《Phantasm》


 Volume 1; Chapter 1: Idyllic Village

    As Zycor laid fast asleep in his bed, he was interrupted by the sound of his mother, Mira, coming into his room to wake him. ¡°Breakfast is ready, honey! You better wake up before your siblings eat everything.¡± Mira cheerfully exclaimed.


    Still groggy and half asleep, the boy covered himself with his blankets to hide from the morning sun. Mira sighed, ¡°Oh well, I suppose we will have to eat the last of the apple jam I made. It truly is a shame, considering everyone in the village will be vying for some next time I make it. Who knows, there may not be any extra next time.¡±


    Zycor immediately threw the covers off himself and sat up. ¡°I will be right there mom! Let me get dressed first! And make sure those guys don¡¯t eat everything, especially the jam!¡± he energetically stated.


    Mira giggled as she shut the door, ¡°Ok, well don¡¯t take too long. We will be waiting for you, Zycor honey.¡±


    After the door had shut, Zycor hopped out of bed, his evergreen eyes scanning his room. It was not the largest room, but it served its purpose. Making sure to avoid stubbing his toe once again on the wooden nightstand by his bed. Zycor grabbed a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts, which were in good condition considering where he lived, from the closet. After quickly brushing his blonde hair, he threw the clothes on as fast as he could and darted out of the room. As he arrived in the main room of the house, he was greeted by his family sitting around a round table. Zycor saw his older sister harassing his younger brother while Mira tried to calm them down. His father, Barlo, was reading the nation''s news report, trying to ignore the problem. Getting irritated with the two siblings¡¯ bickering, Mira firmly stated, ¡°Ok you two, that¡¯s enough. Scillia, you are twelve years old, Stop terrorizing your brother. And Gaus, quit antagonizing your sister.¡±


    ¡°But mom, Gaus keeps trying to sneak some sweets from my personal stash.¡± Scillia complained.


    Gaus, like the five-year-old he was, then whined, ¡°But I want the sweets!¡±


    Barlo, putting the paper down, interjected, ¡°Scillia, Gaus, listen to your mother.¡±


    They both sat down and, pouting, responded, ¡°Yes, dad.¡±


    Mira walked over and gave him a kiss, ¡°Thank you my dearest Barlo~.¡±


    Returning her kiss, Barlo responded, ¡°Of course, my sweet Mira.¡±


    Scillia audibly gagged, ¡°Oh dear goddess, don¡¯t do this stuff in front of us! It¡¯s so gross!¡±


    Noticing his son standing in the hall, Barlo motioned for Zycor to come sit down, ¡°Come join us kiddo! Don¡¯t be a stranger!¡±


    Zycor rushed over to the table and took a seat, scanning the table. ¡°Are you looking for the jam, little bro?¡± Scillia chuckled, trying to get a rise out of Zycor, ¡°Well, unfortunately for you, Gaus ate all of it while you slept. I suppose this is only right considering you decided to sleep in instead of doing something productive.¡±


    Zycor, upset that he did not get to partake in his favorite topping, became rather irritated. He looked over at Gaus as if silently asking for confirmation, and when he nodded, Zycor¡¯s childish anger only grew. Continuing her teasing, Scillia mockingly retorted, ¡°Aw~, what¡¯s wrong? Are you going to cry?¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of teasing your brother, Scillia.¡± Mira sternly said as she turned away from the kitchen counter and towards the table.


    Putting a plate of toast topped with apple jam in front of Zycor, his feelings of anger instantly dissipated. As he devoured the toast, Zycor thanked his mom. ¡°You are welcome sweety. However, you know not to talk with your mouth full of food.¡± Mira gently scolded Zycor on his manners.


    Having nearly forgotten, Mira told Zycor, ¡°Right, before I forget, Charlo and his brothers came by earlier looking for you. I told them you were still waking up and would join them after you ate.¡±


    With a look of surprise, Zycor quickly finished his toast and gulped down the glass of water. Getting up to join his friends, he had not gotten over his sister''s stunt. On his way past her, he grabbed the other slice of toast with apple jam on it and took off towards the door. ¡°Hey! Get back here brat!¡± Scillia shouted, stumbling out of her seat as Gaus giggled.


    As Zycor grabbed the handle to the door, Barlo commented, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Lizali is coming over today, son. Make sure to not leave her alone or make her feel excluded.¡±


    Zycor, having stuffed the toast in his mouth as he swung open the door, turned back and gave his dad a nod, before slamming the door. Scillia made it to the door and threw it open while yelling, ¡°You owe me for that jam you brat!¡±


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    Finishing the toast, Zycor shouted back, ¡°You should be nicer! You won¡¯t make any friends like that!¡±


    Scillia shouted, ¡°I HAVE FRIENDS!¡± and slammed the door.


    Delighted that he managed to even out the wrong that had been done to him, he continued on. As Zycor walked through the town to get to the usual meet up spot, he was called out to by a vendor. ¡°Hey there Zy, how are the folks doing?¡± the vendor asked.


    Responding cheerfully while looking at the assortment of fruits he had for sale, ¡°They are good, Mr. Reller!¡±


    Reaching into his pocket, Zycor pulled out five Solium and handed it to Mr. Reller. Mr. Reller only grabbed three of the five coins and handed Zycor an apple, ¡°Go ahead and keep those, consider it a discount for helping me out the other day, keeping those crickets away from my produce.¡±


    Zycor giggled, ¡°It¡¯s still funny you didn¡¯t have any mana potions with you, hehe.¡±


    Shooing the boy away with a chuckle, Zycor left, waving back as he did.


    Finishing off the last of the apple, he spotted his friends at their meet up spot. As he got closer, he noticed that they were picking on a girl in an expensive, sky-blue dress. Zycor threw the apple core at them, hitting Charlo in the back, causing him to turn around. As he did, Zycor yelled, ¡°Hey guys, leave her alone!¡±


    Charlo giggled, ¡°Oh no! Her boyfriend is here! Run away!¡±


    And with that, Charlo and his brothers took off while they continued to shout more embarrassing things. Reaching the girl, Zycor outstretched his hand, ¡°Are you okay, Liz?¡±


    Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lizali blushed as she took Zycors hand and responded, ¡°I am now, thank you Zy.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should go find those guys,¡± Zycor commented, to which Lizali nodded.


    After searching for a bit, the two groups finally met up once again. They went to the outskirts of the village, still in view of the adults, and began to play around. They talked, bantered, and rough housed. They would mess with Lizali, trying to make her as embarrassed as they could until she got too upset. Which is when they would switch to Zycor and do the same thing, the difference being Zycor would give chase as they laughed.


    As the group ran low on energy and the day came to an end, the brothers went home while Zycor took Lizali back to his. Arriving there, the two children are met with a carriage parked out front, and a couple talking to Barlo and Mira. ¡°Hey mom! Hey dad!¡± Lizali yelled, waving to them as she and Zycor approached.


    With a large smile, the man greeted Lizali with a hug, ¡°Oh my dearest daughter! It is so good to see you! I trust you had another fun day with the young Zycor here?¡±


    Lizali nodded with a smile from ear to ear, ¡°I did have a lot of fun again today!¡±


    The mother, giving Lizali a kiss on her head, said, ¡°I am happy to hear that, my dear.¡±


    Turning to Zycor, she smiled and continued, ¡°Thank you for always playing with Lizali, I know she enjoys it too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I always have fun with Liz!¡± Zycor cheerfully replied.


    Barlo began to give a hardy chuckle, and teased, ¡°Ha! When are you two going to go steady? I don¡¯t think anyone would be against it, or am I wrong, Mr. Regali?¡±


    Lizali¡¯s dad sighed, ¡°You old goof, call me Logar, we have known each other long enough for that at least.¡±


    ¡°And the same goes for me,¡± Lizali¡¯s mom huffed, ¡°You better not call me Mrs. Regali! It¡¯s Vianna!¡±


    Barlo, chuckling, responded, ¡°My bad guys, haha! Just so used to the formalities.¡±


    Logar sighed, ¡°Even after all this time you still feel that way? If anything, we should be more formal with you, after all-.¡±


    Barlo put his hand up to stop Logar mid-sentence. After a brief pause, Barlo said, ¡°That was a while ago now. You are of a higher social class than I am. Regardless of the past, that is the current state of things.¡±


    Logar, accepting this is what Barlo wanted, responded, ¡°Well, if that is how you feel, then I will continue to interact with you as I have.¡±


    Turning to Zycor, Logar continued, ¡°And I hope you continue to get along with my daughter, young man. And if you do decide you wish to have a relationship with her, then it is fine by me.¡±


    Confused, Zycor asked, ¡°What do you mean ¡®relationship¡¯? Is it like being best friends?¡±


    Mira giggled and answered, ¡°My dear Zycor, I think you are a bit too young for such a thing.¡±


    Vianna interjected, ¡°I agree. Although it would make me very happy if you two continue to be close in the future.¡±


    Lizali, embarrassed, tugged on her mother¡¯s dress, ¡°Mom~, stop it! You are embarrassing me!¡±


    Logar chuckled, ¡°My apologies, Lizali, but you two are just so cute together.¡±


    Zycor had a sudden epiphany and cried out, ¡°Wait here a moment! Let me go get something!¡±


    He ran into his house and into his room. After rummaging around for a time he returned, clutching something in his hand. He outstretched his hand, opening it as he did, and revealed a hair pin he had bought prior, with his mom¡¯s help. It had a silver clip and a small, sky blue flower design on it.


    ¡°This is for you, Liz!¡± Zycor cheerfully exclaimed.


    Liz, blushing, took it into her hand and held it tight. She put it into her hair and happily chirped, ¡°Thank you so much, I love it!¡±


    Finishing their goodbyes, the Regali¡¯s entered their carriage and began their journey back to their estate. ¡°Hey dad, when do you think Liz will visit again?¡± Zycor asked.


    Barlo chuckled, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. However, I think it would not be a problem if we went to visit them next time. We will need to get permission first, but I do not see that being an issue.¡±


    Walking inside, Zycor asked Mira, ¡°Hey mom, what are we having for dinner?¡±


    ¡°You will have to wait and see. I will not be having you run off because you do not feel like eating.¡± Mira responded.


    With a large sigh from Zycor, the trio shut the front door behind them.

 Volume 1; Chapter 2: Impact

    After the family finished eating, the children were sent to bed. This left Barlo and Mira alone to talk. As he re-read the paper he read in the morning, Barlo commented, ¡°I cannot believe these bandits are still roaming around free. It¡¯s unlike the military to allow such unrest.¡±


    Bringing over a cup of tea, Mira asked, ¡°Are you referring to the bandit group going around burning down villages and slaughtering the inhabitants?¡±


    Barlo nodded, ¡°Yes, it just seems strange. It feels like something is off about the whole thing. I just hope I am wrong about this for once.¡±


    As Barlo stood up and put the paper onto the paper on the couch, his eyes widened as he looked towards the roof and yelled, ¡°SHIT!¡±


    In a cruel twist of fate, the universe decided to allow him to be right one final time. The house began to rumble briefly before a flaming boulder crashed through the roof, crushing and instantly killing both him and Mira. The impact woke up all three siblings. As Zycor shot out of bed, he heard the cries of people coming from outside. Facing the closed window, he cracked open the shutters and saw the entire village was burning.


    As the flames illuminated the night, Zycor watched as men in armor rode horses and cut down the villagers as they cried. It appeared their slaughter was indiscriminate. Seeing all this Zycor stumbled back, his ankle catching one of the legs of his nightstand, causing him to fall down. As he looked back at the window, a man in armor was staring in at him with cold eyes. Zycor, too scared to move, sat there frozen with terror. Right as the man stretched his arm and fire began to form in the center, Scillia barged into the room, grabbed Zycor and pulled him out as the man fired off a stream of fire. Scillia slapped Zycor and yelled, ¡°What the hell are you doing!? You can¡¯t just sit there like that; you could have died, you idiot!¡±


    Pulling him in for a hug, Scillia continued with tears welling up, ¡°What would I have done if you were to die, you idiot.¡±


    Wiping the tears away, Scillia brought Zycor to the back door where Gaus was waiting. ¡°Once you two get out of here, run straight through the forest. Dad said he left something there that we would recognize and would help if we were attacked.¡±


    Zycor, only partially listening, looked around the destroyed house and finally noticed the smoldering boulder in the middle of the living room with blood and some limbs visible. Instantly realizing what had happened, Zycor¡¯s mind began to fracture. But Gaus gripped his hand tight, and asked, ¡°We will be ok, right big brother?¡±


    As Zycor looked at Scillia for reassurance, she smiled and gave a nod. The front door to the house was suddenly destroyed, and the man from earlier stepped in, with his sword drawn. Scillia looked back at Zycor and said, ¡°Listen, it is now your duty to protect Gaus. Now, get out of here!¡±


    ¡°But what about you!?¡± Zycor yelled.


    Scillia turned to face the man, and, with a hint of resignation, she said, ¡°I will buy as much time as I can.¡±


    Zycor, now with tears streaming down his face, turned and opened the door. Before he made it outside, Scillia Shouted, ¡°And before I forget to say it you brat-.¡± After a brief pause as the man approached, Scillia finished, ¡°I love you. Take care, you morons.¡±


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    As they ran out the back, Zycor held tightly to Gaus. As they made it halfway to the forest, Gaus suddenly became much lighter. When he stopped and looked back, there was only Gaus¡¯ upper torso and single hand left, still with a tight grip on Zycors hand. As the corpse''s grip went limp, Zycor turned fully, now facing the man, blood dripping from his sword. Doing the only thing he could, Zycor stammered, ¡°W-w-where is my sister?¡±


    ¡°If you are referring to the girl inside, she is dead,¡± the man replied coldly.


    Looking the man up and down, Zycor recognized the insignia on the man''s armor. ¡°W-wait, that is the knight''s insignia. Why are you doing this?¡± Zycor asked, with a completely defeated and soft tone.


    The man¡¯s eye twitched as he recalled what he had done and responded, ¡°I did what I was ordered to do.¡±


    When he heard this, Zycor¡¯s demeanor shifted from a defeated one, to one full of anger and rage. Without a word, Zycor grabbed some dirt and charged the man while screaming. Caught slightly off guard by what Zycor was doing, the man did not move, as he had assumed this child posed no threat. As he readied his sword, Zycor threw the dirt into the man¡¯s eyes, which temporarily blinded him. Zycor ran to the back of the house and grabbed the hatchet that was left there. Not missing a beat, he ran back at the man, and mustered all the force he could and drove the hatchet into the man''s stomach. The instant it made contact however, it bounced off the man¡¯s armor and caused Zycor to lose his balance and fall backwards. As Zycor looked up at the man, he had regained his sight, and stared down at him.


    Perhaps it was a momentary feeling of remorse, or something else, but the man sheathed his sword. He stated, ¡°Despite all you have witnessed and the clear difference in our strength, you still chose to fight. Alright, I have decided that as a reward, I will let you live. You will get to relive and remember this horror for the rest of your life. Tortured by it and consumed by it. You may hate me all you wish, but this came about due to your own actions. Had you not made a sound, I would have assumed that the flaming boulder killed everyone. But thanks to you, I learned there were survivors. So go on and live, hate me, do what you will, it is no longer a concern of mine.¡±


    After having finished his monologue, he grabbed his sheathed sword and hit Zycor hard enough to knock him out and draw blood, but not to kill him.


    As the knight returned to his unit, his captain asked from his horse, ¡°Did you find any survivors over there, Volnir?¡±


    Volnir looked up at his commander and responded, ¡°I did, but I took care of them all.¡±


    The captain nodded and ordered his men to raze the rest of the village and then pull out. Torching the house himself, Volnir looked into the flames. His cold eyes appearing to slightly soften for a moment, he muttered, ¡°Survive.¡± He then whistled for his horse and left.


    Waking up the next morning, Zycor stumbled to his feet. He felt a searing pain in his left arm, which hung at his side with no strength to move and brought his right arm up to hold it. He scanned his house, now just a smoldering remnant of what it once was. Only some left-over charred flooring, a few charred wall pieces, and the half destroyed and charred support pillars remained.


    Zycor made his way into the smoldering ruins through the back. He saw his sister''s body burnt to a crisp and sitting against the wall to his right. As he limped past the boulder the once visible limbs of his parents were now burned to the point of near unrecognizability. As he arrived at what was left of his room, he walked in and leaned against what was left of the door frame, sliding down to the floor.


    As he sat there, tears began to flow from his now glazed over and lifeless eyes. Bringing his knees in, the six-year-old boy wrapped his hand around his legs and tucked his head in as he cried. He was left only with his own thoughts. He lost it all. All he cared for, gone forever. Seeing the carnage the knights brought, he could only assume Lizali and her family were killed on their way out. He was truly alone in the world now. The only thing left for him to do is wait for death to claim him as well.

 Volume 1; Chapter 3: Adria

    In the northern part of Velathria, the most northwestern country on the continent of Tephera, on the northern side of the mountain resides a hidden village of demi-humans called the Mothraki. The Mothraki are a race that have a humanoid figure and shape, but their actual anatomical appearance is more akin to moths. They have antennae that have a frilly appearance, human shaped eyes with dark sclera and white pupils. They have four arms and two pairs of wings. The males tend to have darker colors, while the females tend to have brighter colors, though both are white. Over time this color can tarnish, resulting in female¡¯s colors ending up looking like male colors, despite them not actually changing sexes.


    The Mothraki¡¯s pride themselves on their devious and shady nature to make profit off of all the other race''s own greed. Among them was a Mothraki on the younger side of the race named Adria Mori. Despite her young age, she had already made a name for herself amongst those in the village as well as most of the black market as being one of the best suppliers of illegal goods and services.


    The Mothraki are a race that only care about their individual profit, and because of this they will often ignore their children, spouses, and relatives in order to make even the smallest amount of profit. Adria¡¯s parents were no exception, often neglecting her and leaving her alone to go out and increase their profits by even the smallest amount. Most children that live in the village adapt to this very quickly and do what they can to swiftly follow in their parents footsteps.


    As a child, Adria always felt as though she lacked something. She felt alone, and when she expressed this to others she was always told that''s just how it is and to get over it. When she turned fifteen she started to learn about how things in the black market and village work, and by age twenty-two she was already well known in both. At age thirty-four, Adria had become one of the lords of the underworld, much to the surprise of those that knew her. They always thought she would not be anything because of how she acted as a child. They thought it was a good thing she got over those silly emotions. What they did not know was that Adria never ¡®got over¡¯ those emotions, she just got really good at suppressing and ignoring them. And by age forty-three Adria was always so busy that she even forgot that she was lonely in the first place, she had become like her parents and everyone else, always looking for greater profit.


    Adria got dressed with the adventurer gear she had acquired through her ¡®work.¡¯ The shirt was normal leather armor with belts for holstering her daggers towards the hips. Her pants were thin and she had boots that went halfway up her lower leg. She had a cloak that was long in length, but small in width to prevent any issues with her wings getting caught.


    She left the village to go see if she could find something valuable to sell on the black market. Perhaps some organs? Or better yet, some people too kidnap and sell as slaves. Those always brought in great profit. While traveling, she saw smoke in the sky from what appeared to be a fire started by magic. She thought to herself, ¡°This must be the work of bandits, or at least the result of a human conflict. Perhaps I can find something valuable to sell there.¡±


    Adria had been traveling for around thirteen days, and although she had more than enough funds to purchase supplies, she was hoping to find something that was left behind that she could consume or drink. As she entered the village she was greeted with the sight of torched houses, still smoldering, with charred bodies inside some of them. There were bodies scattered around the town, most with stab wounds, but some had severe burning which was likely the cause of death. The sight was gruesome, but nothing she had not seen before. A village that was raided by bandits and razed after killing all of the inhabitants, par for the course. Adria saw this not as a tragedy, but as great potential profit. All of the potential organs she could harvest and preserve using magic to sell on the black market later. She got to work harvesting the organs that were not damaged by blades or burns, only the best for her ¡®esteemed customers¡¯.


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    As she was making one final sweep of the town, to make sure she did not miss anything, she heard some movement in the house located closest to the forest. Adria¡¯s first thought was how lucky she was to have found a survivor! Especially considering there have been many raids just like this one happening over the past couple of months, all of which left no survivors.


    When she entered the remnants of the house, the wooden door frame still warm to the touch, she saw a young boy sitting down with his back against the wall. His left arm burned and was scarred horribly. Adria called out to the boy, ¡°Excuse me little one, are you alright?¡±


    The boy opened his eyes and looked at her. They were red and swollen, The boy had obviously been crying. Though, this was of no concern to Adria. All that mattered was that there was a survivor, which meant she could make a huge profit off of selling him as a slave. Adria, now trying her hardest to get the boy to trust her and come along with her, said, ¡°Oh my, just look at you! You must have been through a lot, right? Come here, let me hug you and make you feel better~.¡±


    The boy just looked at her with his red, swollen, glazed over eyes, completely devoid of emotions. The boy had lost all of his will to live, good, less effort she had to put in. Adria took a single step forward and the boy spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to take, miss. My mommy and daddy are gone, my sister and brother are gone, all of my friends and the villagers are gone¡­ I''m alone.¡±


    Adria froze, something had begun to ache all of a sudden, was she hurt? She quickly gave herself a look over to see if the kid did something, but there was nothing. She was unharmed and yet, why was she hurting? Thinking it was just her being paranoid and stupid, she quickly shrugged it off and ignored the feeling. Adria, having composed herself began her approach once again and replied, ¡°You misunderstand little one, I simply see that you are in great pain and only wish to help! Why don¡¯t you come with me? I can take you back to my home and I can take care of you.¡±


    The boy, who had done his best to stay strong in front of the stranger finally broke down and started crying, falling into Adria¡¯s arms. ¡°Shh, shh, it''s ok now, I am here,¡± Adria said softly as she held the crying child.


    It took several minutes, but the boy finally calmed down. Adria introduced herself, ¡°Well, now that we have calmed down, I think introductions are in order. My name is Adria Mori, What is your name?¡±


    The boy replied, ¡°I-it¡¯s Zycor, miss,¡± embarrassed that he was just crying while he hugged this stranger.


    ¡°Please, Adria is just fine sweety,¡± she said in a warm, motherly tone while smiling.


    Adria, having not forgotten her original goal, continues, ¡°So, would you like to come with me Zycor?¡±


    Zycor decided to put his trust in Adria and agreed to accompany her. Adria led him out of the house and guided him to her wagon. There she fixed him up the best she could with the supplies she had on hand, and ushered him into the wagon. It was longer, wider, and taller than the one Lizali and her family had. It had four wheels, all of which were larger than Zycor, three wooden frames that connected both sides of the carriage by arching over the top. Covering the top of the wagon, connected to the wooden frames, was a white cloth to protect from rainfall. The back of the wagon had quite a few boxes and barrels full of¡­ stuff. Though, the only ones that were open were full of food. The wagon also had seats, so Zycor didn¡¯t have to sit on the floor. Once Zycor sat down, Adria took her place at the front with the two horses she had pulling the wagon, and cracked the lead to start the journey.

 Volume 1; Chapter 4: Days of Travel

    The first day of travel did not consist of too much talking, the only exchanges that occurred were about whether Zycor was hungry or thirsty. As night began to fall on the first day of travel, Adria found a place to stop and make camp for the night. As she was making dinner, that familiar pain she had felt back at the village returned as she grabbed her chest. What was going on with her? Before she could think about it any further, Zycor asked, ¡°Are you ok miss Adria? Did you hurt yourself?¡±


    Adria looked at Zycor after hearing those words, and when she saw he was genuinely concerned the pain in her chest began to wane a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m fine Zycor, thank you for worrying about me,¡± Adria responded.


    And with a sigh of relief from Zycor, dinner was ready. The two ate, and went to bed. Adria woke up Zycor at dawn on the second day, and they resumed their journey. Zycor, still silent, was just sitting at the far back of the wagon. When Adria noticed this, the pain came back. What was it? Why was it happening now of all times? As if her mouth moved on its own, she asked, ¡°Hey Zycor, why are you sitting so far back there? If something is troubling you, why don¡¯t you come up to the front here and we can talk about it?¡±


    After a brief pause, Zycor moved to the front of the wagon and sat down in the seat right behind Adria. Zycor softly responded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Suddenly the pain she felt fully dissipated and what took its place was something she had never experienced before. It was a new emotion to Adria, though compared to how she normally felt, this was much better. Zycor, poking his upper body out the front next to Adria so they could see each other, asked, ¡°I like the smile you have miss Adria. I don¡¯t know what it was, but your other smiles didn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    Adria suddenly blushing and touching her face with her free hands realized he was telling the truth, she was smiling! But why? What could make her smile so genuinely when she had not done so in over three decades? Adria told Zycor to, ¡°Get back there, you might fall off and hurt yourself.¡±


    While he nodded, Zycor reeled his body back into the wagon and sat down.


    As they neared the end of the fourth day of travel, the duo arrived at the capital city. Adria decided they would spend the night at an inn there, then resupply in the morning. As they approached the gate, some guards stopped them and pointed their spears at Adria. ¡°A demi-human sure has a lot of nerve showing themselves, and at the capital city no less! Men, arrest-.¡±


    The soldier was cut off when the captain of the gate arrived and put his hand up. The man, after a brief pause, opened his mouth and said, ¡°Greetings, I am the current commanding officer of the gates at the moment, my name is Hans Gruscher. I believe I recognize you ma¡¯am, but I would like to see some identification.¡±


    Adria replied, ¡°Of course, here you are,¡± as she hands Hans a small, thin plate with engravings on it.


    Hans poured some magic into the card and basic information about the owner appeared. Satisfied with his findings, Hans returned the plate back to Adria. ¡°As I thought, we appreciate the information you provide along with your other¡­ services. Ahem anyways, you may enter the city. Is there anyone else with you?¡± Hans inquired.


    Adria told him she did have company, a young boy she found while on her travels. Hans went around to the back of the wagon to peek in and inspect the individual. When he looked inside he was met with the cold stare of a young child. Hans said, ¡°Woah kiddo, what¡¯s with the hostility in your eyes? You could kill with that stare. Are you ok?¡±


    Zycor just stared at the commander as he remembered what the people who wore the same armor did to everyone he cared about. He maintained eye contact while he continued his glare. Hans went back around to the front of the wagon, ¡°Is the kid alright back there? He seems to be swelling with emotions.¡±


    With slight hesitation Adria replied, ¡°He has been through a lot and right now, we are just looking for a place to rest.¡±


    Hans nodded and gave the order to raise the gate and let them pass. When they checked into the inn and made it to their room, Zycor went back to his silent state, his eyes glazed over yet again. Adria said in the softest tone she could muster, ¡°I know it must hurt, what happened. And seeing that man must have brought back things you were trying not to think about.¡±


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    She paused as she saw Zycor was unresponsive. The way he looked pained her, and she couldn¡¯t figure out why. Why is it that when she saw this child in such a state it hurts so much? She continued, ¡°But you have me now, so you don¡¯t have to worry¡­ ok?¡±


    Adria felt confused and conflicted. Why would she go out of her way to comfort her merchandise? She planned to sell the kid off anyways, so why did she care? But when Zycor¡¯s eyes regained their life and looked at her, the pain faded away yet again. Zycor said, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Thank you.¡±


    After a brief silence, the two said their goodnights and turned in for the night.


    Days five through twelve were traveled without incident. Zycor had become more curious about Adria and her life, and began to inquire about her and her work. Adria told Zycor that she was a merchant that dealt with exotic and hard to come by goods. Though she did not lie to him outright, she left out some¡­ minor details. He asked about where she came from, if she had friends, what she liked to do for fun. Eventually, Adria started to subconsciously open up more and more to Zycor, much more than she ever intended to with merchandise. She told him friends were not really needed where she came from. Everyone cared more about money than friendship. As for hobbies, she commented in an unsure tone, ¡°Money, I guess? I never really thought about it.¡±


    While they made camp on the twelfth night and sat around the fire, and they waited for dinner to be done, Adria began to think. She could recall that when she was a kid, she was different from the others, she cared about something no one else seemed to care about. But for the life of her, she could not recall what it was. While lost in thought, Zycor began to speak, ¡°Um, I know I say it a lot but, thank you again miss Adria. To be honest, I thought I would be alone in that village, just waiting to go to sleep forever¡­ Like everyone else. But then you came along! You came along and said you would take care of me! So I wanted to just thank you, miss Adria!¡±


    When he said he felt ¡°alone,¡± she realized that was it. She remembered how she felt alone, how no one truly cared about her, and how she needed to ¡°grow up.¡± No one else had cared, no one else would care, everyone she knew was only ever out for themselves. And that¡¯s why she bottled up her feelings and tried her hardest to ignore it. But now, there was someone that genuinely cared, someone that felt the same way she did, someone she felt she needed, and wanted, to protect. Adria, with a smile, replied, ¡°Thank you, Zycor,¡± before she hugged him and headed to bed.


    Midway through the thirteenth day, they neared their destination, the demi-human village of the Mothraki. As the mountain came into sight it was now a straight shot to the village, and Adria stopped. Zycor asked, ¡°Is everything ok? Why did we suddenly stop?¡±


    Adria had a decision to make, would she take this child to her village and just sell him off, or would she abandon her race to care for this child. Money can always be replenished, but being able to find this feeling again, Adria was certain she wouldn¡¯t. She asked Zycor, ¡°Hey Zycor, what do you think about me adopting you, right here and now. It would mean we would have to travel for a little longer but, I promise to take good care of you.¡±


    Adria gripped the Lead, worried about what his answer would be. She wasn¡¯t sure how she would be able to manage the pain if he said no. Would she be able to handle that loneliness again?


    Zycor, who had not been able to show any expression at any point during their journey, managed to find a smile one more time. He put his hand on Adria¡¯s and told her, ¡°I love my mom and dad, even now. But, I consider you to be my mom as well now. You have cared for me, comforted me, and helped me continue to move forward. You always look so lonely, so let me stay with you so you won¡¯t be lonely anymore.¡±


    Adria, about to cry, began to loosen her grip when Zycor finished by saying, ¡°I love you, mama Adria.¡±


    And with that, Adria started to cry while embracing Zycor and saying, ¡°Thank you so much! I have always wanted to hear those words spoken to me with sincerity! I swear to you, I will take care of you as my own child!¡±


    And thus, Zycor found someone else he could care about and Adria got what she had always longed for, someone who would be there for her and genuinely care about her.


    As Adria dried her tears and released Zycor, she said, ¡°Ok *sniffle*, that¡¯s enough of that. Let''s head somewhere else, I have a great place in mind!¡±


    Zycor replied, ¡°Ok, I trust you.¡±


    As Adria turned the carriage to head towards their new destination, Zycor asked her, ¡°Excuse me, mama Adria. You have a second part of your name, right?¡±


    She replied, ¡°Yes, it''s my family name. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t remember you ever telling me yours.¡±


    ¡°Well, I never learned it, or at least do not remember it,¡± Zycor replied. He then continued and asked, ¡°Would it be ok if I use yours?¡±


    Completely flustered and overjoyed she promptly responded, ¡°Yes, of course! It would make me so happy! From now on you shall be Zycor Mori!¡±


    And with that, the Mori family was born. Though they were of different races, everyone that saw them could not deny that the love they shared was that of a mother and her son.

 Volume 1; Chapter 5: New Beginnings

    Zycor and Adria traveled through many places on their journey. They crossed the plains of Velathria¡¯s southeast, and the mountains of north Acrye. They finally came to rest in the city of Toswal after twenty days of travel. Adria was having trouble getting Zycor to eat more than just the bare minimum for survival. ¡°Just eat the food you stubborn kid!¡± Adria exclaimed.


    She had purchased a manahog roast for Zycor due to its high nutritional value. A manahog is the result of a normal hog absorbing too much mana while it''s growing, causing its body to mutate and grow larger. This, in turn, greatly increases its strength. So although they are not especially rare, they can be expensive depending on the difficulty of the hunt. ¡°I-I can¡¯t, this was a lot of money, right? I shouldn¡¯t have any,¡± Zycor responded.


    Adria, with a slightly irritated smile, said, ¡°Zycor, sweety, I am not asking you to eat it, I¡¯m telling you nicely.¡±


    Zycor stared at the roast in front of him. He had never seen something so expensive before. He asked Adria if it was really ok, and she reassured him it was fine. It looked so good that if he had any tears left to shed, he would have.


    The duo went to bed and continued their travel in the morning. ¡°Hey, mama Adria, where are we going?¡± Zycor asked.


    Adria said, ¡°To the city of Abros located in the kingdom of Muthgrad. We are still a ways away though.¡±


    Their journey continued south for another four days, encountering a few lesser mana beasts such as mana-rabbits or mana-squirrel. Adria was more than enough to take care of them. After all, surviving in the underworld requires a certain amount of mental, physical, and magical strength. They finally hit the border of Acrye and Muthgrad. They paused so Adria could wash Zycor as well as herself of the dirt and the past few days. They had dinner and finally went to bed as they normally would, Zycor getting as close to Adria as possible.


    They traveled another two-and-a-half days and finally hit the capital of Muthgrad, Vestrana. When they got to the main gates, there were two guards there and when they saw Adria and her ID plate, they called their commanding officer. ¡°Well, well, well, a pleasure to see you again Adria! Are you here to see the usual customers?¡± the officer inquired, slightly buzzed from some¡­ confidential resources.


    Adria responded, ¡°Sort of, I am here to see the guild overseer. I need to talk about something with my old friend.¡±


    The officer nodded and had the gate raised. Zycor curiously asked, ¡°Mama Adria, how do they know you?¡±


    Adria, not wanting Zycor to learn the truth nor lie to him, said, ¡°Well, I do business with many of the people here in Muthgrad. So I have ended up getting to know quite a few people here.¡±


    She did not technically lie to him, she just left out some¡­ unnecessary details. ¡°That¡¯s really cool, so you must have a lot of money,¡± Zycor commented.


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    Adria said, ¡°Well I used to have a lot of money but not anymore.¡±


    After a brief pause, she continued while she smiled, ¡°Now, it¡¯s our money.¡±


    After some time of travel through the city, they finally arrived at the guild overseer¡¯s office. The guild overseer is the person who was in charge of monitoring and controlling all of the guilds in the kingdom, making sure they do not step out of line or cause trouble for other guilds or businesses. When they finally entered the overseer''s office, he said in a very disgruntled voice, ¡°What do you want, I am a very busy ma-.¡±


    As the overseer raised his head, he saw that it was not an appointment he had forgotten about but Adria. ¡°Oh dear me, please forgive my tone. I have just been under quite a bit of stress as of late. You know how it can get here. So, my lovely friend, what brings you here?¡± he inquired as he rose from his chair as he walked around his desk to greet her.


    Adria replied, ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Dreiford, I did show up unexpectedly.¡±


    Dreiford Hikens, the guild overseer for the kingdom of Muthgrad. Though to the people of the surface and day he is a hard working respectable man, the underworld knows him as a cunning and sadistic man. In fact, Adria had made quite a large profit off of this man in the past. As he shook her hand, he saw Zycor standing behind her, hiding the best he could. Dreiford grinned sinisterly and said, ¡°Well, if you came here with a new toy for me I still have my hands full with the last batch. But, I think I can make an exce-GAH.¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he felt his hand start to crack and fracture from the immense force Adria had begun to grasp it with. With a cheery face, as to not upset Zycor, she said, ¡°My dear friend, I would like you to know that this one is not for those purposes. And if I ever catch you or your associates trying anything with him¡­ well, it won¡¯t go well for you.¡±


    She then let go, making sure not to cause any permanent damage. Dreiford recoiled a bit and then asked, ¡°Well, what brings you here then, Miss Mori?¡±


    ¡°I am here to ask you to help me set up an adventurers guild in the city of Abros. On top of it having the necessities for an adventuring guild I will need it to have accommodations, I am sure you know what I mean,¡± She replied.


    Dreiford nodded, ¡°I can have it done for you in a week, anything else you need?¡±


    After she thought for a moment, Adria replied, ¡°Nothing major my old friend, just make sure our other acquaintances know not to lay a finger on my child.¡±


    ¡°YOUR CHILD?!¡± Dreiford cried, understandably taken aback.


    ¡°Settle down, Dreiford. I found him while I was traveling and decided to adopt him. So now that you know, please do keep it in mind moving forward,¡± Adria said as she turned and began to walk out.


    Dreiford, now sweating bullets, responded, ¡°Yes, of c-course, Miss Mori! I will make certain everyone knows not to mess with you or your kid!¡±


    When the door shut Dreiford fell to the ground as he attempted to catch his breath. ¡°That boy is her kid?!¡± he thought, ¡°Oh dear God, what would have happened to me if that child wasn¡¯t present in the room?! I-I should give the kid something as thanks, for saving my life.¡±


    With the end of their meeting Adria and Zycor headed off to the City of Abros to the southwestern part of Muthgrad. When they arrived two-in-a-half days later, the head of the team hired by Dreiford to clean up, restore, and fix the building to be used as the guild building greeted them. ¡°Greetings, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mori. We should be done here in the next three or four days, until then we have an inn prepared for you and your child, already paid for, of course,¡± he told them.


    Adria replied, ¡°Smart man.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 6: A-Z Adventurers Guild

    Over the next few days the guild hall was repaired, expanded upon, and restored into a delightful two story building. It used white as the base color with gold colored stripes running along the middle. Right above the double doors hung the guild''s name, ¡®A-Z Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡¯


    Upon walking inside, one is greeted by several wood tables and benches that could seat six people per table easily. Off to the left on the wall was a large bulletin board for quest postings. Next to the bulletin board were some stairs that lead to the second floor. Straight ahead from the entrance was the reception desk with a room behind it. A few feet to the left of the desk (while looking from the entrance) was a bar, complete with stools, a few pre-stocked barrels, and a kitchen in the back. There was a small balcony on the second floor with another double door in the middle, behind which was the guild master¡¯s room. The room had a red circular rug on the floor with a glass table set up in the middle with two couches on either side, perpendicular to the entrance walls. The guild master¡¯s desk was parallel to the entrance wall with a window behind it,which gave a clear view of the Bay of Ythos. To the right of the guild master¡¯s office was a pair of doors, both of which were bedrooms for Zycor and Adria. Hanging in the middle of the guilds main hall was a chandelier with five magic items that all had fire magic, meant for illuminating the room at night, engraved into them.


    While Adria took care of the last bit of formal paperwork needed to finalize everything, Zycor decided to look around. As he looked around he could only think about how big the building was. The head worker saw Zycor looking around and said, ¡°Hey kid, if you want to check out your room, it¡¯s on the second floor at the end.¡±


    Zycor nodded and made his way upstairs to investigate. When he opened the door he was met with a room far larger than what he used to have. There was a window in the middle of the room''s back wall with its own pair of curtains, a bed on the left side of the room perpendicular to the back wall. There was a bookshelf stocked with a couple books against the wall at the end of the bed and a writing desk to the right of the room with an envelope on it. As Zycor was about to have the note in his hands Adria called for him, so whatever it was would have to wait. He left his room and made his way back downstairs to Adria. When he got there she turned him around at the entrance to face the inside of the guild hall and put an arm around his shoulder and one around his waist. She warmly said, ¡°Welcome home, Zycor.¡±


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    She couldn¡¯t see any expression on his face, but his hug became tighter afterwards. Being unable to contain herself, she grabbed Zycor with all four of her arms and proceeded to lock him in a vice grip hug, repeatedly calling him adorable. Once that was out of her system and she realized he had passed out, she brought him to his bed. When he woke up later, Adria apologized profusely. After ten or so minutes, Adria finally left saying she was going to start on dinner. When she had shut the door behind her, Zycor went over to the desk and opened the first drawer and pulled out the envelope. When he opened it, removed the note, and opened the note, a small, thin plate fell out. Zycor didn¡¯t know what it was or did, but he knew that Adria had one so he assumed it was important. He looked at the note, but to a six year old it was nothing but scribbles on a page so he figured it wasn¡¯t that important. He took the note and plate and put it back in the drawer and closed it.


    Later that evening, Adria called Zycor down for dinner. This would be the first time he would get to eat something Adria made not outside, and he would be lying if he said he was not looking forward to it. For dinner, she had prepared some smoked ham and steamed some corn. While they were eating Adria asked Zycor, ¡°So, what are you planning to do? We finally have a permanent place to stay so we don¡¯t have to worry about traveling constantly. Is there anything in particular you have in mind?¡±


    Zycor¡¯s hand, which had been devouring Adria¡¯s food like it was going out of style, paused and, after a delay, he set his fork down. After a minute of silence Zycor looked at Adria, his eyes full of rage fueled conviction, and declared in a determined voice, ¡°I want to get stronger, mama Adria.¡±


    Adria asked, ¡°Are you sure that is what you want to do? Starting young is certainly a good thing, it gives you more time to practice and gain experience. But do you really want to give up your childhood, I mean, you are only six.¡±


    Zycor, holding the same intensity, replied, ¡°All of my family and friends are gone. I don¡¯t have a reason to act like a kid anymore.¡±


    Adria, a little sad to hear a six year old child speak like that, let alone her child, could not help but feel sad for him. She simply said, ¡°Ok, then we will talk about that in the morning, but for now let''s enjoy tonight!¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 7: The Weapon

    As the night changed to morning, Zycor was awoken by Adria. ¡°Ok Zycor,¡± she started, ¡°before anything else we must figure out what weapon you want to use.¡±


    Zycor, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, nodded as he got ready. They went outside to begin figuring out what weapon he wanted to use by utilizing the wooden versions of the real thing. Zycor and Adria tried out different weapons and ways to fight with them, getting creative in some aspects, for a week straight but nothing felt right to Zycor. And when he was about to give up and accept that life itself was against him, Dreiford showed up. When he stepped out of the carriage he said, ¡°My apologies for being late, I got caught up with something.¡±


    Adria, confused, asked, ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t remember you saying you would come visit today.¡±


    Dreiford, now equally as confused, said, ¡°But I am certain I left a note along with the boy¡¯s ID card in his room. Boy, did you not read th-.¡± He paused and asked with a sigh, ¡°Boy, you don¡¯t know how to read, do you?¡±


    Zycor shook his head and said, ¡°No sir, my parents never taught me how.¡±


    Dreiford replied, ¡°I see, then the fault is with me for not foreseeing this. I do apologize for the inconvenience then, Miss Adria.¡±


    Adria trying to process what¡¯s going on asked, ¡°Wait a moment, you made and then gave a six year old child his own ID card? What could have possessed you to make you think that was a good idea?¡±


    Dreiford responded, ¡°Well, he would need one eventually, and I do owe him big time. Though in my opinion I do believe just an ID card is not enough.¡±


    He turns to Zycor and says with the most respect and gratitude, ¡°My boy, if there is ANYTHING I can do for you, please just ask!¡±


    ¡°Zycor¡­¡± Zycor said a bit shyly.


    ¡°I do apologize, my boy, what was that?¡± Dreiford asked.


    Zycor, speaking up this time, says, ¡°My name is Zycor, Mr. Dreiford.¡±


    Dreiford, now realizing he had never gotten the boy''s name before, said, ¡°Oh my, I do apologize, I had completely forgotten to ask your name! I hope you can forgive me my-ahem I mean, Zycor.¡±


    As Dreiford scanned the area where Adria and Zycor were, he saw a variety of weapons strewn across the ground. ¡°So what did I happen to interrupt?¡± he inquired.


    Adria told him, ¡°We were trying to figure out what weapon he would want to use and train with. However, we have not been successful as of yet. He just can¡¯t seem to find the weapon he feels the most connected to, and he is starting to lose heart.¡±


    Dreiford, who now understood the situation exclaims, ¡°Well that¡¯s no reason to give up!¡±


    He turned to Zycor, ¡°Zycor my boy, I tell you what. If you can draw me a picture of a weapon you want, no matter how crazy it is, I will use my connections to try their hardest to make it a reality for you!¡±


    After he heard all this, something clicked. Dreiford was right, why burn all this time to try and find the weapon he wants when he can have someone find it, or make it for him! Zycor shook his hand violently and thanked him, then asked Adria for some paper and something to write with, and went inside to his room. ¡°That bo- I mean, Zycor, he must have gone through something horrific, huh?¡± Dreiford commented.


    Adria, confused by his statement, asked, ¡°What do you mean? Is there something wrong with him?¡±


    Dreiford looked at her and said, ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t wear any expressions, nor does he express emotions outside of the tone of his voice and the fire in his eyes. A kid would have to go through something tragic for something like this to happen. Though, he seems happy enough with you, so I doubt you did anything to him.¡±


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    Adria, who knew nothing about human children, said, ¡°Oh, I thought that some kids were just like that.¡±


    ¡°I mean, some kids have trouble expressing emotion, true, but something this bad is different¡± Dreiford stated.


    Adria, getting a bit concerned, asked, ¡°Well, is there a way to fix it?¡±


    Dreiford told her, ¡°Yes and no. It¡¯s not like a cut or a scrape you can just bandage and give it a couple days. The only thing that can heal this wound is time, being surrounded by those that care about him, and him himself coming to terms with whatever happened and moving on.¡±


    While Zycor worked on trying to draw and make a new weapon design he liked, he trained his body and constantly pushed his limits. After three months passed and the season began to change to fall, Zycor was finally able to finish something he was happy with. Dreiford came as fast as he could when he heard the news. When Dreiford arrived, he looked at Zycor and said, ¡°Wow, I come by once a week to check up on things and yet I am still amazed you are the same scrawny kid I met all those months ago.¡±


    Zycor nodded and handed him the weapon design drawing. ¡°Would you look at that I can tell what it is this time, haha!¡± Dreiford stated jokingly.


    Zycor said, ¡°Thank you for your help, Mr. Dreiford.¡±


    Dreiford, caught off guard by the young boy''s sudden thanks, responded, ¡°Well now, I have not done anything just yet my boy! Please hold your thanks for after we complete a working prototype!¡±


    Zycor shook his head, ¡°Thank you for that as well, but I mean for getting me and mama Adria a place to stay.¡±


    Dreiford, stunned at the boy¡¯s genuine compliment, replied, ¡°Ah, it was nothing! With my connections it was a simple matter! And besides, I owed Adria anyways!¡±


    Zycor nodded, and went back to his close combat skills training in preparation for his new weapon. Dreiford, who had not received a compliment from anyone in over twenty years unless it was to gain something, began to develop a fondness for Zycor. Even he found it strange considering his¡­ hobbies, but it¡¯s a feeling that just kind of happened.


    Another month passed, fall now in full swing. While Zycor and Adria ate lunch, She asked Zycor, ¡°I probably should have asked you this sooner, but when is your birthday? I would hate to miss my own son''s birthday because I simply didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Zycor told her, ¡°It¡¯s Vyhuth fifteenth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s in three days! Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner!?¡± Adria shouted, upset at Zycor for not telling her.


    Zycor responded, ¡°I did not want to cause trouble, mama Adria.¡±


    Before Adria could begin scolding him for thinking that, Dreiford showed up and barged in the door. ¡°Zycor my boy! They did it! They managed to make a full fledged schematic! But even better than that, they said that it is possible to make!¡± Dreiford exclaimed with an immense amount of excitement.


