason Watkins, would take his place. Although the son had no interest in his father''s politics, the thought of making this town his domain was too enticing to reject.


    "Mayor, please understand. My men could not defeat the beasts alone. We must wait for help from the Seekers for the people to return to their homes."


    "I don''t care! Do not forget you allowed these rats into my city without my permission! You better resolve this quickly and I guarantee you, you won''t have a job after all this charade is over."


    Watkins ends the call abruptly.


    Feeling exhausted, Pascal returns the phone back to its stand and falls to his chair, rubbing his temples. He suddenly remembered the day this whole incident began, the crowds of people flooded the entrance of Barando looking for a place to live. Hearing the news, Pascal rushed to the mayor''s office and asked him to help the people. Giving him a definitive no, Pascal could not abide by his command and allowed the people to take shelter in his base''s training hall. Feeding the people with what little ration the military had, the citizens of Barando happily volunteered and offered their services to help Pascal''s decision. It felt as though the love for this city was ignited once more from the citizens'' actions.


    During this time, Pascal ordered some of his finest soldiers to slay the beasts in the village, but the pack of wolves was too powerful and luckily, everyone came home with minor injuries. With no other option left in his power, Pascal needed to call a close friend for a lifetime favor.


    "Ty, I need help."


    "From your reports, this could be an evolved monster. The two Seekers I have in mind are more than enough but they need just a bit more training before they confront this issue."


    "...How long do you need?"


    "A month. Can you manage that?"


    "I''ll do everything I must for the sake of these people."


    "You''re a good man, Chris. Don''t worry, these Seekers will surely be victorious. Thank you."


    "Don''t be foolish, Ty. It should be I that must thank you for sending us Seekers."


    "Haha, how about you buy me a drink after all this and we''ll call it even."


    As he stares at the ceiling, Pascal puts a smile on his face, awaiting the day this is all over. He then hears heavy footsteps heading towards his office. He sits up straight on his chair and prepares himself. A young male cadet comes rushing into his superior''s office, delivering the news.


    "Commander! We''ve received reports from our scouting team. The Seekers have arrived at the village."


    At last, the time has come to overcome this situation. He gets off his chair and walks to his closet, grabbing his military cap and coat. Pascal then proceeds to give his next orders to the cadet.


    "Call for Vice-Commander Theron and tell him to take charge of the military base."


    "Yes, sir! And where will you be heading off to, sir?"


    He places his cap on his head and wears his coat, displaying his achievement badges on the left breast area.


    "I''ll be heading to the village. I must meet these Seekers in person."


    <hr>


    North Isura Lodge, Lobby Area.


    About two hours before their departure.


    "Geno!"


    Ulrick screams as he walks through the front doors. He sees his partner-in-crime standing by the receptionist''s desk. Geno''s eyes perked up and see the young man running towards her with a gleeful smile on his face. She places her fist before her and calls out to him.


    "Ulrick, look at you! Completing a C-Rank on your own."


    He stops before her and greets her back and a fistbump. He immediately crosses his arms and portrays a smug expression of his face.


    "Well, I am on my C-Ranks. I need to learn how to be independent."


    For some reason, Geno imagines Ulrick with an elongated nose and sparkles all around him. Ulrick breaks out of his ''cheeky'' character and hands the receptionist a pass from his completed request. As follows, the receptionist types on her keyboard and searches for the locker which holds the reward. Geno proceeds to ask Ulrick about the monster he confronted during his request.


    "An Impish Fiend, Stage 2."


    Geno immediately takes a diary out of her shoulder bag. The front cover had ''Beastology Records'' but the size of the book was a lot different from the previous one. She flicks through the pages and finds the page that portrays information on the monster.


    "A Demon-type, having a fire element and its main weapon is pitchforks. Not bad for your first mark."


    Since traveling with Geno, he''s always seen her putting new records into it. Ulrick never knew why she had one on her, considering a Seeker can access every Lodge''s database on monsters and beasts. Curious, he asked her about the book.


    "It was something I started doing with my childhood friend. She and I dreamed of becoming Seekers and so we made our own records book. We thought we would be ahead of others."


    She gently caresses the diary as she remembers her fond memories. Suddenly, her grip on the diary becomes tighter.


    "We promised we both take our Seeker evaluation together but it wasn''t meant to be. Only I became a Seeker and was accepted into a Spirit School."


    All of a sudden, her eyes showed murderous intent. She quickly snaps out of it and continues her story.


    "Although it was hard to accept, I kept moving forward and became a Seeker. I promised myself to become a Warrior and fill as many books as I can with beast and monster records, and visit her again and tell her everything."


    Finishing her story, she sees Ulrick looking heartbroken. Happy to see him show some concern for her, she slaps him on the back to shake him out of the state.


    SMACK!


    "Ow! What was that for, Geno?"


    "Relax. I''m feeling alright. You being my tag-team partner has made my journey so far enjoyable."


    Didn''t know when to intervene, the receptionist waited till the end of their little heart-to-heart to give Ulrick his reward.


    "I''m sorry but I have your reward here."


    She passes the bag of coins to Ulrick. He then unzips his shoulder bag and stores his reward with his current income. As he was about to close his bag, he found the card that was given to him by Director Margrave before he left for training. He pulls it out of his bag and shows it to Geno.


    "Do you have yours?"


    Geno grabs her side bag and returns her diary. She then rummages through her belongings and finds the same card given to her by Margrave. Thinking the same thought, they both give their cards to the receptionist.


    "I see, you two were the ones the Director spoke of. Very well, I will confirm this."


    The receptionist types away on her keyboard and swipes the cards on her machine. She then passes them back to Ulrick and Geno and announces they are officially allocated to the request and has been blocked. As they receive back their cards, the Director appears with Gilbert behind him.


    "Oho, you two look raring to go. You both ready?"


    They both nod. Margrave gestures to them to say to follow him to the entrance. As they passed the front doors, they reach the vehicle that is to take Ulrick and Geno to the beast''s location. Before they enter the vehicle, Margrave gives them one final command.


    "Once you complete this, you''ll need to see Commander Christopher Pascal. Understood?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "I wish you two the best."


    They enter the vehicle and drives off towards the moving platform.


    <hr>