《World Destruction X Universe Salvation》


 Chapter 1: Prologue of The Lolis Tears Flood Blue City Arc

    Broken Earth Kingdom. Capital of the kingdom, Flowing City. Cloud Cutter Castle. In a secret martial arts training hall.


    Under the soft and warm light of hundreds of Luminous Spheres, two beautiful female humans stood facing each other. One seemed to be seventeen years old, and the other twenty five. However, their external appearances did not match their actual ages since both were cultivators of Complex Energy.


    Rose Alch silently looked up at her mother, Angela Alch. There was shyness in her posture and fear in her clear green eyes. This could not be helped, after all, she was in front of The Broken Earth Kingdom''s Queen, the publicly acknowledged strongest human of the world!


    The aura such existence naturally exuded alone was enough to paralyze and suffocate entire armies of mad murderers and heartless fiends.


    "Why are you interrupting my training?" A cold, emotionless voice asked.


    Rose Alch shivered, shocked by how intimidating these simple words were when coming from her mother. Yet, she did not back off, instead, gathered all her courage, and said with a resolute and resounding voice: "I came here to request permission to go to the Land of Monsters."


    *Clap*


    Angela Alch''s hand landed on her forehead, concealing her eyes. A faint smile that did not seem like a real smile at all appeared on her face. "Don''t tell me, you cannot stand the pressure of your position as princess anymore, due to your weakness; and in the end, you''ve decided to throw away your life?"


    "I-I know that the probability of dying there is very high, but being in a place where there is no Complex Energy and is full of dangers perhaps could help me to break through this bottleneck that has been keeping me powerless for the past twenty years." Rose Alch firmly clenched her small hands into fists, adding a shadow of red to her white skin.


    After which, the hall turned silent.


    As the seconds ticked by, Rose Alch bit by bit felt increasingly anxious and her heartbeats became faster and faster. Still, thanks to her well-trained Awakened Skill, her mother could not hear any sound coming out of her body.


    Finally, Angela Alch turned around to give her back to her nervous daughter, and said in an enraged tone: "It''s very clear to everyone that you¡¯re laughably weak, but it seems like you''re also severely stupid!" She, in less than an instant, turned her head to shoot with a single eye a hopping mad stare at Rose Alch and stated: "You''re no longer worthy of the surname Alch. From now on, you¡¯re no more Rose Alch but just Rose. Get out of here, and do whatever you want!"


    Receiving such a sentence, Rose involuntarily breathed in a mouthful of cold air and remained completely motionless. Before coming, she had not had much hope in her mother giving her permission to leave. Unexpectedly, it happened now that, even if she did not want to anymore, she had to leave, and it would have to be forever.


    However, after thinking about her situation just a bit more carefully, Rose heaved a silent sigh of relief, and could not help but raise the right end of her pink lips. To Rose, her freedom was a blessing, and not just any random blessing, but a very necessary one to someday be able to achieve her dreams.


    "I understand... I''ll immediately start to arrange my stuff. I''ll leave tomorrow morning." At this point, Rose paused as hesitation flashed through her eyes. In the end, knowing that this could be her last chance to talk to the person in front of her, she decided to continue: "Mother, thank you. I promise that I''ll always remember gratefully all you''ve done for me and everything you''ve given me."


    Once the words left her mouth, determination shone through her entire body, and, unhurried, she walked out of the secret training hall.


    Now unaccompanied, Angela Alch coolly settled down in the lotus position, closed her eyes, and began to train.


    It was at this moment that the space around her abruptly became utterly chaotic. It expanded and contracted as if in the presence of thousands of black holes. In no time, there even appeared countless rifts, portals toward myriads of unknown places.


    It was a spectacular and colorful sight the likes of which artists sought to bow down to!


    However, a second later, all at once, the rifts closed, the colorfulness disappeared, and the entire space returned to its silent state.


    *Sigh*¡­


    Angela Alch let out a weak sigh as she opened her eyes, eyes now filled to the brim with sadness.


    This woman who could dry seas and topple mountains as easily as turning her palm could not help but feel helpless and powerless facing this unavoidable fate.


    It was time for her daughter to spread her wings and fly away.


    Not finding any other way to get rid of this overflowing sensation of emptiness, she muttered: "My dear Rose, surpass yourself: the only one who can stop you. And remember, it doesn''t matter what your dreams may be, you can outshine anyone who was before you, you can accomplish anything¡­"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Southwestern Region of the Broken Earth Kingdom. The main port city of the kingdom, Blue City. In a private office.


    There were dozens of bookshelves scattered around the room, making it look like a labyrinth. There were also many piles of books on the floor. And at the center, there was a big black wooden desk.


    A little being that looked like a six-year-old girl was sitting at that big desk. She had long snow-white hair, almost down to her ankles. Her big eyes were silver in color; they along with her smooth, pale skin created the cutest face under the heavens.


    Her name was Aly Blue.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Right now, she was working diligently on a blueprint, drawing the design of an incredibly complex battleship. To the awe of anyone, the movements of her seemingly delicate hand were lightning-fast and had micrometer precision. It was completely correct to say that every machine designer engineer would refuse to believe that this level of mastery belonged to someone just fifteen years old.


    Unfortunately, even though she was doing what she loved the most to do, in these dark hours, she appeared to be the saddest person in the whole world, her dejected expression vividly representing the premonition of a flood of sour tears.


    And yet, only after completing her work did she put her pen down.


    Then, still afflicted by such a gloomy mood, she walked toward the exit door.


    But halfway through, all of a sudden, she felt dizzy and weak. Stumbling forward, she eventually fell.


    *Punm*


    A dull sound echoed out the moment her petite body hit the hard, cold floor.


    Aly Blue bit down her lips so hard blood stained her perfectly white teeth. And as she began to whine in agony and despair, thick tears came bursting out of her now bloodshot eyes.


    (I know! I know! This is the consequence of my own choices! But is there really no hope?! I am still too far away from reaching my aspiration, but I have just a few months remaining of life! What can I do with so little time?! It''s just not enough! It doesn''t even come close to be enough!) She inwardly screamed at unresponsive, indifferent deities.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    The northern border of the Broken Earth Kingdom. Lurep Village.


    The morning''s first rays of light flooded down through the only window of a poorly decorated room. They shone onto a trembling opened hand, on which lay a small glass vial half-filled with some yellowish liquid substance.


    Suddenly, as the devil''s soft and malevolent whispers, an ominous voice reverberated through the room: "Hehehe¡­ I can''t stop myself from shaking... It can''t be helped, after all, very soon, I''ll be able to tear his heart apart¡­! Hehehe¡­ At that critical moment, I must control myself! I must not let out any moan of pleasure while feeling his bloody flesh in my hand! Otherwise, I''ll be set up for big trouble¡­!"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Somewhere. In a sealed room.


    *Drip*... *drip*... *drip*...


    Drops of blood constantly fell to the ground from a table which was glowing softly with a mystical dark blue light.


    On this table there were thirty-seven swords, they also were emitting a mystical light, but this was white.


    All of these fantastical swords were piercing the body of a naked male who looked like a human.


    Some swords were nailed in his arms, others in his legs, and the rest of them in his trunk.


    The face and body of this mysterious being seemed to be no more than eighteen years old. However, his abyssal deep violet eyes looked older, much older; not even the word ''ancient'' could describe them right.


    Oh, his eyes, so mature, so overly mature they had turned into two rotten things, so long ago¡­ Oh, his eyes, unrivaled with others in their abilities to harbor loneliness, pain, sadness, melancholy... anger, and hatred¡­ Oh, his eyes, always desperately shining with the light of something that had gone so far beyond the madness it became impossible to understand¡­ Oh, his unreasonable eyes, those wise yet silly eyes¡­ now the greatest at producing poets... and mesmerizing souls.


    Without warning, the mysterious being closed his eyes, turning down most of the light and the beauty of the room. He then slowly began to breathe in oxygenless air. This simple action caused him to start bleeding like a fountain, but he did not stop. After a few seconds, just as he finished breathing in, his melodic voice resounded out:


    "He comes crawling and solo


    to barren the morrow


    of its day and night,


    to spare no soul


    from the endless sorrow


    and the somber night.


    "There are no hopes,


    no mercy remains


    for nothing forestalls


    the cruelest fates,


    proof and witness was


    his vain self-sacrifice.


    "When the gentle sky bares its fangs,


    all dreams shatter in its cracks


    for madness, fear, and hate;


    this is the immortal''s fate:


    to be the loneliest fiend


    at world''s final end."


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Cloud Cutter Castle. At the top of a high wall.


    Two goblins were seeing Rose''s silhouette becoming smaller and smaller into the distance.


    "So it''s true. Rose Al¨C No, I should say only Rose now, she has finally been discarded by her family because of her uselessness." A young voice said, in a mocking tone.


    "It''s like you said, young master Ben." This time, it was a mature voice. "*Sigh*... what a pity, to think that such a monstrous talent who shocked all the Four Great Families of the Broken Earth Kingdom has ended up in such a sorry state."


    "Ha! Pity?! It was a gift from the heavens what stuck her at the First Level Basic Awaken stage! If she had continued to grow in strength at that rate back then, the enemy kingdoms would have acted and the delicate balance of the war would have been broken. That would have begun an all-out slaughter with a completely unpredictable outcome!" Annoyed, Ben rebuked his subordinate''s light words.


    "Young master''s wisdom is what truly deserves to be called a gift from the heavens. Please, excuse me for speaking without thinking, young master Ben." The butler did not hesitate to acknowledge his mistake and seek forgiveness. He was very afraid of angering this young master of his.


    Ben slowly nodded, satisfied with such bootlicking. After pondering his options for a while, he instructed: "Send Dani Zelu, tell him: Follow her from afar to avoid being noticed by any protector the queen might have sent." It was at this point that a sinister smile accentuated the ugliness of his green face and his black eyes flickered with malice. "If Rose has no protector, it''ll be obvious that the queen has forsaken her. In that case, there won''t be any problems if I kidnap her and turn her into my toy!"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Walking toward the North Port of Flowing City, Rose marveled at how wonderful it felt to be free. Her mood was so great she even enjoyed the loud bustle caused by the civilized races and the domesticated monsters around her.


    Never could she have guessed that to see all twelve civilized races strolling side by side in harmony on the wide streets of Flowing City could be this satisfying. Looking at each one of them, she thought: (Elf, elemental elf, war elf, human, shadow human, monster human, deliaf, goblin, dullahan, harpy, gargoyle, and gorgon. All of them!)


    She did not know what kind of future the road ahead would lead her to nor did she know how many trials and tribulations she would have to face. To add it up, she was now alone against the world with just a backpack with three changes of clothes, some medicines, and a few blue coins.


    But in spite of all of this, her built-up emotions made it hard for her to keep a slow pace, so much so she involuntarily began to speed up. And soon, she found herself running!


    (There''s no need for pretenses anymore!) Understanding this, she dismissed all of her unnecessary thoughts and started to run harder, to run faster and wilder than ever before.


    As a dazzling smile bloomed on her beautiful face and her curly red hair danced freely in the wind, her heart pounded with enthusiasm, full of impatience to explore the world she had only seen in books and dreams.

 Chapter 2: The Rose Mountain

    Land of Monsters. In a foggy forest. At the foot of a giant ancient tree.


    Rose, who was wearing a white t-shirt and black jacket-pants, sat there cross-legged, her eyes closed.


    She had been like this for almost two days straight. Actually, if the person doing this were not her but some other First Level Basic Awaken cultivator instead, that cultivator would have already died hundreds of times under the savage assaults of the monsters.


    The known cultivation stages in this world were ten: Body Evolution, Basic Awaken, Intermediate Awaken, Advanced Awaken, Full Awaken, Energy Core Evolution, Basic Build, Intermediate Build, Advanced Build, and Full Build. Each stage contained nine levels. And a cultivator an entire stage higher than other was 10 times stronger.


    The monsters that roamed around this place were mostly at the Advanced Awaken stage, two stages higher than the First Level Basic Awaken Rose. So, in other words, she was surrounded by monsters that were 100 times stronger than her!


    However, Rose was safe because she had a Special Awakened Skill named Sensor Cloak. By using it, she could hide her smell, her body heat, and the sounds she produced. This let others with only two ways to detect her. The first one was of course by sight, however, the dense mist and the countless trees of this forest turned this way to detect her almost useless; the second one was by activating the Aura Perception ability to feel Rose''s First Level Basic Awaken Aura, but the monsters could not feel her Aura in this way because they used another type of Energy to cultivate. The monsters used an Energy called Mystical Energy, whereas the civilized races cultivated Complex Energy.


    Besides, Rose was very sensitive to sounds. This allowed her to immediately discover any monster that might get too close to her, making it easy to avoid them.


    In short, unless something out of the ordinary happened, the monsters in this place could not detect Rose, and it was precisely because of this that she had had the guts to make her way into the Land of Monsters, where there was no Complex Energy but only Mystical Energy.


    "*Sigh*..." She let out a long and deep sigh as she slowly opened her eyes, her expression full of disappointment.


    (... It won''t work...) She reluctantly concluded.


    Even though Rose had known very well that her chances of success in breaking through the First Level Basic Awaken stage to reach the Second Level Basic Awaken stage were almost nil, she had kept in her heart the hope of achieving it. Now that this method has failed, she was left with no ideas on how she could break through. It had been twenty years since the last time she had a breakthrough, so it was understandable why a woman as strong as Rose, whose expression would not change even if she was stabbed in the stomach, had such a sad and dejected look right now.


    But in the end, Rose was still exceptionally strong; which was why, after only a few minutes, her eyes showed serene determination once again.


    (Let''s head out of here before my Complex Energy runs out.) Thinking this, she leaped to her feet, picked up her backpack, glanced at the shapes and details of the surrounding trees, and set off following the same path she had used to reach this place.


    She had not entered too deep into the Land of Monsters, as a result, she did not take long to reach the zone where the Mystical Energy coexisted with the Complex Energy. At that point, Rose drastically increased her speed, and after a few hours, she managed to leave the fogy forest.


    At that moment, a vast green meadow appeared before Rose''s eyes; from the east, it could be heard the flowing water of a river so enormous it could be mistaken by an ocean; and in the distance, it could be seen the silhouettes of the pitch black walls of Lurep Village.


    Lurep Village was part of the territory of Stormy Cloud City, a city that belonged to the Broken Earth Kingdom, and the latter was one of the five kingdoms which made up the Continent of Civilized Races.


    When Rose arrived at the entrance of Lurep Village, the sky was already dark, but her thoughts were already clear: (Since I need to find a new approach to break through my bottleneck, I''ll go to the library to search for clues tomorrow morning. Let''s just eat and rest for tonight.)


    Having decided this, Rose stepped into the village and headed to her inn.


    The inn in which Rose had rented a room was neither luxurious nor humble, it was something in between. Nevertheless, it had everything she needed.


    Upon arrival, she went directly to the dining hall and ordered something from the menu. After devouring her entire meal in a single gulp, which impressed the few onlookers, she climbed the stairs and shut the door to her temporary room behind her.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Immediately after, Rose began to undress, showing little by little her smooth and soft white skin akin to a newborn''s. It must be mentioned that the perfection of her skin had been maintained until now just because she had always had at her disposal the best medicines back in the Cloud Cutter Castle; if not for this, her skin would have been able to scare even the bravest of the Mercenary''s Guild. This was not an exaggeration at all. Due to the extreme training Rose had imposed herself, every square inch of her skin had been torn apart at least a thousand times.


    Completely naked, Rose entered into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After finishing bathing, she washed her clothes and hanged them to dry. Having done all she had to do, she dived into the bed and passed out.


    Early in the next morning.


    Rose quietly stood beholding the Lurep Village Library building.


    To Complex Energy cultivators, knowledge was essential to further their cultivation base. As a result, the civilized races treated their libraries as their most important treasures. This became evident when one looked at the library of a village as small as Lurep Village. It was thirty stories high with an area of 1 km x 3 km, it was the most eye-catching building in town.


    Rose did not have much hope in finding a realistic way that could help her to break through; after all, even though she was only thirty years old, she had already read more than one hundred and fifty thousand books, the one hundred and fifty thousand best books her kingdom had to offer, however, she had yet to find what she needed the most: A method to break through that could help her.


    (If in this place I don''t find the information I''m looking for, I''ll simply search for it somewhere else! I can''t give up on this. Without enough strength, to accomplish my dream will be absolutely impossible!) Rose''s clear green eyes sparkled with unyieldingness as she strode into the library.


    After entering, an elderly gargoyle dressed in a white librarian uniform sitting at a counter welcomed her with a kind smile. It surprised her that although his status was obviously at the bottom of the hierarchy pyramid of The Word Guards, he released a Sixth Level Intermediate Awaken Aura.


    Putting aside her sense of inferiority, Rose handed a blue coin to him and said: "I''m looking for books on how to make a breakthrough when you come across a bottleneck. But not the conventional ones. I have tried them all and their methods hadn''t worked on me."


    The gargoyle librarian looked with curiosity at this peculiar customer whose face he had not seen before, and who had a demeanor of someone of extraordinary background but the cultivation base of a commoner. After seizing her up for a while; he said calmly with his hoarse, old voice: "Well, we do have a whole section on exotic methods to break through bottlenecks. However, I must warn you, young lady, that such books are just well-written bullshit. Trust this old servant, the fact that they are well-written is the only reason we keep them."


    "There''s no problem, sir. I understand that. I''m just going to try my luck." Rose showed a charming smile. She then asked tilting her head: "Where is that section?"


    "Follow me." The elderly gargoyle said as he rose to his feet and lead the way to a deep part of the library.


    Rose did what she was told.


    At that point, just for an instant, Rose''s beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of envy as they reflected the gargoyle librarian''s wings. She could only imagine how wonderful it would be to have a pair of wings and with them be able to ride the skies.


    Moments later, his old voice rang again in Rose''s ears saying: "It''s there, all the books in that room are the kind of books you''re looking for."


    She looked at the room the gargoyle librarian was pointing at, nodded and sauntered into it.


    Seeing this, he informed her: "If you need any help you can find me where we met." Then he went back to his assigned post.


    Although the absolute silence in the room made it clear that it usually did not receive visitors; the floor, the walls, and the roof were so clean that not even a speck of dust could be found, and the books were neatly arranged on well-organized bookshelves.


    After glancing at several titles she had already studied at some point, she casually picked up a book among those she had not heard about before and began to read it without stopping for more than two seconds on the same page, and without missing any word. This ability to read so quickly and so thoroughly could only have been developed by a genius with monstrous talents, such as Rose.


    Time passed by, and the sky outside turned dark.


    Rose was already finishing reading the hundred and thirteenth book when suddenly she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a book that had written on its spine: - The Rose Mountain -, by Lin the Lonely Adventurer.


    This left her breathless for five entire seconds.


    It had nothing to do with the name ''Rose''. It was all because despite being a big fan of Lin the Lonely Adventurer, she did not know that such a book existed!


    It was with euphoric impatience that she reached out to grab it, and started to read.


    The book described a mountain located on the Land of Monsters, in a place not too far away from Lurep Village. The author admitted that she had never seen such a strange thing before. It happened that the ground around this mountain was strangely reddish, with the closest soil to the mountain being of a deeper reddish color. And if it were possible to see this region from the sky, which was not due to the dense fog, then one''s eyes would encounter a red land with boundaries akin to a rose monster''s flower outline. It was precisely because of this that she had named it: The Rose Mountain.


    The author analyzed this strange earth and discovered, to her surprise, that it had healing properties similar to the healing properties of low-level medicine. All that land with a radius of about five kilometers had healing properties!


    Of course, such a situation deserved further investigation.


    Unfortunately, in the end, the author did not find the source of this phenomenon. That being said, she did come up with an interesting hypothesis: Something with so much power may very well be one of those legendary plant monsters that are capable of increasing the cultivation base of anyone without restrictions.

 Chapter 3: A Dreamlike Encounter

    Due to this conclusion - The Rose Mountain - ended up in the section of exotic methods to break through while being stuck in a bottleneck.


    The epilogue: "This is the first time I am writing a book. Why did I decide to do it? Because I don''t want to let my discovery go to waste. Since the healing properties of that land weren''t worth the risk of transporting its earth from the Land of Monsters to the Continent of Civilized Races, it wasn''t done. Besides, the fact that there might be a legendary plant monster is only a speculation. I didn''t find any concrete proof of it after all. But you, my dear reader, if you think that you have the necessary strength and ability to solve the mystery of The Rose Mountain, try it! And if you do solve it, and we live in the same era, please find me so we can sit together, drink something, and chat about it."


    Rose, after reluctantly closing the book, with so many stirred emotions, took a deep breath and exclaimed within her head: (The first work of Lin the Lonely Adventurer! It seems that from here comes her unique and beautiful style of writing incredible but real events and sceneries. This is too much of a coincidence: my name, my favorite author, the miraculous object I desperately need, and the fact that it''s in a place so close to where I am. No matter how rational I try to be, it still feels like fate.)


    It was with a hint of madness flashing through her eyes that she decided to take the risk of exploring this mountain.


    After Rose left the library, she went back to her inn to pick up her exploration equipment: her backpack. Then she left Lurep Village, dashing northwestward.


    When the sky began to turn cyan, Rose was already within the Land of Monsters. And several hundreds of kilometers later, she finally stepped onto reddish earth.


    Rose stopped there, pulled out a dagger and used it to cut the skin of her left hand''s index finger. After putting her dagger back in her backpack, she bent down and buried her left hand into the reddish earth. A minute later, she took her hand out from the ground and looked at her now unharmed index finger.


    (There''s no doubt about it, its healing capability is the same as the capability of low-level medicine.) She smiled.


    Hope growing inside of her, she continued heading forward.


    Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, she climbed it zigzagging through the thick fog and soon found a cave surrounded by densely packed boulders.


    The entrance to this cave had the shape of the open maw of a giant beast, and it seemed as though the threshold between the realm of the living and an endless abyss of darkness.


    But it did not scare Rose at all. The unknown could scare her, but this cave had been mentioned in Lin''s book. There was nothing to be afraid of apart from its appearance.


    Just as Rose was about to enter such a cave, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. There were particular sounds coming from within the cave.


    (Gorilla monsters! It was supposed to be an empty cave¡­ Well, the book was written two hundred years ago¡­ Anyway, it should be fine as long as I stay alert. Let''s get in.) She told to herself, and crept into the cave.


    The reason she decided to directly search this specific place was because if the legendary plant monster really existed, it would have to be inside the mountain. A plant monster can grow in a cave but not underneath the earth without air. Besides, if the plant monster were on the exterior surface of the mountain then the mountain itself would also have turned reddish, but this was not the case. So it could only be somewhere inside this cave.


    Just as the outside light was no longer enough to illuminate Rose''s path, she took out of her backpack a transparent sphere. It had a glass filament that divided its interior into two halves, and in each half, there was a different liquid. Rose squeezed the small sphere, shattering the thin glass within. When the two liquids merged together, a reaction occurred that made the small sphere emit a faint sky-blue light.


    Luminous Sphere in hand, Rose continued creeping toward the depths of the cave as she became increasingly wary of her surroundings.


    The cave was very large, it had tens of thousands of forks, and it was extremely dim, there were also gorilla monsters roaming about, so Rose would need a long time to fully explore it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Four days later. On the outskirts of the Land of Monsters.


    Rose lay on the grass with her hands behind her head, her expression gloomy.


    During these past few days, she had explored the entire cave twice, and although she had done it thoroughly, she still had not found any trace of the legendary plant monster.


    Rose looked up at the immense starry sky and muttered with resolve: "I''m not giving up."


    It was with both stubbornness and hope that she stood up and returned to The Rose Mountain Cave.


    The search continued uneventfully, as the previous days, until Rose made a big mistake. Perhaps because she had had some degree of uncertainty in her heart or perhaps because her sense of danger had lessened with the passing of the days. Whatever the reason might be, she had entered a dead end even though a gorilla monster was near.


    Upon realizing this, Rose reacted immediately: she dashed toward the exit of the blind alley. But after a couple of seconds, she stopped. It was too late. The gorilla monster was already heading to the entrance of the blind alley. Rose knew she could not make it out in time anymore.


    The gorilla monster was a furry humanoid creature, two meters tall, and had the muscles of its arms more developed than those of its legs. All creatures that can cultivate either Mystical Energy or Complex Energy normally had a Racial Skill, the gorilla monster was no exception; it had a Racial Skill and it was called Luminous Crimson Eyes, a skill that enabled its eyes to glow with a red light. Thanks to this, those of its kind could live in dark environments.


    This gorilla monster''s eyes were especially intimidating. When it reached the entrance of the blind alley, it thoughtlessly sauntered into the dead end.


    *Pom* *pom* *pom* *pom*¡­


    Rose could hear with extreme clarity the sounds of heavy footsteps getting closer and closer.


    In the blink of an eye, the gorilla monster was just ten meters away from her; yet it continued advancing at the same speed.


    Head stuck to the ground, she closed her eyes and cursed at herself: (What a perfect time to lose your caution, Rose! It''s a gorilla monster! That race of monsters are usually at the Fifth Level Advanced Awaken stage! Damn Rose, why are you so reckless?!)


    In the next moment, the gorilla monster''s distance from Rose narrowed to just a step, but, without its red gleaming eyes showing any surprise, it kept walking calmly and relaxed.


    Meanwhile, Rose, who did not dare to move in the slightest, had already finished with her curses; she was now praying: (Please cute little gorilla, don''t kill me. I''m still too young. There are a lot of things I want to see and do. I swear that if you don''t kill me, I will not treat the gorillas badly for the rest of my life... No! If you don''t kill me, I''ll build you a sanctuary full of bananas and hot springs. So please don''t kill me, cute gorilla!)


    After circling around a rock for a while, for some strange reason, the gorilla monster felt like going somewhere else; thus it did so.


    Actually, that ''rock'' was Rose blanketed by her Earth Cloak which she had bought on the first day she arrived at Lurep Village. Since she could nullify sounds, her body heat and her smell, she had thought she could disguise herself as a rock!


    When Rose realized that she would not be able to leave in time, she had thrown herself onto the floor in the fetal position, and then she had grabbed her Earth Cloak from her backpack and covered herself with it. After that, it was a matter of luck whether or not she would survive.


    Only when the gorilla monster left did Rose manage to calm herself down. At that moment, a deep blush appeared on her face; it was the product of the shame on herself for the absurd thoughts that had ran through her mind a moment ago. In the end, with a soft sigh, she forgave herself for that behavior, after all, it was the first time she had been so close to death.


    The instant there was nothing else disturbing Rose''s concentration, while her ear was still glued to the ground, she perceived a faint sound coming out from within it, in truth an almost undetectable sound. Upon hearing this, Rose''s eyes opened wide.


    (There''s something underground!) She exclaimed.


    Overwhelmed by emotions, she began to track down the sound like a sniffer dog but instead of using her nose, she used her ear. Then there she was on all fours trying to find the exact spot where the sound was louder.


    A while later, after hitting her head against the rock walls a couple of times, Rose finally found the place where the sound was clearer. She could even understand some words: "... Solo... morrow..."


    Rose, having her breathing accelerated and her hands slightly trembling with excitement, slowly separated her head from the hard rocky ground. She really had found something! Without further delay, she began to dig the ground with her fingers and fingernails.


    As Rose went deeper, the mysterious voice became clearer and louder.


    Soon, the depth of the hole increased to three meters¡­ four meters¡­ five meters.


    When it reached twelve meters, the ground ended and Rose fell. Her body then hit, with a silent thud, the sticky floor of an unknown room.


    And as if that sound were a signal, the mysterious voice stopped ringing.


    Rose got up while looking with exciting curiosity at her surroundings. She noticed in an instant the mysterious naked young man whose body was pierced by swords that emitted a mystical white light.


    The first thing that caught Rose''s gaze was neither the mystical swords nor his ghastly wounds but his awfully deep violet eyes.


    And then time stopped, the world disappeared, and all that was left was his eyes.


    Both, Rose and the mysterious young man, looking into each other''s eyes, remained silent and lost for a long, long time...


    And then there was a second thing that caught Rose''s gaze, it was something that couldn''t be overlooked, not this mysterious young man''s and that was¡­


    "¡­ So¡­ big¡­" Rose couldn''t help whisper.

 Chapter 4: The Promises

    The mysterious young man''s heat-seeking moisture missile was that big, enough to make Rose lose her mind for a couple of seconds. It was so big it appeared as though the mysterious young man had two and a half legs!


    This had an explanation: Firstly, he had been imprisoned in this room for so long that his clothes had turned to dust long ago; secondly, his hormones had always been working perfectly thanks to his Awakened Skill; thirdly, the mysterious young man''s imagination had been quite lively, in fact, his imagination had reached a level unattainable to mere mortals; fourthly, his Lord Commander of the Southern Forces had not been pierced by any sword; and fifthly, his hands had been. That was the explanation.


    The mysterious young man noticed the beautiful girl falling from the ceiling and that she had not made any noise when she hit the ground, at that moment he vehemently concluded: (it''s another hallucination!) There appeared a hint of smugness on his face. (Hehehe¡­ I''m still smart and lucid enough to figure this much.)


    But that self-satisfaction did not last long when he focused his attention on her clear green eyes. There was something in them that made it hard to breath.


    Then he saw how that girl settled her gaze on his love muscle and mentioned its size. Obviously, under those circumstances, he had no choice but to say flirtatiously and without a trace of shame: "Do you like it? It''s okay, you can look at it as much as you want; and if you give me a good handjob, I''ll give you these expensive swords as a reward."


    Yes, just like in one of his sweetest fantasies: A gorgeous woman would descend from the heavens and in exchange for those abominable swords, she would give him something sexy.


    Rose''s emotions were chaotic, and within her, there were many doubts: (What did this sleazebag eat to get it this big?! No, no, no. I need to ignore this issue. More important: Who is he? Why can''t I feel his cultivation? What is wrong with his brain to be this shameless? And for heaven''s sake, how did he end up in this situation?!)


    Also, by having this scene in front of her, she already realized that the phenomenon that occurred around The Rose Mountain was not due to some legendary plant, instead it was due to the blood of this mysterious young man. Because of this, at this moment, she was quite upset. That is why, after hearing such bullshit coming out from this scoundrel''s mouth, she whipped out her dagger and commanded coldly: "Start to explain who you are and how you have ended up in this situation before my hand not-actually-accidentally slips and cuts that thing."


    Feeling her angry glare, the mysterious young man thought: (Mmm, it seems like she is a difficult one... Thanks lucky stars! Long live the difficult ones! They are the best!)


    He then said with a seductive smile: "Well, sexy thing, calm down. If you want to know me, I''ll gladly help you, let''s see... I don''t really like my name, so you can call me whatever you want. I am just a vagabond who can use Mystical Energy. Some people found out about it and captured me to research my body to understand how someone who belongs to a civilized race can cultivate Mystical Energy. But while I was being studied and questioned, something absurd happened: This place''s Complex Energy suddenly disappeared. I don''t know what happened with those bastards after that, I just know that the entrance to this room didn''t open again..."


    A look of disbelief appeared on Rose''s face. "Are you kidding me? A civilized race person that cultivates Mystical Energy? That is theoretically impossible! You were here before the Complex Energy disappeared from this place? That happened more than a million years ago! Who could live for so long maintaining this level of sanity?!"


    With a derisive laugh, he looked at her and replied: "I''m not lying. A million years? I felt them as if they were ten million. Moreover, of what sanity are you talking about? Do you think to speak with hallucinations is sane?"


    His response allowed her to understand something she had not even considered: (This guy has been thinking all this time that I am a hallucination!)


    "*Sigh*..." Frustrated, Rose sighed deeply and closed her eyes to think: (Okay, Rose, let''s analyze the situation... He has definitely been in this place for a very long time, at least the necessary time to dye a five-kilometer-radius land with his blood. The fact that his blood has healing properties implies that he has some kind of healing skill which has allowed him to survive until now, a skill that had made him almost immortal! Then, absurd as it is, the part of him being able to use Mystical Energy has to be true, because it doesn''t matter what kind of skill it is, either Awakened Skill or Racial Skill, they all need some type of energy to be activated and the only energy in this place is Mystical Energy. And it wouldn''t make any sense if he lies to someone he thinks is a hallucination. All in all, I have to admit his apparent sanity is quite healthy. After being alone for so long, he kept his rationality to this degree... just how great is his willpower? In addition, just talking causes him so much harm and yet he kept singing... so he never gave up: He has been trying to ask for help all this time. And if it''s like he says, this place must be a kind of secret laboratory where scientists tried to study him, so the walls should have been especially hard and resilient, but I was able to dig them with ease. Thus, even though his singing couldn''t be heard, it was not entirely in vain because over the passing of time, it weakened the walls. To have such drive¡­ Even though I can''t feel his cultivation, I can assume that he is someone who has reached a great height in the Cultivation Path. It''s a shame that there isn''t any legendary plant to help me to break through, but at least I came across such a person! He''ll definitely be able to help me to achieve my dream!) When her train of thoughts came this far, a trace of a smile broke onto her face.


    Actually, Rose used only two seconds to think about all of this. After forming that slight smile, she opened her eyes and extended her right hand to grab the hilt of a sword.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Displaying her natural imposing disposition, she said to him: "Before we can truly talk, you need to understand something first... I''m real!" While saying the last part, she pulled the sword out of his trunk, and consequently, his blood began to flow outwards as though a river source.


    Her action caused his eyes to almost pop out from their sockets, and he could not help but loudly exclaim spitting out blood: "Are you not a hallucination?! But¡­ but¡­ but!"


    Meanwhile, the sword in Rose''s hand lost its light and instantly turned to dust, this surprised her for an instant. She could not help but make a mental note: I''ll ask him about this later.


    Afterward, she put her hands on her hips and said: "I will free you if you accept this deal: You lend me your strength until I achieve my dream, then I''ll help you fulfill yours!"


    The mysterious young man was not sure yet if this situation was real or if it was just another illusion, and now, out of nowhere, he was proposed to make such a pact. He was left completely speechless for quite a while.


    In the end, he could not help but laugh: "Hehehe¡­ what happens if my only dream is the destruction of this world?"


    Facing such a question, Rose kept on staring at his eyes in silence for a prolonged moment. She could clearly see melancholy and resentment in those rotten eyes. Finally, she smiled beautifully. Eyes flashing with fervent resolve, she assured: "Even if your dream was harder than that, as long as you allow me to do what I want, I''ll definitely keep my word and help you."


    The mysterious young man, after hearing this, also kept on staring at her eyes in silence for a long time. He could clearly see her determination in those strong eyes. After confirming that she was not joking, he felt overwhelming curiosity, so he asked: "What is your dream?"


    Her answer was accompanied by a scheming smile: "I am not telling you, not now. So, do you accept the deal or not?"


    That answer provoked a sense of foreboding to fill his heart. But, what he wanted the most at this moment was to leave this room, he wanted it more badly than to get laid! Therefore, he had no choice but to put on a savage smile and say: "It''s unreasonable to make me promise to do something I don''t know what it is. It seems like you are crazier than me! But in spite of it, I accept! I promise, if you release me and vow that you will help me to fulfill my dream, I will lend you my strength until the day you achieve yours!"


    "HahaHAhaHA...!" Rose laughed so hard she ended up holding her stomach. Then, chin held high, arms spread out, she said: "I promise that when my dream come true, I''ll help you fulfill yours!"


    Very decisively, Rose pulled the remaining swords out of his body one by one. Each time she drew a sword it would lose its light and turn to dust, just like the first one.


    While this was happening the mysterious young man quietly gazed the swords letting his body. Mixed emotions on his face, he asked the heavens with no small amount of concern: (I''m not dreaming, right?)


    Soon, all the swords were gone. Closing his eyes, he activated his Awakened Skill. The healing process was visible to the naked eye, in just five seconds all his wounds disappeared.


    Seeing this, Rose couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise: "Your skill is too powerful!"


    To which he commented: "Of course it is, although it has just spent a big percentage of my Mystical Energy. By the way, its name is Life Restorer."


    Afterward, he gradually began to move, as though a newborn trying to understand how its body works. Once he got used to his new muscles, he tried to get up and, with some difficulty, put his legs on the ground. The instant his body stopped touching the table where he had been living for more than a million years, the table lost its light and, like the swords, turned to dust.


    And as the mysterious young man stopped touching the table, Rose was finally able to feel his aura and was greatly shocked by it: (Can he also cultivate Complex Energy?! Wait, why is he so weak?! To be only at the First Level Intermediate Awaken stage... that doesn''t hold a candle to his age at all¡­)


    Having only as a source of illumination the Luminous Sphere laid on Rose''s hand, he looked at his body which was now without swords in it and said with a merry laugh: "Hahaha... I feel as though I were naked without those damn swords."


    "What? What did you just say? Was ''I feel as though''? Did you even count the number of clothes you have on?! It''s zero, zero!" Rose said angrily as she threw her Earth Cloak to him.


    Clumsily, he covered himself with it.


    At that point, she saw how her Earth Cloak touched the mysterious young man''s dearest member, then, feeling a sense of loss, she thought: (Goodbye, my precious Earth Cloak, I swear I''ll keep you in my heart for the rest of my life¡­)


    "Oh that''s right! You didn''t want to tell me your name. Mmm... What do you think if I call you Thorn?" Rose recalled and suggested.


    He stared at her with a perplexed expression, and asked blinking: "Why ''Thorn''?"


    "Because my name is Rose." She answered giggling to herself.


    "Ua, uua, uaa!"


    Suddenly, some loud shrieks echoed through the room.


    They looked up and saw a pair of bright red eyes staring at them through the hole Rose dug. Thorn didn''t seem surprised by it, but Rose did and in a big way. She exclaimed: "I was preventing every sound and smell from escaping through that hole all this time! How did it find us this quickly?!" Thinking about hers and Thorn''s cultivation, and how different they were when compared to a gorilla monster''s cultivation, she shuddered in fear.


    "So you can do that..." Thorn muttered, and then he raised his right hand''s index finger to point at the gorilla monster.


    The gorilla monster enlarged the hole with its fingers and nails so that it could come in and, only one short second later, it already crossed the entire twelve meters of length the hole had! But just as it began to fall from the ceiling, Thorn faintly moved the finger he had just lifted. This seemingly inoffensive action created a very thin blade of wind that whizzed through the air and sliced the gorilla monster''s neck in an instant.


    *Puunm!*


    The gorilla monster''s headless body hit the ground.


    *Punm*


    The gorilla monster''s head, which was now showing an expression of utter fear and shock, hit the ground rolling.


    Rose watched how all of this happened, her eyes and mouth completely opened. (He has just now used a skill to control the wind! He also has the Wind Element Awakened Skill! With his Complex Energy which he has cultivated up to the First Level Intermediate Awaken stage, he has so easily defeated a Fifth Level Advanced Awaken gorilla monster! And he did it just with an understanding degree at the Use of the Skill! This doesn''t make any sense!!!)


    Ignoring the headache Rosa was feeling, he squatted down to get a better view of the gorilla monster''s corpse and said with a relaxed smile: "Well, nice to meet you, Rose. And I am sorry for this, it has discovered us because it felt my First Level Intermediate Awaken Aura in Mystical Energy. That table not only suppressed my cultivation in Complex Energy but also concealed my two Auras."

 Chapter 5: The Night Our Adventures Began

    "Oh, now I understand. No, no, no! Don''t mess around whit me! That was just the Final-Star Use of the Skill, right?! Right?! Why are you so strong when you''re only at the First Level Intermediate Awaken stage in both Complex Energy and Mystical Energy?!" Rose asked almost shouting.