    Zycor stood up and ran over to Dreiford to look at the schematics to see it with his own eyes. That was it, they were able to not only make his drawing into real schematics, but it looked even better than what he had imagined. Dreiford asked Zycor, ¡°So? What do you think? If you like it, I can have the craftsmen team begin work immediately!¡±


    Zycor grabbed Dreifords hand, looked up at him, and nodded vigorously. Dreiford did not get to revel in this feeling of satisfaction for long before he felt the glare of Adria, burning multiple holes through all of his vitals. He pulled away and told Zycor, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a yes if I have ever seen one! I shall take my leave and have them begin work on it, though it may be quite a while until it''s done.¡± And with that he headed for the doors.


    As he approached the guild doors, Zycor spoke, ¡°Hey Mr. Dreiford-.¡± He stopped, realizing he might just impose on the busy man and said, ¡°N-never mind.¡±


    Adria saw Zycor¡¯s fidgeting, the same way he does when he wants to ask her for something, but holds back for fear of inconveniencing her. She continued for him, ¡°Well Mr. Dreiford, judging by the way he is acting, and what we were just talking about, I can guess what he wanted to ask you. I am fairly certain he wanted to ask if you wanted to come to his seventh birthday in three days, isn¡¯t that right sweety?¡±


    Zycor nodded silently. Dreiford exclaimed, ¡°I see! Your birthday is that soon now is it? I barely have time to put something together! Well, let me see what I can do my boy!¡±


    And with that, he hurried off to start working on everything he needed to do. ¡°Are you sure you want him to come, sweety? I know how he looks, but he is not really the nicest man¡± Adria commented.


    Zycor, fearing he might have made a mistake, replied, ¡°W-well, he has helped us a lot. So I just t-thought it would be ok.¡±


    Adria reluctantly replied, ¡°Well if that¡¯s how you feel, I suppose it¡¯s fine. Besides, I¡¯ll be there to watch over you anyways, so it will be ok.¡± They hugged, and Zycor went back out to practice using the new weapons, as sloppy as it was.

 Volume 1; Chapter 8: Birthday

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Adria woke Zycor up in the morning, as she usually did, but today was different. Because it was his birthday, she decided to put a ban on training so they could just have fun together. From morning to the afternoon, they messed around with some dulled throwing knives to throw at a target on the wall, they played card games, and they just enjoyed each other''s company.


    Around midday, Zycor started to slow down a bit and appeared to be bummed out. When Adria asked him if there was anything wrong, he said, ¡°Well, I was kind of hoping to see Mr. Dreiford. He must have been busy today.¡±


    Adria, seeing Zycor sad, began to plot her revenge against Dreiford. But ten minutes later, there was a knock at the doors, and when Zycor opened them Dreiford was there. ¡°Sorry for my tardiness,¡± he started, ¡°I was a little backed up with some paperwork, but mainly I was trying to figure out what to get you for your birthday. You see, I never had kids so I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and handed Zycor an insignia. ¡°When you turn fifteen and are old enough to own an account at the merchants guild, show them that insignia and give them your name. I have an account set up that you can access when you come of age.¡±


    Zycor, not fully grasping everything he said, nor understanding just how much was put into the account yet, said, ¡°Thank you again, Mr. Dreiford. I am sure this will help.¡±


    Adria, stunned at what Dreiford just said, responded with shock, ¡°Excuse me, but you did WHAT! What is this? The Dreiford Hickens I know would NEVER do something like this, especially not for a seven year old child! What could-.¡± She paused, and then resumed with, ¡°you¡­ you''re not trying to steal my Zycor away from me, are you?¡±


    Adria, never having kids before, did not know why she was full of rage and the urge to slaughter Dreiford where he stood. Of course, this is just her maternal instincts at work, wanting to protect Zycor. Adria¡¯s mana started to leak out of her as her anger rose, Dreiford gulped and accepted that this was the end. Zycor interjected into the situation, ¡°Mama Adria, no one could take me from you. Mr. Dreiford is sort of like an uncle. But I will always love you the mostest, Mama Adria.¡±


    Adria instantly calmed down while she blushed, and proceeded to bolt over to Zycor and hug him, telling him she loved him over and over again. Dreiford, who was wiping the sweat from his face, while he also tried to hide his embarrassment at being considered an uncle, simply said, ¡°Well kid, looks like you saved me again. At this rate I won¡¯t ever be able to repay you. But hey, I have cake!¡±


    Zycor, confused due to his family never having purchased cake nor baked any, asked, ¡°What is cake Mama Adria?¡±


    Adria and Dreiford, both shocked at this injustice, both agreed to set aside any harsh feelings towards each other and educate Zycor on proper city birthdays. Soon night fell, Zycor and Adria said their goodbyes to Dreiford and went upstairs so Zycor could go to bed. Before she left him to sleep, Adria reached into her pocket and said, ¡°I know this is a bit late, but I want you to have this.¡±


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    She pulled out a jade green ring, and handed it to him. ¡°This ring,¡± she began, ¡°is made of magnecite. It is engraved with a unique magic spell, ice defense, in it. If you are ever in danger all you have to do is pour some mana into the ring and it will create a protective wall of ice for you.¡±


    Zycor put the oversized ring on his finger, and it adjusted its size to fit on his finger. He thanked Adria, they hugged, and they went to bed.


    Six months passed and fall turned to winter, and winter to spring. Dreiford showed up with the first prototype weapon completed. ¡°The crafting team was really excited about this one, they want to know what you think about it!¡± Dreiford Excitedly exclaimed.


    Dreiford unloaded a box from his carriage with the help of some water magic. When he opened it, there were two gauntlets. They had a bronze tint to them and two leather straps to secure them to the weilders forearm. There were two short blades at the end of each gauntlet as well. Dreiford told Zycor, ¡°They made these prototypes specifically for a seven year old, just so they could have you get a feel for the design. Well, don¡¯t be shy, put them on!¡±


    Zycor enthusiastically followed Dreifords suggestion. Once the weapons were properly mounted Zycor began to test them. All of the training he had been doing could finally be shown off. He was able to maneuver the weapons far more easily than anyone else his age could have. He used the target dummies he used for training as test objects, and was able to cut rather deep into them, considering his age. He moved around with them a bit more to get a better feel for their maneuverability. Finally, Zycor returned to Dreiford and removed the gauntlets. Zycor said, ¡°Is there a way the blades can be hidden when I am not using them?¡±


    After he heard this, Dreiford, with a perplexed look on his face, responded, ¡°Well, I do not actually know. Perhaps we could try to add a retraction mechanism¡­ this has been a great help, I shall head back and inform the team.¡± And with that, Dreiford headed back with the weapons.


    On the second visit, two months later, the weapons now made use of gears, a fairly new concept for weapons, to retract the blades. Though in this process the blades were not sturdy enough and came off. Another month passed and it was now midsummer. The weapons¡¯ blades were now sturdy enough and the blades retracted perfectly as well. The new issue, however, was the blades would get stuck whenever the blades tried to be extended. Two more months went by and Dreiford brought the fourth iteration. The blades were sturdy and secure, the blades retracted as intended, and the craft team added a small magic item engraved with a spell from the unique magic type, magnetism, set to repel in order to help with the extending speed. Aside from Zycor having needed help to extend the blades, due to the requirement of using mana, the weapon worked as intended. The only other thing that Zycor asked for this iteration was to increase the retraction speed. And so, half a month passed and the completed prototype was born. It used two magic items, one to attract and one to repel, in order to retract and extend instead of using the newer gear technology. When extended there are latches that will shut when extended to lock the blade in place, and open up when retracted.


    Zycor was satisfied with the weapon and told Dreiford as much. Dreiford replied, ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear it! And if there are any modifications you want done, come talk to me and I will make sure they get done!¡±


    Zycor nodded and thanked Dreiford for all his help, and Dreiford boarded his carriage and departed. However, the carriage abruptly stopped, and Dreiford jumped out. He asked Zycor, ¡°Hey, Zycor my boy, what are you gonna call your new weapons? I need to know for the registration paperwork!¡±


    Adria looked at Zycor, curious as to what he would decide. Zycor looked at the weapons currently mounted on his forearms and, after a brief pause, responded, ¡°I think I will call them Scillia and Gaus.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 9: A Stranger in the Snow

    Two years passed and winter finally arrived, bringing the cold and snow with it. Zycor was training outside, as usual, doing everything he could to increase his arm strength in order to wield his gauntlet weapon better. The adventurers guild at this point was up and running and had a few members already, some had been there for about a year now.


    ¡°Are you still out here training, kid?¡± asked one of the adventurers leaving the guild hall, ¡°It¡¯s freezing out here, be careful not to catch a cold.¡±


    Zycor momentarily paused and faced the man, ¡°Thank you for your concern, mister, but I will be fine.¡±


    The Adventurer shrugged and, as he began to walk away, chuckled, ¡°Whatever you say kid, just be careful. If Adria found you collapsed and found out I just walked away, I¡¯m certain I wouldn¡¯t live to see tomorrow!¡±


    As Zycor made his way into the snow covered wasteland to continue his training, he noticed something off in the distance. As he stood there confused, he wondered what it was. The figure soon collapsed in the snow. Zycor rushed over as fast as he could, hoping he would be able to help them. When he finally arrived, he saw a demi-human girl with pale pink tinted skin and a horn in the middle of her upper forehead. Zycor put the girl on his back and stood up. She was taller than Zycor by about six inches, which made carrying her a bit awkward. When Zycor managed to get a good handle on her, he began to drag her back to the guild hall. When he arrived at the guild he burst through the doors and loudly stated, ¡°Mama Adria, I found someone outside who collapsed in the snow. Can you help them?¡±


    When Adria came out to take a look and saw the demi-human girl on Zycors back, she told him to bring her to the back room. Zycor followed Adria through the door behind the main desk and entered a medium sized room with bookshelves filled with papers and books. There was a bed against the furthest wall and a closed, locked door to the left.


    ¡°Bring her here Zycor, we need to get her on the bed,¡± Adria said as she prepared the materials she needed.


    After Zycor laid the girl on the bed Adria began to cast fire magic to warm her up. Adria saw the girl¡¯s horn and pale, pink skin along with her physical build and got a good idea of what she was. Adria, focused on trying to prevent any permanent damage, said to Zycor in a stern tone, ¡°Zycor, bring in a bucket and a cloth.¡±


    After she warmed the girl up a bit to prevent frostbite, Adria checked and unfortunately found a fever. Zycor immediately ran to get the items. When he returned, Adria filled the bucket up with cold water with water magic, got the cloth damp, and placed it on the girl''s forehead. Adria told Zycor to hold the patient¡¯s arms down while she closed her wounds with fire magic. Zycor got the best grip he could and applied pressure while Adria began to seal the girl''s wounds. When Adria made contact, the girl let out a yelp, tensed up, and began to struggle. Zycor did his best to keep her still, but an eight year old boy can only do so much against a half demon. She lifted the arm Zycor was holding and hurled him across the room. After Adria saw that, she snapped, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it, girl!¡± before she cast a fire binding spell and held the girl still.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend struggling,¡± Adria chastised. ¡°Struggling will only make the flames get hotter.¡±


    The girl complied, and Adria finished closing the girls¡¯ wounds. Adria changed the cloth and told the girl to rest as she left the room with Zycor. The curious boy he was, Zycor asked Adria, ¡°Mama Adria, do you know what that girl is? She doesn¡¯t look like you or me.¡±


    Adria nodded and replied, ¡°I do, she is from a demi-human race called the Oni. Their brute strength alone could rival five of the best swordsmen in the kingdom even at her young age. That¡¯s not even mentioning their magic capabilities. Though they don¡¯t interact with others outside of their race often, aside from the occasional raid during food or water shortages. So it does not make any sense for one to be alone and so close to human civilization.¡±


    As Adria was trying to figure out what the girl was doing alone and so far away from her people, Zycor slipped back into the room. As he watched the strange girl sleeping, he decided to do what he could for her. When Adria eventually returned to the room looking for Zycor, she saw him using bandages to dress the wounds, though very crudely, on her arms. Adria smiled, happy he was still able to care for others despite everything he had gone through. Though, this thought was cut short when Zycor went to bandage the wounds on her chest and stomach not yet understanding the difference between boys and girls. She rushed over and picked him up, ¡°Ok Zycor, I do appreciate you are so eager to help tend to her wounds, but that area is not a place you should be touching. Let Mama Adria handle that part.¡±


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    Confused, Zycor, as he was being escorted out of the room, asked ¡°But why? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Adria, a bit embarrassed, replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong per say, more like it¡¯s inappropriate for a boy to touch a girl he barely knows there.¡±


    Zycor was still confused, but decided to trust Adria and left. When the girl finally awoke the next day, her fever had mostly subsided. Adria was reading in a chair next to the bed, and Zycor was sitting leaned up against one of the walls fast asleep. When she realized where she was she started to panic. However, she was stopped by her injuries causing her a good amount of pain when she tried to move. Looking up from her book, Adria softly said, ¡°Good morning, I hope you enjoyed your long nap.¡±


    Adria¡¯s voice calmed the girl''s nerves and she began to calm down. ¡°Where am I?¡± she asked.


    Adria replied, ¡°In the backroom of my adventurers guild hall. Since we are in the mood to ask questions, might I inquire about your name?¡±


    The girl, noticing her wounds had already been tended to, nodded and answered Adria¡¯s question, ¡°My name is Aislin Rose-Lothion. I thank you for patching me up.¡±


    Adria smiled, ¡°What a unique name. You normally hear the same old generic names when amongst humans, so it¡¯s nice to hear a name like yours once in a while. As for your wounds,¡±


    Adria looked over at the sleeping Zycor, ¡°That boy is the one who brought you here. He said he found you collapsed in the snow, so he carried you here, after which he eagerly did everything he knew how to try and tend to your wounds.¡±


    Aislin looked at the boy, and back to Adria, ¡°Well, thank you both for all of your help, I shall leave at once.¡±


    Adria stopped her and asked, ¡°So what is someone from the Oni tribe doing all the way out here¡­ alone.¡±


    Aislin froze for a moment, ¡°So you know what I am huh. Are you going to try and turn me in? Because I won¡¯t go down eas-.¡±


    Adria put her hand up, stopping Aislin, ¡°You misunderstand, Ms. Rose-Lothion. I merely asked you what you were doing out here alone. If I had wanted to turn you in,¡±


    Adria¡¯s magic power began to rise as the whole building began to shake, the room was filled with an immense pressure that terrified Aislin. Adria then stated in a serious tone, ¡°I. Would. Have. Done. So.¡±


    After she finished her threat, the magic power dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Frightened and in awe of her power, Aislin said, ¡°I am sorry, ma¡¯am. I am here because I left my tribe behind. There was a war between my tribe and another demi-tribe, and although we won, many lives were lost. That includes my family, and all of the friends I had in the defense team. So, with there being no reason for me to stay any longer, I decided to set off on my own adventure. I traveled for weeks, until I finally ended up in that snowy field. My wounds were finally getting to me along with my-.¡±


    As she began to say something, her stomach let out a loud rumble. Adria looked at her and asked, ¡°Would you like something to eat, Ms. Rose-Lothion?¡±


    Slightly embarrassed, Aislin responded, ¡°Yes please.¡±


    Adria grabbed some wooden crutches she had and gave them to Aislin.. As they got to the door to leave, Adria looked at Zycor and said, ¡°Zycor sweety, if you don¡¯t get up soon, all of the food will be gone~.¡±


    Zycors eyes shot open, and as he swiftly went to stand up, his feet slipped and his face became well acquainted with the ground. Aislin barely had time to process what happened. This kid, who slept through the yelling, magic quake, and roar of a hungry Oni¡¯s stomach, heard he would miss out on food, woke up, and proceeded to fall face first onto the ground. The whole situation was so ridiculous, she couldn¡¯t help but erupt into laughter. ¡°This kid!¡± she began, ¡°He¡¯s too much! Owowowow.¡±


    Aislin held her stomach in pain due to the combination of the injuries she sustained along with the intense laughter. As Zycor got to his feet, he asked, ¡°Are you ok? Can I do anything to help?¡±


    Aislin looked at Zycor and said, ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be alright kid, so you don¡¯t have to look so serious.¡±


    Zycor, choosing to stop listening after the ¡®kid¡¯ comment, replied, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore. And besides, how old are you?¡±


    Aislin, slightly annoyed at the kid talking back to her, snapped, ¡°I¡¯m fifteen kid, how old are you, huh?¡±


    Zycor, not about to give any ground, smugly stated, ¡°I¡¯m eight and a half.¡±


    ¡°HAH,¡± Aislin bellowed, unable to contain herself, ¡°You really are just a kid! I am fourteen you goof! You better watch what you say to your elders! And another thing, where is your emotion? Or is boring your default? You¡¯ll never find a girlfriend acting like that!¡±


    ¡°What is a ¡®girlfriend¡¯? Is it a type of weapon?¡± Zycor asked, not having the faintest idea of what that was.


    As Aislin started to speak, Adria interrupted, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to worry about that right now. How about we go get some food instead?¡±


    Zycor nodded, walked over to Adria who was waiting, and they went over to the kitchen area. After they were done eating, Zycor got up and started to head outside to train some more, but he stopped and walked back to Aislin. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Hey lady, what is your name?¡±


    Aislin, as she realized he was asleep when she introduced herself the first time, replied, ¡°It¡¯s Aislin, what about you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zycor,¡± he responded.

 Volume 1; Chapter 10: An Extra Hand

    After Zycor left the guild building to go train, Aislin realized she had been left alone with Adria. ¡°So,¡± Adria began, ¡°What do you plan on doing from here on out?¡±


    Still wary in the presence of Adria after her earlier display, Aislin responded, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not too sure. If I go out as I am now, I will surely be hunted by the guards or adventurers looking to bring in an Oni. So I will probably leave and try to find some place that will hire me, regardless of what I am, and go from there.¡±


    Adria thought a moment, then spoke, ¡°Well, what if you work here for me? I am in need of some extra help, especially with a side project of mine. I pay well, and will give you a place to stay along with all of the essentials.¡±


    Aislin, taken aback, but not about to pass this opportunity up, replied, ¡°I would love to if you¡¯ll have me!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, I will have you go through a trial period for the first three months. After that, I will have you help me out with my side project. I of course will pay you more to compensate for your extra help,¡± Adria said, as she drew up the contract.


    After it was made and signed, Aislin was officially a part of the guild. ¡°So, what will you have me do?¡± Aislin asked, excited, but a bit on edge.


    Adria replied, ¡°Something simple enough. I want you to get along with Zycor and teach him how to fight. On top of that I would like you to help out at the front desk. The desk help has priority, but if you find yourself with some free time while still working, do the former.¡±


    Aislin, a bit turned off about how dull it was. But knowing an offer for a job like this won¡¯t come around again for a long time, if ever, she agreed. Adria smiled, and brought her into the back room and gave her the uniform she would be wearing.


    The first three months flew by. The snow began to melt and life returned to the land. Adria called Aislin into the back room and, after Aislin agreed to help with the side project, had her make a pact using a magic item. This pact would prevent Aislin from revealing anything about what she was about to see and hear unless given permission by Adria. With the pact sealed, Adria opened the locked door to reveal a flight of stairs. As they descended into the basement, Aislin was met with a large room, with many interconnecting tunnels. Looking at the main body of the room, there were multiple tables, cabinets and bookshelves, all full of Black Market goods and records.


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    ¡°That side job I asked you for help with,¡± Adria Began, ¡°I need your help with taking care of some of the¡­ ¡®job¡¯ requests. I can¡¯t be everywhere at once you know, and I am getting backed up because I am taking care of Zycor. How has that been going by the way?¡±


    Aislin, in shock, but doing her best to keep her composure, responded, ¡°Well, first of all, he is a handful. But the kid has a lot of potential. He is way stronger than an eight year old should be, thanks to that pretty much daily training. He picks up things quickly, so I don¡¯t think I will have too much trouble with him.¡±


    Adria nodded, happy with Aislin''s answer, responded, ¡°I am really happy to hear that. I was worried he would end up not having any potential. Hearing that might have broken him again, and I don¡¯t think I could bear that.¡±


    Aislin, confused and curious, asks, ¡°What do you mean ¡¯broken again?¡¯¡±


    Adria froze in place as her expression became filled with sadness and replied, ¡°Well, I suppose considering everything and how you will be around for what I hope is a long while, I will tell you. I will tell you about how I met Zycor, and why he is unable to show emotion.¡±


    A few hours went by, and dusk gave way to night. Zycor entered the guild hall and was greeted by Adria, who hugged him with immense force. After Zycor finished the dance with death he had grown accustomed to ended, he went over to the bar area, and sat down waiting for dinner to be ready. Adria left to finish making dinner in the kitchen, and Aislin came out and sat down next to Zycor. Exchanging greetings, the two sat in silence for a time. Aislin, breaking the silence, softly said, ¡°Hey kid¡­ thanks. Ya know, for dragging me here and helping patch me up.¡±


    She sat there embarrassed at what she just said. After a brief moment of silence, Zycor responded, ¡°Your welcome. I¡­ I¡¯m glad that I saved you too, Ms. Aislin.¡±


    Adria returned with the food soon after, and the three of them ate while they talked.

 Volume 1; Chapter 11: Lurking Potential

    Two years passed and summer arrived. The guild gained quite a bit of popularity through its few years of operation. The afternoon guild hall was full of rowdy adventurers looking for quests, or simply attempting to obtain some cheap food. Suddenly, Zycor flew through the guild hall doors, hitting the ground, and continued to tumble back a bit further. When he finally stopped and staggered to his feet, he was covered in dirt, cuts, bruises, and blood had begun to bleed. Aislin burst through the doors and shouted, ¡°Hey Zy! Who said you could slack off! Get back out here!¡±


    She noticed the damage her last strike had done to him and, after collecting herself, said, ¡°Actually, I think we should call it here today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± Zycor grunted, holding his left arm.


    ¡°No, you are not.¡± Adria said as she came out of her office and began to descend the stairs.


    ¡°Honestly,¡± she continued, ¡°You really need to learn your limits before you get injured in a more permanent way.¡±


    She grabbed Zycor and dragged him to the back room, but paused and said, ¡°Aislin, will you please accompany us.¡±


    Aislin, knowing she was about to be chewed out, reluctantly followed. As Adria was patching Zycor up she asked, ¡°So, what happened to cause all of these injuries?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Aislin began, ¡°He said he wanted me to come at him a bit harder.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Adria said, encouraging Aisling to continue.


    Aislin, a bit quieter, looked away and replied, ¡°And, I may have gone a bit overboard with the amount of force I used.¡±


    Adria sighed, ¡°I think that may be a bit of an understatement.¡±


    After his wounds were tended to, Adria told Zycor, ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to start your lessons.¡±


    Confused, Zycor asked, ¡°What lessons?¡±


    ¡°You are ten now, and as such it¡¯s time to teach you about mana, magic, and spells,¡± Adria replied.


    Hearing this, Zycor began to, internally, get excited. He had only seen magic used by others before, but now it was his turn to learn to use it. Zycor was especially excited to be able to use his weapons by himself. This would also put him another step closer to exacting his vengeance. Adria brought Zycor outside, and began her explanation. ¡°Before we start,¡± Adria started, ¡°I must tell you that if you don¡¯t follow my instructions and listen to me, you could end up dying.¡± Zycor nodded, and Adria continued.


    ¡°Before magic, there is mana. Without mana, there is no way to cast spells or use magic. Inside all living things there exists something called a Soul Shard. There are those that are born without one, but that occurs so rarely, it is irrelevant. It is located next to the heart, and grows along with your other organs, and stops growing around fourteen years old. The Soul Shard is what generates and stores mana in the body. It takes in the ambient natural mana and converts it into mana we can use.¡±


    Extending her right, upper hand, palm up, she generated a small flame, ¡°This is magic, manipulating the elements. Everyone can use a little bit of the natural elements of fire, water, earth, wind, and electricity. However, depending on the experiences you have between your birth and age ten, an individual''s body creates two affinities, never opposite of each other, with them being a major and minor affinity. A person can become proficient in other forms of magic, but the magic they have an affinity with is what they are mentally and physically best with on a biological level. It is during the creation of a person''s affinities that new elements outside of the normal natural elements are born.¡±


    When she noticed Zycor was beginning to lose interest, as a ten year old would, Adria decided to show off a bit. Adria, taking a deep breath, claps all four of her hands together. All of a sudden an immense pressure began emanating around her, and slowly separating her hands. In the space between her upper hands an intense fire was roaring and in her lower hands, there lightning crackling between them, chained to either hand. ¡°Now this,¡± Adria began, ¡°Is magic. Pure elements derived from one''s own mana.¡±


    Zycor was instantly re-invested when he saw her display. ¡°Alright,¡± She resumed, ¡°Now that you have a basic understanding of mana and magic, it¡¯s time to get you started.¡±


    Adria headed inside for a brief moment and returned with an item. The item was a small, clear, spherical object. ¡°Put your hand on the sphere please,¡± Adria asked.


    Zycor complied and when he did, the sphere pierced Zycors fingertips and absorbed the blood that came out. The sphere began pulsing with different colors, then turned gray. Although Adria was a bit puzzled at the color of the sphere, she proceeded by placing the orb on top of some parchment. The sphere¡¯s color began to drain away as text appeared on the parchment. When the sphere returned to being fully clear, Adria removed the sphere from the parchment and began to read what was on the parchment. Zycor, who was a bit curious about why he had to be injured, asked, ¡°Hey, mama Adria, what happened?¡±


    Adria, looking up from the parchment, replied, ¡°That sphere I had was a magic item that takes in a person''s blood and stores their information. This information is stuff like height, weight, magic affinities, and resistances.¡±


    Adria returned to reading, and arrived at the magic affinity section. She saw his minor affinity was lighting, but his major affinity was blank. Adria found this confusing, the only reason it would be left blank was because his major affinity was an element that the magic item did not have in it, or it was broken. Zycor, noticing the look of confusion on her face, asks, ¡°Is everything ok? You look troubled by something.¡±


    Adria responded, ¡°Yes, everything is fine sweety. We are just going to go on a little trip to the official Affinity Appraisal Hall.¡± She stood up and told Zycor to come with her.


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    When the pair arrived at the Appraisal Hall, they were greeted with a large building that looked like a medieval cathedral. When they entered the building they were in a small room, the wall painted white with gold trim, and they had all of the attributes in a circle on the wall, opposite to their opposite elements. Fire across from water, lightning across from earth, and the wind element was in the middle. As they were waiting for someone to enter and assist them, Zycor asked Adria, ¡°Mama Adria, why is the wind element in the middle of the circle?¡±


    As Adria looked at the diagram, she looked back to Zycor, and responded, ¡°That is because the wind attribute is something that allows those with it to use all types of magic to the same level, regardless of affinities. If someone does have a major or minor affinity to the wind attribute, it means that all other magics they can use have their potential amplified. You can think of it as those with wind affinities being more allrounders, not specializing in any one element.¡±


    After Adria finished her explanation, a lady who wore a robe matching the walls of the building walked in. ¡°Greetings,¡± She began, ¡°I would assume you are here to have your affinities checked, yes?¡±


    Adria, with her public smile and tone, responded, ¡°Not me, just my boy here.¡±


    The lady nodded and said, ¡°Right this way please.¡±


    The two followed her through the doors and entered a large room. There was a short hallway before opening up into a large circular room. The room''s ceiling was very tall and hovering in the space between the ground and the ceiling was a massive rainbow crystal that changed color constantly. ¡°Welcome!¡± A man exclaimed as he entered the room, ¡°I hope you are doing well, and I thank you for coming to us for your child''s first magic affinity appraisal.¡±


    The man''s robe was an inverse color to everyone else''s, A gold robe with white trim and the magic affinity circle on the left chest area of the robe. He was accompanied by five other members, all of whom were wearing the normal white and gold trimmed robe. Adria, wanting to get straight to the point, said, ¡°We are here today because I used my own personal magic affinity appraisal item, but when reviewing the results, his major affinity was left blank. I wanted to know if it was because my item was broken or if he had an affinity for light or dark magic.¡±


    The man''s eyes widened, ¡°My, now that is curious! If he does indeed have an affinity for light or dark magic that would make him one of twenty confirmed individuals to have one of those elements alive today!¡± The man motioned toward the crystal, ¡°If you would be so kind as to touch the crystal just as you did with the item before young man.¡±


    Zycor reached out and touched the crystal. With a familiar pricking sensation, Zycor pulled away as the crystal began to rapidly fluctuate between colors before turning gray. The whole room was baffled and began whispering about the color. Adria asked the man, ¡°What is everyone whispering about?¡±


    In response, the man said, ¡°We have never seen a gray color before. Normally the crystal will change colors rapidly, before becoming stagnant on a single color which is the major affinity the individual has. The color gray would mean that his major affinity,¡± the man paused briefly, looked at the crystal, then finished, ¡°Is not an element inside the crystal.¡±


    When the color of the crystal drained and the parchment connected to it filled with writing, the man hurried over and picked up the parchment. As he read, his eyes widened yet again, and he slowly lowered the parchment and looked at Adria. With a confused yet fascinated tone, he said, ¡°Well, it seems that the young lad there does, in fact, have a major affinity that we have not seen before.¡±


    After a moment of silence, the man, whose expression has changed into fascination, continued, ¡°In order for something like this to happen, he would have had to experience something to trigger a feeling that would trump the most common emotions a person has. A person''s magic affinity develops between birth and age ten. During that time one''s affinity is shaped by what emotion or feeling they have that trumps all others.


    If someone is quick to anger and tends to be more violent than average, we tend to see them develop a fire affinity. For electricity it would be the want to protect what is important to the individual. This emotion tends to trump others when the individual has something happen to them during their development stage and they develop a need to overcome something. One seeking the feeling of calmness and creativity will develop a water affinity. Someone that is persistent and always stands resolute with their decisions and views develop an earth affinity. The wind affinity comes about when a person does not have one emotion or feeling in particular that heavily outweighs all the others. That is why those with a wind affinity tend to be rather indifferent and are able to use all elements at an equal level.


    As for the light and dark affinities, we don¡¯t have a clear understanding of how those come about considering there have been so few wielders of it. But what we have learned from the light and dark affinities and elements is people can develop a wide variety of magic, but for some reason their emotions or feelings don¡¯t meet the criteria to surpass the common ones often.¡±


    Zycor, confused about what all the commotion is about, asked Adria, ¡°Why is everyone looking at me? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Adria, reassuring him, responded, ¡°No, you did not do anything wrong sweety! It¡¯s just that you have a very unique gift is all!¡±


    Zycor nodded and said, ¡°Ok mama Adria, I trust you.¡±


    Adria turned back to the man and asked, ¡°So what should we do knowing all of that?¡±


    The man said, ¡°Well, there is not much we can do honestly. As I said, you could take him to the capital and have them take a look at him, but I don¡¯t think they will be of any more help than we were. I think the best course of action would be to take him home and let the magic develop naturally.¡±


    Adria thanked the man for the advice, grabbed Zycors hand, and headed back home. When they arrived back at the guild, the afternoon sun had begun to dim and give way to dusk. They were greeted by Aislin when they entered the guild hall, ¡°Welcome back guys, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°It went well, though we did not get any answers,¡± Adria replied.


    Zycor tugged on Aislin''s sleeve and said, ¡°Big sis Aislin, will you teach me to use my magic?¡±


    Surprised, she looked at Adria, who was a bit upset that Zycor had asked Aislin to help him instead of her, and said, ¡°Uhhhh, maybe you should ask Adria, kid.¡±


    Zycor shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t. Mama Adria is busy with guild stuff and I don¡¯t want to bother her.¡±


    Adria wanted to deny Zycors claims, but as she realized he was right, she became a bit sad. Seeing this, Aislin chimed in, ¡°Well, how''s about this. During the weekdays when I am not busy I will help you, and during the weekends when it¡¯s not all that busy, Adria helps you?¡±


    Zycor nodded his head and said, ¡°I would like that.¡±


    Both Aislin and Zycor looked at Adria, waiting for her response. Adria responded, ¡°Of course I agree to that! I look forward to seeing how you grow between our sessions!¡±


    Using all of her arms, Adria hugged Zycor and Aislin. ¡°Uhh, I do appreciate that you liked my proposal, but could you stop hugg-ugh, hugging me so tight. I can¡¯t¡­ breathe.¡±


    As Aislin looked at Zycor, he said, ¡°You get used to it.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 12: Progress Check 1

    The passage of time marched on for another three years, and spring, on the verge of summer, enveloped the land. The guild quickly became a hotspot for adventurers, and its global guild ranking steadily increased. The guild building was renovated to increase the size of the main hall by about 1.5 times, and the reception desk area was expanded by 1.5 times as well. Aside from that, the rest of the building remained the same, though now it had evidence of scuffles and disagreements amongst its adventurers.


    The upstairs door to Adria¡¯s office suddenly flew open, and an adventurer came flying out, slamming into the railing stopping him from plummeting down to the floor below. ¡°If you want to get violent over the decision I have made,¡± Adria exclaimed, her mana swelling, ¡°Then I would be happy to oblige! You have two options now. Accept your punishment for leaving one of your guild mates to die after having wounded him gravely on your last quest, and leave the guild at once. Or, you can choose option two, and be forcibly removed by ME.¡±


    The adventurer scrambled to his feet and began to run down the stairs and out of the guild hall. ¡°Screw you and this guild! I¡¯ll just go somewhere where my skills are appreciated!¡± he yelled.


    That response was followed promptly with an explosive fire spell from Adria that blew him out of the doors of the guild hall. ¡°AND STAY OUT!¡± She exclaimed.


    The adventurers all laughed at the fool that dared to cross Adria, but soon went back to their own conversations. Adria went back into her office, shutting the door behind her, and sitting down in her chair. Thinking out loud, with a sigh, she mumbled, ¡°Goddess I hope my sweet Zycor doesn¡¯t turn out as unreasonable as that adventurer¡­ perhaps I should stop his and Aislins training sessions, to prevent her personality from rubbing off on him.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair, and turned to face the window, and, finishing her thought, said, ¡°Then again the training is helping him get stronger and use his magic properly. And who knows, maybe he can curb her rather crude personality.¡±


    Out in the fields where Zycor first found Aislin, the two of them were trading intense blows. ¡°Keep your guard up!¡± Aislin yelled as she came in with a strong right hook.


    Zycor ducked under the blow and put his hand against her stomach, causing lightning to crackle to life. ¡°Right back at ya,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    Suddenly, a large amount of lightning magic pierced through Aislin at the point of contact and sent her flying. Zycor used the fact that just expelling lighting magic doesn¡¯t cause visible damage, and the fact that Aislin had far more defense than Zycor could possibly hope to get through at his level, to unleash the largest sum of magic he could muster.


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    Aislin hit the ground, back first, but recovered quickly. Performing a backflip off the initial rebound, landing on her feet, she confidently said, ¡°Nice one kid, but something tells me you won¡¯t be using magic for a while.¡± As a smile formed on her face, she continued, ¡°Well, seeing as your magic is gone,¡± She got low, ready to close the distance, ¡°Let¡¯s finish this HAND TO HAND!¡±


    A large amount of highly concentrated fire burst from Aislin''s feet, almost instantly closing the distance. Using the momentum from the dash, she threw a lariat at Zycor that caused him to crash to the ground as she dug her heels into the ground in order to slow her momentum. As she turned to Zycor, she saw him lying on the ground, not moving. When she called out to him and he didn''t answer, she mumbled fearfully, ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    She rushed over to Zycor and knelt down, ¡°Hey, are you ok little bro!¡± Aislin picked Zycor up and slapped his face a couple times, and he started to groan a bit. ¡°Oh thank the Goddess you aren¡¯t dead!¡± she exclaimed, with a sigh of relief. She stood up with him unconscious in her arms, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you back to the guild, that¡¯s enough training for today.¡±


    Aislin put the unconscious Zycor on her back, then headed back to the guild hall. When she arrived and opened the doors to the rowdy building, she began frantically scanning the room. After confirming that Adria was not around to see Zycor unconscious, she turned her attention to the adventurers. ¡°If any of you morons say a thing to Adria, I will personally castrate you,¡± Aislin violently commented.


    The adventurers erupted into laughter and said, ¡°That¡¯s hilarious, you think any of us need to tell the guild master!¡±


    Confused, Aislin demanded, ¡°What do you idiots mean by tha-.¡±


    ¡°Oh Aislin~,¡± a voice behind her softly said. As she shuddered, Aislin turned around and was greeted with a very annoyed and very upset Adria.


    ¡°H-ha, ha¡­ Hey~ there Adria, how¡¯s it going?¡± Aislin stammered, trying to diffuse the situation.


    ¡°Aislin,¡± Adria began, a wicked smile overtaking her face, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the back room to patch my boy up.¡±


    After they disappeared into the back room and the door had shut behind them, there was a loud boom, followed by Aislin yelling, ¡°OW!¡±


    In the room, Zycor laid the bed and Aislin sat on the floor with her head still sizzling from the fire magic. Adria sighed, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know how you two can take it so far.¡±


    Aislin mumbled, ¡°Well, the kid refuses to give up. Even when I try to end things early he still comes at me. What could possibly drive someone to desire strength that bad?¡±


    Adria, who was tending to the wounds on Zycor, paused and stood there in silence for a moment. Adria softly said, ¡°Zycor does have a reason. Whether his goal is right or wrong, however, remains to be seen.¡± Adria then returned to finishing up the first aid.


    Aislin asked, ¡°Does it have something to do with why he always has his left arm covered with a sleeve?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough questions Aislin. If you want to know so bad, you will have to ask Zycor himself when he wakes up,¡± Adria sternly stated.

 Volume 1; Chapter 13: Past Protection

    After an hour passed Zycor began to wake up. ¡°Look who finally decided to wake up,¡± Aislin said as she sat in a chair she found, ¡°Took you long enough. Adria said I was not allowed to leave this room until you woke up.¡±


    Zycor sat up in the bed, and rubbed his neck which was still sore from the battle. As he got up, Zycor asked, ¡°Hey, big sis Aislin, could you leave for a moment. I need to change my shirt. It¡¯s covered in sweat, dirt, and it got torn up during our fight.¡±


    Aislin, still curious about why he covered his left arm, asked, ¡°Hey Zy, why do you always have your left arm covered? Did something happen, and is it related to why you want to get stronger?¡±


    Zycor grabbed his left arm and began to recall the images of the day it was injured. He began to have a small panic attack that started to grow in severity with each passing moment. As he began to hyperventilate, Aislin screamed at him, ¡°Hey! ZYCOR!¡±


    Zycor snapped out of his panicked state and began to calm down. Aislin, worried and put off by what happened, asked, ¡°Hey, are you ok? I think that¡¯s the first time I have seen your expression change since we met.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s something I would¡­ rather not talk about.¡±


    Aislin nodded, ¡°Ok, I understand. I¡¯ll leave, come out when you are done, Adria said something about new equipment from Dreiford or something.¡±


    When Aislin shut the door behind her, Zycor sat on the bed, still grabbing his arm. With one final deep breath, he managed to calm himself down to a manageable state. He took his shirt off and the bandages covering his arm, revealing the massive scar on his left arm he got due to the burns he received from the day he lost everything. It reached from his lower neck to halfway down his forearm. He applied new bandages, and put on the blue shirt Adria left for him on the small desk in the room. The shirt had its right sleeve cut short with the left sleeve kept long to cover the scar and bandages.


    Zycor opened the door and left the back room. As he closed the door behind him and entered the main hall of the guild, Adria called out to him, ¡°Hey Zycor honey, would you come over here please.¡±


    Zycor made his way to Adria who was waiting for him outside in front of the guild hall. When he exited the guild, he was greeted by Dreiford. ¡°Zycor my boy, it¡¯s great to see you!¡± Dreiford began, ¡°What, it¡¯s been about half a year since we last talked? My apologies for that, I just happened to get real busy. You wouldn¡¯t believe it! I had this one lady-,¡±


    Adria cut him off and said, ¡°Mr. Hickens, if you could get to the point please.¡±


    ¡°Well, someone is still holding a grudge,¡± Dreiford mumbled, but he cleared his throat and said, ¡°My boy, You have done quite a lot for me, more than you know. Life has actually gotten quite a bit better, since many of my usual patrons saw the new weapons you have and heard that it was me and my resources that made it possible. Ever since, I have had people paying me a great sum to use my resources for weapons, weapon maintenance, weap-.¡±


    Adria coughed, and, upon realizing he was wearing out his welcome, continued, ¡°To sum it up, because of you I have increased my profits by a great deal. And to thank you for that, I had something special made for you.¡± Dreiford walked over to his carriage and pulled out a chest. ¡°Now this stuff is something truly special,¡± Dreiford proclaimed with great enthusiasm, ¡°Go on! Open it up and take a look inside!¡±


    Zycor opened the chest to reveal a full set of clothing and equipment. Zycor began by taking out the shirt that was on top along with the accompanying armor piece. The Shirt was a breathable, black shirt with the right sleeve short and the left sleeve long. The armor was a heavy, ash-gray colored chainmail like piece, though it felt lighter than chainmail. ¡°Ah yes, I had that specially made,¡± Dreiford began, ¡°It is made using magnecite, so it¡¯s lightweight and flexible. The more mana you pour into it, the stronger it gets, it can also store and stockpile a great amount of mana! Oh yes! There is one other function it has, go ahead and put it on!¡±


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    Zycor put on the magnecite chainmail, Dreiford eagerly waiting for him to finish. Dreiford excitedly said, ¡° Now, pour some mana into the chainmail!¡±


    As Zycor did so, the chainmail that had been much larger than he was suddenly tightened and fit perfectly. The holes in the links of the chainmail shrunk to a size that was almost unnoticeable. ¡°HAHA, IT WORKED,¡± Dreiford cried, ¡°It was only speculation that using the design of chainmail would allow magnecite to tighten to fit perfectly! Considering that imbuing magnecite weapons increases their durability and strength greatly, it was possible that making armor with the stuff and putting mana into that would allow for this reaction. Tell me my boy, how does it feel?¡±


    Zycor inspected the chainmail shirt, ¡°It feels kind of tight, and yet it¡¯s easy to move around in. It doesn¡¯t feel hot or cold either, a perfect temperature. I like it.¡±


    Dreiford, delighted Zycor was enjoying his gift, said, ¡°Well, there is more where that came from! All of the equipment in that chest has some magnecite in it, so it will all automatically fit itself to you if you imbue them with mana.¡±


    Zycor closed the chest and looked at Dreiford, ¡°Would you be willing to give me a few minutes to get everything on?¡±


    Dreiford happily replied, ¡°Why yes of course! Take as much time as you need!¡±


    Zycor took the chest and went into the guild hall to change into his new equipment. While waiting, Adria commented, ¡°I hope you are not trying to turn my Zycor into a walking advertisement to promote your business.¡±


    Dreiford, adjusting his tie, replied, ¡°I will have you know, Adria, that every word I said is true. I really did have everything made as a gift for the young lad. If, for whatever reason, him wearing that brings me more business, it really is out of my hands.¡± As Adria was about to tear into Dreiford, Zycor walked out of the guild hall.


    In addition to the magnecite chainmail, he was now wearing tan cargo pants, a unique looking belt, and boots with leather-magnecite soles. The belt was ash gray, like the chainmail, and on either side of the belt were holsters to hold Zycors wrist blades. All of the gear had some magnecite in it as well as rune enhancements that would enhance his combat capabilities when activated with mana. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Dreiford asked curiously.


    After one last inspection, Zycor looked at Dreiford and responded, ¡°It¡¯s great, Thank you very much, Mr. Hickens.¡±


    Chuckling a bit, Dreiford told Zycor, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal my boy! We have known each other for quite some time now and I honestly owe you quite a bit! Please feel free to call me Dreiford.¡±


    Adria scowled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you have to honor Mr. Hickens¡¯s ridiculous request.¡±


    Zycor was now uncertain how to address him. ¡°Then,¡± Zycor began, ¡°How about Uncle Dreiford?¡±


    Perhaps it was because of his subconscious desire to have a family again, but after everything Dreiford had done for them, whether willingly or not, it felt like the right thing to call him. Adria, was confused, angry, and a bit disturbed as she said to Zycor, ¡°Now, sweety, I really don¡¯t think that is appropriate. And besides, I doubt Mr. Hickens would enjoy being called that. Right, Mr. Hick-.¡±


    Adria paused as she looked over at Dreiford who appeared to be overjoyed being called ¡®Uncle Dreiford.¡¯


    Adria rubbed her temple with a heavy sigh, ¡°Ugh, whatever, I will deal with¡­ that, later. For now, we have other guests we must prepare to greet.¡±


    With a confused yet curious look on his face, Dreiford asked, ¡°May I ask who it is you are meeting?¡±


    Adria, still annoyed at Dreifords ¡®new name¡¯, replied, ¡°We are meeting with Vidal-Armand Tygor and his daughter.¡±


    Dreiford, with a shocked expression, exclaimed, ¡°Tygor?! You mean, THE Tygor family? The one famous for being at the head of the magic item research field? Why are you meeting with them!?¡±


    Adria replied, ¡°Well, as much as I would like to tell you, we really have to be getting ready.¡±


    Dreiford, irritated that he was not going to get any information out of Adria, sighed, and left.


    Adria went inside and headed to her room to change into something a bit more formal than usual. When she came out, she was wearing a professionally tailored light black suit. The jacket was open down to the midpoint of her torso. When she went to fetch Zycor, she noticed he had not changed out of the equipment Dreiford gave him earlier. Before she could get him into new clothes, the sound of horses and a carriage stopping out front could be heard. With no time left, she grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Come along Zycor sweety, there is someone I would like you to meet.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 14: A New Arrival

    As they went outside to greet those in the carriage, Adria and Zycor were met with a gentleman in a white suit standing with a little girl at his side in a tan colored dress. ¡°Greetings Adria, it has been far too long!¡± the man said with great enthusiasm.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual, Mr. Tygor,¡± Adria replied.


    The two shook hands and Zycor got a better look at the man. He had brown, slicked back hair, and green eyes. He was shorter than Adria, though most people were, and his suit was styled differently from Dreifords. Over the white collared shirt was a white, open vest. He wore a red tie that seemed out of place considering his current attire. Noticing Zycor, Vidal, while smiling, asked, ¡°Now who do we have here? I didn¡¯t know you had a kid Adria. Heck, I didn¡¯t think you were the type to settle down with anyone and HAVE a kid!¡±


    Adria, chuckling, responded, ¡°This is Zycor. Although I do consider him to be my child, we are not actually related by blood. We¡­ found each other one day and happened to, in a sense, save each other in the process.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name is Zycor, and I am thirteen,¡± Zycor politely said the way Adria taught him.


    Vidal responded, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Zycor. My name is Vidal-Armand Tygor,¡± as he moved to the side to reveal the little girl, he continued, ¡°And this is my daughter, Aisha Tygor. She is a year younger than you, so I hope you will be kind to her.¡±


    The girl was wearing a tan dress that widened towards the base and stopped around her knees. She had soft looking black hair and unusual yellow eyes. The dress had small white frills on the end of the dress, she had shoes that matched the color scheme of her dress. With a look of disapproval and smugness, Aisha said, ¡°Do I really have to make nice with this person papa?¡±


    ¡°Yes you do honey,¡± Vidal began, ¡°Ms. Adria Mori helped the Tygor family out tremendously, and I personally owe her a great debt. I expect you to be kind to Zycor.¡±


    As he looked at Adria, Vidal apologized, ¡°I do hope you can forgive her behavior. As I am sure you are aware, she has grown up without a mother and I have been so busy with the family business that I have not been able to always be with her and raise her. Whenever I have a chance to take a break or spend time with her, I make certain to do so regardless of how tired I may be. But most of the time she is with the maids we have employed and she has ended up a bit spoiled because of that, especially since her condition prevents her from going out on her own.¡±


    With a sigh, Adria responded, ¡°It¡¯s ok Mr. Tygor. I know how hard it is to try and raise a kid on your own, let alone when you don¡¯t have much time yourself. Hell, I was with Zycor most, if not all the time since I found him and, despite my best efforts, is still a walking disaster. And now that he knows magic he is even more of a handful.¡±


    Both of them chuckling at the statement, Vidal said, ¡°I can only imagine, haha. Well, should we go inside and talk about the reason for my visit?¡±


    Adria nodded in agreement and said to Zycor and Aisha, ¡°Listen up children, Mr. Tygor and I have some business to discuss so I expect you two to be nice to each other. And Zycor¡­ try not to cause any more damage with your magic please.¡±


    The two kids nodded and agreed, and with that Vidal and Adria disappeared into the guild hall. Two minutes passed with neither Zycor nor Aisha saying a word. Finally, Aisha broke the silence, ¡°As much as I would love to just leave you here, papa would get upset at me. So, instead of just standing here, let¡¯s go do something. Can you do anything to entertain me?¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Zycor, who appeared to have little to no interest in Aisha, told her, ¡°I can use lightning magic. Do you want to see some of that?¡±


    With a sigh, Aisha nodded and said, ¡°I suppose, if that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Zycor said, ¡°Come with me. I can¡¯t use my magic here, even if we are on the outskirts of town.¡±


    After a few minutes of walking, Zycor stopped, and Aisha did so as well. Zycor scanned the land for a target and found a large boulder, taller than Zycor by at least two and a half times. Zycor outstretched his hand towards the boulder that was about one hundred feet away, and closed his eyes. With a deep breath, his eyes shot open and a bolt of electricity impacted the boulder. The bolt pierced clear to the other side of the boulder and the boulder broke apart and shattered.


    With wide eyes and amazement, Aisha commented, ¡°Wow! That was awesome! How did you-.¡±


    When Aisha looked over at Zycor he was on the ground, barely conscious. He had not fully recovered enough mana from his battle with Aislin to cast a spell that powerful. Zycor ended up drawing upon his mana reserves in order to cast the spell. Normally that should not be possible, but due to Zycors training partner, Aislin, he didn¡¯t learn restraint, mainly because if he ever did, he would never be able to keep up with her. Aisha went over to Zycor and, a bit worried, asked, ¡°Hey, are you ok?!¡±


    Zycor, mustering up the might to give a response said, ¡°I am ok¡­ I have been hit harder.¡±


    Giggling for a moment, then composing herself, Aisha said, ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot, using more mana than you have. Doing that can be super dangerous! Even I know that, and I am younger than you!¡±


    With the last bit of his consciousness, Zycor softly said, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Zycor being passed out for the time being meant Aisha lost her only source of potential entertainment for the time being. Due to her being both curious and fascinated, Aisha went over to the shattered boulder to inspect it. When she looked at the shattered pieces, she saw that some of the pieces appeared to be warped by heat. As she went to inspect one of the pieces, Adria and her father called out to her and Zycor. Aisha waved the two of them over, and when they got there she explained what had happened.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± Adria said, holding her face in one of her hands, ¡°It would appear I need to have a chat with Aislin about restraint.¡±


    Back at the guild hall, Aislin sneezed, and one of the adventurers she was talking to said, ¡°Haha, looks like someone is talking about you! Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not Adria again haha.¡±


    Aislin, terrified at the thought, responded, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Adria, Zycor, whom she was carrying, Vidal, and Aisha all made their way back to the guild hall where the ladder pairs¡¯ carriage was waiting.


    ¡°It was a pleasure talking to you Adria, I will be sure to keep in touch to talk about developments or anything else that may come up,¡± Vidal said.


    Adria, shaking his hand with a smile, responded, ¡°Likewise Mr. Tygor. I apologize for any inconvenience Zycor may have caused.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Vidal began, ¡°It is obvious that Zycor was just fulfilling the request of my daughter. Speaking of whom, Aisha, just because you did not want to come along does not give you the right to do this. But I suppose I am partly to blame, forcing you to come along. I will be sure to leave you at home from now on.¡±


    Aisha, curbing her bratty tone, said, ¡°I am sorry for causing trouble papa. But, I would actually like to come next time as well.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, sweety,¡± Vidal started, ¡°But you would have to make sure it¡¯s ok with the young lad Zycor first.¡±


    With an annoyed look on her face she went over to Zycor, who was still on Adria¡¯s back, and sternly asked, ¡°Hey, Zycor, it¡¯s ok if I come back, right?¡±


    Groaning and realizing words were not an option at the moment, he gave a thumbs up. With a smug look on her face she turned to her father and said, ¡°See? It¡¯s fine if I come back.¡±


    With a sigh, Vidal responded, ¡°Fine. But you must not encourage this behavior again. He apparently has a hard time expressing himself and saying what¡¯s on his mind, so you have to ask him. Do you understand?¡±


    Rolling her eyes, Aisha said, ¡°Fiiine.¡± And with that, there was one final exchange of goodbyes, and the Tygors departed.

 Volume 1; Chapter 15: A Secret Revealed

    Over the next two years, Zycor and Aisha would meet another five times. During their second meeting, about four months later, Aisha taught Zycor how to feel his limit and practice restraint. In exchange, during their third meeting, three months after their previous one, Zycor would teach Aisha a bit about magic and spell casting. Zycor talked and demonstrated how to better feel the flow of mana and how to convert it into magic. Though, due to Zycor being poor at explaining things, he decided to take a different approach and asked her to think of something fun and interesting she could do with her magic.


    She had fire and earth affinities, so the two of them started to come up with different ideas on what she could do. They tried building small earth walls, then small circular walls, along with a variety of other things. For fire, they snagged some candles to have her try and light them without destroying them. Aisha also tried lighting up five small flames on the tips of her fingers as well. By the fourth visit, Aisha and Zycor had become friends, though Aisha would get super violent whenever someone would say or mention that. The fifth meeting is when she finally asked Zycor why he never shows emotions, and so Zycor told Aisha a little about what happened, leaving out some minor details.


    For the sixth meeting, Aisha showed up alone while Zycor was to the side of the guild, training with some practice dummies since Aislin was busy. Aisha and Zycor were both fourteen now, but Zycor¡¯s birthday was coming up so he was almost an adult and would be ready to take on quests as an adventurer. Aisha was wearing some beginner level female adventuring gear, which confused Zycor. Stopping his training, Zycor asked, ¡°What brings you out here? I don¡¯t see your dad anywhere.¡±


    Aisha responded, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him that I am here if you see him.¡±


    Understandably confused, Zycor asked, ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Aisha began, ¡°I sort of, might have¡­ run away from home?¡±


    Zycor, wanting his question answered, reiterated, ¡°But, why did you run away?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s lonely at home,¡± Aisha began to explain, ¡°There are the maids and attendants, sure, but I want to spend time with my dad! I want to spend time with other people! I-I want to spend time with my friend-.¡±


    When the words left her mouth, she began to slightly blush. As she noticed Zycor looking at her, she exclaimed, ¡°Stop looking at me!¡± and threw a stone spear she made with magic at Zycor and stormed off.


    After a few minutes, The Tygors carriage arrived and Vidal hurried out. Seeing Zycor, he quickly asked in a panic, ¡°Zycor, have you seen Aisha recently!?¡±


    Zycor was about to honor Aisha¡¯s request when he remembered the stone spear, and said, ¡°Yes, you just missed her, she stormed off into the market area.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Vidal started, ¡°Zycor, you have to go after her! She is wearing a ring that is very valuable, it will make her the target of thieves, or worse! Zycor, she cannot have that ring taken off of her!¡±


    Zycor nodded, got up, and, with determination in his eyes, said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mr. Tygor. I¡¯m on it.¡± And with that Zycor took his gauntlets off, shedding as much weight as he could, left them where he was, and took off at top speed.


    Darting through the massive crowds around the market district looking for Aisha, he heard a commotion coming from a narrow street market section. When he arrived at the commotion, he saw a man who appeared to be around twenty-seven years old holding Aisha down while the other bystanders had made a circle around the commotion. The man was holding her right arm, taking the ring off her finger. Zycor needed to get through the crowd quickly, but could not do it with his natural speed and agility. He put some mana into the runes in his belt and his agility was boosted. He swiftly made his way through the crowd as fast as he could.


    The man, who had almost gotten the ring off, yelled, ¡°Now, now little girl, all you have to do is give up the expensive looking ring and you can go free! Though, looking at you, I think you might sell for quite a bit as well!¡±


    As tears began to well up in Aisha¡¯s eyes, she whimpered for someone to help her. The man managed to get the ring off her finger. As he held his spoils in the air to be illuminated by the sun to get a better look, he cackled, ¡°Would you look at this! Ain¡¯t she a beauty! And look at that, it¡¯s even got magic runes on it, it¡¯s a magic item!¡± As he said that he looked back at Aisha who was against the opposite wall of the street enclosing them. ¡°Well now,¡± the man began, ¡°What should I do with-.¡±


    He suddenly stopped as he saw what was happening to the girl. Her hair grew longer and became wilder, losing the soft appearance. A pair of wolf ears appeared on her head. She began to have a mane appear around her neck that matched her hair color, and she began to grow fur of the same color all over her body aside from her abdomen. Her hands got slightly bigger,her nails turned to claws, and her feet grew bigger, tearing her shoes open and revealing wolf-like feet with claws where her toenails should have been. She grew a fluffy tail, and her sharp teeth turned into actual fangs.


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    While the thief was stunned at what he was witnessing, Zycor managed to break through the crowd and into the circle opening around the two. Aisha looked up at him jumping in front of her and, in the same motion, going in for a punch. The man barely had any time to react and took the stomach uppercut head on. Unfortunately this was not enough to bring the older man down, only infuriate him. As the man yelled, ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret that kid!¡± and threw a huge right hook.


    Zycor remembered how Aislin taught him to counter something like this. As he maintained his agility and strength boost, he ducked under the punch, grabbed the man''s arm, pivoted around, and kicked the man''s foot out from under him, using the momentum from the thief¡¯s punch to assist in throwing him over Zycors shoulder. The thief landed back first, knocking the wind out of him and stunning him briefly. Zycor quickly grabbed the dropped ring and walked over to Aisha. She was still against the wall and as Zycor approached her, she recoiled. Aisha, in a shaky and fearful tone, said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!... I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a monster!¡±


    Zycor paused for a moment. He reached down and grabbed her hand and pulled her, forcing her to stand up. He then began walking back to the guild. The people in the crowd quickly moved out of the way, some even panicking.


    ¡°Oh my Goddess, it¡¯s a demi-human!¡± someone muttered loudly.


    ¡°What is a monster like that doing here?¡± Another person questioned, disgust in their voice.


    Aisha, who was scared and confused, shouted at Zycor, ¡°Let me go! Everyone will hate you for walking with a demi-human! J-just leave me and act like you don¡¯t know me! I know you are thinking the same things as these people too! And I mean, they are right. So just LEAVE ME! The only reason I was even talking to you was because of my dad. And now that you have seen the real me, there is no point in hiding it any longer!¡±


    Zycor continued to walk her to the guild, silently, holding her hand tightly to make sure she could not run away. When they finally got to the guild hall, the sun was beginning to set. Vidal was ecstatic to see his daughter, but then saw her form was exposed and Zycor walking with her. Zycor stopped just shy of the guild hall. The guild was on the outskirts of the city, and because of that, there was an open rectangular section of nothing but road for about two hundred feet. Zycor turned to Aisha and returned the ring. When the ring was returned to her finger, she began to revert back. The process took about a full minute, and Zycor watched Aisha the whole time.


    When she was finally back in her human form, Zycor raised his hand and slapped her arm. Vidal and Adria, both infuriated at what they just saw Zycor do, yelled at him while they marched over to him, before they stopped. Zycor had begun to hug Aisha, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever call yourself a monster again. And don¡¯t tell me to just leave you either. I may call the other adventurers in the guild hall who I have known for years ¡®friends,¡¯ but you are the only best friend I have.¡±


    After Zycor finished speaking, Aisha began to tear up. She had always wanted someone to accept her for who and what she was. But after so many times of being rejected when her ¡®friends¡¯ found out, she had given up on the idea. But here someone was, knowing what she was and yet, accepting her. Aisha returned the hug and began to quietly cry.


    After four or so minutes, Aisha had calmed down. She hugged her father, while Adria slapped Zycors hand for slapping a girl. Vidal looked at Zycor and said, ¡°Thank you so much for saving my daughter! I ask that you continue to be friends with her!¡±


    Zycor hugged Adria while looking at Vidal and said, ¡°I live with and love Mama Adria, so I don¡¯t see why being friends with someone like her should be so difficult. Besides, I quite like Aisha, and I don¡¯t plan on losing her.¡±


    Aisha, whose face was bright red, stammered, ¡°W-what are you s-saying you i-idiot!¡±


    Confused, Zycor asked, ¡°What, do you want to stop being friends?¡±


    Aisha, even more flustered that Zycor wasn¡¯t nearly as clear as he should have been, yelled, ¡°YOU MORON,¡± as she punched him in the face and walked over to the carriage.


    Vidal and Adria laughed, while Zycor, who was on his butt after taking a punch to the face, remarked, ¡°I really don¡¯t see what¡¯s so funny.¡±


    With a final bout of goodbyes, they parted ways for now. Zycor, walking inside with Adria, picked up his weapons on the way in.


    Adria sighed, ¡°After today, it has become apparent that you need to learn about interacting with people other than boys. I am happy you enjoy my lectures though.¡±


    Zycor stopped dead in his tracks as he broke out into a cold sweat. Adria grabbed his shirt and dragged him inside as he accepted his fate.


    Meanwhile, in the carriage, Vidal made sure Aisha was ok. And although Aisha answered, her thoughts are elsewhere. She remembered how Zycor rushed out in front of her to save her. She thought to herself with a smile, ¡°I guess, he isn¡¯t that bad after all.¡±


    Her father, now right in her face, began to grin and smugly said, ¡°You were thinking about Zycor, weren¡¯t you honey.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s face turned bright red, and she pushed him away. ¡°Ow, my heart!¡± Vidal cried, and finished by chuckling while mumbling, ¡°Guess I was on the money with that one.¡±


    Aisha continued to visit Zycor more frequently after what happened. Aislin was restricted from training Zycor on these days, as it had become Aisha¡¯s job to help teach Zycor restraint. She was more qualified than Aislin to do so, as her father had hired a great magic instructor to teach her both magic and restraining that magic. When Aisha came over, she would pass on some of the knowledge she got from her lessons to Zycor, and he would practice with the new information. In return, Zycor would accompany Aisha every other time she visited, after training, to do whatever she wanted.

 Volume 1; Chapter 16: Clash of the Children

    Over the next four months, Zycor would grow much stronger with Aislin''s practical training, Aisha¡¯s restraint and magic lessons, along with Adria teaching Zycor about magic herself whenever she was free.


    ¡°Hey, Adria,¡± Aislin started, ¡°A-are you sure this is a good idea?¡±


    The voice of a man spoke up suddenly, ¡°What are ya so worried about? The kids¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    The Adventurers still at the guild had come out to spectate the match. ¡°What are you idiots doing here?¡± Aislin asked with her usual snarky attitude.


    ¡°Hey,¡± one of the adventurers began, ¡°We have as much of a right to be here as you. We all helped with teaching and training the kid! And we all like him, so what¡¯s the big deal if we wanna watch what he can do?¡±


    Aislin, irritated, scoffed, ¡°Oh boy, look who it is, everyone''s FAVORITE person. Hello¡­ Clyde.¡±


    Clyde responded, ¡°Not sure if you should talk to one of the strongest adventurers at the guild like that, unless of course you want to lose again.¡±


    Aislin, about to lose her mind, went to snap back when Adria spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s nice to know that you all get along so well, but we are here for their fight,¡± Adria points at Zycor and Aisha, ¡°Not yours. So settle down.¡±


    Wanting to live long enough to watch the fight, both Clyde and Aislin formed a temporary cease fire.


    Zycor and Aisha stood around 100 feet apart in the field by the guild. Aisha wanted to have a magic-based fight to see how far she had come, so she asked Zycor to have a match with her and for Adria to be the judge. After they agreed, Aisha changed into her adventurer clothes. Adria, being loud enough for the two of them to hear her, ¡°Alright, you kids remember the rules of the fight, right? Use Whatever you have, and the first person to land a direct hit or make their opponent concede wins. Using any magic attack that would kill or seriously harm your opponent is grounds for an immediate loss. Using attacks not magic based will also result in a loss. Do you both understand?¡±


    Zycor and Aisha nodded. Adria took a breath and started to countdown, ¡°Ok¡­ three,¡±


    Zycor got down into a sprinter''s stance, and Aisha put her hands out in front of her. ¡°Two,¡± The tension continued to rise.


    ¡°One¡­ Begin!¡± Adria yelled, finally finishing her countdown.


    A swell of lightning magic began to concentrate at the base of Zycor¡¯s feet, and was released with tremendous force, propelling him forward and towards Aisha. Though, it was more like he was riding a track made of electricity than being shot through the air. Aisha immediately began to fire a barrage of smaller fireballs at Zycor in the hope she would be able to halt his rapid advance. Aislin laughed while she commented, ¡°That brat! He is copying the move I used to knock him out instantly all that time ago, hahaha!¡±


    Zycor managed to dodge all of Aisha¡¯s fireballs by applying the same propulsion technique that accelerated him towards Aisha to his palms, using them to adjust his position. Zycor managed to get behind Aisha and launch three separate chains of lightning at her back. Aisha put her hands to the ground and encased herself in rock. The rock tomb was destroyed by the lightning arcs when they impacted, kicking up a lot of dust. Though, the lightning attacks were not strong enough to cause any damage beyond that due to Zycor being held back by the rules.


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    ¡°Atta boy kid! Keep piling on the pressure!¡± one of the cheering adventurers cried.


    Suddenly, Zycor¡¯s feet were encased in rock. When the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Aisha had charged up another fireball barrage attack. ¡°Dodge this!¡± Aisha screamed.


    Zycor, thinking about what he should do, muttered to himself, ¡°Well crap.¡±


    Aisha fired the attack at the immobile Zycor, laughing at the thought of her winning their duel. ¡°ATTA GIRL AISHA!¡± Aislin yelled, cheering her on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up, kid!¡± the adventurers all yelled.


    At this point, Zycor and Aisha¡¯s fight had become a fight between them as well. Whichever one of them won, would determine who won their fight as well. ¡°I wonder how Zycor will get out of this,¡± Adria commented.


    Her eyes widened and were filled with excitement as she looked at what was happening on the battlefield. Aisha¡¯s laughter began to dim as she heard the crackling of lightning, and when she saw what Zycor was up to, she was awestruck and agitated he didn¡¯t go down. Zycor had begun charging as much magic into his hands as he could muster, and fired four lightning arcs from each of his hands. ¡°No fucking way,¡± Aisha nervously chuckled.


    Normally, that much force would knock anyone over making the attack impossible to aim. But, because his feet were trapped due to Aisha¡¯s earth magic, he had the foothold he needed and was able to remain standing. The lightning bolts impacted the center of each fireball, dispersing their force and neutralized them. The lightning bolts landed all around Aisha, but none close enough to actually hurt her. As she tried to find Zycor through all the dust that was kicked up, there was the sound of lightning crackling from in front of her, and something blitzed past her. Pressing the palm of his right hand to her back, Zycor, huffed, ¡°Check¡­ mate¡­¡±


    As the dust that was kicked up settled, Aisha had her hands up and had a very pissed expression. ¡°The winner of this fight is Zycor!¡± Adria announced.


    After hearing that, Zycor fell onto his back, out of breath, and out of mana. Aisha, pissed that she lost in such a short amount of time, said, ¡°Dammit! I thought for certain I would last longer, what the hell happened!¡±


    The adventurers all cheered and celebrated as they walked over to Zycor and Aisha. The adventurers cheered all sorts of things, ¡°I knew you had it in you!,¡± and, ¡°That¡¯s our boy!¡±


    Aislin looked at Aisha and said, ¡°You did really well! And I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Adria, walking over to Aisha answered the question she had asked herself, ¡°You began celebrating prematurely. and because of that, you let your guard down instead of doubling down or planning on what to do if he somehow dodged.¡±


    Aisha, still angry, but knowing Adria was right, said, ¡°I know, but how was I supposed to know he would do something THAT reckless?!¡±


    Adria looked at her and asked sarcastically, ¡°You really didn¡¯t think he would do something like that?¡±


    After a brief pause, Aisha replied, ¡°Well¡­ no, you are right. I had forgotten how little care he has for his own wellbeing. Or perhaps it¡¯s not a lack of care but understanding¡­¡±


    Still slightly agitated about the outcome, and being petty, mumbled, ¡°I even waited for him to tire himself out with training too¡­ damn.¡±


    Aislin walked over to Zycor, who was still lying on the ground, and chuckled, ¡°Ha, were you really so upset about the way I beat you all those years ago that you actually spent time to copy me!?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He stated.


    Aislin erupted into laughter upon hearing his answer, finding his matter-of-fact response hilarious. ¡°You crack me up kid, you know that!?¡± Aislin exclaimed.


    Aisha walked over to Zycor, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with an annoyed expression and said, ¡°You¡¯re coming with me, we are going out to eat and you are buying.¡±


    Zycor looked at Adria and pleaded with her to the best of his ability, ¡°Mama Adria, help me. My allowance alone is not enough to cover her appetite.¡±


    Adria, with a friendly smile, responded, ¡°I hope you enjoy your win!¡±


    As Aisha dragged Zycor towards town, he monotonically yelled, ¡°Noooo.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 17: A Familiar Situation

    Finally freed from the tyrant''s grasp, Zycor and Aisha found the two of them had arrived in the shopping district. True to her word, Aisha ate her heart out all on Zycors dime. Being a wolf demi-human, her appetite was far larger than other girls her age. She may not have been able to beat Zycor in battle, but she knew how to win the war. Although it stopped being about revenge at some point, and the two of them ended up just enjoying their little excursion.


    While they walked around, Zycor overheard some of the conversation a passing pair of strangers were having, ¡°Did you hear about the village raids in Velathria? I heard they are only getting worse,¡± the first man said.


    The second man followed up with, ¡°''I hear the king has done nothing to stop those bandits, it¡¯s a really terrible situation.¡±


    Zycor stopped, and the feeling of joy he had moments ago now felt as if it was never there. Replaced with feelings of anger, disgust, and sadness, he remembered what happened to his family. Noticing Zycor¡¯s change in demeanor, she asked worriedly, ¡°Hey, are you ok? You don¡¯t look so good?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± Zycor stuttered, ¡°I-I think I am going to head back to the guild hall now¡­ Have a great rest of the night, Aisha.¡±


    And with that, Zycor disappeared into the crowd before Aisha had a chance to try and stop him.


    She sighed, annoyed, ¡°Ugh! Why is he being difficult?! Anyways, I refuse to be caught out here alone again.¡± Aisha began her trek back to the guild at a much greater than normal pace.


    When Aisha returned to the guild hall and went inside, she was greeted by Adria. ¡°Welcome back Aisha,¡± Adria began, ¡°How did it go? And¡­¡± Adria noticed Zycor was not with her, and asked, ¡°Where is Zycor? Is he not with you?¡±


    Aisha, confused and beginning to panic, responded, ¡°H-he didn¡¯t come back here?¡±


    Adria shook her head. Realizing, shockingly, Zycor lied to her. Unfortunately for the hiding Zycor, he had confided in Aisha where he goes when he has something on his mind. Aisha ran out of the guild hall saying, ¡°I¡¯ll get him, I think I know where he is.¡±


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    As Aisha sprinted out of the guild, she headed into the wastelands. Whenever something got Zycor down, he would head into the mountains across the wastelands, and head to the peak of the tallest one. As she was running, she noticed how low the sun was getting and how far she still had to go. Unfortunately for her, focusing solely on magic seems to have been a hindrance at present. Suddenly, she was picked up from behind and a female voice said, ¡°Need a lift?¡±


    Aisha looked up and saw it was Aislin. ¡°What are you doing? I said I got it!¡± Aisha exclaimed.


    ¡°Pipe down, you¡¯re way too loud,¡± Aislin complained, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve known the kid for a while as well and thanks to¡­ ¡®watching¡¯ him on Adria¡¯s orders, I know where he is as well. I can take you there, but it will be up to you to resolve the situation, whatever it may be.¡±


    Aisha, in a quieter manner, responded, ¡°Well, thanks for the lift I suppose.¡±


    Laughing, Aislin stated with an almost maniacal smile, ¡°HA, well hold on tight and¡­ TRY NOT TO DIE HAHA!¡±


    As she finished her statement, Aislin took one, massive step that fractured a small area around the impact. Fire began to condense beneath her feet, and as she fell forward, the fire was released from the ground and she blasted herself forward. In order to sustain a constant speed, she made sure to leave room from the ground between each step. This allowed her enough time to gather the mana necessary for when her next foot touched the ground, which would allow her to sustain the momentum. Even though they were traveling vastly faster now, they would still not be able to make it to Zycor and back by the time the sun went down. Aislin, realizing this herself, in a serious tone said to Aisha, ¡°Hey Ai, I know you have a fire affinity as well, so I need to say this as a warning, do not try what I am about to do, you are not ready for this yet.¡±


    Aisha, confused, went to inquire further, but was cut off when Aislin uttered, ¡°Ignition.¡±


    After she uttered that word, mana from the air began to flood the flames on her feet, causing the flames to dull for a moment before they burst to life with ferocious intensity and turned blue. When this happened, Aislin and Aisha accelerated at a speed far greater than before. A distance that would have taken them over two hours to travel, was completed in only an hour.


    As they arrived about halfway up the mountain, Aislin put Aisha down. ¡°Alright Ai, it''s up to you from here on out, I am going to chill here. That stunt drained me quite a bit.¡±


    Aislin said as she sat down on one of the rocks. Aisha, annoyed at where they stopped, asked, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have brought me all the way?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Aislin began, ¡°I could have, but then this upcoming moment wouldn¡¯t have had the same impact as if I had stopped here. Now shoo, shoo, Daylight¡¯s a burnin¡¯.¡±


    Aislin made a ¡®shooing¡¯ motion with her hands. Aisha sighed and left to complete the trip.

 Volume 1; Chapter 18: Talks of the Past, Moving Towards the Future

    After climbing for another few minutes, she finally reached the end of the path and rounded the stone pillar blocking the view of the spot. As she rounded the pillar, she was met with a clear view of the sun setting over the ocean and city. She took a moment to marvel at the sight. She quickly refocused as she noticed Zycor sitting on a rock by the edge. He was looking out over the ocean and city. ¡°H-hey, Zycor, are you ok?¡± Aisha asked, uncertain of what she should say.


    After a moment of silence, Aisha went to say something again, but Zycor spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful view, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Aisha, caught off guard, but decided it was better to go with it, responded, ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    As Aisha approached him slowly, Zycor said, ¡°...can I ask you something, Aisha.¡±


    Aisha stopped on the right side of Zycor, but remained slightly behind him, and responded, ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡±


    Aislin finally got to the stone pillar and took up a position to eavesdrop as Zycor asked, ¡°Can you tell me, what it¡¯s like to have a family?¡±


    Aislin and Aisha¡¯s hearts both sank upon hearing the question. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you have a family?¡± Aisha asked.


    After a momentary pause, almost as if he was struggling to get the words out, ¡°No, I don¡¯t, they¡­ they¡¯re gone, and have been for a long time. I can barely remember their faces. I have been so consumed with anger and the thought of vengeance, I am no longer able to remember how it felt.¡±


    Aisha, shaken by his statement, asked, ¡°What about everyone at the guild? What about Aislin¡­what about Adria?¡±


    As he continued to look off into the horizon, Zycor responded, ¡°Ma- ¡­ Adria, took me in, and has treated me with great kindness. It could get suffocating at times, but it came from a good place. She is the closest thing to a mother I have now, though at times I feel as though I am only hindering her and making life a whole lot harder for her.¡±


    Zycor looked down towards where the guild hall is, and continued, ¡°She probably just feels responsible for being the first person to find me amongst those ruins. That¡¯s probably why she has been pretending for so long.¡±


    Aisha, not knowing what to say, reiterated the rest of her question, ¡°And what about Aislin and the adventurers?¡±


    Zycor responded, ¡°They all work there and Aislin lives there as well, so they are just trying to be nice.¡±


    When she heard this, Aislin began to get upset. How could he think this after everything? As she was about to walk over to Zycor and give him a piece of her mind, Aisha agitatedly spoke up, ¡°Oh my Goddess, what the hell are you talking about!¡±


    As Zycor looked over at Aisha, in an act of karmic retribution, he was met with her hand slapping him across the face, ¡°How dare you say that about all of them, any idiot with a brain could see how much they care about you! And yet, here you are, upset that you can¡¯t remember the faces of your biological family, and rejecting the family you have right here! Do you not care about them!?¡± Aisha¡¯s rage began to be muffled by tears filling her eyes, ¡°Do you not love them?¡±


    Zycors eyes widened when he heard the last statement. He began to understand what she was trying to say. He began, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I have not felt emotions in such a long time that I just¡­ forgot? But,¡± Zycor began to lift his head and look at Aisha, ¡°I know for a fact, even without understanding the feeling, I care and love them all. But what can I do? I can¡¯t express or feel any emotions.¡±


    Aisha grabbed his shoulders, and looked him in the eyes and answered, ¡°Does that really matter? If you want to call them your family, they call you theirs, can you say it matters?¡±


    As Zycor heard these words he felt something well up from deep within himself. He had not felt this feeling in many years. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s ok for me to stay with them?¡± he asked.


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    ¡°Well of course it is,¡± Aislin said, emerging from the pillar and walking towards him, ¡°After all, if I don¡¯t have my little brother around, who in the hell am I supposed to use to get out of trouble with Adria?!¡±


    She knelt down and told Zycor, ¡°Adria, Clyde, all of the other adventurers at the guild, and I all agree that you bring a certain joy to all of us. Most of the adventurers don¡¯t have kids, and even the ones that do, see you as their kid. Especially Adria, she went through that horrid adoption process to make it official as well. And I¡­ quite like ya too, you did save my life after all.¡±


    Embarrassed, Aislin looked away. After a moment, she looked back at him. And when she did, both Aislin and Aisha saw something they had never seen. Rolling down his cheek from his right eye was a single tear. Before either of them could say anything or react, Zycor hugged them both, and with a shaky voice, he said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After a minute or so, Aislin broke up the hug and exclaimed, ¡°OK, it¡¯s time to head home kids, it¡¯s getting rather late and I am certain that the later we are, the worse we will be punished by Adria.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s left eye twitched and Aisha shivered as they thought about the possible punishments for being late. ¡°Alright kids, let¡¯s go, Ai you are coming with me. Zycor, you know how to use your magic to accelerate so~... I¡¯ll see you back at the guild.¡± She quickly finished before she jumped off the cliff with Aisha on her back screaming.


    Aislin used earth magic to create platforms to get down in a controlled fashion. Zycor took one more glance at the almost fully set sun, reflecting on everything that was said. He finally accepted that even though his original family was gone, he had found people who had become his new family. And although Zycor would never forget how he loved his parents, brothers, and sister, nor would he forget how they were taken from him, he was able to find solace in knowing he was no longer alone. Before he could ponder further, the thought of Adria and how upset she would be if he is any later than he already was gave him a new purpose.


    With Zycor having returned to the guild hall, he was met with a massive hug by a worried Adria. Aisha boarded the carriage that was sent for her and returned home.


    Despite this seemingly happy end to the day, elsewhere in the world sinister things were being set in motion. In the barracks for the king''s personnel knights in Velathria, a lone knight trudged down the hall, his armor bore the rank of vice commander. The knight entered the captain''s room and greeted him, ¡°Greetings, commander Zeddicus, I am here as you have ordered.¡±


    The commander stood up from his chair to address the knight. ¡°I am well,¡± The commander began, ¡°However, I have received a troubling report given to me by our underground division. As you know, they are experts at gathering intel about any event, regardless of how long ago it happened.¡±


    Zeddicus walked over to a cabinet to pull out a bottle of liquor along with a single glass, and began to pour himself a drink. ¡°The report actually happened to be about one of the first missions you ever took part in. Do you remember conducting a raid on a village in the southern part of our great nation?¡±


    The vice commander, who was trying to fish for more information, replied, ¡°I conducted multiple raids in that area, sir. Might I inquire for some more detail about the raid in question?¡±


    Zeddicus finished the sip of liquor he had taken and said, ¡°Of course, you make a fair point. Allow me to be a bit more specific, I am referring to the raid where, despite being ordered to slaughter every inhabitant regardless of age or sex, you let a child escape on purpose.¡±


    The vice commander, whose composure began to falter, responded, ¡°Y-yes, I¡­ may recall something like that.¡±


    Zeddicus set his drink on his desk as he turned to face the vice commander, ¡°I see. So, pray tell, what were you planning on doing about him? Surely you were not simply going to let the child go? I mean, that would not only be a blatant disregard for your orders, but it would be cruel for the child in question, especially after you slaughtered his entire family and fellow villagers, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The vice commander, who was trying to keep himself together, responded, ¡°If I may be permitted to speak freely sir, the reason I did not kill the kid then was because I was not accustomed to such bloodshed at the time. I was a novice during that raid, and could barely be called a soldier. Because of that, I let the kid live due to me having reached the limit of what I could handle.¡±


    Zeddicus nodded his head as he turned around and walked to his chair. After he sat down, Zeddicus began to speak, ¡°I have known you for a long time at this point. Close to eight years now if memory serves correctly, and I have watched you climb through the ranks. You have been a model knight; Strong, courageous, loyal, and honest. Which is why I will choose to believe you. However, in order for you to rectify your mistake, you must begin looking for this child on your own. If my intel is up to date, then all you should need to do is talk about what happened that day. Make sure to word it so no one finds out who carried out the raids, of course. He should jump at the chance for vengeance, and that is when you will finish the job. Are we clear, vice commander Volnir?¡±


    Volnir saluted and replied, ¡°Yes sir!¡± before he left the room.

 Volume 1; Chapter 19: An Offer

    Zycor suddenly opened his eyes to find himself standing in a white void. The further out he looked, the blacker the void became, though his attempts to walk towards that darkness were thwarted by an invisible force. ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± Zycor wondered aloud, confused about his surroundings.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to explain to a young one such as yourself,¡± a voice commented.


    Zycor quickly looked around to see who was talking, but found no one. The voice continued, ¡°But I suppose the simplest way to explain it would be a dream you are conscious of.¡±


    Looking back at Zycor was a well dressed man, sitting on a couch holding a goblet. The man''s clothing was that of a nobleman, though the color was a deep shade of gray. He wore a black undershirt under his gray tailcoat, and atop his head he wore a white top hat. Seeing Zycor was keeping his distance, clearly weary of him, the man said, ¡°No need to stand, I find chatting with company to be far more enjoyable for all parties while seated.¡±


    The man points across from him at a leather chair that materialized out of nowhere. Zycor stood stunned, not knowing what to make of what he had just witnessed, until the man snapped him out of it by urging Zycor to take a seat. ¡°Come now lad, it won¡¯t bite! As I stated before, this is a world inside of your dream, no need to worry about something as trivial as a chair.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was extremely inviting, yet there was something not quite right about it. Despite that, the more the man spoke, the calmer Zycor felt himself become. Zycor finally walked over to the chair and sat down.


    Delighted, the man cheerfully said, ¡°Excellent, it¡¯s been quite a while since I have had the opportunity to sit down and have a chat with my guests.¡±


    Swirling the liquid in the goblet around, the man continued, ¡°I must admit, there is a certain charm to it. Although, there have not been any individuals who have piqued my curiosity to that extent for quite some time.¡± The man paused and took a sip from his goblet, ¡°That is, until you.¡±


    Zycor finally managed to ask a question, ¡°Who are you, sir? And how are we talking in a dream?¡±


    An uncomfortably large smile crept across the man''s face, all too happy to answer Zycors questions, ¡°Well, I suppose addressing me as ¡®sir¡¯ does seem rather peculiar, so you may address me as ¡®Mister X.¡¯ Mmm yes, that has a wonderful ring to it! Now, as for your other question, let¡¯s just say¡­ You should really make sure your doors are closed.¡±


    As the man answered the second question his tone grew ominous and his smile began to feel sinister.


    However, that feeling was soon pushed to the back of Zycors mind as the man spoke, ¡°Oh boy, it feels as though it has been ages since I have been able to sit and have a pleasant chat like this. I must thank you for that!¡±


    The man paused and had another sip. During his pause, Zycor tried to ask another question, but found he had no voice. Moreover, he also found he was unable to move either. Beginning to panic, Zycor looked back at Mister X to find that he was staring at him, with that same sinister feeling grin. Finally, Mister X began to speak again, ¡°Well, I suppose it is time to move on from idle chatter and begin to discuss the reason for my ¡®minor intrusion.¡¯ I was able to feel the birth of something¡­ new. And that something came from you, lad. I had not felt something like it in many¡­ years.¡±


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    The man paused, he set the goblet down on a table he manifested, and leaned in towards Zycor. ¡°Now¡­ are you aware of what I am talking about, lad?¡±


    It suddenly felt as though a weight was lifted from his throat and vocal chords. Zycor found he was able to speak again. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Mister X,¡± Zycor replied.


    As soon as he finished his answer, Zycor felt that same weight immediately return. Mister X leaned back and continued, ¡°I see. What a¡­shame. Though, you needn¡¯t fret lad, for I have a proposal for you! I can show you how to use your hidden potential; you would be freed from the shackles holding you back from¡­ your true goal.¡±


    Zycors eyes widened upon hearing that. How could someone he had never met know anything about his goals? Mister X¡¯s grin transitioned to a full smile, as if he had finally hooked the fish he was patiently waiting for. Zycor felt all of the weight leave him, and he asked, ¡°What do you know about my ¡®true goals?¡¯¡±


    Mister X responded, ¡°Oh, young lad I know quite a bit about you, clearly more than you know about yourself. I know about how your village was razed by those awful knights. How your family was taken from you, one by one right in front of your eyes. I know that the same knight that slaughtered your family also spared your life, out of pity. I also know how much you desire vengeance! Retribution for what he did! And I am offering you the chance to obtain the power you so desperately seek! All I ask in return is that you do me a favor in the future, regardless of what it is. So, lad¡­ do we have a deal?¡±


    Mister X extended his hand, eagerly awaiting Zycor to shake his hand. Zycor thought about the offer, he could gain the power he needed to avenge his family, and could obtain it right now. When he realized that he could move now, Zycor stood up. He looked at Mister X who was still smiling, and then looked down at his hand. Zycor finally noticed the area they were sitting in was dramatically smaller, almost as if the white void was being swallowed by the darkness he had seen in the distance earlier. Mister X explained, ¡°There is, unfortunately, a time limit for this kind of meeting. We will not be able to have another one for quite some time. I hate to rush you, lad, but it really is time to make a decision.¡±


    Zycor refocused on Mister X¡¯s hand. He began to reach for Mister X¡¯s hand as the smile Mister X wore grew larger and more sinister. Right as Zycor was about to grab Mister X¡¯s hand to make the deal official, Zycor slowly closed his hand and pulled away. He looked down at his hand, and said, ¡°Honestly, I probably would have accepted that deal a few days ago. But¡­ I realized that I have a new family now. I have friends, and the adventurers at the guild who will all help me. Taking a shortcut now would make it seem like I don¡¯t believe in them to help me.¡± Zycor took a deep breath and continued, ¡°So, I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I will have to decli-.¡±


    Zycor stopped, mid sentence, as he looked up at Mister X. The welcoming smile and atmosphere were completely gone, only the feeling of dread remained. With a look of disapproval and disappointment, Mister X brought his hand back, stood up, and looked at Zycor, whom he towered over, dead in the eyes, a frown now having replaced his smile.


    ¡°What a shame,¡± He began, as the color of his attire started to shift and became attuned to the same color as the dark void that enclosed both of them, ¡°I really liked you lad, it feels like such a waste to throw away such a golden opportunity¡­ let us hope¡­you do not come to regret your decision.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, a strange black and green liquid began to ooze from his left eye. ¡°Make no mistake, we will meet again. Let us hope that upon that meeting¡­ you have thought over my proposal more¡­ thoroughly.¡±


    While all the furniture disappeared and the darkness closed in upon them, Mister X walked towards Zycor in an inhuman fashion. Right as Mister X began to reach his hand out to grab Zycor, a loud crash followed by yelling and laughter ripped Zycor from the dream and back into reality.


    He shot up from his bed, breathing heavily and clutched his chest. For the first time in years, Zycor felt rattled. As he continued to fully wake up, he brought his breathing under control as he was calming himself down. The memory of the dream slowly faded into nothingness within just a few minutes, but the chilling encounter had certainly left its mark.

 Volume 1; Chapter 20: Urgent Mission

    Zycor could hear the laughter and yelling of the adventurers in the guild hall. The sound of another impact with the clattering of kitchen equipment along with a separate impact into what sounded like the main doors that were thrown open as a result. Zycor quickly dressed himself with his usual training, and soon to be adventuring, attire and left his room. As he exited his room, he was met with an adventurer up on the balcony laughing at the spectacle occurring below.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on out here, Barroo?¡± Zycor asked, sounding a bit groggy having only recently woken up.


    ¡°Ah, Zycor,¡± Barroo began, ¡°It¡¯s an entertaining story! Clyde and Aislin were having one of their usual arguments, something about who was better at teaching or something. Anyways, in order to settle their ¡®disagreement,¡¯ they held an arm wrestling match, which ended with those two idiots breaking a table! Then the two started yelling at each other about who¡¯s fault it was until the guild master came out to deal with the situation. Needless to say, seeing that the two had broken guild property, she was not happy. Then those morons started blaming each other, getting louder and louder, until finally they both armed themselves. Then the guild master did what she does best and ¡®helped¡¯ them settle down.¡±


    Painful moans were heard from the kitchen, and out of the doorway Clyde limped in and groaned, ¡°I want to say that was uncalled for. Unfortunately, I would be a liar to do so.¡±


    The other adventurers in the guild hall were laughing uncontrollably, one of them commented, ¡°You two bicker like a married couple! Just get hitched already! Hahaha!¡±


    The sound of concrete breaking was heard from the doorway of the kitchen. Aislin had grabbed the door frame and crushed the concrete as she angrily exclaimed, ¡°Alright, who said that!? I¡¯ll fucking kill yo- ow¡­ why does talking hurrrt.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on guys,¡± Clyde started, ¡°There¡¯s no way that would happen; who would marry someone with manners worse than starved Orc?¡±


    ¡°Oh you motherfucker! Come here so I can kick your ass!¡± Aislin yelled.


    A wave of intense mana suddenly flooded the room, instantly shutting everyone up. ¡°Alright you two, I believe that is enough for now,¡± Adria began, ¡°there are more pressing matters at hand than partaking in this banter so early in the day.¡±


    The mana dissipating, Clyde and Aislin replied in unison, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    As she turned to head back up to her office, Adria stopped and said, ¡°Oh, and Aislin? The money to repair the damage to the doorway will come out of your next payment.¡±


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    Aislin, upset, shouted, ¡°Goddess dammit!¡±


    As Adria continued to head to the stairs, she saw Zycor standing on the balcony with Barroo. While she walked up the stairs, Adria smiled and said, ¡°Good morning sweety, did you sleep well?¡±


    Zycor went to answer, but hesitated. He felt as if something was off, but couldn¡¯t think of why he would feel that way. Quickly shrugging it off, he responded, ¡°Yes, I slept well mom.¡±


    Hearing him finally refer to her as just ¡®mom¡¯ brought her immense joy. She hugged Zycor and gleefully said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Careful, guild master,¡± Barroo started, ¡°You don¡¯t want to spoil him too much, he might become too dependent.¡±


    Adria released Zycor, and turned to Barroo with a hostile smile, ¡°And what is a man with no kids of his own doing lecturing me on how I treat my precious boy?¡±


    Throwing his hands up and backing away, Barroo replied, ¡°Well, ya got me there. On that note, I believe I shall take my leave.¡±


    Adria, complaining about Barroo¡¯s statement, muttered, ¡°Honestly, just because he is the second strongest adventurer here doesn¡¯t give him the right to lecture me! Especially about how I treat my kid.¡±


    In an attempt to calm Adria down, Zycor tugged on her coat and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Adria immediately forgot about Barroo¡¯s statement and donned a huge smile, ¡°Yes I am, thank you for your concern! Just had to deal with a couple of children.¡±


    As Zycor headed downstairs and Adria was entering her office, a man burst through the doors, out of breath. ¡°WE¡¯VE GOT TROUBLE,¡± the man shouted, ¡°THERE¡¯S A HORDE OF MANA BEARS HEADED TOWARDS THE CITY FROM THE NORTHERN FOREST!¡±


    Hearing that everyone looked at each other and immediately began to get ready. Adria, from the balcony, replied, ¡°Your request has been heard and accepted. Everyone, this is an emergency request. Everyone will be rewarded the equivalent of one Anemium for every bear killed! And due to it being urgent the rewards per kill will be doubled. Clyde, you are in charge of deciding how much each person receives.¡±


    All the adventurers cried out, ¡°YES MA¡¯AM!¡±


    Zycor, who was following Adria, headed downstairs with her. While she drew up the quest poster with the reward and description, he asked, ¡°Can I go too? I¡¯m finally old enough to go adventuring!¡±


    ¡°Out of the question,¡± Adria quickly replied, ¡°Maybe if it was a lesser mana animal, but a bear is the one of the strongest types.¡±


    Clyde, overhearing them, jumped in, ¡°Why not let the bo-, I mean young man come along? I give you my word that I will protect him.¡±


    Aislin chimed in, ¡°I doubt you could handle that! So,¡± Aislin paused as she put an arm around Zycor, ¡°I will accompany him and protect him.¡±


    Adria was at a loss. She let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Ok, fine. If you two are actually willing to cooperate on this, I suppose I will allow it.¡±


    Clyde and Aislin looked at each other and they locked hands followed with a firm nod.


    As Zycor finished putting on his boots and gauntlets, the thirty adventurers present departed to engage the mana bears.

 Volume 1; Chapter 21: The Hunt

    ¡°So kid,¡± Barroo asked Zycor, ¡°Have you ever been to the northern forest?¡±


    ¡°Only once, back when mom and I first arrived here. I was really young though,¡± Zycor replied.


    Barroo continued, ¡°Well, It¡¯s a very beautiful forest if I do say so myself. Quite a bit of money to be made there as well with all the rare and strong monsters that live there.¡±


    Clyde joined the conversation and said, ¡°You got that right, lots of dangerous beasts in that forest. But you gotta be careful, sometimes they come out to harass the masses.¡± Clyde put his arm around Zycor and pointed at Aislin, ¡°Like that one right there! Scary stuff, I¡¯m telling you!¡±


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m a beast, what does that make a pissant like you?¡± Aislin snapped back.