    "I am a hundred times stronger than normal First Level Intermediate Awaken cultivators, you shouldn''t have assumed that having double cultivation doesn''t bring me more than one benefit." Thorn responded casually as he put one of his fingers inside the gorilla monster''s neck.


    "That''s ridiculous! That''d mean your basic strength will always be two entire stages higher than your actual cultivation!" Rose''s face was distorted by incredulity, envy, and finally resignation. It was evident that this madness was true since he was actually that strong.


    He brought his finger which was now stained with the gorilla monster''s blood into his mouth.


    "*Cough* *cough* *cough*... What a repulsive flavor!" Thorn coughed and said this, but immediately after, he repeated his early action and tasted more blood.


    Seeing this, Rose said impatiently: "Why are you wasting our precious time?! We have to get out of here before we attract more monsters. If the gorillas corner us, we''ll be domed. Your Complex Energy and Mystical Energy aren''t infinite!"


    He looked at her and hitting his back said, a playful smile on his face: "I''m waiting for you to ride me."


    Rose became speechless, but soon realized: (I guess it''s the fastest way...) Having no better options, she rode his back grudgingly.


    Piggybacking her, he stood up. Then from his bare feet, a gale began to come out. Slowly, they ascended.


    Rose was not surprised by this since it was known that most Wind Element Awakened Skill users could fly.


    In no time, both left the room. Floating above the hole Rose dug, Thorn asked: "Where is the exit?"


    She quickly explained to him the route to get to the entrance of the cave, and then they set off. On their way, they met another gorilla monster but Thorn quickly slew it. And just like that, they came out of the cave without additional hindrances.


    The moment they got out, they were covered by the dense fog of the forest.


    Only after ascending for quite a while did they leave the foggy region.


    The instant their eyes met the sky they could not help stop moving and just keep on looking at that starry sky.


    It was a night like no other. The rainbow-like rings of the planet split the triangle formed by its three full satellites in half. One of these satellites was blue, the second was red, and the third was white. All of them were shining brightly, and yet, they did not overshadow the colorful and flickering lights of the countless stars in this seemingly infinite firmament.


    Thorn''s eyes stopped blinking. Involuntarily, his mouth opened and it remained open. His heart was invaded by a sense of satisfaction stronger than any other good feeling he had felt in the last one million years. This emotion was so overwhelming that tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. The freedom he was feeling when looking at this sky was just too real, and too perfect. Voice shaking, he couldn''t help but slowly mutter: "... The sky... was it always this... beautiful?"


    On his back, the look Rose had been giving at this starry sky could only be described as captivating. It was more passionate than any look a maiden could use to gaze upon her life''s most beloved one.


    After a while, she whispered as in a trance: "The sky has always been beautiful, but at this moment, on this night, it is definitely showing off more than usual... Perhaps it wanted to give you a welcome gift..."


    Silently, they appreciate that sky for a long time.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    In this world, there were innumerable energy minerals that were obtained from Earth Element Awakened Skill users and the parts or secretions of certain monsters and plant monsters. These energy minerals could form, under high temperatures, an alloy called zenanium. The zenanium''s properties varied greatly depending on the types and amounts of energy minerals used in its creation. The zenanium was classified, from lowest to highest quality, with these characters: E, D, C, B, A, S, S2, S3, etc.


    The civilized races used the zenanium as the main material for the fabrication of daily tools and the construction of roads, sewers, bridges, buildings, city walls, ships, chariots, etc. Even the daily clothes were made of zenanium with elastic properties.


    In general: Body Evolution cultivators'' weapons and armors were made of E-class zenanium, Basic Awaken cultivators'' of D-class zenanium, Intermediate Awaken cultivators'' of C-class zenanium, Advanced Awaken cultivators'' of B-class zenanium, Full Awaken cultivators'' of A-class zenanium, and so on.


    Lurep Village''s black D-class zenanium walls were 20 m thick and 120 m high. These imposing walls protected two million civilized race individuals! Thanks to their great heaviness and their complex structure they could withstand even the attacks of someone at the Ninth Level Full Awaken stage. In addition, they had an anti-flying-creature weapon system, and because of this, the buildings within the village were not constructed higher than the walls.


    Lurep Village had three large gates: The north gate that faced The Land of Monsters, the south-east gate which faced Lurep Village''s Port and the west gate through which four large highways that led toward other villages ran past.


    These roads were always occupied by civilized races entering or leaving either on foot or in chariots. Some of them were just visiting while others were transporting goods. But no one was entering or leaving flying. For various reasons, inside of any village or city, it was forbidden to fly or fight.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Early in the morning.


    At a chair on the balcony of a building that overlooked the north gate, a humanoid sat, his arms crossed over his chest. He lacked a head, in its place, there was pitch-black smoke hovering about. He was a dullahan.


    This pitch-black smoke not only allowed others to identify a dullahan from another, thanks to their varied shapes, but also all dullahan used it to see and hear because it worked as a sensor of light and vibrations.


    As for this dullahan''s pitch-black smoke, it had the shape of three horizontal little rods.


    He had the body of a robust male and was wearing a pitch black A-class zenanium armor with white and red patterns. As for his cultivation, he released a Third Level Full Awaken Aura. He was Dani Zelu, the young master Ben''s secret pawn. He had been following Rose cautiously so that ''the possible protector'' would not notice his presence.


    At that moment, he observed how Rose stepped into Lurep Village while cheerfully talking with a young man who had black hair and violet eyes and was wearing only a bloodstained cloak. Dani Zelu¡¯s dark voice, coming out of his neck, sounded: "When she went out, she was alone... from which hole did that lad pop out?"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Rose and Thorn sauntered through Lurep Village''s streets.


    A while ago, she had brought him to her inn so he could take a good bath, she too had taken a bath, and then they had gone in search of a clothing store.


    He looked shocked and said in an agitated voice: "I can''t believe what you''re saying: Now, the civilized races'' territory is only one-tenth of the world! And, how can it be possible that the slimes, xandrias, arlis and even the dragons themselves had gone extinct?!"


    She gazed at him with evident concern in her eyes, and said: "I''m sorry... I guess it must be hard for you to accept that you are now the last xandria left in the world."


    "Well, I knew that sooner or later my race would go extinct, our Racial Skill is almost useless after all. So, I was somewhat prepared for that. What surprises me the most is the extinction of the dragons!" Thorn''s expression became solemn as traces of fear appeared within his eyes, he explained: "They were the most powerful civilized race in existence, unrivaled living beings whether on land, above in the skies or even in the depths of the seas. Not only were they the most powerful, but also the most numerous and those who occupied the greatest extent of territory in the world. Even if all the other civilized races had come together to battle the dragons, the dragons would have won so easily they wouldn''t even consider it as a fight but just as the boring act of trampling ants!"


    "Wow! That powerful?!" Because there was almost no information about the time before the Great Catastrophe, Thorn''s words really caused a great impact on Rose.


    "That powerful! Now, do you understand how absurd it is to me to hear that those sovereigns of the world had just like this become extinct?" His voice sounded calmer now, but there was still a lingering fear in it.


    They continued walking, and after some detours, they stopped in front of a three-story building that had colorful clothes drawn across its walls.


    Rose glanced at him and said: "This seems a good place."


    One hour later.


    They were returning to the inn while Rose sported a bright smile, she was even humming something. On the other hand, Thorn sported a white t-shirt with some black words in it that read ''I am the boss'', and... a long black skirt that reached down to his calves. He tried really hard to put on some pants; tragically, his attempts failed due to the size of his mushroom head!


    So, he had a very angry face right now. It was a face that clearly warned ''if you dare to ask me why I''m wearing a skirt, I''ll paint your cheeks red with slaps''.


    And it happened that no matter what world it was, in none of them there was a lack of morons.


    In this case, it was a tall and muscular humanoid with white skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears; namely, a war elf. Wearing just a blue and black singlet, he approached them laughing and said, his finger pointing at Thorn''s skirt: "Hahaha...! Oh, boy, why are you wearing a skirt? Hahaha..."


    Of course, after hearing such blatant mockery, Thorn had no choice but to get into a good position to slap him. However, just before he could raise his hand, he saw through the crowd a humanoid who, instead of hair, had green snakes and whose eyes were completely green.


    He was a male gorgon wearing a white armor that had on the chest the symbol of the Broken Earth Kingdom''s flag: A ship on the upper part, a wheat stalk on the lower part, a spherical flask on the right part, and a blacksmith hammer on the left part. It was basically the combination of the crests of the Four Great Families.


    This gorgon belonged to the kingdom''s militia, he was a soldier. With a stern bearing, he was patrolling the village in search of some fool that might dare to break the laws.


    Seeing this soldier, Thorn remembered what Rose told him before entering the village: It was forbidden to fight here. Reluctantly, he swallowed his anger and said to the impertinent war elf: "Ge¨C"


    "What a man with so little chivalry!"


    But before he could finish, Rose''s furious roar cut in.


    Her face a mask of grief and indignation, she pointed her finger at Thorn and said: "My friend may not have protruding breasts nor a butt that could attract a lot of admiring glances, but even so, she is a woman! And it''s absolutely disrespectful to call her ''boy''!"


    "Eeeeeehhh?!" Several passersby who heard and saw what was happening were dumbstruck by the sheer absurdity of Rose''s words.


    "W-what?!" After shouting this, the war elf hurriedly stepped forward to take a closer look at Thorn''s face, his eyes almost bursting out of their sockets.


    As for Thorn, he was rendered speechless to the point of having vacant eyes.


    After looking at him for a while, the war elf finally said with a big nod: "You do really look like a woman! You''re even cute!"


    At this point, Thorn was tempted to kill both the muscular war elf and Rose in a brutal and savage way with his own fingers and nails.


    "Yes, it''s a bit difficult to notice it at first sight, but she definitely is a pretty girl."


    "*Sigh*... I feel too incompetent as a man. How could I not recognize a beautiful lady even when she is standing right in front of me...?"


    "Mmm... I wonder if she is already committed to someone, what I would give to have a fianc¨¦e with such beautiful and exotic eyes!"


    The bystanders commented as they walked away. Meanwhile, Rose struggled with all her willpower to keep a straight face.


    The war elf suddenly kneeled before Thorn and put his forehead on the solid ground, then said in an apologetic tone: "Please, beautiful young lady, forgive my previous blindness. This definitely will be a black stain on my honor as a man that I''ll bear for the rest of my life. If there is by any chance something, anything at all, that I can do for you to make amends for my terrible mistake, feel free to name it."


    "Get lost." From Thorn''s mouth, a voice darker and colder than Dani Zelu''s echoed out. Unfortunately, his voice was so distorted by anger that it became high-pitched, thus giving off the wrong impression of being a woman''s voice.


    "Yes! Of course! I''ll not annoy you any more with my disgraceful presence." In the end, it happened that the war elf retired having his cheeks painted red but not by slaps, it was by utter shame.


    Thorn shot a look full of resentment at Rose; unexpectedly, what he saw after doing so was a smiling Rose who was lifting her thumb.


    She said to him: "You don''t need to thank me." She then put her hand on her chest, raised her head with pride and continued: "You can trust on me to keep your ''big secret'' safe from wild women."


    (Why are you so proud of yourself, bastard?! Of what secret are you talking about?! I would be immensely glad if ''my size'' becomes public knowledge!) Thorn wanted to scream this with all his might, but the blood that got stuck in his throat out of anger prevented him to do so.

 Chapter 6: Joining a Guild

    The inn''s dining room.


    "*Snif* *snif* delicious, so delicious! ... *yum* *yum* I am so happy to be alive! *yum* *snif* *yum*..." Tears of joy could not stop flowing out of Thorn''s eyes. For more than a million years the only things he had to eat was the flesh of his own lips and his own blood, so to understand how great his happiness was at this moment was very, very difficult. It was enough to say that he was so happy he had completely forgotten the existence of the skirt he was wearing.


    "Hehehe... Enjoy now that you can, later we''ll be busy. You see, I don''t have a single blue coin left, so we''ll have to work!" Rose said placing her palms on her checks as she watched Thorn with a wide smile across her face. She enjoyed the view of Thorn earnestly eating. After all, she knew for how many years he had not tasted good food.


    After finish eating, they went up to the rooftop terrace, and they then sat on a bench overlooking the various and unique buildings of Lurep Village.


    "¡­ Well, I agree that we have to get money, but what are we going to do after that?" Thorn asked while still having his eyes slightly red.


    "Mmm... I wanted to break through my bottleneck, but now that I have your help I''ve decided to start looking for a ship designer. Of course, before that, we will have to get enough money to afford one." Rose explained calmly.


    Bewildered, Thorn asked: "Ship designer? ... Why do you need a ship? You know that I can take you to wherever you want by flying, right?"


    A mysterious smile appeared on her face as she responded: "I don''t need a ship, I need a ship designer."


    Thorn seemed even more confused than before. Nevertheless, not feeling worried at all, he said: "Okay, I guess I''ll understand what you''re up to at some point anyway. So, where are we going to find a ship designer?"


    She grandly lifted her index finger, pointed toward the southwest and answered: "The place that contains the principal headquarters of the Fisherman''s Guild, and the place where the best ships in the world are built: Blue City!"


    "Fisherman''s Guild?" He showed a curious look.


    Rose realized: "Oh! Of course! The guilds were created after the Great Catastrophe, so you don''t know about their existence. The guilds are groups of people with specific objectives, they aren''t associated with any kingdom. There are many but currently only six stand out: the Assassin''s Guild, the Adventurer''s Guild, the Mercenary''s Guild, the Scientist''s Guild, the Fisherman''s Guild and the Word Guards."


    "Oh... so the people from this time let something like an assassin''s guild exist." He commented with interest.


    "They earned their place with their own strength and they also have a strict set of internal rules that allows them to survive." Rose explained.


    "... I see... Anyway, how are we going to make money?" After a slight nod, he asked.


    Without hesitation, Rose answered, her expression full of self-righteousness: "We''ll rent our bodies, obviously!"


    "Eeehhh??!! Why did you say ''obviously''?! ... B-but... Okay, as long as I have to attend only to female clients, I accept!" Thorn showed a shocked expression at first, but then blushed, and in the end, smiled emotionally to accept Rose''s proposal.


    Narrowing her eyes, Rose wondered why this sleazebag would react in such a way. Immediately after, she showed him her firm palm, and with a serious expression said: "Excuse me, I misspoke. What I was trying to say is: We will join the Mercenary''s Guild and rent our bodies to work performing different tasks, except sexual or illegal tasks."


    Thorn''s smile gradually disappeared. Crestfallen, he sighed. "Oh¡­ okay..."


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch was located in a building that occupied an area of 500 m x 300 m and had the shape of two arms crossed in the form of an ''X'', both with closed fists.


    Vei Dal was a middle-aged shadow human who worked at this branch of the Mercenary''s Guild. He had black hair, white skin, and brown eyes.


    The shadow human race had almost the exact same appearance of normal humans, the only difference was that they had a pair of black horns on their foreheads.


    Vei Dal was in his office reading some books when suddenly someone knocked on the door.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    *Knock* *knock*


    "You can come in." Vei Dal gave his permission.


    Following which, the door opened and two people entered.


    (Those violet eyes are beautiful... But, why is he wearing a skirt?) Seeing the visitants, he wondered.


    "If you''re here, then you must want to join our guild." He said stroking his chin.


    "Hello. Yes, we came to register ourselves. I''m Rose and my sister''s name is Thorn."


    (Sister?! Oh... now I understand...) He nodded.


    "Thorn and Rose... no surnames?" Vei Dal got slightly suspicious and asked. After all, even the peasants had a surname. The only ones who did not have surnames were those who had committed heinous enough crimes to be banished from their own families.


    "We are just a pair of innocent sisters. It just happened that we were thrown out of our clan because we refused to marry the clan chef''s son." Rose explained, a dejected expression on her face.


    "The guy wasn''t our type..." Using a pleasant female voice, Thorn added, eyes closed, his head shaking left and right.


    (C-cute! How could I have believed that she was a man?!) Never had Vei Dal thought he would be so blind.


    "T-That''s really unfortunate... Regarding membership registration, you just have to leave your Energy Signature and pay the registration fee which is three blue coins per person." Vei Dal slowly explained.


    After listening to his words, Rose and Thorn looked at each other, complicated expressions on their faces. A prolonged uncomfortable silence followed.


    Finally, Rose said: "Eh... would you excuse us for a moment? I need to consult something with my sister."


    "Of course, take your time." Vei Dal said kindly, as a thought flashed through his mind: (Perhaps they don''t have enough blue coins¡­)


    They left his office.


    But after a few seconds, he heard Thorn''s agitated voice coming from behind the door.


    "Why are you pulling out your dagger?! Do you want to sell my organs?!"


    (What is she doing?! Did she go crazy?! She can''t do such a thing as selling organs in this place!) Vei Dal got worried.


    Out of concern, he shouted: "Here is no place for you to do that! The Medical Center is just a few steps down the street from this building! If you want to sell organs, you should go there first!"


    He did not hear any reply for a while, and just when he was about to stand up, the door opened and a serious Rose besides a depressed Thorn entered.


    She apologized: "I''m sorry for the uproar. Sadly, my sister doesn''t want to sacrifice a miserable organ for the team''s sake..."


    (Well, I don''t blame her! Besides, why does it seem like you are the boss when your cultivation is a whole stage below your sister''s?! Are you trying to make fun of the fact that she is wearing a t-shirt that clearly says ''I am the boss''?! This is too irrational!) Vei Dal bellowed indignantly in his mind.


    Rose continued: "So, I have no choice but to sacrifice this precious item of mine..." She slowly and carefully withdrew a canteen from her jacket pocket, and as a look of deep reluctance appeared on her face, she handed it over to Vei Dal.


    He held the canteen and asked puzzled: "What''s this?"


    She replied with a sad but proud smile: "Medicine. You can check for yourself its level."


    Vei Dal looked at her for a moment, and then bitted his hand causing it to bleed. He opened the canteen, and carefully let a single crimson drop fall on his wound. Watching how his wound healed at an astonishing speed, he became stunned. He couldn''t help but exclaim: "It needed a single drop and only two seconds! Is all of this high-level medicine?!"


    "It is! I know that in the Broken Earth Kingdom the only ones who are authorized to sell medicines are the Alch family..." Rubbing her hands, Rose proposed with a sly smile: "But we could make a small transaction without anyone knowing about it¡­ What do you say?"


    Vei Dal hesitated for a moment before responding with a gradually lowering voice: "Mmm... I don''t know... it depends... how many blue coins are you selling it for?"


    "Well, considering the risks involved in the illegal trade of medicine¡­ I''ll sell it to you for only fifteen blue coins." Rose said after some thought.


    Vei Dal immediately agreed: "It''s a deal then."


    Of course he would not hesitate to accept this deal, after all, the normal price of that much high-level medicine was forty-five blue coins.


    After making the transaction, Vei Dal began to enroll them in the Mercenary''s Guild.


    Actually, the process was simple. Each one of them received a sheet of paper where they answered some basic questions like name, age, cultivation, etc. In the final part of the sheet, there was a small rectangle where with one of their fingers they released some of their Complex Energy, then, on the rectangle, a unique glowing pattern appeared. This pattern was known as Energy Signature. After which, they received a white card each, it was a one-star novice mercenary license.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    The Contract Hall of the Mercenary''s Guild was the place where clients went to when they wanted to hire mercenaries. Naturally, to enter this hall clients had to pay a blue coin first. Once inside, they could find several mercenaries sitting on different benches, and at the side of each occupied bench, there could be seen a blackboard where the skills of the mercenaries sitting on that bench were written on. In this way, customers could easily find the mercenaries with the kind of skill they needed.


    Thorn and Rose walked into the Contract Hall. Thorn looked somewhat depressed, and he said after a deep sigh: "*Sigh*... I know it isn''t a big deal... but... why do I have the impression that you were just using me as an object, without caring about my feelings in the slightest?"


    "Mmm... it must be because I was indeed using you as an object without caring about your feelings..." Rose looked into his eyes suddenly feeling guilty and apologized: "I''m sorry, I still have most of my habits from when I was a princess... But believe me, I''m very grateful for all the help you are giving me. I certainly would be having a hard time without you."


    Thorn involuntarily smiled when he heard Rose''s words. For some reason, her words brought him a pleasant sensation of accomplishment.


    They continued walking, and soon they found an empty bench on which they sat down after writing on the blackboard: Wind, special: It can hide sound, smell and heat.


    Then, they waited, patiently.


    Until, after reading their blackboard, a young dalmatian dog monster human said: "I have a job for you guys."

 Chapter 7: A Breakthrough after a Million Years

    The whistling wind caressed Rose''s face while she was holding tightly onto Thorn''s shoulders.


    As for Thorn, he was holding Lapi White, the dalmatian dog monster human they had received a request from. They were heading toward White Farm to destroy a plant monster that had been eating the farm crops.


    At late afternoon, they finally arrived at their destination.


    It was a white four-story building which the White family used as a home. On the sides of the building, there were large D-class zenanium pens, and inside these corrals, there were several domesticated monsters like chicken, pig, cow, and sheep. All these monsters were easy to tame because they could not even reach the Basic Awaken stage. Also, in the distance, there could be seen fields of wheat, pea, rice, and carrot plant monsters. In the same way, they were plant monsters that could not reach the Basic Awaken stage.


    As soon as Thorn descended in front of the main gate, Rose got off his back, and Lapi White shouted: "Dad, I''ve brought the mercenaries!"


    But even before his voice could resonate for half a second, the door of the building opened and a middle-aged silver wolf monster human came out. "Hohoho... Welcome son, you''ve done a great job." Turning his gaze toward Rose and Thorn, he showed a gentle smile: "You must be the mercenaries my son has brought. My name is Lobup White, it''s a pleasure to meet you both."


    Laughing, Rose nodded: "My name is Rose, and my sister''s is Thorn. And the pleasure is ours, Mr. Lobup White."


    "Hohoho... What a pleasant surprise! Usually, mercenaries aren''t this polite. Hohoho... Please, come in, come in, surely you two must be exhausted by the trip. For today you should rest and early tomorrow we will take care of that plant monster." Lobup White said as he made a hand gesture to show them the entrance to his house.


    They entered the building.


    Inside, very enthusiastically, Lobup White invited Thorn and Rose to dinner. They nodded to accept the free meal as quick as lighting. At dinner, the White family dropped heavily their jaws, shocked by the way Thorn ate. And at the end of the dinner, Lobup White led Thorn and Rose to the guest room so they could spend the night there.


    The guest room was spacious and had a row of five beds.


    Once they were left alone, Thorn expressed exhausted: "I don''t remember when the last time I have been awake for this long was, with everything that has happened I haven''t even had the time to break through..."


    With envy written all over her face, she asked: "Can you make a breakthrough right now?"


    "Yes, the door is already there, I just have to go through It." he replied.


    "Since that''s the case, go ahead and make your breakthrough. Don''t worry, I''ll not let anyone interrupt you while you are at it." Rose assured.


    After nodding, Thorn proceeded to sit in the lotus position on one of the beds. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Then, he put his whole metal body, or in other words: his whole soul, inside his Complex Energy body.


    Thorn''s mental body appeared in a space of infinite darkness, and in front of him, there was a green door adorned with dark green lines that gave off the feeling of being countless palpitating veins.


    Thorn raised a fist and gently knocked on that door.


    *Crack* *Crack!* *Crack!!* *Rumble!!*


    Instants later, the door shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.


    It must be known that in general, to break this door one needed a long period of struggle, but Thorn''s current mental body was just too powerful, it made appear the door to enter into the Second Level Intermediate Awaken Challenge like if it were no different from fragile glass.


    After smashing down the door, an illuminated passageway came into view, its walls resembling pristine silver marble.


    He, without hesitation, walked into that passageway. And soon, he arrived at an immense room, whereupon he found someone with his exact same appearance waiting for him!


    Green mist swirling around its body, Thorn''s Copy glanced over at Thorn, its eyes exuding unrestrained killing intent.


    This being had the same strength and combat capabilities Thorn had when he reached the First Level Intermediate Awaken stage.


    Thorn''s Copy abruptly used its Wind Element Awakened Skill to ascend 100 m with a single leap, and it then nose-dived toward Thorn, its fist pointed at him.


    Thorn''s right hand quietly took the shape of a claw. Hatred beyond words asphyxiating him, he looked at his old self and reproached gnashing his teeth: "Because of your weakness, I''ve lost everything I''ve ever loved."


    He then raised his clawed hand and moved his fingers so fast they left afterimages. Hundreds of wind blades appeared, and in an instant, they sliced his copy''s body into tens of thousands of bits, not letting it react at all.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The blood and flesh of his old self rained down on him as he stood there with a cold, freezing gaze.


    To break through into a superior level, the cultivator had to overcome a Breakthrough Challenge. The time limit to overcome the Breakthrough Challenge was half an hour. A cultivator could try a Breakthrough Challenge only once per month as long as said cultivator met the required cultivation base, understanding degree, and mental state. If the cultivator failed, that cultivator would have to wait a year to try again and his soul wouldn''t be healed after the challenge was over. First and Second Challenges were non-lethal.


    While Thorn was mercilessly killing himself, Rose could not help but stare at him and wonder: (How long will he take to break through¡­?)


    Usually, cultivators took at least 15 minutes to kill a version of themselves when both were at the same level of cultivation. Still, Rose used to need just from one to two minutes to overcome First Challenges. That alone was incredible enough to render everyone in Cloud Cutter Castle speechless.


    Suddenly, Rose felt Thorn''s Aura in Complex Energy turn into a Second Level Intermediate Awaken Aura.


    Rose''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She opened her mouth wide, and stuttered: "I-It has just been... f-five seconds...!"


    Thorn opened his eyes and immediately met Rose''s funny expression. At that moment, all traces of coldness disappeared from within his eyes and a slight smile subtly formed on his face. "Don''t be so surprised by this, it was to be expected that it wouldn''t take me long. After all, I had more than a million years of advantage."


    "Oh... it''s true... you''re right..." Rose slowly nodded.


    "By the way, you mentioned that you had difficulties to break through, what exactly is it all about?" He asked after remembering that he still did not know the details regarding the situation of Rose''s cultivation.


    Turning her head to avert Thorn''s gaze, she muttered: "I''ve been stuck in the First Level Basic Awaken stage for twenty years now... I''ve tried a lot of methods but I still can''t see the door." Rose showed a self-mocking smile and added: "I haven''t even been able to figure out what caused this bottleneck..."


    Thorn put on a thoughtful expression and could not help but mumble: "So, since you got your Awakened Skill you''ve been stuck... and even now you don''t know why... maybe..." He gave Rose a serious look and then asked: "Are you aware of the fact that your Awakened Skill is an Arrogant Awakened Skill?"


    Upon hearing such a question, Rose stared at Thorn as if looking a hopeless fool, and replied: "That can''t be possible. Arrogant Awakened Skills are irrationally powerful skills. For example, your Life Restorer which allows you to become almost immortal or Lin the Lonely Adventurer''s Rhythm Breaker which allows her to control gravity itself. How could you put my skill and those skills on the same level?"


    He laughed and exclaimed: "So that''s the problem! Oh, Rose! I can''t be wrong, you definitely have an Arrogant Awakened Skill!"


    She remained stiff for quite a while before asking: "... Why are you so sure of yourself?"


    "Because your skill is incredibly powerful." Thorn answered immediately.


    "Eh?! I know that my skill can be useful under certain circumstances, but... incredibly powerful?" Rose''s voice was full of skepticism.


    He affirmed with a resolute nod: "It is. After all, it is only at its initial stage and yet it already encompasses three aspects of nature which are the sound, the heat, and the smell."


    "But, even so, it''s weak¡­" Rose muttered crestfallen.


    "I can understand why you aren''t convinced by my words. And actually, it''s okay if you don''t believe me, but at least try to believe in your skill, try to convince your soul that your skill is the best in the world. Do that and find out by yourself whether or not my words are true." Thorn advised as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.


    (Mmm... it''s true that my skill is quite complex even though it is only in its initial stage. If it is as he said and my Awakened Skill is arrogant then it would make sense why I''m stuck. Arrogant Awakened Skills have this small flaw: if its user is not convinced that its skill is the best skill in the world, then the user will get stuck in its cultivation... To call them ''arrogant'' has always been sorely appropriate...) Rose slowly thought.


    After contemplating the matter a bit more carefully, an expression of determination appeared on Rose''s face. "You''re right, at least I should try and discover the truth for myself!"


    After that, she closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and entered into her Complex Energy body.


    Her mental body appeared in a space of infinite darkness, but in contrast with Thorn''s space, there was no door here.


    She was very familiar with this desolate scene. Ignoring the sense of emptiness that this sight gave to her soul, she began to shout to herself with all her willpower: "My skill is the best skill in the world! My skill is the best skill in the world! My skill is the best skill in the world! ..."


    Very early, when the sky was still dark.


    Just after waking up, Thorn saw Rose sitting in the lotus position with her eyes closed; there was a very serious expression on her face. He could not help but wonder: (Has she been like this all night? It seems like she has yet to succeed... I guess it''s not so easy to convince yourself of something you don''t really believe...)


    Involuntarily, he ended up staring at her resolved and flawless face for a long moment, dazed by her beauty. But a few seconds later, he abruptly shook his head and screamed in his mind: (Damn! I''m so sick! For heaven''s sake, she''s a human! A human!)


    Later, they were called by Lobup White for breakfast. And after eating, Lobup White took them to one of his farm fields.


    When they arrived, they saw a barren parcel.


    Lobup White pointed at it and explained: "A week ago, this whole parcel was full of healthy wheat plant monsters, but then, in a single night, it became like this. Since then, similar cases have occurred with our other fields. We tried to catch the culprit, but the most we accomplished was to discover that the culprit is a plant monster with Earth Element Awakened Skill. That plant monster is a very sensitive one. Every time we got slightly closer to it, it''d get back to the underground. Of course, once it hides, we can''t do anything to it." Lobup White signaled at Rose and continued: "That''s why we need someone with a skill related to stealth."


    After listening to Lobup White''s speech, Rose and Thorn exchanged glances and found the worry on each other''s faces. They realized that although Rose could hide the sound, smell and body heat of both Thorn and herself, the plant monster still would be able to feel Thorn''s First Level Intermediate Awaken Aura in Mystical Energy.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Outskirts of Lurep Village.


    Dani Zelu stood on an empty hill, his arms folded across his chest.


    Suddenly, a red butterfly monster appeared out of thin air. Seeing this beautiful creature, he raised his palm. It then landed on his palm and dropped a small piece of paper on it.


    After accomplishing its mission, the red butterfly monster put its wings into motion once again, and a few instants later, it disappeared into thin air.


    Dani Zelu unrolled the small piece of paper and read what was written on it: "I have confirmed it, she has no protector. Capture her and bring her to my manor on Nedu Lake."

 Chapter 8: The Wisp of Hope

    Thorn stepped onto the air, and said: "I''ll travel around the fields, perhaps I''ll find some clues to guess where the plant monster''s next attack will be." After saying this, he began to explore the fields by flying.


    He explored for around fifteen minutes before coming back. While descending, he informed to Lobup White and Rose: "I''ve found its approximate location, and I think its cultivation is at the Fourth Level Intermediate Awaken stage."


    Lobup White was impressed by Thorn''s efficiency, he couldn''t help but compliment him: "You''re amazing! In this short span of time you''ve discovered all the information we need to ambush it! Hohoho¡­" He looked very excited. Finally, he would be able to get rid of that troublesome plant monster.


    Rose, however, seemed to be worried. (Fourth Level Intermediate Awaken¡­ if Thorn gets less than a kilometer from that plant monster, it will feel his Aura. Also, from a kilometer of distance, Thorn''s wind blades won''t be able to hurt it. After traversing such distance those blades will lose their ''sharpness'' after all¡­)


    Thorn glanced at such a concerned Rose. He could understand what was going through her mind, so he smiled. (Someday, you''ll comprehend the extent of my true strength, at that moment, all of your worries will disappear. But today, I can use this situation to comprehend the extent of your strength.)


    After thinking up to this point, Thorn said confidently: "Mr. Lobup White, we''ll need your help to prepare the ambush. Once the ambush is ready, Rose will kill that plant monster by herself!"


    "Eeehh?!" Lobup White yelped.


    "What?!" Rose exclaimed.


    Their exaggerated reactions were actually completely predictable. After all, it was almost impossible for a cat to kill a lion in a fight, even if the lion was blind.


    "Could it be¡­ could it be that Miss Rose can''t hide the sounds, smell or heat of other individuals?" Lobup White asked cautiously.


    In reality, Rose was very capable of doing that, but Lobup White''s misunderstanding was a nice heaven-sent excuse, so Thorn used it without blinking: "It is as you say, Mr. Lobup White." He then looked at Rose and asked: "What do you think?"


    Rose realized that Thorn''s expression was way too calm and that he was not kidding. She then wondered: (Are you trying to kill me? No, it is silly to do that at this point. Are you testing me? Probably. Are you training me? This may be the case¡­) Rose let out a resigned sigh.


    (In general, every plant monster has a core. I just need to destroy its core to kill it. I have confidence in my knowledge about plant monsters. I''m sure that once I see what kind of plant monster it is, I''ll immediately know where its core would be. Just one stab, just one, is all I need to kill it. So, my dear skill, do you want me to believe that you are the best skill in the world? Here is your chance!) With resolve glittering within her eyes, Rose looked at Thorn and responded: "I''ll kill it!"


    Thorn''s heartbeats quickened by such a sight. He then smiled and said strongly: "Good! Let''s begin the preparations!"


    They were led by Thorn to where the plant monster''s approximate position was at. After arriving at that location, they gathered the domesticated plant monsters and put them in a single spot, forming in this way a small mountain. Afterward, Thorn and Lobup White left Rose standing alone near that place.


    Thorn and Lobup White were carefully observing her and her surroundings two kilometers away from her.


    After some silence, Lobup White couldn''t hold himself back anymore and nervously asked: "I-Isn''t this too risky?"


    Without moving away his vigilant gaze from Rose, Thorn nonchalantly answered: "She''ll be alright." (If she gets into a dangerous situation, I''ll instantly rescue her after all. But, Rose, you must have the strength to do at least this much, otherwise, you won''t be able to help me to destroy this world!) Thorn thought, a solemn expression on his face.


    Calmly, Rose sat down on the soil and waited for the plant monster to appear. Obviously, she was hiding her smell, her body heat, and the sounds around her.


    She waited, patiently.


    And soon, an hour passed by¡­ then, two hours¡­ three hours¡­


    Until the earth under the great pile of domesticated plant monsters suddenly began to shake. Feeling this vibration, she slowly stood up while tightly grasping her dagger.


    Shortly after, a red flower came out from the ground, and then, tick thorny branches followed. In the blink of an eye, these tick thorny branches surrounded the domesticated plant monsters, and in a flash, their thorns expanded like a spike trap and perforated the domesticated plant monsters. At that moment, these thorns began to mercilessly suck the life out of those defenseless domesticated plant monsters.


    "Auu¡­ auuu¡­"


    "Ouaa¡­ ouaaa¡­"


    "Yiiii¡­ yiiiiiiii¡­"


    The painful cries of the domesticated plant monsters reached Rose''s ears. These unpleasant sounds abruptly waked her up from her stupor. It happened that she had been frozen still since the instant she saw the appearance of this plant monster. It was a rose plant monster! Of course, she wasn''t left completely dazed by just its name, but was by the fact that rose plant monsters were one of the very few and rare plant monsters that had two cores! And it happened that she had just a single dagger!


    One of its cores was within its flower, and the other one was within the branch that held its flower. Rose must destroy its two cores at the same time, otherwise, the rose plant monster would have the opportunity to counterattack with a fatal strike.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Thorn also knew that rose plant monsters had two cores, so when he saw it, he too was surprised by it. Thorn wondered expectantly: (What will you do, Rose?)


    Suddenly, Rose dropped her dagger.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Lobup White said: "It seems like she has come to her senses and decided to give in."


    Thorn grinned and asked: "Is that the face of someone giving in?"


    "Mmm?!" Lobup White looked over at Rose in a hurry. What he saw after doing so was how Rose sauntered toward the main body of the rose plant monster with a fierce look that declared ''you are my prey!''


    Normally, one''s movements would be awkward and hesitant if one has to pass through many obstacles without being allowed to touch said obstacles; but that did not seem to apply to Rose at all. She advanced through the rose plant monster''s branches and thorns as though strolling around her own garden, leisurely and unhindered. It was evident that Rose had the ability to calculate the most convenient path by just briefly glancing at the messy twenty-seven-meter-long array of obstacles.


    The walk was slow but firm, and only when she was sure she was at the perfect distance to attack did she stop.


    Standing just a few centimeters before her target, Rose remembered her past and thought: (For twenty years I''ve been training hard, really hard, always pushing myself beyond my physical and psychological limits relentlessly. The sweat and blood I had shed, the innumerable times I had shattered my bones and torn apart my organs, muscles, and skin, the burning pain in my head I felt every single day after squeezing my brains out to find hundreds of new ways to make my entire body faster and stronger. The sole purpose of all that, the one and only objective of every action I took, was to build up the necessary strength to be able to obliterate every single thing that would dare to stand in my way to reach my dream!)


    Eyes raging with willpower, she raised her hands until they were at chest height. (I won''t let anything stop me, not even for a day! Not you, puny flower, nor myself, not anymore! Do I have to think that my skill is the best skill in the world? I''ll prove that it is the strongest in the entire universe then! If I have to believe that I am a pig, then I''ll be a pig! Whatever the cost, I am going forward!)


    In this instant, her hands took a combat stance, they became like deadly spears; and finally, she began her attack. Stepping forward, she circulated in a specific way all the Complex Energy her body could bear, and a little more. She then accurately flung her hands toward the rose plant monster''s two cores. She used every single muscle in her body to do so, even the impulse of her heartbeat!


    The martial art she was using was of her own creation, and it didn''t even have a name. She had been improving and changing it bit by bit, it was a martial art that was still in development. That being said, and although Rose was unaware of this, right now, this nameless martial art was the quickest, the strongest, and the most beautiful martial art this world had seen over the past dozen million years!


    In the blink of an eye, her double spear hand strike penetrated viciously the protective Mystical Energy wrap, the wood and the flower of the off-guard rose plant monster, and the tips of her fingers then shattered both of its cores at the exact same time.


    *FUuUUuuu¡­!*


    *FUuUUuuu¡­!*


    The sounds of two wind currents bursting out of the rose plant monster rang out deafeningly, showing clearly just how deadly Rose''s double attack had been.


    Before it died, the rose plant monster didn''t even have the chance to make the slightest resistance. It just became motionless before collapsing.


    "Haa¡­ ah¡­ haa¡­" Rose was gasping for breath, her entire body quivering in pain, all her bones were on the verge of breaking, most of her muscles had been torn apart, and her blood was oozing out of her nose, ears, mouth, and eyes. But in spite of all of this, there was an excited smile on her face: (I did it! I did it! I actually killed a Fourth Level Intermediate Awaken plant monster! Perhaps¡­ just perhaps, my skill is really the best skill in the wor¨C)


    *Boom!*


    Abruptly, an explosion rang out within Rose''s Complex Energy body, it was a sound that only she could ear. After which, she froze, shocked and unable to believe what her own senses were telling her: The door to the Second Level Basic Awaken Challenge had just shown up!