    Clyde, agitated, insulted Aislin, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean much coming from an oversized ogre.¡±


    ¡°You wanna go, you bastard!?¡± Aislin yelled.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Clyde started, ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    This bickering and arguing continued for the entire fifteen minute walk to the forest. ¡°Alright you two,¡± Barroo started, ¡°Time to quit the married couple role play and focus up. We don¡¯t know how far the pack has come.¡±


    Aislin and Clyde, in unison, said, ¡°You call us a married couple one more time and I¡¯ll kick your ass!¡±


    The whole party of adventurers chuckled, before they focused up and headed deeper into the forest. After they walked eight more minutes, Clyde, Barroo, and Aislin, who led the party, stopped abruptly. They looked at each other briefly, then readied themselves. Clyde stated authoritatively, ¡°Alright men, arm yourselves and prepare to engage the enemy.¡±


    All of the Adventurers followed Clyde and Aislins example and readied themselves for combat. Clyde called Zycor over to give him his orders. ¡°Alright, Zycor, I want you to listen to me carefully. Under no circumstance are you to be on the front lines while fighting these creatures. You are to only provide cover fire with your magic.¡±


    Zycor, in protest, responded, ¡°But I want to use my weapons and see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s what you want, And honestly, against pretty much any other mana beast I would say go ahead. However, These beasts in particular are strong enough to take down anyone who is not at least a rank four or higher. In other words, your support will be extraordinarily important for keeping the others from being overrun,¡± Clyde explained.


    Reluctantly, Zycor responded, ¡°Ok, I understand.¡±


    As everyone quieted down and began to listen, they noticed that an eerie silence fell upon the forest. All the bird¡¯s chirping ceased, even the wind seemed to stop. The silence was almost deafening. Moments later, the ground began to shake. It was soft, almost unnoticeable at first, but quickly grew into a thundering quake that was impossible to ignore.


    With a loud roar, four mana bears broke through the trees. Aislin immediately launched a fire spell in front of her, incinerating the trees in front of them. With an open area now available, the fight began. Clyde shouted, ¡°Here we go! Split into two groups and each group takes on one bear! Barroo with me, and Aislin, hold the last one off until we can come and assist. Zycor, provide some covering spells!¡±


    All the adventurers let out war cries that matched the roars of the bears. The two groups¡¯ tanks entered the fight first and mitigated their two bear¡¯s charge, being knocked back in the process. Clyde and Barroo dodged their bear¡¯s initial swipe and went for its hind legs. Meanwhile, Aislin was able to grab the last bear''s front paws when it tried to slam them down, grimacing, but able to lock it in a temporary stalemate.


    As the adventurers attacked, the bears began to charge up mana and condense it within themselves. Upon doing this, their next attack would become especially powerful, though their movements would be slowed while full of that much power. The two groups fighting them suffered many injuries, though said injuries did little to stop them from fighting. The bears that were fighting the two groups stood up on their hind legs, absorbing mana, and attempted to crash down with great force. Before they could gather their momentum, four lightning bolts struck both beasts, knocking them off what little balance they had standing upright. As they crashed down, the adventurers shouted as they went in to finish off the beasts. In order for his magic to do any registrable damage, Zycor had to use up a good amount of his mana. Luckily, it was enough to stun the bears long enough for both groups of fifteen adventurers to deliver multiple fatal blows, ending their fight.


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    With all of the adventurers finally able to rest, many collapsed, far too fatigued to continue fighting at a high enough level to deal with another bear. Turning his attention to the remaining mana bears, Zycor was filled with awe. Barroo and Clyde were fighting as if they were inside each other''s minds. Barroo would parry while Clyde delivered a counter attack. When the bear attacked Clyde, Barroo would abuse the opening created and deliver another blow. They were able to gradually whittle the bear down, something that took all of Zycor¡¯s and the adventurers¡¯ strength to do. As the bear retreated a few steps back, Barroo and Clyde readied themselves. When a mana creature is backed into a corner, they have a trump card they use. The trump card allows the creature to condense mana it absorbs from its surroundings into one final shot of pure mana. However, it renders the beast incapable of moving, using all of its strength in the shot. This meant all Clyde and Barroo had to do was dodge the attack and they would win. They readied themselves to dodge while the bear began to absorb mana. All of the sudden Zycor, who had no idea what was about to happen, charged the bear, thinking it would be easy to finish off. As Zycor charged the bear, he extended the blade of his right gauntlet. As he got closer, he saw the bear''s mouth begin to shine a vibrant blue.


    Aislin noticed what was going on and shouted, ¡°ZYCOR, NO!¡±


    She threw a powerful punch at the side of her bear''s face, driving the bear''s face into the ground. Aislin used her fire magic to propel herself towards Zycor. As she grabbed him, she brought him close and turned her back towards the bear. When the bear fired the attack, Barroo and Clyde managed to dodge while Aislin and Zycor were sent flying. Aislin shielded Zycor and held him close as they bounced off the ground before they began to roll, only to stop suddenly when she impacted a tree. As Zycor managed to get up, he re-orientated himself with his surroundings.


    He looked over at Barroo and Clyde first, who finished off the defenseless mana bear. He then looked down at his hands as his vision began to focus behind them at an unconscious, bloodied and bruised Aislin. Zycor fell to his knees as he shook Aislin trying to wake her up. He whimpered, ¡°H-hey, Aislin? A-are you ok? Come on, say something¡­ please.¡±


    He noticed there was a massive wound on her back. Zycor began to quietly cry as his head dropped. Barroo and Clyde ran over to check on them. Sadly, however, life is rarely kind enough to allow such a thing. Barroo and Clyde stopped dead in their tracks and looked over at the mana bear Aislin had fought. The bear finally re-orientated itself and was pissed. It charged Barroo and Clyde, catching them off guard and knocking them back. The injured adventurers, whom they were thrown towards, caught them. ¡°Well, I suppose this is no time to be taking a break,¡± one of the adventurers said as they stumbled to their feet.


    Clyde started to stand up and commented, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! None of you are in any condition to fight any mana beast, let alone a bear!¡±


    Another Adventurer stated, ¡°I would rather die fighting alongside my brothers than on the ground like a coward.¡±


    Barroo, proudly acknowledging the comment, exclaimed, ¡°Well said! I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way!¡±


    As Zycor remained knelt beside Aislin on the verge of another mental break, a thought crept into his mind. This thought screamed louder than anything else that was going through his head, ¡°I should have taken Mister X¡¯s offer for power. Maybe then, Aislin and everyone else wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.¡±


    As his mind and heart began to fall, someone grabbed his wrist, jolting him back to reality. Aislin had regained a small amount of consciousness, and quietly asked, ¡°Are you alright, kid?¡±


    A wave of relief washed over Zycor when Aislin spoke. However, after the relief began to dissipate only an intense feeling remained. It was the feeling that had driven him to become stronger, the last thing he felt before he lost touch with his emotions. He felt an unyielding rage. He was furious that this lowly anything would try and take his family again. When he turned to face the bear, he saw the bear in a charge towards the tired and injured. His anger instantly dissipated, and was replaced with fear. Fear he would lose it all again, and there was nothing he could do but watch. From that fear a desire was brought forth from his subconscious, the desire to protect what was dear to him. Zycor reached his hand out and screamed, ¡°NO!¡±


    A sudden distortion began to envelop the bear, forcing it to the ground, the impact made stronger due to its own momentum. The air all around was filled with an intense pressure and weight, most of it focused on the bear. As it tried to stand the pressure only grew in intensity as a crater began to form around the bear''s feet while trying to fight against it. Clyde snapped out of the state of confusion and screamed at Barroo, ¡°Now¡¯s our chance! Quickly, while it can¡¯t move!¡± Clyde and Barroo charged the beast as the pressure dissipated. Zycor¡¯s arm fell to his side as he fell unconscious. With one swift strike from the duo, they cleaved both of the bear¡¯s front legs off. They quickly stopped and pivoted to face the bear¡¯s head, readied their swords, and plunged both of them into the skull of the mana bear, killing it.

 Volume 1; Chapter 22: Recovery

    Zycor opened his eyes to a familiar voice shouting at him. He began to sit up and found himself in a great amount of pain. The sound of stomping was followed by the door to his room being kicked open. He was greeted by a furious Aisha who, as she walked over to him, yelled, ¡°What the hell were you thinking!? You could have died! You absolute moron!¡±


    As she arrived at the bed, she gave a hug to the bandage covered Zycor. ¡°You idiot,¡± she repeated, continuing to hug him for a minute straight.


    As Zycors confusion was replaced with properly organized thoughts, Zycor, in a panicked state, asked, ¡°Where is Aislin? Is she ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aisha replied, ¡°Aside from the scar on her back she is completely fine. Hell, she¡¯s already walking around, leave it to an Oni to heal so fast in just three days¡­¡±


    Zycor asked, ¡°I have been asleep for three days? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was really scar-,¡± Aisha paused as she grew embarrassed about what she was saying. She continued, flustered, ¡°I-I mean, duh, you moron! What did you think was going to happen when you drained your mana reserves AGAIN?! Honestly, do I need to babysit you all the time?¡±


    ¡°Did I really run my mana reserves dry? I don¡¯t remember using any magic after the first spell¡­¡± Zycor asked.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I was told. I mean, you are so forgetful I wouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Aisha answered


    Adria, who stood in the doorway, knocked on the door to get the two¡¯s attention. ¡°I apologize for interrupting, but might I talk to Zycor, alone?¡± she asked.


    Aisha reluctantly replied, ¡°I guess. But Zycor, when you are better you are treating me to something in town for worr-... I mean, for being an idiot.¡±


    With that, Aisha left. Adria closed the door behind her and asked, ¡°Well now Zycor, would you have any idea as to why I would want to talk with you alone?¡±


    Zycor remained silent as he looked down at his sheets. Adria sighed, ¡°I am taking your silence as a yes.¡±


    She walked over to Zycors bed and sat down on the edge as she continued, ¡°Honestly, I was so worried about what Clyde and Aislin would do that I didn¡¯t even consider what you would do. What was I thinking, letting a fifteen year old go on something like this as his first quest regardless of who was with him. Of course you would want to fight, it is literally the whole point of this training phase of yours. Though those two should have done a better job with protecting you.¡±


    Clutching his sheets, Zycor said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    Taken aback, Adria asked, ¡°What do you mean ¡®I¡¯m wrong?¡¯¡±


    Zycor quickly elaborated on his statement, ¡°Clyde, Barroo, and big sis all warned me how dangerous those bears were. Clyde told me to only provide support because I wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight one myself. It was my fault, not theirs.¡±


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    Adria smiled, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear. Listen Zycor, Everyone makes mistakes. And what happened when you ran in was a perfect example of the consequences of rushing into something blindly. All of your choices will have an effect on those around you, some will be immediate and others will not. It¡¯s important to think through what you plan to do and if you can handle the repercussions that will follow.¡±


    Adria hugged Zycor and stood up. ¡°Having said that,¡± She continued, ¡°You are forbidden from attempting any quest or using your weapons for the next three days.¡±


    ¡°But, mom¡­¡± Zycor protested. Adria swiftly cut him off by saying, ¡°No buts. Come down to eat when you are able to move. I love you!¡±


    Adria stood up and headed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.


    Letting out a sigh, she said, ¡°Are you sure I didn¡¯t go too easy on him, Aislin? I know you asked me to, but what will happen if you or someone else is not there?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Aislin replied, ¡°He¡¯s a tough kid, and I¡¯m certain the experience itself was far more excruciating than anything we could do to him.¡±


    As Adria and Aislin began to walk downstairs to begin making some food, Adria asked, ¡°Are you doing alright? How¡¯s your back?¡±


    Aislin chuckled and responded, ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it! It still hurts a bit, sure, but now I¡¯m just gonna look even more badass!¡±


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± Adria sighed.


    Zycor managed to get out of bed with the help of Aisha and they ventured downstairs for some food. After they ate and Zycor finished his profuse apologies, night fell upon them. Everyone said their goodbyes and left for home while Zycor, Adria, and Aislin all went to their rooms and went to sleep.


    As he laid in his bed, he thought about everything that had happened. Zycor reached his hand out almost instinctively as a hazy memory entered his mind. He remembered he did the same thing during the hunt, though he couldn¡¯t remember what happened after. Still, he was determined to figure out what it was and become stronger.


    Meanwhile, under the mountain of which the capital of Velathria found itself, lay an open cavern-like area. A large courtyard leading into a palace carved into one of the walls of the cavern. There were several individuals that roamed the courtyard with purpose as they prepared for¡­something. Inside the palace was a single large, yet fairly empty, room, save for the structural pillars and the throne at the head of it. The room was gray throughout, the only exception being the black runes carved into the floors and pillars. Sitting on his throne, Mister X watched the events that played out in the woods, using a long-thought-lost item. ¡°What a shame. And here I was, on the brink of¡­ persuading him to reconsider my generous offer. It would appear I must take¡­ extra steps in the future to ensure that no outside forces are able to¡­ interfere with my affairs.¡±


    As he turned off the viewing item and moved it to the side, he began to stand and muttered, ¡°Oh well, anything worth¡­ Procuring always has obstacles. Though, I do not believe these¡­ obstacles will prove to be too much of a¡­ challenge.¡±


    As he looked down the hall at a group of people, who were kneeling before him, he said, ¡°My faithful followers. It has been quite some time since the founding of this¡­ lifestyle, and I must admit how¡­ grateful I am for those of you here now, as well as those of the past. The proper time is finally close at hand. There is but a few years worth of mana left to¡­ collect. And upon its¡­ completion, you will all receive your end of our¡­ agreement.¡±


    As Mister X ended his speech, he began to laugh ominously, all while his ¡®followers¡¯ repeated the phrase, ¡°Salvation through Itzal.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 23: Professor Aisha

    ¡°Zycor, as much as I appreciate you worrying about me, isn¡¯t this a bit much?¡± Aislin asked in an irritated tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. I just want to apologize and make up for my actions,¡± Zycor replied.


    Aislin, irritated, said, ¡°Yes, I understand that, and that¡¯s great¡­ but you have been apologizing for three days¡­ STRAIGHT! You have continually forced your way into taking over chores and duties from me.¡±


    Confused and at a loss, Zycor responded, ¡°And¡­ that¡¯s bad?¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Aislin sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s more so about how often you have been doing it.¡±


    As if the Goddess heard her inner plea for help, Aisha threw open the guild hall doors. ¡°Alright, where the hell is he!?¡± she yelled as she locked eyes with Zycor.


    Aisha stormed over and exclaimed, ¡°Alright moron, we¡¯re going out on the shopping day you owe me!¡±


    Aislin let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Oh thank the Goddess. Yes, please take him, he needs to get out.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Zycor began, ¡°What about you? I still have to help you and-.¡±


    Aislin cut him off, ¡°No no no, you are going to go with her and relax. You are freaking out way too much over this. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine! And besides, this excursion should do you some good as well.¡±


    Before Zycor could protest further, Aisha grabbed his arm and said, ¡°You heard her! You''re mine for the day! Now come on!¡±


    And with that, Aisha dragged Zycor out of the guild hall. Adria, who had been listening in from the back room came out and asked, ¡°Are you sure sending him out like that was a good idea?¡±


    Aislin chuckled, ¡°Eh, he¡¯ll be fine. Like I said, he needs this¡­ as do I.¡±


    Zycor, depressed about leaving Aislin, asked, ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    Aisha responded, ¡°Well, I was thinking we could stop by a couple clothing shops. There are some outfits I really want to look at, and you could use some more clothes as well. Is that the only clothing you own?¡±


    Zycor looked at his attire and said, ¡°Yeah, it adjusts to fit me using magic, so I don¡¯t really need anything else.¡±


    Aisha stared at Zycor, dumbfounded. ¡°Alright,¡± she began, ¡°I now know our objective for today.¡±


    ¡°And, what would tha-,¡± Zycor was cut off by Aisha as she exclaimed, ¡°We are getting you actual clothing!¡±


    Zycor and Aisha then proceeded to go around the shopping zone of the south-eastern district. Aisha tried on a few clothes, but mainly played dress up with Zycor, making him try on a lot of different outfits from many different shops.


    As Aisha and Zycor were walking to their next stop, Aisha smiled and remarked, ¡°You know, I heard there is a really awesome clothing shop in the north-western district. We totally have to go there next time.¡±


    Zycor began to feel better as he watched Aisha enjoying herself, even cracking a small and brief smile. ¡°You are having a lot of fun with this, huh?¡± Zycor asked, in a much better mood.


    Aisha replied, ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m happy to see you are finally back to some form of normalcy.¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Aisha tacked on, ¡°About time you stopped acting like such a baby, you idiot.¡±


    Zycor thought about Aisha''s comment about the north-western district, and realized he had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°Hey Aisha,¡± Zycor began, ¡°what did you mean by ¡®the north-western district¡¯?¡±


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    Confused, Aisha repeated, ¡°Well, I meant the north-western district¡­¡±


    She took a moment to process what he was asking. Aisha continued, ¡°Wait, do you not know what a district is?¡±


    Zycor shook his head, ¡°No, I only learned my way around the general area around the guild, and the way to and from the mountains.¡±


    Dumbfounded yet again, Aisha sighed, ¡°Well, it looks like it is up to me yet again to teach you about the world. Honestly, you would think Adria, Aislin, or someone at the guild would think that this is important to teach a kid, especially a young adult.¡±


    Aisha took a deep breath and started, ¡°Ok, listen up Zycor, I refuse to repeat myself. The city of Abros is split into five separate districts. The main district inside the circular walls right in the middle of the city is the trade district. That¡¯s where all of the imported goods are brought to be processed and then distributed to the other districts. It is also where all exports are processed and shipped out to the western bay harbor. Outside of the main district are the north-western, north-eastern, south-western, and south-eastern districts. There are not really any main differences between these districts, they all have relatively the same shops with a few exceptions. The city is just so large, having it divided up makes getting to shops far easier for residents than needing to travel across the city. Though, some districts are known for having better quality wares than others, such as the clothing from the north-western district I was talking about earlier. You get all that?¡±


    Zycor remained silent for a while. As Aisha¡¯s patience was about to run out, he responded, ¡°Yes, I understood¡­ most of it¡­ probably.¡±


    Aisha stared at him, turned around and sighed as she resumed their stroll, ¡°Well, good enough I suppose.¡±


    Aisha and Zycor continued their shopping day, hitting a few more stores. They purchased food from some vendors, and Aisha prevented Zycor from engaging in fights more than she should have needed too. As they walked through the town, Zycor happened to see a map of the continent and asked, ¡°Hey Aisha, this is a map of the continent right? Where are we on it?¡±


    Aisha dragged her hand down her face. ¡°You would think at some point, I would stop being surprised by the utter lack of parenting. And yet, here we are,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Well,¡± Aisha continued, pointing at the kingdom in the middle of the map, ¡°This area here is the remnants of an ancient kingdom, and is in the middle of the continent. All that¡¯s left of that kingdom is the grand city of Torvalla.¡± Aisha dragged her finger to the kingdom to the right, ¡°This is the kingdom of Muthgrad, where we are currently.¡± She dragged her finger to the south-western part of Muthgrad, by the bay, ¡° And this is the city we are in right now, Abros."


    Zycor, amazed at how Aisha¡¯s knowledge, said, ¡°You¡¯re incredible, You know so much.¡±


    Aisha, whose ego got a large boost from Zycors comment, responded, ¡°Well, of course I do! Who do you think I am!? Hahaha!¡± As she laughed, Aisha thought to herself, ¡®He must never know this kind of information is common knowledge.¡¯


    ¡°Alright,¡± she started, ¡°Time to move on!¡±


    Zycor spoke up, ¡°Actually, there is something I would like to do. Would you mind if we stopped by the guild hall so I can drop off these things and grab my gauntlets?¡±


    Confused, Aisha questioned Zycor, ¡°Why do you need your weapons? I thought Miss Adria banned you from training? If she finds out you were even attempting too, she would have your head along with mine for not stopping you.¡±


    Zycor shook his head and assured Aisha, ¡°It¡¯s not for training. After the incident a few days ago, my gauntlets are a bit worse for wear, so I wanted to take them to get looked at and repaired.¡±


    Aisha finally relented, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all, I suppose it¡¯s fine.¡±


    The two made their way back to the guild hall to store their spoils of the day. When the two arrived, Adria turned around and cheerfully said, ¡°Welcome back you two! I hope you had fu-.¡± Adria paused as she was met with Zycor covered from pretty much head to toe with bags and clothing. Adria chuckled, ¡°Well, it seems like I worried over nothing. You two seemed to have enjoyed yourselves. Though, what are you two doing back so early? You have a bit more time I believe.¡±


    ¡°We are here to drop this stuff off and pick up my gauntlets. I was going to bring them to get looked at and hopefully repaired. Is that ok, mom?¡±


    Adria sighed and, reluctantly, said, ¡°I suppose that is fine. However, If I so much as hear a rumor about you using them to train¡­ Well, I will have to discipline you. Are we clear?¡±


    As Adria¡¯s oppressive and authoritative aura loomed over him, Zycor quickly responded, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    Adria waved them off as they left. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to see that he is doing better,¡± Adria commented.


    Aislin, who walked out of the guild hall to see them walking away, responded, ¡°Yeah, that, and I finally have a break. Goddess, I love the kid but he needs to learn that apologizing too much cheapens its value.¡±


    In agreement, Adria said, ¡°Someone really should talk to him about that.¡±


    Aislin and Adria looked at each other and looked back to the two, who were almost out of sight. Adria turned to head back inside as she waved her hand, ¡°Eh, Aisha will take care of it. She¡¯s a good girl.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 24: A Visit To An Old Friend

    Walking around the district, Aisha and Zycor found themselves at Dreiford¡¯s office. When they entered, there was a big room with a main desk between the semi-circular staircases that resided on either side. The lobby was mainly green with hints of a gold-yellow thrown in. A hanging chandelier provided light to the room using basic fire runes.


    As Aisha and Zycor entered, they were stopped by the receptionist and some guards. ¡°Excuse me, but weapons are strictly prohibited in the building. I will have to ask you to leave, or these guards will help you leave.¡±


    Aisha, who was more than slightly concerned about the guards surrounding them, said to Zycor, ¡°We should probably do as they say and leave.¡±


    Zycor reassured Aisha and replied, ¡°It will be ok, I promise.¡±


    He then faced the receptionist and said, ¡°We are not here to start any trouble. I just needed to have Uncle Dreiford look at these, considering he is the one who had them made.¡±


    The receptionist stared at Zycor, confused about his ¡®uncle¡¯ comment. After a brief delay, she asked, ¡°Excuse me, but what do you mean by ¡®Uncle Dreiford¡¯? As far as I know, he does not have any siblings with children of their own.¡±


    ¡°He said it was ok if I called him that. I am not actually related to him. I just need to see him and ask him what I should do about my gauntlets,¡± Zycor responded.


    Still not convinced, the receptionist turned to the guards and asked one of them to inform Dreiford of the boy¡¯s statement. ¡°Guard, hold on a moment,¡± The receptionist said as she turned to Zycor, continuing, ¡°Boy, what is your name?¡±


    He responded, ¡°It¡¯s Zycor, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The receptionist turned back to the guard and nodded. The guard gave a nod back, and continued to Dreifords office


    After a minute or so, yelling could be heard coming from down the right side of the branching path at the top of the staircase. The guard hurriedly returned and stopped at the top of the staircase. He motioned for the two children to come with him as he stated, ¡°Zycor and his guest are to be escorted to the bosses room, immediately!¡±


    The receptionist was at a loss for words. Never before had she heard Dreiford yell like that. As Aisha and Zycor walked by and up the staircase, Aisha turned to the receptionist and, with a smug smile, let out a brief ¡®heh.¡¯


    Upon getting towards the end of the hallway, the guard showed them to the door that Zycor had not seen in many years. As they entered, Dreiford greeted them while in his chair sat in front of his desk that was in disarray. ¡°Ah, Zycor my boy, it has been far too long,¡± Dreiford started with a chuckle, ¡°How are you? Since you are fifteen now, you are able to use the account I set up for you, tell me, how is it?¡±


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    Zycor, now able to crack a brief smile, responded, ¡°Yes, the account has been a great help, thank you. I am sorry for not coming around more often, I have just been busy.¡±


    Dreiford, surprised at Zycor showing even a small amount of emotion, cheerfully said, ¡°Now would you look at that, you can smile! I was starting to think your face would be stuck like that haha! And don¡¯t worry about not visiting, I understand being busy. In all honesty I have been slammed recently with all of these merchant guild order requests. Not to mention the adventuring guild from the north-eastern and north-western districts are asking for budget increases along with city supplied weapons. Who do they think they are!? asking for a budget increase ON TOP of weaponry subsidized by the city?! Honestly I feel like the only decent guilds are the ones in the south, like yours.¡±


    Dreiford cleared his throat as he re-focused the conversation, ¡°Ahem, enough of my complaining, I heard you got into quite the predicament recently my boy. Are you doing alright?¡±


    Zycor solemnly responded, ¡°Yes, I am doing fine.¡±


    After a brief pause, Aisha nudged him and he was able to recompose himself. Zycor continued, ¡°Well, actually, My gauntlets took quite a beating.¡±


    Zycor showed Dreiford the beat up gauntlets as he inquired, ¡°Where should I go to have these looked at and possibly repaired?¡±


    Dreiford, inspecting the gauntlets, commented, ¡°Jeez, these were really put through the ringer.¡± After a moment more, Dreiford looked up and answered, ¡°Well, the best place to go would be to the weaponsmith who made them. You remember him, don¡¯t you? His name is Jorvaal. Do you remember how to get there?¡±


    Zycor looked at Dreiford, annoyed to admit it, and told him, ¡°No, no I do not.¡±


    Aisha chimed in, riding her ego trip of ¡®professor Aisha,¡¯ and said, ¡°I know how to get there! It''s near one of the better clothing stores in this district. I noticed the shop while looking for different clothing stores and made a note of it.¡±


    Dreiford looked at Aisha, smiled, and proceeded to laugh, ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you popular Zycor! You have a beautiful girlfriend to show you where to go, hahaha!¡±


    Aisha, super embarrassed, looked Dreiford dead in the eyes and said, ¡°Shut up! I will end you! We are NOT dating! I merely thought I could go there to get my gear upgraded, that¡¯s all! I-I didn¡¯t make a note for his sake!¡±


    Zycor shrugged and said, ¡°Nobody will tell me what those words mean, so I do not know what you are talking about, sorry.¡±


    Aisha angrily commented, ¡°Good, and we are keeping it that way for now. Thank you for your help Mr. Dreiford, but we will be going now.¡±


    Zycor, now used to being dragged around by the arm, said, ¡°I will come visit again soon Uncle Dreiford, bye.¡±


    Dreiford waved as he responded, ¡°Come by anytime my boy! I will tell you about the meaning of those words when you do!¡±


    Aisha shouted, ¡°NO! ZYCOR, YOU ARE BANNED FROM COMING BACK HERE WITHOUT SOMEONE ELSE!¡±


    Zycor responded, ¡°You are not my mom, you can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Aisha started, ¡°unfortunately for you, you¡¯re still injured and can¡¯t talk back right now!¡± After Aisha completed her statement, she twisted Zycors arm as he let out a small yelp.

 Volume 1; Chapter 25: Old Encounters

    After walking for some time, Aisha and Zycor ended up at ¡®Jorvaal¡¯s Weaponsmith Shop¡¯. As the two of them entered, Aisha yelled out, ¡°Hello~, anyone here?¡±


    As they walked towards the front of the shop, they looked around at all of the wear¡¯s. There were weapons of all different types, foreign weapons, unique weapons, standard weapons, swords, shields, bows, crossbows, spears, and more. ¡°Who is it?!¡± a voice from the back room behind the desk called.


    A middle aged man walked out into the open. He was much taller than either Aisha or Zycor. Jorvaal saw the weapons Zycor was holding and his eyes widened, ¡°Well well well, I would never mistake those gauntlets. Is that really you Zycor?! You¡¯ve grown up, kid!¡±


    ¡°It is great to see you again as well, Mr. Jorvaal.¡± Zycor said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which still was not much.


    ¡°So,¡± Jorvaal began, ¡°What brings you in today?¡±


    Setting the gauntlets on the table, Zycor told him, ¡°I would like you to take a look at these and repair them if possible, please.¡±


    Inspecting the gauntlets closer, Jorvaal let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Wow kid, I don¡¯t know what to say. These things are really beaten up, what happened?¡±


    Zycor told Jorvaal what happened with the mana bears as Jorvaal nodded, showing he understood. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Jorvaal stood thinking, ¡°well, these are really beaten up. I mean,¡± Jorvaal extended the blade of the left gauntlet to reveal it chipped to hell. ¡°Look at this, it¡¯s almost unusable. It won¡¯t even extend fully. Honestly you might be better off having a new pair commissioned. Though, I will be backed up for a while, something about needing to produce more weapons for some of the guilds¡± He complained.


    While they talked, Aisha noticed someone peeking out from the doorway, behind the piece of cloth draped halfway down from the top. ¡°Hey, is there someone else back there?¡± Aisha asked.


    Jorvaal looking towards the doorway and noticing the individual peeking, said, ¡°Ah yes, I completely forgot for a moment. Hey, come out here and introduce yourself.¡±


    Out from the doorway came a girl, who was covered in red scales from the neck down, though only on her sides. She had a lizard-like tail, and the room felt as though it got warmer when she came out. ¡°H¨Ch-hello,¡± the girl stuttered, obviously nervous, ¡°m-my name is Skalnyr Firehorn. B-but please, call me Skal.¡±


    Aisha and Zycor, the latter of whom was following Aisha¡¯s lead, said, ¡°Nice to meet you!¡±


    As Jorvaal continued thinking about what he could do, Skal, who could no longer control herself any longer, said, ¡°U-um, could I try to fix them? I really don¡¯t think they need to be remade.¡±


    Jorvaal looked at the gauntlets, shrugged, and looked back to Skal, ¡°Well, they will need to be rebuilt at the moment, so I don¡¯t see a problem with it. You¡¯ll have to get the ok from Zycor first though.¡±


    Skal immediately turned her attention towards Zycor, every fiber of her being channeled through her intense stare, begging him to approve. Zycor shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t have an issue if you can fix them.¡±


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    The shy girl from earlier practically disappeared and was replaced by a passionate and ecstatic one. ¡°You won¡¯t regret this,¡± She exclaimed, ¡°I promise!¡± And with that, Skal grabbed the gauntlets and hurried into the back room to begin working.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for being nice to her,¡± Jorvaal began, holding the back of his head, ¡°as a demi-human, people are often cruel to her.¡± Aisha flinched because of his words, knowing first hand exactly what he meant.


    ¡°What?¡± Zycor began, with a very confused look on his face, ¡°With the heat that was coming off from her, she has to be related to a dragon or one of those huge fire lizards, right? That¡¯s badass!¡± Zycor turned to Aisha, ¡°Hey Aisha, do you think she can breathe fire!?¡± Zycor turns back to Jorvaal, ¡°She works for you, right Mr. Jorvaal? Well? Can she breathe fire?!¡±


    Aisha slapped the back of Zycor¡¯s head, ¡°Would you knock it off!? I bet you were thinking about how it would be to fight her, weren¡¯t you!?¡±


    Jorvaal, stunned, laughed, ¡°HAHA! Where did all of this emotion come from! What happened to that little brat who couldn¡¯t even crack a smile?¡±


    Zycor, realizing that he felt excitement, responded, ¡°Huh, this is a new one. It feels weird.¡± After acknowledging the emotion, however, it quickly subsided, ¡°Aw, it¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Jorvaal, cracking up again, ¡°HA! Kid you are a riot! As for your earlier question, she can breathe fire. Though, she doesn¡¯t show anyone else aside from me when we are working and I presume her family.¡±


    Disappointed, Zycor said, ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± ¡°Well, I doubt she will be done today, I am certain she will call for you when she is done with her attempt. In the meantime, I will set up an order for a new pair, so in the event it doesn¡¯t work out, you already have a spot in the queue.¡±


    After they were done setting everything up Aisha, Zycor, and Jorvaal said their goodbyes. And with that, Aisha and Zycor left the shop. Getting outside, it was getting to be late so they decided to head back to the guild hall.


    When they got back to the guild hall, they ran into Aislin, who had just walked out of the guild. ¡°Hey!¡± She shouted, ¡°Would you look at that, the two love birds finished their date! So~, how did it go?¡±


    Aisha, who was bright red, stammered angrily, ¡°D-d-d-d-do you want to die!¡± her emotions ran too high and her Warg ears popped out.


    Zycor, nudging Aisha, muttered, ¡°Hey, Aisha, your ears.¡± Quickly getting a hold of herself and calming down, as much as she could, she managed to suppress the ears. Aislin, laughing hysterically, exclaimed, ¡°HAHAHA! What the hell was that?! Are you saying if you get too embarrassed, your demi-human features pop out in that half-assed way?! Ooooh boy, I¡¯m gonna have fun with this!¡±


    Seeing Aisha on the verge of crying, Aislin knew she couldn¡¯t push her teasing any further. With a sigh, Aislin asked, ¡°Hey you two, I was planning on heading out to the tavern, you guys want to come?¡±


    Zycor sternly, yet still with a straight face, stated, ¡°Yes.¡± Aisha tried to refuse, not wanting to have anything to do with Aislin for the time being, but Zycor put his hand on her shoulder and said, ¡°We went shopping all day, and you got to play dress up with me. You are coming with us.¡±


    Aisha accepted her fate and sighed, ¡°Ok, fine, I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡±.


    As the three of them were walking, Zycor asked Aislin, ¡°Do you think mom is going to get mad?¡±


    Aislin shrugged, ¡°It will probably be fine. All I have to say is something along the lines of ¡®it was for his own good, this experience will help him grow as a man¡¯ or something. And, in a way, It is not a TOTAL lie.¡±


    Aisha, disapprovingly looking at Aislin, commented, ¡°I really don¡¯t think you or Adria should be raising a kid¡­¡±


    Aislin responded, ¡°Rude, that was uncalled for, and it was untrue. I mean, look at Zycor.¡±


    ¡°I am, that¡¯s the point.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 26: The Brute and the Paladin

    They arrived in front of the tavern with a sign hanging above the door that read ¡®The Angry Tortoise.¡¯ The trio entered the building and were met by the tavern''s ambience, bards playing music and telling stories along with the chatter of many adventurers and workers.


    They found an open table and sat down. The tavern had about twenty or so tables all with varying sizes, some seating four and others seating eight or so. After some debate about the menu, The three of them finally settled on their food and drinks of choice. Aislin denied Zycor¡¯s initial request for water and ordered him some alcohol as she talked about the sanctity of drinking while at a tavern with friends and family.


    When the drinks finally arrived, Zycor and Aisha looked at each other before they took a swig out of their mugs. They quickly spat it out with disgusted looks on their faces, all while Aislin looked on and laughed. The group talked about miscellaneous things, Aisha and Aislin bickered as they normally did, Zycor and Aisha debated on which magic elements were superior. Aislin jumped in, talking about how brute strength was far superior than any magic as she flexed.


    As the trio enjoyed their time, a group of drunk ruffians approached the table. ¡°Well well *hic* well, aren¡¯t you two ladies looking *hic* fiiiine~.¡± One of the men slurred, ¡°Wanna come and *hic* have some fun with us, hehe.¡±


    Aisha, glancing slightly with disdain, responded, ¡°You have got to be kidding me. there is no way these people are real, I refuse to believe people actually act like this.¡±


    ¡°You tell ¡®em girl!¡± Aislin cheered.


    Agitated by Aisha¡¯s statement, the leader of the group angrily slurred, ¡°You listen here, girly, *hic* you gots no right refusing our generous offer. Hell, you don¡¯t really have a choice either!¡±


    Aislin glared at the man and warned, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you guys to stop with your empty threats and head back to your table. She already refused your ¡®generous offer,¡¯and for that matter, so do I, so beat it.¡±


    The Hooligans looked at each other and laughed, ¡°An¡¯ *hic* what¡¯re you going to do about it, huh?¡±


    The leader of the men then turned slightly and revealed the sword on his hip. Seeing the weapon and realizing the man was attempting to threaten them, sparks of electricity suddenly crackled forth from Zycor. The startled Hooligans shuffled back, nearly tripping over themselves, as they noticed Zycor¡¯s disdain filled glare. ¡°W-what!? Y-you looking *hic* to get hurt, kid? HUH?!¡±


    The man took a heavy step forward in an effort to intimidate Zycor as he continued, ¡°What can a chicken shit little kid like you do, huh?¡±


    Zycor, who remained seated only because Aisha was holding him down, stated, ¡°If you are going to hurt my family¡­ I¡¯ll end you.¡±


    The hooligans looked at each other and laughed, ¡°Oh yeah? Honestly kid, you should really learn to pick your battles *hic* better.¡±


    As his rage built, Zycor responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think a couple of man children who look as you do and have to threaten ladies in order for them to even talk to you are much of a challenge.¡±


    Their irritation hitting a peak, the man began to reach for his sword and remarked, ¡°HUH?! What was that punk!? What do I look like!?¡±


    From the left side of the man, a deep voice answered his question, ¡°Like a bitch in need of a lesson.¡±


    After the statement was made, a massive fist collided with the man''s skull, throwing him away as he landed, and broke the nearest table.


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    Zycor, Aisha, and Aislin turned their attention from the now unconscious man to the thrower of the punch. As they do, they are met with a giant of a man. He towered over the other miscreants. He was ripped to an astonishing degree, and was covered in various scars, most notably the one running down the entirety of his left arm. His skin was tan with a slight green hue, and his eyes were piercing with a slight yellow hue. He had tusk-like teeth coming out from his bottom jaw by his molars, and had orcish ears. He had slicked back black hair. He wore fur padded leather under armor that was beneath a few pieces of plate mail items, such as gauntlets, shoulder pads and sabatons. The armor was rather generic, aside from the horns or tusks of some large animals that hung from parts of it.


    ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± one of the remaining miscreants screamed.


    ¡°The individual who is going to set up an early appointment with the goddess for you if you don¡¯t GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!¡± The man yelled. The hooligans let out a small squeal, ran over to their knocked out leader, and scurried out of the tavern.


    Another man began to speak up as he walked over, ¡°Geez, you are always like this. Starting trouble takes so much energy, I just don¡¯t know how you can stand it.¡±


    This man wasn¡¯t quite as tall as the first, though he still appeared taller than average. He had dark green eyes that gave off a sense of distance. His hair was a light blonde color, slicked and parted, and he had a bit of stubble on his chin. Like the man standing beside him, he too had various scars. One that jumped out was an explosion like scar on his left cheek.


    His skin was rough and calloused from wielding his weapons and fighting. He appeared to be physically built like the first man, though to a more reasonable degree. He wore heavy plate mail that had three main layers: a leather undercoat, which helped to pad the armor and protect him should the other two layers get punctured, a chain mail coat and leg coverings and an outer layer consisted of a full plate mail suit.


    The first man angrily snapped back, ¡°Hey, I am not always the reason trouble starts. But I am the one to finish it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± the second man replied.


    Aislin spoke up and said, ¡°Thank you for stepping in there, they were really annoying. What are your names?¡±


    The first man introduced them, ¡°My name is Bazmahl Dragonaxe, but just call me Baz, easier to say anyways. My gloomy friend here is Mylon Audouin, you can call him Mylo.¡±


    Mylo commented, ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you again, Baz and Mylon.¡± Aislin said, expressing her thanks one last time.


    Baz shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I needed to punch something anyways.¡±


    Baz turned to Zycor, ¡°Hey, wait a minute, I think I recognize you. Yeah, aren¡¯t you that kid that¡¯s always around the guild?¡±


    Zycor nodded in response. ¡°Not much of a talker, are you kid?¡± Baz started as he shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I personally hate this kind of idle chatter myself. But, Mylon said I should at least try to practice ¡®social etiquette.¡¯ Though, I doubt I will use it even if I did learn, there¡¯s a reason I keep him around haha.¡±


    Mylon sighed, ¡°Listen, just because you do not see a use for it at the moment, does not mean it is useless.¡±


    Baz, getting irritated, turned to walk away as he sighed, ¡°Ah~, shut up Mylon. It ain¡¯t gonna happen, get over it. Anyways, it was nice meeting you guys. I see you all at the guild often so I am certain we will meet again.¡±


    And with that, Baz and Mylon left. As they walked to the door, they stopped at the large weapon check in, a place to store larger weapons that would be too awkward to set at a table. Zycor, Aisha, and Aislin saw Baz pick up a giant two handed war axe like it was nothing and walk out of the bar, slinging it onto his back as the tavern doors closed behind the duo.


    The trio soon followed suit as they headed back to the guild. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Aislin remarked with a slight hint of fear in her voice, ¡°It¡¯s already after dark. Adria is going to have my head for keeping you two out so late.¡±


    Aisha smugly commented, ¡°I thought you said it would be fine and all you had to do was say ¡®it was for his own good, this experience will help him grow as a man¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Shut up lover girl,¡± Aislin snarked.


    Aisha flusteredly stammered, ¡°S-shut up! I swear I will tell Adria about the situation YOU put Zycor in!¡±


    Aislin replied, ¡°That¡¯s not what happened and you know it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aisha started, ¡°but who is she going to believe, hm?¡±


    Aislin muttered with realization, ¡°You little shit.¡±


    When they finally got back, Adria scolded them for staying out so late, though left it at that. Aisha¡¯s father was waiting inside and after exchanging hellos and goodbyes, he and Aisha left. Zycor spent the next thirty or so minutes talking about his day to the relentless Adria. After that, Adria and Aislin said goodnight to Zycor and he did the same back. With Zycor left alone in his room, he drifted off to sleep while he thought about all that happened.

 Volume 1; Chapter 27: Return of the Gauntlets

    A few days had passed since Zycor surrendered his gauntlets to Skal. Finally having his ¡®no training¡¯ punishment lifted, Zycor attempted to make up for lost time by using the day for intense training. As he sparred with human sized rock golems made by Adria for him, he heard Jorvaal call out to him, ¡°Hey kid, I brought your gauntlets! Skalnyr said the repairs were finished and wanted you to try them out as soon as possible.¡±


    Zycor finished off the last few golems with a chained lightning strike and turned to Jorvaal, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I thought they were scrap, so if she managed to repair them then that¡¯s great.¡±


    Jorvaal set down the large bag he had on his back and pulled out the gauntlets. Their color had been changed to a silver color from their original bronze color. Towards the middle of the gauntlet Skal had also put on her own personal craftsman insignia. ¡°That little cretin! Not only did she alter it without permission, but she had the audacity to throw her craftsman symbol on there!?¡± Jorvaal angrily complained, unaware Skal made these changes, ¡°I will take them back and scold her for it right now.¡±


    Zycor stopped Jorvaal from leaving, ¡°Hold on a moment, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Are you really ok with her changing them without asking you first? She even claimed herself the sole craftsman allowed to work on them.¡± Jorvaal asked, wanting to make sure Zycor was, in fact, okay with it.


    Confused by Jorvaals remark, Zycor inquired, ¡°What do you mean she ¡®claimed herself the sole craftsman?¡¯¡±


    Jorvaal sighed, ¡°Well, blacksmiths and customers sometimes form a sort of agreement. The customer agrees to have the equipment repaired solely by the blacksmiths in exchange for occasional discounts and a promise of excellent work. There were instances of both sides trying to cheat the other out of quality, payment, or other blacksmiths promising to do a better job and stealing the patron. To mitigate this, the Merchants guild made an official rule that all blacksmiths were required to have an insignia and to engrave it into the equipment of the customers who made the agreement with them. Other blacksmiths were forbidden from working on gear with another''s insignia, and if found out they would have their right to be a blacksmith revoked and slapped with a heavy fine. So in short, by allowing this insignia to remain, you are agreeing to have Skalnyr be the sole blacksmith allowed to repair or modify this equipment. Knowing what it means, are you still ok with this?¡±


    After pondering a bit, Zycor responded, ¡°I do like the silver better than the bronze color. And they honestly look better than they did previously. Seeing this, I don¡¯t see any problem with letting the insignia remain.¡±


    Zycor took the gauntlets from Jorvaal and immediately noticed that the straps were gone. Not knowing how to secure them, he wanted to at least see if the blades were repaired and could be extended, he could always put straps on later. When he put his hand into the first gauntlet, he felt that they were lined with a more comfortable material. As soon as his hand was fully inside of it, the material felt as though it inflated as it clamped onto his hand and forearm. A bit shocked, Zycor shook his hand as he attempted to throw the gauntlet off, but with no success.


    Jorvaal, worried something went wrong, frantically asked, ¡°Zycor! Are you ok?! What happened?!¡±


    Zycor attempted to calm Jorvaal by calmly replying, ¡°I am ok, don¡¯t worry. It just surprised me when the inner lining clamped onto my hand and forearm.¡±


    ¡°It did WHAT?!¡± Jorvaal exclaimed, now even more panicked.


    ¡°It does not hurt,¡± Zycor explained, ¡°It feels rather comfortable actually, and it feels far more secure than the leather straps I was using before.¡±


    Zycor tested the blade¡¯s extension, and it smoothly shot out and locked securely in place. He then retracted the blade without issue. Zycor continued his explanation, ¡°The blade looks fixed and extends far smoother than before, it even feels more stable as well. And it retracts perfectly fine.¡±


    Jorvaal, at a loss for words, said, ¡°I see¡­ Well, I suppose if you are happy with it there is no issue.¡±


    Zycor, looking at the gauntlets, both of which were now on, cracked a smile, ¡°Yeah¡­ they are awesome.¡±


    After a round of goodbyes, Jorvaal departed for his shop, pleading under his breath that Skal had not burned the place down.. Zycor fiddled around with the gauntlets for a little longer, trying to figure out how to take them off. He found a button on top of a gear looking dial that was inside of the gauntlet. When he pressed the button, the dial came out of the gauntlet. Zycor tried turning it clockwise, but to no avail. When he tried turning it counter-clockwise however, the gauntlet freed his arm. After he removed his arm and released the dial, it returned to its original position yet remained exposed. Zycor became increasingly fascinated with the mechanism.


    Eager to use his new gauntlets, Zycor rushed into the guild hall. He made his way over to the quest board in hopes to find something he could do. Before he had a chance to have a good look, Adria came up behind him and put her lower arms under his armpits and picked Zycor up. ¡°Now, what do you think you are doing?¡± Adria asked.


    ¡°Finding a quest to test out my new gauntlets.¡± Zycor replied.


    Adria sighed, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Yeah, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Zycor asked.


    ¡°Well, for starters,¡± Adria began, ¡°you have not even registered with the guild properly. The only reason you went out on that mana bear hunt was because I allowed you to accompany the adventurers, not actually participate.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Zycor remained silent for a few moments before saying, ¡°I would like to register with the guild.¡±


    Adria smiled, ¡°I am so happy to hear that! Now, let¡¯s head into my office and have a nice long chat about being an adventurer.¡±


    Suddenly worried for his own safety, Zycor quickly said, ¡°I have suddenly decided I do not want to register with the guild at the moment.¡±


    Adria, maintaining her ¡®cheerful¡¯ smile, responded, ¡°How does it feel to want? My office, now please.¡±


    Adria then threw Zycor over her shoulder and brought him up to her office, all while the adventurers present laughed and wished him luck.


    After about an hour or so, an exhausted Zycor exited Adria¡¯s office. He leaned on the railing and looked down at the adventurers who, after they noticed, looked up at Zycor. He lifted his hand up revealing his Adventurers license. The adventurers erupted into cheers as they all thrusted their mead into the air. As Zycor came down the stairs he was slapped on the back and noogied by the adventurers. Barroo nodded in approval as Zycor walked past him and Clyde outstretched his hand for a handshake, saying, ¡°Welcome to the club kid.¡±


    Zycor, as he shook Clyde¡¯s hand, responded, ¡°Thanks, but this is only a beginners license. Mom said I have to prove that I¡¯m ¡®not suicidal anymore.¡¯¡±


    Having heard Zycor¡¯s comment, a familiar figure sitting at a table began to laugh. ¡°Hell kid,¡± the man began, ¡°what did you do to get someone to put a condition like that on you? You must be almost as crazy as some orcs!¡±


    Zycor looked over towards where the man spoke from. Some of the adventurers moved aside so he could see, Zycor saw the half orc Baz and his friend Mylon.


    ¡°Baz,¡± Mylon started, ¡°please do not give the guild masters kid any ideas. The last thing we need is to be blacklisted from the guild because your comment spurred the kid to do something reckless.¡±


    Baz, in an attempt to defend himself, replied, ¡°What do you mean? I said almost. A-l-m-o-s-t.¡±


    Mylon, done with Baz¡¯s crap, massaged his forehead as he said, ¡°Baz, that changes literally nothing.¡±


    Zycor walked over to them and asked, ¡°You guys are the people from a few nights ago, right?¡± making a fist with his right hand and putting it to the left side of his chest, the posture assumed to show one''s sincerity when speaking, he continued, ¡°Thank you again for helping us out then.¡±


    Baz, taken aback by the sudden politeness being shown to him, responded, ¡°Woah now kid, it¡¯s not a big deal. They were just pissing me off.¡±


    Mylon finished his drink and gently set his mug on the table. ¡°Your posture is wrong, kiddo,¡± Mylon commented, pointing at Zycor¡¯s left hand that was limp at his side, ¡°When you thank someone, you are supposed to use your left hand and bring it to the right side of your chest. The way you are now is for when you are apologizing.¡±


    Zycor, putting his right arm down, ¡°Oh, my bad. I¡¯m still learning the whole ¡®etiquette¡¯ thing. Mom said it would be useful to know at some point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it kiddo, it''s just a habit of mine to correct posture and things like that. Comes with the territory of being-¡± Mylon stopped abruptly before he finished, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a habit.¡±


    Zycor shrugged, thanked them again, and turned to head back to the board of quests.


    Baz began to poke at Zycor, ¡°Already going for a job kid? HA, well, try not to crap yourself while you pick some herbs or something, I have heard that there might be bees!¡±


    Annoyed, Zycor marched over to the quest board and scanned it for a quest that had nothing to do with herbs. He grabbed the first one that caught his eye, it talked about a C ranked dungeon. Zycor had no idea what the ¡®C¡¯ meant, but it was about clearing a dungeon, so it would serve his purpose.


    He brought the quest over to Aislin, who was currently handling the quest approval desk. He slammed the quest down on the table and said, ¡°I want this one.¡±


    Aislin looked at the quest then back to Zycor and asked, ¡°You know what this is, right?¡±


    Zycor responded, ¡°Yes, I can read. It¡¯s about clearing out a dungeon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a C ranked dungeon.¡± Aislin said in a stern manner.


    The confused look on Zycors face told Aislin all she needed to know. She sighed, ¡°I see. you don¡¯t know anything about dungeon levels.¡± Composing her thoughts, Aislin continued, ¡°Alright Zy, listen up. There are various types of dungeons that have differences in how they are laid out, monster types, dungeon size, and the spawn rate of monsters. Because of this, dungeons are ranked based on these various conditions. The rankings are from F to A, F being the lowest and A being the highest adventurers are allowed to deal with. There are S ranked dungeons, but those are handled by an entire military force that is possibly accompanied by a hero. A C-ranked dungeon''s thinning quest requires a minimum of five people, two of whom need to be at rank four and the rest at a minimum of five. Considering there are six ranks, and you are at the bottom, and alone, you cannot take this quest.¡±


    Zycor irritatedly walked back to the quest board, re-pinned the quest, took a different quest, and walked back over to Aislin. He handed it to her as she sighed, ¡°Zycor¡­ this is a rank D dungeon, still too high for you. The difficulty and recommended party ranks and size are literally on the bottom of the poster, below the reward.¡±


    Zycor nodded, ¡°Yeah, but I think I could take it on just fine, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Zycor,¡± Aislin started, ¡°it¡¯s not about whether or not I think you can do it alone or not, but there are rules. You can¡¯t attempt this at your current rank alone, end of story.¡±


    Coming out of her office, Adria asked, ¡°Ok, what is going on out here?¡±


    Aislin let out a sigh of relief, since she didn''t have to argue with Zycor anymore, ¡°Adria, thank the goddess! Zycor is being stubborn about taking on this quest despite me telling him he cannot.¡±


    Making her way over to check out the quest causing so much trouble, she looked at Zycor. Adira, with a soft and soothing tone, stated, ¡°Zycor sweety, there is no way in this timeline or any other that I would let you take this on alone.¡±


    Zycor, being rather upset by this, actually managed to visibly pout ever so slightly. ¡°But mom, I can do this no problem, trust me.¡±


    Adria, who was not used to seeing Zycor visibly show emotion, caved slightly and said, ¡°Oh fine.¡± She pointed towards Baz and Mylon, ¡°But those two are to go with you.¡±


    Baz, doing a spit take, exclaimed, ¡°Excuse me? I don¡¯t take on quests just because I am told to do so.¡±


    As he turned to face Adria, he was met with a glare that silently gave the ultimatum to either do as she says or perish. Baz stood up and walked over to retrieve Zycor and said, ¡°Welp, looks like we are adventuring buddies now! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here!¡±


    Mylon, who had gotten up along with Baz, let out a heavy sigh, ¡°And more trouble yet again¡­ shocker.¡±


    ¡°HEY,¡± Baz shouted as they were walking out of the guild hall as he threw Zycor on his shoulder, ¡°it¡¯s not my fault this time and you know it!¡±


    Zycor waved to everyone and said, ¡°See you guys later, I guess.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 28: Dungeon Prep

    After the trio exited the guild, they began their walk into town. Curious about where and why they were going, Zycor inquired, ¡°So, what are we doing? Aren¡¯t we supposed to be headed to the dungeon?¡±


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other, then back to Zycor. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Baz asked.


    Mylon rested his head in his right hand and mused, ¡°I see now why Adria was so insistent that you go along with someone. Kiddo, do you know how far the dungeon we are headed to is?¡±


    Annoyed at the way Baz and Mylon continued to address him, Zycor ignored Mylon¡¯s question and snapped back, ¡°It¡¯s Zycor.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Mylon asked, caught off guard by the out of place statement.


    ¡°My name is Zycor, not ¡®kiddo.¡¯¡± Zycor said in an almost pouting tone.


    Baz began to laugh in the background as Mylon sighed, ¡°You have got to be kidding me. Are you that upset about it?¡±


    Zycor gave a decisive nod. ¡°Ok Zycor,¡± Mylon started again, ¡°do you know how far the dungeon is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zycor replied.


    Mylon muttered, ¡°Oh my goddess, how did I end up in this situation.¡± Changing his tone to speak up, Mylon continued, ¡°Okay Zycor, the dungeon is around an eleven hour or so journey northward. Going on a trip like that requires preparation, if you are serious about being an adventurer you need to get used to preparing for things.¡±


    Baz interjected, ¡°What are you talking about Myl? I don¡¯t prepare and things go fine for me!¡±


    Mylon, eyes closed in annoyance, responded, ¡°Yes, because I am the one who is constantly cleaning up and doing damage control for you, ya big oaf.¡±


    Baz, annoyed at the statement, crossed his arms and snorted, ¡°Well fine, no need to be an ass about it.¡±


    Mylon, about to lose his mind, took a deep breath and looked at Zycor. ¡°Zycor, I beg of you, please for the love of all that is good and holy, do NOT use Baz as an example.¡±


    Zycor nodded, acknowledging Mylon¡¯s statement and its validity.


    The trio spent the next one to two hours getting supplies: travel provisions, some weak fire runes, a tent, along with an assortment of other things.


    ¡°Are we all good to head out?¡± Mylon asked.


    Zycor nodded while Baz, rummaging through the supplies, replied, ¡°Where¡¯s the booze, Mylon? I was promised booze.¡±


    Mylon sighed, ¡°I will get your booze, Baz, Calm down.¡±


    Baz, in an attempt to annoy Mylon so he would not forget, sarcastically said ¡°Oh, wherefore art thou my dearest mead~. Without you, how will I go on~¡±


    Mylon let out an mentally pained ¡®ugh¡¯ as he dragged his hand down his face. After they sorted out Baz¡¯s booze issue, the trio headed to the gate to begin the adventure.


    As they arrived at the northern gate, Adria and Aislin were there to meet them. When the two parties met, Adria gave Zycor a big hug and said, ¡°You be good and stay safe. Don¡¯t cause trouble for these two, alright?¡±


    Adria released Zycor, and he was immediately knocked on the head by Aislin, who chuckled, ¡°Try not to get yourself killed out there, alright? It would be far too quiet and boring without someone to constantly torment.¡±


    Zycor, confused, stated, ¡°But you don¡¯t torment me all that often.¡±


    Aislin replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to you, I was referring to Aisha. Damn it¡¯s fun to mess with her. Easy, too.¡±


    Finishing up their goodbyes, the trio left the city of Abros and began making their way to the dungeon.


    The trip there was relatively uneventful. There were a few encounters with some large boars and a bear or two, but being normal ones, they were not a problem. As they neared the dungeon, the trio left the forest they were in and entered the flat plains area surrounding the dungeon.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mylon began, ¡°Let¡¯s set up camp here. We are about three hours away from the dungeon. We will finish the trek and head inside tomorrow.¡±


    As the trio set up camp and began to get the meat they got from one of the boars they killed, they began talking about the journey. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s possible to cleave a bear''s head off in a single strike.¡± Zycor stated, genuinely impressed, ¡°How did you do it Baz?¡±


    Baz chuckled as he opened one of the sealed mugs with liquor inside, ¡°Lots of practice Zycor. But Damn kid, credit where credit is due, you''re a fast little bastard ain¡¯t ya?¡±


    Mylon, curious about Zycors way of fighting, inquired, ¡°You are fast, but I have to ask, why are you using your magic so inefficiently?¡±


    Confused, Zycor asked, ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just using it the way I always have.¡±


    ¡°I see, you have not learned about magic orders yet.¡± Mylon responded in realization


    Zycor, on the edge of his seat, asked, ¡°What is that?!¡±


    Mylon, uncertain if he should really teach Zycor about something potentially hazardous for his health. After a short deliberation, he shrugged and began, ¡°Well, you can throw magic and spells without using words, as you clearly know. However, depending on the element you are casting with, there are certain words that act as ¡®orders¡¯ or ¡®directions¡¯ that tell the mana to do something specific. It¡¯s using these words where the different classification of spell types come from. A few examples would be movement magic, strike magic, and area of effect magic.¡±


    Mylon stood up and aimed his left palm at a nearby tree and fired a bolt of electricity. Upon hitting the tree, the lightning dispersed, leaving the tree relatively unharmed. ¡°I assume you have tried something similar before. Unless you spend a ridiculous amount of mana you won¡¯t be able to do any visible damage with the lightning element this way.¡±


    Zycor thought back to when he was first experimenting with his magic, he remembered firing at a rock and it shattering before he fell unconscious due to a lack of mana.


    ¡°But if I use an order¡­¡± Mylon put his hand back up, aimed at the same tree, and said, ¡°converge.¡±


    Lightning began to crackle to life in his hand violently before it was fired in a far more condensed and accurate shot. As the bolt of lightning impacted the tree, instead of dispersing as it had previously, it pierced through it to the other side. As Mylon lowered his hand, he continued his previous thought, ¡°As you can see, despite using the same amount of mana, by giving it direction, I am able to greatly increase the force of the attack.¡±


    As he looked back at Zycor, Mylon feared he may have made a mistake by showing a reckless kid something potentially deadly. Although, not grasping how dangerous it was, Zycor smiled from ear to ear, a rare sight, and exuded an aura that yelled ¡®I want to try that right now.¡¯ Mylon, in an attempt to prevent him from doing something stupid, said, ¡°Now Zycor, don¡¯t go around doing this randomly. It can be dangerous, especially if you use an order for a different element than what you are casting. Best case scenario, you are knocked unconscious with a concussive blast from an improper reaction of your body''s mana flow.¡±


    Zycor nodded, acknowledging he heard Mylon. Though, whether or not Zycor had fully understood him remained to be seen.


    Baz let out a massive sigh, ¡°Ugh, are you two nerds done yet? Listening to all of your magic talk is putting me to sleep.¡±


    He looked at Zycor as he slapped his biceps and grinned, ¡°Listen up, magic can run out and fail you. But these babies are as reliable as they come.¡±


    Mylon groaned, ¡°Please don¡¯t listen to him Zycor. Yes, your physical strength is important, but you must remember, that loud-mouthed idiot is an orc. He only knows strength. There is nothing wrong with using magic to make up for the fact we are only human.¡±


    Baz, upset by the orc comment, replied, ¡°Half-orc, you bastard. You know how I feel being called a full orc.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, my apologies.¡± Mylon said as he threw his hand up.


    After the trio ate, they went into their respective tents and slept in preparation for the day to come. Zycor shot awake, startled by the loud yells from outside. As he peeked out of the tent to see what was going on, he saw Baz with his war axe as he yelled while he split a tree in half. Mylon began ¡°This is a normal thing for him. It''s a sort of ritual for him. Before he goes into combat, he will let out a war cry and get pumped up. Think of it as a warm up.¡±


    Zycor, not sure if he was startled more by Baz¡¯s screams, or Mylon being right next to his tent, asked, ¡°Why are you standing outside my tent?¡±


    ¡°After having traveled with people who were woken in a panic due to this same thing, I found it easier to be here ready with an explanation.¡± Mylon chuckled


    Zycor shrugged and decided to join Baz in his warm up. As he approached Baz, Zycor equipped his gauntlets. Baz, who noticed Zycor, asked, ¡°What are ya doin over here?¡±


    Without even glancing at Baz, Zycor inhaled deeply. And after a momentary pause, Zycor let out his own war cry and launched towards a thick tree, infusing his gauntlets with lightning magic. Upon collision, the lightning briefly coated the tree as cracks ran up it. When the rapidly forming fractures reached the top of the tree, all of the leaves fell and buried Zycor. Mylon walked over to join the confused Baz and they both stood as they stared at the leaf pile, at a loss for words.


    After a moment, Zycor popped his head out of the leaves and, after a quick inspection of himself, said, ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡±


    Baz did a dry spit take and started to laugh, ¡°Pfft, hahaha! What the hell are you doing, haha! You really are a fucking riot kid!¡±


    Mylon closed his eyes, let out a sigh, smirked, then walked back to the camp to gear up. Once everyone had packed up what they needed for the expedition, the trio headed towards the dungeon.

 Volume 1; Chapter 29: Dungeon Time

    As they arrived at the dungeon, its entrance towered over them. The roof and walls appeared to be made of an old stone that exuded small amounts of mana. Mylon put his hand on the door and felt his mana be slowly absorbed, indicating it was made of magnecite. Mylon removed his hand and called Baz to the door, who cracked his knuckles as he approached. Mylon and Baz worked together to open the massive door. After a moderate amount of effort, the duo managed to force the door open. As all three of them peered inside they were met with a faint glow emanating from some weak fire runes engraved on either side of the wall.


    There was a short section of floor before it gave way to a flight of stairs that descended down into the depths of the dungeon. Mylon drew his sword and the tip of it began to glow. ¡°Woah, you can use light magic?¡± Zycor asked, ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    Mylon chuckled, ¡°Well, light magic is not the only magic I can use. I have the wind affinity. Although it is my only affinity, it allows me to utilize all elements at an equal level, including exclusive access to the wind element. Though, it also means I will always be average in any magic I use.¡±


    As the trio made their way down the stairs, they reached the first floor of the dungeon. A musty and dank smell permeated through the halls, assaulting the group''s nose¡¯s. Mylon, wincing at the smell, asked for confirmation, ¡°Hey Zycor, do you know what we are supposed to be doing here?¡±


    Zycor, pinching his nose while dawning a confused expression, responded, ¡°Yeah, we are here to exterminate the monsters inside of this dungeon, right?¡±


    Mylon sighed, and began explaining as they began to walk through the first floor, ¡°I see, you don¡¯t know how dungeons work, do you? Each dungeon has a heart or core. As long as the heart is still active, the dungeon will continue to spawn monsters. Think of the dungeon''s heart as one large, stand alone soul shard, constantly converting ambient mana into monsters. Because of this, all we can do is keep the monsters¡¯ numbers down to prevent them from being able to break out of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just destroy the dungeon''s heart then?¡± Zycor asked in response.


    ¡°Well,¡± Mylon began his answer, swiping some cobwebs out of the way,, ¡°a dungeon''s heart is very elusive. Even if you make it to the floor with the dungeon''s heart, it is not in plain sight. Those who have managed to locate a dungeon''s heart say they only found them by chance. They are located in an extraordinarily well hidden room. And even if you find the heart, unless you know how to deactivate it, you could cause a catastrophic explosion by trying to brute force it.¡± Mylon pointed at Baz, ¡°So don¡¯t let him anywhere near one.¡±


    After they walked for a minute or so more, the group ran into four humanoid bat monsters. Baz and Zycor took up a fighting stance, but Mylon put his hand out stopping them. ¡°Alright Zycor,¡± Mylon started, ¡°time for you to see magic orders in action.¡±


    Mylon composed himself and uttered, ¡°Converge. Chain.¡±


    With each order, the lightning in Mylon¡¯s now outstretched hand appeared to fluctuate and change slightly. When he fired the attack, it pierced through the first bat monster and immediately changed course to strike the next one, and continued until all four were pierced and killed. Zycor ran over to the bodies and saw that the lightning strike left a hole at the sight of impact, just like with the tree. ¡°Now,¡± Mylon started, ¡°combining orders takes practice. It is also important to remember the order you give the, well, orders. There are some orders, like ¡®chain¡¯ that are a bit too advanced for you. So don¡¯t try them.¡±


    Baz kicked one of the corpses and said, ¡°These are a couple of fugly bastards.¡±


    ¡°I am not certain that is appropriate to say around the guild masters kid,¡± Mylon began to argue.


    ¡°Eh, whatever. He¡¯s a big boy, I am certain he can handle it, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Baz replied as he asked Zycor for confirmation.


    Zycor gave a thumbs up, and Baz continued, ¡°See, it¡¯s fine. You worry too much.¡±


    Mylon let out a large sigh and the trio started on their way again. After they walked around the dungeon for an hour or so and dealt with the monsters that appeared, the party arrived at the entrance to the second floor. As they descended down the staircase, Mylon said to Zycor, ¡°Something you should know about dungeons of any type: the monsters will get exponentially stronger the further down you go. They are strongest on the floor containing the dungeon''s heart. The lower ranked the dungeon is, the lower the number of floors. You will see what I mean as we continue. D ranked dungeons have three floors, so we still have a ways to go.¡±


    The party arrived on floor two and immediately continued the expedition. They did not walk too far from the staircase before they encountered some monsters. These monsters were monkey-like creatures that had four arms and were covered in orange scales like those of a salamander. Zycor asked, ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°We call them Momander¡¯s.¡± Mylon answered.


    As he readied his axe, Baz said, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping this time, Mylon. I need to let off some steam and no force in heaven or on earth will stop me.¡±


    Mylon threw his hands up while he stepped back. A grin grew across Baz¡¯s face as he began his charge. The Momanders screeched as Baz drew closer, to which Baz yelled back at them. The Momanders began to charge Baz as he continued to storm forward. Baz brought his axe down on one of them, but before making contact both Momanders dashed in opposite directions towards the walls. As Baz¡¯s axe collided with the ground, the floor cracked around the impact zone. The Momanders, now on either side of him, began to emanate visible heat waves. They then both shot fireballs at Baz. Baz kicked the handle of his massive axe to knock the axe into the air above him, and used the momentum from that action to help him quickly step back. As the two fireballs collided, smoke was generated from the subsequent explosion. Cutting through the smoke, Baz swung his axe horizontally at the Momander on the right wall, cleaving its head clean off and his axe lodging into the wall, cracking it like the floor. The dying screech of the monster was heard by its counterpart, which caused it to screech itself which cleared the smoke with a wave of scalding air.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Mylon began as he growed increasingly panicked, ¡°that¡¯s not good.¡±


    Mylon shouted to Baz, ¡°Hey you big oaf, watch out!¡±


    Zycor, completely unaware of the cause of Mylons worry, asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡±


    Mylon, with a mildly worried look on his face, replied, ¡°Momanders are usually not that large of a threat. However, when cornered they begin to super heat their body temperatures to the level of a true salamander. Doing that ends up killing them, but allows them to output a final attack on par with a true salamander.¡±


    Swinging his head around to look at the Momander heating up, Baz began to frantically attempt to dislodge his axe. ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Baz muttered.


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    With one final motion, he tore the axe out of the wall. He took a heavy step forward as all of his muscles tensed up. He swung the axe over his head and threw it at the Momander with everything he had. At the same moment, the Momander finished super heating itself, the stone around it beginning to melt slowly, and launched a super heated breath attack. The axe thrown with such ferocity collided with the massive breath of fire and began to split it. However, the intensity of the breath managed to throw the axe off course. The wildly spinning axe caused the fire to be thrown wildly around the hallway. Having a feeling something like this may have happened, Mylon had already taken up a position to cast defensive water magic. Mylon shouted, ¡°Veil. Prison. Maximize.¡±


    A veil of water formed in front of Baz, then encircled him in a prison made of water before the water began to flow violently. The same happened around Mylon and Zycor as well. The flame breath collided with the prison, creating a huge amount of smoke. Mylon was visibly struggling as he continued to pour mana into the water shields until the fire finally dissipated. The Momander, now a shriveled husk, Fell over, dead. Mylon released the spell and took a knee, heavily worn out. As the water prison collapsed, Baz ended up soaked. ¡°I appreciate the assistance,¡± Baz began, ¡°But could you have done literally anything else? I am now soaked, and therefore upset.¡±


    Mylon, taking heavy breaths, responded ¡°Oh¡­ put a sock in it. You¡­ you know water magic is¡­ far faster to cast than earth magic.¡±


    Feeling rather useless, Zycor decided to go retrieve Baz¡¯s axe to try and help. As Zycor got to the axe, he found it lodged deep into the wall. He tried with all his might to remove it from the wall, with no luck. Baz walked over as he chuckled, ¡°Haha, good luck kid! You''re way too scrawny to even attempt to lift this thing, let alone try and dislodge it!¡±


    Baz grabbed the axe and dislodged it himself, Zycor now dangling from the shaft of the axe. ¡°You can let go now,¡± Baz told Zycor.


    Zycor let go, upset he couldn¡¯t help, but even more so about not being able to budge the axe.


    After a short rest, the trio pushed onwards, dealing with a few more Momanders along the way, working together to dispatch them quickly. Mylon and Baz both stopped dead in their tracks, which surprised Zycor. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zycor began to inquire, ¡°Why did we stop?¡±


    Mylon shushed Zycor as he scanned the room intently along with Baz. Zycor heard a deep growl behind him. He whipped around and was met with a panther-like creature covered in skin like a chameleon that appeared to come out of nowhere. Zycor was able to jump off to his left as Baz slammed one of the blunt sides of his axe into the creature like a bat and baseball and sent it flying into the right wall. ¡°Zycor, Back up!¡± Baz shouted.


    Mylon plunged his sword into the neck of the creature to finish it off. ¡°We¡¯re not out of this yet!¡± Mylon shouted, ¡°Pantheleons travel in packs!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a Pantheleon?¡± Zycor asked as he got up.


    ¡°They are monsters that look like and hunt like panthers, but have the skin of a chameleon. They are able to use magic to almost instantly activate the skins camouflage ability and cloak themselves,¡± Mylon explained quickly.


    Barely able to finish his sentence, Mylon was attacked by another Pantheleon that uncloaked and launched at him from his right. He was able to get his shield between them in time to block the strike. ¡°Damnit!¡± Mylon yelled, ¡°How long has it been since someone came to clean this dungeon!? We shouldn¡¯t have encountered these things yet! If they are here, the final level must be at capacity!¡±


    Zycor heard another unsettlingly deep, rumbly growl on the other side of Mylon. As he turned to face the source of the noise, two Pantheleons uncloaked in front of him. A small grin began to take shape on Zycor¡¯s face as he extended the blades from his gauntlets. Baz, who noticed, shouted, ¡°Hang on a second Zy! These things are smarter than normal monsters! Wait for-.¡±


    Baz was cut off by another pair that decloaked and attacked him. Zycor took a lower stance, his gauntlets and legs beginning to crackle with electricity. The Pantheleons launched their attack and Zycor blitzed past them, landing on the wall. Using the wall as a foot hold, he blitzed one of the Pantheleons, decapitating it in an instant. As the body collapsed, Zycor was on the opposite wall, poised to strike the remaining beast. Both Baz and Mylon, having dealt with their Pantheleons, watched as Zycor blitzed the remaining Pantheleon and impaled it. Zycor then yelled as he ran the creature into the wall behind it. As he collided with the wall, the lightning generated a large impact and threw dust around Zycors immediate vicinity.


    As the dust began to settle, small streaks of electricity continued to crackle from his gauntlets as Zycor breathed heavily. Mylon and Baz began to walk over to Zycor, at a loss for words. ¡°Wow, Zycor,¡± Mylon started, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what-.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit Zycor!¡± Baz interjected, cutting Mylon off, ¡°Where the hell were you hiding that?!¡±


    Mylon and Baz stopped as the dust fully dissipated. Zycor was fast, but not fast enough to dodge the strikes of a creature he had no prior experience with. There were lacerations on the left side of his torso and a gash on his right leg.


    Baz, stunned at the fact that Zycor managed to continue his assault considering the shape he was in, remarked, ¡°Good goddess, are you ok?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Zycor stuttered as he removed his blades from the monster''s corpse, ¡°I-I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    Zycor leaned against the wall and slid down to sit. He was bleeding moderately, and Mylon rushed over to help. ¡°Hang in there buddy,¡± he began, ¡°you are going to be fine. I am going to use fire magic to cauterize the wound. This is going to hurt¡­ probably a lot.¡±


    Mylon began to cauterize the wound as Zycor let out a quiet whimper and winced, but did his best to hold back his voice and tears. ¡°Alright,¡± Mylon said, ¡°that should do it. Now, for the bandages.¡±


    As he grabbed the bandages out of his pack, Zycor stopped him before he got close. Zycor stammered, ¡°S-stop. P-please let me do it.¡±


    Mylon reluctantly agreed, handing the bandages over to Zycor. Zycor then made his way around the corner while he let Mylon and Baz know he was not going to go much further. Zycor enlarged the chainmail and removed it followed by him removing the left side of his shirt to expose the fresh wound, along with his burn scars. He did the same procedure for the wound on his leg.


    Zycor finished patching himself up, re-clothed, and re-joined Mylon and Baz. Mylon asked, ¡°Hey, you doing alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be ok,¡± Zycor responded, still woozy from the blood loss. While the trio made their way through the dungeon, Mylon and Baz did most of the fighting due to the shape Zycor was in. Luckily, it appeared there were no more Pantheleons around on the current floor. As they made their way through the rest of the second floor the trio stumbled across the entrance to the third and final floor. ¡°Alright,¡± Mylon began, ¡°Here we are. We only need to take care of some of the monsters down on the third floor. After that, we get the hell out of here. But first, let¡¯s take a break. Zycor, rest up as much as you can.¡±


    Baz and Zycor both agreed with the proposed plan, and Zycor limped over to a wall. Zycor took a seat as he leaned up against a wall. He closed his eyes to rest for a bit. As he rested, he thought he heard a loud thumping. Temporarily waking, he looked around, but the thumping appeared to have ceased. Assuming it was nothing, he returned to his rest but heard it again as he closed his eyes. Zycor kept his eyes closed to see if he could make out what may be making the thumps. He opened his eyes as he stood up and put his ear to the wall he had leaned against. Although slightly fainter, he could still hear it. He knocked on the wall with his knuckle, and one of the bricks got pushed in slightly. After he saw that, Zycor continued knocking on the brick until it fell out behind the wall. As the brick fully dislodged, the wall his head was leaned upon to listen, collapsed.


    Zycor began to fall into the abyss below, but Baz managed to catch his hand before he fell fully. ¡°Hah,¡± Baz chuckled, ¡°you are lucky I am so reliab-.¡±


    His gloating was cut off by a brick that fell from above him and slammed onto his thumb, causing him to release his grip. ¡°BAZ, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?¡± Mylon screamed.


    Baz yelled back, ¡°WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? A BRICK FELL AND BROKE MY GRIP!¡±


    Mylon, calling Baz out, exclaimed, ¡°YOU ARE A LITERAL ORC! YOU TRAIN BY PUNCHING GIANT BOULDERS AND TREES! THE HELL IS A BRICK GOING TO DO?!¡±


    Baz, not about to admit Mylon had a point, muttered as he corrected Mylon, ¡°I''m a Half orc...¡±


    Deciding he did not have time to indulge Baz''s stupidity any longer, Mylon quickly turned his attention to the hole in the wall and the dark abyss that swallowed Zycor. Mylon, his attitude now changed to fear, looked at Baz and said, "We have to go get him. Now. These monsters may be a pain to deal with, but I fear what the guild master will do to us if we return without her kid will be far worse."

 Volume 1; Chapter 30: Dungeon Core

    Lying in the rubble, Zycor grunted as he struggled to sit up. He was covered in a handful of scrapes and bruises, but managed to avoid any crippling injuries through reinforcing his body with mana. Zycor scanned the room in an attempt to get his bearings. There was some rubble that shifted and ended up covering his legs, though not enough to be problematic. As he peered straight ahead, there appeared to be a corridor that led somewhere. Zycor began to stumble to his feet, moving rubble aside as well as dealing with the unstable rubble beneath his feet. After nearly slipping multiple times, Zycor moved enough rubble to find the floor and stand firm. As he looked back up, he could hear the faint bickering echo down the pit. Mylon finally shouted down, ¡°You okay Zycor?!¡±


    Zycor grunted, ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m alive.¡±


    Mylon sighed, relieved, ¡°Oh thank the goddess. Listen, we are coming down for you, ok? We should be able to follow this wall and find you on the third floor! Hang tight!¡±


    Not wasting any time, Mylon and Baz quickly left the hole in the wall and made their way to the third floor.


    Since it seemed like it would be a while before they got to him, Zycor decided to explore down the hallway. The end of the hallway let out into a medium sized room lit up in a blue hue. Scanning the room, Zycor noticed blue lily-like flowers all across the floor. It seemed odd that a flower would be able to flourish in a place devoid of light, aside from what these lilies produced. There were orbs of blue light that emanated from the flowers that seemed to pulsate. It felt as though each orb was made of mana so concentrated, it had become visible. Zycor then remembered that Aisha had mentioned a plant she had called a mana lily, which description fit this flower perfectly. In the middle of the room was a large, red crystal, which produced a thumping noise. ¡®Well, that solves the mystery of where the thumping was coming from,¡¯ Zycor thought to himself.


    As he made his way closer, he inspected the room more and noticed crystals on the ceiling. The crystals appeared to reflect the blue light from the lilies as they themselves sparkled. The room was one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever seen. He looked back at the crystal and noticed an egg to the right of it, encased in a clear crystal. The egg was large, coming up to his knees. Curious about the egg, Zycor knelt down as he reached out to touch the crystal that encased it. As he made contact, There was a jolt of mana that forced his hand back. Although egg touching appeared to be off limits for the time being, he noticed that the large crystal reacted when he tried. Zycor stood up and tapped on the crystal with his pointer finger¡¯s knuckle. Aside from what he assumed was a harmless pulse that spread from his tap around the crystal, nothing else happened. ¡®This must be the dungeon''s heart,¡¯ Zycor thought to himself, ¡®It seems somewhat different from what Baz and Mylon had described it as.¡¯


    Zycor placed his whole hand on the crystal in an attempt to feel the thumping, rather than just hear it. As he did so, everything around him began to blur as his surroundings appeared to change before his eyes. Taking a few steps back, he looked down to see he was standing on water. Thrown off by this, Zycor began to frantically look around. He appeared to be outside now, surrounded by a vast, calm ocean. Mostly clear, blue skies with small clouds scattered sparingly here and there. It looked as though it was early evening, though the sun was absent from the sky.


    ¡°Well, this is certainly a first,¡± a voice behind Zycor commented.


    As Zycor turned to see who or what was talking, they continued, ¡°All of the adventurers that have found these crystals previously just destroy them on sight.¡±


    The voice was coming from an extraordinarily bright light. The light began to fade, and a young girl was revealed. She appeared to be around Zycors age with long brown hair, and deep blue eyes. She wore a simple white dress and was barefoot. She looked at Zycor and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Zycor, my son.¡±


    Taken aback by the statement, Zycor took a step back as he asked, ¡°W-who are you? How do you know who I am? Where am I? And why are you calling me your son?¡±


    The girl responded softly, ¡°You are still inside the labyrinth, this is just an illusion created by the mana I left in the crystal. It was to let me communicate with humanity in a way that would not kill whomever I spoke to. To answer your question of who I am, well, you can call me Alice. I am who many refer to as ¡®the goddess.¡¯ Though not my true name, it is what you, my children, have decided to refer to me as.¡±


    Zycor, in disbelief, asked, ¡°So, you are the goddess?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she began, ¡°I am not truly Alice, I am just a small fragment of her being. I still possess the same will and mind, I am just a small fragment, and thus much less powerful. Keeping that in mind, all those who live on this planet are my children. It would be odd for a mother to not know the names of her children, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Alice¡¯s expression changed to one of seriousness, ¡°That aside, I need you to listen to me, Zycor. There is something sinister beginning to swell up. And it is being stirred up by someone known to you as Mister X.¡±


    Zycor rolled his eyes and sighed, ¡°Right, that guy.¡±


    The fragment continued, ¡°He is not to be taken lightly. Though he is not yet ready, he will be carrying out his plan sooner rather than later. I am unable to help directly due to the laws I put in place. He is a being that has been around for quite some time at this point. Seeing as how you are one of the few that have shown a certain level of restraint and curiosity, I wish to entrust you with something. It should aid you in what is to come. But first, may I ask you to do something for me?¡±


    Zycor nodded. Her smile returned as she continued, ¡°Thank you. First, allow me to do something about those injuries. I may not have much power, but I can at least do that!¡±


    She held out her hand and a blue hue began to emanate from it, enveloping Zycor. After a brief moment, Zycor felt his wounds mend. ¡°I apologize, those scars on your left arm are old and deep. Due to how you obtained them, I am afraid healing them at this point could influence you, thus undermining your free will. This would break one of the laws I have set for myself, and am unable to break.¡±


    Zycor shook his head, ¡°There is nothing you need to apologize for. As you said, these serve as a reminder, and drive me towards my goal.¡±


    Alice looked softly at Zycor, with a distant sadness in her eyes, and said ¡°You truly are a kind boy, aren''t you? I do hope that you will not curse that part of yourself when the time comes.¡±


    With a confused look on his face, Zycor asked, ¡°What do you mea-.¡±


    Cutting Zycor off, Alice continues with her request, ¡°Well, as for my request, I would ask that you please kneel down.¡±


    Zycor decided to comply. Regardless of whether or not she was actually the goddess, she healed him and he owed her this. Placing her hand upon his head, a feeling of calmness swept over Zycor. For the first time in a very long time, he felt truly at peace. Alice began, ¡°Zycor, my child, the request I have for you may prove to be beyond difficult for you. You were not meant to be a hero. You were meant to spend your life peacefully, for your parents had already led that life to make that life possible. But despite this, you were able to make your way here, and rediscovered the potential of humanity. And it is for these reasons, I deem it fit to ask you this. I ask that you stop Mister X¡¯s plan. Zycor, as one of a few to have been freed from the path set for you, I believe you are the one who can reach an ending that will save the planet¡±


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    After a moment, Alice removed her hand and continued, ¡°I know this is a rather selfish request, but in the past three centuries, you are the first individual I have been able to speak with like this. Mister X has thwarted all those I have sent after him in the past. You are most likely the last person I will be able to ask for this. He will surely enact his plan before the next person curious enough to do as you have comes along.¡±


    As Zycor came to realize this girl before him may actually be the goddess, his anger began to grow. Standing up as he stared into Alice¡¯s eyes, he asked, ¡°If you are the goddess, creator of us all, determiner of the paths of our lives, explain to me why if I was supposed to live a quiet life¡­ Why did you take everything from me.¡±


    Zycor stared intensely at Alice, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Alice, with a pained expression, apologetically told Zycor, ¡°I am truly sorry about what happened. I may be able to see a person¡¯s future, but there are an infinite number of those based on the decisions they and those who live in the world with them make. I am able to see each branching timeline, but I am unable to determine which path will be taken, that is both the beauty and curse of free will. If I was able to do something for you, I would have. But due to the laws, I am unable to act in a way that interferes with anyone¡¯s free will.¡±


    As Zycor¡¯s head angled down as he painfully processed the information, Alice put her hand on his shoulder. Changing her expression to a more optimistic one, Alice continued, ¡°But I promise I did do something in case the worst case scenario did come to pass. I had some information happen to slip into the possession of a certain moth demi-human, giving her a choice to come to your village by the end of the attack.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes widened with realization as he raised his head. Alice continued, ¡°I also gave directions to an Oni girl who left her home.¡±


    Putting her other hand on Zycor¡¯s other shoulder, Alice finished, ¡°I truly am sorry for the choices those men made to cause your life to de-rail. But I promise you, despite how you may be feeling or have felt in the past, You have not been alone. Please understand as well, those who care for you do so because of the kind and gentle soul you are. I pray that you do not let fleeting emotions such as anger or fear take that from you.¡±


    As Alice finished her sentence, the illusion world around them began to collapse and fade. Panicked, Zycor asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It would appear the dungeon core is out of mana reserves for the time being. I suppose this is where our meeting must conclude for now. Please take the egg by the crystal with you, it should prove useful.¡± Alice responded.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Zycor said frantically, ¡°I have more questions about Mister X and his plan.¡±


    As Alice faded along with the illusion, she replied, ¡°If you want more answers, you must find another Dungeon core. But prepare yourself, It¡¯s possible the other fragments may have some quirks.¡±


    Confused further by her last comment, Zycor asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Hello?¡±


    With no answer and the dungeon core room now surrounding him, Zycor assumed he would get no further response here. The once bright red dungeon core was now an empty gray. To his left, a doorway had appeared leading to the third floor. Zycor looked at the now freed egg, picked it up, and made his way towards the doorway. As he got closer, he could hear Baz and Mylon¡¯s bickering. ¡°...Listen, just because a monster vaporizes, doesn¡¯t mean you have disintegration powers,¡± Mylon complained, exhausted from the apparently long lived argument.


    Baz retorted, ¡°Yeah, well, you can¡¯t prove shit. My axe hit that bastard and it ceased to exist. I don¡¯t know about you, but that looked pretty disintigraty to me.¡±


    As Zycor exited the core room, he waved to Mylon and Baz, egg in his other hand. Mylon, thrilled to see Zycor alive, said, ¡°There you are! How did you get out of there?¡±


    Zycor pointed at the doorway and said, ¡°Door.¡±


    Baz chortled at Zycors comment. Mylon rested his face in his hand and sighed, ¡°Please don¡¯t Zycor. Dealing with one smart ass is bad enough.¡±


    ¡°You calling me a smart ass?!¡± Baz exclaimed, affronted by Mylon¡¯s comment.


    Mylon, growing agitated, asserted, ¡°Well, you are the one who fucking dropped him.¡±


    ¡°HEY,¡± Baz shouted, ¡°I already said it was my bad, let¡¯s just chill.¡±


    Mylon just looked at Baz in disbelief, ¡°N-no, you didn¡¯t say anything of the sort. You argued with me, then cursed me out. And that aside, you dropped a literal child.¡±


    Baz rolled his eyes as he replied, ¡°Minor details, don¡¯t sweat the small things.¡±


    Baz¡¯s inability to take any form of responsibility finally caused Mylon to lose his mind as he babbled incoherently. Baz turned to Zycor and commented, ¡°Alright kid, happy to see you are ok and all, but I think we should get out of here. Just look at Mylon, I think the dungeon is getting to him.¡±


    Baz and Zycor began to head to the staircase, Baz slinging Mylon over his shoulder as he passed him. Noticing Zycor was not limping, Baz asked, ¡°Hey, looks like you are all better. What happened?¡±


    After thinking about how he should answer for a moment, Zycor decided to remain silent. Despite all the the trio had been through in this short time frame, they are currently just people Adria made accompany him. Despite Alice¡¯s efforts to comfort him, the memory of what happened to everyone made Zycor feel as though he had to close his heart off. At that moment, Baz and Mylon were just walking information terminals to him. Though, at the same time, Baz and Mylon probably felt like this was something forced on them as well.


    Baz, realizing Zycor wasn¡¯t going to provide an answer, instead asked, ¡°Well, what about that egg? It¡¯s pretty big. You know what''s in it?¡±


    Keeping his response short, Zycor coldly responded, ¡°No.¡±


    Noticing Zycor¡¯s attitude is most likely due to some bad memories, something Baz could relate to, he decided to move on. ¡°So¡­¡± Baz started, ¡°I have disintegration powers.¡±


    ¡°NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± Mylon shouted from Baz¡¯s shoulder.


    The process of leaving the dungeon was not nearly as difficult as entering considering the dungeon''s heart was deactivated. The monsters spawned from it could not exist any longer without the supply of mana from it, and thus turned to dust. The trio finally left the dungeon and were greeted by the setting sun.


    As they arrived at the basic camp they left set up, they started the fire again. Mylon prepped the food while Baz put said food over the fire to begin cooking. Mylon and Baz pulled up a couple of logs to sit on while they invited Zycor to join them. They talked about everything that happened while they bickered and laughed as Baz and Mylon drank. Zycor tried some and had instant regret as Baz and Mylon laughed. After talking for a bit, Mylon asked the same question Baz had earlier, ¡°Hey Zycor, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the monsters disappeared around the same time you left that room. Did you have something to do with that?¡±


    Not wanting to say too much on the matter, Zycor briefly explained, ¡°The dungeon''s core was in that room. I just turned it off.¡±


    Mylon, with a puzzled look on his face, asked, ¡°You¡­ ¡®turned it off¡¯?¡±


    Baz slammed his mug down, and in a drunken rage yelled at Zycor, ¡°You bastard! So what, Mylon is good enough to talk about what happened, but I¡¯m not? What the actual hell?¡±


    Zycor shrugged, and Baz stood up, ¡°Alright, fine then! See if I give a shit! I¡¯ll be in my tent!¡±


    Baz stumbled into his tent, leaving Zycor and Mylon alone. After a few minutes of silence between them, Mylon finally broke it and uncomfortably said, ¡°Well, I think we can call it a night and get ready for the journey home tomorrow. Goodnight Zycor.¡±


    Zycor gave a slight nod, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Mylon walked over to his tent, gave one more glance towards Zycor, then headed in.


    Zycor remained outside as he stared into the fire. He thought about what had happened in the ruins. Fighting the Pantheleons, getting injured, falling, talking to the fragment of Alice, being healed. Zycor looked at the egg sitting on the ground to his right. He picked it up and began to examine it again, this time without it being encased in crystal. Finding nothing of note immediately, he gave up on figuring out what it was for the time being. He rested the egg on his lap as he sat by the fire alone for a while longer. After a few minutes more, the fire began to die out, so Zycor headed towards his tent. Entering, he set the egg down next to the sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep.

 Volume 1; Chapter 31: Strangers or Friends?

    Awoken by the sounds of Baz and Mylon packing the campsite, Zycor sat up and took inventory of his surroundings. After he got dressed and packed everything up, Zycor exited the tent. ¡°Well, look who finally decided to wake up.¡± Baz remarked.


    ¡°So, did anything end up happening with that egg?¡± Mylon inquired.


    Zycor shook his head, ¡°No change, still an egg.¡±


    Baz shrugged, ¡°Well, maybe its purpose is to be eaten. It¡¯s a pretty large egg, I bet we could all have quite a good breakfast.¡±


    Zycor took a defensive stance, guarding the egg as he glared at Baz. ¡°Ha,¡± Baz chuckled, ¡°I was joking, but do you really think you could stop me?¡±


    Mylon, seeing the situation escalating, stepped in, ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough you two. Baz, quit messing with Zy. And Zycor, taking almost anything this moron says seriously is a mistake.¡±


    The tension finally began to dissipate as Mylon let out a sigh of relief. ¡°These two are ticking time bombs when around each other. Just glad I managed to stop them before then,¡± he thought to himself.


    As Baz turned to walk away, almost like divine providence decided Mylons day was not allowed to be easy, he quipped, ¡°Learn to take a joke, kid.¡±


    Hearing Baz call him the word set the already on edge Zycor spiraling off the cliff of anger. ¡°Shit!¡± Mylon exclaimed as Zycor blitzed past him in a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°Baz!¡± Mylon called out, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Baz, smirking, replied, ¡°Oh, I know. Thought that would set him off.¡±


    Baz turned to face Zycor, but immediately had to take a step back due to Zycor already being on him. With Baz caught off guard, Zycor delivered a blow to his stomach. The initial impact did nothing to the rock solid wall of an abdomen that was Baz¡¯s stomach, however the blast of electricity caused Baz to stagger back.


    ¡°I admit, kid, you are faster than I gave you credit for,¡± Baz began as he got his bearings.


    He then lunged at Zycor, trying to grab his face, ¡°Too bad you have not been in as many battles as I have!¡±


    As Baz ferociously closed his grip, Zycor managed to use the electricity to force himself down out of Baz¡¯s attack. As Baz¡¯s hand slammed closed on air, he looked down to where Zycor dodged. Baz¡¯s Eyes widened as he began looking for him. ¡°Where did you go, you little shit!¡± Baz raged, thinking Zycor may have run away like a coward.