    Without giving any heed to her surroundings, she closed her eyes and entered into her Complex Energy body using her soul.


    Her mental body then appeared in that dark space. And, there it was, her translucent crystal door which was releasing a gentle white light. That familiar, unique and beautiful door she had missed so much for twenty years. Afraid of losing this opportunity, she hastily punched that door. Her skin just tapped the door and it instantly shattered. She was startled by the fragileness of the door, yet she didn''t waste time thinking about it, and impatiently began to run wildly through the passageway which had just appeared.


    In less than a second, she was already in the same room as her ten-year-old self. Her old self from twenty years ago.


    Her loli self, looking like a nine-year-old girl, was surrounded by swirling white mist. And although it was a little girl of unbelievable cuteness, and was releasing a gentle white aura as though an angel, it still failed to look innocent. Its eyes, its cold and dead eyes, betrayed its heartlessness.


    Seeing Rose running toward it, that loli began to prepare itself to punch.


    Without warning, Rose performed a ghostly footwork and appeared behind her loli self, then, without letting it react, she stabbed her index finger into the back of the loli''s neck. The finger then destroyed in an instant the loli''s medulla oblongata, which was the part of the brain that contained the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting and vasomotor centers and therefore dealt with the autonomic functions of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.


    Rose whispered softly: "Don''t you worry, unhappy little girl; soon, you too will find a purpose in life."


    Rose''s eyes then opened! And as incredible as it was, they had been closed for just three seconds! More importantly, now her aura was in the Second Level Basic Awaken stage!


    She felt her own aura, and couldn''t help quiver. This time, her body not only was trembling because of pain but also because of indescribable emotions. Her eyes got wet, and her tears blended with her blood: (At last! At long last, there''s a wisp of hope. The first wisp of hope of reaching my dream! I''ll be able to become strong, and stronger than what I ever anticipated because I possess an Arrogant Awakened Skill! I''ll have the strength to keep my word, I''ll have the strength to protect what is mine, and I''ll have the strength to walk through the path I chose¡­ it finally appeared, my first tiny but real wisp of hope¡­)


    She remained standing there, silently crying, and looking at the infinite azure sky.


    Extremely dazed, Thorn and Lobup White flew toward Rose. They had just now been witnesses of her magnificent martial art, which she had used to kill, in an instant, that Fourth Level Intermediate Awaken rose plant monster even though she was just at the First Level Basic Awaken stage, and then they had felt how she had the quickest breakthrough they had ever heard of. Obviously, this play of events has broadened greatly their horizons, so much so they now had the impatient need of showering her with praises and questions.


    But after reaching a distance of ten meters from Rose, they stopped moving, gasped, and just kept on looking at her solitary silhouette.


    They were left stunned and mesmerized by the sight of the standing and crying Rose.


    The reason for this was the unbelievable contrast between her appearance and her aura.


    Her appearance was that of a badly wounded crying girl, too defenseless and too fragile, but her aura was so oppressive and so vast it gave off the feeling of being the aura of an undefeatable war goddess.

 Chapter 9: I Cant Just Die

    In the dining room of the White family.


    Rose, Thorn and the entire White family were eating and drinking cheerfully.


    In one corner of the dining room, on a platform, there was the corpse of the rose plant monster. Its beauty and durability made it an excellent trophy.


    "That was a really big surprise! I didn''t know there was such a powerful martial art in the world!" Lobup White laughed as he held up a glass of grape juice.


    "I didn''t know that either! Rose, why didn''t you tell me you were an amazing hand-to-hand fighter?!" Thorn asked, seriously curious about that.


    Rose took a sip from a cup filled with Thorn''s blood, then said, chest puffed out: "What can I say? The subject simply didn''t come out. Hahaha... And of course it''s a powerful martial art. I invented it! Hahaha..."


    "You invented it?!" Thorn and Lobup White exclaimed spitting out their drinks.


    "Hahahahaha... Your faces are so funny! Hahahaha¡­" Rose laughed so hard she began to clutch her stomach.


    They spent a good time celebrating and laughing.


    Later, when they finished having lunch, Lobup White gave Rose a pouch that contained twenty blue coins, and thanked her deeply for her hard work.


    Having finished everything they had to do here, Rose and Thorn said goodbye to the White family.


    Rose rode Thorn''s back, and he began to fly toward Lurep Village.


    Tearing down the sky, wholeheartedly pleased, they appreciate the beautiful landscape of mountains, meadows, and lakes for quite some time.


    Until they saw in the distance another flying being approaching them. Soon, they caught sight of it, it was a dullahan whose pitch-black smoke had the shape of three horizontal little rods, he was wearing black armor with white and red patterns, and he released a Third Level Full Awaken Aura.


    The dullahan stopped in front of them; Thorn, frowning, stopped as well.


    Quite surprised, Rose exclaimed: "You are Dani Zelu, aren''t you?! What are you doing in a place like this?!"


    "Mmm? Is he an acquaintance of yours?" Thorn asked tilting his head.


    She explained: "He''s someone I saw a couple of times in the castle, he''s a member of the Zelu family, the blacksmith family, one of the Four Great Families of the Broken Earth Kingdom."


    Although Dani Zelu found it strange that Rose needed to explain what the Zelu family was, he just said courteously: "It is a real honor for a minor figure like me to be remembered by Princess Rose. That''s right, I am Dani Zelu. And this friend here is...?"


    "I''m not a princess anymore. And she''s Thorn, just Thorn, a broken human." Rose''s voice sounded lazy.


    *Clap!*


    Dani Zelu clapped once. "Oh! That''s why she has an Elemental Awakened Skill even though she''s human¡­"


    "Yeah¡­ Anyway, what brings you here?" Rose asked as several possibilities came into her mind.


    Dani Zelu answered patiently: "I''ve been asked by the queen to search for you. Investigating, I found out that you had taken a ship to Lurep Village. Very early today, I arrived at the village, and then I inquired around its entrances and heard that yesterday you had left the village and that you went in this direction. I didn''t know how long it would take you to return to Lurep Village or if you were actually going to return, so I decided to fly in the direction you left... and here I am, it seems I''m quite lucky to be able to find you this quickly."


    "Oh, interesting. Have you brought a message from my mother or something?" Rose asked, a strange light flashing through her eyes.


    "Yes, she told me to tell you: I need to talk to you, come to Nedu Lake. Dani Zelu is a faithful secret pawn of mine, he will escort you safely to Nedu Lake." Dani Zelu said looking very proud of himself for being called ''faithful secret pawn'' by the queen.


    "I see!" Rose said smiling with a nod. She then slapped gently Thorn''s head: "Hey Thorn, follow Dani."


    "Sure, but how far is that Nedu Lake? You know, I''ve eaten a lot so I probably will need a toilet later." Thorn replied casually.


    When Dani Zelu heard this, he felt that Thorn was very bizarre: (She has a lovely and sweet voice... but her demeanor is totally manly...)


    Rose replied: "At your usual speed, it''ll take us almost twenty days to arrive there. But don''t worry, we''ll make some stops on the way..."


    "Ugh... Rose, would you mind it if I just fly a hundred times faster?" Thorn asked as if what he had just said were the easiest thing to do.


    "Mmm... I think that if one of these days you tell me you can become a hundred-meter-tall giant, I will not be surprised by it." Rose responded somewhat tired, and nodded. "If you protect me from the wind, I''ll be fine." Afterward, she pointed with one of her fingers toward the southeast: "Nedu Lake is over there."


    Meanwhile, Dani Zelu realized: (... What did they just say? Twenty days, a hundred times faster, that would be a speed to get to Nedu Lake in a fifth of a day¡­ What a ridicul¨C! Eeh?!)


    *BOOOOOM!!!*


    Before Dani Zelu could react, Thorn grabbed his hand with his left hand and used his Awakened Skill to wrap the three of them in a layer of air, immediately afterward, he flew at more than ten times the speed of sound! Such sudden action created a dreadful air explosion that shook the mountain below them.


    This made Dani Zelu utterly speechless, and his pitch-black smoke, which had the shape of three horizontal little rods, deformed in shock. Fear invaded his heart: (To display this power having that cultivation, has he surpassed the Control of the Skill understanding degree?! Such a height actually exists?!)


    The fact that Thorn could fly much faster than him in spite of the great disparity between their cultivation bases made Dani Zelu think about a distant legend that hinted at the existence of a higher understanding degree than Control of the Skill.


    It was common knowledge that the world only had seen two understanding degrees.


    Use of the Skill and Control of the Skill.


    One reached First-Star Use of the Skill the instant one stepped into the First Level Basic Awaken stage and acquired an Awakened Skill. The understanding degree star could only be upgraded through studying, experimenting, and training one''s Awakened Skill. The stars were First-Star, Second-Star¡­ Ninth-Star, and Final-Star. At Use of the Skill, one developed the efficiency and expertise of using one''s Awakened Skill, but the basic strength of the skill did not change.


    Breaking through the Final-Star Use of the Skill one reached the First-Star Control of the Skill. At Control of the Skill, one''s Awakened Skill could transcend the strength of the cultivator. At Final-Star Control of the Skill, one''s Awakened Skill could exert ten times one''s strength.


    However, reaching Control of the Skill was not easy. Even Dani Zelu was only at Seventh-Star Use of the Skill. Control of the Skill was an understanding degree that separated the strong from the weak in this world.


    This is also why even an old monster like Thorn had spitted his drink in shock the moment he discovered that Rose had invented a martial art capable of increasing her basic strength more than tenfold. It was indeed an accomplishment worthy of the adjective ''legendary''.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Seeing Thorn surmounting two entire cultivation stages, meaning exerting a strength a hundred times superior to his cultivation base, would naturally confuse and shock others. It had even dazed Rose back then.


    Now Dani Zelu was experiencing such shocker. And the only explanation he could come up with was that Thorn had surpassed the Control of the Skill.


    But Dani Zelu completely misunderstood what was going on. Thorn''s strength came from his dual cultivation, and in actually was inferior to Dani Zelu''s; it was only comparable to the Second Level Full Awaken stage. Thorn was capable of flying faster than Dani Zelu because he was using a Wind Technique, Wind Glide to be specific.


    Until now, Thorn had yet to show an understanding degree other than Use of the Skill.


    He kept dragging Dani Zelu leisurely, as though touring with an old friend.


    But then, after only five seconds of having been traveling at supersonic speed, Thorn, all of a sudden, used his index finger of his right hand to create a wind bullet, which in an instant he shot into the throat of the confused, and off-guard Dani Zelu. The wind bullet then pierced through Dani Zelu''s liver, kidney, and intestines.


    *Puuunnmmm!!!*


    The sound of the impact of Dani Zelu''s body against a prairie reverberated loudly as Thorn stopped in midair.


    Rose saw how all of this happened without showing any surprise on her face. Obviously, she had already deduced that something like this was going to happen.


    Trembling, the startled Dani Zelu slowly stood up while thinking at top speed: (Damn! They have discovered my facade too fast! I don''t have even the time to think about how they did it! Right now, I need to focus on searching a way out of this situation...!) At this moment, he has discovered to his dismay that Thorn was much stronger and much more cunning than himself, so he understood that his only chance to get out alive was by escaping, of course, conventional methods would not work. If it turned into a race, he would have no chance. If he tried to negotiate, the other party would not believe him because he had lied to them before. (There are no other options then, I''ll have to put my life at stake!) Dani Zelu determined, unyielding resolution filling his heart.


    "Tsk! He is still alive... It seems I''m in desperate need of training, I am too rusty..." Thorn groaned in a bad mood.


    Dani Zelu lifted his arms up and pointed his palms toward Thorn. In the next instant, from his palms burst out an immense column of scorching fire that enveloped Thorn and Rose! This technique was a combination of two Awakened Skills: The Wind Element and the Fire Element. It happened that the dullahan''s Racial Skill, Double Essence, was the passive power of awakening two skills!


    While furiously spending all of his Complex Energy to maintain such column of fire, Dani Zelu used the ankle of his right leg to kick a compartment of his belt armor. Immediately after, a thumb-sized capsule came out of the compartment. The capsule rose slightly, and it then began to fall, he took a step back and gave it a blow with his left knee. This caused the capsule to travel a parabolic trajectory which ended into Dani Zelu''s throat.


    Inside the burning column of fire, Thorn was squatted down and had both of his palms in front of him, which were creating a complex and dense barrier of air. Being crouched he reduced the area he had to protect, and the reason why he didn''t try to dodge the attack was that he knew that although he could easily achieve it, his opponent could simply change the trajectory of the fire column as easy as moving his palms. Thus, he had decided to concentrate his efforts on defense.


    Rose, who was holding herself onto Thorn''s back and had her legs around his waist, looked left and right impressed. She was really fascinated. Even though she was surrounded by blazing bright crimson flames, she was not feeling as if she were being roasted alive, but, on the contrary, she felt a refreshing breeze caressing her whole body. This breeze made her beautiful red hair flutter, and caused it to seem fiery and fiercer than the flames themselves.


    Almost half a minute after the fire column appeared, it began to fade away little by little.


    Thorn''s slightly burned palms appeared in Dani Zelu''s field of vision, but those palms didn''t remain burned for too long. They started to heal, and in the blink of an eye, returned to their unharmed state.


    Dani Zelu had been surprised immensely twice in this short span of time, but this third surprise, the surprise he was getting when seeing the scene of Thorn''s palms healing, was the biggest one: (Did he just use Mystical Energy to heal himself??!!)


    While Dani Zelu was feeling the greatest shock he had ever felt in his life, Thorn, who had deliberately cured his palms and even took the trouble of making the usage of Mystical Energy visible at that moment to distract Dani Zelu, flew at supersonic speed, and in a third of the time it takes to blink, he stopped just over Dani Zelu. Without wasting time, Thorn fired a second wind bullet into Dani Zelu''s neck.


    This time, the bullet pierced through Dani Zelu''s heart.


    *Punm*


    The lifeless body of Dani Zelu fell to the ground, and without further surprises, blood began to flow out of his neck.


    Weakly, Rose got off Thorn''s back, landed on the prairie, and held her head with both hands to try to stop the world from spinning. She complained: "T-that abrupt movement just now had shaken my brains and my other internal organs quite a bit..."


    "Ah! I''m so sorry! I got carried away¡­" Thorn apologized blushing.


    After a few seconds, Rose recovered from the bout of dizziness, and said: "Well, don''t worry, I think I''ll be alright¡­ Oh! Hehehehe¡­" Suddenly, she recalled something and approached Dani Zelu''s dead body. A big smile crept up on her now flushed face and her eyes burned with desire. Then, without shame or hesitation, she began to strip his corpse. Of course, she was not into the necrophilia thing. She was just excitedly picking up their spoils of war. It could not be helped, she really needed a lot of money.


    While she was doing that, she said: "When you gave such a silly reason to show off your strength, I deduced you had noticed that Dani Zelu was lying and you wanted to shock and ambush him. But I didn''t see you using your Racial Skill, so how did you realize that he was lying? It was easy for me to figure it out because I understand very well my mother''s character, on the other hand you know nothing about my mother''s personality nor you know how things work in Cloud Cutter Castle... I am very curious about how you have discovered that Dani Zelu was an enemy¡­"


    Thorn explained as his blush deepened: "Yesterday when we arrived at Lurep Village, although I looked calm and relaxed on the surface, I was actually very excited inside, so much so that my eyes couldn''t help but look around earnestly, and I even carefully memorized all the details of what I saw. At that moment, for just an instant, in the distance, I saw Dani Zelu. However, he has just told us that he arrived at Lurep Village today, so I assumed he wanted to hide the fact that he had been following you."


    Thorn paused for a moment, put on a serious look on his face, and continued: "Besides, it''s irrational for your mother to have asked him to secretly protect you and to hide from you the fact that he was doing so, because firstly, he showed us his Wind Element Awakened Skill, which meant his other skill was also an Elemental Awakened Skill, in other words, he didn''t have an Awakened Skill suitable for such a mission, secondly, his behavior wasn''t that of someone who was protecting you from the shadows... but rather it was the behavior of someone watching you from afar, just watching, not protecting you."


    Thorn raised his right index finger as he smiled, and said proudly: "So I came to the conclusion that he was following and watching you, investigating whether or not you have someone protecting you from the shadows, and when he discovered that you didn''t, he tried to kidnap you. In any case, you were once a princess, so it would not be a surprise if a few criminals pop up to try to take advantage of the powerless you."


    When Thorn finished his explanation, Rose also finished collecting everything of value from Dani Zelu''s body. She literally only spared his underwear. At that moment, she said calmly: "Oh, yes, thanks for the long speech, but¡­ you just needed to tell me that yesterday you saw him. I would have understood everything with that single sentence¡­"


    Thorn folded his arms across his chest and shot an indignant look at Rose for her unmotivated response.


    Seeing this, Rose realized that she had just hurt his feelings, so, in a hurry, she raised her thumb and said smiling nervously: "B-but you are really amazing! Your speed to think has left me completely impressed!" An instant later, a thought struck her mind: That was not a good compliment at all. She immediately exclaimed, her hands shaking in front of her: "But! I mean, I''m not that impressed by it! After all, I always knew that you were super smart!"


    With his mouth slightly opened, Thorn looked at Rose as she was justifying herself; after an awkward silence, he said resigned: "Yes, yes... let''s just get out of here, okay?"


    "No. Wait a moment. We should at least hide his corpse." Rose said pointing at Dani Zelu''s body.


    Thorn nodded. "Well, probably."


    He then used his wind blades to dig a ten-meter-deep hole, in which he buried the corpse.


    "Mmm... if Dani didn''t plan this on his own, and instead was sent by someone else to kidnap me; when that someone finds out that Dani has disappeared, he or she will not have the guts to try to kidnap me again because that person will assume that I actually have someone who is protecting me from the shadows..." Rose thought out loud.


    After Rose climbed onto Thorn''s back, they flew toward Lurep Village with no further worries.


    Dani Zelu''s body was, without doubt, dead. But his Third Level Full Awaken aura could still be felt. This was because his Complex Energy body wasn''t dead yet. Since he was at the Full Awaken stage, for his Complex Energy body to die, first his mental body had to die. And for his mental body to die, a certain period of time must have elapsed since his body of flesh had died. This period of time depended on how strong the mental body was, the weak ones lasted only about five seconds, the strong ones, on the other hand, could last up to ten minutes.


    It had only been six minutes since Dani Zelu''s body of flesh had died when the capsule he had swallowed a while ago began to leak out some black liquid. It was a top-level medicine. The medicine ran through Dani Zelu''s body as if it were alive, and in just a minute, it managed to heal all his internal wounds. Soon, his heart started to beat once again. And finally, he woke up.


    Dani Zelu crawled out of the hole in which he had been buried, got to his feet, and murmured emotionally: "I can''t just die¡­ Right? ¡­ Lucile?"

 Chapter 10: Caroline Darrel

    *Tabdak!* *Tabdak!* *Tabdak!* *Tabdak!* *Tabdak!*¡­!


    Under the awe-inspiring lights of the starts, four black horse monsters, all of them striking fear with their glowing scarlet eyes, were galloping side by side in a row at a speed of 80 km/h on a silver E-class zenanium road. Their harness attached to a 4 m x 9 m red and white D-class zenanium carriage of eight wheels.


    Even though it seemed impressive as a mean of transport, in this world, it was a poor one.


    Within the carriage, there were fifteen individuals including the driver, who was an old white-haired goblin, and two mercenary escorts, both of them middle-aged war elves.


    The escorts were at the early Intermediate Awaken stage, and everybody else was at the early Basic Awaken stage or at the Body Evolution stage or just did not have cultivation at all.


    There were four humans, two monster humans, three gargoyles and three gorgons amongst the passengers.


    The gorgons all had the same kind of snake on their heads: The white snake. And like their white snakes'' eyes, theirs were entirely black too. They shared similar characteristics because the three of them were members of the same family, the Darrel family.


    They were: Cara Darrel, a 30-year-old-looking female, she was a caring mother who was patiently awaiting her husband to come back home from the war; the next one was Kawan Darrel, an 18-year-old-loking young male, he was the kind of person who always could be seen wearing a strong but gentle smile on his face, even in the darkest days, of course, he wasn''t just an optimistic fool, he was like that because he wanted to make his mother and his little sister feel that everything will be alright just as his father did at all times when he was with them; and Caroline Darrel, she looked like an 8-year-old girl and in actually was an 8-year-old girl, she was the only passenger who had no cultivation, and the word that described her the most was ''shy'': she loved to live within her own world and genuinely hated to talk with everyone but herself and her family.


    Kawan Darrel looked over at his two blood relatives and saw the fatigue in their eyes, thus he comforted them, smiling as ever: "Don''t worry, we''ll stop to rest very soon."


    Cara Darrel smiled softly and said turning her concerned gaze toward her daughter: "Luckily, yes. Caroline is still too young and too weak, she must be the most tired after traveling for three days straight from Stormy Cloud City."


    Feeling the vibration of the carriage under the loud horse monsters galloping sounds, and wearing a simple black one-piece dress, Caroline Darrel just kept on staring at the immense night sky through the window, silent, expressionless, and with large and deep bags under her eyes.


    Kawan Darrel comforted again: "At least the trip was worth it. Aunt Ellen''s wedding was incredible."


    "It''s true, it was." Cara Darrel said recalling pleased.


    Even Caroline Darrel slightly nodded at the words of her brother.


    A while later, the horse monsters slowed down and got off the road.


    The carriage stopped on a small field of grassland surrounded by a forest of harmless eucalyptus plant monsters.


    The driver got off the carriage and began to take care of the horse monsters, and at the same time, everybody else started to set up their tents.


    Once the tent of the gorgons was ready, Caroline Darrel let her body fall on a blanket, and in no time, she fell asleep, all of her cute and little white snakes fell asleep with her.


    Cara Darrel and Kawan Darrel couldn''t help but chuckle at this sight, and soon, they too lay down to sleep.


    After the old goblin finished feeding the horse monsters, which were in the Fourth Level Basic Awaken stage and had the Steady Gallop Racial Skill, he asked quite concerned to the mercenary escorts: "Robert, Daniel, you two won''t fall asleep, right?"


    Robert, the taller war elf, answered seriously: "Of course. We''ve taken turns to sleep in the carriage through the trip, that''s why we''ll be alright."


    Daniel added putting his hand on the small shoulder of the old goblin: "You don''t have to worry about it, in spite of our appearances, we actually are very competent mercenaries! Rest assured, no matter what, we absolutely won''t fall asleep!"


    Seeing the confident looks of these two war elves, the old goblin nodded and said: "Alright then, I''ll go to sleep without worries." As he finished speaking, he got into the carriage and went to sleep in his little bed.


    The mercenaries sat by the side of the improvised encampment and started to talk about random stuff while doing their job.


    And just like that, two hours passed by uneventfully.


    At that moment, within the tent of the Darrel family, a pair of eyes slowly opened.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    (I need to do a wee¡­) Pouting, Caroline Darrel groaned within her head. She got up and looked over at her mother and brother. (I should be careful to not wake them up. They have been worried about me, but they must be really tired as well.)


    She stepped quietly out of the tent and walked toward the forest.


    Robert and Daniel noticed her movements. They exchanged looks and found a severe expression on each other''s face. Eyes glowing with fighting spirit, they raised their right fists and began a wild competition of rock-paper-scissors. After eighty-nine swift bouts, Daniel broke the constant flow of draws with scissors.


    "Je." Daniel uttered a single ''je'' with half a smile and dashed toward Caroline Darrel.


    Robert lifted his eyes up and murmured dispirited: "*Sigh*¡­ What a boring job¡­"


    When Caroline Darrel discovered someone following her, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face her pursuer.


    He also stopped and said: "I¡¯m just doing my job. We¡¯ll get in trouble if something happens to you.¡±


    She lowered her head, and said weakly: "Please¡­ don''t¡­ follow me¡­" She then bolted toward the forest as quick as she could without looking back.


    Daniel remained there motionless and speechless, not knowing what to do for quite a while. Finally, he shrugged and returned to Robert''s side.


    "Hahaha¡­ The girl feels safer alone than with you!" Robert laughed at the depressed Daniel.


    In response to such blatant ridicule, Daniel grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it at Robert while whispering angrily: "If you can''t shut up, stuff this stone in your mouth, you damn noisy bastard. Try to be a bit more considerate with the sleeping folks around us¡­"


    Blushing, Caroline Darrel kept on running.


    And after almost 1.5 kilometers, panting, she stopped. (¡­ I think I''ve exaggerated a little with the running¡­)


    Before long, she finished what she wanted to do, and started to walk slowly toward the camp.


    On the way, she felt the fragrant and fresh smell of the eucalyptus plant monsters, and after walking for a short while, she began to feel extremely sleepy. Although she tried with all her willpower to not close her eyes, in the end, she still drifted into sleep. Her body then hit the grassy ground, and the fall, rather than waking her up, gave her a soft bed to sleep on comfortably.


    Some minutes ago.


    A few kilometers away from the campsite, seven dangerous-looking cultivators wearing deep green hooded robes were observing cautiously the war elf mercenaries. They were middle-aged individuals, and they were around the mid Intermediate Awaken stage.


    The leader was a 40-year-old-looking elemental elf, and due to his Awakened Skill being the Earth Element, his hair and eyes were yellow. He was holding a portable telescope, which he was using to stare at Robert and Daniel.


    "This is perfect. Let''s get this over with." The leader said and nodded at a bald human.


    After receiving the authorization, the bald human opened his mouth wide and used his Special Awakened Skill. Afterward, from his mouth came out a colorless and odorless gas, which was transported by the wind toward the encampment.


    Robert and Daniel were sitting silently, and they were quite angry with each other, especially Robert who had a red pulsing bump on his forehead.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Robert saw that Daniel was becoming drowsy. Instantly, the light of a great idea flashed through his eyes. He quickly and subtly grabbed a stone, of course, bigger than the one Daniel had used to hit him. He then threw it at him.


    *POW!*


    The blow sent Daniel flying almost eight meters away.


    "You seemed so sleepy, I had no choice." Robert said shaking his head, not even bothering to hide his wide smile.


    "Hehehe¡­ hehe¡­ hehehehe¡­ Don''t worry about it. It was my fault, I was supposed to be wary of my surroundings." Daniel beamed, blood oozing out of his nose, as he returned staggering toward where he had sat.


    After some seconds, although Robert was trying really, really hard to not lose his awareness, he still ended up closing his eyes for more than an entire second. Obviously, immediately afterward, a rock heavily smashed his face.


    In this way, they forgot the purpose of being in this place, and just kept watch over each other with bloodshot eyes. The moment someone was about to fall asleep, the other one would mercilessly throw a rock at that someone.


    This didn''t last for too long though. The point came when the two of them were about to fall asleep at the same time, so finally, they dozed off.


    Evidently, the gas the bald human had released was actually a powerful sleeping gas!


    Once the gas finished its work, the seven beings that had been watching them crept toward the camp.


    The leader glared at the bloody faces of Robert and Daniel, and said snorting coldly: "How was it possible for such pair of morons to reach the early Intermediate Awaken stage?"


    Without delay, two of the seven put Robert and Daniel in sacks, while the bald human took out a dagger. Almost immediately, he used that dagger to create a little crack on one of the tents, and then he activated his Special Awakened Skill to make the sleep of the gargoyles inside deeper. After doing this, he went to another tent to do the same.


    The others just concentrated their efforts on putting the sleeping beings in sacks.


    In no time, there were fourteen sacks with someone in each of them.


    "Our boss will be very satisfied with this quantity of ''food''. Fellow bastards, time to return." The leader commanded.


    They then swiftly disappeared into the distance.


    A few hours later.


    One of Caroline Darrel''s little snakes woke up leisurely. Seeing that everybody else was sleeping, that snake decided to bite softly the nose of its owner. This action caused Caroline Darrel''s eyes to abruptly open. She exclaimed inwardly: (Where am I?!)


    She stood up anxiously and cautiously looked around.


    (Oh, I was¡­) After seeing the eucalyptus plant monsters, she quickly remembered how she had gotten here.


    (I''ve to get back to the camp.) She thought as she began to dash.


    Upon arriving at the clearing, she was surprised: (Where did those mercenary escorts go? Are they slacking off on their job?)


    After not finding the war elves at their post, a bad feeling crept into her.


    She reached her tent, and, at that moment, her body froze.


    (It''s empty¡­) An absentminded mutter echoed within her head.


    She quickly searched through the entire encampment and after a while, she found no one, just empty tents. She frowned deeply: (Is this some kind of joke? Or perhaps¡­ am I still dreaming?)


    After a few minutes of not finding any signs of this being a dream, she inspected the tents once again, and by doing this, she discovered a suspicious cut on each one of them.


    *Sigh*...


    She sighed rubbing her own forehead and wondered: (What is going on¡­?)


    The more she thought about it the more horrific her assumptions became.


    In the end, she just stood there motionless, looking at the empty tent her family had used.


    *Drip* *drip* *drip*¡­


    Eventually, tears began to fall from her eyes. She was feeling so desolated and so sad even her little snakes started to cry.


    The thought of forever losing her most beloved ones assaulted her, and cruelly drilled a heart-shattering pain into her fragile soul.

 Chapter 11: The Request

    Lurep Village. Morning.


    Rose and Thorn were heading toward a branch of Zelu''s Blacksmiths to sell Dani Zelu''s armor. Besides his armor, he had had 2 golden and 30 blue coins, which was basically 230 blue coins or 23 000 silver coins. Of course, Rose was very happy about this. These spoils of war would speed up her plans by at least a few weeks after all.


    "Will you have enough money after selling that armor?" Thorn asked.


    After remembering how much money she had to accumulate, Rose answered somewhat downcast: "I wish it could be that cheap to make a contract with a good ship designer. *Sigh*¡­ We''ll need at least 5 black coins¡­"


    "Wow, that''s 50 000 blue coins. We received just 20 blue coins from the White family as payment... It''ll take us quite some time to gather that much¡­" Contrary to his whining words, his expression was nonchalant, as he had no lack of time.


    The reason why Thorn was familiarized with the monetary system of the modern world was because Rose had briefly explained it to him yesterday at their inn before going to sleep.


    After talking idly for a while, they arrived at a beautiful eight-story building which had the shape of the torso of a luxurious white armor. They went directly to the eighth floor because, for some stupid reason, the most expensive items were always on the highest floor.


    Once there, they chose a random shop and entered into it. The shop wasn''t too big, but it was full of B-class zenanium suits, armors, and weapons. In it could be found suitable equipment for any civilized race.


    The owner of the shop was a dullahan wearing blacksmith clothes. His pitch-black smoke had the shape of the plus sign [+]. Seeing that some customers have entered his shop, he said with the characteristic dullahan''s vibrating voice: "Welcome to Tom Zelu''s Shop, is there something in particular you¡¯re looking for?"


    "Well, actually we just want to sell this." Thorn gave Tom Zelu a big sack.


    This didn''t surprise Tom Zelu, there were many occasions when something like this had happened. After placing the content of the sack on a table, he inspected carefully the armor that appeared before him. Seconds later, he said impressed: "A noteworthy A-class zenanium armor in perfect conditions, this is a rare sight in Lurep Village."


    "How much are you willing to pay for it?" Rose asked with a businesslike expression on her face.


    "Umm¡­ before that, I need to ask something. Why does the armor have a blood stain?" The shop owner asked nonchalantly while pointing at a very small red mark on the interior of the armor.


    Without losing her cool, Rose looked at the mark and said: "Oh, it actually has one." She put on a thoughtful expression. "What could it be¡­? Oh! Perhaps¡­"


    She quickly grabbed Thorn''s hand and secretly used her nail to cause him a tiny wound in one of his fingers.


    "Just as I thought! You must have hurt yourself by accident when you put the armor in the sack!" Rose exclaimed with a look of understanding. She turned her gaze toward Tom Zelu, and said with an innocent smile: "Well, mystery solved!"


    Tom Zelu: (Whom is this brat trying to deceive?! Really, what a shameless scoundrel! Is she looking down on my brain? Is she actually looking down on my brain?! Hehehe¡­ How ironical, because of her actions I''m the one who''s looking down on her brain now. She didn''t need to recur to such means! It doesn''t matter from where they''ve got this armor since the Zelu family is backing me! So, whatever its provenance may be, there shouldn''t be any issues if I buy it¡­ Unless this armor belonged to a Zelu family member, but that is impossible. How could they have the guts to rob and offend the Zelu family, and above all, the guts to sell what they robbed from the Zelu family in the Zelu family''s territory?! Hahaha¡­ there''s not enough courage in the world to do such a thing with their pathetic level of cultivation!)


    After thinking up to this point, he offered: "I''ll be fair, 10 golden coins. I won''t pay more than that."


    "Ok, yes, it''s fair enough to me." Rose didn''t bargain because she had realized that her lame excuse had been seen through.


    She took the money, and without looking back, she ran away with Thorn.


    After some time of walking, Thorn couldn''t hold his curiosity back anymore and asked: "Why is he wearing blacksmith clothes? I mean, it''s just a shop, not a blacksmith factory."


    "Ah, it comes with the job. Usually, customers prefer buying their equipment from someone wearing blacksmith clothes rather than from someone wearing another kind of clothes." Rose answered showing off her knowledge.


    Thorn commented smiling: "Oh! It makes sense." But then he frowned: "Wait a moment, doesn''t that mean he uses underhanded psychological tricks to sell his goods? Humph! What a shameless scoundrel!"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Lurep Village Library.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The name of the elderly gargoyle librarian who wore a white librarian uniform, the gargoyle who had attended Rose some days ago, was Blan Ton. He was sitting in a comfortable chair reading a fist-thick book with the demeanor of a sage.


    "Hello."


    Suddenly, a voice interrupted him. He slowly turned his gaze upward. (Oh, she''s that girl from a few days ago. Mmm? Second Level Basic Awaken?) Chuckling, he said: "Hehehe¡­ Hello. It seems you managed to break through, congratulations!"


    Of course, that girl was Rose. Thorn was by her side. She beamed proudly: "Actually, it was easier than I thought it would be. Hahaha¡­"


    "Was¡­ it?" Thorn murmured lazily.


    At that moment, Rose put on a solemn expression: "I''m here to buy a copy of The Rose Mountain by Lin the Lonely Adventurer."


    "Mmm? Was there a book of Lin the Lonely Adventurer with that name¡­?" Blan Ton was taken aback.


    "When I found it, I was surprised too. There''s indeed such a book in the section of exotic methods to break through bottlenecks." Rose replied chuckling. She didn''t find Blan Ton''s reaction odd.


    "¡­ Wait here please, I''ll look for it." Blan Ton was a little skeptical, but in the end decided to check it out anyway.


    Walking toward the stairs to the underground of the library, he soon disappeared from Thorn and Rose''s sight.


    Within this underground floor, there were copies of every single book the library had.


    After walking for some time, flanked by immense bookshelves, he finally found the book Rose was searching for. "It truly exists! It is official then, I''m a total failure as a librarian!" He shook his head, feeling incompetent.


    It must be known that Lin the Lonely Adventurer was not an ordinary writer, on the contrary, she was one of the top five best writers of this era. That''s why Blan Ton didn''t think he was exaggerating in the least with his critique.


    Nevertheless, the discovery of this book still brought him immense elation.


    He grabbed the book without hesitation, and immediately after, his hands started to quiver. This was because the book had the mark of a blue feather on its top-right corner. That mark meant: ''There''s a request from the author regarding this book''.


    "A request from Lin the Lonely Adventurer!" He exclaimed, loosing completely his demeanor of a sage.


    He dashed toward a classified room of the library. With his speed, he reached the room in no time.


    The room was full of neatly arranged metallic boxes, and a pair of numbers were inscribed on each box in this way: 350 500 to 351 000.


    He looked over at the blue mark on the book and saw on the feather the number: "238 724!" He then searched for the box he needed.


    Soon, he found the box and opened it. Inside it, there were D-class zenanium papers. After a while, he pulled the 238 724 paper out and earnestly read it.


    Written on it was: "I am leaving my Energy Signature on this note, so please, contact me if you suspect that the mystery of The Rose Mountain has been solved."


    These words left Blan Ton trembling in fear and excitement: "T-the Energy S-S-S-Signature of Li-Lin the Lonely Adventurer¡­" He now found himself holding the piece of paper with utmost care and nervousness. It couldn''t be helped, after all, he hadn''t held¨Cin his one hundred and fifty years of life¨Csomething more precious and valuable than this Energy Signature.


    After some time, he barely managed to calm himself down.


    "Oh, right! The mystery of The Rose Mountain, I need to read this book!" He opened the book and started to decipher every word in it as if he were reading the most important book in history.


    After finishing reading, he exclaimed: "That girl has definitely found that legendary plant!"


    His breathing became unsteady as he wondered: (What should I do? What should I do?!... This is just too much for my old bones to manage¡­ Ah! I''ll just follow the instructions mindlessly, in any case, that style of life has allowed me to reach my actual age¡­)


    Five minutes later.


    He entered into the Butterfly Room of the library. It was a huge room where butterfly monsters were hovering about aimlessly. They were really beautiful. Most of them were blue, and there were a few green, and a single red one. Of course, the butterfly monsters of better quality were fewer in quantity.


    He didn''t hesitate to call the red one with a grain of special food. After the red butterfly monster finished eating, it stood on the Energy Signature of Lin the Lonely Adventurer for a few seconds. After that, it caught a small piece of paper from Blan Ton''s claw. And it then disappeared into thin air.


    (It is done. Now, I only have to make a copy of the book to give it to that redhead girl.) He thought.


    Another five minutes later.


    "Here it is, by the way, just for curiosity, do you live in Lurep Village?" Blan Ton handed over the copy of - The Rose Mountain - to Rose and asked that.


    "No, I don''t. But I think I''ll be hanging around Lurep Village for at least a few months. Are you sure that you are asking that just for curiosity?" Rose responded while giving two blue coins to the librarian.


    "Oh, well, I suppose I''m really interested in the person who introduced me to a rare book of Lin the Lonely Adventurer." He answered with his usual demeanor of a sage.


    "Hahaha¡­ If that is the case, I understand your feelings very well! Though I stumbled upon it just by luck. Hahaha¡­ Anyway, what can I say about myself? Right now, I''m just a novice mercenary. My team consists of just my sister and me." She said pointing at Thorn. "Other than that¡­ Oh! Lately, I have been starting to feel a special love for money. Hehehe¡­" She then kept on laughing shamelessly about it.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Mercenary''s Guild.


    Thorn and Rose arrived through the main entrance. Thorn commented amazed: "Wow! So, thanks to that book you found me. Really, what a big chain of coincidences¡­"


    "Right? In any case, I''ll need Lin the Lonely Adventurer to join us in the future, so I was thinking that this book could be a good excuse to create a connection with her." Rose explained her ''little scheme''.


    "Mmm? Will you need more than one person to join us? I assumed that you just need the ship designer." Thorn asked, his face turning pale in fear.


    "I don''t know who will be the ship designer. And including Lin, I have in mind six persons. So, it''ll be seven in total. But of course, if we meet someone who could be useful, then I''ll ask that someone to join us as well." Rose answered, not giving any details about the other persons she had in mind.


    Thorn then let out a deep sigh of relief. "*Sigh*¡­ Seven. I was afraid you''d say, without a hint of shame, something like a trillion."


    "Eh?! Do you think I am that shameless?! Why?!" Rose asked, so shocked she didn''t notice she was shouting.


    Thorn just shrugged avoiding her fierce gaze.


    "Here you are! May I have a word with you?!"