    From behind him, Baz heard Zycor respond coldly, ¡°Behind you, dumbass.¡±


    Zycor wrapped his arm around Baz¡¯s neck, putting him into a choke hold. After applying as much strength as he could muster, Zycor¡¯s hold weakened as he caught his breath. Baz, with Zycor still on his back with a loose hold on his neck, just stood there. After a moment of silence, Baz commented, ¡°That was so pathetic, I can¡¯t even be angry anymore. That was pitiful. I can¡¯t believe I expected more. Guess it was too much to expect from a kid.¡±


    With that comment, Zycor¡¯s rage broke. Finally expressing his anger, Zycor tightened his hold and exclaimed, ¡°Not only are you still calling me a kid, but now you say you pity me!? Fine! Continue your pitying while unconscious!¡±


    Baz, confused, began, ¡°What are you-.¡±


    He was promptly cut off as lightning erupted from Zycor, engulfing Baz. As the lightning coursed through him, Baz fell to his knees, then to the ground, passed out.


    Zycor, out of breath after expending nearly all of the mana he had, got off of Baz. ¡°Don¡¯t. Call. Me. Kid.¡± Zycor panted.


    He turned and walked towards his tent to finish packing it up. After a moment Baz sat up and sat for a moment longer. ¡°Well Zycor,¡± Mylon started, ¡°You¡¯ve done it now.¡±


    After he regained control of his breathing and twitching muscles, Baz staggered to his feet. After he steadied himself, he looked at Zycor, who had not so much as glanced back, and huffed, ¡°Alright, fine. You have made your point¡­Zycor.¡±


    With that, Baz began walking over to his axe and supplies. As he walked past Mylon, Baz, through gritted teeth, muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you two a little ways up ahead.¡±


    Without giving Mylon the chance to respond, Baz grabbed his stuff and headed through the trees.


    Mylon reached out to try and stop Baz, but stopped. He sighed as he slowly lowered his hand and turned to Zycor, ¡°Was that really necessary?¡±


    Zycor, not stopping his tent packing, replied, ¡°Not sure. But I do know that he was looking for a fight. He wanted to vent his stress. I just refused to be that outlet. Sue me.¡±


    Mylon stared at Zycor in silence, his agitation growing larger by the second until he finally yelled, ¡°Zycor, he was joking about the egg!¡±


    Zycor began, ¡°He called me a kid. So-.¡±


    Mylon cut him off, ¡°He called you a kid!? Are you really saying you attacked a friend over something like that!? Oh, my bad, I almost forgot you are an impulsive fifteen year old, so yeah, that would be something you would do huh?¡±


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    Zycor coldly stared at Mylon and replied, ¡°We are not friends. And you guys are only three years older than I am.¡±


    Mylon stood stunned at the statement as Zycor, returning to finish packing the last few things, continued, ¡°We are only together because mom said so. I don¡¯t know you guys, and you guys don¡¯t know me. And that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Mylon¡¯s shock soon dissipated and was slowly replaced with a solemn look. ¡°So, you never once thought of us as friends, huh?¡¯ Mylon began, ¡°My mistake, I thought after what we had been through¡­ no, never mind. I guess not, huh?¡±


    Mylon grabbed his stuff and turned to meet up with Baz, ¡°Well, we will be waiting for you up ahead. When you are ready, come join us, kid.¡±


    Zycor went to get angry for being called a kid again, but when he turned around, Mylon had already walked off. As Zycor stayed crouched, he began to realize how the way Mylon called him a ¡®kid¡¯ felt different from all the times before. When Baz and Mylon had called him that before, it had felt warm, like when Dreiford called him ¡®my boy.¡¯ As Zycor gathered up his things, he thought about how different that last ¡®kid¡¯ comment felt. Thinking about everything they had been through; getting to the dungeon, exploring inside of it, and spending the evening talking. Zycor stared up to the sky as he got up with his stuff as he thought, ¡°Dammit¡­ I did go too far, didn¡¯t I. Shit. I feel like shit.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Baz shouted as he took down a tree with his bare hands, ¡°what the hell was that!? That little shit. I can¡¯t believe he really attacked me over being called a ¡®kid.¡¯ Even more than that, how was he able to get on me like that!? I actually let my guard down! Me¡­ ME!¡±


    Taking down another tree, Mylon came up behind him and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural to feel like you should be allowed to let your guard down around friends. Unfortunately, it appears our ¡®friendship¡¯ was one sided.¡±


    Baz turned to look at Mylon and responded, ¡°We are not friends, ok? We were just forced to babysit that little shit-.¡±


    As Baz finished his insult and looked at Mylon, he stopped. Baz was met with a sad look plastered on Mylon¡¯s face. There were no tears, just a nearly overwhelming sense of somberness. ¡°So,¡± Mylon began, ¡°I was the only one who thought we were getting along. Ironic, considering I am normally the one to ignore and avoid people.¡±


    The two stood in silence for a moment. Then Baz, not knowing what to say to his friend, walked over and awkwardly patted him on the back. ¡°H-hey, don¡¯t be so down. What happened?¡± Baz asked.


    Mylon shrugged, ¡°Well, Zycor said the same thing you did. That ¡®we are only together because of Adria¡¯ or rather ¡®to babysit.¡¯ He said there was no friendship. I just feel stupid. I thought we could be good friends with the kid. I guess not.¡±


    Zycor, who hid just out of view, obscured by the trees, leaned against one as he listened to Mylons comments. Zycor grabbed his chest. He hated what he was feeling. This was something he had not felt since his family had been taken from him. Though he had no idea how to make it right, Zycor felt he had to try. He walked through the brush to meet Baz and Mylon. The rustling of the brush and twigs alerted the two to his presence. Everyone remained silent as Zycor walked over to Baz. As he stood in front of Baz, he held out the egg. refusing to look him in the eyes, Zycor raised the egg up to obscure their line of sight of each other as Zycor said, ¡°Egg.¡±


    Baz, stunned and uncertain as to what to make of the situation, tried to lightly laugh it off. ¡°Hehe, what gives Zycor? Finally ready for that omelet?¡± he nervously chuckled


    Still refusing to look Baz in the eyes, Zycor responded, ¡°No, I know you would not do that.¡±


    Baz, still nervously chuckling, commented, ¡°Oh yeah? And how would you know that?¡±


    Zycor responded, ¡°Because I trust you.¡±


    Baz, growing unable to keep up the act, sighed heavily and asked, ¡°What do you mean trust? Didn¡¯t you just try to kill me because you didn¡¯t trust I was joking?¡±


    Zycor looked up at Baz, finally meeting his eyes, and said, ¡°Because friends are supposed to trust each other.¡±


    Zycor then forcibly shoved the egg to Baz. Zycor walked over to Mylon. As with Baz, Zycor stood in front of Mylon in silence as he looked at the ground. After a moment, he immediately raised his head up and locked eyes with Mylon, ¡°I am sorry, Mylon. You were right. We have not been together long, but I feel like we got to know each other, at least a little bit. Even if we never directly talked about ourselves. I think I had fun.¡±


    Zycor held out his hand, gesturing to Mylon to shake it. Mylon took a moment, and then gripped Zycors hand as he replied, ¡°I accept your apology. I also apologize for my ¡®fifteen-year old¡¯ comment.¡±


    Baz cleared his throat and said, ¡°Alright ladies, enough with this emotional crap! Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    As the trio began to set out, Baz handed Zycor the egg and said, ¡°Here. I promise I didn¡¯t shake it too much, Zycor.¡±


    ¡°Kid.¡± Zycor responded.


    Baz understandably responded, ¡°Excuse the hell out of me!?¡±


    Zycor elaborated, ¡° I always thought that being called ¡®kid¡¯ was meant as an insult. But when Mylon said it before he left, it felt different and felt like an insult. If calling me kid is what you want to do, then I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Mylon asked, ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t the fight between you two earlier about the ¡®kid¡¯ comment more than the egg joke?¡±


    Baz, piggy-backing off of Mylon¡¯s question, said, ¡°Yeah, Mylon¡¯s right. No doubt the egg comment set you on edge, but it was when I called you ¡®kid¡¯ that you really lost it. But now, since Mylon called you ¡®kid¡¯ and it ¡®felt different,¡¯ it¡¯s ok to call you ¡®kid¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zycor responded matter-of-factly.


    Baz sighed as he chuckled, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think I have EVER done something as exhausting as dealing with you. Though, I will take you up on your offer, kid. If you want me to call you by your name again, you will have to earn it in a proper duel, no shenanigans like today, got it!?¡±


    Zycor nodded. Mylon, hearing the two talk, cracked a brief smile just barely seen by Baz. ¡°Was that a smile I saw from our resident depressed paladin?¡± Baz remarked.


    Mylon, shifting his head to hide it from Baz, replied, ¡°I think your eyes are still recovering after you got your ass handed to you by a fifteen year old.¡±


    Baz, instantly becoming defensive, snapped back, ¡°HEY! I was caught off guard and you know it! I swear to the goddess I will use my disintegrating powers on you!¡±


    ¡°We went over this, you don¡¯t have that power.¡± Mylon responded, now having composed himself.


    ¡°Prove it!¡± Baz shouted.


    After a moment of the two intensely staring at one another, they began to laugh.


    Baz looked over at Zycor and saw him with a small smile on his face, similar to what Mylon had. Overreacting, he jumped to the other side of Mylon, pointed, and exclaimed, ¡°What the hell is that Mylon?! Some mysterious entity has invaded the kid''s body. Quick! We must purge it and save our new friend!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you idiot.¡± Zycor chuckled.


    The trio began their long trek back to the guild as a group of friends, rather than strangers.

 Volume 1; Chapter 32: Victory Celebration

    As evening fell a day later, the trio finally arrived at the guild hall. As they entered, the silence fell on the guild hall for a moment before everyone erupted into cheers. Ecstatic to see that Zycor made it back, Clyde drunkenly commented, ¡°Hey, ya lived! Glad to see your little adventure went well.¡±


    Really getting into the hype, Baz exclaimed, ¡°Went well? Let me tell you, it went far better than well! For you see, I have a new power.¡±


    Mylon, growing more annoyed by the second, warned, ¡°Baz, don¡¯t you dare¡­¡±


    Completely disregarding Mylon, Baz continued, ¡°I HAVE DISINTEGRATION POWERS!¡±


    ¡°NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± Mylon yelled back as the adventurers erupted into laughter.


    As Baz and Mylon bickered and recounted their story, Aislin came up behind Zycor, wrapping her arm around him and aggressively noogiing him. ¡°Glad you made it back Zy!¡± she began, ¡°I made a fortune on our betting pool!¡±


    Curious what she meant, Zycor asked, ¡°A betting pool? For what?¡±


    Aislin chuckled as she greedily rubbed her hands together, ¡°Well, some of the newer guild members didn¡¯t think you would be able to handle a D ranked dungeon as your first quest. The older members disagreed, so they bet on whether or not you would make it back! So you just made myself and a couple of the other lads and lasses quite a bit of coin!¡±


    Aislin leaned in closer and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I made sure to set aside a chunk of change for you as well.¡±


    Zycor was unsure about whether or not he should be happy so many people stood up for him, or if he should be upset that there was a betting pool on whether or not he would survive. He decided to go with it - after all, he could always use the money for training or to get Adria something.


    Aislin noticed Baz had gotten on top of a table while heavily exaggerating the events that took place as he downed his massive mug of mead. ¡°Hey Baz! I¡¯ve told you before, get off the table!¡± Aislin yelled.


    Baz snickered, ¡°What are you gonna do about it? You know, aside from complaining?¡±


    Aislin grabbed a mug out of one of the nearby adventurers hands and hurled it full force at Baz. An audible thud was heard as it bounced off his head and Baz stumbled off the table. ¡°OW! What the fuck!¡± Baz yelled, holding the back of his head.


    Aislin rolled up the sleeves of her uniform and began to walk over as she mocked, ¡°Oh, I am just getting started! You wanted to know what else I am going to do aside from complain?! Get over here, chuckle-fuck, and find out!¡±


    Aislin tackled the half orc, quickly putting him into a choke hold.


    Adria put a hand on Zycors¡¯ shoulder, shifting his attention from the spectacle. ¡°I am glad you made it back safely. Welcome home, Zycor.¡± Adria softly commented with a warm smile.


    Without a word, Zycor hugged her and replied, ¡°Thank you mom.¡±


    Reluctantly ending the hug, Adria said, ¡°I need to step outside for a moment. Zycor, would you be a dear and prevent Aislin from killing the loud one? It pains me to say so, but we cannot exactly afford something that would tarnish our guilds reputation.¡±


    Zycor nodded and headed over to make an honest effort, despite it being an uphill battle.


    Stepping outside, Adria walked around to the side of the guild. ¡°I would like to hear the report. How did it go?¡± She coldly asked, her entire demeanor now the reverse of what it was mere moments ago.


    A girl dressed in black assassin clothing appeared from around the corner leading to the back of the guild. The assassin responded, ¡°There were a few rough spots. The half orc and Zycor had a disagreement, leading to a fight. Though it appeared they were able to resolve said disagreement peacefully in the end. As for the dungeon itself, they did not have too much trouble. Although Zycor had been injured by the Pantheleon pack they encountered, those wounds ended up healed after he fell through the wall.¡±


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    ¡°He fell through a wall!? And he ended up Healed!? How?¡± Adria asked, a mix of extreme concern, anger, and curiosity filling her tone.


    ¡°He leaned against a wall to rest, and that same wall fell into a massive opening, which led down into the core room. I examined the area after they left and could not find out what happened. But the fact remains, he had those wounds before he fell, no doubt receiving even more severe wounds from said fall, then those same wounds were gone when the other two found him.¡±


    Adria, disappointed with the lack of information on the subject of healing, but relieved Zycor was alright, ordered the assassin to continue. ¡°Aside from what I have told you, Zycor and the two others seemed to cooperate well enough. All things considered, it went rather smoothly for a first quest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your report. You are dismissed for now, Nalea.¡± Adria said.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Nalea said, before disappearing behind the guild..


    Adria Smiled, getting slightly giddy and muttered to herself, ¡°Oh my! My Zycor actually cleared his first quest, and it was a D-ranked dungeon! I am so proud of him!¡±


    Adria quickly composed herself, and headed back into the guild hall. As she got closer to the entrance she heard the adventurers repeatedly yelling ¡®Fight!¡¯ Concerned, Adria quickly made her way inside and saw Baz on the ground, Mylon performing first aid, and Zycor standing between Aislin and the previous two. Aislin readied herself to barrel through Zycor. ¡°Out of the way Zy, I¡¯m not finished with him!¡± Aislin demanded.


    Zycor remained silent as he glanced back briefly at Baz and Mylon, then refocusing on Aislin as some sweat ran down his face. After a moment, he responded, ¡°I cannot do that Aislin. If you two fight, our home will be destroyed.¡±


    Smirking, Aislin said, ¡°Well then, I guess you will just have to stop me. Good luck with that.¡±


    Zycor removed the bag he was carrying, egg inside, and handed it to Mylon, ¡°Hold this for me. Egg is in it.¡±


    Mylon nodded, and Zycor returned to face Aislin. She assumed a charging stance while Zycor put out his hand. He pictured what happened to the mana bear and tried to imagine doing it again.


    As Aislin began her charge, she was suddenly thrown at and through the wall behind the bar. Zycor, shocked, but far more relieved, sighed, ¡°Thanks mama Adria.¡±


    Sighing for a completely different reason, Adria asked, ¡°How the hell did things escalate to this point?¡±


    Before Zycor could answer, Mylon interjected, ¡°It was this idiot''s fault, ma¡¯am! Aislin had let him off the hook, but he had the 1200 IQ idea of fucking around and finding out. When he moved to retaliate, she parried the attack and began hitting him repeatedly. That was when Zycor jumped in to prevent the destruction of the guild hall along with a murder. And, well, here we are.¡±


    Adria glanced over at the hole she sent Aislin through and sighed, ¡°I see we both have a large idiot that causes us trouble.¡±


    Mylon shed a lone tear as he responded, ¡°Ah, I see you know the pain as well.¡±


    From the hole, Aislin yelled, ¡°I refuse to be compared to that idiotic brute!¡±


    Baz, sitting up, snapped back, ¡°Back at ya, that pink skinned demoness is far worse!¡±


    Aislin stumbled out of the room as she shouted back, ¡°I see you have not had enough yet!¡±


    Adria flooded the room with an overwhelming amount of mana and commanded, ¡°Both of you, be quiet!¡±


    Every adventurer immediately ceased any noise as a dead silence fell upon the guild hall. ¡°Mylon,¡± Adria began, ¡°please take Mr. Dragonaxe back to wherever you two are staying.¡±


    Mylon quickly nodded, ¡°Yes, guild master.¡±


    Turning to Aislin, Adria continued, ¡°And Aislin, use your earth magic to patch that hole. You are without a room or food until it is done.¡±


    Aislin, terrified, replied, ¡°Yes! Understood! I will get on that right away ma¡¯am!¡±


    Adria looked at the rest of the adventurers and, with an unsettlingly warm smile, finished, ¡°I think it is time for you lot to head home. The guild hall will be closing early tonight.¡±


    The adventurers looked at each other and made a mad, yet deathly quiet, dash out of the guild hall. Adria looked at Zycor and said, ¡°I think it is time for you to head to bed. You have had a long day and you should sleep in your own bed.¡±


    Zycor nodded, grabbed his bag, and ran upstairs. As he passed Aislin, he silently mouthed ¡®sorry,¡¯ feeling partially responsible for being unable to resolve the situation.


    As he arrived in his room, Zycor put his bag down next to his desk. After he readied himself for bed, he retrieved the egg from the bag, and sat it next to him in his bed. As he drifted off to sleep, his final thoughts were that of curiosity as he wondered what could be inside of the egg.

 Volume 1; Chapter 33: A Sinister Visit

    After he drifted off to sleep, Zycor found himself in a familiar void, fully aware of his current situation. Without turning to face the man he knew was behind him, Zycor asked, ¡°Do you pester everyone like this.¡±


    In his unsettling, broken way of speaking, Mister X responded, ¡°Well, ¡®everyone else,¡¯ as you have put it, do not decline my¡­ generous offer. So in response to your¡­ question, ¡®pestering¡¯ someone like this is not¡­ something I do.¡±


    Turning to face Mister X with, Zycor gave a cold stare and posed the next logical question, ¡°Then why me?¡±


    Mister X, sitting on an all too familiar chair, answered, ¡°You see, my dear associate, I had originally planned to reserve our next meeting for when everything was¡­ ready. However, due to some very¡­ unforeseen chain of events, and, what you may call¡­ fated encounters, I had to slightly¡­ adjust my plans.¡±


    Despite the ominous meaning of his words, his tone continued to have that inviting feel that draws a person in. Remaining on guard, Zycor tried to emulate Baz¡¯s bravado and said, ¡°Oh, and is that supposed to scare me? I¡¯ve taken craps scarier than you.¡±


    With no noticeable change to his expression, Mister X responded, ¡°Riveting¡­ now, allow me to hypothesize who you could be imitating. I would have to say it is that large, half-orc fellow you seem to have befriended. Honestly, such an accomplishment is deserving of a¡­ celebration. Though, I do believe you should refrain from mimicking such barbaric mannerisms, especially when addressing someone of superior status and strength. It could lead to angering someone better left¡­ not.¡±


    His last statement gave off a far more sinister feel, acting as more of a warning than his previous statements. Mister X continued, ¡°Though, if I had intended to kill you, then you¡­ well, calling it ¡®death¡¯ would be quite the¡­ understatement. Moving on from that dreary topic, I am here because of your¡­ encounter with the fragment of the goddess. I do believe she has given you a¡­ gift, am I wrong.¡±


    Zycor began to grow exponentially more wary by the minute. Zycor stuttered, ¡°Y-yeah, I did get something, w-what about it?¡±


    Mister X¡¯s small smirk evolved into an unsettlingly pronounced smile, ¡°You see, my dear, young acquaintance, it is my intention to bestow upon you a¡­ gift, of my own. You do not have to use it, nor even acknowledge its existence. But, I do believe that if you are willing to accept a gift from one god, surely you would be willing to accept a gift from¡­ the other.¡±


    Confusion and shock beginning to overshadow his worries, Zycor inquired, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®the other?¡¯¡±


    Mister X¡¯s smile diminished back to a light smirk. He took a stuttered deep breath as he began his answer, ¡°Truly, those who claim to be your.. Guardians, have done a poor job educating you.¡±


    Returning to a more normal and relaxed posture, Mister X continued, ¡°There is another path open to¡­ special individuals, a path different from the one laid before you. Although, those that choose to walk that other path end up¡­ misunderstood, cast out from society.¡±


    Mister X stood up, his hands covering one another on top of his cane, ¡°Here is my gift to you.¡±


    He then lightly tapped his cane on the void he stood on. Zycor suddenly found himself unable to move, much like their first encounter. Part of Mister X¡¯s back liquified into black ooze and it lunged at Zycor, aiming for his Soul Shard. After the ooze made a small incision, Zycor felt something enter his Soul Shard. Having achieved the objective, the ooze retreated back to Mister X, and Zycor regained his ability to move.


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    Patting his chest in a panic, Zycor shouted, ¡°W-what was that!?¡±


    ¡°I merely bestowed the gift I had mentioned. I do hope you will choose to¡­ explore it.¡± Mister X calmly replied


    Zycor became more serious as he said more demandingly, ¡°What. Did. You. Do.¡±


    Growing tired of Zycors defiant attitude, Mister X¡¯s smirk vanished as he responded, ¡°I gave you the ability to use a¡­ special kind of magic. The same kind of magic that I wield. If you agree to my¡­ generous offer I would be more than happy to not only teach you about it, but also bestow a higher affinity for it.¡±


    Zycor backed away, shaking his head as he grasped his chest. Mister X sighed, ¡°I see, truly a¡­ pity. Perhaps I have considered you far more¡­ reasonable than I should have. I had hoped you would have come along willingly, but I see I must take it by¡­ force.¡±


    A sudden pain shot through Zycor¡¯s entire body from his Soul Shard. ¡°I will be taking that unique magic you have for¡­ myself. It would be¡­ utilized far better in my hands.¡±


    As Mister X¡¯s body melted and the void began to darken, Zycor desperately tried to wake himself up but was unsuccessful. As he was surrounded and engulfed completely by the ooze, the searing pain from his chest was amplified. It began to feel as if he was losing a part of himself. As Zycor started to succumb to the pain, a flash of light forced the darkness and Mister X to instantly disperse. Zycor fell to the ground, after which he searched the area for what created the light that saved him. After the brightness had dulled some, Zycor saw a man clad in blue and gray draconic armor standing in front of him facing Mister X. The man had the wings of a dragon, which were unfurled after the light had dissipated, acting as a sort of shield for Zycor. His face was humanlike, though the further from his facial features you got, the more draconic scales there were. His eyes blazed with a yellow glow as his pupils sharpened to match the dragon aesthetic.


    Genuinely angered for the first time since Zycor met him, Mister X shouted, ¡°And what the hell are you supposed to be!?¡±


    Mister X quickly solved his own question, immediately setting him on edge. Now beyond livid, Mister X verbalized his thoughts, ¡°Wait a moment, you¡­ you are one of the scrapped races, aren¡¯t you! A dragon-kin! But what are you doing here? A better question, how do you exist?!¡±


    The dragon-kin began to silently advance towards Mister X, forging a behemoth of a blade made of electricity and light. As they approached, Mister X¡¯s realization deepened as he continued, ¡°Wait, the gift from the goddess¡­ If that is what you are supposed to be then that sword is¡­¡±


    The dragon-kin cut Mister X off with a serious tone, ¡°This is the power allotted to me by the goddess for this specific task. Although it is merely a fraction of the goddesses power, and I most likely will not be capable of it again, it should be more than enough to obliterate you.¡±


    Mister X beginning to panic upon hearing about the source of his power said, ¡°Wait, that sword is made using the goddesses own magic?! Damnit! She has gotten in my way for hundreds of years now! It appears I must retreat, you have earned your survival¡­ for now.¡±


    The dragon-kin yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡±


    He held the sword with a reverse grip, and assumed a spear throwing stance. The sword quickly morphed into a massive piercing spear as he hurled it full force at the retreating Mister X. The spear tore through Mister X¡¯s arm at a speed too quick to dodge. As it did, it seared the very essence of his arm, permanently burning it.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Mister X screamed, ¡°Curse you both! I will have my vengeance!¡±


    With that, Mister X fled. ¡°Tch, I can¡¯t believe I whiffed that. Easiest shot of my existence,¡± the dragon-kin complained.


    Taking a deep breath and calming down, he turned to face Zycor, the latter asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The dragon-kin walked over to Zycor, knelt down, and put a hand on his shoulder as he replied, ¡°You will find out soon. For now, just know that I am your friend.¡±


    With that, the dragon-kin began to vanish along with the void. Zycor woke up and rapidly sat up, drenched in sweat and breathing frantically. As he caught his breath and calmed down, he noticed something glowing on his left. Investigating, he found the egg was the source as said light flickered out.


    Quickly feeling a searing pain in his chest, he opened his shirt to check. Illuminated by the moonlight seeping in through the window, Zycor quickly noticed a scar where his soul shard is located. Remembering what happened in his dream, his level of panic began to skyrocket. As it approached the limit of what he could handle, another wave of intense pain washed over Zycor¡¯s chest and caused him to pass out.

 Volume 1; Chapter 34: An Unfortunate Meeting

    As Adria was dealing with some documents involving her ¡®other¡¯ business in her underground office, she was interrupted by a knock at her door. Not pausing her task, she dismissively said, ¡°Enter.¡±


    The door opened and Aislin entered the office. Like the rest of the underground workspace the walls were stone, though the flooring differed being cut slabs instead of cobblestone. The room was illuminated by some medium grade fire runes engraved in torch holders along the walls. There were large cabinets to the right and a large desk where Adria was seated straight ahead. Behind her were wooden filing cabinets, each drawer individually labeled. ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Mori, but this letter has arrived for you. It was labeled as urgent.¡± Aislin stated.


    Adria¡¯s writing came to an abrupt halt as she looked up, ¡°Urgent you say?¡±


    Aislin gave the letter to Adria, who opened it and began to read:


    Adria darling! How are you? Doing well I hope! I remember you asking me to let you know if anything regarding that village raid where you found the boy you have taken in comes up. So, here I am letting you know! Apparently, a man along with four other people are going around talking about the raid openly and how they were the ones to do it! Why? Well, beats me! Though, it sounds like he is going around the continent, spreading the word about it. I hear he is headed your way next, so be careful darling! Until next we chat!


    Silvan~.


    Putting the letter down and massaging the bridge of her nose, Adria muttered, ¡°Amazing how that damn spider can annoy me with a simple letter.¡±


    Adria stood up and dismissed Aislin, telling her to head to bed. Now seemingly alone, Adria walked over to the large wardrobe-like cabinet, and as she opened it called out, ¡°Nalea, come here.¡±


    The sound of someone lightly landing on the stone flooring could be heard from outside the room. Clad in her black cloak, Nalea entered the room, kneeling before Adria as the latter pulled out some daggers from the cabinet, sheathing several of them into the various holsters she had on her body. Nalea asked, ¡°You called ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Adria began as she fastened everything on, ¡°I am going to head out for a bit. You are in charge of Zycors protection.¡±


    Confused, Nalea asked, ¡°Where are you planning on going, madam?¡±


    Fixing the cuffs on her suit, Adria responded, ¡°To deal with some loose ends.¡±


    With that, Adria closed the wardrobe and headed towards the exit. Stopping at the entrance, Adria warned, ¡°I believe I do not have to remind you of what will happen should you fail, correct? You are dismissed.¡±


    With that, Adria left Nalea alone in the office. Nalea slowly stood up and briefly shuddered. She walked out of the room to begin her task, closing the door behind her.


    Adria exited the guild hall and made her way to its roof. As she stood there, basking in the glow of the moonlight, her neutral expression morphed into a sadistic one. With a malicious smile plastered across her face, Adria said to herself, ¡°How long has it been since I have engaged in information ¡®extraction?!¡¯ Ooooo, I am getting all excited just thinking about it!¡±


    Adrias body began to have sparks of electricity crackle around it as she uttered, ¡°Engulf.¡± That order caused her body to be completely covered in electricity. The newly formed electrical sphere began to move at an incredible speed as she followed up by saying, ¡°Flash.¡± She then seemingly vanished, traveling extraordinarily fast through the city as she made her way to the north north-eastern section. As she arrived atop the wall surrounding the city, Adria stopped, dispelling the electricity. She held out her hand towards the open grasslands and mountains, As she gave another order, ¡°Detect malice.¡± A sudden wave of mana blew forth from Adria¡¯s hand and, intertwining with the mana ambient in the air, the wave washed over a great distance of the expanse of land before her. Using this order, Adria was able to detect and sort out any form and level of malice emitted from humans in a roughly ten mile radius. Though, the further to the edge of the radius a person was, the less accurate of a read she would be able to get.


    As the information was delivered to Adria, she began to sort through it all to find her targets. There were a few minor responses, most likely from bandits or mercenaries, that she disregarded. Then it happened, a group of four men, three of which had slightly higher malice than the bandits. The final man, however, harbored greater, more targeted malice than the other three. Adria determined they were seven miles away, and decided to head out to about three-in-a-half miles to meet them about halfway from their position and the city. As entertaining as it would have been to see the look on their faces if she dropped in on their exact position, Adria thought it would be far more entertaining for them to realize the implications of a single person waiting for their group.


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    As the four men reached the four mile point, the sun began to gleam over the horizon. As it rose higher, illuminating the field, the group''s leader stopped them. They had come face to face with Adria. ¡°I would normally greet new people in a far more professional setting,¡± Adria began, ¡°however, I feel this is a special case. So allow me to ask what business you have here in Abros.¡±


    The four men looked at each other, and the leader stepped forward. He was wearing unmarked armor, his face covered. From how he carried himself, however, it was easy to tell he was a soldier, or someone who had received formal military training. The man responded, ¡°May I ask who you are to demand an explanation from us?¡±


    Adria, arms crossed and trying her best to hold back her sadistic urges, replied ¡°I see, you would like to do introductions first. Very well then. You may address me as Ms. Mori. I own and oversee a guild in this city here. Something to keep in mind as well, I have many connections that feed me quite a bit of information.¡±


    The man responded, ¡°Well, I still have yet to hear a convincing argument, Ms. Mori, as to why we should disclose our business to you. Due to that, I will have to deny you an answer. Now if you¡¯ll excuse us, we will continue on to the city.¡±


    As the men began to walk, Adria put one of her hands out to stop them. With a more serious expression now on her face, she intimidatingly explained, ¡°I know of you four through one of my previously stated connections. I know you are here to talk about your pivotal role in the many village raids, specifically the raid of a village located in the southern part of Velathria. The only reason to openly speak about such an event that I can think of¡­ would be to draw someone out. Someone with a tie to said village. Sound about right?¡±


    Using the pause between Adria¡¯s statement and the leader''s reply, one of the men walked over to the latter. ¡°H-hey vice-... I mean boss, I think I remember reading a report about someone with the name Mori.¡±


    Turning to address his subordinate, the leader replied, ¡°And what report would that be?¡±


    Starting to panic a bit as his mind began to put the pieces together, the subordinate replied, ¡°I-I was going through some documents about the more dangerous people, you know, so we could avoid them and all. And I remember one whose name was ¡®Adria Mori.¡¯¡±


    Adria, her expression warping into a more sadistic form, praised the subordinate, ¡°Looks like someone has access to some rather important information! You see, I actually went to that village a few days after the initial raid, and found a few insignias of the Velathrian military. Armed with that information, you lot claiming ownership of said raid, coupled with the possible motive of trying to draw out a possible survivor, I can assume who you people are targeting.¡±


    The leader removed his helmet and responded, ¡°Well then, since you seem to already know why we are here, what are you going to do about it?¡±


    One of the subordinates, panicking, asked him, ¡°Why did you confirm her suspicions?! If we said she was wrong there was nothing she could have done.¡±


    The leader, whose mood had turned foul, replied, ¡°You idiot, if this woman really is Adria Mori, then she knew from the beginning of this encounter. She has been toying with us.¡±


    Adria sadistically chuckled as she confirmed his statement, ¡°Well, it appears you know far more about me than even that other young lad. I would have to assume you are rather high up to have such information, especially considering how tight Velathria tends to keep its information about us ¡®powerhouses.¡¯¡±


    The leader, trying his best to not be thrown off by her laughter, introduced himself, ¡°Seeing as you already know who we are affiliated with, there is no point in keeping up this charade. I am vice commander Volnir of the Velathrian army, it is a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Vice commander you say?¡± Adria repeats as she begins her response, ¡°Well, vice commander Volnir, if you were someone else I would say it was nice to meet you. However, considering the hell you put my son through, it is more fitting to say¡­ it¡¯s nice to know I am the one sending you to hell.¡±


    With a far more aggressive tone, Adria continued, ¡°Know that the person you are trying to lure out is under my protection, as is this city. If I ever catch you or any other Velathrian maggot trying to enter this city in any meaningful capacity such as this, know I will protect what I hold dear by any means necessary.¡±


    Drawing his sword, Volnir stated, ¡°I don¡¯t really care what you hold dear. I have a mission to carry out, now move or die.¡±


    Adria fires a small wave of mana at Volnir and begins to laugh sadistically, ¡°Dear, you are nowhere near strong enough to make such threats. But despite that, please do try and entertain me!¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Volnir shouted as he rushed Adria.


    ¡°You first~.¡± Adria lightheartedly responded.

 Volume 1; Chapter 35: Brewing Conflict

    Jolted from his slumber by the brief, but violent, vibration of the guild hall, Zycor quickly sat up. Due to how brief the tremor was, he didn¡¯t give it much more thought. He hopped out of bed and walked over to his wardrobe to get dressed, not noticing the massive dust plume off in the distance from his window. As he reached for the door out of his room, he heard a commotion coming from the main hall. Zycor let out an exhausted sigh, not yet awake enough to deal with the inevitable fight beyond. Stepping out of his room he looked left over the railing and saw Aisha arguing with some of the adventurers. When she noticed Zycor she pointed at him as she angrily stated, ¡°You!¡± It was at that moment Zycor realized all the plans he had for the day were now shattered.


    As Aisha marched up the stairs towards Zycor, she complained, ¡°How could you have gone to a dungeon without telling me? Not only that, but you had the audacity to nearly get yourself killed?!¡±


    Zycor, trying his best to wake himself fully, yawned, ¡°Technically, it wasn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    Without missing a beat Aisha snapped, ¡°You think I care about such minor details?! As punishment for your transgressions, I demand you accompany me for the day!¡±


    Reaching Zycor, Aisha gave him a bear hug. Under her breath she muttered, ¡°You idiot, stop scaring me.¡±


    Zycor, his hands in the air, looked down towards the adventurers when he noticed Clyde. He silently pleaded for advice on what to do and Clyde mouthed to hug her back. Deciding to trust Clyde, Zycor slowly wrapped his arms around Aisha. After subconsciously indulging in the embrace, Aisha began to blush heavily as she realized the hug was no longer one sided. She pushed him away and stammered, ¡°W-w-what do y-y-you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    Zycor, confused, responded, ¡°Returning the hug?¡±


    ¡°A-and who do you think you are to t-touch me whenever y-you want?!¡± Aisha responded as she turned away to hide her face.


    Zycor, slightly irritated, snapped back, ¡°Yet, you hugged me without permission. I can¡¯t help but see the hypocrisy in your statement.¡±


    Aisha didn¡¯t respond, so Zycor sighed and said, ¡°Whatever. Sorry, I guess.¡±


    The entire guild hall was completely silent, watching and listening intently. The adventurers had grown to enjoy watching the interaction between the two of them. Most of them even participated in a betting pool with regards to whether they would or would not get together.


    Aisha glared down at them as she shouted, ¡°What are you idiots looking at!?¡±


    Shifting the atmosphere, Aislin walked out of the kitchen while she asked Zycor and Aisha, ¡°Hey, when you two are done with your quarrel will you please head into town for some supplies? We are running low on meat, and we could use some more liquor.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Zycor responded as he walked past Aisha without a word. She grabbed onto Zycors shirt and said, ¡°I¡¯ll come. You have to spend the day with me as punishment anyways.¡±


    Zycor, looked back at her, noticing she was acting strange, and sighed, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    The two left the guild hall and walked into town silently, the only real disturbance being minor tremors. After a few minutes, Aisha softly and quietly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you.¡±


    In a completely out of character fashion, Zycor, apparently growing more angry and aggressive, responded, ¡°Whatever, Just don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Instantly noticing the tone shift, Aisha knew something was wrong, but had no idea what could have happened. The only assumption she could make was she actually managed to anger him. Aisha noticed that as they moved further from the guild hall, Zycor appeared to be getting angrier and more aggressive. Aisha asked Zycor what was bothering him, which he ignored. However, Aisha noticed his arm was tensing up due to him making a fist and holding it tightly. Not knowing what might happen should she push the subject further, she dropped it for the time being.


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    Having purchased everything that Aislin asked for, the two began to walk back. On their way to the guild hall, they ran into Baz and Mylon who were also headed there. ¡°Hey there kid, what¡¯s this?¡± Baz began teasing, ¡°out with your girlfriend, huh? Are you guys making out yet?¡±


    Mylon sighed, ¡°Jeez, it hasn¡¯t even been five seconds, and you¡¯re already starting trouble Baz?¡±


    ¡°Ah relax Mylon, it¡¯s fine! The kid knows I¡¯m joking, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Baz replied, turning towards Zycor with a grin on his face.


    Zycor, however, had a cold stare devoid of any semblance of his normal self. ¡°Baz,¡± Zycor began, ¡°Quit talking, it¡¯s annoying.¡±


    Zycor started to walk around them and back towards the guild. Everyone was stunned by the way he talked to Baz, it was unlike anything he had done before. Mylon, utterly confused, questioned, ¡°What¡¯s up Zycor? I thought you two worked everything out, right? Aren¡¯t we all friends now?¡±


    Baz, pissed, stormed over to Zycor and grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Now hold on a second you little shit. What the fuck is wrong with you?¡±


    Turning his head slightly towards Baz¡¯s hand, Zycor demanded, ¡°Baz, remove your hand.¡±


    Baz began to walk around to block Zycors path but stopped when Zycor turned his head, revealing his eyes. Zycor¡¯s evergreen eyes now appeared to have darkened slightly, now taking on a dim, red hue. Baz immediately released Zycor as the latter began heading back to the guild.


    The rest of the party followed, keeping their distance from Zycor. Aisha apologized to Baz and Mylon, ¡°I think this is my fault, I¡¯m sorry. I think I may have gone too far earlier while talking with him.¡±


    Mylon shook his head, ¡°No, this isn¡¯t simply being upset about some terrible flirting skills.¡±


    Aisha, offended and flustered, stammered, ¡°E-e-excuse me!? M-my flirting skills are perfectly fine thank you very little!¡±


    Mylon continued, ¡°Your denial aside, I think this may be some aftermath of what happened during our dungeon exploration.¡±


    Aisha asked, ¡°What the hell happened during the dungeon run then? Why is he like this?¡±


    Mylon, putting his hand over his mouth as he thought, responded, ¡°Nothing that would have caused something like this as far as I could tell. In fact, by the end of everything, we were getting along far better than we ever had before. It just doesn¡¯t make any sense. I must be missing something.¡±


    Baz angrily sighed, ¡°Have you considered that he is just an asshole by nature?¡±


    Mylon, annoyed at the hypocritical comment, snapped back, ¡°No, that would be you. Zycor has trust issues and properly using emotions which, unfortunately, makes him insufferable to be around at times. I am¡­ working on that particular issue with him.¡±


    Baz grunted, ¡°Well, work faster, this is becoming annoying and angering.¡±


    Aisha chimed in, further inquiring, ¡°Then what could have happened? And when?!¡±


    Before Baz or Mylon had a chance to respond, the trio stopped. they saw Zycor had stopped walking as well, cut off by two bandits. Mylon glanced behind them and saw two more had closed off their rear escape. Mylon muttered, ¡°Baz¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see them. There are more to our left and right.¡± Baz replied.


    Sure enough two more, one from each side alley, came out and fully encircled them. Each bandit maliciously grinned while they chuckled in the same manner. Baz and Mylon turned to face the bandits that came from the sides. All of the sudden one final man came up behind Aisha and grabbed her, putting a knife to her throat. He was covered in dented and banged up armor covered in dirt.


    Quickly looking over at Aisha Mylon, in a panicked tone, exclaimed, ¡°Shit! Where did he come from!?¡±


    Baz, just as surprised, yelled back, ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± the man began, ¡°it would seem I have you all surrounded! These bandits are able to give upper rank five adventurers a run for their money! I have done my research on all of you. Two rank six¡¯s, and the other two are the lowest rank at eight. Now Listen here, I am a generous man, I am only here for one head, so the rest of you may leave. In the name of the Velathrian royal knights, I demand the head of Zycor Mori!¡±


    Zycor set down the items they had bought and turned to look at the man. As soon as their eyes met, the man froze and began to shake. Zycor was glaring at him with such ferocity, it felt like he was possessed by something inhuman. ¡°Let. Her. Go. Now.¡± Zycor scowled.


    Noticing Zycor is unarmed, the man recomposed himself and chuckled, ¡°And what are you going to do without a weapon? What can you do?!¡±


    Without breaking eye contact, Zycor, growing more angry by the second, replied, ¡°I will kill you with my bare hands, that¡¯s what I can do.¡±


    The deadly and serious tone in Zycors voice broke the man''s composure all over again. The man shouted, ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t hire you lot to stand around! Get them already! I don¡¯t care what happens to the other two, but Zycor Mori must perish!¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 36: The Weight of Death

    As the bandits closed in Zycor took an aggressive stance. The bandit holding Aisha hostage yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t you move! If you do, the girl dies!¡±


    Zycor stopped instantly, sneering at him. Baz and Mylon began to fight the four that were on their side, each taking two. Baz threw out a wide swipe of his hand, forcing the two bandits to step back. Baz used the opening to draw his axe and swing it down at the bandit in front of him. The bandit was able to parry the blow, sending the axe into the ground as he rushed the half orc. Baz, despite being thrown off by the parry, grinned. ¡°Bad move!¡± he shouted as a torrent of water came from his feet and swept the bandits¡¯ feet from under him, forcing him face first into the road.


    Bringing his axe up, Baz chuckled, ¡°You probably should have considered the possibility I can use magic too, you dumbass!¡±


    And with that, Baz dislodged and brought his mighty war axe down into the bandits back. Removing the axe from the now corpse, Baz frowned, ¡°Damn, didn¡¯t disintegrate.¡±


    Mylon, blocking a strike with his shield which staggered the bandit, commented, ¡°For the last time Baz, you do NOT have disintegration powers.¡±


    Finishing his sentence, Mylon slammed his shield into the recoiling bandits face. He quickly shifted his shield towards the left and blocked the second bandit''s strike. He followed up with a thrust of his sword aimed at the bandits chest. Before the strike hit its mark, however, the bandit managed to get out an Ignite order. The bandit was immediately propelled upwards, landing on a roof and reorienting himself.


    The second bandit fighting Baz took advantage of the latter being distracted by Mylon''s fight by rushing him. Baz, realizing the position he put himself in, took a step back and brought his axe down as quickly as he could. Due to being caught off guard, his strike completely missed. As the bandit closed in on Baz he stepped into the puddle of water from Baz¡¯s earlier attack. The moment he did, someone said, ¡°Converge, Chain,¡± and a bolt of lightning flashed past Baz, striking the water he managed to stagger out of and causing the bandit to be violently electrocuted.


    Baz turned towards the spell''s origin and saw Zycor. The bandit holding Aisha went to slit her throat, but before he was able to, a bolt of lighting shot from the electrocuted man past Zycor and struck both Aisha and her captor. The electrocution forced him to release Aisha as he stumbled back while the latter fell to her knees. Baz yelled, ¡°Behind you kid!¡±


    Zycor readied himself to dash as he coldly replied, ¡°I know, it¡¯s not a problem. Worry about your other opponent, he¡¯s not down.¡±


    Finishing his comment, Zycor began his blitz while Baz blocked the mentioned bandits'' weakened attack with the hilt of the axe. ¡°Not today fucker!¡± Baz shouted as he thrust the attack back at the bandit. Zycor took off towards Aisha¡¯s former captor as he held out his arm and delivered a devastating lariat. The blow sent the back of the bandits¡¯ head into the ground. Mylon yelled to Aisha, ¡°Can you do something about the two bandits that are left? Last thing we need right now is more of these bastards.¡±


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    He then parried another hit and brought the pommel of his sword down onto the bandits head, severely disorienting him and bringing him to his knees. Using his shield to bash the other bandit to throw him back, Mylon proceeded to cleanly decapitate the kneeling bandit.


    Aisha staggered to her feet and managed to throw her hands up, conjuring the strongest wall of fire she could muster. The bandits stepped back from the flames, not wanting to burn with their clothing.


    Zycor walked over to the bandit lying on the ground who was, surprisingly, still conscious. Zycor put his boot on the bandit¡¯s arm, then proceeded to viciously break it. The sound of his screams instantly halted the battles. Zycor crouched down as everyone present looked on. ¡°You are definitely not the one who ordered this, you¡¯re too weak and pathetic. Who gave you the order?¡± Zycor demanded.


    The ¡°bandit¡± responded through his sobs, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of a brat having a tantrum! Once the vice commander gets here, it¡¯s over for you!¡±


    ¡°And you think you¡¯ll survive that long?¡± Zycor coldly asked.


    He then stood up, walked to the other side, and broke the ¡°bandit¡¯s¡± other arm, followed by both of his legs in the same, brutal fashion. His screams rang out again each time, causing the remaining bandits to grimace as they took steps away from the scene. Zycor repeated his question, ¡°Let me ask again. Who. Gave. You. The. Order?¡±


    The ¡°bandit¡±, sobbing, revealed, ¡°It was from the vice commander of the Velathrian royal knights, Volnir! H-he was there when your village was razed! I-I gave you your answer plus some extra information! S-so please, l-let me live!¡±


    Hearing about this Volnir guy''s involvement not only in today''s events, but what occurred at his village, caused Zycors rage to skyrocket. Zycor then sat on the knight''s chest and began to beat his face in. Each punch was delivered slowly, deliberately, and with his full force. He kept hitting and hitting, until the knight¡¯s face was nigh unrecognizable. Even at that point, however, he continued to wail on the knight''s face, it was as if he had lost himself to the intense anger and madness. The remaining bandits had long since fled at this point. Mylon, shocked at the brutality of what was before him, stammered, ¡°H-hey, Zycor, that¡¯s enough. H-he¡¯s dead.¡±


    Aisha cried out, ¡°Zycor stop! It¡¯s over!¡±


    Infuriated at the disrespect Zycor was showing the dead, Baz began to approach him. As he did, he said, ¡°I know you are angry, we all share in that anger. But he is dead now, so it¡¯s time to stop!¡±


    As he finished speaking, Baz picked Zycor up from his armpits. As Zycor thrashed around trying to free himself, shouting all the expletives he learned from Baz, Baz continued, ¡°Yeah, he was probably scum. I know the rage you are feeling is all consuming, trust me I have been there. But it¡¯s over now! Calm. Down.¡±


    After about a minute or so, Zycor stopped thrashing around, Baz¡¯s words finally having sunk in. Baz set him down as he collapsed to his knees. His rage having subsided, Zycor began to shed tears as he looked at his hands covered in blood. He had never killed a person before, it felt as though he had lost a piece of himself. At the same time, however, he was unable to forget how nonchalantly that same man had ordered his own friends, his new family, killed along with himself. His goal was only reinforced by these thoughts. He would find Volnir, and the other man who was there at his village¡­ and he would be sure to send them to hell himself.

 Volume 1; Chapter 37: Repercussions

    As the group drew nearer and nearer towards the guild hall, it appeared as though his hatred and anger began to subside the closer they got. Not wanting to provoke him now that he seemed to be calming down, the trio decided to leave him be for now. However, after arguing with Baz about it, they agreed to discuss what had happened and figure out why it had later.


    As the afternoon began to shift to evening, the group arrived at the guild hall. As they entered the hall, Aislin happened to be taking care of some plates that she ended up dropping. Seeing the party enter the hall covered in blood was a minor shock. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Aislin said in a calm tone, trying to process the scene before her. ¡°You three, go out back and wash up before Adria gets back here,¡± Aislin began again as she gestured at the boys, not wanting to have them stand in the guild hall covered in blood. She continued, ¡°Aisha, come with me to the back room and tell me what happened while I tend to your wounds.¡±


    As Baz, Mylon and Zycor cleaned themselves up, not one of them spoke a word. Despite Baz and Mylon having questions, they restrained themselves when they saw the devastated expression on Zycor¡¯s face. When they re-entered the guild hall, Aislin and Aisha were waiting for them. The boys could tell they were in for a long discussion the moment they saw Aislin.


    Thirty minutes earlier¡­ ¡°Well, you lasted much longer than I had initially anticipated. I suppose congratulations are in order.¡± Adria chuckled sarcastically, walking towards the now bruised, battered, covered in blood and incapacitated Volnir.


    He looked as though he had been to hell and back. His left arm was broken along with his right leg, multiple lacerations across his chest, and nearly his entire body was one large bruise. Volnir groaned, ¡°I knew you were strong, but this is ludicrous, you monster .¡±


    The lush grassland fields they had been in before had now become nothing more than a wasteland full of large craters and upheaved earth in a half mile radius. The thick dust clouds scattered throughout the area had begun to settle, revealing more clearly the scarred land. However, in contrast to the state Volnir, his compatriots, and the land was in, Adria had nary a scratch nor torn piece of clothing. ¡°Well,¡± Adria began, ¡°I don¡¯t think calling a lady a monster is very charming, you know.¡±


    Stopping above Volnir, Adria extended her upper right hand towards him and continued, ¡°Any last words? Not that I care, I will forget them right after this anyways, so I suppose it does not matter.¡±


    Volnir began to chuckle. Adria, confused, responded, ¡°Laughter? Far be it from me to judge how a dying man spends his last moments, regardless of how odd it may be.¡±


    Volnir looked at Adria with his remaining strength and weakly spoke, ¡°Are you sure you should have spent all of your time toying with me and ignoring my subordinates? I managed to send one into the town to take care of that boy when the fight started. Lucky for me, you got cocky and figured you would hunt him down later.¡±


    Adria¡¯s eyes widened and she quickly looked back towards the city. ¡°If I were you,¡± Volnir continued, ¡°I would get going and hope I was not too late. Though, seeing how much time you have wasted here, I would not be surprised if all that was left was a corpse! Haha!¡±


    Adria clenched her hands and screamed in anger as she vanished in an explosion that shattered the ground as she propelled herself forward, blitzing towards the city. Now left alone, Volnir struggled to his feet while he muttered to himself, ¡°I¡¯m glad I sent that soldier ahead. It is good to have contingency plans.¡±


    After finishing his comment, he began to walk away from the city in search of a place to recover.


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    As Aislin finished her lecture, she told Baz and Mylon to go back to their inn. Aislin sighed and began to complain, ¡°Jeez, what the hell am I going to tell-,¡± Before she could finish her thought, the sound of the guild doors being blown open cut her off as Adria stood in the entrance. ¡°Adria¡­¡± Aislin finished.


    Adria frantically looked around the room and locked onto Zycor. She dashed over and began to hug him tightly. ¡°You¡¯re ok¡­ You¡¯re ok¡­ You¡¯re¡­ ok¡­¡± Adria repeated as she began to softly cry. ¡°I am so glad you are ok,¡± She continued, ¡°if you died¡­ I don¡¯t know what I would have done.¡±


    Having never felt as though she was loved, nor feeling love towards someone else before, Adria was at a loss. She had never had a bond so strong, and by extension, neither had she been so close to losing that bond. Aislin and Aisha stood in shock, never having seen Adria like this before. ¡°H-hey,¡± Aislin began, ¡°are you ok there Ms. Mori? I-I don¡¯t think I have ever seen you cry.¡±


    Noticing the few tears on her face, Adria released Zycor and swiftly composed herself as best she could. ¡°I¡¯m ok now. I was just¡­ worried.¡± Adria replied.


    After a short silence, Adria continued, ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s time for a drink¡­ or five. Are you joining Aislin?¡±


    Aislin shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m always down for some booze. Let¡¯s sit in the back and talk, what do you say?¡±


    Adria nodded and walked into the kitchen area to retrieve some liquor while Aislin headed into the back room to prepare a place for them to sit.


    After Adria retreated into the back room with Aislin, Aisha and Zycor found themselves alone in the massive guild hall. Uncertain as to what to say, they both sat in silence for a while. As Aisha went to excuse herself, Zycor stopped her before she could, asking to talk. Aisha, still being cautious after what happened earlier, hesitantly agreed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aisha.¡± Zycor began, ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me today. The dream I had may have had more of an impact than I originally thought. But now that I am back here, I feel more like myself.¡±


    Aisha, hearing something that could give her answers, asked, ¡°What dream?¡±


    Zycor hesitated for a moment, but then opened up to her. He told her about Mister X, all of their previous encounters, and what happened during their most recent meeting.


    The two sat in an awkward silence for a while. Beginning to believe he may lose his friend due to how out of his mind he must sound, Zycor quickly retracted his statement, ¡°A-actually¡­ forget all of that. It¡¯s not important, so just forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°How could I just forget about something that serious?!¡± Aisha responded.


    Uncertain if she truly believed him or not, Zycor asked, ¡°You¡­ believe me?¡±


    Aisha, pushing through her embarrassment, grabbed his hands, looked him in the eyes, and adamantly replied, ¡°Of course I believe you!¡±


    Zycor gave a small smile as he thanked Aisha, ¡°I appreciate that, It means quite a bit to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Aisha began, ¡°You don¡¯t lie. Actually, I don''t think you are biologically capable of it. Whatever has happened to you is serious, and this Mister X guy sounds like bad news. It also sounds like he is most likely the one responsible for why you seem to be acting weird. But the question is, why do you seem fine here?¡±


    After giving it some thought, Zycor¡¯s eyes widened as he muttered, ¡°Egg¡­¡±


    Zycor shot out of his seat and began to rush to his room. ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Aisha shouted as she got up to follow him.


    When she finally caught up with him, he was standing in the doorway to his room, staring at his bed. She walked up behind him and peeked over his shoulder. Scanning the room, she noticed a massive egg on his bed. ¡°Zycor, where did you find that egg?¡± Aisha asked.


    Approaching the egg with Aisha right behind him, Zycor replied, ¡°In the dungeon¡­ It was given to me.¡±


    Aisha, deeply invested, leaned forward and curiously inquired, ¡°From who?¡±


    Zycor, remembering the girl he met and what she told him, replied, ¡°The goddess.¡±


    Before Aisha had a chance to process what he said, Zycor dropped to his knees and threw up. Due to the proximity of the egg, Zycor¡¯s morality was heightened and an intense panic took over. Until that moment, he had not fully acknowledged that he took someone else''s life. Not only that, but he brutalized their body. ¡°Hey! Zycor! What¡¯s wrong!¡± Aisha yelled, ¡°Adria! Aislin! Help!¡±


    The last thing he saw as he passed out was Adria and Aislin barging into the room.

 Volume 1; Chapter 38: Internal Conflict

    Two days had come and gone. After checking on him Adria left Zycors room and looked over the railing at Baz, Mylon, and Aisha who were looking back. Adria closed her eyes and shook her head. Aisha slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, her ears coming out in response to her emotions. ¡°He has been out for two days already! Come on Ms. Adria, let me go in there and wake him up myself!¡± Aisha demanded worriedly.


    Baz, putting down his mug, berated Aisha, ¡°Pipe down. If the guild master can¡¯t get that dumbass to wake up, what makes you think that you can?¡±


    ¡°What do you know, you half orc bastard?!¡± Aisha snapped back, ¡°You probably don¡¯t really care do you? Ha, yeah, that¡¯s right, he is probably just a form of entertainment for you and nothing else.¡±


    Baz remained silent, staring at her with a frown on his face. Mylon glared at Aisha, ¡°Alright little girl, you need to shut up. It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t know anything regarding our relationship! We-.¡±


    Baz cut Mylon off, ¡°That¡¯s enough Mylon. It¡¯s not worth it. I¡¯m gonna head back to the inn. Let the girl think whatever she wants.¡±


    Baz stood up, grabbed his axe and left. Mylon stood up and loudly stated, ¡°Hey, Baz, wait up you idiot.¡±


    Turning to Adria, he gave a slight nod and said, ¡°See you later.¡± And with that, they were gone.


    Aisha, sitting down with her arms crossed and pouting, mumbled, ¡°Jeez, what crawled up their butts.¡±


    Adria, having descended the stairs, took a seat across from Aisha and replied, ¡°Are you sure it was them that were causing an issue?¡±


    Aisha stubbornly replied, ¡°Well yeah, It¡¯s not like I did or said anything wrong.¡±


    Letting out a massive sigh, Adria massaged her forehead as she commented, ¡°I sometimes can¡¯t tell which of you is the larger handful.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Obviously it¡¯s those two!¡± Aisha retorted.


    Losing the little patience she had left for the day, Adria scolded Aisha, ¡°Right now, I would have to say it is you, Aisha.¡± Taking a deep breath, Adria elaborated, ¡°Listen, I know for a fact that your father has hired a tutor for this exact scenario. I also know that you are aware that you are in the wrong. You had no right to question their reasons for being here just because you were feeling jealous.¡±


    Turning bright red, Aisha stammered, ¡°J-j-j-jealous?! W-why would I be jealous?!¡±


    As if she had been waiting to say this for some time, Adria answered, ¡°Because you feel Baz and Mylon have a stronger relationship with him, and as a result they might take away the time he would spend with you. Which is ridiculous in my opinion. You know how he feels about his friends, there is no way he wouldn¡¯t make time for you. Even if you claimed to hate him and told him to stay away, I doubt he would listen. He is super clingy like that¡­ it can be troublesome at times, in all honesty.¡±


    With a small smile, Aisha added, ¡°But I can¡¯t say I entirely hate that about him.¡±


    Happy that Aisha appeared to understand and confident the issue has been resolved, Adria said, ¡°It¡¯s late, so let¡¯s head to bed. You can use the spare room you normally use. Goodnight Aisha.¡±


    As Adria walked up the stairs, Aisha asked, ¡°Do you think Zycor is going to be ok?¡±


    Adria stopped as she thought about what she should say. Should she simply reassure Aisha and go to bed? But she didn¡¯t want to say something she was unsure of herself. After gathering her thoughts, Adria looked at Aisha and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


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    Whether or not it was the right choice to say what she truly thought was irrelevant. Lying may have only caused more issues down the line, issues Adria would rather not have to deal with. Needless to say, no one was going to bed with a clear mind.


    - - -


    Unbeknownst to everyone else however, Zycor was far closer to mentally breaking than they thought. As he lay asleep, Zycor was surrounded by a seemingly endless void within his mind. He had been in this mindscape, alone and curled up ever since he lost consciousness. The only thing that ever disturbed this colorless void was an occasional question posed seemingly by the void itself, ¡°So, is this the solution? To remain in this mindscape, hiding from reality?¡±


    For the first time since shutting himself away, Zycor responded, ¡°You keep asking those questions as if you don¡¯t know the answer.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± the voice smugly replied, ¡°Though, this time you answered. I would call that progress.¡±


    ¡°Then you and I have very different definitions of progress.¡± Zycor retorted.


    ¡°Now you see, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± The voice continued its terrifying rant, ¡°You are wrong because I am you, and you are me. I am the culmination of what you buried deep down inside. All those emotions you couldn¡¯t handle, the painful feelings and memories. One could say that I am the ¡®true¡¯ personality of Zycor. So what I define as progress is what you truly believe.¡±


    ¡°If you really are supposed to be the ¡®true¡¯ me, why the hell are you bothering with these questions. And I don¡¯t remember ever talking the way you do.¡± Zycor complained coldly.


    The voice furiously replied, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t talk in the same manner as you! I have been surrounded by emotions, feelings, and memories that you would rather suppress than deal with! I am our ¡®ego.¡¯ All of the emotions you thought you were unable to feel were all dealt with by ME! While I am left to be constantly swallowed by all of this, you live our life without a care in the world.¡±


    With Zycor refusing to say anything, the alter ego, growing more irritated by the second, continued, ¡°Have you really grown so complacent with your current situation that you have forgotten the mission?¡±


    ¡°The mission?¡± Zycor asked, perplexed.


    As he lifted his head and looked ahead, a bunch of rectangular screens began appearing. Each screen played out the worst parts of a multitude of different memories, Zycor being unable to mute the images or sounds. With his voice reaching a crescendo, the alter ego began to remind Zycor, ¡°Yes, the mission. Have you already forgotten what those Velathrian bastards have done to us? They killed everyone! Took everything! And left nothing! And they did it for no reason! Are we really going to forget what we swore to do?! We said that we were going to get strong enough to take vengeance, did we not?! Are you really willing to allow them to continue to get away with this simply because we learned what taking a life is like!?¡±


    Zycor, covering his ears, closing his eyes, and shaking his head, replied, ¡°I have not forgotten about that. How could I. But I have Uncle Dreiford, mom, and my friends here. Staying here I can get stronger while being around people I love, while we live in safety. Is that so wrong?¡±


    The voice began to scream, ¡°What do you mean ¡®safety?!¡¯ Our friends were just attacked! And by the same Velathrian bastards that took everything from us the first time! And now here they are trying to do it again! Are we really willing to put them in danger like that?! Don¡¯t you remember what happened to our brother and our sister!? What about mom and dad!?¡±


    Zycor tightened the grip around his ears as the images and screams¡¯ intensity grew more and more until Zycor finally cried out, ¡°ENOUGH!¡±


    With his shout, the void was returned to silence. ¡°I see,¡± the alter ego began with a tone of understanding, ¡°it is not that you have lost the drive to carry out the mission¡­¡±


    Suddenly, cracks began to form in the void. As the voice continued, the cracks began to grow and become more numerous. ¡°... It¡¯s that you are no longer emotionally or morally able to carry out the mission.¡±


    Zycor held his head as the void shattered and broke down around him. ¡°However, just because I understand does not mean I am willing to just sit back and watch as this injustice remains and continues to grow.¡±


    As Zycor continued to hold his head, a person began to form with its back to Zycors. Finally forming fully and opening its eyes, it was what appeared to be a copy of Zycor, but was visibly far more emotionally charged. The copy continued where the alter ego left off, ¡°So I will go and finish what we started all those years ago. If anyone gets in our way, they will be killed without mercy.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 39: External Conflict

    As he was jolted awake, Zycor quickly sat up. Panting, Zycor could only hold his head in an attempt to contain the agonizing throbbing in his head. As the morning sun shone through the window, there was a knock at his door.


    ¡°Zycor? Are you awake?¡± Adria asked, opening the door.


    Opening the door she was met with Zycor sitting up in his bed, covered in sweat and visibly shaken. In an attempt to comfort and calm him down, Adria ran over and hugged him. ¡°Everything is ok,¡± She started, ¡°Mom¡¯s here, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    As Adria¡¯s efforts bore fruit and Zycor calmed down he silently returned the hug.


    After the long hug ran its course Adria smiled warmly and reassured Zycor, ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of dream you had, but know that everything is ok now.¡±


    ¡°How long was I out?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°Too long, you idiot,¡± a voice answered from the doorway.


    Directing his attention towards the voice Aisha was standing there, arms crossed. Adria softly answered Zycors question, ¡°You have been out for three days.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zycor sighed.


    Beginning one of her bratty tirades, Aisha complained, ¡°Honestly, what is it with you and being unconscious? Sleeping is one thing, but here you are slipping into multiple comas like it¡¯s going out of style. So, do you have anything to say in your defense?¡±


    With a small grin, Zycor looked up at Aisha and chuckled, ¡°Haha, my bad. I¡¯ll try to space them out in the future.¡±


    Adria and Aisha, taken aback by the uncharacteristically large amount of expression from Zycor, looked at each other in silence. Blushing, Aisha quickly turned away and began to walk away as she embarrassingly stammered, ¡°W-well, as long as you understand. I will be waiting downstairs, breakfast should be ready soon.¡±


    After Aisha had left, Adria turned her attention towards Zycor. She asked, ¡°Are you feeling ok? I was confident it was at first, but now¡­ are you sure you are ok?¡±


    Zycor hugged Adria and warmly reassured her, ¡°Everything is ok mom, I promise. I¡¯ll be down in a few minutes.¡±


    After the embrace ended Adria got up, filled to the brim with happiness, told Zycor they will be waiting for him and exited the room.


    ¡°Well, I think that went well.¡± Zycor happily commented to himself. Still basking in his expert acting skills, he continued, ¡°Aside from showing a tad more emotion than they were used to, I doubt they think anything is critically wrong.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and give me my body back!¡± Another Zycor shouted from within their mind. The alternate Zycor had managed to usurp control of their body. Letting out a hefty sigh, the alternate Zycor replied, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think so. As I said before, I cannot fault you for not having the stomach for what must be done, rather it is a pity. However, it still needs to be done. So why don¡¯t you take a back seat for now, not like you are going to die or anything.¡±


    A piercing pain suddenly began to assault Zycor¡¯s mind, bringing the alternate to his knees. The alternate Zycor grunted in pain, ¡°Argh! Damnit, why are you fighting so hard?! AH! And how¡­ are you¡­winning!?¡±


    After he had finished complaining, A small burst of electricity mixed with something that felt heavy briefly enveloped Zycor¡¯s body. This ended up forcing him to keel over, panting.


    Adria, noticing the small, sudden increase of mana, yelled up concerned, ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes mom! I¡¯m almost finished here! Just dealing with a minor headache¡± Zycor responded.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case I will have Aislin head into town and pick up some tea for headaches!¡± Adria cheerfully exclaimed.


    After one more burst of magic mix, Zycor, panting heavily, shouted back, ¡°I-it¡¯s ok. I-I just d-dealt with it.¡±


    The alternate Zycor, now confined to their mindscape again, stood up as he exasperatedly complained, ¡°Damnit! How the hell did you win that!? How did you do that!? ¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure myself.¡± Zycor responded, still somewhat winded.


    As Zycor walked over to his wardrobe to change out of his pajamas and into his main attire, the alternate Zycor continued his tirade, ¡°The hell kind of answer is ¡®I don¡¯t know?¡¯¡± Taking a moment to recompose himself, he continued, ¡°No, I suppose it does not matter. There will come a time when you realize we need each other. And when that time comes, I will be right here. I am you, and you are me, we are two halves of the same whole.¡±


    Having said what he wanted, the alternate Zycor went silent, the raging headache subsiding following suit. Now free of both the headache and his alter ego, Zycor was able to function again. After double checking everything was on right, he left his room to join Adria and the others.


    As they ate, Adventurers began entering the guild ready to start their day. Noticing Zycor was awake, the adventurers greeted him with handshakes, fist-bumps, back slaps, and an assortment of other greetings. With all of the adventurers entering the guild, Adria got up and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for me to work, you two have fun.¡±


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    After a few other adventurers said their hellos, Clyde came up behind Zycor and wrapped his arm around him as he cheerfully exclaimed, ¡°Hey there buddy! Glad to see you decided to join the land of the conscious!¡±


    Zycor nodded and replied, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After a short while longer of these constant greetings, Baz and Mylon finally entered the guild hall. Mylon, happy to see Zycor had finally woken up, cheered, ¡°Zycor my good friend, it¡¯s great to see you finally awake!¡±


    Baz, arms crossed, scoffed, ¡°About damn time.¡±


    Aisha angrily sprang out of her seat and began to chastise Baz, ¡°You inconsiderate asshole! Would it kill you to be a little happier? Oh wait, we talked about this last night, so I guess not.¡±


    Having been patiently waiting for this moment, though surprised it happened so soon, Baz smugly retorted, ¡°Whatever you say, Miss Fluffy Ears.¡±


    Immediately turning red, Aisha began to stutter, ¡°W-w-w-what the hell are you talking about!? S-s-s-s-shut up you dumb orc!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb half-orc to you,¡± Baz responded, still smirking.


    Now even more furious, but freshout of retorts, Aisha reluctantly sat down and began to pout.


    After festering for a moment, Aisha looked over at Zycor to try and get him to back her up and incited, ¡°You don¡¯t like the way he is acting either, right? You should say something!¡±


    Shrugging, Zycor sighed, ¡°To be honest, constantly hearing ¡®glad you¡¯re awake,¡¯ was becoming annoying. So I actually don¡¯t mind all that much.¡±


    Now having no choice but to truly accept her defeat, Aisha leaned back in her chair silently. As Baz brought a chair over to sit in, he cockily stated, ¡°Baz one, Aisha zero.¡±


    After both Baz and Mylon took their seats, Mylon asked, ¡°So, what kind of plans do you have now that you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Zycor shrugged as he replied, ¡°I have not thought of anything past catching up on food and water.¡±


    ¡°The hell we don¡¯t!¡± the alternate Zycor shouted, suddenly breaking the silence.


    Standing up in shock, kicking the table as he did, everyone stared at him. Aisha asked, ¡°Are you ok? Where are you going?¡±


    Zycor replied, ¡°I-I¡¯m ok, I just remembered there is a slight problem I have to deal with. I¡¯ll catch up with you guys afterwards.¡±


    And with that, Zycor left the guild hall. ¡°Quite busy for someone who literally just woke up ain¡¯t he?¡± Baz remarked.


    Aisha, starting yet another fight, no doubt in an attempt to win this one and tie the score Baz was apparently now keeping track of, replied, ¡°Quit being such an ass!¡±


    Baz, with a cocky grin, replied, ¡°Stop being a kiss ass and maybe I will.¡±


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Aisha exclaimed.


    Mylon put his head down and his hands interlaced above the back of his head, and begged, ¡°Oh goddess, I ask for one morning of peace, please. I don¡¯t ask for much, so please just grant me this.¡±


    As Zycor was walking deeper into the downtown area, hoping the abundant ambient noise would allow him to draw less attention to himself, he addressed the alternate Zycor, ¡°I thought you were sleeping or something.¡±


    Chuckling, the alternate replied, ¡°At the moment, I am just a manifestation of our consciousness, so I don¡¯t really need sleep.¡±


    Annoyed, Zycor asked, ¡°So what was so important that you had to scare me like that?¡±


    ¡°First of all, not my fault you ended up a scaredy cat,¡± The alternate mockingly responded.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Zycor questioned, growing increasingly exasperated.


    Ignoring Zycors new question, the alternate continued, ¡°Second of all, you told them that you had not thought past ¡®catching up on eating and drinking.¡¯ Pardon me for even assuming this but¡­ am I a joke to you!? We literally had a whole heart to heart discussion about what we were going to do!¡±


    Zycor, interjecting, corrected, ¡°You were the one having a conversation, I kind of just sat there and listened.¡±


    His frustration boiling over, the alternate Zycor shouted, ¡°I AM YOU!¡± Briefly pausing to calm down, the alternate Zycor continued, ¡°Though, it would appear you are not too far gone.¡±


    Confused, Zycor asked, ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that your mannerisms are changing little by little. Just look at how we communicate with each other. It is clear that our two personalities are affecting both of us. This means that with time, our thinking should re-align.¡± alternate Zycor explained


    ¡°I¡¯m also affecting you?¡± Zycor asked.


    ¡°Jeez, I am only now realizing how often we ask questions. It¡¯s honestly quite annoying, we will have to work on that. But to answer your question, yes, I have felt it. When I first came into being the only thing I cared about was what we originally continued living for, revenge. Having been shaped by the emotions of pain, anger, and sadness you repressed, I should not have the capability to form attachments. But after even the brief exposure I have had with you, with the complete ¡®us,¡¯ the sole, driving force of vengeance has already begun to shift. I cannot help but feel the way you do for our friends, and I want to protect them.¡±


    Zycor heavily sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that helps, or complicates things.¡±


    The alternate responded in the same manner, ¡°Probably complicates things.¡±


    Attempting to re-focus the discussion, Zycor asked, ¡°So what did you mean by what you said in the guild?¡±


    The alternate, with a more serious tone, replied, ¡°Like I said during our apparently one sided discussion, if that soldier we killed knew about our village, then he was told by that Volnir bastard. Which also means we can assume he is probably aware that we are here. I doubt that a nation that sent some of their top officers after us would not follow up, especially after losing one of their reconnaissance soldiers.¡±


    As Zycor walked through town talking to himself like a nutcase, he spotted Dreiford being escorted into an alleyway. ¡°Hey, alternate?¡± Zycor asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± the alternate replied.


    Zycor began his inquiry, ¡°Two things: First, you need a name. Second, you saw that, right?¡±


    The alternate matter-of-factly responded, ¡°Yes, to both of your questions.¡±


    ¡°Thought so,¡± Zycor said as he began to head towards the alleyway.

 Volume 1; Chapter 40: Operation: Rescue

    As Zycor approached the alleyway, he caught a glimpse of the last one of the suspicious men escorting Dreiford through a side door. Carefully approaching the door, Zycor cracked it open and could make out a furnished room with Dreiford on his knees surrounded by these villains. The longer Zycor looked at the scene, the more he increasingly became aware of what was going on. As his understanding increased, so too did his rage and anger.


    Back at the guild, Aisha sat silently as she pondered as to why Zycor would just up and leave. It seemed out of character, similarly to the subtle change in his mannerisms when he originally woke up. As Baz and Mylon continued an argument about which one of them was more annoying, Aisha suddenly stood up. Confused and curious, Baz, still milking any reaction he could from her, asked ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dog ears?¡±


    Mylon hit him on the back of his head as he corrected, ¡°I am certain he meant Aisha, apologies for him.¡±


    Aisha, brushing Baz¡¯s remark aside, replied, ¡°Thanks for the apology, but I really don¡¯t care right now. We have to go after Zycor, now. If he gets too far away-.¡± Aisha paused as she debated on whether or not she should tell them about the current egg situation or not. She shook her head, deciding that now was not the time. Aisha continued, ¡°The bottom line is, he will most likely have another episode of aggression if we leave him out there.¡±


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other, still confused but now with growing worry. Looking back to Aisha, Mylon asked, ¡°Are you certain he will have another episode like last time?¡±


    Aisha confidently responded, ¡°I am positive.¡±


    Baz, standing up and grabbing his axe grunted, ¡°Well then, what the hell are we still here for? Let¡¯s go retrieve that little shit.¡±


    Mylon and Aisha nodded, the latter running upstairs. ¡°I just need to grab something real quick! It should calm him down!¡± Aisha shouted as she entered Zycors¡¯ room. Looking around the room, she spotted the egg, glowing and pulsating. Hurriedly, but carefully, stuffing the egg into a bag, she hurried downstairs and met up with Baz and Mylon. Grouping up, they wasted no time and began the hunt for Zycor immediately.


    As Zycor was being consumed by his rage, the alternate Zycor was beginning to be engulfed by a maroon colored mist. The mist was accompanied by whispers that were encouraging Zycor to slaughter everyone in the room. When alt-Zycor tried to tell Zycor to calm down, he was assaulted with an almost debilitating headache as the voices echoed around him. Although, the alt-Zycor was able to handle it better than Zycor due to the current predicament being similar to his ¡®birth,¡¯ immersed in all of their repressed emotions.


    Zycor watched through gritted teeth as he watched as the men began to yell at Dreiford. They wore armor reminiscent of that of the Velathrian man who attacked Zycor and his friends with the ¡®hired help.¡¯ This time, however, there were five of them. One of the men, now out of patience, snapped at Dreiford, ¡°Alright, this is your final chance to tell us where the boy is, along with any intel we could use to lure the demon moth Adria away from him! The sooner you cooperate, the sooner your suffering will end. We may not even have to kill you!¡±


    Dreiford, hands tied behind his back, sat there in silence momentarily before a grin crept across his face as he chuckled, ¡°You know, if you would have asked me the same thing a few years ago, I may have obliged you. However, I have quite a bit of an investment in the kid you are talking about. Besides, I can¡¯t just sell out my own nephew now can I? I am sure you understand.¡±


    Looking down on Dreiford with disdain and disgust, the man asked for confirmation, ¡°So, you are choosing the hard way?¡±


    Dreiford cackled, ¡°Looks like there are at least a few working cells in that brain of yours, Captain Falar!¡±


    Instantly enraged, Captain Falar kicked Dreiford across the face, sending him to the ground. Dreiford sat himself up as the Captain stood in anger. At his wits end, he began to yell at Dreiford, ¡°Just tell me where the kid is, damn you!¡±


    Dreiford grinned and looked up at Captain Falar and, with no fear and blood dripping from the side of his head, responded, ¡°Go to hell.¡±


    Finishing his statement, Dreiford immediately closed his mouth. His cheeks began to swell and he shot a stream of pressurized water at Captain, pushing him back, but unable to knock him over. No longer able to contain himself, Zycor charged through the door as lightning crackled over his entire body. He blitzed through the room, confusing and stunning the men. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± One of them yelled.


    Captain Falar began issuing orders, ¡°Don¡¯t waver men, regroup and-.¡± As he tried to move, the Captain found his feet were frozen to the floor. Dreiford had frozen the water at his feet along with some of the water on his legs. Realizing he was about to tank whatever that ball of ferocious lightning was, the leader braced for the impact and remarked, ¡°Oh goddess.¡±


    When Zycor made contact, he tore the Captain from the ice and charged him into the opposing wall. As Captain Falar tried to comprehend what was going on, Zycor stood up, cloaked in the dust, as he began charging lightning around his fist. Alt-Zycor realized what was going on and managed to break through the mist''s voices, shouting, ¡°Zycor, switch with me! You aren¡¯t thinking clearly and are going to exhaust all of our mana supply!¡±


    Unfortunately for him, Zycor was far too steeped in rage and was not capable of willingly cooperating. Zycor roared like a beast as he slammed his fist into the man''s chest, electricity crackling around them. Captain Falar was successfully incapacitated for now. The other four soldiers had managed to regroup and readied themselves for Zycor. As he stood to face the men, Zycor let out a deep breath, now in control of his rage. During the brief moment after impact, Zycor had dropped his guard and calmed just long enough for the alt-Zycor to temporarily seize control of the body. He slowly walked forward to stand in between the soldiers and Dreiford. Alt-Zycorbegan cracking his knuckles as he palmed either fist. ¡°Alright,¡± He began, a sadistic grin creeping across his face, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±


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    One of the soldiers realized who Zycor was and glanced at the other soldiers who had also appeared to have figured it out. ¡°Well I must admit,¡± one of them began, ¡°you definitely caught us off guard. There is also some due recognition for that power of yours. You essentially one shot our boss over there. However, if you are indeed Zycor, then that should have been a sizable chunk of your mana pool, am I right?¡±


    His right eye twitching at the mention of his mana pool, alt-Zycor exasperatedly responded, ¡°Congrats, you have super basic intel on my mana reserves, want a medal?¡±


    Despite the bravado he portrayed, alt-Zycor was fully aware that the little stunt his counterpart pulled cost them about half of their usable mana pool. Analyzing the current situation, however, the copy realized they may have to dip into the danger zone again in order to get out of this.


    ¡°Oh, a confident one, aren''t you? The intel we have stated you were an emotionless ball of rage, perhaps it was far too basic after all. The quality of our information aside, what can you do against all of us in your current condition?¡±


    Sizing up the four remaining soldiers, alt-Zycor thought to himself, ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, the asshole¡¯s right. We used up far too much mana in that reckless charge, not to mention that supercharged punch. Jeez, how the hell am I going to slaughter these Velathrian scumbags?¡±


    As he thought about his next move, the soldiers began their attack as one of them shouted, ¡°Remember lads, they just want his body! Nothing in our orders says whether he has to be warm or cold!¡±


    Before he was able to finalize his thoughts, alt-Zycor was barraged by bolts of fire, bullets of rock, and two bolts of lightning. Unable to deal with the attacks head on, alt-Zycor condensed lightning at the bottom of his feet and propelled himself back. With the extra time he bought, he came up with a rudimentary counter. He shouted, ¡°Converge! Chain!¡± as he put both his hands out and shot out two condensed bolts of lightning. Connecting with the first instance of each barrage, Zycors lightning then tore through the remaining instances, eventually reaching the casters. Unfortunately, he had not come up with anything for the incoming lightning bolts. He braced for impact and took the bolts head on, his body caught by Dreiford.


    As the alt-Zycor and Dreiford caught their breath, Captain Falar loomed behind them as he raised his sword and exclaimed, ¡°Good effort. Too bad it meant nothing in the end!¡±


    As he brought his sword down on the duo, a wall of ice erupted from the ground, nullifying the attack and causing Captain Falar to stumble backwards. Dreiford looked at the wall of ice in shock wondering where it came from before quickly looking over at Zycor. His right hand was outstretched, a ring shining from it. As the wall of ice began to crumble due to a lack of mana, Dreiford hurriedly inquired, ¡°Are you able to move yet my boy?¡±


    Stumbling to his feet, alt-Zycor chuckled as he groaned, ¡°Well enough I suppose. You got something in mind?¡±


    Briefly stunned by Zycor¡¯s sudden show of emotion, Dreiford responded, ¡°Hell of a time to fix your communication issues, huh? Well, it helps to know I probably won¡¯t have to explain things as much. I am running low on mana due to some magical item infusions I needed to do for a¡­ job. I will take care of the Captain, but I will need you to handle the others. I will provide support when I can.¡±


    ¡°I hate to say this Uncle Drei,¡± Zycor began, ¡°But that charge Zy-, I mean I did earlier left me drained. So-.¡±


    Mid sentence, Zycor stopped as he began to feel the anger clouding his mind begin to lessen. Remembering the conversation Zycor had with Aisha, the alternate started, ¡°Actually, I do have an idea, but it will require some time due to my depleted mana.¡±


    Dreiford glanced over at the two soldiers Zycor hit earlier as they slowly got to their feet. He shot out some water to soak the soldiers and froze it, buying a small amount of time.


    Turning to Zycor, Dreiford hurriedly asked, ¡°What if you didn¡¯t have to wait?¡±


    Confused, alt-Zycor asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Use my mana! Because our affinities are different, the conversion of mana from me to you will probably be less efficient, but it should help at the very least.¡±


    The rage he had been feeling now having subsided considerably, alt-Zycor got to his feet and, through gritted teeth, exclaimed, ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have much time! Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Alt-Zycor stacked his hands on top of each other, the leading palm opened towards the soldiers. As Dreiford put his left hand on Zycors back, the copy could feel the influx of mana. It was not enough to replenish him, but was enough to carry out his plan. He began to consolidate lightning into his leading hands palm. Lightning began to crackle to life around his hands, eventually arcing over his whole body, forcing Dreiford to back off. ¡°Sorry my boy, I can¡¯t get close!¡±


    Alt-Zycor excitedly replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine, this is plenty! Use what you have left to douse those in front again!¡±


    After discussing their plan, Captain Falar finally broke through the wall and cackled, ¡°You idiots! Even with that combination, if they know it¡¯s coming they can put countermeasures in place! Even if your pitiful attack connected, there is no way it would put them out of commission! Once you¡¯ve depleted your mana reserve, it¡¯s over!¡±


    As the Captain finished his rant, he tried to lunge towards Zycor, but found his left foot had been encased in ice. A sudden, incredible surge of electricity burst forth from Zycors hands, the ring glowing ever brighter. Alt-Zycor remarked, ¡°The ring is only good for defense my ass, this is incredible!¡±


    With a newfound ego boost, alt-Zycor began gloating, ¡°You know something Captain, you are right, this attack doesn¡¯t have enough bang behind it currently to completely incapacitate Lackey''s One to Four. However, I don¡¯t need to do all that, considering I have some friends who are looking for me and are in range to see a massive lightning bolt!¡±


    Realizing his true objective, Captain Falar immediately began to bark orders, ¡°You all have to dodge his attack and counter, right now!¡±


    ¡°TOO LATE!¡± alt-Zycor screeched as he howled, ¡°CHAIN!¡±


    A bolt of lightning tore through the air and successfully chained through all four soldiers, after the last of which the bolt chained to the ceiling before erupting from the building . As expected, they had used mana to strengthen themselves to prevent a fatal blow, but they were still successfully incapacitated. As the bolt ripped into the sky with a thunderous crack, Baz, Mylon, and Aisha looked towards the bolt. Baz bellowed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to let us know where you are, haha!¡±


    Some residual lightning continued to crackle around Zycor as he stumbled to his feet. Captain Falar, a few hits away from freeing himself, squawked, ¡°You brat! Can¡¯t fight your own battles huh!?¡±


    With a weak chuckle, alt-Zycor responded, ¡°Ironic coming from the man who needed five people to hunt one kid.¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± the Captain hollered, finally breaking free and furiously marching over to the exhausted Zycor and Dreiford. He began angrily exclaiming, ¡°It is going to feel so good to slowly tear each individual hair, nail, appendage, limb, and organ from your body on the way back!¡±


    As alt-Zycor began to collapse, with a grin, he remarked, ¡°Fuck¡­ you.¡±


    Dreiford moved to catch Zycor as Baz bulldozed his way through the wall as cockily howled, ¡°What¡¯s up fuckers!¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 41: Operation: Extraction

    Following Baz¡¯s grand entrance, Mylon and Aisha both rushed in after him. After a brief scan of the room, Mylon and Aisha identified the enemies and began their assault. Mylon tapped his right foot on the ground, sending a wave of stone spikes towards the soldier, knocking him back. Aisha quickly followed up by hurling a fireball at the same soldier. Right before he was engulfed by the crimson flames, he cried out, ¡°NO! PLEASE!¡±


    Unfortunately his cries fell upon deaf ears as Mylon and Aisha turned their attention to Zycor. They both rushed over to Zycor and Dreiford to make sure they were all right. Baz, rising from the rubble of his demolition stunt, stood tall and pointed his axe at the three soldiers who were stumbling to their feet. Baz bellowed a ferocious war cry and charged them. With the sound of magic and steel clashing in the background, Aisha knelt down, grabbed Zycors shoulder, and began to shake him as she yelled, ¡°Come on you idiot, wake up!¡±


    After a few seconds of no response, she stopped shaking him and began winding up to slap him. She angrily shouted, ¡°Wake up!¡±


    Groaning back to consciousness, Zycor slowly opened his eyes. Zycor groaned, ¡°Can¡¯t. Move. Everything. Hurts.¡±


    Alternate Zycor having lost control upon falling unconscious, Zycor woke up confused and wondering why he was in pain all over. Mylon chuckled, ¡°Well, considering the size of that lightning bolt you fired earlier, can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Looks like we are going to have to add another tally to the coma list.¡±


    Zycor slowly turned his head to look at Mylon and groaned, ¡°Piss off.¡±


    ¡°I am happy you guys are having fun,¡± Baz grunted as he continued to fend off the remaining soldiers, finally cleaving one in half, ¡°but is it too much trouble to ask for some help!?¡±


    Aisha and Mylon stood up, the former taunting, ¡°Oh~, but I thought the great and mighty Bazmahl Dragonaxe didn¡¯t need any help.¡±


    ¡°Ohoho, I am SO kicking your ass later, dog ears!¡± Baz shouted as he giggled angrily.


    As he took a step back, Baz¡¯s left leg faltered momentarily due to an injury sustained fighting these soldiers and ended up throwing him off guard. One of the soldiers capitalized on this and shot a volley of fireballs. As they traveled, the fireballs began to inexplicably implode and diffuse. Mylon stood in front of Baz with his hand outstretched, having shot compressed air into each fireball. ¡°About time, you walking flashbang.¡± Baz chuckled.


    Mylon chuckled, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, poking fun at my armor like that? Could it be that you are jealous?¡±


    A lightning bolt streamed through the air towards Mylon as a wall of stone suddenly erupted, intercepting it. Mylon, lightly tapping his sword on his shoulder, stated, ¡°I had that.¡±


    ¡°Sure you did.¡± Aisha responded sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.


    The fireball soldier tried to run, but stopped when Mylon fired a rock bullet at the ground in front of him. The soldier turned to face Mylon, but was instead greeted by the hulking half orc bringing his massive axe down upon him, cleaving him in half diagonally. While Baz dispatched that soldier, Aisha vaulted over the stone wall using the ¡°Ignition¡± command word and lit the remaining panicking soldier on fire as he fled. Caught completely off guard, the soldier died without so much as a fight.


    As Aisha looked at the scene, she grimaced. ¡°Now that¡¯s brutal, and this is coming from the guy who just cleaved someone in half.¡± Baz morbidly remarked.


    Aisha exclaimed, ¡°Oh shut up! How was I supposed to know he wasn''t even going to try and defend himself?¡±


    Mylon brought the roof above the burning soldier down, ending the mans¡¯ suffering. Baz looked at Mylon, and grumpily exclaimed, ¡°What the hell man! I know I said it was brutal, but that¡¯s what made it entertaining! How often do you get to see a guy burn alive!?¡±


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    Mylon, turning to walk away, waved as he responded, ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I ended it¡­ consider it payback for insulting my magnificent armor.¡±


    ¡°Oh you prick!¡± Baz angrily shouted.


    As Baz and Mylon began to argue, Aisha walked over to Zycor. Before reaching him, a shadow figure manifested from one of the rooms¡¯ corners. Baz and Mylon immediately paused their bickering and readied their weapons as did Aisha. Breaking the tension, a woman began to speak, ¡°You five should leave. The authorities are on their way, and I am sure you would not want to cause trouble for Miss Adria. I have already cleaned up the backup these men had.¡±


    Finishing her warning, the mysterious lady sank back into the shadows. ¡°Well, as ominous and disturbing as that was, the mystery lady has a point. I think I would rather fight a dragon unarmed than upset Adria.¡± Baz remarked with a chuckle.


    Mylon nodded in agreement, ¡°I second that sentiment. Despite our differences, I believe we can all agree on that.¡±


    The five of them hurriedly exited the building using the back door into the alleyway. Dreiford handed Zycor off to Baz and thanked the group profusely for their help. ¡°I genuinely wish I could accompany the boy back to his home, but at the moment I believe it better to wait and see if there are any more of those scoundrels lurking around. Let Zycor know I will be visiting soon to thank him personally for his help.¡± Dreiford explained before he departed for the merchant guild.


    As the group ran towards the guild, Baz peeked down an alleyway and saw a pile of twelve or so bodies, all wearing the same Velathrian armor as the soldiers they just fought. He did not stop however, knowing the authorities were nearby. He chuckled to himself as he thought, ¡°Guess those were the ¡®reinforcements.¡¯¡±


    Finally arriving at the guild, the party was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. Adria stood in front of the guild, arms crossed, waiting for them. ¡°You four must really enjoy causing trouble for me.¡± Adria complained. Noticing Zycor passed out and slung over Baz¡¯s shoulder she nearly flew into a frenzy, but managed to control herself¡­ barely. ¡°Is he out?¡± Adria questioned.


    Baz, assuming his life was riding on his answer, replied, ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am. But it was not our fault!¡±


    Closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh, Adria remarked, ¡°Why am I not surprised. Don¡¯t worry Mr. Dragonaxe, I am aware you had nothing to do with it¡­ this time. Aislin! Come grab my child and tend to his wound¡­again. I have a couple other children in need of some guidance.¡±


    Mylon patted Baz¡¯s back and, with a tone of acceptance, sighed, ¡°It was a good run my old friend.¡±


    Baz nodded as he solemnly replied, ¡°That it was.¡±


    Aislin came out to retrieve Zycor while she complained, ¡°Did he not just finish recovering from his last fight!? I thought we had talked about the hooligan trio keeping an eye on him?¡±


    Adria nodded as she terrifyingly calmly responded, ¡°We sure did talk about that. Which is why I need to remind these lost children what happens when they break their word.¡±


    Not wanting to pry further, Aislin shrugged and took Zycor from Baz. Aisha asked Aislin to take the bag she had with her up to the room with him.


    ¡ª


    Inside of his head Zycors¡¯ head, both he and his alternate version were in the midst of a discussion. ¡°I am just saying, calling me ¡®alternate Zycor¡¯ is rather annoying.¡± the latter stated.


    ¡°As I said before, I am in complete agreement. But why do you want ME to do it? Why don¡¯t you do it? It is your name.¡± Zycor questioned.


    ¡°You seem to be forgetting the small detail that we are the same person.¡± alternate Zycor said.


    Zycor, continuing to be stubborn, reiterated his question, ¡°Right, so if that is the case why does it matter if I am the one to do it?¡±


    Seeing the alternate Zycor reaching the end of their shared sanity, Zycor finally gave in and sighed, ¡°Fine. How about¡­ Greg?¡±


    Alternate Zycor stared at him for a moment before Zycor backtracked and said, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t like that one either.¡±


    After some more deliberation, Zycor began, ¡°Ok, how about Zweicor.¡±


    They stared silently at each other for a minute before the alternate began to remark, ¡°You do realize that-.¡±


    Before he was able to finish, he was cut off by Zycor who replied, ¡°I know what it means.¡±


    With a sigh, Zweicor commented, ¡°I suppose there are worse names.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 42: Egg Drama

    As the morning glare pierced through the window, Adria did a quick stretch and clothed herself. After she made herself presentable, she went to see how Zycor was doing. She softly knocked on the door before carefully opening it. Looking around the room Zycor was nowhere to be found. With a sigh, Adria muttered, ¡°Well, at least he is not going to be unconscious for another three days.¡±


    As she closed the door behind her and made her way outside, she called for Aislin. Having just finished hanging up the laundry to dry, Aislin inquired, ¡°What¡¯s up Ms. Mori?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Zycor around?¡± Adria curiously asked, ¡°He was not in his room this morning.¡±


    Aislin threw her thumb over her shoulder, pointing towards the wastelands behind her and saying, ¡°Yeah, I saw him. He said he had to work through some things and headed out into the wasteland. I told him to not go too far, so he should be around here. Probably.¡±


    As she finished her explanation, the reverberating sound of an explosion was heard in the distance followed by the crackle of lighting. Both Aislin and Adria looked towards the explosion with neutral looks on their faces. ¡°Well, glad to see he listened to me,¡± Aislin remarked.


    Adria sighed, ¡°Why am I not surprised he is being reckless after having just recovered.¡±


    Adria began walking over to Zycor to check on him.


    Zycor was on his knees surrounded by settling dust, his head drooped towards the ground. ¡°Not sure recklessly throwing our mana around in a fit of rage is a good idea.¡± Zweicor bluntly stated, ¡°Especially after yesterday, we barely stayed above the ¡®coma threshold¡¯ as I think I will call it.¡±


    ¡°I need to be stronger. I can¡¯t stay this pathetic, always needing to be saved. If I don¡¯t, we won¡¯t be able to protect my friends, my family.¡± Zycor lamented.