    Suddenly, someone said out loud. That was a familiar voice to Thorn and Rose, so they turned around to look at the owner of this voice. It was Vei Dal!


    "Hello, what is it?" Rose asked somewhat puzzled.


    Standing before them, Vei Dal said fired up: "I was wondering if Miss Thorn is interested in participating in the Lurep Village Mercenary vs. Adventurer Novice Tournament."

 Chapter 12: Lets Start

    "She''s interested!" Rose didn''t hesitate, not even for a second, to affirm this.


    "..." Thorn opened his mouth slightly wanting to say something, but he remained silent in the end.


    "I''m glad to hear that! Our guild doesn''t have many proficient rookies, so we need all the help there is." Vei Dal said as he wrote Thorn''s name on a paper he had in his hands. "All right, all is settled. Now all you have to do is to be, at the seventh hour, in four days, at the Zelu Mansion." Having said that, he hurried away to look for more participants.


    Thorn looked at Rose, somewhat confused, and asked: "Why do you want me to participate in that tournament? Right now, we are busy trying to get money, we should not waste time on something as banal as a tournament."


    Giggling, she responded: "If we talk about tournaments, of course, we also are talking about prizes! Perhaps it''s a good enough prize to save us several weeks of work!"


    "So, they give prizes in tournaments now... Okay, leave it to me. With my strength there''s no way I''ll lose! Hahaha..." Thorn laughed confidently, showing off a seemingly endless arrogance.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Four days later. The richest area of Lurep Village.


    The Zelu Mansion in Lurep Village stood proudly surrounded by a large garden full of beautiful plants and plant monsters. The sweet-smelling scent coming from flowers filled the atmosphere with glamour, and the exquisite sculptures of the greatest blacksmiths of the Zelu family adorned both sides of the road from the entrance to the mansion with prestige. The mansion itself was only six stories high, but it was immensely spacious, it occupied an area of 5 km x 8 km. And its design was, of course, related to the smith profession. Some of its towers were shaped like large blacksmith''s hammers, and others were shaped like towering swords. As for the main building, it had the shape of a sophisticated silver-smith anvil.


    At this moment, the main road of the mansion was filled with beings of all civilized races, Thorn and Rose were among them.


    Right now, Rose was wearing her red hair as a mask because she had learned that the governor of Lurep Village would attend this event.


    Every so often, every village governor and city governor had to go to Cloud Cutter Castle, and on one of those occasions the governor of Lurep Village had seen Rose''s face. In order to avoid troublesome explanations she had decided to hide her face. Though due to her current appearance, which was having her face covered with her red hair and only showing her green eyes, she was attracting quite a bit of curious glances from every direction.


    Looking at the statues¨Cwhich made one wonder: how the hell did they carve the dullahan''s pitch-black smoke?¨C, Thorn praised completely flabbergasted: "Surely they have done a great job. These statues look almost alive!"


    "Yeah. For some reason, those of the Zelu family have always been very good at manufacturing things." Rose commented completely depressed.


    Thorn saw her in that state and felt guilty. "*Sigh*... Come on, don''t tell me you''re still in a bad mood for what happened in our last job."


    "Of course I''m still in a bad mood for what happened in our last job! Do you know what the odds are of coming across a giant golden beetle monster?! *Grrr* If we had caught it alive, right now we would have been drowning ourselves in blue coins! But that will not happen because you killed it without questions the moment it showed up!" Rose scolded, a sharp pain still lingering in her heart.


    "You can''t put all the blame on me for what happened. Certainly, I killed it the moment it appeared, but it was because I had felt its aura before it appeared and it was clear that it planned to ambush us. So it wasn''t entirely my fault." This was the third time Thorn explained this, but it seemed like Rose couldn''t get rid of the thought of losing all that money no matter what.


    They continued walking, and soon entered into the mansion.


    The main hall of the mansion was ready to be used for the Lurep Village Mercenary vs. Adventurer Novice Tournament. In the center, there was a platform with the shape of a circular shield with a diameter of 100 m, it looked like a giant shield stuck in the floor. The western and eastern sides of the hall were occupied by the majority of the seats, there were almost fifty thousand of them, and several of these seats were already being used by enthusiastic spectators. In the northern side was a large platform with only four flamboyant seats on it. And in the southern side, there were exactly one hundred seats reserved for the upper echelons of Lurep Village.


    Thorn and Rose sat on the eastern side and waited there for the tournament organizers to explain the rules.


    Before long, the seats of the eastern and western wings were filled up completely. Most of the occupants of these seats wore casual clothes, and there were quite a few who were wearing armor and carrying some weapon. Obviously, the latter ones were going to participate in the tournament.


    Suddenly, a female dullahan with a very seductive body slowly walked up to the center of the shield-shaped platform. Her pitch-black smoke had the shape of an ''S'', and she was wearing a brown S-class zenanium light battle armor. She also carried on her back two dangerous-looking black S-class zenanium swords, which were showing off their sharpness. Somehow, her ready-for-battle appearance ignited the fighting spirit of everybody.


    At that moment, all the audience members turned silent.


    The female dullahan then spoke with a vigorous voice: "Welcome to the twenty-first Lurep Village Mercenary vs. Adventurer Novice Tournament! My name is Lenna Zelu, and today, I''ll be your master of ceremonies!"This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    Loud and vibrant applauses resounded in the great hall.


    "Hehehe... I''m glad to see that everyone is eager to witness this show of combat skills. Since that''s the case, let''s directly start with the presentations of our important guests who will be playing the important role of secondary judges in this tournament!" Lenna Zelu then pointed her finger toward the south and said: "I present to you Crok Alch, head of the Medical Center of Lurep Village, and his most capable doctors."


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    As soon as her voice fell, a large door that was behind of the one hundred seats slowly opened, and from within it, fifteen individuals of different races came out. Obviously, the one leading them was Crok Alch, who was a middle-aged human, solemn look, black and disheveled hair. They silently waved to the audience and then sat on their designated chairs.


    "Now it''s time to introduce to you the best blacksmiths of the Zelu family in Lurep Village." Lenna Zelu continued.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    This time, the fifteen individuals that came out were just from the dullahan race, they all wore high quality blacksmith clothes.


    "Look, there is Resh Zelu, the son of the best blacksmith of Lurep Village, Ramph Zelu. Rumors say that very soon he will surpass his father''s blacksmith abilities." Someone in the audience commented to his friend while pointing with his gaze at certain dullahan who had his pitch-black smoke shaped like a chain link.


    The dullahan of the Zelu family greeted the public and took their seats.


    "Captain Fou Tre of the kingdom''s military forces, and the best knights of Lurep Village." Lenna Zelu continued, respect in her voice.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    The leader of this group of fifteen was a middle-aged, blue-skinned gargoyle, wearing a more extravagant armor of the kingdom than the other fourteen''s.


    "Now, let''s welcome the veterans of one of the guilds participating in this tournament, the veterans of the Adventurer''s Guild!" Lenna Zelu exclaimed with excitement.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    The fifteen veterans of the Adventurer''s Guild were of all kinds of races, and all wore sophisticated costumes. It should be known that usually, only people with great economic resources could join the ranks of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "From the other participating guild in this tournament, let''s welcome the veterans of the Mercenary''s Guild!" Lenna Zelu''s voice sounded once again.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    The beings that came out this time were also of all kinds of races, but their clothes were completely varied in sophistication. Vei Dal was one of the fifteen and was the one leading them.


    "Finally, welcome the members of the Governor of Lurep Village''s house, the ladies and gentlemen of the Alch family!" Lenna Zelu shouted, a very faint hint of fear in her voice.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    Fifteen humans, of different sexes, sizes and ages appeared. Among them, a young man stood out. He seemed to be twelve years old, he was blond and had blue eyes, and his face was perfect like of those young singer idols that could turn intelligent ladies into lunatic fans. As for his clothes, he dressed just like a king. However, he didn''t stand out because of his clothes or appearance, it was because despite being so young, his aura was already at the Sixth Level Advanced Awaken stage!


    "It''s Arnold Alch! The greatest genius of Lurep Village!" Some girls exclaimed excitedly.


    The Alch members were not the exception, they too greeted the present public, and they then just sat down.


    "Very good! They are all the secondary judges. And as you can see, there are ten empty seats left. You don''t need to worry about it. These seats are reserved for later." Lenna Zelu explained cheerfully.


    "And now, it''s time to present to you the four main judges of this tournament! The first one is the sir who lent us his house to do this event: the best blacksmith in Lurep Village, the great Ramph Zelu!" Lenna Zelu applauded as she turned her body toward the north.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    The door behind the platform with four seats opened at this moment, and from the inside came out a dullahan in white armor. His pitch-black smoke had the shape of a pentagon.


    He sat on one of the four ostentatious seats and calmly said: "It is an honor for me to receive you all at my house, I hope you enjoy this special occasion. I wish good luck to all the participants of this tournament!"


    *Clap!* *clap!* *clap!* *clap!*...!!


    "You''re great Ramph Zelu!" Someone in the audience exclaimed spiritedly.


    "The second main judge is Lurep Village Adventurer''s Guild Branch''s Branch Head, our beloved idol, Delia Adver!" Lenna Zelu announced without hiding her great admiration in her tone.


    *Clap!!!* *clap!!!* *clap!!!* *clap!!!*...!!!!


    Immediately after, she appeared. A 25-year-old-looking beauty, an elemental elf with a transcendental heroic aura. She was wearing a priceless-looking golden armor. And as proof that she was a Fire Element Awakened Skill user, she had crimson eyes and long bright red hair tied up in a ponytail.


    "Aahh¡­!!¡±


    "Ohh...!!!"


    "Wowowow! The Fire Goddess of Lurep Village!"


    The public''s reaction was truly passionate and fervent. Such reaction was completely natural, after all, Delia Adver was not only the strongest person in Lurep Village but also a princess candidate for Guild Master of the Adventurer''s Guild!


    She took a seat, and calmly demanded: "Try to surprise me, competitors."


    *Clap!!!* *clap!!!* *clap!!!* *clap!!!*...!!!!


    "You''re great Delia Adver!" Someone in the audience screamed, his eyes full of passion.


    "We have to give everything we have to make a great show worth the time of The Fire Goddess of Lurep Village!" Some participants cried out excitedly.


    After a few moments of waiting for the masses to calm down.


    "The next main judge is Arger Dal, Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch''s Branch Head!" Lenna Zelu continued the presentations.


    *Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*...!


    The person that appeared this time from inside the northern door was a middle-aged shadow human, he wore casual clothes which had drawn on them several times the symbol of the Mercenary''s Guild flag, which had the form of two arms crossed and with hands forming fists. As for his looks, he had brown eyes and black hair, resembling a lot Vei Dal''s appearance, only he was somewhat older. Of course, this was because Arger Dal was Vei Dal''s older brother.


    He sat next to Ramph Zelu and said: "Thank you for your presence, esteemed public. And participants, do your utmost to give more than what you have! Why?! Because the prize this time is more plentiful than ever before!"


    *Clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!*...!!!


    "Yes! That''s what we wanted to hear! You''re great Arger Dal!" Someone in the au¡ªno, wait, this time Rose was the one who exclaimed excitedly.


    Arger Dal gave Rose a forced smile and wondered: (Why is this weird woman so excited? With her cultivation she doesn''t even have the necessary qualifications to participate, right?)


    "The last main judge is our village governor, Cley Alch!" Lenna Zelu said, this time with the loudest voice since the beginning of the presentations.


    *Clap!* *clap!* *clap!* *clap!*...!!


    Obviously, for being an Alch, he was a human. He looked really old: his mustache and hair were white, and he had wrinkles around his blue eyes. Cley Alch wore simple pants, a t-shirt, and a cape, all blue and with golden patterns. Regarding his aura, he gave off the impression of being a kindhearted old man; however, few dared to underestimate him.


    He sat on the last empty seat of the northern platform, and asked with a soft smile: "What are we waiting for?! I''m already here, let''s start the twenty-first Lurep Village Mercenary vs. Adventurer Novice Tournament!"

 Chapter 13: Dont Stop Touching the Platform

    "Your words are our commands, governor." Lenna Zelu elegantly bowed [western style].


    "Have you heard that? Come on competitors! Get on the arena!" Lenna Zelu instructed pointing one of her fingers toward the platform under her feet.


    All those who had signed up for this tournament began to get on the platform. It was quite funny to see that some of them couldn''t hide the excitement on their faces or the nervousness in their hasty footsteps.


    Except for Thorn, all of them wore armor or some other combat costume. As for weapons, there were almost of all types and sizes: axes, swords, crossbows, spears, clubs, hammers, knuckles, etc.


    Regarding their cultivation, there wasn''t a single one lower than the Early Intermediate Awaken stage, and there wasn''t one higher than the Early Advanced Awaken stage.


    Thorn got on the arena with a serene expression, his whole body giving off confidence. Though, because he was unarmed and the clothes he was wearing were made just of E-class zenanium, which had the appearance of being completely fragile, several viewers were wondering if he was an idiot, a clown, or perhaps, just perhaps he was a strong but eccentric expert.


    Suddenly, Thorn found among the participants the face of a certain war elf. (It''s that bastard!) Great surprise flashed through his violet eyes.


    Yes, it was the one who had made fun of his skirt and then had retreated pathetically a few days ago.


    A sinister smile slowly formed on Thorn''s face. (Hahaha...! My revenge will make you cry in pain, little fool.)


    With soundless and cautious footsteps, he approached that war elf.


    When all the participants were on the arena, it could be seen that in total there were 378 of them.


    "If you stop touching the platform, you''ll immediately lose! Only 50 participants will pass to the second phase! Start!" Lenna Zelu shouted these words without warning.


    All the participants froze for a moment, until...


    "AARGHH¡­!¡±


    *Bump!!*


    Someone''s miserable cry echoed out, and then a certain war elf fell headfirst on the floor leaving behind a beautiful arc of blood.


    They all turned their confused gazes toward the war elf who was now lying unconscious outside the arena with almost all of his teeth out of his mouth.


    Immediately after.


    *Boom!* *susshhh!* *grumble!* *rumble!!* *crack!* *slash!!* *slap!* *ripple* *splash!!* *swoosh!* *crush!* *moan!!!* *crackle* *zzzzzttt!* *clash!!* *smack!* *bang* *roar!!!*


    There were explosions of fire, thunders caused by lightning, cracking of shattering ice, howling of wind, splashes of water, silent darkness, resounding punches and slaps, clear sounds of the wind being torn apart by sharp weapons, excited roars and painful moans. All of that at the same time.


    And while Lenna Zelu meticulously watched 360 degrees around her, she sent with her fists powerful blows of wind to anyone whose body stopped touching the arena. These blows of wind expelled, with one hundred percent of certainty, anyone who was reached by them.


    As for Thorn, he was surrounded by three male participants: a muscular gargoyle, a delicate gorgon, and an ugly goblin. The gargoyle threw a stake of ice, the gorgon shot with his crossbow an arrow of fire, and the goblin threw transparent shurikens. Of course, all that was directed to Thorn, why? Well, obviously, because he seemed easy to defeat.


    In the face of such attack formation, Thorn showed no signs of fear. He calmly dodged [matrix style] all those attacks, he didn''t even let his clothes get grazed.


    Thorn''s movement speed left the three participants who attacked him completely amazed.


    And then a mass of wind hit all three of them at the same time. They were suspended in mid-air for less than a second before three almost simultaneous wind blows from Lenna Zelu pulled them out of the arena.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Thorn couldn''t help but look over at Lenna Zelu. (Third Level Energy Core Evolution stage. I''ll need to go all out at my Second Pace to be able to defeat her...) He concluded after a quick calculation.


    He then carefully walked around avoiding the surrounding explosions of thunder and blazing flames, trying to save as much Complex Energy as he could.


    Meanwhile on the northern platform.


    "Delia Adver, who do you think will win this time?" Arger Dal, Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch''s Branch Head, asked, a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Mmm? Why are you asking me that? The four of us already know who exactly is going to win." Delia Adver, Lurep Village Adventurer''s Guild Branch''s Branch Head, responded nonchalantly.


    "Hahaha... Well, I thought you may have hidden some monster stronger than ''her''." Arger Dal explained.


    "A monster stronger than ''her''? Please don''t joke around, Arger. On all over the world there shouldn''t be more than five in her same cultivation stage that can defeat her." This time, it was the Lurep Village governor, Cley Alch, who spoke.


    "Yes, Cley is right, just look at her! Look how she strolls on the arena as if strolling on her own garden!" Laughing, Ramph Zelu, the best blacksmith in Lurep Village, added pointing at a certain individual with his finger.


    Arger Dal then laughed playfully: "Hahaha... That''s for sure, the disciple of The Fire Goddess of Lurep Village is too amazing. But, I thought that if it''s you, Delia Adver, maybe it''s possible to surprise us with someone stronger than your disciple." Arger Dal paused dramatically, and then continued speaking, this time very slowly: "Because even I was able to find someone of her caliber."


    On the arena.


    Thorn continued walking carefully, and from time to time, he dodged some attack and counterattacked with a gust of wind. In this fashion, he easily continued throwing all those who dared to attack him off the arena.


    Everything was fine for Thorn, until suddenly...


    *Rumble*


    An electric arrow pierced the wind shield around his body. The arrow penetrated Thorn''s t-shirt and soon reached the skin of his waist, it was clear that whoever had shot that arrow had been pointing toward Thorn''s center of gravity.


    Thorn''s reaction was immediate, he used a gust of wind to hit himself, avoiding being sent flying away by the thrust of the arrow. Due to this action, the arrow easily pierced through his body, and shot out from the other side of his waist.


    After this, he used a light blow of wind to move his head to look at the one who had shot the arrow. Normally, he would not need to hit his head with the wind to be able to move it, but at this moment, he couldn''t control his body because he was completely numb from the electric shock the arrow had caused him.


    After focusing his vision, he observed that not too far away there was a rabbit monster human about to shoot another arrow to him with his big bow.


    (That''s a nice bow, Mmm?) He was going to hit himself with another blow of wind to evade this second shot, but then he saw that, abruptly, a shadow with a female humanoid shape came out of the ground and with a kick made the archer fly away.


    (Oh, it must be the power of some shadow human. In any case, I must recover my body functions...) He thought as he secretly activated his Life Restorer skill to heal his internal wounds.


    Meanwhile, that shadow faded into the ground, and soon, on the place where that rabbit monster human had been standing, there came a girl who seemed to be seventeen years old, walking casually and with both hands in her pockets. Her black horns were small and cute. She had a pair of sexy and thick pink lips, short black hair that only reached the middle of her neck, white skin, and light brown eyes. She was wearing a black light armor that completely covered her body except for her head.


    As soon as Thorn stopped bleeding and began to regain control over his body, his gaze met the calm eyes of the girl with sexy lips. Seeing her, Thorn realized: (They have the same silhouette. She must be the owner of that shadow.)


    Silently, a shadow rose out of the ground behind Thorn. The shadow became bigger and bigger until it had the same height of the girl. And just when that shadow began to prepare itself to kick Thorn in the ass, wind blades came out of Thorn''s fingertips and tore the humanoid shadow into hundreds of shreds!


    (Do you really think that I''ll fall for the same trick you just showed me? How na?ve¡­) Thorn said disdainfully in his mind, a mocking smile appearing on his face.


    Predictably, on the face of the girl with sexy lips appeared an expression of disbelief.


    It must be mentioned that she was at the Third Level Advanced Awaken stage and Thorn was at the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage, which meant she should be fifteen times stronger than him. In addition, the shadows created by her Racial Skill were physically as strong as herself.


    It was inevitably, after seeing how easily Thorn shattered the girl''s shadow, to become speechless for a moment.


    Her eyes then turned serious as she muttered: "Special Wind Element Awakened Skill: Berserk¡­?" She smiled softly. "Let''s have some fun then."


    In the next instant, ten shadowy figures appeared out of the ground surrounding Thorn.


    (5, 8, 10! The shadow human''s Racial Skill was definitely not that powerful back in my day!) Thorn sighed as he wrapped his body with a thin coat of air.


    At the same time, different weapons made of shadow materialized on the hands of the shadowy figures: swords, daggers, crossbows, and spears.


    Thorn didn''t pay any heed to this and just smiled as he used Wind Glide to move with an explosive speed.


    At that moment, the girl with sexy lips forgot how to breathe for a second.


    Thorn had suddenly appeared standing less than twenty centimeters in front of her!


    (T-teleportation...?) She couldn''t help consider such a thing.

 Chapter 14: A Good Plan

    Thorn gently punched her stomach, sending with his fist a strong wind blast.


    But, surprisingly, she was moved only slightly by the attack and didn''t fly away like it was supposed to happen.


    (What?! How much does she weigh?!) Thorn opened his mouth so wide it was hilarious. He looked at her body to try to figure out why she hadn''t flew away. (Those shadow hands weren''t there a second ago!)


    At some point, six hands of shadow had come out of the ground and grabbed the legs of the girl with sexy lips.


    He looked at her eyes again and this time he noticed a clear trace of ferocity in them. (She... definitely isn''t a weakling...)


    Soon, more shadow hands began to come out of the ground and they surrounded Thorn. He quickly sliced two of those hands using wind blades creating in this way an opening, which he used to escape in the next instant.


    After having increased the distance between him and her by about ten meters, he stopped. (I can''t slice all the hands holding her, not at the same time, at least not without severing her legs in the process... and I don''t know if that''s allowed... mmm... maybe I could scare her a little...)


    He, again, used his control over the wind to move.


    Appearing only a few steps in front of her, he crouched down and moved his index finger to draw a small horizontal arch which created a wind blade more than capable of cutting her legs and those shadow hands together.


    But, of course, such a signal and obvious movement was not so difficult to dodge. Thorn was just making this attack to scare her and disturb her concentration.


    Unexpectedly, and contrary to Thorn''s expectations, she just smiled softly. (Are you trying to scare me? The fact that you underestimate me so much makes me really angry, it seems I have to show you who should be scared.)


    Just at the moment when Thorn''s wind blade was about to cut the first shadow hand.


    *Boom!*


    That shadow hand exploded releasing abundant white flames!


    This caused Thorn to hold his breath. (Stupid! The flames can consume some part of the wind and weaken it but that won''t be enough to stop my wind blade from cutting your legs! You were supposed to dodge that atta- Eh?! It disappeared?!)


    In the blink of an eye, Thorn''s expression went from worry to complete shock as he saw how his wind blade was completely devoured by those white flames.


    Seeing his expression, the girl with sexy lips raised her chin and smiled smugly.


    Thorn, who was squatting down, slowly got up while trying to calm himself down. (Can my luck get any worse?! Special Fire Element Awakened Skill: Omnivore Fire. And what''s even more frightening is that she just used her Awakened Skill through her shadows which are a product of her Racial Skill, Arghh... I feel like a headache is coming right about now...)


    The ten shadows that used to have different weapons not too long ago, at this moment, all of them were holding crossbows. They pointed at Thorn''s back and shot shadow arrows which in the midst of the air turned into arrows of white fire.


    Thorn didn''t hesitate to use the layer of wind around his body to move out of the way, avoiding those arrows just in the nick of time.


    When he stopped, Thorn felt pain coming from the soles of his feet, he looked down and noticed that the soles of his shoes had disappeared and that his feet were bleeding.


    According to the rules of this phase of the tournament, if he were to stop touching the arena, he would lose. Because of this, when he had been using Wind Glide to move, he had dragged his feet. And actually, the shoes he was wearing were of low quality, so it was only natural for them to end up broken this fast.


    Thorn put on a frustrated expression as he watched his blood. (Another annoyance... Oh, wait! Perhaps!)


    After thinking about something, he laughed: "Hahaha...! You know what? I just came up with a good plan!" He waved his hand toward her, as if saying goodbye, and then disappeared in a gust of wind.


    Although Thorn''s strange behavior baffled her, the girl with sexy lips didn''t stop searching for Thorn''s Aura. After a few moments, she found his Aura and discovered that he was far away from her. Facing this fact, she laughed with arrogance and muttered: "I see, your plan was to run away. I guess if I am your opponent, running away is the best thing you can do. Hehehe..."


    She then undid the shadow hands which were grabbing her legs and began to stroll around the battlefield once again.


    But, before she could take the sixth step, she felt an Aura suddenly appearing behind her along with a kick in her butt. Kick that made her fly.


    While in midair, she turned her head and saw a smiling Thorn. This provoked an utterly enraged look on her eyes.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "A good plan, right?" Thorn said happily.


    "That was dir--!" Before she could finish her sentence, a powerful gust of wind hit her and carried her off the arena.


    Spreading his arms and with an earnest look, Thorn explained to nobody: "Of course it was dirty, it was in my mind a second ago after all."


    In the meantime.


    "Why are you this surprised? Did you not imagine that the person you boasted about was of her caliber would end up defeating her? I understand that it''s impressive, but I don''t think that someone of your status should be showing such an indecorous face in public." Delia Adver commented expressionless, looking at Arger Dal''s disgraceful face, in truth a face that seemed to have just seen the ghost of his most beloved ancestor in broad daylight.


    Of course, almost everyone else who had managed to understand Thorn''s fight had the same expression.


    "Ah, ahh... No, uh... He''s not the guy I was talking about." Arger Dal explained, his voice dry.


    Delia Adver slightly raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? But that doesn''t explain why you''re so surprised."


    "A better question is: why aren''t you surprised? Not only has he the absurdly rare Special Wind Element Awakened Skill: Berserk, but he also has more than one Wind Technique!" The dismay and indignation on Arger Dal''s face were evident.


    "Hahaha¡­!" Cley Alch, the Lurep Village governor, suddenly laughed. "This youngster''s luck is ridiculous, but his talent more so. To use Wind Glide and Wind Blade with such ease¡­ he''s definitely at the Final-Star Use of the Skill."


    "That''s amazing." Ramph Zelu, the best blacksmith in Lurep Village, remarked. "To be only at the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage, and yet have already the required understanding degree to reach the Energy Core Evolution stage¡­ Really amazing."


    With an unimpressed expression, Delia Adver said: "He''s not as outstanding as you think. If my disciple had taken that fight seriously, the boy would be already less than ashes¡­"


    It was evident that Thorn''s performance had amazed Arger Dal, Cley Alch, and Ramph Zelu; but they actually didn''t pay much heed to him afterward. It was indeed nice to meet a rare star, still, one would continue with their own business after that.


    However, the one who seemed the least interested in Thorn, Delia Adver, was unexpectedly the most conscious of his existence. Her gaze would wander around him every so often voluntarily or involuntarily.


    A few minutes passed by without any major incident.


    "Stop!" Lenna Zelu ordered loudly. "Congratulations! All fifty participants left on the arena have passed to the second phase of the tournament!"


    *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*...!!


    The public and judges congratulated the participants who remained with a loud round of applauses.


    "Very well! You can get back to your seats now, we will have a short break of thirty minutes before we start with the second phase. In the meantime, all viewers and participants can enjoy a small appetizer we have prepared." Lenna Zelu said as she pointed with her right hand at a large door which began to open.


    From within, several employees of the Zelu Mansion came out pushing wagons filled with drinks and food.


    While the participants were returning to their seats, the employees distributed the appetizers.


    As Thorn sat next to Rose, she said worried: "Do you think you''ll be able to win? It was just the first phase and you''ve already got yourself into a difficult situation. Though your shamelessness has saved you this time; if you face another opponent like that, maybe you won''t be so lucky¡­"


    "Hey! I don''t want you to talk to me about shamelessness!" Thorn folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head. "And don''t worry, I''ll get the prize even if I have to use the full extent of my Second Pace. Although that will attract unnecessary attention..."


    "Mmm? Second Pace? What is that?" Rose asked with confusion written all over her face.


    "Would you care for an appetizer?" Before he could answer her question, a short gargoyle, an employee of the Zelu Mansion, offered them drinks and food.


    "Oh, let''s see, let''s see." Thorn smiled and rubbed his hands excited. "I want a little of this, of that, of these and also of this other. Oh! Of this one I want two." He grabbed food and drinks enough to fill seven bellies without a hint of embarrassment on his face.


    A little scared, the short gargoyle reminded: "T-take care, don''t choke yourself..." He then quietly withdrew while pushing his wagon.


    Thorn observed that Rose didn''t take anything and asked: "Mmm?! Why didn''t you grab something? Are you thinking I''m going to share my food with you? That''s na?ve! Very na?ve! I was pretty sure you were smarter, Rose!"


    Rose grumbled while hitting the back of Thorn''s head. "Don''t speak so much rubbish! To eat I would need to put aside my hairy mask! Keeping my identity hidden is more important than some snacks!"


    Sometime later.


    The short gargoyle appeared again in front of Thorn and Rose, this time pushing a big trash can.


    Thorn threw the disposable plates and cutlery into the trash can.


    "D-did you really eat all that?" The short gargoyle asked, his voice trembling in shock.


    "Yeah, it hurts a lot but I don''t have any regrets." Thorn responded slapping gently his big belly.


    The short gargoyle was about to walk away when suddenly he heard Thorn''s voice. "Wait, I almost forgot these."


    Thorn took his bloody and broken shoes off of his feet and threw them into the trash can.


    "It was a hard battle..." He explained showing a casual smile.


    The short gargoyle could only give him a forced smile: "Hehehe... have a good day."


    After the short gargoyle left, Rose said: "Later, I''ll get you another pair of shoes."


    "Oh, there is no need. I feel more comfortable in this way, besides, it''ll be easier to control the wind with my feet." Thorn said nonchalantly.


    "O-okay." Rose nodded. The idea of saving some money was quite pleasant to her.


    A few minutes later.


    Lenna Zelu descended on the center of the platform and began with her speech: "I will explain the rules of the second phase."


    "Listen." She held up a finger and continued. "I''ll call by name two participants and they''ll have to come to the arena and then they''ll have to fight, the winner will stay in the arena and will fight with the next participant I''ll call, the winner of this second fight will stay in the arena and will fight with the next participant I''ll call, and so on until forty-nine participants are defeated."


    She then lowered her finger and continued explaining. "It appears like, in this way, there will be only one winner at the end, but in reality, it is not like that. There will be ten participants who will pass to the third phase and they will be selected by our secondary judges. So, make sure to not hold anything back even if you suspect you''ll definitely lose against a certain opponent!"


    "Also, before fighting, each participant who climbs onto the arena will have to reveal its Awakened Skill. In this way, both opponents will know the skill of each other." Lenna Zelu laughed a little and ended her announcement of the rules with the following words: "And don''t worry, you''ll have more freedom when fighting in the second phase. You will not only be able to use the arena as a battlefield but also the airspace above the arena! But be careful, if you touch the roof of the hall, you''ll lose, and of course, you''ll lose too if a single centimeter of your body leaves the airspace of the arena!"

 Chapter 15: A Sneak Peek

    "I hope everyone has understood the rules." Lenna Zelu got out of the arena and called out: "Ana Li and Harl Rora!"


    Ana Li was a tall and strong-looking female human and Harl Rora was a silver-skinned male goblin. They got on the arena, and stood facing each other.


    Holding a heavy sword with both hands, Ana Li said: "Special Awakened Skill, its name is Multiple Burst. Right now, it can berserk my physical capabilities up to three times."


    "Earth Element Awakened Skill." Harl Rora said emotionless. Actually, it was evident that he was an Earth Element Awakened Skill user since he had a heavy-looking backpack. To save Complex Energy, Earth Element Awakened Skill users usually carried all kinds of energy minerals and zenaniums with them.


    "Very good! You can¡­ begin!"


    The moment Lenna Zelu''s voice fell, they started their fierce battle.


    Thorn and Rose''s seats.


    "¡­ I wonder if my turn will come soon¡­" Thorn muttered lazily.


    "Who knows¡­?¡± Rose answered without thinking. Suddenly, she remembered something and said: "You were talking about some Second Pace. What is that?"


    "Mmm¡­" Thorn hesitated for a few seconds, but finally he sighed and said: "I suppose if we''ll going to work together, it''ll be necessary we comprehend the abilities of each other." He gave a solemn look at Rose and continued: "I''ll explain to you how strong I am right now." He stopped talking for a moment, stealthily looked at his surroundings, and said: "But first, you should activate your Awakened Skill."


    With excited curiosity in her eyes, Rose sent out her Complex Energy and used it to cover the space around them, then she activated her Awakened Skill.


    Rose smiled broadly, and nodding strongly said: "It''s done, nobody will hear us. Come on now tell me how strong you really are!"


    "You already know that I can use an understanding degree at Final-Star Use of the Skill, right?" Thorn mentioned.


    "Yeah, I know. You''re at the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage, and your dual cultivation multiplies your strength by 100, which puts your combat capability at the Second Level Full Awaken stage. We agreed that you would use just one tenth of that strength in this tournament, in other words, a strength equivalent to the Second Level Advanced Awaken stage. That way people would assume that you have the Special Wind Element Awakened Skill: Berserk. Normally, berserk skills can at most increase cultivator''s basic strength by 10. We decided to do this because an increase of 100 times would be too conspicuous." Rose summarized.


    "That''s right, but come on Rose! Even though, until now, I''ve only shown you an understanding degree at the Final-Star Use of the Skill, you didn''t really think that that was my limit, did you? I mean, even you¨Clittle monstrosity¨Chave reached the Final-Star Control of the Skill!" Thorn scolded.


    "Hahahaha¡­" Rose laughed blushing profusely.


    She wasn''t surprised at all by the fact that Thorn knew her level of understanding.


    Actually, she had been using and even was using right now her Awakened Skill with an understanding degree at the Final-Star Control of the Skill. Undoubtedly, she was a genius without rival in the entire world when it came to talent. This coupled with her extreme hardworking personality ensured the extraordinariness of her achievements.


    Of course, it was a shame that her Awakened Skill wasn''t meant to be used in direct combat, otherwise she would have been able to surmount an entire cultivation stage with it alone.


    That being said, her understanding degree still reduced the amount of Complex Energy she needed to activate her Awakened Skill, and allowed her Awakened Skill to be used at long range. When her understanding degree was just at the Use of the skill, she could only use her Awakened Skill on the surface of her skin.


    Rose''s born-out-of-shame laughter finally stopped, and she explained: "Well, to be honest, yes I did. And it seemed to me weird and very, very disappointing that you, a more than a million-year-old existence, had an understanding degree just at the Final-Star Use of the Skill. I had the theory that this was because you were restrained and deprived of your cultivation in Complex Energy." She glared at him with sparkling eyes. "Then, your understanding degree, what height has it truly reached?"


    "The full extent of my Second Pace is basically me using the Final-Star Control of the Skill." Thorn affirmed.


    "Final-Star?!" Rose turned her mouth into an ''O''. "So, just like me, you already are at the highest understanding degree that can be reached in this world!"


    Thorn laughed arrogantly and asked: "Do you think I named it ''Second Pace'' just for fun?"


    "I thought it was because you wanted to look interesting, you didn''t success by the way." Rose''s face was saying ''obviously''.


    "Haha." He gave a dry laugh. "I don''t need tricks to look interesting." Thorn''s gaze then became unprecedentedly serious. "At Normal Pace I am using Use of the Skill, at Second Pace I am using Control of the Skill, at Third Pace I am using the understanding degree without name that is beyond Control of the Skill, and at Fourth Pace¡­ Well, never mind¡­ It''s too dangerous to use my Fourth Pace for now anyway."


    Rose remained stiff for quite some time, unable to utter any word.


    Thorn didn''t have a reason to lie in such a way, so Rose believed him.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The silence continued as Rose couldn''t even find the right expression to put on as response for Thorn''s words.


    Finally, she began to muster a response that gradually increased in intensity.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ hehe¡­ HAhaHAhaHA¡­ HAHAhahaHAHA¡­!!!"


    Mad laughter; wild, passionate, foolish, and absurd laughter.


    There appeared a craziness in her look, a craziness like no one.


    This sight didn''t baffle Thorn in the slightest. The concept of an understanding degree superior to Control of the Skill had always been just a yearning dream, a beautiful illusion impossible to touch, even a million years ago. No to mention an understanding degree superior to the superior understanding degree of Control of the Skill¡­


    Thorn waited patiently for Rose to calm down.


    Only when her throat was already in pain did she stop laughing.


    "Tell me the characteristics of your Third Pace." Suddenly Rose requested, her eyes scary.


    After pondering for a few seconds, Thorn said: "Hmm¡­ Firstly, it multiplies my strength further by 100. Secondly, it allows me to use my Awakened Skill as ''eyes''. And thirdly, it lets me ''see'' the past state of what my Awakened Skill controls."


    Her face lit up as she said softly: "The third understanding degree is called Memory of the Skill¡­"


    Now, it was Thorn''s turn to be stunned. "Memory of the Skill? Such a befitting name¡­"


    Rose explained: "There is a myth very, very few know about. It states that there is indeed an understanding degree beyond Control of the Skill and its name is Memory of the Skill. Also, it describes the characteristics that you just mentioned. Though, it is sad that probably nobody believed such a thing was possible, even I didn''t believe it."


    Thorn now understood: "Oh¡­ So that''s how it is. Anyway, now you do know what I meant by saying all that about using the full extent of my Second Pace if it is necessary to win the prize."


    "I see¡­ But the understanding degree of a berserk skill is too hard to cultivate, and you seem very young. People would get really suspicious if you show an understanding degree at Control of the Skill while still pretending that you have the Special Wind Element Awakened Skill: Berserk¡­" Rose remained in deep thought for a while. "Let''s do this: pretend that you''re a broken human and reveal that your Awakened Skill is actually just the Wind Element Awakened Skill. This way you''ll be able to use Control of the Skill, and they''ll think that you just were playing around using Control of the Skill as if it were Use of the Skill. Although we''ll be pushing it, this should be enough to win the tournament without provoking strong enough individuals to cause us problems¡­" Rose concluded.


    Thorn nodded in understanding, and then his gaze turned back to the arena.


    Ana Li and Harl Rora were still fighting, it seemed they were in a stalemate. Ana Li was destroying Harl Rora''s range attacks with brute force while trying to shorten the distance between them, albeit unsuccessfully.


    "It looks like they''re taking their sweet time about finishing the match. I think I should take advantage of this and sleep a little to recover my Complex Energy quicker. Protect me from the noises and wake me up when it''s my turn." Thorn closed his eyes throwing his head backward. He then entered into the dream world in just a second.


    (That''s an expert sleeper for you.) Rose giggled and said: "As you wish." Evidently, she had gained quite a bit of respect for him thanks to her newfound knowledge of his strength.


    Many hours later¡­


    "Thorn!" Lenna Zelu''s voice was heard in every corner of the hall.


    Rose hit the back of Thorn''s head with a gentle slap as she said deactivating her Awakened Skill: "It''s your turn!"


    He opened his eyes and got up. Just like that, in an instant, he turned from being deeply asleep to being completely awaken and aware of the situation he was in.


    He walked toward the arena analyzing his opponent, who was a gargoyle with big muscles. (There isn''t a single wound on his body, he must have defeated his previous opponent with ease.)


    At that point, Rose cheered shaking her little fists: "Thorn you are the best! Wipe the floor with all of them, don''t dare to lose!"


    At the same time, on the southern seats.


    Arnold Alch, that good-looking young guy, gave a sideway glance at Rose. (That person¡­! P-p-princess?! It can''t be, she isn''t supposed to be here¡­ is my imagination playing tricks on me? No, she is definitely the youngest princess: Rose! The fact that she is hiding her face is proof of it!)


    His face changed from confusion to shock, from shock to doubt, from doubt to amazement, all within a second.


    Of the four present individuals that knew Rose, just Arnold Alch ended up recognizing her.


    There was a reason for this.


    Years ago, he went to Flowing City with his foster father Cley Alch. At that moment, he crossed paths with Rose in a hallway.


    She was walking alone, drenched in her own blood, and with many of her broken bones exposed. She got enough wounds to put almost every intelligent living thing curled up on the floor quaking in agony. Walk? It would be a true miracle if someone with such wounds could even be standing.


    However, she was walking with steady steps, and her clear green eyes were the definition of tranquility. Her face was so at ease that it could have brought the misconception of thinking that those wounds were just an illusion.


    He wasn''t captivated at all by such a sight.


    The only thing he felt was deep fear, an intuitive fear that came from his very soul.


    At that time, he kept her eyes and silhouette clearly engraved within his memory.


    Putting his palm on his forehead, Arnold Alch looked over at Thorn. (Why is she encouraging this participant so fervently? How came he to be worthy of the support of someone of her status? I only can see a nameless guy with a low cultivation. The only remarkable thing about him is that he is as good-looking as me. Mmm¡­ I didn''t pay much attention to the boring battles of the first phase, so perhaps he is actually¡­ strong?)


    While Arnold Alch sank in deep thought, following the example of Rose''s action, some members of the audience who had seen Thorn fight began to cry out cheers.


    "Good luck, Thorn!"


    "Without doubt, you''ll pass to the third phase!"


    "Kick some asses to us to behold, Thorn!"


    "Hahahaha¡­!" The guy who was being highly praised started to laugh wildly as he climbed up the arena.


    Evidently, he was weak against flattery, and had just now lost a substantial chunk of rationality.


    "I am sorry, but, from now on, no one will win a battle in the second phase except me!" He declared proudly posing on the arena.


    "UuoOhh¡­!!!"


    "T-that is so daunting! I love it!"


    "That''s a cute voice, so she was a woman after all¡­"


    Instigated by thorn''s words, the public couldn''t help but make an uproar.


    At this moment, Crok Alch, head of the Medical Center of Lurep Village, that middle-aged human with black and disheveled hair, also reacted after hearing Thorn''s voice. (A woman? Mmm¡­ Eh?! A-a flat-chested girl?!) His eyes then blazed with fire. (She is exactly my type!!!)


    Stealthily, he turned his head to his left, and then to his right. After confirming that nobody was paying attention to him, he smiled nastily, and activated his Awakened Skill. His eyes then began to emit a faint blue light, and he gained the ability to see through any object he wanted.


    It was a really helpful skill for a doctor.


    However, he wasn''t planning on using his skill with a professional purpose in mind right now.


    These shining and smiling eyes slowly fell on Thorn''s virgin body. In the next second, a naked body appeared within Crok Alch''s view; there it was, the picture he would never fail to recall.


    Immediately after, his eyes lost their light, and he just remained there speechless, expressionless, and soulless.


    (What is this overwhelming sense of defeat¡­? What kind of heartless trap is this¡­?) He wondered bitterly.

 Chapter 16: Miscalculation

    "Wind Element Awakened Skill." Thorn said standing on the arena, his arms folded across his chest.


    The master of ceremonies, Lenna Zelu, was taken aback by Thorn''s calm declaration. "Are you sure that your Awakened Skill is just the Wind Element Awakened Skill?" She saw Thorn fight before and was sure that he had the Special Wind Element Awakened Skill: Berserk.


    "That''s right." Thorn said no more than that.


    Although she had her doubts regarding what Thorn had said, Lenna Zelu still ordered with a solemn tone in her voice: "Fight!"


    In the next instant, Thorn, as some kind of ghost, appeared in front of the gargoyle. And before the gargoyle even had the opportunity to react, Thorn used Wind Blast on him.


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    The air explosion produced by Thorn''s movement and the air explosion of the Wind Blast sounded almost at the same time.


    As a cannon ball, the gargoyle flew away practically horizontally¡­


    *Clash!*


    ¡­ and collided heavily with the fence in front of the spectators.


    "Thorn wins!" Lenna Zelu loudly stated.


    "F-fast!" That word appeared in almost every single audience member''s mind and mouth.


    A little stunned, the gargoyle slowly stood up. Impressive enough, there wasn''t even a single scratch on his body.


    The gargoyles'' Racial Skill, Metallic Endurance, allowed them to turn their bodies into tougher ones, which was why it wasn''t easy feat to hurt them. However, this gargoyle''s opponent was none other than Thorn, who was very cable of throwing him off the arena without the need of hurting him first, so understandably his Metallic Endurance Racial Skill had ended up being of no use in this fight.


    "Jef Ter!" The master of ceremonies called out.


    After which, an elephant monster human came close to the shield shaped platform. He released proudly a Second Level Advanced Awaken Aura. Most of his body was human-like, the exceptions were his nose and ears which looked like elephant monster''s. And he had a pair of silver knuckles on his hands.


    Soon, Jef Ter stood before Thorn, and said: "Water Element Awakened Skill." Unexpectedly, he didn''t seem afraid or nervous. His eyes even expressed confidently ''I got this''.


    This made Thorn frown slightly.


    "Fight!" Lenna Zelu commanded.


    Immediately after, Thorn was already 50 cm in front of Jef Ter sending him a Wind Blast with his fist.


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    Feeling this powerful wind, Jef Ter remained collected.


    Then a shocking scene played out before Thorn''s eyes: the body of his opponent slowly moved backward and just after 5 cm, it stopped.


    Thorn''s heart skipped a beat. (Damn! His Monster Powering Racial Skill has already acquired the Weight Powering!)


    In the blink of an eye, Jef Ter condensed on his right hand a drop of water¡­


    *GRAAAH!*


    *Bang!*


    ¡­ and shouting loudly threw it forward with all his might.


    Thorn evaded that Water Bullet with ease thanks to his Wind Technique: Wind Glide. After which, he clenched his teeth in resignation, and threw continuous Wind Blasts with both hands and reckless abandon.


    *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*¡­This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Not wanting to be outmatched, Jef Ter started to madly shoot his Water Bullets.


    *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*¡­


    Before long, it became evident that the rain of Water Bullets wasn''t a threat to Thorn, he could evade them very easily after all; but for Jef Ter, the Wind Blasts seemed unavoidable.


    Just like that, little by little, Thorn pushed Jef Ter toward the edge of the arena.


    Trying desperately to walk against the powerful air currents, Jef Ter started to get nervous. He knew that the only way to have the slightest chance to avoid Thon''s Wind Blasts was by deactivating his Weight Powering, but if he were to do so, even for a second, he would be blasted away and lose.


    In the end, Jef Ter could only sigh in dejection as the wind pushed him out of the arena.


    "Thorn wins!" The master of ceremonies'' voice boomed out, and in the next moment, she proceed to call out: "Huns Luna!"


    Ninth Level Intermediate Awaken was the cultivation stage in which the blue feathered harpy that climbed up the arena was at. She didn''t carry any weapon with her, and just wore a light but metallic armor.


    "Special Awakened Skill: Energy Cloner, it allows me to clone things." She said, a proud smile adorning her beautiful face.


    "Fight!"


    In the instant Lenna Zelu ended her shout, Huns Luna made a clone of herself appear in front of her.


    At that same instant, Thorn moved like a furious gale toward the harpy.


    *Boom!*


    *Bamph!*


    He collided heavily against Huns Luna''s clone.


    The impact immediately sent Thorn flying away, but only made the clone retreat slightly.


    It must be understood that the physical strength of Huns Luna''s clone was at the Ninth Level Intermediate Awaken stage, whereas Thorn''s physical strength was at the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage. This was why the outcome of the collision ended up like that.


    While in midair, shock and blood covered Thorn''s face, his mind trembled in confusion. (Ah?! My calculations were definitely precise! My body was supposed to stop in front of her and not on her! Mmm?! Two auras?! It''s a perfect clone! Can she make clones this quickly?! That must be an Arrogant Awakened Skill!!) He concluded as he finally managed to stop his body with the help of his wind control.


    As to confirm Thorn''s conjecture, Huns Luna, taking advantage of the short span of time Thorn was out of combat, made 30 more clones! And she even was capable of blending in with them effortlessly, making impossible to tell which ''Huns Luna'' was the real one.


    Before Thorn''s bewildered eyes, 64 gorgeous blue wings fluttered furiously, creating in this way a magnificent view to behold.


    At this moment, Thorn regained his composure, and flew extremely quickly toward a ''Huns Luna''.


    Stopping in front of it, he hit it with a Wind Blast.


    ''Huns Luna'' then got caught in the powerful wind current and flew away, but a second later, it desperately controlled the wind, and just when its body was about to exit the battle zone, it stopped.


    Seeing this, Thorn got a headache. (Damn! Her Wind Control Racial Skill will be a big nuisance!) He flew again toward that ''Huns Luna'', and this time, his Wind Blast did throw it out of the battle area.


    After this, that ''Huns Luna'' disappeared into thin air, proving that it was just a clone.


    Turning his head toward the remaining 31 ''Huns Luna'' bodies, Thorn saw how another clone appeared.


    (This will take me quite some time¡­ At least it seems like 31 clones are her limit.) He thought as frustration emerged within his heart.


    At the same instant, 32 Wind Blasts combined into a single super concentrated Wind Blast which straightaway headed toward Thorn''s position.


    *BOOOM!!!!*


    He barely managed to evade such attack as cold sweat flowed down his face. (What a savage harpy! If I had been hit by that, I would have already been out of the battle zone!)


    He wasn''t being paranoiac at all, that attack just now had the destructive power of 32 times the strongest psychical attack of a Ninth Level Intermediate Awaken cultivator!


    With renewed caution, Thorn proceeded to blast away Huns Luna''s clones, one by one. He did this using the tactic of ''hit and run''.


    In the end, after a long battle, amidst a chaotic storm of Wind Blasts, Thorn finally blasted Huns Luna''s real body out of the battle zone.


    When she got out of the battlefield, she didn''t disappear into thin air. This demonstrated that she was the real one, so Lenna Zelu announced: "Thorn wins!"


    "*Sigh*¡­" Exhausted, Thorn let out a long sigh. (This is bad, really bad. There''s only half of my Complex Energy left. And I don''t know how many opponents I''ll have to face today. Damn! I got carried away and said those embarrassing things¡­ What a terrible miscalculation. My face is at risk here! I have no choice then¡­)


    While he was making the decision of stopping playing around, Lenna Zelu called the next participant: "Ben Kox!"


    When Ben Kox approached the arena, a weird silence filled the atmosphere.


    Thorn glanced over at this individual. (Deliaf¡­ The civilized race that didn''t exist a million years ago¡­)


    The person who stood before Thorn had the appearance of a slim eight-year-old boy, his hair was withe, his eyes were silver, and his skin was as pale as an ill-person''s. He released a Third Level Advanced Awaken Aura.


    The glaring contrast between Ben Kox''s young appearance and his high cultivation base would have bewildered Thorn if Rose had not explained to him what a deliaf was.


    In short; deliaf were just like any other civilized race, except that their Racial Skill had made them a tragic existence.


    Life Sacrifice Racial Skill.


    It was a passive skill that forced its user to win every single Breakthrough Challenge at the expense of the user''s lifespan and soul.


    When Thorn heard about this, he was surprised and intrigued, but just for a second. His heart was too cold to really care.


    "Fire Element Awakened Skill." Ben Kox said grimly.


    "Fight!" Lenna Zelu shouted.


    Shortly after, Ben Kox disappeared to immediately after reappear out of the arena.


    There was no sound whatsoever.


    As for Thorn, he was lazily standing on the same spot, a relaxed smile hanging on his face.


    "What the heck¡­" Unexpectedly, it was Lenna Zelu who let out such an involuntary remark.


    Thorn: "I said ''Wind Element Awakened Skill'', didn''t I?"

 Chapter 17: Control of the Skill

    "What''s going on¡­?" Baffled, Ben Kox asked in a low voice the same question most spectators were asking in their minds.


    "T-Thorn wins!" Quite flustered, Lenna Zelu stuttered.


    The northern seats.


    "F-Final-Star Control of the Skill?!" Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch''s Branch Head exclaimed in disbelief, his entire body trembling.


    Arger Dal wasn''t the only one reacting that way. Ramph Zelu, Cley Alch, and even Delia Adver herself were having a mini heart attack.


    Such shock was to be expected. Everyone knew that the difference between Final-Star Use of the Skill and Final-Star Control of the Skill was just like the difference between a common soldier and a mighty emperor. After all, Final-Star Control of the Skill was the widely acknowledged highest understanding degree in the world. It was the level nearly every single cultivator dreamed about attaining, but won''t reach in their lifetimes. Only the peak powerhouses of the world had reached such heights. Even Delia Adver, the strongest person in the hall and a princess candidate for Guild Master of the Adventurer''s Guild, had just recently stepped into the Third-Star Control of the Skill.


    "This little rascal¡­What kind of idiot is she? To show off her potential to reach the apex just for the sake of some little face¡­" Delia Adver muttered frowning. Her confusion was evident on her normally calm and confident expression. (I cannot discern her actual age, but she is definitely very young. Then, why do she have that level of understanding? I wonder if she is really that smart¡­ But again, the only way to reach such level is by becoming that smart. So, why would she do such a foolish thing?) She examined Thorn''s entire body carefully. (It seems like she isn''t even a bit afraid of the possible consequences of her acts¡­)


    The public seats.


    "Can someone explain to me what is going on?" A goblin, unable to suppress his curiosity anymore, asked looking around in search of a knowledgeable cultivator.


    "Hahaha¡­" Rose laughed smugly at this question. "Let me enlighten you. It''s just as Thorn said, he has the Wind Element Awakened Skill. What makes him able to do what he just did is his Final-Star Control of the Skill understanding degree! As you might know; at Control of the Skill, one can use one''s Awakened Skill at long range. Taking advantage of this, Thorn used the Wind Technique: Wind Glide to move Ben Kox. The reason why there was no ''Boom!'' when Ben Kox was moved is because, at Final-Star Control of the Skill, Wind Glide is used so efficiently that the waste of Complex Energy becomes insignificant."


    This information left everyone who heard it utterly dumbfounded. They were shocked by the fact that there was such a great expert at just a few meters in front of them, they were flabbergasted by the fact that there was a cultivator with the highest understanding degree and was still in the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage, and finally, they have been rendered completely speechless by the fact that such a lofty expert had enough shamelessness to participate in this tournament of novices!


    Still filled with complex emotions, Lenna Zelu called out: "Rey Luss!"


    Soon, a young male elemental elf, who had green hair, stood up and walked toward the platform. He was unhurried and even had a carefree smile on his face. His Aura was at the Second Level Advanced Awaken stage.


    "*Sigh*¡­" Thorn couldn''t help but sigh at this sight. (How am I supposed to defeat this guy¡­?)


    After Rey Luss took his position on the arena, Lenna Zelu shouted: "Fight!"


    It wasn''t even necessary for Rey Luss to reveal his Awakened Skill. The color of his hair and eyes, and the fact that he was an elemental elf made it evident that he was a Wind Element Awakened Skill user.


    Thorn tried to move Rey Luss with Wind Glide, but the wind just passed through Rey Luss'' body and clothes as if dealing with a ghost or an illusion.


    (As expected, it didn''t work¡­) Thorn lamented seeing this scene.


    Due to their Racial Skill, Elemental Physique, the elemental elves couldn''t awaken a Special Awakened Skill or an Arrogant Awakened Skill, they could only awaken an Elemental Awakened Skill or a Special Elemental Awakened Skill.


    And there were just ten elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Darkness, Light, Shadow, Crystalloid, and Energy [It was Complex Energy for civilized races and Mystical Energy for monsters].


    But in compensation for this restriction, the Elemental Physique Racial Skill made elemental elves immune against the element of their Awakened Skill.


    While Thorn was deep in thought trying to come up with an effective strategy to beat his opponent, Rey Luss was already punching at Thorn.


    (Geez! I got distracted!) Thorn cursed, and, in his panic, invoked a powerful wind barrier around his body.


    *POW!*


    Despite the barrier, Rey Luss'' fist landed heavily on Thorn''s face unhindered. It was evident that the wind barrier was utterly useless against Rey Luss'' Racial Skill.


    The punch sent Thorn flying away.


    "Ouch¡­!" He moaned as his head spun in dizziness and blood sprayed out of his face, yes his face.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Somehow, relying on his Awakened Skill, Thorn barely managed to stop his body from getting off the combat area.


    It was at this moment that he realized something. (Fist¡­ Yeah, I can use that too!)


    Seeing that his attack didn''t finish the job, Rey Luss kicked the floor and controlled the wind to move as fast as he could to follow up with a second punch. He didn''t even try to directly assault Thorn with his Wind Element Awakened Skill. He understood very well that, with his low level of understanding, his wind wouldn''t be able to represent a threat to Thorn.


    Just when that punch was about to reach him, Thorn disappeared and reappeared seven meters behind Rey Luss.


    Feeling Thorn''s Aura behind him, Rey Luss revealed an utterly shocked expression; and before he could turn his head to cast a look at his opponent, he felt two fist on his back.


    *Bummm!*


    The reverberating sound of Rey Luss'' body colliding against the floor off the arena was heard throughout the entire hall.


    Hovering in midair, despite his bloody broken arms, Thorn smiled satisfied.


    "Thorn Wins!" This familiar phrase echoed out once again.


    "Wooo¡­!"


    "That girl is just unstoppable!"


    "Even an elemental elf with the Wind Element Awakened Skill couldn''t defeat her?!"


    "Is she really planning on being the last standing of the second phase?!"


    The spectators grew emotional after seeing Thorn''s amazing performance.


    "Cure Song!" Called out Lenna Zelu.


    Cure Song was a dullahan, his pitch-black smoke had the ''V'' shape. He wore heavy armor of black B-class zenanium, and was in the Third Level Advanced Awaken stage.


    (At last! Someone who is trembling in fear.) Thorn was elated to see how nervous his next opponent was while walking toward the arena.


    Once on the arena, Cure Song shakily slipped off his armguard which had covered his entire hand and forearm. "I have two Special Awakened Skills. The first one is No Color: it enables me to become invisible." As he spoke out, his hand turned transparent. He then continued while putting back on his armguard: "The second one is Berserk Speed."


    Double Essence, the dullahan''s Racial Skill, was a passive skill that forced its user to awaken two Awakened Skills instead of one; however, both Awakened Skills obtained through this Racial Skill were of the same class.


    The Awakened Skill classes in order of rarity were: Elemental Awakened Skill, Special Awakened Skill, Special Elemental Awakened Skill, Arrogant Awakened Skill, and Ultimate Awakened Skill.


    Lenna Zelu: "Okay! You two, fight!"


    *Bum!*


    *Crack!*


    In the next instant, Thorn''s ribbons cracked and his entire person flew away.


    Cure Song had just now come close to him and punched him in the chest. He had done that so quickly even the four individuals on the north gasped in astonishment.


    An increment of ten times one''s strength could allow one to fight in equal terms with someone at an entire cultivation stage higher than oneself, but an increment of ten times one''s speed could allow one to catch up to someone at two entire cultivation stages higher than oneself in a race!


    Spitting up loads of blood, Thorn got so flustered he didn''t hold back the strength that came from his dual cultivation and Final-Star Control of the Skill to stop his body in midair, barely avoiding getting off the combat area.


    (So, you were pretending¡­ to be afraid.) Thorn stared resentful at Cure Song.


    On the other hand, Cure Song was absolutely flabbergasted.


    (There is no way he could have stabilized himself before exiting the combat area! My punch just now wasn''t weak at all. It not only contained all my psychical strength, but also the impulse of the movement speed of a Third Level Energy Core Evolution stage cultivator!) He thought as an intense pain assaulted him and the blood from his broken right arm gushed down.


    At that moment, Rose sighed deeply in relieve. (Thorn''s strength wasn''t evident, it looked just as if Cure Song''s strike wasn''t powerful enough.) She couldn''t help but shot an approving look at Cure Song. (Such strike! Such speed! He almost defeated Thorn for real this time.) Closing her eyes, she continued thinking: (Luckily, Thorn''s reaction was beyond ordinary. I wonder if it has something to do with his Mystical Energy cultivation. Monsters'' instincts and reaction speed are a match for civilized races'' understanding degree and intelligence after all¡­)


    High above the arena, Thorn observed how Cure Song evaded every single one of his attempts to move him out the shield-shaped platform. The dullahan was just too quick. Thorn could feel Cure Song''s Aura on a certain place, and when he tried to use Wind Glide, he felt that his opponent wasn''t on that place anymore, but on another instead.


    For quite a while Thorn was feeling helpless, until a thought flashed through his mind. (There''s that funny thing I can do now!) He then ceased his futile actions and began to gather his Complex Energy in a single point at the center of the arena.


    *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!* *Swiffff¡­!*¡­


    Wind from all directions flowed like thousands of streams toward that point noisily and visibly.


    Seeing such a scene playing out, Cure Song stopped in his tracks and cursed inwardly: (Oh fuck.)


    *BOoOoMM¡­!!!*


    The wind explosion generated by the powerful pressure of the gathering point left Cure Song with no escaping path. The explosion mercilessly and coldly blasted Cure Song out of the combat region.


    "Thorn Wins!" The master of ceremonies once again loudly declared Thorn as the winner.


    "W-was it the legendary Wind Explosion?! The same technique only a few worldwide famous experts can unleash?!" A spectator asked in bewilderment, his voice quivering.


    "It actually was!!!" Another spectator answered, eyes filled with reverence.


    The public then made an uproar. There were no exceptions, it had been everyone''s first time seeing with their own eyes the Wind Technique: Wind Explosion.


    Basked in the amazed expressions of the public, Thorn descended onto the center of the arena. (It really worked!) His face showed how pleased with himself he was. But then, he wondered quite confused: (Why does he wear heavy armor¡­? That doesn''t suit his combat style at all¡­ Oh well, he must be just an idiot.)


    "Jeremiah Tusk!" Lenna Zelu pronounced the name of Thorn''s next opponent.


    Jeremiah Tusk was a slim and handsome male, his ears were pointed, his eyes of a sparkling cyan in color, his skin was light pink white, and his hair was golden and long enough to reach his waist. He was an elf. Regarding his equipment, he sported a dark golden light armor and a pair of golden swords.


    When he reached the arena, he said dispiritedly: "Energy Element Awakened Skill." His attitude showed clearly the null confidence he had in his possibilities of defeating Thorn.


    Although an elf and the Energy Element Awakened Skill were a perfect match made in heaven thanks to the elves'' Racial Skill, Noble Physique, which allowed them to replenish their Complex Energy extremely quickly; Jeremiah Tusk knew it was useless against Thorn and that he would lose within a second.


    "Fight!" Lenna Zelu commanded.


    And just as Jeremiah Tusk had predicted, he appeared out of the arena in the blink of an eye.


    It couldn''t be helped, Jeremiah Tusk needed at least a pair of seconds to materialize his Complex Energy. Time he hadn''t had. What depressed him the most though was the fact that he hadn''t had the opportunity to show off what he really was capable of, this had completely buried his hopes of passing to the third phase.


    Lenna Zelu announced the winner of this match, and immediately after said: "Everyone, let''s be witnesses of the last match of the second phase! Berean Drunnel, come here!"

 Chapter 18: Unexpected Incident

    Berean Drunnel was an average-looking human. He wore a specialized black zenanium armor; which covered his body so tightly that if his armor were to be of the same color as his skin, he would seem naked.


    "Special Awakened Skill: Size Shifter. It allows me to alter the size of things." He said.


    Humans'' Special Essence Racial Skill, which for ones was a curse and for others a blessing, was a passive skill that forced its user to awaken a non-elemental Awakened Skill. Because of this, nearly every human was a Special Awakened Skill user.


    "Fight!"


    The instant Lenna Zelu''s voice fell, and just when Thorn was about to move Berean Drunnel with his wind, Thorn felt a pair of hands grabbing his legs.


    Berean Drunnel, who was grasping Thorn''s legs so hard he crippled them, vigorously threw Thorn away.


    Thorn had never thought Berean Drunnel could enlarge his hands this quickly. Now, he had no choice but to hit himself with a Wind Blast to avoid getting off the combat area.


    *Boom!*


    *Fuumpp!*


    The impact made him spit out a mouthful of blood and crushed some of his internal organs. It was evident that his body had already reached its limit of endurance.


    (Damn! This hurts more than what it should!) Grimacing, Thorn complained inwardly as he began to wrap the body of his opponent with his wind.


    But while Thorn was doing that, Berean Drunnel didn''t stay quiet. He shot his hands, which looked just like attacking snake monsters. This time, however, he was viciously aiming toward Thorn''s neck!


    Thorn had just now experienced the extremely quick assault of those hands, so he was now prepared to face such attack.


    *SssClang!* *SssClang!* *SssClang!* *SssClang!*


    Thorn''s wind blades loudly clashed against Berean Drunnel''s armor-covered hands. Although the wind blades weren''t able to cut Berean Drunnel''s hands due to the specialized zenanium armor he wore, they still managed to break the momentum and direction of the quick assault.


    This gave Thorn enough time to completely cover Berean Drunnel''s body with his wind. Without hesitation, he used Wind Glide to move the human out of the combat area.


    When Berean Drunnel became aware of where he was standing on, he was already hearing Lenna Zelu''s pleasant voice. "Thorn wins!" Though, the meaning of her words wasn''t pleasant at all to him.


    Without caring in the slightest about Berean Drunnel''s sentiments, Lenna Zelu continued: "This ends the second phase. Now, our secondary judges are going to decide the ten participants that will pass to the third phase."


    As for Thorn, he was about to climb down the platform. Actually, although he was the absolute victor of this phase, the sight of him getting off the arena was the most pathetic and pitiful of all the other participants. Due to the numerous wounds and broken bones he had, he couldn''t even move his body; so he was tragically carrying himself with his wind.


    It was at that juncture when someone suddenly said: "Miss Thorn, please wait a moment. I have something very important to say to you."


    As nobody else was making any noise, everyone heard clearly these words. When all looked over in the direction of the origin of the voice; they discovered, to their surprise, that the owner of the voice was unexpectedly Arnold Alch.


    This young super genius was standing and directing his passionate gaze toward Thorn''s breathtaking violet eyes.


    "Eh¡­? Y-yes?" Thorn, holding himself up with his wind, said perplexed.


    Arnold Alch then smiled handsomely, and began his speech: "Never before had I met a woman as extraordinary as you, nor had I ever feel this way for someone else¡­" He blushed as he paused for a short moment. "What I am trying to say is tha--"


    "Hahaha¡­!! Au, Au! Oh boy, Oh boy! Hahaha¡­!!!"


    All of a sudden, a loud and unrestrained laughter interrupted Arnold Alch''s words.


    When Thorn shifted his gaze, he saw a human with disheveled black hair laughing his ass off as he rolled back and forth on the floor holding his stomach.


    (Isn''t he the head of the Medical Center of Lurep Village, Crok Alch? Why is he laughing with such abandon¡­? Has a clown kicked his brain or something?) Thorn wondered speechless.


    Yes, the disrespectful fellow was Crok Alch. He barely managed to stop his laughter, crawled up to his feet, and said with much difficult: "I-I am really sorry for this unwanted scene. P-please, don''t mind me. I just remembered something funny." He took a deep breath, and put on his most solemn expression. He then directed his next words toward Arnold Alch: "Young man, you MUST NOT let this heavenly opportunity pass by. I BEG you, continue with what you were doing. I''ll pray for your success." After finishing his piece, he sat back on his seat and took a comfortable posture, as if preparing himself to watch a good show.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Arnold Alch nodded at Crok Alch, his face showing some embarrassment. He tried to calm himself down for a pair of seconds, and finally, turned his gaze back to Thorn''s eyes. It was a gaze which contained a desire so fervent it couldn''t be overlooked or ignored anymore.


    It was at this moment Thorn suddenly understood that the bastard in front of him was going to screw him up. (Holy shiiiiitttt¡­!) He cried silently as his heart trembled in fear.


    Arnold Alch was already done with the idle talk, so he directly said: "I want to earnestly fuck you, Miss Thorn."


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    After a long period of silence and shock, some spectators began to discuss this matter noisily.


    "Wow! The always lonely genius of Lurep Village finally has been so impressed he couldn''t help but declare his love so promptly and so decisively!"


    "Right?! He even bravely took the risk of being rejected in front of so many witnesses and ruin his reputation! "


    "He certainly has immense guts."


    "Rejected? About whom are you talking about? Arnold Alch''s looks and talent aren''t something a lady can reject!"


    "But even if Arnold Alch were more handsome and had more talent, would he be worthy of Miss Thorn?"


    "Of course not. Her understanding degree is already at the Final-Star Control of the Skill!"


    "That''s right! With such talent, it''s now just a matter of time for her to become a powerhouse at the very top of the world, how could a mere Arnold Alch be worthy of such a woman?!"


    There were some females glaring enviously at Thorn, as well as some males desperately wishing they could have big enough gust to pursue Thorn.


    It must be mentioned that, in this world and era, the phrase ''I want to earnestly fuck you'' actually meant ''Please, marry me and be by my side for the rest of our lives''.


    Arnold Alch indeed had the guts of an entire army, and of course a self-esteem just as big; otherwise, let alone to speak to Thorn, he would be too ashamed to even show his face in front of him.


    At that moment, Rose was staring quietly at Arnold Alch, hostility coming out from her eyes. (I know that little brat, I needed just a short glare to scare him into submission back then. Mhmp! Just because he got somewhat stronger, he now dares to harbor thoughts on Thorn! He is absolutely asking for humiliation!)


    Meanwhile, Arnold Alch felt cold sweat flowing down his back, though he didn''t know why. In the end, he carelessly attributed it at the fact that for quite some time now, Thorn was staring blankly at the empty space just like a soulless corpse.


    (What is it?! Is she shocked speechless by so much happiness or so much disgust?! Or perhaps is it just indecision?!) Arnold Alch asked the heavens, heart about to explode.


    Just when the man declaring his love was about to stutter something, Thorn guffawed away some madness: "HahahaHAHAHAha¡­!!!"


    The spectators gaped flabbergasted at such outburst.


    "¡­ HahaHAHAha¡­!!!" The maniac laughter didn''t stop, even though Thorn''s wounds had yet to heal.


    Soon, blood splattered around Thorn, who was spitting some each time a ''ha'' came out of his mouth.


    This sight sent shivers to the entire hall.


    Some gasps of fear later.


    *Puumn*


    Thorn finally slumped over the floor, completely exhausted, his skin as pale as paper.


    "You think I am a broken human, right?" He said, his voice frightening calm.


    Arnold Alch then came back to his senses and hurried to respond: "Yes, yes. You don''t have the Special Essence Racial Skill after all." At this point, he suddenly realized something and fear appeared on his face, he cautiously asked with a trembling voice: "C-could it be¡­ You are a¡­ m-mutant?"


    "That''s right." The guy lying on the floor replied, his voice emotionless.


    After hearing Thorn''s confirmation, the public couldn''t help but fervently shoot stares at Thorn''s body, as if trying to figure out even how many hairs he had.


    Well, that was normal, a mutant was as rare as ghost''s flesh after all. Mutants were beings that instead of having the Racial Skill of their parents, they had an entirely different and unique Racial Skill. That was equivalent to say that every single mutant represented a unique race.


    Arnold Alch''s face fell, he sighed and said resigned: "Such a pity¡­ I suppose fate will always do as it pleases."


    The scene of Arnold Alch giving in didn''t surprise anyone. It was common knowledge that beings of different races couldn''t have children. Almost a hundred percent of the cases, the baby birthed would be born already dead or would be an abomination of nature that wouldn''t live for too long. And due to this, the sexual intercourse between members of different races was viewed by the world as one of the most disgusting and foolish acts.


    Arnold Alch suddenly said: "Just to satisfy my curiosity, would you please tell me how your Racial Skill works?"


    Using his wind to get up, Thorn answered: "It has for name Soul Linking Gaze, it allows me to have a superficial connection with someone else''s soul. While this connection is active, I can tell if the person I am connected with is lying or not. Of course, the other person will also know if I am lying or not. Regarding its limitation, I can only use this skill if the target allow me to." He then suggested: "Would you like to experience it for a bit?"


    Arnold Alch was taken aback by such a proposition, he didn''t expect his curiosity would put him into a situation in which his darkest secrets could be exposed. He pondered his options for a while, in the end, he smiled confidently and accepted: "It will be my honor to experience such interesting skill. Go on then, my soul is yours to take."


    Regretting his suggestion, Thorn became depressed. (Damn! Damn! What a lovely phrase! ''Go on then, my soul is yours to take''! Damn! Now in the future if a cute girl says to me these beautiful words, I''ll remember that it was firstly flirtatiously told to me by a man! Damn! Damn! Damn!!)


    Trying his hardest to conceal his urge to beat the bastard in front of him to a bloody pulp, Thorn warned: "Here I go!" He then activated his Racial Skill.


    At the same time, using Complex Energy as fuel, innumerable tendrils appeared within Thorn''s head, and they connected themselves with Thorn''s mental body. These tendrils were like gentle rays of light, when they came out through Thorn''s eyes, those eyes started to glow like violet Luminous Spheres. At that moment, the unbelievable happened: Thorn''s eyes became even more beautiful.


    Gasps of admiration echoed through the hall.


    Very quickly, the tendrils made their way to Arnold Alch''s eyes.


    Arnold Alch felt as if he were directly staring at Zura [this world''s ''Sun'']. However, he didn''t even blink and just let the tendrils touch his mental body.


    After that, both Thorn and Arnold Alch could feel a strange connection between their souls.


    Without letting Thorn ask any question, Arnold Alch put his palm on his chest and declared: "Miss Thorn, I would give up both of my arms and both of my legs, and even my very race if with that it were possible for me to be your sexual partner!"


    A freezing wind blew through Thorn''s spine and it reached his heart.


    A triumphant smile appeared on Arnold Alch''s face, and he flirtatiously asked: "Was it true or false?"


    *Cough!* *Cough!* *Cough!*


    Thorn coughed out the remaining blood inside his body, and groaned weakly: "I-it''s true¡­"


    At that moment, most spectators were feeling great admiration toward Arnold Alch''s passion and sincerity.


    Deactivating his Soul Linking Gaze, Thorn just said: "Goodbye." And without giving time for any reply, he carried his body toward his seat so quickly it seemed like his life depended on it.

 Chapter 19: The Title of Veteran

    Rose had been waiting Thorn with a pair of bottles filled with his blood.


    The moment he let his body collapse in the seat next to Rose, she carefully fed him the crimson liquid.


    Of course, this act was mainly a sham so that Thorn could use his Life Restorer skill.


    With a very concerned and gentle look, Rose asked: "Will you be alright?"


    Seeing Rose acting like that, a warm feeling rose in Thorn''s heart.


    "Yeah, I''ll survive." He replied, a wide smile forming on his face.


    But just an instant later, his smile suddenly stiffened. (Wait a moment! In the first place, wasn''t she the one who convinced me to pretend to be a girl?! And in the second place, wasn''t her idea what made me participate in this tournament?! In the end, the main culprit of my wounds and humiliation is her! Damn! I almost let her fool me! I''ll definitely teach her a lesson later!)


    Every one of the ninety individuals on the southern seats wrote ten names on a paper, they then handed over those papers to an assistant of the Zelu family. The assistant read all the papers and nodded. He approached Lenna Zelu and whispered to her ten names. After which, the assistant disappeared into some door.


    *Clap!*


    *Clap!*


    Lenna Zelu clapped twice to attract the attention of everyone, and said: "The results of the second phase are out. But before I announce them, I''m going to reveal the prize the ten participants who passed to the third phase will receive!"


    After hearing the word ''prize'', Rose''s eyes lit up.


    The hostess pointed with her finger toward the ten empty seats on the southern part of the hall, and continued speaking: "The ten will receive the right to occupy those seats. They all will be ascended to one-star veterans!"


    The spectators gasped in shock. They wondered whether they had heard wrong.


    Climbing up the ranks in any guild wasn''t something easy to accomplish. It required more than just strength, it demanded to have a trust gained over years of cooperation with the guild.


    Naturally, having a higher status within a guild increased the benefits one received from it.


    Within the Mercenary''s Guild in particular, the benefits one-star veterans obtained were quite generous. Not only one-star veterans had the authorization to freely use the exclusive libraries of the guild branches, they could also request higher ranked jobs that increased greatly their income. Besides these advantages, as individuals of higher prestige and social status, they received discounts on almost every shop and gained access to certain restricted areas of the world.


    This made the title very valuable and sought-after.


    And now, this priceless title was being given as a prize!


    Obviously, the spectators would be stunned.


    As for all those participants who had a certain degree of confidence in getting into the top ten; except, of course, the clueless Thorn; they were almost jumping up and down from extreme joy.


    Rose had a radiant smile on her face, she was thinking expectantly: (If this is for the top ten, what will be the prize for the first place?!)


    The dullahan whose pitch-black smoke had the shape of an ''S'' began to explain the next procedures: "I''ll announce the ten participants who passed to the third phase now. If your name is mentioned, please go to the southern seats. There, your novice license will be exchanged for a one-star veteran license. Then you''ll have to wait for the third phase to start in one of those ten empty seats."


    Immediately after, she initiated with the announcement of the ten winners of the second phase: "Harl Rora!"


    A silver-skinned male goblin happily began to make his way toward the southern seats.


    Thorn''s right eyebrow slightly rose. "Isn''t that goblin the one from the first match? Was he really strong enough to get into the third phase?"


    Since Thorn hadn''t seen the combats before his, Rose decided to give him a detailed explanation: "From the very beginning, that cunning little bastard was just pretending to have an average strength. He made it appear as though he had a difficult time winning the first match. Then in the second match, something similar happened. By the time he won the third match, it became evident that he was just pretending to be weak so he could ambush his opponent at the right moment. In the end, he won four matches. Only in the fifth match did someone stopped him, but it was just because Harl Rora was already quite exhausted. His strong point is his mastery over his Link Control Racial Skill. That together with his Earth Element Awakened Skill make him hard to deal with."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Thorn nodded and assured her: "I can handle him."


    "Chloe Tara!"


    It was a valiant female war elf with white skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears. She wore a menacing red armor that accentuated her womanly curves, and had a sword and a shield seemingly made of white crystals.


    "How about her? What''s her strong point?" Thorn asked, his eyes glued on Chloe Tara''s sexy and voluptuous body.


    Rose ignored Thorn''s pervert behavior, and said: "She is quite strong as well. Although her cultivation is only at the Second Level Advanced Awaken stage, her Warrior Physique Racial Skill can enhance her physical strength up to ten times already. So basically, her physical strength can be equivalent to a Second Level Full Awaken cultivator''s. And, thanks to her Crystalloid Element Awakened Skill, she can change the shape and size of her sword and shield at will."


    "Oh, quite the intimidating warrior we have here. Still, I can handle her." Thorn affirmed confidently.


    "Eli Bullo!"


    It was a beautiful female gorgon in a luxurious white armor dress. Her serpents were white with black spots


    Without waiting for Thorn to ask, Rose said: "She is one of the Bullo twins. You''ll have to maintain a concentrated wind barrier around you if you end up fighting her. Not only does she have one of the two rarest Elemental Awakened Skills, the Light Element Awakened Skill, but she can also blend it with her Poison Control Racial Skill."


    "No problem, I can handle her." Thorn asserted in a second.


    "Derek Niun!"


    It was a blond male human. His light armor was black. And he exuded a Third Level Advanced Awaken Aura.


    On the northern seats.


    Ramph Zelu commented: "Arger Dal, you sure are lucky. That boy has an extraordinary skill."


    Delia Adver also commented: "I hate to admit it, but he is probably stronger than my disciple."


    "Hahaha¡­ I certainly got lucky. It''ll be interesting to see who''ll win the tournament now that there are so many talents. Hahaha¡­" Arger Dal was overjoyed. The two with the highest chances of winning the tournament were from the Mercenary''s Guild!


    On the public seats.


    "Well, here it is, your greatest obstacle to obtain the first place." Rose said, a hint of worry in her voice.


    After catching the hint, Thorn frowned. "Why is that?"


    "His Arrogant Awakened Skill is especially incredible. It''s called Absolute Reflect and it creates a barrier that can return back anything thrown at it, anything. It''s a really powerful skill. With it he won twelve matches, twelve! Even you, after only eight victories, were already at your limit." She explained. It was clear that Derek Niun''s Awakened Skill impressed and intimidated her.


    Thorn held his breath, he was left without words for a while. Still, in the end, he stuttered: "I-I can handle him."


    "Allen Bullo!"


    It was a handsome male gorgon in a luxurious black light armor. His serpents were white with black spots.


    "As you can deduce, he''s Eli Bullo''s twin. He also has one of the two rarest Elemental Awakened Skills, the Darkness Element Awakened Skill." Rose stopped speaking for a second. "Well, this ends the explanations. You already know how strong are the next five participants who''ll be announced as winners of the second phase."


    "Ehh? S-seriously?" Thorn''s expression couldn''t be more bewildered.


    "Hehehe¡­ Don''t underestimate me. After seeing the entire second phase, others may not be able to know with one hundred percent of certainty who the winners are, but I do. The five already mentioned, four are participants you fought with, and finally you. Ten in total." She said with a smile.


    "Jef Ter!"


    "Huns Luna!"


    "Cure Song!"


    "Berean Drunnel!"


    "Thorn!"


    Lenna Zelu ended up calling out the exact names Rose had predicted.


    Thorn looked over at Rose''s triumphant smile and thought: (As expected of the little monster.)


    He then walked toward the southern seats.


    Once there, Vei Dal said to him in a good mood: "Congratulations Thorn! You really gave me a tremendous pleasant surprise when you showed what you are capable of!"


    "Hehehe¡­ You won''t find someone with more talent than me. Hehehe¡­" Thorn said self-assuredly. He looked just like the spoiled daughter of an aristocrat.


    "Hahaha¡­! There''s no doubt about it. Hahaha¡­!" Vei Dal was in reality completely positive in his words.


    Thorn handed over his one-star novice mercenary license to the shadow human, and received from him a one-star veteran mercenary license.


    Vei Dal couldn''t help sigh in admiration. "Seven days, you took just seven days to ascend from one-star novice to one-star veteran. You did that with a Second Level Intermediate Awaken cultivation base and with no background whatsoever. There aren''t words to describe the admiration you made me feel for you. Arhg! Enough of this! What I am trying to say is: good luck in the third phase, I''ll be hoping for your victory more than anyone else''s."


    (Even if you say that¡­ A man''s encouragement doesn''t make me happy at all...) Thorn smiled weakly. ¡°I''ll do my best.¡±


    "Alright. Go take a seat then. You must rest as much as possible to be ready for the incoming battle." Vei Dal suggested.


    Thorn nodded and sat down on the last free seat.


    An hour later.


    *Ziiii¡­!*


    The shield shaped platform began to open up in half. There was an artificial lake under the platform. And on the lake, there were forty small shield shaped black platforms floating about.


    After the huge platform opened up completely, Captain Fou Tre of the kingdom''s military forces led his fourteen knights toward the center of the hall. They then surrounded the artificial lake in a symmetric fashion. Finally, Lenna Zelu descended on one of the small platforms.


    Most spectators became confused after seeing such scene.


    It was at that moment when Lenna Zelu''s voice echoed out once again: "For the third phase we''ll receive the assistance of our respected Captain Fou Tre and his honorable knights. The third phase will be a Battle Royale of ten participants. In this phase a participant will only lose if it is knocked out, in other words, if it loses consciousness. Captain Fou Tre and his Knights will maintain the participants within the combat area. And as you can see, the terrain for the third phase will be slightly different from the two former phases."


    She then turned her body toward the southern seats and playfully said: "To lift your fighting spirits I''ll inform you all about something you are very curious about: the final prize of the tournament."


    The participants and spectators became even more interested in what Lenna Zelu had to say after hearing her words.


    She nodded satisfied at this reaction, and loudly proclaimed: "The third place will receive nothing! The second place, nothing as well! And the first place will be granted 4 black coins! Yes! Only the best, the last standing, will earn everything!"

 Chapter 20: Third Phase

    "4 black coins, that''s 400 golden coins!!!"


    "Arger Dal wasn''t kidding at all when he said ''the prize this time is more plentiful than ever before''!"


    "Although only the first place will win the money, the prize is like the accumulated prizes of two previous tournaments!"


    "Oh dammit! Why didn''t I convinced my cousin to participate in the tournament?!"


    The public fervently exclaimed.


    On the southern seats, the participants glared at each other, their eyes burning with the desire to get savage.


    Rose was clenching her fists, a very serious expression on her face. She made her Complex Energy reach Thorn''s ears and activated her Awakened Skill.


    "Win, even if to do so you have to break through your current level of shamelessness." Her voice clear and firm.


    After hearing this, Thorn was taken aback. He turned his head to look at her, and his eyes met her solemn gaze. At that moment, he smiled, firmly nodded at her, and casually said "That money is already yours, boss!"


    Lenna Zelu ascended and instructed: "Participants, get on the arena!"


    In no time, Harl Rora, Chloe Tara, Eli Bullo, Allen Bullo, Derek Niun, Jef Ter, Huns Luna, Cure Song, Berean Drunnel and Thorn each stood on a different small platform separated by the water of the artificial lake.


    Their postures and expressions showed how ready they were to fight.


    The master of ceremonies got out of the combat area, and roared lifting up her fists: "Let the final battle begin!"


    After which, every one of the competitors made their move at the same time.


    Jef Ter unhesitatingly nose-dived into the lake with a splash. Eli Bullo and Allen Bullo jumped toward an empty platform which was between the two of them. Chloe Tara shot toward Harl Rora, shield pointed at him. Harl Rora used all the energy minerals and zenaniums from his backpack to completely cover himself, he basically took the appearance of a metallic golem. Derek Niun ferociously jumped toward Thorn. Huns Luna made 31 clones and flew with them in the direction of the Bullo twins. Cure Song and Berean Drunnel headed toward the Bullo twins as well. As for Thorn, he just created a powerful wind barrier around his body.


    Chloe Tara heavily struck Harl Rora with her shield and he shot like a cannonball toward the Bullo twins.


    Standing on the same platform, the Bullo twins didn''t even blink at the fact that they had become the target of so many participants. They calmly smiled as they took a combat stance. Eli Bullo used her right hand to blast a terrific column of burning light toward the incoming Harl Rora, and used her left hand to blast a similar column toward the incoming harpies. Allen Bullo invoked the darkness to surround himself and his sister.


    Feeling the approaching aura of Derek Niun, Thorn thought: (Going after me this soon? That''s not good, I would prefer to face you when you are at least a little psychologically tired.) He then disappeared and reappeared a dozen meters above the lake surface.


    *Bum!*


    Derek Niun landed with a great momentum onto the platform Thorn had just been standing on as he cast his ferocious glare at the slippery fellow.


    Thorn playful smiled at him and said: "Someone so slow doesn''t have the right to touch me." He then flew toward where most participants where at.


    "Challenge accepted!" Derek Niun bellowed as his feet leaped in Thorn''s direction.


    "Aaaaahh¡­!" Harl Rora shrieked out as the burning heat of Eli Bullo''s column of light passed through the thick layer of energy minerals and zenaniums that covered his body.


    When the burning-golem-like Harl Rora was about to reach the Bullo twins, Allen Bullo''s darkness hit him changing his direction.


    Eli Bullo now used both hands to shot columns of light toward Huns Luna''s clones.


    "Arg¡­!"


    "Anmm¡­!"


    "Aaahh¡­!"


    One by one, Huns Luna''s clones were falling and disappearing.


    Eli Bullo''s columns of light were so fast and powerful that, in a second, half the clones were already gone.


    The harpy didn''t stop creating clones, and she in conjunction with her clones started to send wind blasts toward the Bullo twins. However, those attacks were instantly devoured by Allen Bullo''s darkness the moment they touched it.


    At that instant, Chloe Tara, Cure Song and Berean Drunnel reached the twins'' platform, and began their assault. Chloe Tara slashed at Eli Bullo. Cure Song''s speed burst while he punched at Allen Bullo. Berean Drunnel''s hands shot toward the two twins with the intention of throwing them into the lake.


    It was since long ago that Allen Bullo had been prepared to receive this three guests. An instant before the three attacks came into motion, his darkness had already erupted out.


    The attacks collided with the darkness and were stopped like rain striking earth.


    At the same time, the darkness disintegrated the surface of Cure Song''s right armguard, Chloe Tara''s sword and Berean Drunnel''s armor with little to no effort.


    The three of them immediately retreated and looked down at the disintegrated parts in amazement. They could hardly believe how strong Allen Bullo''s darkness actually was!


    *Punmp*


    An instant later, Berean Drunnel slumped over the platform, unconscious.


    When Chloe Tara and Cure Song looked over at him in confusion, they discovered that the armor around his fists was totally disintegrated and blood was oozing out of his knuckles.


    His armor was too thin, and the poison in the darkness had reached him rendering him unconscious!


    In the next instant, water devoured Berean Drunnel, and transported him to the side of the middle-aged blue-skinned gargoyle Captain Fou Tre. It was evident that Fou Tre was a Water Element Awakened Skill user, and that he had already stepped into the Control of the Skill understanding degree.


    Harl Rora was standing on a pile of energy minerals and zenaniums, his face unsightly. He had somehow managed to activate his Earth Element Awakened Skill to alter the materials he had on his body to create an improvised boat while he was in midair. He looked with rage at Chloe Tara and the Bullo twins. Without hesitation, he led his boat toward them.


    While Chloe Tara and Cure Song were at a loss, Thorn descended besides them and began to glide around through the wind, his smile as carefree as it could get. After which, Derek Niun descended besides them as well, and continued pursuing Thorn.


    "Aaahh¡­!"


    Huns Luna''s painful scream echoed out. A column of light had just reached her. Inevitably, she fell unconscious and was carried away by the Captain Fou Tre.


    Eli Bullo then turned her abyssal black eyes to Chloe Tara and Cure Song.


    They shivered in fright after seeing such menacing glare.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    But before Eli Bullo could attack them, all of a sudden, a gigantic water column descended over the entire platform!


    It was Jef Ter! He had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike and that opportunity was now when most of the participants were on the same platform.


    But the participants who had reached the third phase weren''t pushovers.


    Allen Bullo reacted extremely quickly and used his darkness to protect himself and his sister. Chloe Tara stabbed her sword on the platform and used her shield to cover herself up. Derek Niun just activated his Absolute Reflect skill and the water just bounced off his barrier. Thorn didn''t do much, he had already had a powerful wind barrier around him which protected him from the water quite efficiently. As for Cure Song, he hadn''t had a countermeasure against such a sudden attack and ended up being dragged into the lake.


    The water column slowly dissipated.


    It was at that moment when Harl Rora arrived, he stretched out his tiny hand, grabbed the platform, and activated his Link Control Racial Skill. Then, with cracking sounds, the platform shattered into thousands of small pieces.


    After this, the goblin tried to escape as quickly as he could; but before he could go too far, Chloe Tara reached his improvised boat in a single leap.


    After the shattering of the platform; Allen Bullo grabbed his sister and made a small platform of darkness under his feet, Derek Niun constantly jumped against the water surface to avoid sinking, and Thorn just flew about.


    In the depths of the lake, Cure Song began to swim upward like an expert; however, before he could move for too long, water bullets assaulted him. After two bullets reached and wounded him, he used his speed boost to shoot toward his assailant: Jef Ter.


    In the arms of her brother, Eli Bullo began to attack Thorn with columns of light.


    Thanks to the fact that Eli Bullo couldn''t aim perfectly due to her brother''s unsteady footing and her awkward position, Thorn was able to dodge her attacks.


    "Hey, hey, hey! She is mine to take down!" Derek Niun bellowed as he jumped toward the Bullo twins.


    At that point in time, Chloe Tara was fighting with Harl Rora on the boat of energy minerals and zenaniums. Harl Rora constantly altered the boat to break Chloe Tara balance while he threw at her metallic bullets. Chloe Tara cut those bullets with ease. And shortly after, she became more proficient fighting on such terrain, which allowed her to finally close in Harl Rora. Without saying a word, she mercilessly struck his head with her shield. The blow sent him flying away; and, in midair, he lost consciousness pathetically.


    A giant wave then brought Harl Rora out of the combat area.


    Inside the lake, Cure Song continued pursuing Jef Ter as he became aware of the fact that he wouldn''t be able to catch him. Their speeds within the lake were almost equals! He couldn''t let this persecution go on because he would run out of oxygen. So, he reluctantly gave in and got out of the water.


    Seeing Cure Song actions, Jef Ter heaved a sigh of relieve. He had never thought Cure Song would be so quick under water. Only after using all his capabilities and concentration had he managed to barely reach just his same level of speed. After some thought, Jef Ter decided on his next opponent, and headed toward Chloe Tara.


    Allen Bullo frowned deeply at the incoming Derek Niun as he erected a big barrier of darkness in front of him and moved the platform under his feet backward.


    Not showing any concern, Derek Niun let his entire body collide against that spine-chilling darkness. Impressively, he wasn''t stopped at all, and passed through the barrier as easily as passing through a thin curtain of water. The reflect barrier around Derek Niun''s body was just too useful!


    He soon caught up with the Bullo twins and unhesitatingly punched at Eli Bullo. His reflect-barrier-covered fist broke every defense and resoundingly hit her head.


    Eli Bullo flew out of Allen Bullo''s arms spraying blood out of her head, and lost consciousness.


    Derek Niun''s strike was twice as strong as a normal strike because his punch not only had the ''action'', but, thanks to his reflect barrier, it also contained the ''reaction'' force as attacking force.


    "Aaahh!!" Allen Bullo cried out in rage, but before he could do anything else, Derek Niun punched his head too.


    Flying away, Allen Bullo fainted.


    Both twins then got carried out of the combat area by Captain Fou Tre.


    Thorn looked over at Derek Niun and chuckled. "Slow boy." Immediately after, he flew away.


    A vein popped out in Derek Niun''s forehead. He muttered gnashing his teeth: "Your plan is too stupid. With so few opponents, there''s no way I''ll get tired before I kick your flat ass." And he proceed with the persecution.


    Chloe Tara stood lazily, trying to select a suitable opponent to attack; and then, all of a sudden, the water around her came bursting out of the lake and devoured her along the small boat.


    She didn''t panic and just calmly looked at Jef Ter. (He''ll do just fine.) She thought.


    But then, she froze. Jef Ter had, in an instant, transported behind her. When she turned her head, the only thing she saw was an incoming fist.


    Jef Ter''s fist landed heavily on Chloe Tara''s face. The punch didn''t just have Jef Ter''s raw strength, it also possessed the impulse of the water controlled by his Awakened Skill, but that wasn''t all, it also contained the immense weight of his Weight Powering ability activated by his Monster Powering Racial Skill.


    The crushing strike sent Chloe Tara directly to the bottom of the artificial lake.


    When her body roughly hit that bottom, she was already unconscious.


    Captain Fou Tre could clearly see what was going on inside the water, so he brought Chloe Tara''s body to his side.


    After noticing that there was only three remaining opponents to defeat, Thorn''s gaze turned serious. (Let''s begin.) He thought as he began to rotate an immense current of wind around Jef Ter.


    At first, the moving wind didn''t seem like much, but gradually it took the shape of a furious hurricane!


    This scene startled Derek Niun, Cure Song and Jef Ter. It was the Wind Technique: Tornado!


    The water was forced to open up, revealing a paralyzed Jef Ter.


    Without warning, a rain of wind bullets fell upon his head.


    "Arhhggg¡­!!" Jef Ter''s scream loudly echoed out, but after a single second, it ceased. Jef Ter was now unconscious.


    Following which, his body disappeared in a current of water.


    Thorn turned his back to the hurricane, and looked at Cure Song with a wide smile. "I got you." He joyful said.


    "Ehh..?" Perplexed, Cure Song involuntary muttered. His body then floated toward thorn''s position. "Oh, damn it!" He cursed after understanding that he had let Thorn''s wind catch him.


    It didn''t matter how quickly Cure Song could move, he still wouldn''t be able to escape the grip of the wind.


    Thorn put Cure Song in front of him and magnanimously asked: "Would you like to surrender? Or would you prefer to be knocked out by me?"


    Cure Song decisively answered: "The second option; and please, make it as painful as you can. Just to shake off some of my carelessness."


    "Hahaha¡­!" Thorn couldn''t help but laugh out loud. "You are an interesting fellow!" He complimented as he threw him toward a small platform.


    *Boom!*


    Thorn didn''t stop, he heartily continued smashing him against different platforms.


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    .


    .


    .


    Soon, blood covered every single small platform, and yet Thorn earnestly continued with the thrashing.


    The spectators were left flabbergasted.


    (Why do you have to take his words so seriously?!)


    (Have some mercy for heaven''s sake!)


    (Goddammit! She is so cute when abusing someone!)


    These were some of their thoughts.


    A few moments later, Thorn finally stopped and let Captain Fou Tre retire Cure Song''s bloody and unconscious body.


    Derek Niun looked over at Thorn, cold sweat flowing down his back. He had never thought that a Wind Element Awakened Skill user could be this terrific. With some difficult, he calmed himself down and thought: (It doesn''t matter. In the end, his wind will never be able to touch me!)


    "Hey, do you want to see who can last longer?" Thorn suddenly asked him, a confident smile on his face.


    Derek Niun instantly understood his intentions, so he bellowed: "Bring it on!"


    Thorn closed his eyes, took a deep breath and made thousands of wind bullets around Derek Niun''s body.


    The bullets then battered Derek Niun''s barrier at the same time; still, every single one of them was reflected with ease.


    Only now did Thorn open his eyes. He handsomely smiled; and then, all of a sudden, screamed out clenching his fists: "Aaaahh¡­!!!"


    Along with the war cry, more wind bullets appeared; this time, however, there were tens of thousands of them!


    The bullets once again assaulted the reflect barrier.


    But then, just after the bullets shot, another batch of tens of thousands bullets appeared, and they also shot toward Derek Niun. It wasn''t the end, soon, another batch of bullets followed, and then another, and another, and another; there wasn''t an end to it, the bullets just continued appearing as though they were endless.


    Every single witnesses of this scene trembled. (Even if one''s understanding degree reached the Final-Star Control of the Skill, is it really possible to muster such insane attack that could bring down an entire army of cultivators of one''s same cultivation base?!)


    Derek Niun was using his Complex Energy like a madman. Just by doing so his barrier was able to support such barrage. Cold sweat ran through his spine; he knew very well that if his barrier was shattered, he would be reduced to a meat paste in an instant. (She is going too far! Moreover, how come she can do this?! How could she use this much Complex Energy at the same time?! I never heard about such a ridiculous thing!) He complained clenching his teeth.


    And then, Thorn''s war cry became even louder: "AAAAAAHHH¡­.!!!"


    After that, something incredible happened: behind Derek Niun, in his blind spot, ten thousand wind bullets appeared forming a straight line, even though the rain of wind bullets didn''t stop in the slightest!


    The spectators gaped in utter shock.


    The ten thousand bullets shot toward Derek Niun as one. It was like a gigantic spear that could pierce through any defense. It instantly struck the reflect barrier at the back of Derek Niun''s head.


    At that moment, Derek Niun''s pupils dilated as he felt a single overpowered wind bullet penetrating his reflect barrier. And then, he only saw darkness.


    Just when everyone was thinking that Derek Niun was going to be turned into minced meat, the wind bullets disappeared in a puff.


    *Punmp!*


    Thorn fell over a small platform, completely exhausted. He didn''t even have enough Complex Energy to fly.


    From the beginning, he wasn''t planning on letting the battle become a battle of attrition where only the one with the highest reserve of Complex Energy would win, and in actually, he was planning on ending the combat as quickly as possible. To do so, he needed to make his opponent distribute his Complex Energy to a great area so the barrier couldn''t get too thick, and then he just had to attack a single point with all his remaining strength.

 Chapter 21: The Murder

    In spite of how evident it was, the master of ceremonies still announced: "Thorn wins!"


    *Clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!*...!!!


    "Thorn, you are amazing!"


    "Congratulations! And thanks for the amazing spectacle you showed us!"


    "Thanks for making the trip and the entry fee totally worth it!"


    On the northern seats.


    "Congratulations, fellow Branch Head, for earning the first, second, and third place." Delia Adver congratulated Arger Dal, a faint but sincere smile on her face.


    "Hahaha¡­ Thanks, really thanks, fellow Branch Head. Still, out of the ten participants who made it to the third phase, seven were from your guild." He sighed and shook his head. "If not for consecutive fortuitous strokes of luck there''s no way I would have acquired so many incredible talents. In the end, when it comes to management skills, I still can''t compete against you at all."


    "Given my status, I would be really troubled if my management skills weren''t at least this good." She replied as a melancholic light flashed through her shining crimson eyes for a short instant.


    *Ziiii¡­!*


    The artificial lake soon was once again completely covered by the immense shield shaped platform, and Captain Fou Tre alongside his knights went back to their respective seats.


    At the same time, Crok Alch expertly treated the unconscious participants. Thanks to this, one by one, they woke up.


    Still exhausted, Thorn wobbled his way toward his seat.


    Five minutes later.


    Except for Thorn, every other participant was quite depressed. They sat in their seats crestfallen and occasionally sighing in dejection.


    There was a stark contrast between them and Rose who, although had most of her face covered, looked so happy it seemed like she was the one who had won the tournament.


    Standing on the arena, Lenna Zelu spoke out: "Thorn, come here to receive your prize."


    After hearing her call, he proudly stood up and sauntered forward.


    Dozens of thousands of eyes fell on him, they showed deep longing and admiration, almost as if looking at a star in the sky.


    Thorn was about to climb up the platform when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. The Aura of someone behind him had suddenly disappeared! Frowning, he turned his head back, and asked: "Has he just now¡­ died?"


    He wasn''t the only one who was looking in that direction, every person in the hall was also doing so, but they weren''t as calm as Thorn. They all wore grim expressions, and some of them even had involuntarily stood up.


    "S-son!" A frantic and desperate cry boomed out. It was Ramph Zelu''s voice! He immediately burst into motion; and in an instant, he disappeared from the northern seats and then reappeared at the southern seats. He stood blankly in front of Resh Zelu''s lifeless body. (My son¡­ my dearest son¡­ my greatest hope¡­! I know that from time to time you have indulged yourself in lustful pleasures but that was all! On everything else you were perfect! A perfect son! Someone with the potential to bring our family to new heights! This can''t be happening¡­ This can''t be happening! You were supposed to inherit everything I have! You were supposed to surpass your old dad in the blacksmith art by leaps and bounds! You were supposed to still have hundreds of years to live! How could you just die?! And worse yet, before your old dad?! This isn''t happening¡­!)


    Seeing such scene, nobody else dared to move or make the slightest noise.


    "C-Crok Alch, is there something you can do? Please do something!" Finally, with a trace of madness in his hoarse voice, Ramph Zelu pleaded.


    *Sigh*¡­The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A heavy sigh came out of Crok Alch''s mouth, he wasn''t unfamiliar with the soul-breaking pain a parent would feel in the face of losing one''s heir. It was something he had personally experienced, after all.


    He walked toward the corpse, kneeled down in front of it, and activated his Awakened Skill to analyze it.


    After some time of silence, Crok Alch slowly stood up, a grave expression on his face. He gradually stated: "Resh Zelu''s two principal vital organs within his chest¨Chis brain and his heart¨Chave been crushed¡­ It was a murder."


    After hearing the word ''murder'', Ramph Zelu''s aura became chaotic; this alone caused the floor of the entire mansion to shake, and the air to tremble. His pentagon shaped pitch-black smoke was so altered it didn''t seem like smoke anymore but pitch-black threads. Irradiating an invisible pressure filled with rage, he quietly swept his vision through the faces of every present individual, and ordered: "Everybody, don''t move until the culprit is found." He then turned his body toward Thorn and accused pointing at him: "Especially you! You are the most suspicious! Your understanding degree and your Wind Element Awakened Skill make you the only person capable of doing this in front of everyone!"


    Gasps of shock echoed out as the public understood that Ramph Zelu''s words were actually very reasonable.


    "You have to be the first one to prove its innocence!" The disconsolate parent demanded.


    Thorn unhesitatingly decided to cooperate: "Okay."


    As soon as that word fell, his eyes began to shine, and a connection between his soul and Ramph Zelu''s materialized.


    Feeling in his very soul that Thorn wouldn''t be able to deceive him, Ramph Zelu sternly asked: "Do you know who the murderer of my son is?"


    "I have no idea. I don''t even know anyone who had desires or reasons to kill him." Thorn answered in a way that made his innocence clear.


    "I see¡­ Well, then, would you use your Racial Skill to help me interrogate every single attendee of this tournament?" Ramph Zelu asked in a tone that didn''t allow a ''no'' for answer.


    "I''ll definitely help you."


    "Good!" Ramph Zelu exclaimed, satisfied with Thorn''s quick response.


    Thorn then moved onto the platform, and was about to start with his task; but just before he could do that, he heard Rose''s whisper in his ear. At that instant, his eyes lit up; however, he quickly changed such look into a solemn one, and activated his Awakened Skill eyeing the entire western region of the hall.


    "You can all show your thumb up to say ''yes'' and thumb down to say ''no''. To discern the truth, that gesture will suffice. Now, you all, allow me to touch your souls." Thorn explained and commanded. Afterward, he activated his Racial Skill shocking everyone. Yes, he was using his Soul Linking Gaze on tens of thousands of individuals at the same time!


    "Do you know who Resh Zelu''s murderer is?" He sharply asked.


    All the persons who were connected with Thorn''s soul showed their own thumb down in unison, it was quite the amazing sight.


    Thorn nodded at them, and deactivated his Racial Skill. Turning around, he was now facing the entire eastern part of the hall. This time, he didn''t give any explanation or command and directly activated his Racial Skill.


    "Do you know who Resh Zelu''s murderer is?" He once again asked.


    And just as the other people, they also showed their own thumb down in unison.


    He deactivated his Racial Skill and turned toward the south of the hall, whereupon he did the same. Finally, he turned toward the north to once again do the same.


    By the time Thorn ended with the interrogations, people became restless wondering who the culprit or culprits might be.


    Thorn, however, had a troubled expression as he turned to face Ramph Zelu.


    Only after a long moment of silence and suspense did he inform: "¡­ Nobody here is the culprit¡­"


    "What?! Where did the culprit go then?!" Ramph Zelu bellowed furiously.


    Thorn closed his eyes and sighed shaking his head. His posture was clear ''there''s nothing I can do about this''.


    Ramph Zelu felt helpless, the only possibility left was that the culprit had long since sneakily escaped.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, Crok Alch barked, and once again closely examined Resh Zelu''s corpse!


    "As I just thought! The culprit is the death grip monster!" He exclaimed emotionally.


    "What are you talking about?" Ramph Zelu asked in total confusion.


    Crok Alch cleared his throat and began to explain like the professional he was: "Everybody knows that there are innumerable microorganisms that cause diseases, and that there are also a group of terrific monster microorganisms that cultivate and can inflict extremely rare and dangerous diseases. Well, there is a species of monster microorganisms named death grip monsters. It''s one of the rarest monster microorganisms. The important thing is that they can randomly appear practically anywhere, and each of them can only attack a single individual in its lifetime; but the individual once attacked will definitely die! Their victims will have their principal vital organs destroyed as if a griping hand were the attacker; also, some time after the victim dies, the victim''s skin will turn slightly yellowish." He then pointed at Resh Zelu''s skin, which had now a slightly unnatural yellowish tone to it. "As you can see, Resh Zelu''s corpse matches with the characteristics a victim of the death grip monster has."


    Ramph Zelu staggered over and said with a miserable, trembling voice: "A-are you telling me that my son''s death was caused by the whims of fate¡­? That there is no one to blame but destiny and that I have to just accept it¡­?" He fell to his knees in front of the remains of his beloved son. His pentagon shaped pitch-black smoke began to crumble, and little pieces of it started to fall down. He was crying, in spite of his status, before tens of thousands of eyes.


    Yet nobody dared to look down on Ramph Zelu''s pitiful appearance or thought he was weak. Everybody had sometime, somehow experienced by themselves how brutal destiny could be.

 Chapter 22: Arranging Future Meetings

    Eventually, Ramph Zelu, with utmost care, held his son''s corpse in his arms, and after absentmindedly excusing himself, with heavy steps, took away his now dead offspring.


    What followed his departure was an awkward silence, a prolonged one. It couldn''t be helped, the scene just now had materialized a heavy weight on the spectator''s hearts.


    In the end, it was Lenna Zelu''s footsteps what broke the silence. She stopped in front of Thorn, and said handing 4 black coins over to him: "Congratulations. Here it is your deserved reward."


    She then directed her next words toward the public: "With this, the twenty-first Lurep Village Mercenary vs. Adventurer Novices Tournament ends. Thanks for your presence today." Immediately after, she too left. Her quick actions showed how upset she was. Well, her cousin had just died, it was understandable.


    After which, the gates to the exit of the mansion opened.


    The spectators exchanged distressed looks, and proceed to leave in an orderly fashion.


    At that juncture, Delia Adver told Arger Dal and Cley Alch: "See you later, my friends. I have some business to attend."


    Used to her personality, they just waved at her; and after she disappeared, they began to discuss Ramph Zelu''s matter.


    Delia Adver suddenly appeared in front of Thorn giving him a little scare.


    "W-what?" He stuttered.


    "Since you are a mercenary, you can accept a job from me, correct?" She asked, her gaze firmly settled on his eyes.


    "Oh¡­ Yes, yes! Although our party is still inexperienced, until now, we haven''t disappointed a single client; so you can feel relieved putting your trust on us." Radiating confidence, he beamed.


    "That''s great. Meet me at the principal headquarters of the Adventurer''s Guild in 457 days. And don''t worry about the money, I''ll give your party enough to spend the rest of your lives in luxury." After saying such awesome words, she disappeared from Thorn''s field of vision.


    *Gasp*


    Thorn couldn''t help gasp in astonishment. (Goddammit! She almost gave me a boner!)


    Delia Adver appeared in front of her disciple, the girl with sexy thick lips, and mocked her revealing a playful smile: "Ashly, that was pathetic: you got your ass kicked really good there."


    Ashly involuntarily put her hand on her chest, pain stabbing her heart, and said grimacing: "Y-y-you know that it was a shameless, underhanded blow¡­ Why are you adding salt to my wound? As my teacher, you should be trying to heal it instead¡­ "


    Still with the playful smile on her face, Delia Adver replied: "Don''t be silly, Ashly. As your teacher, I have the responsibility of putting enough salt on your wound to kill every bacteria it may attract. And believe me, it requires quite a lot of salt to do so."


    *Grrr¡­*


    Ashley made such noise as she held her own head with both hands in frustration. "Forget it, I had never won a discussion against you anyway!" She then lowered her arms and sighed.


    After a short silence, Ashly suddenly said: "I suppose the reason why you are in such a good mood is because he''ll help you with that matter."


    "Of course." Delia Adver immediately admitted. She then started to walk toward the exit as a casual mutter left her rosy lips: "Let''s go home."


    Not too far away from the teacher-disciple pair, Arnold Alch sauntered to the side of Captain Fou Tre, and said with a hushed voice: "I''ll ''eat'' tomorrow. Bring just three knights this time. Same place as always."


    The Captain Fou Tre wordlessly nodded and turned to leave.


    By this point, Rose and Thorn were already chatting. It was a private conversation thanks to her Awakened Skill.


    "What did Delia want from you?" Rose asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.


    "She made us a job offer; though, apart from the extravagant payment she promised, she only said that we have to be at the principal headquarters of the Adventurer''s Guild in 457 days." Thorn answered.


    Thorn''s words immediately made Rose''s eyes lit up like golden coins. "Well, I have no idea why she''ll need our help, but if there''s an organization that is famed for how depth its treasure vaults are, that would be the Adventurer''s Guild! I''m sure the journey to the Monster Human Kingdom will be worth it!"


    "That''s awesome! By the way, speaking of money, here there are the 4 black coins!" He said handing the money over to her.


    After Rose put the coins in her pocket, she joyful celebrated flinging her arms in the air. "We are now so close to have enough to contract a ship designer!"


    "How much are you planning to extort from the murderer?" Thorn suddenly asked, a wide and malicious smile on his face.


    In response to Thorn''s question, Rose nonchalantly said: "Oh, about that, since his Awakened Skill is so useful and so unique, I thought we should ask him to join our party."


    "W-what?!" Thorn''s mouth and eyes became completely wide open.


    "I know, I know, it''s a risky move; but I think it would be worth it. You must be aware of the fact that probably, in the entire world, there isn''t a second Awakened Skill like his." Her look was earnest.


    "Yes, probably there isn''t; but a party united by extortion won''t work right; actually, it would be extremely dangerous." He tried to change her mind patiently.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "That''s why I said ''we should ask him to join our party'', and didn''t say ''we should extort him into joining our party''." She stubbornly replied.


    *Sigh¡­*


    After a long sigh, he finally conceded: "¡­ Okay. If you have already decided it, I suppose I won''t be able to change your mind because, in spite of everything, you are the smartest of the team right now."


    "It''s a bet, okay? We could receive a disaster or a blessing from him. I just want to take the risk because I believe that, with our combined wits and strengths, we can overcome any disaster he may throw at us." She explained in a single breath, eyes radiating deep craftiness.


    Seeing her confident attitude, he couldn''t help but crack a slight smile on his face. "Let''s follow him then, before he gets away."


    "Yes!" Rose nodded satisfied. Thorn had at last understood her.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    An almost desolate suburban region of Lurep Village.


    The buildings and streets were constructed with grey metallic rock chunks, the rooftops filled with a variety of domesticated plant monsters: lavender, daylily, maiden grass, etc.


    *Step* *step* *step* *step*¡­


    Steady footsteps echoed out through an empty and dim alley.


    Under thick shadows and right in the middle of the narrow path, the owner of the footsteps all of a sudden stopped, turned around, and let out a single word in a relaxed tone: "Why?"


    Soon, Thorn and Rose walked into the alley, and stood side by side ten meters in front of the murderer.


    "Because I want to befriend you, and I want you to join our mercenary party." Rose answered, she too used a relaxed tone.


    "Hahaha¡­ Again, why?" The individual shrouded in shadows gave such a reply. It was evident that Rose''s answer sounded amusing to him.


    Frowning, Rose spoke out, her voice steady and clear: "Isn''t it obvious? In the long term, if you join our mercenary party, the strength your Awakened Skill gives you could bring us hundreds of thousands of bigger benefits than the benefits we would have received if Thorn pointed his finger at you at that moment."


    *PUMB!!*


    The murderer slammed his right feet against the floor, his fists clenched so hard faint cracking sounds could be heard.


    Thorn''s eyes sharply narrowed. He was ready to use the Final-Star Memory of the Skill at any given moment.


    As the tension in the air increased, the murderer''s furious shout suddenly rang out: "So you view ''benefits'' as something more important than ''people''?! You are the kind of trash I despise the most!"


    Rose''s frown deepened, and she roared gnashing her teeth in indignation: "Bullshit! I''m not that innocent nor that softhearted! I''m much colder and crueler than that! I firmly believe that ''people'' are just ''benefits''!"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    As expected, Rose''s declaration rendered Thorn and the murderer speechless.


    Rose cleared her throat and said: "A-anyway, will you join us? The decision is up to you. If you don''t want to, so be it. But think about it carefully. I''m sure you have already noticed that Thorn is actually much stronger than what he showed. That''s why if you join us, you''ll have an easier time when working."


    The murderer unhesitatingly replied: "I''m not interested. Since you are looking for a criminal to join your party, then you two must be criminals too. I had my own reasons to do what I did, and I have no intention of becoming an outlaw."


    Rose smiled. "We aren''t criminals. It''s just that your skill is so useful I decided to take the risk of allowing a criminal in our party."


    "I see¡­" The murderer whispered as he began to consider Rose''s offer more seriously.


    Some time passed by in silence, and finally, he sauntered closer to the duo. His appearance little by little became clearer as he walked out from under the shadows. First, his heavy black armor became visible, and then, his pitch-black smoke which had the ''V'' shape. He was Cure Song!


    "I have my own goals, so I''ll only work with you guys for a while to see if your party suits me. Are you okay with that?" The dullahan asked, arms folded across his chest.


    With a radiant beam, Rose exclaimed: "Of course! Welcome to our nameless party! My name is Rose and I''m the party leader; it''s a pleasure to meet you, Cure Song!"


    "Eehh?!" Cure Song''s voice sounded beyond shocked. "Are you telling me that you are stronger than Thorn?! Even though your cultivation base is so pathetic?!"


    "No. Counting you in it, I''m the weakest of the party. But I''m the leader. You''ll have to just accept it." She explained as if it were a matter of fact.


    Cure Song felt dismayed; still not sure if his decision to join them was the right one, he said resigned: "Ah, whatever. So, party leader, what are your plans?"


    Rose, Thorn and Cure Song chatted for a while about different matters and left together the ally.


    They went to shopping. Thorn''s rags needed to be replaced. It was a tough battle after all.


    After buying enough clothes, which were of the same style Thorn had been using, they rented an entire flat with three bedrooms and a living room.


    Once they entered into the living room, they ordered food and drinks to celebrate Thorn''s victory. They sat on comfortable couches to eat while lively chatting.


    "Soooo¡­ Rose, how did you figured out that Cure Song was the culprit even before I interrogated the spectators? You don''t know how awe-struck I became when you whispered me ''don''t tell anyone that Cure Song is the murderer!''." Thorn at last voiced out this doubt.


    "Eeehh?! Did you discover that I was the culprit before the interrogation?!¡± Cure Song literally jumped in surprise.


    Puffing out her chest, fork in hand, Rose earnestly bragged: "I was worried about someone else noticing it too, but in the end, I was the only one who successful connected all the dots! I even was quicker than Crok Alch in noticing the slight change in the color of the skin of the corpse! Some instants after I saw that change, I understood everything and whispered you that order." She drank some juice and continued: "The most important clue was the fact that Cure was wearing heavy armor in spite of his combat style being specialized in speed. The moment I saw the change in the color of Resh Zelu''s skin, I thought about the death grip monster; but that wasn''t the only thing which came into my mind, I also thought about a nearly extinct cosmetic potion named Yellow Spring, which can change the color of skin just like the death grip monster. Then I remembered Cure said that one of his Awakened Skills was named ''No Color'' and that it allowed him to become invisible; but he didn''t use it in combat, even though he had the chance before attacking Allen Bullo. You know that because we can feel the cultivators'' Aura, the power of invisibility isn''t that useful, but still, the Aura we feel is a single point in the cultivator''s body, so, in a melee combat, the power of invisibility could be lethal, because the power can conceal the trajectory of the attacks. If Cure became invisible, Allen Bullo wouldn''t have been able to put his darkness in the right place to defend himself.¡± She paused for a moment to put a greater emphasis in her next words: "It was evident to me that Cure didn''t want to use his ''No Color'' skill. I asked myself ''why?'' Then, my mind answered me ''there''s something he wanted to conceal, something that could be exposed if he used that skill''." A smile from ear to ear slowly formed on her face as she intently gazed at Cure Song. "The heavy armor, something to conceal in the ''No Color'' skill, Yellow Spring. What does the death grip monster do? If only Cure''s skill wasn''t ''invisibility'' but ''intangibility'', then, with a Yellow Spring, he would be able to do what the death grip monster can do, and with a heavy armor he could disappear one of his arms without anyone noticing it." Her gaze still settled on Cure Song, she cheerfully demanded: "Tell me the real name of your second Awakened Skill!"


    Cure Song''s body shuddered, he couldn''t be more shocked after listening to Rose''s words. (So, this is why you are the leader¡­) He understood.


    Yes, Rose was right: Cure Song concealed the real nature of his skill, and got his hands on a Yellow Spring, and wore a heavy armor; then killed Resh Zelu making it appear as if a death grip monster were the culprit.


    He finally said, a clear hint of pride in his voice: "I named it ''No Thing'', as you said, it enables me to become intangible, and it is a perfect intangibility; when I use it, nothing can touch me, no light, no darkness, no shadow, no existing thing."


    "N-no existing thing? That''s crazy¡­" Said the million years old monster.


    Even Rose gaped horrified. She didn''t expect his intangibility to be this incredible. It must be understood that the intangibility toward just two aspects¨Clike for example, light and matter¨Cat the same time was already something legendary.

 Chapter 23: Memory of the Skill

    Thorn, Rose and Cure Song were striding toward the Mercenary''s Guild.


    "Hehehe¡­ Now that our party has two one-star veterans, I wonder what kind of jobs we''ll be able to take." Rose commented, eyes shining with anticipation.


    "You shouldn''t be too excited, although the higher ranked jobs have amazing rewards, their difficulty and the risks involved with them are in a completely different league in comparison with the unranked jobs." Cure Song warned.


    "It''ll be alright; if the incompetence of the two of you gets us in trouble, I''ll save your pitiful asses." Thorn magnanimously promised.


    "Mmm? What are you talking about? Obviously when the two of you get in trouble, I''ll be the one saving your lives." Cure Song replied using a resolute voice.


    "Oh, really now?" Thorn frowned at Cure Song.


    Instantly, a heavy atmosphere of hostility materialized between the pair of males.


    At that moment, Rose cut in with an evident amused smile: "You two sure are funny. It''s a matter of course that when the time of crisis comes, I''ll be the one rescuing the both of you."


    Taken aback, both males remained silent for a while. Then¡­


    "HaHAHAhaha¡­"


    "HahahaHAHA¡­"


    Their unrestrained laughter burst out.


    Expressionless, Rose saw their laughter hurt their stomachs and swore: "I''ll definitely shut your mouths later."


    Not too long after, they arrived at the Mercenary''s Guild. Unexpectedly, there was a strange scene playing out at the entrance: Vei Dal was standing with a troubled expression in front of a gorgon kid who was holding a whiteboard which had written on it ''I need a mercenary with a skill related to tracking to track and rescue abducted people. I''m offering four black horse monsters and a 4 m x 9 m D-class zenanium carriage of eight wheels as payment. It''s urgent!''


    When Rose''s party approached them, they heard Vei Dal''s gentle voice: "I really understand your situation, but there''s nothing we can do. Perhaps you don''t know this but to search for a mercenary in front of our gates and not in our Contract Hall is the same as giving us a hard slap on our faces. Please, you must go elsewhere."


    But in spite of Vei Dal''s words, the kid didn''t walk away. She trembled in fear lowering her head, but still refused to give in on her search.


    After calculating what was the equivalent in money of the payment the little gorgon with white snakes was offering, Rose came closer to Vei Dal, and asked: "What''s going on?"


    Vei Dal turned his gaze to look over at the recently arrived cultivators, and then exclaimed: "Oh, it''s you guys! Thorn congratulations for your victory! Sorry, yesterday, I hadn''t the chance to congratulate you because of what happened¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it." Thorn smiled waving his hand.


    "Cure Song, did you join their party?" Vei Dal couldn''t help but ask in surprise.


    "Yeah." Cure Song replied, not too glad about the entire situation.


    "That''s great! I''m sure your party will become famous some day!" Vei Dal emotionally affirmed.


    "Yeah, it''s a pleasure to see you too; anyway, what''s going on with that little girl?" Rose asked turning her head in the direction of the nervous and gloomy kid.


    Scratching his head with some embarrassment, Vei Dal replied: "She want a mercenary to resolve the mysterious abductions on the roads surrounding Lurep Village. That''s why we didn''t let her in our Contract Hall. She would be just wasting her money with the entry fee after all. But then, she came here with that whiteboard and refused to leave¡­ *Sigh*"


    Tilting her head, she asked in bewilderment: "Mysterious abductions?"


    The shadow human replied amazed: "Don''t you know?! Since almost ten years ago, there had occasionally been reports of people going missing; after investigating, we always ended up finding only empty carriages. We couldn''t find the responsible of the kidnaping, neither could the Lurep Village Adventurer''s Guild Branch, not even the military forces of Lurep Village could. We even contracted tracking experts from the nearest city, Stormy Cloud City, to help with the case, but it was to not avail. It''s a matter that has been troubling us all for quite a long time now¡­"


    Rose cast a quick sideway glance at Thorn, and said to Vei Dal: "Is that so? Well, I''m confident in the tracking skills of our party, so we might as well give it a try."


    Vei Dal got confused, to his knowledge in Rose''s party there wasn''t a single cultivator with a tracking skill.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Even Cure Song got confused.


    She ignored their reactions and looked into the completely black eyes of the gorgon kid. "Hello, my name is Rose. Your job offer, we are accepting it!"


    Deep astonishment flashed through those black eyes, and then tears of joy streamed out of them. The kid wasn''t ignorant about how hard her request was, there had been just too many mercenaries who unhesitatingly refused to help her after all.


    Smiling gently, Rose asked: "What''s your name?"


    The kid let go of the whiteboard, used her hands to wipe away the tears from her cheeks, and gnashed her teeth to keep her tears at bay. "I-I''m Caroline Darrel." She muttered.


    Caroline Darrel took a deep breath, and buzzed: "L-let''s go." She then turned and ran toward the west gate of Lurep Village. Knowing that her family might be in danger, she didn''t want to waste more time.


    Rose''s party followed her, and Rose grabbed her up and carried her on her back as she accelerated.


    It was the first time for Caroline Darrel to experience the sensation of being touched by a stranger that she had just met, and yet, she didn''t panic. Somehow, she could feel that Rose''s back was safe.


    Vei Dal stood there, a deep frown on his face. (I hope our suspicious won''t end up being more than that: just suspicious¡­)


    With Rose leading the group, the three of them dashed through one after another street, shocking the bystanders in the process.


    Soon, the west gate appeared in their sights. At that moment, Caroline Darrel muttered in Rose''s ear while pointing toward a carriage park: "T-there is the carriage I promised, we can use it to travel quicker."


    "There''s no need, we''ll go flying!" Rose giggled.


    "Oh¡­" Caroline Darrel replied blinking.


    Once they were out of Lurep Village, still running, Thorn grabbed Cure Song''s hand, and then Rose''s hand. He looked at Caroline Darrel and requested: "Point in the direction we have to go."


    Caroline Darrel resolutely did as she was told.


    Immediately after, Thorn activated his Awakened Skill to make the wind around the four of them his own to protect them.


    "This is going to be so much fun! I myself haven''t traveled at this speed before!" He shouted out as he entered into the state of Final-Star Memory of the Skill.


    The scenery around the four of them then abruptly became a blur.


    Rose, Cure Song, Caroline Darrel and even Thorn himself gaped in shock! Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets!


    They were moving at 10 000 times the speed of sound!


    However, Thorn immediately shook his head, and showed an unbearably smug smile on his tilted up face.


    "¡­." They could only stare at him in silence, open-mouthed.


    (So shameless! Could you not change your expression this quickly?!) They grumbled in dismay.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    In a small region of grassland surrounded by a forest of harmless eucalyptus plant monsters stood five empty camp tents.


    *Swoosh...!*


    Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the entire region; subsequently Thorn and his companions descended onto the clearing.


    "Well, here we are. How do you plan to track down the kidnapers now, party leader?" Cure Song asked.


    Thorn patted Cure Song''s shoulder, and smiling said: "That''s my job."


    Without explaining anything else, Thorn took flight and hovered above the campsite. Looking down, he released his Complex Energy in all directions. Then he did something only First-Star Memory of the Skill and onward cultivators could do: he connected his senses to the domain of his Awakened Skill. Now, he could feel everything the wind caressed. The air itself had just become his second touch sensor! It was an incredible feeling, especially for he could now feel every square inch of Rose''s inhumanly beautiful skin. He had to struggle for a moment there to maintain his calm. Lucky for him, he only needed 2 percent of his brain processing capacity to accomplish this. Considering the 95 percent he constantly occupied to keep his madness in check and the 1 percent he was using to connect his senses to the wind, he had left exactly the 2 percent he needed to do what he had to do next.


    Stepping once again into the Final-Star Memory of the Skill, he closed his eyes and searched in the ''memory'' of the wind. It felt as though time itself were moving backward. He sensed how moment by moment time dragged him into the past.


    One day, two days¡­ five days.


    By this point, he could already see four black horse monsters pulling a red and white carriage.


    The driver was Caroline Darrel. At that moment, tears were flowing down across her face. She tightly held the reins, her entire body trembling and her teeth fiercely biting down on her lower lip.


    When Thorn saw her expression, his cold heart thumped restlessly as the memories of his distant past assaulted him. He knew exactly what emotion that expression represented: desperation. That ineffable desperation born out of the powerlessness of watching the world steal everything that matters to you. There wasn''t a worst feeling than that.


    As the time slowly continued to go in reverse, Thorn saw the entire process of the kidnaping and understood the situation. Taking a deep breath, he finally deactivated the Wind Technique: Memory.


    Caroline Darrel was standing next to Rose. She had been looking up at Thorn the entire time, and was so anxious that cold sweat was falling down her forehead. (Please, please, please¡­ Discover where my family are. Please, please, please¡­) She fervently prayed.


    Thorn descended in front of Caroline Darrel, and looked into her shaky eyes. "Five days have passed since the abduction. I can bring you to your family, but they most likely are already dead by now." He mercilessly stated.


    Rose and Cure Song became angry at Thorn''s cruelty; but, in the end, they couldn''t deny his words.


    Caroline Darrel slowly lowered her head to hide her teary eyes, and replied: "I-I know¡­ But I must go anyway."


    Thorn couldn''t help feel admiration for the little kid. However, there was still something he had to ask: "If we find them dead, what will you do with your life afterward?"


    Caroline Darrel put both hands on her chest as pain pierced her heart. She lifted her gaze, and her hoarse and weak voice answered: "I''ll cry, and cry, and cry, and cry¡­ until my tears run out. Then, only then, I''ll stand up to live on carrying their memories, dreams, and wills with me."


    Those resolute and heavy words opened a small fissure in Thorn''s frozen heart. His eyes involuntarily became gentler. (It seems like she had reached her answer to this question long before I even asked¡­)


    Affected by such an emotional scene, Cure Song firmly clenched his fists as sorrow weighted down his heart.


    An unprecedented solemnness on his face, Thorn nodded. "I understand."


    Immediately after, he took the fragile kid in his arms and said: "Let''s go."


    Rose and Cure Song each grabbed one of Thorn''s shoulders.


    Activating his Awakened Skill and glaring in the direction the kidnapers had went, Thorn darted onward.

 Chapter 24: Soul Devourer

    Early in the morning. Lurep Village. The mansion of the governor of Lurep Village. Dining room.


    White walls decorated with different paintings of sceneries of important and beautiful cities stood around an elegant and large table. At that moment, the light, which entered through two big glass windows, illuminated the entire room.


    There, Arnold Alch was in the middle of his lavish breakfast; and across the table, his foster father, Cley Alch, sat holding a newspaper.


    The governor looked gently at Arnold Alch, and comforted: "Don''t worry son. With your potential, you''ll definitely find a better girl in the future."


    "*Sigh*¡­ I know, father. It''s just that, even though she is a mutant, I''ll probably need a long time to forget her. It was¡­ the first time for me¡­ the first time I fell in love. This feeling isn''t something one can start to ignore just because one wants to..." Arnold Alch said, sadness in his blue eyes and a dejected smile on his handsome adolescent face.


    Such words made a reminiscent expression appear on the blue eyed, white bearded old man''s wrinkled face. The memory of the only woman he had ever loved began to hover in his mind, and it hurt him for she was now just that: a memory. "Young man, you''re unfortunately and completely right¡­" He softly muttered.


    After a prolonged moment of silence, the old man reluctantly put aside that precious and painful ghost of the past, and said: "In any case, for now, the best you can do is to put all your thoughts on our ambitions."


    Arnold Alch nodded. "Rest assured, I''m going to reach the Seventh Level Advanced Awaken stage today."


    "Good luck with that, and be careful, the Branch Heads of the village guilds have begun to get suspicious." Cley Alch warned as a trace of worry flashed through his eyes.


    "I understand." Arnold Alch firmly replied.


    Having said all he wanted to say to his foster son and having finished reading the newspaper, Cley Alch left Arnold Alch alone.


    Silently staring at the door Cley Alch had just closed, Arnold Alch couldn''t help but let out a powerless long sigh.


    *Sigh*¡­


    In actually, right now, he desperately wanted to get into his bed, and then cry his heart out for a few days. Although on the surface he looked crestfallen, inside, he was a lot worse than that. He really needed to vent his depression somehow, but to his misfortune, he didn''t have the right to ask for such luxury.


    With a heavy heart, he remembered how life had been for him before meeting his foster father.


    At that time, he was a homeless orphan, a lone four-year-old kid on the streets struggling every day just to survive. He constantly fantasized about reaching the First Level Basic Awaken stage and awakening an amazing Special Awakened Skill, gaining in this way the strength to have an extravagant life, or at least the same life everybody around him had.


    For the sake of accomplishing such a dream, since the instant his soul connected with the Complex Energy and he stepped into the First Level Body Evolution stage, he started to cultivate in loneliness, tirelessly searching in trash cans discarded books and painstaking putting every cell in his brain into studying. It was a long and hard crusade.


    After years of punishing effort, he finally reached the First Level Basic Awaken stage; but the heavens refused to be merciful to him and bestowed upon him the Soul Devourer skill. It was a half passive, half active skill which wasn''t that different from a cruel curse. The passive part forced him to not be able to break through to higher levels of cultivation through normal means, and the active part allowed him to assault other cultivators'' souls to kill them and devour them, action which increased his own cultivation. It was basically a malevolent skill that traded lives for strength and forced its user to not gain strength in a different way.


    Although he desired to have an extravagant life with all his heart, he did not hesitate to choose to sacrifice himself and accept his cruel fate of being a vagabond for the rest of his life; because, even though he didn''t have anyone who loved him and was despised by everybody he knew, he still refused to be cruel or coward. After all, his kindness and courage were the last traces of dignity he had as a poor vagabond, and were the last lights in this dark and cold world.


    But the world he lived in was darker and colder than he thought.


    On a rainy day, he met an arrogant and cruel goblin, a young master from some rich family whose cultivation was at the Seventh Level Basic Awaken stage. For some reason, that day, the young master was fuming with rage and after seeing the weak-looking slim vagabond, he thought it was a good idea to vent his anger on him. The young master dragged him over to a desolate alley, not afraid of the fact that it was forbidden to fight within the village; after all, he knew the guards wouldn''t spare a second glance at such a trash of society. Arnold was used to this kind of treatment, so he thought little about it and let the goblin do as he pleased. But that time things proceeded differently. The young master didn''t stop his maddened punches no matter how much blood Arnold lost. (Am I going to die today?) Arnold thought as an unprecedented storm of rage rose up within his heart. (This isn''t fair! Is this how the world pays my kindness?! Is this my reward for my sacrifice?!) Unable to control himself, he suddenly used every bit of strength he had left in his body to heavily press his forehead against the young master''s forehead. At that moment, the wrath in Arnold''s eyes made the rage in the goblin''s eyes seem like a joke. Then Arnold activated his Awakened Skill for the first time in his life.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    After their mental bodies clashed, Arnold woke up, and the young master''s Aura disappeared. Immediately after, guards surrounded and shackled him.


    Jailed in the barracks of Lurep Village, Arnold could only wait for his execution. However, when he thought it would be the end, an absolutely unexpected visitor appeared outside his prison cell: the governor of Lurep Village himself.


    This scene was the definition of contrast, on one side stood the old man with the highest status in the village and on the other stood the young boy with the lowest status.


    "Before you die, I''d like to hear your story. Would you be willing to leave the testimony of your life with this old man?" Cley Alch asked him as he plumped onto the cold ground and reclined on the prison cell bars, his back facing a dazed Arnold.


    Given that Arnold didn''t have anything else to lose, he narrated his past to Cley Alch.


    After which, Cley Alch, very interested in Arnold''s Awakened Skill, proposed him to become his foster father and to help him with his cultivation in exchange of the promise that Arnold would raise Cley Alch''s status when he had the strength to do so.


    Arnold; who was now tired of being trashed, tired of being the only sympathetic person in the whole world, and tired of being the plaything of the heavens; accepted Cley Alch''s offer. He decided to survive.


    From then onward, both of them committed innumerable crimes. Cley Alch used his economic and social power to create a small syndicate with the purpose of kidnaping ''unimportant people'' to be devoured by the now named Arnold Alch. He even bribed the tracking experts who were hired from Stormy Cloud City into saying that it was impossible to track down the culprits. For years they were careful to not attract unwanted attention, so much so that Arnold progressed in his cultivation just at the same speed a top genius from a big city would.


    It was difficult but they managed to reach the actual point.


    So, Arnold Alch didn''t have the luxury to be depressed. There were just too many sacrifices at stake for him to allow himself to delay their plans for even a single day.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    The outskirts of Lurep Village. A region covered by tall bushes.


    Four figures cloaked in black hooded capes stood side by side. Three were at the Fourth Level Basic Build stage and the fourth was at the Eight Level Basic Build stage.


    Soon, a fifth cloaked figure came close to them. "Sorry for making you wait guys." Arnold Alch''s voice echoed out.


    "Don''t worry about it. Lois, we are on your hands now." This time, the owner of the voice was Captain Fou Tre.


    "Here we go~." A lively feminine voice chirped out.


    A current of wind then surrounded the five of them and raised them up into the air.


    It was evident that Lois Cae''s understanding degree had already reached Control of the Skill.


    Well, it was to be expected, after all, to get into the Basic Build stage at minimum one needed to be at the First-Star Control of the Skill.


    In no time, the cloaked figures disappeared off into the distance.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    An ancient castle made of yellowish metallic bricks could be seen surrounded by imposing and thick trees, as well as hills taller than the castle itself. It had four towers and was six stories high. Although the castle was big, thanks to its surroundings, it was hard to spot.


    In front of the black gates of the castle, a middle aged elemental elf with yellow eyes and yellow hair was sitting cross-legged, a bored expression on his face, his Aura at the Sixth Level Intermediate Awaken stage. He wore a strange brown armor which looked as if it were made of mud.


    Suddenly, along with a gentle breeze, five cloaked figures appeared before his eyes. He immediately stoop up and respectfully greeted: "Good morning bosses!"


    The five figures put away their hooded capes and revealed their magnificent and expensive armors. Among them, there stood Arnold Alch and Captain Fou Tre. The other three individuals were Lois Cae, a beautiful female green eyed and green haired elemental elf; Davis Toc, a male dullahan with a ''?'' shaped pitch-black smoke; and Xale Henr, a male red feathered harpy. The three of them were knights.


    "Ral, give me your report." Arnold Alch ordered the male elemental elf.


    "No unexpected incidents happened, and we got fourteen souls." Ral Bal expressionlessly informed as he opened the gates of the castle.


    Arnold Alch nodded at Ral Bal, and led the group into the castle.


    Inside, six mid Intermediate Awaken cultivators were waiting for them while keeping an eye on fourteen shackled individuals.


    The fourteen had their mouths covered by metallic masks, and fear could be seen within their eyes.


    When the captives saw Arnold Alch and the others, they were greatly surprised. Captain Fou Tre, Arnold Alch, and those knights were famous characters in Lurep Village that even they could recognize.


    Arnold Alch''s cold gaze slowly analyzed the captives, then it stopped on the weakest of them all.


    Under such intimidating stare, the female rabbit human monster trembled. Instants later, her eyes became dull, and her body slumped over to the floor, her Aura already gone.


    "!!!!" The scene terrorized the captives.


    Next, Arnold Alch gazed over at a female middle aged gorgon who had white snakes and whose eyes were teary. Yes, she was Caroline Darrel''s mother, Cara Darrel.


    *Clatter!* *Clatter!* *Clatter!* *Clatter!* *Clatter!*¡­


    A loud metallic clatter of chains suddenly sounded.


    It was Kawan Darrel struggling with all his strength to come closer to his mother!


    Slightly bothered, Arnold Alch glanced at Kawan Darrel only for an instant before returning his gaze back to Cara Darrel.


    The Soul Devourer skill was about to be activated once again when, all of a sudden, Captain Fou Tre and the knights moved their heads to look up at the same time in surprise.


    This confused Arnold Alch, so he looked up too. Moments later, three Auras closing in at an astonishing speed reached his senses.


    "Did they follow us? But, how?!" Arnold Alch shouted evidently shaken.


    "Holy shit, something''s wrong! Those bastards aren''t slowing down in the slightest even after feeling our Auras! To dare to head direct at us in this lawless place with their levels of cultivation, they must have some kind of absurd trump card!" Lois Cae cried out in alarm.


    *CRUMBLE!*


    *CRUMBLE!!*


    *CRUMBLE!!!*


    *CRUMBLE!!!!*


    *CRUMBLE!!!!!*


    *CRUMBLE!!!!!!*


    In extremely quick succession, six ceilings were destroyed into innumerable fragments; and from within the debris, Thorn and company fearlessly emerged.


    After seeing who the intruders were; Arnold Alch, Captain Fou Tre and the three knights got so shocked they couldn''t help but wonder whether their eyes were still working properly or not!


    "So, who wants to die first?" Thorn asked, a menacing smile on his face.

 Chapter 25: They are lunatics! Lunatics I say!!!

    The inside of the hall had been dim and gloomy, but now that there was a huge hole in the ceiling and that warm light descended upon Thorn and company, the hall was a lot brighter.


    Rose''s party stood a few dozens of meters away from Arnold Alch''s gang.


    Thorn wasn''t surprised to see Arnold Alch, Captain Fou Tre, and the knights because he had seen them through his wind a little early. Rose and Cure Song, however, were flabbergasted, they couldn''t pinpoint the reason for such lofty individuals to kidnap normal civilians.


    In Thorn''s arms, Caroline Darrel looked over at her family and was so happy to see them alive that tears of joy flowed down her face.


    The Basic Build cultivators heaved a sigh of relief after making sure the intruders didn''t represent a threat to them.


    Lois Cae even giggled, her breasts slightly bouncing. "Hehehe¡­ Oh, little Thorn, you really think you can defeat us? Could it be that you have accidentally filled your head with air? Hehehe¡­"


    Thorn placed Caroline Darrel on the floor, stepped forward, and prepared himself to do violent battle.


    Cure Song didn''t stay idle either, he skillfully took his heavy armor off and revealed his powerful muscles and white skin. Now, the only clothing that could be seen on his body was his black shorts. On each of the both sides of the shorts, there was a silver Ryyk Blade. After grabbing the hilts of his weapons, he looked ready to dart into battle at any given moment.


    Off to the side, cold sweat appeared on Rose''s forehead. (This is bad, really bad. Even though we would have enough problems just from facing enemies with higher cultivation, they outnumber us and we have to protect these many civilians; not to mention we don''t have experience fighting as a team, but our opponents surely have¡­)


    The fight was about to erupt when all of a sudden, Arnold Alch shouted: "Wait! Wait! Wait! W-we can solve this in a pacific way, can''t we?!"


    All gazes settled on Arnold Alch, seeking further explanation.


    Arnold Alch got nervous and embarrassed after being stared by Thorn in such a context. "S-since you were carrying that little gorgon with you, it should be correct to assume that all of you were contracted to rescue the civilians, am I right?"


    "That''s exactly what happened." Expressionless, Thorn nodded.


    Arnold Alch cleared his throat and continued: "Then, wouldn''t it be simpler if your party and the civilians promise that you won''t tell anyone what happened here nor would you interfere with our business in the future? That way we could promise that we''ll let you go and won''t pursue the matter any further."


    Arnold Alch''s offer surprised all of them, but then, the people who were present in the tournament yesterday remembered how much love Arnold Alch had shown toward Thorn, and this caused odd expressions to appear on their faces.


    Thorn and Rose contemplated the matter for an instant and reached the same conclusion: (Fair enough.) They weren''t heroes, but pragmatic bastards. Killing Arnold Alch and company wouldn''t be easy, and if they could end the job without wasting that much time and energy, then they would gladly accept the offer.


    But just when they were about to nod their heads, Cure Song spoke out: "Thorn, Rose, I''m sorry. It seems like we''ll have to part paths here."


    "What?! But we just started to get acquaintances, did you get scared of my godly strength or something?!" Thorn asked agape. (What''s wrong with this rascal all of a sudden?) He wondered.


    "¡­" Rose stared at Cure Song, a worried look on her face. She could easily imagine what was going on with him. After all, she had already grasped some traits of his personality.


    "I can''t accept Arnold''s offer." Cure Song clenched his hands into fists fiercely. "I just can''t bear egoist people who think that, because they are rich or have a higher status, they can trample on the lives of the weak and poor!" His infuriated voice made clear how serious he was.


    *Clap* *Clap*


    Thorn and Rose slapped their foreheads in frustration. Their new companion''s naivety made them feel ashamed.


    Cure Song continued: "So, you two don''t need to get involved with me anymore. You can accept Arnold''s offer, but I''ll definitely kill some of them today, and then I''ll escape by myself to execute the rest of them another day!"


    Complicated emotions surged in Arnold Alch''s heart. (Oh, you have no idea how much I had wished to meet a person like you back then.) Closing his eyes, he lowered his head, and softly asked: "¡­ Are you sure?"


    "I don''t need that disdainful consideration from a trash like you. And let me give you a little spoiler, today you''ll regret your actions." Cure Song said confidently.


    *Sigh*¡­


    Rose sighed deeply, and began to walk toward Ral Bal and the rest of mid Intermediate Awaken cultivators as she put on her black fist guards. "Thorn, protect our backs and the civilians''. This is a good chance for you to get used to your Third Pace. Cure, with your two Awakened Skills, you should be able to defeat the Captain. Since I''m the weakest, I''ll play with the small fries." She said calmly, having finished her calculations of their probabilities of victory.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Looking at her small back and listening to her words, Cure Song was taken aback, and then, his respect for Rose reached an unprecedented level. (So, you are unwilling to let go the benefits I could bring you. Is this what you meant when you said ''people'' are just ''benefits'' to you? The logic is indeed cold and cruel, but¡­ somehow¡­ it feels warm...) He drew his Ryyk Blades and strode toward Captain Fou Tre without a hint of fear.


    Thorn shrugged and said: "Our party leader has spoken. Savor the last moments of your lives guys." Afterward, he closed his eyes and remained unmoving.


    Arnold Alch, Captain Fou Tre, the knights, Ral Bal, and the mid Intermediate Awaken cultivators stared in utter shock at Rose and company''s actions.


    Arnold Alch: (What the hell is wrong with their heads?!)


    Captain Fou Tre: (Are they even feeling our Auras?!)


    Lois Cae: (They are lunatics! Lunatics I say!!!)


    They had seen how powerful Thorn and Cure Song had been in the tournament, and they were sure that such strength was far from being comparable to theirs. As for the young girl with red curly hair, she was at the Second Level Basic Awaken stage! She was basically a common civilian!


    It was absolutely no wonder they would view their actions as pure madness.


    By that point, Thorn ended his preparations.


    *Swiiish*¡­


    In an instant, all the captives appeared behind Thorn and around Caroline Darrel, unshackled!


    "!!!" When Arnold Alch and company looked at this scene, their hearts trembled in fear and disbelief. The speed of the wind Thorn had just controlled to transport the captives had reached a level they couldn''t react to! And he had soundlessly and instantaneously broke the chains that only Basic Build or superior cultivators could damage!


    At Final-Star Control of the Skill, one was ten times stronger than at Final-Star Use of the Skill; but at Final-Star Memory of the Skill, one was a hundred times stronger than at Final-Star Control of the Skill. And normally, cultivators at the Basic Build stage had an understanding degree at either the First or Second-Star Control of the Skill. Using his cultivation in Complex Energy and his cultivation in Mystical Energy at the same time with the Final-Star Memory of the Skill, Thorn''s Awakened Skill could unleash a power superior to an ordinary Ninth Level Basic Build cultivator with an understanding degree at the Second-Star Control of the Skill. Even though he was at the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage! In other words, he was surmounting almost five entire stages of cultivation!


    Naturally, Arnold and his gang found this as ridiculous as lighting falling from a blue sky. After all, even the most powerful Arrogant Awakened Skill could at most boost the strength of something up to 100 times, which was a surmount of about two entire stages of cultivation.


    (The gravity wasn''t the main propulsion of the high speed at which they fell!) They promptly came to this realization.


    When Cure Song was five meters away from Captain Fou Tre, he abruptly became invisible, and then charged forward, his Berserk Speed skill bursting into activity.


    A frown appeared on the Eight Level Basic Build gargoyle. (It was actually an Arrogant Awakened Skill! It seems like he didn''t use its maximum potency in the tournament. Now that he boosted his speed 100 times, this kid is much faster than me! But it is only speed, what has he up his sleeve to be this confident to face me?!) He flapped his demonic blue wings and flew up. It wasn''t safe to fight the invisible Cure Song in melee combat. Big bubbles filled with water one by one appeared around him, and they then began to shoot water bullets like Gatlings toward where Cure Song''s Aura was at.


    But, to the gargoyle''s amazement and terror, his water bullets passed unhindered through Cure Song''s Aura!


    (Oh, damn it!) Instantly, Captain Fou Tre activated his Metallic Endurance Racial Skill like if his life depended on it! Only now did he comprehend the nature of Cure Song''s second Awakened Skill!


    However, the weak parts of his body splintered anyway! His eyes, his veins, his thin tendons, and even his spinal cord!


    Cure Song had just now attacked Captain Fou Tre with his Ryyk Blades, which were S2-class zenanium armaments with the feature of changing their length when swung at high speed.


    The property of his armaments and his No Thing skill turned his attacks ranged and able to pass through any defense!


    Furiously flapping his wings, Captain Fou Tre managed to exit Cure Song''s attack range, but his wounds were already so severe he even spat a mouthful of blood.


    Gnashing his teeth, Captain Fou Tre began to assault Cure Song with a barrage of water spheres which resembled cannon balls and had an even greater destructive power. "Let''s see for how long you can keep your intangibility skill active!" He bellowed in rage.


    It was at that moment when Lois Cae, Davis Toc, and Xale Henr sprang into action. They were now aware of the severity of the situation they were in. The opponents in front of them wouldn''t be easy to deal with, and if they let a single one of them escape, they would face terrible consequences. After all, for any knight, the punishment for putting in risk the lives of their own kingdom''s civilians was the capital one.


    With that in mind, they unhesitatingly used their Awakened Skills to attack Rose, Thorn, and the civilians!


    The harpy Xale Henr engulfed Rose in dazzling flames.


    The dullahan Davis Toc made the ground around Thorn shoot out yellowish metallic spikes.


    And the elemental elf Lois Cae sent wind blades at every single civilian.


    Yet, neither screams echoed out nor blood sprayed out, not even the scent of burned flesh wafted out.


    The flames had been totally extinguished, and Rose continued sauntering forward as if nothing had ever happened.


    The wind blades had been completely nullified the instant they appeared, and the civilians hadn''t even noticed that they had been attacked and protected.


    And the metallic spikes had been utterly pulverized before they could even touch Thorn''s body.


    The scenes left the three knights shocked to their core. When they saw the imperturbable figure of the standing Thorn who had his eyes closed, they felt as if every inch of their bodies were being closely watched and that they were naked. Unavoidably, terror seized their hearts.


    Knowing that this wasn''t the moment to think about how could Thorn be this ridiculously strong, the three of them slowly nodded at each other, and began to perform a combined attack.


    The ceiling shattered into hundreds of big chunks, then the chunks were set ablaze, and explosively fell impulsed by powerful wind blasts. The picture was exactly like a meteor shower.


    *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!*¡­


    Deviated by Thorn''s wind, the ''meteors'' slammed heavily into the ground, away from the civilians.


    Close to Thorn, the little girl without cultivation had already been hugging her mother, both of them shedding sweet tears.


    After the booming sounds entered into her ears, Caroline Darrel slowly lifted up her head, and her eyes caught sight of Thorn''s back. At that moment, her entire soul became calm. Somehow, his back seemed manly to her, and gave her the feeling that, in spite of the villains'' presence, she was already completely safe, and that it didn''t matter what the villains could do, from now on, they wouldn''t be able to hurt her, or her family¡­ or anybody else.

 Chapter 26: A Clash of Souls

    Rose stopped in front of the seven mid Intermediate Awaken cultivators, chest puffed out, hands on her hips, chin stuck up, and an evil smile on her face. "You guys shouldn''t be this lazy when your friends are fighting for their lives. You should have charged forward instead of waiting for me to come, shame on you."


    The ridicule in Rose''s tone set ablaze the rage in the seven cultivators'' hearts, but they didn''t abandon their rationality and attack. Since Rose''s companions were that powerful, the seven didn''t doubt that she as the party leader was equally dangerous.


    Ral Bal signaled with his gaze at a bald human to use his Awakened Skill on Rose. In response, the bald human immediately let out a concentrated somniferous gas from his mouth.


    Rose snorted coldly upon Ral Bal''s signal and the obvious actions of the bald human, she had no idea what kind of gas that cultivator was releasing, and still she wasn''t even a bit afraid of it. Her Awakened Skill allowed her to control the smell, which, in essence, was the product of certain mix of substances carried by the wind reaching the chemical sensors of one''s nose. So, when she used her Awakened Skill to conceal her smell, she was basically manipulating chemical substances! Of course, her control was very limited in strength since it was meant only to conceal smells and flavors.


    Moments later, the bald human revealed a shocked expression. "Impossible! My somniferous gas has been completely stopped before it could reach her! For a Wind Element Awakened Skill user to be able to do this, it must be at least at the Full Awaken Stage!" He then turned to look in disbelief at Thorn who was only at the Intermediate Awaken stage.


    It must be known that for a Wind Element Awakened Skill user to be able to control all kinds of gases; that is to say, to have control over every matter related to one''s Awakened Skill; the user had to first reach the Full Awaken stage.


    Of course, Special Awakened Skill users not always follow this rule; for example, Rose.


    *Pow!!*


    With a loud reverberation, Rose''s punch slammed into the distracted cultivator''s face! The strike was so powerful it broke that human''s neck!


    *Pun!*


    His body fell, dead.


    "I stopped your attack." Rose said, evidently annoyed by the bald human''s disrespect. He had dared to look elsewhere when his enemy was her, even though she had been right in front of him!


    *Gasp*¡­ *Gasp*¡­ *Gasp*¡­


    Clear gasps of astonishment could be heard coming from the remaining six cultivators. They now knew that they shouldn''t let her close in on them.


    All of them retreated backward while Ral Bal dragged the corpse of his comrade.


    "Someone, give him medicine!" Ral Bal shouted as he set up an earth wall between them and Rose.


    A male shadow human quickly took out a bottle with medicine and started to treat the bald human''s heavy injuries. Based on the speed of the healing, it was evident that it would take several minutes to repair that broken neck. It wasn''t certain whether or not the bald human''s soul would last long enough for his body to recover.


    At that moment, Rose looked down at her broken, bloody fist and frowned. (It doesn''t matter how amazing my martial arts are, my body still can''t handle them.)


    Suddenly, that fist began to heal itself, and, in the blink of an eye, it returned to its best condition!


    Rose''s eyes unconsciously turned toward Thorn who was being madly attacked by the three knights, a faint smile then appeared on her face.


    Around this time, Arnold Alch was pulling out his hair in frustration, without knowing what to do but knowing that he had to do something! (They are monsters! I can''t even start to understand the real strength of their souls!)


    In the end, Arnold Alch gritted his teeth and, casting his enraged stare at Rose''s eyes, activated his Awakened Skill. (I should be at least strong enough to defeat her!)


    At that moment, Rose''s vision turned dark.


    Thorn abruptly opened his eyes. (Damn it! Arnold has invaded Rose''s soul!) Worry could be seen in the depths of his violet eyes. (My understanding on souls is still too shallow. I can''t help her. If I forcibly interfere, I may put her in greater danger¡­)This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    *Sigh*¡­


    A helpless sigh escaped out of him, and he once again closed his eyes. (I''m sorry, Rose. You''ll have to overcome this on your own.)


    By now, the darkness had already vanished from Rose''s line of sight. Rose''s soul had appeared within a white marble room. In front of her was Arnold Alch, looking at her coldly.


    "Rose, why are you risking your life working as a mercenary? Shouldn''t you be within the safety of the walls of your castle?" He asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.


    Feeling like her chest were being tightened by the bizarre situation she was in, she answered: "I got expelled from my family." Her own words greatly surprised her. Unexpectedly, she couldn''t lie right now.


    Since that was the case, she tried to discover whether or not Arnold Alch was in the same situation. "How does your Awakened Skill work?" She probed.


    He stayed silent for a moment; and abruptly dashed toward her, showing a fierce expression.


    Rose immediately understood Arnold Alch''s physical strength and took a defensive stance, a sense of foreboding welling up inside of her.


    *Pow!*


    His punch bumped on her forearms and, just as Rose had expected, she was sent flying backward.


    The exchange caused Arnold Alch to sigh in relief. (Her bones are soft. My soul is much stronger than hers.) He then followed up with a second dash.


    Rose''s heart began to pound harder. (The damage is different! My soul has been directly hurt. There is no further doubt now, if I lose this soul fight, I''ll die.)


    Making a whistling sound, Arnold Alch''s fist tore through the air as it headed toward Rose''s face.


    This time, Rose used her footwork to dodge the attack.


    Her counterattack was swift, her fist struck his stomach with all her strength and martial knowledge.


    *Thud*


    After this soft sound echoed out, her pupils fiercely contracted. Her attack had just now made her feel terrible pain throughout her entire arm, but it didn''t hurt him at all!


    With a vicious look in his eyes, he used a reverse kick to hit her back, sending her flying tens of meters off to the side.


    Spiting blood, her vision turning blurry, she heavily landed on the solid floor. (Damn it! His soul is too tough! Will I die today¡­?) Despair started to grow in her heart.


    As she tried to get up, he closed in on her in an instant, and mercilessly kicked her head.


    While she spun in the air, losing blood and feeling like her head might explode at any moment, her thoughts raced in search of a way to survive.


    Her martial arts weren''t strong enough. Her Awakened Skill won''t help her in this fight. She couldn''t rely on zenanium armaments in this place. And worst of all, her soul had finally reached the limit of what it could endure, a single attack more and it would be shattered.


    Just when she was about to hit the floor once again and her mind was about to be swallowed by an abyss of hopelessness, sparks of enlightenment suddenly shone within her eyes.


    Without hesitation, she skillful landed on her feet. Firmly standing, she revealed a defiant smile! "Come closer, little boy, I just got a gift for you."


    Although there was blood oozing out of her mouth when she weakly said that, Arnold Alch shivered in foreboding facing the menacing expression on her face.


    Seeing his reaction, she actually praised: "Good instincts!" After which, she fearlessly dashed toward him.


    Initially, Arnold Alch stepped backward, heart pounding in uneasiness. But in the end, he gnashed his teeth and leaped forward, his fists firmly clenched at chest height.


    Without warning, Rose''s arms turned crimson, as though burning magma. They then punched at Arnold Alch at almost 10 000 times per second!


    He felt like ten fists were slamming into his body at the same time, every instant!


    Arnold Alch flew far away, his body a total bloody mess.


    *Pant* *pant* *pant*¡­


    Rose''s breathing was ragged and loud, her face showing a very unsightly expression. She was the only one who could understand what kind of absurd pain was biting her soul right now.


    What she had just done was an extreme outburst of her martial art, a theoretical move that couldn''t be unleashed under any circumstance by a real body of flesh. After all, the real cells couldn''t be ordered to burn their energy in such a complex and through way.


    It was just now that she had, under extreme pressure, discovered that her soul body''s cells could be actually controlled to such an extent.


    Gradually, her bright crimson arms became dull and black, and eventually turned to dust.


    As they dusted away, what remained of Arnold Alch''s body finally hit the floor. The only intact part left of his face was a single eye, everything else was broken beyond recognition. His four limbs and most of his internal organs weren''t with him anymore, they now laid scattered across the floor.


    Still, to Rose''s surprise, Arnold Alch didn''t seem resigned. That eye of his kept on staring at her, refusing to lose its light.


    (Amazing¡­ his desire to live is almost as immense as Thorn''s¡­) Although admiration toward his unyieldingness grew in her heart, the thought of sparing his life never made its way into her mind.


    She immediately walked in his direction, a merciless and cold light flashing through her eyes.


    Without wasting any more time, she lift up her right foot and smashed Arnold Alch''s head with it.


    *Punn!*


    Blood sprayed out as that single bright eye of his dimmed a little.


    Of course, Rose wasn''t done yet. She continued with a powerful second stamp, then with a third, a fourth, a fifth¡­


    Anyone looking at this scene would naturally feel dread and think that Rose was just too brutal. Such thought couldn''t be more right. She had always deemed herself as someone extremely cruel and cold, an unfixable villainess.


    It didn''t take long for Arnold Alch''s eye to lose all its light, his soul now silent and lifeless. But she didn''t put her guard down and continued with her relentless assaults. That fearsome were people like Arnold Alch, people who had such a strong desire to live.


    Her foot only stopped when Arnold Alch''s head was no more than a puddle of blood and gore.

 Chapter 27: From Support Type to Combat Type

    The battlefield had a quite different aspect in comparison to how it looked like before the fighting started. The entire castle had been turned into just piles of rubble, the floor was uneven, fire could be seen almost everywhere, and even the surrounding towering trees were sliced into pieces.


    By this point, Cure Song and Fou Tre were battling each other in the middle of the forest, far away from where everybody else was.


    Although the disparity between Cure Song''s and Fou Tre''s cultivation was big, the dullahan had yet to receive a single wound.


    On the other hand, the gargoyle was hovering between life and death. In fact, his body was already dead and only his soul was still hanging on.


    Yes, Fou Tre continued fighting even though he was now just a corpse.


    At the Ninth Level Energy Core Evolution stage, one''s Complex Energy core became a soul container. Basically, a second brain, but this could only control one''s Complex Energy body and not one''s physical body. It wasn''t eternal though. At the Ninth Level Energy Core Evolution stage, this second brain could survive for only 1 minute after the physical body death. At the Basic Build stage this time increased for a few minutes.


    Fou Tre was at the Eight Level Basic Build stage, so he could last quite a long time.


    However, through the entire combat, Fou Tre had been growing weaker and weaker, so much so that since quite a while ago he had lost even his capacity to flee. This was because his wings and legs had been crippled. Another reason was that the Water Element Awakened Skill wasn''t suitable for boosting his movement speed in the middle of the atmosphere.


    Due to all of this, Cure Song had him within his grasp.


    Fou Tre desperately threw water attack after water attack at the invisible dullahan. He knew very well that such actions were of no threat to his opponent, but he couldn''t think of anything else other than to deplete Cure Song''s Complex Energy while using the impulse of his attacks to move his crippled body.


    Cure Song once again slashed at Fou Tre with both of his Ryyk Blades. As always, neither the trees nor the air could slow down his attack. His blades traveled through everything unhindered.


    When the tips of the Ryyk Blades reached the inside of the gargoyle, they materialized and severed yet more arteries within Fou Tre''s brain.


    While it was true that those attacks were meaningless since Fou Tre physical body couldn''t be deader, Cure Song didn''t want to give him any leeway.


    After what it seemed like an eternity of torture to Fou Tre, his Complex Energy core finally broke.


    The ruins of the castle.


    Thorn was still worried about Rose''s situation. She might be a troublesome burden to him, but he was in debt to her and couldn''t help but think that the reason for her to make the reckless decision of starting a fight with Arnold Alch''s gang was his presence. So he felt responsible for the dangerous situation she had gotten into.


    As his worry began to show on his face, Rose finally woke up. At the same time, Arnold Alch''s Aura disappeared.


    *Sigh*...


    It was Thorn''s soft sigh of relief.


    After which, Thorn felt that the situation was amiss. (What''s wrong with me? Getting worried to this extent¡­ when did she become so important to me? This has no sense. We''ve met each other for only a couple of days!) He shook his head in self-derision. It was at that moment when he suddenly noticed something. (Mmm?! H-her Complex Energy core, i-is evolving¡­?) Thorn was so shocked he almost fell head-butt right there and then!


    When one reached the First Level Basic Awaken stage, one''s Complex Energy core would start to form. Thanks to this, the cultivator obtained an Awakened Skill and its Energy Signature. At the Full Awaken stage, this core was completely formed; and at the Ninth Level Energy Core Evolution stage, the core evolved to gain the capacity to contain a soul.


    However, the evolution Thorn was witnessing wasn''t this evolution. It was a more specific evolution that could be a Complex Energy core evolution or a Mystical Energy core evolution. This specific core evolution didn''t give the core the capacity to contain a soul, but transformed one''s Awakened Skill!


    It was indeed possible to evolve one''s Complex Energy core in this way, but such a thing was far too rare and far too incredible. Considering the entire world, it might only occur once in between dozens of millenniums, and that was if there was luck. And yet Rose was doing precisely that right in front of him!


    Although Thorn''s surprise was immense, Rose''s was greater. After all, she was the one experiencing this change with her own Complex Energy core; in addition, her understanding of the implications of a Complex Energy core evolution was deeper than Thorn''s.


    The entire evolving process only took a few seconds. After which, Rose began to asses her condition. The first thing she discovered was that she couldn''t feel nor move her arms. She knew this had nothing to do with the evolution. (It seems like the damage to my soul will be permanent¡­)


    Although this situation saddened her a little, it didn''t surprise her too much.


    Next, she tested her Awakened Skill. She used her ability to conceal the heat to cold down the fire around her.


    *SSssszz¡­*


    *SSssszz¡­*


    *SSssszz¡­*


    The result was amazing. Her skill not only cooled down the fire, it completely devoured it in an instant!


    A wide smile appeared on Rose''s face as her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. (My Awakened Skill has evolved from support type to combat type!)


    *Boom!*


    She was so excited she wholeheartedly kicked down the wall between herself and the Intermediate Awaken cultivators!


    As the wall crumbled; spikes of ice, bullets of energy, needles of solid air, crystal darts, metallic shurikens releasing lighting, and even a huge blanket of mud were approaching her at high speed!


    It was evident that, from the instant Arnold Alch''s Aura disappeared, the six cultivators were waiting in ambush for Rose.


    Still, Rose''s expression didn''t change at all. She easily dodged the attacks using her ghost-like footwork!


    Obviously, thanks to her acute hearing senses, she had perceived those attacks long ago and had been prepared to avoid them.


    *Brrrkk* *mmss* *zzzz* *crack* *rumble*...!


    The attacks crashed noisily behind her.


    Shockingly, not even a single strand of hair of hers had been damaged, and even the happy and relaxed look on her face seemed harder to erase now.


    The only attack left was the slowest one: the big mud blanket.


    To defend herself against it; Rose manipulated the air and created a spherical, spinning barrier of wind around her. She could now control chemical substances in such a way!You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The mud blanket fell heavily, like a sky-covering wave with the might to completely pulverize an iron battleship; but the only thing it could accomplish was to block Rose''s line of sight for a few seconds.


    The instant her barrier finished throwing off the mud, Rose saw among his opponents a shadow human holding up a gigantic dome made of crystal.


    *Pom!*


    The dome fell onto the ground, successfully trapping Rose within.


    The other cultivators then moved like one to firmly hold the dome down. They were totally sure that not even Rose''s mind-blowing martial art could outmatch them in strength when they all were working together.


    Activating his Crystalloid Element Awakened Skill, the shadow human, little by little, turned the crystal dome thicker and smaller.


    Inside the transparent dome, Rose could clearly feel the pressure of the air becoming stronger and stronger. She also knew that, with her strength, her martial art wasn''t enough to lift up the dome or break the crystal it was made of. And yet, her calm smile never left her face, not even for an instant.


    Such fact raised a sense of foreboding in every one of the six cultivators'' hearts.


    Rose sauntered forward, and stopped in front of the shadow human. "I let you trap me on purpose." She softly confessed.


    Although the shadow human could not hear her words, due to the insolation effect of the dome, he still could read her lips. "Eh...?" He muttered, his expression utterly dazed.


    In the next instant, the space around Rose''s right foot vibrated violently.


    She then performed a Side Kick, her foot drawing a trail of blood-colored mist.


    *Crack!*


    The crystal in front of her was shattered into fist-sized chunks by the strike.


    The shadow human did not even have the time to react. The crystal chunks slammed into his body and penetrated deep into his muscles and bones. There was even a long fragment that perforated his throat.


    *Thud*


    His corpse collapsed to the ground, his eyes still opened and his face still dazed. From the corpse, a puddle of blood started to expand little by little.


    Watching this scene, the other five cultivators couldn''t help themselves from remaining paralyzed on their places while holding their breaths. They could not comprehend how Rose had been able to destroy the dome so easily.


    To understand how it was possible, it must be remembered that sounds were vibrations, essentially, mechanical waves.


    Rose''s Awakened Skill, which had control over sounds, could now use these type of waves to exert overwhelming destructive power!


    And the vibrations were especially effective against crystals.


    When Rose''s intimidating gaze turned toward a little goblin, he almost fainted from the scare. Stumbling backward, he instinctively raised his little green hands and started to make a translucent energy barrier.


    But before the barrier could materialize, Rose was already charging toward the trembling goblin. And, just as the barrier was about to appear, Rose''s kick dispersed the goblin''s Complex Energy and smashed his head, turning it into hundreds of fleshly chunks!


    *Pum!*


    The goblin''s headless corpse collided heavily with a nearby half-broken wall.


    Facing this sight, the remaining four cultivators abruptly came back to their senses. After which, they coordinately turned tail and, shrieking in despair all the way, ran in different directions!


    Rose unhesitatingly gave chase to the elemental elf who seemed to be the leader, Ral Bal.


    After one second of persecution, Rose calculated that with her actual speed it would take 1.23 min for her to catch up to the elemental elf. Obviously, after such a long time, the other three cultivators would have already escaped far away.


    She couldn''t allow such a thing to happen!


    Suddenly the elemental elf felt as if his body had plunged into the coldest abyss of the sea. His movements became extremely sluggish and slow. He could not even breathe properly!


    Of course, Rose''s Awakened Skill was responsible for this. She had cooled down the space around Ral Bal and used the air around him to obstruct his movements.


    But that wasn''t all. After restricting her opponents'' movements, she used her Awakened Skill to boost her own movements!


    Rose''s sprint left afterimages. Two seconds, just two seconds was all the time Rose used to get right behind Ral Bal.


    The elemental elf knew everything was over when he felt a foot pressing the back of his neck.


    *Bam!*


    His face hit the floor with so much force that on both the ground and his skull appeared spider-web like cracks. His throat was now totally crushed.


    Thorn was looking at her fight utterly flabbergasted the entire time. He had heard only legends about the Complex Energy core evolution and never actually thought it would be this shocking.


    Since Cure Song ended his fight and Rose was about to finish hers, Thorn decided that it was about time for him to kill the knights.


    He did not even bother to perform a gesture with his hands and just mentally controlled his wind to attack.


    The three knights felt as though the air around them was turning heavier. In no time, the weight was so great they could not move at all.


    "Aaahh¡­.!"


    "KhAarrgg¡­!"


    "Guaa¡­!"


    As bloodcurdling shrieks echoed out from their mouths, their bodies became smaller and smaller, crunched by the cold and merciless air pressure. In the end, these proud knights weren''t able to show the slightest resistance and turned into three small balls of organic trash, and even their Complex Energy cores were destroyed. Their armors and armaments then fell unscathed. They were just decorations in front of Thorn''s powerful wind control.


    With that out of the way, Thorn turned all his attention toward Rose.


    There were only a gorgon, a swordfish monster human, and an elf left.


    As Rose closed in on the swordfish monster human, he activated his Special Water Element: Ice Awakened Skill to desperately make ice walls behind him.


    Seeing this, the ex-princess didn''t slow down in the least. She calmly invoked her Awakened Skill and used her control over the temperature to melt the ice walls.


    The ice user looked over his shoulder and discovered to his dismay that his ice walls were completely useless against Rose''s absurd Awakened Skill. He hastily made ice spikes and threw them to Rose.


    When Rose dismissed the ice spikes with a single wave of her hand the other party stopped in his tracks and remained solemnly still, as if staring death itself in the face.


    In the next instant, he received a kick on the chest that sent him flying.


    Rose did not even spare a look at the result of her attack as she charged toward the gorgon.


    *Pum!*


    The moment the swordfish monster human fell, he was already dead, his internal organs destroyed by mechanical waves.


    A blue translucent barrier protected the gorgon. It was a powerful and complex barrier formed by his Special Wind Element: Solid Air Awakened Skill.


    *Crack!*


    It shattered under Rose''s Axe Kick, but the kick didn''t seem like it had lost any of its momentum!


    "Arghh...!" The gorgon screamed whilst his serpents died crushed and his head broke to pieces.


    Then, Rose''s piercing gaze fell onto the running elf. She unhesitatingly jumped forward!


    Feeling the incoming merciless redhead, the elf''s bloodshot eyes became redder, his heart heavier than ever. He gnashed his teeth so hard they almost broke as he activated his Thunder Element Awakened Skill throughout his body. (Let''s see if you''ll dare to touch me and die with me!) He cried inwardly.


    Unfortunately for him, Rose''s kick still came, unhesitatingly like the lethal scythe of death.


    *Crack!*


    The elf''s chest burst open as Rose''s foot came out of it!


    Looking at the fallen elf, Rose shock off the blood of her boot, and snorted coldly. (Even though I am now just an ex-princess, my clothes have still the quality and endurance intended for the use of a real princess. How could they not possess at least an electric-proof feature?)


    Since some time ago, Cure Song had been watching Rose''s fight. There were complicated emotions in his mind right now. He came closer to Thorn, and asked: "What''s wrong with Rose''s arms? They don''t seem wounded though."


    Glancing sideways at the dullahan, Thorn said: "Arnold damaged her soul."


    His reply left Cure Song feeling guilty and at a loss for words. Cure Song certainly had not considered that Rose could get into such a dangerous situation even under Thorn''s protection.


    When Rose came closer to the duo, she looked up at Thorn and nodded. "That''s right, it was his fault. I have to admit it, Arnold''s Awakened Skill was something terribly dangerous. Oh if only you could have seen that soul fight, you would have been so sure I was going to die. Hahaha...!"


    Thorn and Cure Song did not ask anything about the details of Arnold Alch''s Awakened Skill and just remained quiet.


    Only after a few seconds did Rose finally perceive the awkward silence. "What? Is there something wrong?" She asked, confusion written all over her face.


    Cure Song''s voice answered her, apologetically: "Due to me, you have forever lost your arms."


    There wasn''t medicine that could heal souls, after all.


    "Oh! Hahaha¡­!" Rose laughed uproariously. "Shouldn''t you be happy for me instead? They are just arms. It''s actually a light price compared to what normally costs to be careless in a life-or-death situation. Hahahaha¡­!"


    Thorn and Cure Song gaped in shock. They never thought Rose was this carefree.


    "*Sigh*" Suddenly, Rose sighed deeply, and her expression became solemn. "Besides, even if Arnold had killed me, you shouldn''t have to feel guilty about it."


    Cure Song was flabbergasted. "Why?"


    She gave him a contemptuous glare as if looking at a fool who doesn''t even understand the simplest matter. "Living beings end up dying, their egos becoming nothingness. There are no exceptions. No god, no miracle, no science, nor even a fantasy can change that fate. So, in the end, it all comes down to this question: what would you die for? My answer is: my dream. If I borrow your strength, I''ll be a step closer toward my objective. In short; my selfishness and my purpose made me risk my life, not you. That is why even if Arnold had killed me, you shouldn''t have to feel guilty about it."


    Thorn''s eyes flickered with a cold light. (You''re wrong, Rose. Whatever it takes, I''ll never die!)


    Clenching his fists, Cure Song thought: (Hypocrite lass. Openly looking down on me, mocking my naivety. But, did you try to change my mind? No, on the contrary, you approved my decision with your actions. And now, you''re even trying to shoulder all the responsibility¡­)


    Meanwhile; a trembling Caroline Darrel stood nearby looking at Rose, her eyes filled with unconcealed admiration.

 Chapter 28: The Rewards

    The landscape in front of Caroline Darrel changed every second. Lakes, rivers, meadows, forests, mountain ranges, and farms; all under the bluest sky and the withiest clouds. Before, she was too worried to appreciate such a scene, but now, it was the only thing her eyes could see.


    (The world is so beautiful...) She thought, however, her look was not warm; in fact, there was a sliver of ice in her heart right now. (But... at the same time, so cold.)


    After hearing Rose''s words and witnessing for the first time people dying, her perspective on life has changed. There was now a sense of urgency inside of her.


    (The day I finally found my dream was also the day I gave up on it. I did wrong. It never was about whether or not it was possible to fulfill my dream, it was about having something to fight for, something to make this fleeting life worth living...) Her eyes then became much less cloudy. (It''s all about striving.)


    Some time later, Lurep Village walls appeared within the line of sight of the flying group.


    Thorn was the first to descend at the village gates, followed suit by Rose, Cure Song, and the fourteen civilians.


    The carriage driver goblin and the two mercenary war elves came to a stop in front of Rose''s party and looked at them with grateful smiles.


    It was the goblin who represented everyone to say: "Let me thank you all again for your timely help." Taking a deep breath, he continued: "Thank you." He then handed a pouch to Rose. "All our money is there. Although it''s just double the amount of money my carriage is worth, we hope it''d be enough to show our gratitude."


    Putting the pouch away, Rose sternly reminded: "Don''t forget, the best you guys can do to thank us is keep your mouths shut about our real strength and about what happened to the knights. Okay?"


    "Yes, yes, of course." The other party nodded ceaselessly.


    At that moment Caroline Darrel suddenly tugged Rose''s jacket, taking Rose by surprise.


    A confused look on her face, Rose asked: "What?"


    In response, Caroline Darrel looked around warily, then grabbed one of Rose''s fingers and dragged her toward a nearby tree.


    Behind the tree, it was with a gentle smile that Rose asked once again: "What?"


    "W-what you said before... it made me understand something very, very important..." Struggling with her own words, Caroline Darrel fidgeted. "T-that''s why... I want to know what your dream is." Only at the end of her sentence did Caroline Darrel looked up directly at Rose''s eyes.


    Rose did not turn her own eyes away but gazed back, her expression thoughtful.


    As a fresh breeze made the tree''s leaves rustle, and washed over the two standing girls; Rose''s look turned solemn.


    In that instant, Caroline Darrel realized that she could not hear any sound anymore, as though Rose''s gaze alone could silence the whole world.


    "*Gasp*..." Caroline Darrel involuntarily gasped as her heart skipped a beat.


    Rose''s lips slightly parted, but did not move afterward; and still, they let out a sound that only Caroline Darrel could hear.


    Listening, the little gorgon stumbled two steps backward, her entire body shuddering and her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.


    Breathing raggedly, Caroline Darrel remained speechless for a long time. She finally understood why Rose had to put her everything on the line at every step. Putting anything less will never be enough to even have the slightest hope of reaching such a dream.


    Caroline Darrel closed her eyes, her heart pounding hard. (To think that there is someone who views my impossible dream as a mere first step...)


    "... 012 382 F..." She muttered.


    It was now Rose''s turn to get surprised. "An address?"


    "My family owns an inn. It''d be nice if your party could visit us someday. I''m sure my mom will be happy to give you all our best services for free." Caroline Darrel smiled.


    "Eh..." Rose could not help but smirk. (She didn''t say it''s impossible, instead tried to help me... Oh, I like this little girl so much more now.)


    "Due to what happened with Arnold, it''ll be troublesome for us to stay in Lurep Village for too long; so I''m leaving tomorrow. Besides, it''s hard to predict whether or not I''ll come back to this village." Rose turned toward her companions, and walked as she said: "It''ll be only for one night but I''ll make sure to enjoy in full your hospitality. See you there later, I have something to do first."


    With that, Rose''s party departed.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch. Branch Head Office.


    At his desk, Arger Dal sat staring with a frown at his younger brother, Vei Dal.


    "I can''t believe this. You really didn''t know who she is?" The older brother asked.


    "Of course not, how could I have guessed that she was THAT Rose? If I knew, I''d have been too nervous to even speak in her presence..." The other party seemed both confused and shocked by the whole situation.


    Arger Dal''s eyes suddenly narrowed. "You don''t look afraid enough. Why?"


    Taking a deep breath, Vei Dal slowly answered: "Well, someone of her status definitely has a protector. She''ll be alright."


    "Don''t just assume the best-case scenario right off the bat!"


    "*Sigh*... But you are assuming the worst-case scenario. In the first place, we don''t know for certain if those two Alchs are behind the disappearances. And secondly, how could Rose and her party find the culprits so easily?" The younger brother calmly said, refusing to believe his luck could be that bad.


    It was at this moment that a lady''s worried voice suddenly came in from behind the door: "Branch Head, a mercenary named Rose is insistently asking for a meeting with you. What should I do?"


    The brothers exchanged glances for a second, and finally Arger Dal''s frown disappeared as he said: "Let her in!"


    Just as his voice started to fade away, the door was flung open and Rose barged in.


    "Is it true?! Just because of some formalities we won''t receive the accumulated reward for the M rank job?!"


    Her words left them both so astonished their expressions became comical.


    This branch had only one M rank job.


    "D-did you complete the job successfully?" Vei Dal asked word by word.


    Rose pretended to calm down a bit and attempted to dig some dirt on them as she had planned. "Mmm? Those funny faces... so you knew Arnold Alch was the culprit?"


    The brothers once again exchanged glances, this time horror could be seen in their eyes. They had let a princess take a dangerous job already, they couldn''t afford to let her know that they had an idea about who the culprit was.


    Feeling cold sweat on his back, Arger Dal did not dare to delay his explanation: "No, no. We couldn''t be more shocked by the news, Arnold? Of all the people¡­ How could have we known? It''s just that it has been years and nobody has completed that M rank job, that''s why we got so surprised earlier¡­"


    "Oh¡­ is that so?" Rose looked at them intently, making the brothers even more nervous.


    Seeing their reactions, Rose understood the truth. A trace of an evil smile then appeared on her face. "Ah, whatever. I won''t delve deeper into it, of course, as long as the complete reward is properly delivered." It was with great emphasis that Rose said the last sentence, not giving any room for negotiation.


    "*Sigh*¡­"


    "*Sigh*¡­"


    Arger Dal and Vei Dal couldn¡¯t help but sigh ruefully and shake their heads at the same time.


    Branch Head slowly got up, went in front of Rose, and solemnly bent the knee. "I''m sorry."


    "What are you apologizing for?" Asked Rose.


    "Even the Guild Master can''t break the rules of the Mercenary''s Guild arbitrarily. I''m so sorry."


    A vein popped out on Rose''s forehead. "If you are really that sorry, then why not just give me the money from your pocket?" Her voice was so calm and cold it sent shivers through Arger Dal''s spine.


    Cursing inwardly, Arger Dal wondered how could a Second Level Basic Awaken cultivator make a mighty Fourth Level Basic Build cultivator like himself feel like passing out just with words. However, to his misfortune, he had no choice but to plaster an ingratiating smile on his face and meekly say: "I''d like very much to do so but the accumulated reward isn''t something my measly personal income can compare to¡­"


    (This shameless old fox! He prefers to lose face rather than money!) Burning anger surging within, Rose began to plan a suitable counterattack.


    But before she could even open her mouth, Branch Head''s eyes flashed with craftiness. "However, there are other things that I can do to make it up to you. Although M rank jobs have incredible rewards and are jobs that we desperately want to complete to raise the reputation of our guild; we don''t allow just any mercenary to take them. Obviously, we don''t want them to die pointlessly. But seeing that you got the ability to make an M rank job seem like nothing special, I can give you a recommendation letter for another M rank job that surely will bring you immense wealth once you complete it."


    One of Rose''s eyebrows rose slightly. But she remained silent, not completely convinced that the compensation was good enough.


    Understanding Rose''s silence, Arger Dal added: "And of course, I''ll give you a one-star veteran party license!"


    Only now did Rose nod in agreement. "Mmph! You can feel proud of yourself for you''ll witness the foundation of Rose''s Mercenary Party!"


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Rose and her party walked through the streets of Lurep Village.


    "Hehehe¡­" Holding in front of her a golden card with ''Party leader: Rose'' written on it, she could not stop giggling.


    "What''s so special about it anyway?" Thorn lazily asked.


    Cure Song: "You don''t know?! Have you been living under a rock your entire life?"


    "Yeah, you can say that." Thorn sounded even lazier.


    Putting the golden card away, Rose said: "It''ll be very useful to our purposes later."


    "Humm¡­ If you say so." Glancing sideways at Rose, Thorn continued: "By the way, there''s something that has been bugging me the entire time. Since Arnold had at his disposal those knights, Cley Alch must have been backing him up, correct?"


    Rose: "Correct."


    "But you ordered us to hide the knights'' corpses, which means that there''s no evidence of Cley Alch''s involvement in the kidnapping now. Won¡¯t that let him off the hook and allow him to retaliate against us later on?"


    "Yeah, but it''s more important for us to keep our real strength hidden. Besides, he won''t be able to retaliate openly, so he will be forced to use the Assassin''s Guild." Rose''s voice was extremely calm, as though there was nothing to be afraid of.


    "Oh, so that''s how we''ll deal with Cley Alch! Rose, you definitely are the smartest person I had ever met! Hahaha¡­" Cure Song couldn''t help but laugh heartily.


    "*Sigh*¡­" Thorn looked at them irritated. (What the hell are they talking about?! Won''t it be too dangerous to have the Assassin''s Guild trying to kill us?!)


    "Don''t worry about it, Thorn. We''ll be alright." Rose then proceeded to explain in detail the situation to Thorn.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


    Later that night, Lurep Village Mercenary''s Guild Branch released the news about what happened to Arnold Alch and the M rank job.


    Since nobody obtained the accumulated rewards from the Mercenary''s Guild or the Adventurer''s Guild, the money was returned to the people who had given it.


    One of those people was Derek Niun!


    At the lobby of the Mercenary''s Guild, he stood unmoving facing a board where the notice was announced.


    There was a big pouch on his hand filled with the coins that had been reimbursed to him.


    His expression was unreadable as memories of his little sister came back to him. Slowly a tear formed in the corner of his eye.


    "At long last¡­ you have been avenged. I hope¡­ you can rest in peace now¡­" He whispered.

 Chapter 29: The Perfect Prison

    It was a cold night, one with almost no stars in the sky.


    Laying on the rooftop of her inn, Caroline Darrel did not notice such things. All her thoughts were somewhere else.


    (They are so strong¡­) She put her tiny hand in front of her. (And I''m so weak¡­) Her eyes closed. (But I really want to join their party. If I pursue my dream with them, my chances of success will be so much higher.)


    The memory of their fight reaffirmed that thought. Especially Rose''s fight. Although Cure Song and Thorn''s fights surpassed Rose''s in many aspects, one was not visible to her and the other was so fast and complex she had just a vague idea of what happened. In contrast, Rose''s fight was still in the realm of what her senses allowed her to understand, albeit barely.


    (I wonder when will I be strong enough to stand by their side? Will I ever be¡­?)


    *Sigh*¡­


    There was helplessness in her weak sigh.


    (No! I can''t let my pessimistic thoughts decide my destiny any longer.) Suddenly, she sat up and took a deep breath, her resolve steeled.


    It was with this newfound resolve that she attempted to cultivate, or rather, to establish a connection with the Complex Energy, which was completely invisible and intangible to her.


    The main requirement to take the first step onto the cultivation path was to attain the ability to soul-bound Complex Energy. Nobody really knew how this ability came to be or how to train it, it just arbitrarily appeared in people''s brains between the ages of 4 to 10.


    Caroline Darrel was 8 years old. So the ability to start cultivating could appear in her at any time now.


    Unfortunately, her attempt failed. She couldn''t feel the Complex Energy at all.


    This development depressed her, unsurprisingly.


    Still, she didn''t give in just yet. Closing her eyes, she focused completely on sensing her brain and tried to soul-bound Complex Energy once again.


    It didn''t work.


    Reluctant to accept this, she tried again, again, and again.


    (I quit quitting and decided to go after my dream. I''m just starting!)


    With that determination, she continued with her endeavor and only stopped after almost an hour had passed.


    She had to stop because she had succeeded!


    It was as small as a speck of dust, but it was there! Complex Energy that was under her complete control!


    The feeling was like having a tiny star inside her brain. An incredibly tiny, almost imperceptible star.


    Caroline Darrel''s emotions were in tumult, so much so that she almost forgot what the next step was after soul-bounding one''s first Complex Energy particle. Almost.


    She unhesitatingly ordered that particle to fuse itself with her physical body.


    Immediately after, the particle exploded!


    The explosion expanded and soon covered her entire body; but it stopped there, refusing to get out of her.


    (Hot, hot, so HOT!)


    Every bone, muscle, and organ within her seemed to be ablaze. The scorching pain made her sweat through every pore. In no time, she looked as though a torrential rain had completely washed her.


    *Shhh*¡­! *shhh*¡­! *shhh*¡­! ¡­.


    Even her little white snakes weren''t spared from the searing pain as they hissed at the sky in agony.


    With tears on the corners of her eyes, Caroline Darrel gritted her teeth and endured. She endured, endured, endured, and endured.


    The longest five minutes of her life passed in such a way.


    Almost emaciated, skin dripping-wet, she finally felt the pain slowly recede.


    It was exactly at that moment that she suddenly opened her eyes and gasped desperately for air!


    Although her body was lighter now, she still felt as though she were submerged under water.


    Only after calming herself a bit did she realize that what she was feeling was just ownerless Complex Energy.


    The entire world around her looked different to her now, for she had not only obtained the capacity to sense Complex Energy but also acquired the Aura Perception ability!


    "Hehe. Hehehehe¡­" Caroline Darrel was exhilarated. Slowly waving her hands in the air, which was much thicker than usual, she commented: "To think that the Complex Energy could feel this real¡­"


    She had heard about Complex Energy innumerable times, but it had always been something illusory to her and had never thought one could actually touch it.


    After a couple of seconds, she focused on the little stars that twinkled within a radio of 200 m around her.


    The ''light'' of these stars varied greatly in intensity from each other and could be ''seen'' even if there were walls or any other physical obstruction between her and the stars.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Auras¡­"


    Still, she didn''t understand yet the exact correspondence between the Aura intensity and the cultivation stage it belonged to.


    Well, that was not so important at this moment. There was something more crucial she had to do right now¡­


    "Yay!" She jumped really high, almost 5 m, with a big smile on her face, eyes sparkling beautifully.


    She had reached the First Level Body Evolution stage!


    Her strength and lifespan had been significantly upgraded. She could now lift 200 kg and reach 120 years of age with absolute ease!


    That wasn''t all, from now on she could use her Racial Skill too!


    Which reminded her that she needed Complex Energy to use it and that she didn''t have any left.


    (Right. I should soul-bond all the Complex Energy I can.)


    With that in mind, she sat down cross-legged and focused her attention on the ownerless Complex Energy within her brain.


    This time the process went a lot smoother than before thanks to her previous experience and the fact that she could now feel the Complex Energy. In just 15 minutes she had already 10 particles of Complex Energy under her control.


    (It''s just like my mother told me: At the First Level Body Evolution stage, controlling 10 particles at the same time is the limit.


    (Anyway, I wonder what kind of poison I got.)


    There was only one way to find that out: Activating her Racial Skill. She would automatically understand the most basic characteristics of her skill the moment she used it thanks to the Complex Energy Laws of Cultivation.


    The foundation of one''s Racial Skill was one''s body, the union of one''s Complex Energy body and physical body to be precise. So to activate one''s Racial Skill, one needed to fuel one''s body with Complex Energy.


    Caroline Darrel infused a single particle of it into her body and suddenly her soul received a strip of images that explained how her Racial Skill worked.


    This information made her abruptly stand up, and left her standing there dazed and speechless for a long, long moment.


    When she came back to her senses, she still didn''t know what to think.


    Looking at the nearby rooftop of the building across the street, she was assaulted by a negligent and crazy idea. And even after a while, it didn''t go away. In the end, she succumbed and decided to try it out.


    In the next instant, the entire world around her changed. Before her eyes was now her family''s inn and her feet onto her neighbor''s rooftop!


    Flustered, she hastily used another Complex Energy particle to activate her Racial Skill, and instantly returned back to her initial position.


    (I-it should be fine. Mother told me that First Level Body Evolution Auras are so small that one has to actively search for it to feel it. Nobody should have ''seen'' it yet¡­ probably.)


    Only after making sure that the Auras around her hadn''t reacted to her movements did she finally heave a sigh of relief.


    With that out of her mind, she slowly looked down at her own hand, and muttered in a quivering voice: "A mutant¡­ a mutant¡­!"


    Evidently, her Racial Skill wasn''t the gorgon''s Poison Control Racial Skill but a skill that allowed her to teleport!


    The only explanation to it was indeed that she had actually been a mutant all along.


    What an incredible and scary discovery it was!


    Incredible because of how rare and unlikely mutants were, and scary for this implied that she was the only one of her kind and that her future wouldn''t be like how she had thought it would be and was now completely uncertain.


    It took her quite a while to calm herself and accept what had just happened.


    Eventually, she raised her head and took a good look at the dark clouds in the sky. (If I use this skill wisely, good things will come out of it¡­ definitely.)


    She kept staring at the sky hopefully for an undetermined amount of time.


    Then, all of a sudden, her body trembled, her eyes widened, and her breathing became ragged!


    "No! No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Shaking her head furiously, she struggled to dismiss the insane idea that had just now popped up in her mind.


    "I said no!" Fuming, she strode toward the stairs to the fourth floor of the inn.


    But it was useless. It was completely useless. The idea was just too preposterous to be shrugged off so easily.


    Before reaching the stairs, she stopped and sighed ruefully, head hanging low.


    "Let''s hope this doesn''t kill me¡­" Muttering this, she abruptly vanished.


    At an altitude of 315 000 km above sea level, a place devoid of Complex and Mystical Energy.


    The first thing Caroline Darrel did after appearing was to hold her breath, and the second was to get utterly amazed.


    No painting could possible capture such vastness, complexity, or beauty.


    Drifting clouds of varying tones, misty seas, towering mountains, lands of almost every color, and even the floating island of the Scientist''s Guild were all part of the scenery Caroline Darrel beheld.


    From this place, she could view the entirety of the Continent of Civilized Races.


    The Broken Earth Kingdom looked like a giant prairie with hundreds of forests and lakes, and riddled with innumerable ''cracks''. She knew these ''cracks'' were immense rivers, and that because of them this kingdom was named ''Broken Earth Kingdom''.


    The High Mountain Kingdom, the Monster Human Kingdom, the Shadow Human Kingdom, and the Harpy Kingdom were all clearly differentiated from each other thanks to their unique geographical characteristics.


    Even the Dead Land, the Civilized Race War battlefield, was completely within her sight.


    Due to how dazed she was, she nearly asphyxiated for being at that height for too long.


    She was forced to teleport back to her rooftop in a fluster.


    *Pant!* *pant* *pant!* ¡­.


    Caroline Darrel gasped for air greedily for almost half a minute.


    "T-that was¡­ absolutely¡­ awesome¡­"


    When she recovered, she breathed in and held her breath, then teleported again to where she had just been.


    This time she didn''t look down, but up.


    There was only the satellite Blue in her line of sight, but it alone was beautiful enough to accelerate her heartbeats.


    There were so many stars, so many there was more light than darkness.


    Caroline Darrel only gawked at the sky for a brief period of time before shaking her head. She hadn''t come here to do that.


    Although she was pretty high, the gravity should still be strong enough to pull her down; but she wasn''t falling at all.


    There was obviously a reason for that to happen.


    Gingerly, she stretched out her hand toward the sky. First, the tips of her fingers disappeared, and then her entire fingers. Caroline Darrel didn''t seem surprised at all as her hand slowly vanished. She knew that the cause of this phenomenon was the invisible barrier that covered the entire almost-spherical world.


    Caroline Darrel continued inserting her arm into the barrier, and, sensing that nothing was amiss, nodded to herself.


    Knowing already that it was safe, she teleported 2 m in front of her.


    What she saw next were the satellites White and Red along with countless stars.


    It was the sky looked from the other side of the world!


    Although she had heard of this before, experiencing it herself was still exhilarant!


    Gravity was almost zero around the World Barrier, that''s why Caroline Darrel wasn''t falling. It was reasonable for this to be the case since at the World Barrier gravity pulled with equal strength from both sides.


    Due to this barrier that was to date impossible to bypass¨Ceven teleportation didn''t work¨C, the planet Tifitia was often referred to as The Perfect Prison.


    Caroline Darrel looked down.


    Clouds; and beyond them, a mirror-like ocean that if Caroline Darrel didn''t know any better, she would confound it with the sky itself.


    Turning her gaze around, she soon found a dome made of raging wind and thick clouds so massive it enclosed an area two times the size of the entire Continent of Civilized Races!


    The Forbidden Dark Lands.


    After gawking at such beautiful scenery for a couple of seconds, she couldn''t hold her breath any longer, so she reluctantly teleported back.


    *Pant!* *pant* *pant!* ¡­.


    It took her a long while to stabilize her breathing.


    (Perhaps, being how I''m now, they''ll accept me in their party¡­) Thinking about how amazing her Racial Skill was, a hopeful light flared in her eyes.