    Zweicor, growing irritated, said, ¡°You know, I am getting sick and tired of the way you are talking.¡±


    Zycor melancholically asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You talk about how you have to get stronger to protect your family. You talk as if you are in this alone, as if you have to do everything on your own! But you aren¡¯t alone, we are in this together! They are our friends, our family! We both want to protect them with all of our being!¡± Zweicor exclaimed.


    A single tear managed to creep out of Zycors left eye as he softly muttered, ¡°Thanks, Zwei.¡±


    Zweicor sighed, ¡°Now that we have established that, lets begin working on getting the strength we will need. We know that our mana capacity is not something we can just increase on a whim or through training. The best way to deal with our mana issues is to experiment with increasing our efficiency while mitigating the time our magic is activated.¡±


    Approaching Zycor from behind, Adria curiously asked, ¡°What are you doing out here so early?¡±


    Surprised, Zycor hurried to his feet only to stumble over himself, falling flat on his rear. Looking up at Adria, Zycor nervously responded, ¡°I was just thinking¡­ and training.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Adria began as her tone became more menacing, ¡°And what, pray tell, would make you think to come out here at the crack of dawn in your condition and do the one thing you shouldn¡¯t be doing while recovering?¡±


    Remaining silent as he looked at the ground, Zycor solemnly muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just, I feel weak and unreliable. I am unable to use my mana without passing out and am always causing trouble for everyone. It¡¯s just so unbearable, I don¡¯t know what else to do but train.¡±


    Putting a hand on Zycor¡¯s shoulder, Adria softly responded, ¡°I see, I did not know it was weighing so heavily on you.¡± Picking Zycor up and lovingly embracing him, she continued, ¡°Being too weak to defend oneself is something I can relate to. But the worry that I am too weak to protect someone is not something that has crossed my mind until recently.¡± Adria ended the embrace and finished, ¡°With that said, I do have some¡­ friends that owe me a handful of favors. I am sure they would be more than capable of helping you, and with passion as well. So don¡¯t you worry! Mom¡¯s got this!¡±


    Zycor smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you, mom.¡±


    A large smile plastered itself across Adria¡¯s face as she hugged him again, tighter this time, and lovingly chirped, ¡°Why are you so cute!¡±


    Struggling to breathe, Zycor managed to grunt, ¡°I¡¯m¡­Not¡­Cute¡­¡±


    After escorting Zycor inside the guild hall and to a table, Adria headed back outside to ask Aislin to watch Zycor and help him with whatever he needs. In response to this, Aislin groaned, ¡°Ah jeez, do I really have to?¡±


    The ground below Adria¡¯s feet cracked and a brief burst of pressure followed. Adria smiled menacingly as she elaborated, ¡°Yes, you do. Think of it as one of your daily duties. And should I come to find out you have been neglecting this duty, well, I¡¯m not so sure how well it would end for you.¡±


    Shuddering, Aislin quickly stood at attention and replied, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am! I hear you loud and clear!¡±


    Adria nodded, and they both re-entered the guild hall. Leaving Zycor in Aislin''s care, Adria headed into the back room and down into the black market operations floor below. Entering her office, she took a seat, readied a piece of paper along with a quill and stared at the paper for a moment. ¡°Am I really going to ask her for help?¡± Adria reluctantly muttered to herself.


    After a moment longer of hesitation, Adria began writing the letter. It was addressed to Silvan asking her to train Zycor in using magic. As she wrote the letter, Adria heard Aislin shout, ¡°Where the hell have you been hiding that!?¡±


    Without pausing, Adria called out for Nalea. ¡°Yes, Lady Adria.¡± Nalea asked, walking into view from the doorway.


    Adria, remaining focused on the letter, asked, ¡°What is going on up there?¡±


    After a brief pause, Nalea responded, ¡°Well, it appears Zycor is in possession of a rather large egg.¡±


    Hearing this, Adria stopped completely. She looked up from the paper at Nalea. Adria, for clarification, repeated, ¡°I am sorry, did you say an egg?¡±


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    Nalea nodded in confirmation. ¡°What kind of egg would make Aislin freak out?¡± Adria inquired further.


    ¡°If I may be honest, Lady Adria, I am not entirely certain what species the egg belongs to.¡± Nalea nervously responded. She continued with describing the egg, ¡°It appears to be about a foot tall. It has wavy stripes across the center, resembling those of a dragon¡¯s egg. However, the proportions and other visuals of the egg suggests that¡¯s not quite what is inside this egg. Quite frankly, this is something I am unfamiliar with.¡±


    Signing the letter, Adria stood up. ¡°See that this letter is delivered to Silvan,¡± Adria ordered sternly, ¡°I will go see what is happening upstairs.¡±


    She Folded the letter, put it into an envelope, and handed it to Nalea. Adria then proceeded upstairs to quell the brewing conflict. As Adria ascended out of sight, Nalea sighed, ¡°Does it really have to be that spider¡­¡±


    Quickly recomposing herself, Nalea then took off down the western tunnel.


    As she entered the main hall, Adria was met with a bizarre sight. Zycor stood in front of a rather large egg, protecting it from Aislin as she stood ready to fight. ¡°Move it Zycor! I am smashing that egg!¡± Aislin shouted.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t let Baz touch it nor will I let you.¡± Zycor stated.


    Adria cleared her throat before she asked, ¡°So, would someone care to fill me in on what is happening?¡±


    Hearing Adria¡¯s voice, all of the life drained from Aislin¡¯s body. Aislin, attempting to survive her current predicament, stammered while shaking, ¡°M-m-m-miss Adria, I, uh, didn¡¯t know you were¡­ I mean, I knew you were here, but¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, Aislin attempted to somewhat compose herself and continued, ¡°I know how this looks, b-but I swear I can explain.¡±


    Glaring at Aislin, Adria, with a noticeably ferocious undertone, explained, ¡°I know this all started because of an ¡®egg.¡¯ But I fail to see how that would lead to you being poised to assault the person you were charged with protecting.¡±


    Aware her life expectancy may very well be determined by her next few words, Aislin, her voice shaking, began, ¡°Well, when Zycor showed me that egg, I noticed that it looked way too similar to a dragon''s egg. So, I thought destroying it would keep the parents from hunting him down. But Zycor stepped in front of it as I was about to crush it. I swear, I was not trying to scratch let alone severely injure him.¡±


    For the next few minutes, a thick and eerie silence filled the room. To Aislin it felt like an eternity, uncertain if she would be believed or if Adria would draw a separate conclusion. Finally, with a large sigh, Adria remarked, ¡°I see, that does sound like something he would do, not even thinking about the consequences.¡±


    Aislin briefly chuckled and stumbled back into one of the bar¡¯s chairs as she muttered, ¡°Holy shit she believed me. Thank the goddess.¡±


    As Adria walked over to Zycor she stopped and glanced over at Aislin before she explained, ¡°For future reference, however, if you do come across a dragon¡¯s egg, smashing it would guarantee the parents come looking for it and level the entire city.¡±


    Aislin chuckled, ¡°Huh, go figure.¡±


    She then got up, went into the back bar area, and returned with some of the stronger stuff they had on hand.


    Returning her attention to Zycor, Adria asked, ¡°My dear, could I take a look at that egg? It may be dangerous so I would just like to check for myself.¡±


    Trusting his mom, Zycor stepped aside. ¡°Thank you honey~,¡± Adria sweetly said as she patted his head. As she examined the egg, she furrowed her brows. ¡°Hey, Zycor honey,¡± Adria began, ¡°where did you happen to obtain this egg?¡±


    Not wanting to upset her, Zycor hesitated for a moment before he relented and explained, ¡°Well, when I was in the dungeon with Baz and Mylon, one of the walls gave out and I fell through. While I was down there, I found what Mylon called the dungeons ¡®core.¡¯ And when I touched it, It seemed like I was taken somewhere else and talked with someone who claimed they were part of the goddess Alice. She said she would give me an egg as a reward for talking with her.¡±


    Eyes wide, Adria quickly turned around and exclaimed, ¡°Hold on a second, You found the dungeon''s core?! And you touched it!?¡±


    She marched over to Zycor and demanded, ¡°My office, now!¡±


    Zycor quickly nodded and hurried upstairs. Adria looked at Aislin, ¡°You may finish that drink, but after that I expect you to clean up for the adventurers that should be coming in shortly. And stay away from my office until we are done.¡±


    Aislin knocked back the last of the alcohol, slammed the mug on the table, saluted, and, slightly intoxicated, responded, ¡°Whatever you say ma¡¯am!¡±


    Adria hurried up the stairs and into her office, shutting the doors behind her. Aislin looked over to where they were standing and saw the egg sitting there. Furrowing her brows, she groaned as she got up to move the egg, despite a large part of her wanting to leave it for the adventurers. She put it behind the counter with her. Glaring at the egg, Aislin muttered, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Zycor, sit down, now!¡± Adria commanded.


    Quickly complying, Zycor asked, ¡°D-did I do something wrong mom? A-am I in trouble?¡±


    Adria, realizing how she had been acting, apologized, ¡°I am sorry honey, you did not do anything wrong nor are you in trouble. It¡¯s just, your story made me want to check something.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank the goddess! I thought we were FUCKED. Glad to see we get to live a little longer.¡± Zweicor commented.


    ¡°Now is probably not the best time for commenting. Could you possibly refrain from talking until we are done here.¡± Zycor thought in response.


    Zweicor agreed, ¡°Fair, might cause more problems to explain that you were distracted because you were talking to a voice in your head.¡±


    Raising one of her hands, Adria aimed her palm towards Zycor and said, ¡°Status.¡±


    Adria¡¯s hand glowed a bright yellow, her eyes following suit. Her eyes widened briefly in shock and horror. As her voice shook, Adria, severely concerned, inquired, ¡°H-honey, how are you feeling?¡±


    Confused, Zycor responded, ¡°I feel fine, why?¡±


    Quickly composing herself, she cleared her throat and said, ¡°I-I see. Well, if you say so, I will believe you¡­ You said you obtained that egg from someone claiming to be the goddess, Alice, yes? And you also conversed with them?¡±


    Zycor gave a slight nod, ¡°Yes, they even healed my injuries.¡±


    The office remained silent for a few minutes, the only noise coming from the adventurers arriving, beginning their day in the hall below.


    Zycor, uncertain what was going on, broke the silence and asked, ¡°Are you ok, mom? And what was that ¡®status¡¯ thing?¡±


    Breaking free from her thoughts, Adria replied, ¡°Huh? Oh, yes! I¡¯m ok, I was just lost in thought. As for ¡®Status,¡¯ it¡¯s one of a few special skills I acquired throughout my years.¡±


    Instantly filled with excitement, Zycor dawned a smile and asked, ¡°Do you think I can get special skills?!¡±


    Happy to see Zycor in good spirits, Adria chuckled, ¡°Well, that depends on you. If it was up to me, I would love for you to not be in a situation to acquire them.¡±


    Nearly as quickly as it arrived, all the excitement drained from Zycor. As he pouted, Zycor muttered, ¡°I just wanted to know if I could be stronger.¡±


    Adria smiled and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to get stronger, I promise. If it interests you that much, perhaps I will tell you about it another time.¡±


    ¡°You promise!?¡± Zycor exclaimed.


    Smiling, Adria replied, ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±


    After Zycor left the room and the doors shut, Adria made her way over to her chair. Sitting down, she put the elbows of her upper arms on the table as she interlaced her fingers. Leaning into her hands, Adria thought to herself, ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    Status was a skill personal to her. It allowed her to see anything and everything about a person. From their date of birth to invisible ailments, she could even see if another person had their own ¡®personal skills.¡¯ The information is displayed in her mind, and she is able to recall said information whenever she wishes for twenty-four hours. When she used it on Zycor she was looking for anything new or different in his status. And, for better or for worse, she saw three conditions she was unfamiliar with. Without prior knowledge as to what something on a status is, Adria is unable to pull up any information from her own mental archive. As a result, she was unable to determine exactly what they were. She determined that the first two conditions could, at the very least, be classified as neutral threats: Blessed and Protected. It was the last condition that frightened Adria. The condition simply read, ¡®Death.¡¯

 Volume 1; Chapter 43: Pact with an Infant

    As Zycor walked down the stairs, he saw Baz and Mylon sitting at the bar and conversing with Aislin. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, Baz noticed him. ¡°Well, this has got to be a new record for you. Ya know, how fast you woke up and all.¡± Baz chuckled, poking fun at how Zycor tends to stay unconscious for days on end.


    Nudging Baz, Mylon reiterated, ¡°I believe what he means to say is, ¡®we are glad to see you awake so soon.¡¯ That aside, we heard you told Aislin and Adria about your egg.¡±


    Interrupting, Aislin remarked, ¡°Yeah, and I stand by the fact that an omelet made from it would be legendary.¡±


    Baz looked over at Aislin who looked at the former. After a moment they both gave a firm nod, acknowledging their matching thoughts. Rolling his eyes, Mylon further inquired, ¡°So, did you ever figure out what kind of egg it is?¡±


    Zycor shrugged and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know, mom said something about it looking similar to a dragon egg.¡±


    Baz burst out into laughter as Mylon put his head into his hands. Mylon sighed, ¡°You know¡­ hearing that should surprise me. But it doesn¡¯t, and I am not sure who that says more about.¡±


    Zycor turned to look at Aislin and asked, ¡°May I have my egg back?¡±


    Aislin shrugged and handed it to Zycor over the counter. As soon as Zycor grabbed it, the egg began to twitch. Aislin''s composure instantly broke and she yelled, ¡°Oh hell no! I refuse to deal with a fucking baby dragon in the guild hall! These adventurers are already enough! Get it out of here!¡±


    Zycor hurried outside, Baz and Mylon following close behind. Once they had made their way a good distance away from the guild hall into the wastelands, Zycor put the egg down on the ground.


    Baz readied his axe as he chuckled, ¡°I haven¡¯t fought a dragon before! Wonder how it would taste grilled.¡±


    Keeping his focus on the egg, Zycor responded, ¡°You didn¡¯t get the unfinished product, and you won¡¯t get the finished one either.¡±


    Baz scoffed, ¡°We¡¯ll see what you say when that thing is trying to eat you.¡±


    As they finished their banter, the egg began to crack. After two more internal hits, a little lizard head emerged from the top of the egg. It was covered in gray dragon scales, but its appearance appeared to differ slightly from a true dragon. The creature observed its surroundings until it finally focused on Zycor. Both the creature and Zycor just looked at each other until the creature rocked itself forward. As it fell face first into the ground, the trio untensed a bit as they looked on with confusion and curiosity.


    The creature retreated back into the egg and, after a moment, a small, scaly hand, that seemed to resemble a human¡¯s, reached out. Another hand followed, both of which grabbed hold of the edges and broke them, making the exit bigger. The party stood completely perplexed and uncertain as to what they should do. Zycor wanted to help the creature, but Mylon stopped him and shook his head. Zycor gestured toward the egg, which the creature was having a hard time getting out of. Mylon sighed and decided to back off, what¡¯s the worst thing that could happen?


    Zycor reached out and broke the rest of the egg open. Sitting on the ground, the creature looked around until it fixated on Zycor yet again. As the two stared at each other, the creature cocked its head in curiosity. It was covered head to toe in gray scales. Getting a closer look, its hands didn¡¯t resemble a humans at all, they were standard three fingered lizard hands. As Zycor continued to inspect the baby, he saw a small pair of wings on its back.


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other uncertain as to how they should proceed. Mylon finally spoke up and warned, ¡°Ok, I think that¡¯s enough interaction, Zycor. It¡¯s important that we don¡¯t engage with it too much. It may not be behaving as a newborn dragon right now, but that could change.¡±


    Completely ignoring Mylon, Zycor began to speak to the baby, ¡°Hey there little guy. You ok?¡±


    The creature cocked its head to the other side. Annoyed, Mylon angrily sighed, ¡°I really don¡¯t know why I thought you would listen to anything I say, let alone a warning.¡±


    The creature reached its hand out towards Zycor. As if on instinct Zycor went to give the baby a soft hi-five. As the two¡¯s hands were about to meet, Adria came out and began, ¡°So, I heard that the egg hatched, do we know what came out of-.¡±


    As she looked over toward Zycor, Adria saw him about to touch hands with the creature. The color instantly drained from her face as she screamed, ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ITS HAND!¡±


    Unfortunately Adria was too late, Zycor and the creature''s hands had already met. When nothing happened immediately, Zycor looked over at Adria. Wanting to mess with his mom, Zycor remarked without moving his hand, ¡°So, when does my hand melt?¡±


    Adria, not in the mood for jokes, yelled, ¡°This is far more dangerous than what you realize! You are not ready for what happens next!¡±


    Confused, Zycor began to ask, ¡°What are you-.¡±


    Before he could finish, a blue circle appeared below Zycor and the creature followed by a wall of faint mana erupting from the edges of the circle, enclosing the two of them. ¡°Shit!¡± Adria cried.


    The wall began to generate a strong wind, pushing Mylon and Baz back towards Adria. Baz shouted, ¡°What the hell is that!?¡±


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    Adria panickedly replied, ¡°They are currently creating a pact! Normally it¡¯s not much of an issue, but with a newborn monster it¡¯s a toss up on the terms. Instead of being able to verbally hash out the conditions, they have to agree on the terms without communicating. Worse case scenario, that creature will create a one hundred to zero pact with Zycor unknowingly accepting, killing him instantly.¡±


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other then back to the pact zone. Through gritted teeth Baz complained, ¡°I swear to the goddess if that kid dies right after we came to an understanding, I¡¯ll bring him back so I can kill him again.¡±


    Mylon gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he dug it into the ground to hold himself in place. As he stared at the zone he thought to himself, ¡°You better make it out of this.¡±


    Zycor looked around the zone confused, unaware of what was happening. He couldn¡¯t hear anything from the outside, it was eerily calm. When he tried to separate his hand from the creature, he found himself unable to do so. As he looked back at the creature he saw it was looking around in a panicked state. He took a deep breath and began talking to the baby, ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you little guy?¡± The panicked creature looked at Zycor. He was able to give a soft smile, putting his free hand on top of the baby''s head. Zycor continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you. Though, I seem to be having an issue with protecting things recently. Despite that, I promise I won¡¯t leave you.¡±


    It was unclear if the creature understood what Zycor was saying or not, but the creature soon began to settle down as it began to close its eyes. As it finally relaxed, the pact zone began to feed into both the creature and Zycor, momentarily showing a tether between their hearts. The mana from the pact rapidly dispersed seconds later, knocking Baz and Mylon back again. Adria threw up a barrier made of mana, but was still nearly knocked off balance.


    Zycor sat with the baby creature on his lap, still petting it. Zycor remarked, ¡°I should probably give you a name, huh? Well, I am not super good with names, but how''s about Novos?¡±


    The creature looked up at Zycor as the latter removed his hand. The creature chirped and then began to stretch. As it did so, its scales changed to a deep blue color. After all the scales had changed, Novos climbed up Zycors arm and wrapped himself around the back of Zycors neck and decided to take a nap.


    Zycor stood up and turned to face Adria, Baz, and Mylon. He proceeded to give them a thumbs up. Adria let out a heavy sigh of relief as she leaned up against the guild hall. Baz and Mylon marched over to Zycor. As they approached Zycor put his finger up to his lips to hush them. Baz began to silently inspect the new pet as Mylon began quietly scolding Zycor, ¡°What the hell were you thinking?! It¡¯s because you never think about the potential risks that your actions might have that we end up in situations like this! What would you have done if you lost your hand?! What if you died, huh!?¡±


    Finishing his inspection, Baz asked, ¡°Are you sure we can¡¯t eat it?¡±


    ¡°You cannot eat Novos,¡± Zycor flatly responded.


    Distressed, Baz exclaimed, ¡°Oh goddess, you already named it!? There go my plans for dinner tonight.¡±


    Hearing Adria approaching, Baz and Mylon moved aside. Zycor began to panic as he tried to think of excuses, but before he was able to say anything Adria tightly embraced him. Novos, startled, quickly opened his eyes, but after familiarizing himself with the situation, quickly returned to his nap. As Adria held Zycor close she muttered, ¡°You really are a reckless fool, you know that?¡±


    Managing to free his arms, Zycor hugged Adria back as he dug his face into her embrace. Finally having a moment to breathe, all of the fear he had experienced during the event caught up with him.


    After settling down, everyone re-entered the guild hall. The few adventurers that were there looked at the four of them with confused looks. Clyde asked the question that was on everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°Hey Zy, what¡¯s that on your shoulder?¡±


    Zycor pointed at Novos, who was still asleep, and replied ¡°This is my new companion, his name is Novos.¡±


    One of the other adventurers quickly stood up and shouted, ¡°Companion my ass! That thing is a dragon!¡±


    The other adventurers quickly realized what he was talking about. Minus the horns, Novos looked just like an infant dragon. And with panic beginning to set in, no one questioned it. Before everything spiraled out of control, Adria briefly flooded the room with mana. Once everyone was no longer panicking due to Novos, Adria Explained, ¡°Now that I have your attention, I would like to set you all at ease. Although I am not certain as to what this creature truly is, I can confidently say it is not a dragon and merely resembles one. Besides, Zycor already managed to form a pact with it, so it shouldn¡¯t go berserk even if it was a dragon.¡±


    A wave of relief washed over the adventurers as they finally noticed the distinct lack of horns. As they began to converse amongst themselves, they talked about how a dragon hadn¡¯t been seen in decades and how exceedingly rare sightings of infant dragons are.


    As everyone returned to their previous tasks, Adria turned to Zycor and mentioned, ¡°Ah yes, before I forget, I wanted to let you know that I have asked an old acquaintance of mine to come help you train, Just as you wanted. Though, she can be rather¡­ difficult to deal with. I can only hope you are able to get along with her better than me.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes lit up as he excitedly questioned, ¡°Really?! When will she be here!?¡±


    ¡°Relax sweety, I know you are excited but I only sent the letter today. It will be a while until she receives it, let alone arrives here.¡± Adria softly responded.


    Zycors excitement waned for a moment before he managed to bounce back. He continued his line of questioning as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s her name? And how did you meet her?¡±


    Thinking back upon their first meeting, Adria almost instantly became exhausted. Adria let out a small groan before she replied, ¡°Her name is Silvan. As for how I met her¡­ you will have to ask her about it. My head hurts just thinking about that hyperactive, happy go lucky, bubbly, never-thinks-about-the-consequences spider.¡±


    Excited to meet Silvan, but realizing that further questions would yield nothing of note, Zycor decided to drop the subject for now.


    As Adria began to leave she paused momentarily and commented, ¡°Oh right, A letter from Mr. Hickens arrived today, he was asking to see you. Why don¡¯t you head down there to meet him.¡±


    Adria turned to Mylon and ordered, ¡°Mr. Audouin, I am assigning you as his chaperone. In light of recent events, it would appear that Zycor is rather prone to getting himself into trouble, so please do your best to prevent it.¡±


    Mylon let out a sigh, ¡°Fair enough, not like I can just say ¡®no¡¯ anyways.¡±


    Adria waved the two of them off as they left the guild. Aislin walked up beside Adria and, in a hushed voice, asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s ok to leave that infant creature with Zycor? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s worse, knowing Zycor has a pet, or the fact we don¡¯t even know what the pet actually is.¡±


    Adria, putting her hand down, confidently explained, ¡°It will be ok. They made a pact with each other, so they are in it for the long haul now. Besides, it appears the infant has taken as much a liking to Zycor as Zycor has to it. I doubt it will do anything to harm him.¡±


    Aislin shrugged and turned to go back to work as she sighed ¡°Whatever you say, boss.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 44: A Painful Confession

    As Zycor and Mylon entered the merchants guild, Zycor and the receptionist''s eyes met, at which point the latter asked one of the guards to inform Dreiford that Zycor had arrived. As the duo approached the reception desk, the receptionist smiled and cheerfully commented, ¡°Welcome back, young lad. I see you have brought a friend with you this time.¡±


    Mylon put his right hand on his chest and gave a slight bow as he politely introduced himself, ¡°You may call me Mylon ma¡¯am, it¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    Looking Mylon up and down, the receptionist noticed his weapons and began to courteously explain, ¡°My, how polite you are! The pleasure is mine! However, sir, I must ask that you leave your weapons here, it¡¯s the guilds policy.¡±


    Mylon nodded, and removed his sword and shield. As he finished de-arming, the guard came back to inform Zycor and Mylon that Dreiford would see them.


    Upon entering Dreifords office, both Zycor and Mylon were met with a warm welcome. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t my favorite boy and his friend!¡± Dreiford enthusiastically exclaimed.


    He had a few bandages covering his face and his left arm was in a cast. Dreiford, curious about the creature wrapped around the back of Zycor¡¯s neck, asked, ¡°What brings you out here? And, what¡¯s that around your neck?¡±


    Zycor nonchalantly responded, ¡°This is my new pet, his name is Novos. As for why we are here, I wanted to know why those Velathrian scumbags were attacking you like that.¡±


    Dreiford let out a hefty sigh, ¡°Ah yes, I was hoping you would have forgotten about that.¡±


    Dreiford paused as he began to fidget with a look of guilt on his face. Mylon, noticing this, narrowed his eyes and aggressively demanded, ¡°What did you do.¡±


    Flinching at the harshness of Mylon¡¯s voice, Dreiford looked at Zycor as he guiltily admitted, ¡°Zycor my boy, I must apologize. They were here looking for you, because of some information I had given to an associate of mine. Unfortunately, he was working with Velathria to hunt you down for some reason. So when I heard about this, I of course tried to conceal you from them. Though, as you saw, they did not believe me.¡±


    Mylon slammed his hands on Dreifords desk as he hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°It¡¯s amazing how you didn¡¯t choke on all that bullshit that just came out of your mouth. You could grow a field of crops with that amount. Now how about you knock it off, and tell us what really happened!¡±


    ¡°I did tell you what happened, honest!¡± Dreiford responded, trying to defend himself.


    Mylon retorted, ¡°Oh please, I have to deal with a half orc who lies about stuff all the time, I had to get good at detecting them in order to keep us somewhat out of trouble. What makes you think you can lie better? Velathria is around a two month journey give or take depending on how you travel. Velathria receiving word about the incident with Zycor and the rest of the party may have been able to reach them quickly with the help of magic, but sending back up would have taken vastly longer. Considering those soldiers got here so quickly, I can only assume they were tipped off over two months prior! I am cool most of the time, but when someone puts a friend in danger, there is gonna be hell to pay!¡±


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    Stunned with shock and the feeling of defeat, Dreifords guilt fully consumed him. Dreiford gave up on trying to save face and spilled everything, ¡°I am, again, sorry. Sorry for lying, but also sorry for what I have done.¡± He looked at Zycor and, despite the immense amount of regret, continued, ¡°I was the one who gave them the information about you. They were offering a large sum of money for any information regarding you, so I told them you were staying here. They told me it was so they could contact you about some of your family members that survived the raid on your village. I didn¡¯t know that you had been through something like that, so I informed them about your whereabouts, hoping they would be able to help you. But when they showed up, they were armed to the teeth and demanded I bring them to you. I realized I had been played for a fool. And, well, you saw the rest. I cannot believe that, despite my line of work, someone was able to play me to such a degree. I am truly sorry that my incompetence has put you in so much danger, my boy.¡±


    Zycor stood in silence, shocked to his very core. And yet, there was more than just shock. As what Dreiford said sank in more, Zycors anger began to rise. Sure, it made him sad to hear Dreiford was the reason they showed up, but he was only trying to help. What pissed him off is the fact they were trying to gather information under the pretense of reuniting him with his family. A family that, due to their own actions, didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Those¡­ BASTARDS! I swear, when I get my hands on them I will slaughter them all!¡± Zweicor screamed from within.


    Zycor may have remained silent, but his rage and anger could be felt by both Mylon and Dreiford. Lightning began to dully spark around Zycors body as he clenched his fist. Novos woke up as if reacting to Zycors emotions as he began emitting his own lightning and growling. Mylon tried to calm Zycor down as he stated, ¡°Hey buddy, there is a time and a place for everything, but this is neither friend. You heard him, it¡¯s not Dreiford or this place that you should be directing your rage towards.¡±


    His left eye slightly twitched as Zycor began to relax his fists and the electricity dissipated. Novos was still growling and emitting some electricity, but when Zycor began to pet his head, Novos began to calm down. Zycor looked at Mylon and nodded as he admitted, ¡°You are right.¡±


    He looked to Dreiford and, with an exhale, softly responded, ¡°I forgive you, uncle Dreiford. You were only trying to help. You even got hurt trying to make things right, so thank you.¡±


    Zycor turned around and began to leave Dreifords office. Dreiford worriedly asked, ¡°I-is it really ok? My actions nearly cost you everything that you worked so hard to obtain. Are you really ok with this?¡±


    Without turning around or stopping, Zycor responded, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re family after all.¡±


    Upon finishing his statement, Zycor closed the door behind him. ¡°Ah jeez,¡± Mylon began, ¡°I can''t believe he up and left without me. Hey, wait up!¡±


    Mylon hurried out of the office and after Zycor, leaving Dreiford sitting alone in his office. As he sat contemplating everything that just happened, a single tear rolled down his face as he quietly murmured, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The walk back to the guild hall was a quiet one. Despite his best efforts, Mylon was unable to take Zycors mind off of what he had just learned. As they reached the adventurers guild around noon, Zycor stopped. Zycor turned to Mylon and adamantly stated, ¡°What was just discussed stays between us. I don¡¯t want mom or anyone else finding out about it. Not yet at least.¡±


    Mylon, frustratedly replied, ¡°Are you kidding me? That is some really important information you know!? And you want me to just not say anything?!¡±


    Without breaking eye contact, Zycor with a pained look in his eyes pleaded, ¡°Please, Mylon. They don¡¯t need to worry about this right now.¡±


    Mylon''s face contorted with frustration as he violently scratched his head. He finally yelled, ¡°Ah fine, screw it! If that¡¯s what you want, fine. But I take no responsibility for what comes of it.¡±


    As Zycor thanked him, they began to enter the guild hall while Mylon complained, ¡°You know, you finally showing emotion makes it vastly more difficult to say no to you.¡±

 Volume 1; Chapter 45: Anticipated Arrival

    Zycor spent the next eighteen days training with Aislin and Adria when they were free, and sparred and hunted with Aisha, Mylon and Baz when they were not. Around midday on day eighteen, an extravagant carriage arrived at the guild hall. It was covered in gold and some sort of glitter to maximize the glamor and sparkle even further. The carriage doors were thrown open and someone jumped out of the carriage and high into the sky. She landed without making a sound and exclaimed, ¡°Hello~ everyone! Silvan has arrived!¡±


    The strange lady was about as tall as Adria, and had a light tan. Along with her two human arms, she had eight legs protruding from her back that she kept wrapped around her abdomen as though she was hugging herself. She had four eyes, two bigger human looking eyes and two smaller versions above those. Her pink skirt settled from the jump over her white leggings. She put one hand on her hip as she donned a large smile, causing the charcoal, v-shaped shirt she was wearing to shift slightly. As she scanned the surroundings, she noticed Zycor to her right. She quickly turned towards him and pointed as she enthusiastically exclaimed, ¡°I have come for you, Dar~ling!¡±


    Zycor immediately went into flight mode and stated, ¡°I am in danger here.¡±


    He turned away to try and flee, but as he turned to run, Silvan was already behind him, a small dust cloud around her feet from the soft landing. Zycor staggered back, tripping over himself as he fell back. This ended up waking Novos, who was napping in the shade of the guild building. As Zycor looked up, Silvan was already in front of him. With an almost seemingly endless supply of joy, Silvan cheerfully claimed, ¡°Why, aren''t you the cutest thing~. I could just eat you up! Though, Adri may have my head if I do that, so I guess I won¡¯t. Anyways~, I got a letter from her saying you needed someone to help you get stronger, eh?¡±


    Zycor, at a complete loss, just stared with his mouth open, only managing to let out a few confused grunts. Novos quickly made his way over to Zycor, hopping on Zycors head and hissing at Silvan. Throwing open the guild doors, Adria walked out to investigate the commotion. She noticed the carriage and seemingly all of her energy was sapped from her. She looked around and noticed Silvan standing over Zycor, Novos on his head hissing at Silvan. She sighed and asked, ¡°Silvan, what are you doing?¡±


    Looking up from Zycor, Silvan straightened up and excitedly exclaimed, ¡°Adri! I am so happy to see you again!¡±


    Jumping forward with incredible speed, Silvan ended up in front of Adria seemingly in an instant. Silvan grasped and shook Adria¡¯s hands up and down. ¡°I missed you so much! How have you been? You never write to me, I started to think you forgot about me!¡± Silvan exclaimed as she slightly bounced with glee.


    Adria, doing her best to remain upbeat, forced a smile and responded, ¡°Silvan, I am happy that you are happy to see me and, for better or worse, I am also glad to see you. But please, you know I don¡¯t handle high energy well. I ask that you tone it down.¡±


    Silvan halted her actions and backed up as he apologetically quipped, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry Adri! I had almost forgotten! You always were the brooding type~.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t brood¡­ anymore.¡± Adria replied with a hint of slight annoyance in her voice.


    Silvan giggled as she teased, ¡°Sur~e you don¡¯t. I believe you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Adria, with a more annoyed tone now, said, ¡°Silvan, dear, shut up before I make you.¡±


    Silvan retreated back to Zycor and, with a cheeky and sarcastic tone, cried, ¡®Oh no! The big scary moth lady is trying to hurt me~. You¡¯re my only hope darling, help me out.¡±


    Adria, now furious, yelled, ¡°Quit using my son as a shield and accept your fate you damned arachnid!¡±


    Silvan let out a sarcastic scream as Zycor commented, ¡°So this is what you meant by ¡®difficult to deal with.¡¯¡±


    Zweicor scoffed, ¡°This is more than just ¡®difficult.¡¯ A better description would have been ludicrous.¡±


    Adria sighed, ¡°Yes, it is. Zycor, this is my old friend, Silvan Aurora. She is a famous actor and singer. Silvan, this is Zycor, please take it easy on him.¡±


    Knocking off the sarcasm and acting, Silvan stood up and outstretched her hand, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Zycor.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say the same, am I right Zy?¡± Zweicor scoffed again


    Zycor shook her hand and responded, ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Zweicor rolled his eyes as he sighed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably better you are ignoring me right now anyways. This is probably our best ticket to strength, I would rather not have it ruined.¡±


    Zycor thought in response, ¡°I am glad we are on the same page now.¡±


    Zweicor snapped at Zycor, ¡°I knew you were listening!¡±


    Silvan turned to Novos as she cheerfully remarked, ¡°And I hope we can get along as well, little guy!¡±


    Realizing Silvan was more of an annoyance than an immediate threat, Novos let out what appeared to be a scoff, and returned to the shade.


    Silvan, who had been puzzled by the lack of emotion in Zycor¡¯s responses, stood up and asked Adria, ¡°Is he ok? He doesn¡¯t seem to talk, or express himself much. *Gasp*, is that your doing?!¡±


    Adria put her upper right hand on her face and slowly dragged it down as she muttered under her breath, ¡°I knew it was a mistake inviting her in person. I should have sent Zy to her.¡±


    Clearing her throat, Adria spoke up and responded, ¡°No, this is not the result of my influence¡­ entirely¡­ probably. He went through some troubling times and lost everyone who would have taught him how to express emotions properly. But it¡¯s not that he lacks them or is incapable of talking longer, it¡¯s just that I was the main influence during his youth. And since he is always training and never really interacting with the other guild members too much, there really have not been any other influences. Which is one of the reasons I called for you.¡±


    Having known Adria for years, Silvan knew she wasn¡¯t going to get anything more from her at the moment. She shrugged, knowing she would get it out of Zycor, and said, ¡°I see, well you did ask the right person.¡±


    Silvan looked back at Zycor, in a caring voice, she kindly remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Auntie Silvan will help you. I will have you able to express yourself in no time!¡±


    Zycor, his expression growing disappointed, sadly remarked, ¡°But, what about getting stronger?¡±


    Silvan stood stunned before looking up at Adria, ¡°What did you do this kid?¡±


    ¡°Hey! This is not my fault, ok!? This is all him and how he has decided to cope!¡± Adria aggressively responded, defending herself.


    Silvan sighed, ¡°Knowing you, I doubt you had nothing to do with this. You are always quick to use violence to solve your problems, and it is apparent he has taken after that trait.¡±


    She turned back to look at Zycor and continued, ¡°Though, wanting to be stronger isn¡¯t bad. Don¡¯t worry darling, I promise you that when we are done, you will be unrecognizable. In how you act and speak along with your strength.¡±


    Zycors eyes lit up, ¡°Really?! Then I will be in your care.¡±


    Silvan patted his head and looked at Adria, ¡°So, I have full rein over this one, yes?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Adria reluctantly responded, ¡°Yes, you do. But if you go overboard I swear to the goddess I will upend your entire being.¡±


    Silvan giggled and gave a nod, ¡°Yes, yes, I promise to not kill or permanently maim your precious boy~.¡±


    Adria, wishing to know how Silvan intended to train Zycor, inquired ¡°So, what did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Hm~, well, you mentioned he wanted help with his magic and mana control, which I am well versed in. I also have plans to make him far more comfortable with expressing himself. Trust me, as I said earlier, when I am through with him you will not recognize him! As for his physical training, I don¡¯t have too much experience with that, so I will have to let him take care of that himself. And I would also like to have him spar and practice, but as you know I am not the best at holding back. He will also need to learn to find shelter, forage, cook, navigate, know how to do basic maintenance on his gear, and to pick up some form of combat training. ¡±


    Adria, nodding her head, commented, ¡°And let me guess, you don¡¯t know how to do any of those either.¡±


    Winking, Silvan responded, ¡°You got it! Aw~ you know me so well!¡±


    ¡°Oh goddess above, please protect my sanity.¡± Adria sighed.


    The door to the guild hall opened and Clyde walked out. ¡°I will be able to offer him some hand to hand combat training. After all, I used to fight strictly bare handed.¡± He explained.


    Baz, flexing his muscles, threw in his input, ¡°Well, I suppose I can help with strength training. ¡®Bout time we put some more muscle on that scrawny body of yours!¡±


    Mylon stepped forward, ¡°I have formal training in all manner of weaponry, and know how to properly spar. If you will have me, I am certain I can help.¡±


    Aislin stepped out of the guild as well, purposefully knocking Clyde over, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I know quite a bit about fending for yourself! I will handle the whole foraging, cooking, shelter thing!¡±


    As she got a good look at who it was next to Zycor, Aislin realized it was Silvan. She immediately got flustered and clammered, ¡°H-holy shit, that¡¯s Silvan Aurora! Oh my goddess! Uh, miss Aurora, you wouldn¡¯t happen to be willing to maybe give me an autograph, would you?!¡±


    Silvan smiled, pulled out a magical, spherical device, and engraved her name on it using magic. Handing it to Aislin, Silvan cheerfully explained, ¡°Here you go, anything for a fan! That device there has one of my songs sealed in it. I don¡¯t know exactly how it works, but apparently it¡¯s some new thing using old world technology as a base. Something about storing sound waves in mana particles, then sealing them inside the orb. Well, details aside, you should just need to put in a small amount of mana to activate it!¡±


    Aislin took the device as she stared at it in disbelief. After a moment, she passed out and fell backwards onto the newly recovered Clyde. Catching her, he said, ¡°Jeez! Why are you so fricken heavy?!¡±


    He managed to lie her on the ground without injury, despite his own wish for vengeance. Mylon interjected, ¡°There was the one blacksmith demi girl who fixed your gauntlets last time, right Zycor? We can ask her for help with the maintenance lessons.¡±


    Baz felt his heart skip a beat when Mylon mentioned the girl. Nodding, Baz agreed with Mylon, ¡°I think that is a great idea, and when you do go, I shall accompany you. Wouldn¡¯t want you to get lost or anything, right?¡±


    Zycor cocked his head in confusion and replied, ¡°But I know this town pretty well, I can probably-.¡±


    Baz stopped Zycor mid sentence and reiterated with a far more threatening tone, ¡°RIGHT?!¡±


    Zycor nodded aggressively, not wishing to escalate things further.


    Aisha¡¯s carriage approached as Baz finished threatening Zycor. As she exited the carriage, Aisha inquired, ¡°So, what¡¯s going on? Did Zycor do something stupid again?¡±


    She noticed Silvan and, like Aislin, started to fangirl. ¡°Is that Silvan Aurora!? Oh my! You are my role model! I always wanted to be able to have the same confidence and presence you do! Despite being a demi human you are loved by everyone! You are an inspiration!¡± Aisha enthusiastically proclaimed.


    Confused by her statement, Silvan asked, ¡°Well, I am happy you feel that way, but it almost sounds like you are telling me that you are also a demi human, is that right?¡±


    Immediately freezing, Aisha remembered that she looked entirely human right now so it must have sounded like she was crazy. Zycor, realizing Aisha was about to have a flare up, ran over to Clyde and snatched his half cape from his back. As Aisha¡¯s tail began to appear and her eyes became watery, Zycor wrapped the cloak around her waist. Thinking of ways he could calm her down, he remembered that hugging her seemed to make the transformation stop and calm down, despite the waterworks. After successfully taking her mind off of the situation, Zycor turned to Silvan and explained, ¡°That is something she doesn¡¯t like to talk about, so I would ask that you refrain from mentioning it again.¡±


    Silvan giggled as she teasingly responded, ¡°Oh dear, no need for all the hostility! I knew from the beginning, I thought I would have a bit of fun! I do apologize if I went a tad too far!.¡±


    Pushing Zycor off of herself, Aisha responded to Silvan, ¡°I am sorry Mrs. Aurora, I didn¡¯t want this to be how my first meeting with you went!¡±


    In an effort to calm Aisha down, Silvan began to kindly explain, ¡°I was invited here by Adri to help get our little man here stronger. And I had mentioned how there were a few things I was not well versed in, which is when these lads and lass came out and started offering to fill the gaps.¡± ¡°I see. Is there anything still needing to be taken care of?¡± Aisha inquired, wishing to help. However, she quickly became embarrassed and tried to rephrase her previous statement as she stuttered, ¡°I-I mean, I have time to kill and just so happen to have been tutored by many great men and women on various things. S-s-so I suppose I wouldn¡¯t mind lending a hand.¡±


    Silvan looked at Adria who, as if just having a silent conversation, shrugged as she responded, ¡°Probably.¡±


    A large smile came across Silvans face as she devised multiple plans regarding how she could meddle in the two¡¯s relationship. ¡°You know, with such formal education, I do believe there is a task for you. And I do believe you are going to enjoy it!¡± Silvan gleefully remarked, putting both of her hands on Aisha¡¯s shoulders.


    Clearing her throat as she recomposed herself, Silvan turned to Zycor and, with a cheerful tone, encouraged, ¡°Alright, we will start tomorrow darling! So for now, why don¡¯t you hang out with these great companions of yours! I have something to discuss with Adri in private though, so please excuse us.¡±


    As she left, Aisha put her right hand on Zycor¡¯s right shoulder and asked very upset, ¡°Care to explain why she called you ¡®darling?¡¯¡±


    Zycor instantly began his escape into the wasteland as Aisha hurled fireballs at him while she yelled at him to ¡®come back¡¯ so they could ¡®chat.¡¯


    Adria and Silvan went to the opposite side of the guild for some privacy. ¡°And for good measure, I will do this.¡± Adria commented as she held her upper left hand up. A very faint veil of mana then surrounded them, meant to block sound. Silvan let out a hefty sigh, ¡°Ugh, I really dislike interacting with humans like that. That Mylon fellow and Clid or whatever his name was, just utterly disgusting! And then there is the boy, no offense Adria, but what the hell possessed you to take in such a thing?¡±


    Adria let out a hefty sigh, ¡°And this is the main reason it¡¯s difficult to deal with you. You completely change like this when it¡¯s just the two of us. Whatever, I took him in because I like him, nothing more. We traveled for a bit together when we first met, but ended up growing attached to each other. And since we were both without family, we decided to be one.¡±


    Silvan shrugged, ¡°Well, I suppose you can make your own decisions.¡±


    ¡°I am willing to make a bet with you, Silvan.¡± Adria remarked.


    Intrigued, Silvan responded, ¡°Oh? Well isn¡¯t that interesting. What, pray tell, could this bet be? And perhaps more importantly, what are its stakes?¡±


    Adria smirked, ¡°I will bet you five vols that you will end up liking my Zy by the end of this.¡±


    Silvan, taken aback by the amount, repeated, ¡°Five vols? Are you serious?¡±


    When Adria nodded, Silvan grinned manicaly, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re on!¡±


    Continuing her inquiry further, Silvan asked, ¡°So, why did you call me to help out with this? I know you are more than capable of training him in the same ways I can, better even.¡±


    Adria looked out at Zycor and Aisha running out in the field and somberly replied, ¡°The road he has chosen to walk is dangerous, and as he is now, he won¡¯t even be able to take the first step. I want him to be able to walk that path without worrying me at every turn. Though, part of me hopes he finds a different path to walk. One that doesn¡¯t end with him losing himself. No matter what, I just want him to be happy.¡±


    Silvan, with a confused and disgusted look on her face, remarked, ¡°What the hell happened to you? The literal lord of the underworld, feared by the world itself. And you care about a human child? You hit your head one too many times?¡±


    Adria let out a deep exhale, still watching Zycor and replied, ¡°You will understand after spending a little time with him. I suggest you go get yourself a kid as well, I promise you, it changes a person.¡±


    Silvan shrugged, ¡°Whatever, if this is what you have decided, I won¡¯t argue. Regardless of how sane you are, I¡¯m not stupid enough to think I could beat you in a fight or an argument. Well, I think we are done here, so let down the veil. And don¡¯t forget about our bet!¡±


    As Silvan walked back to her carriage to head for an inn, Adria leaned against the guild''s wall and let out another large sigh. Taking a seat in the shade provided by the building, Adria called for Nalea. She turned the corner without a word, walked over to Adria, and sat down beside her. ¡°Rough few days, huh?¡± Adria asked.


    Responding in a tired tone, Nalea remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you are able to stand being around her. It¡¯s so draining.¡±


    Adria chuckled, ¡°Yes, I do agree. However, She has done a lot for me, and I for her. Despite our differing personalities and how draining she can be, she does hold a special place in my heart.¡±


    Nalea, surprised by Adria showing fondness for someone other than Zycor and one other person, commented, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you feel, then that¡¯s all that matters I suppose.¡±


    END OF VOLUME 1

 Volume 1: Epilogue

    Epilogue 1


    Another day of grueling training finally came to an end. Exhausted, Zycor bid everyone goodnight with the last of his strength and dragged himself to his room. Closing the door behind him, Zycor limped a few extra steps before collapsing on his bed and swiftly passed out.


    After the door to his room had shut, Baz, Mylon, Clyde and Barroo gave each other a nod and stood up. The group then made their way outside onto the twilight-covered streets and made their way to the Angry Tortoise.


    Entering the tavern, the group made their way through the crowd and ¡®ethically¡¯ acquired a table. As the group sat down Baz let out a hefty sigh, ¡°Jeez, whatever that crazy spider woman is doing, it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. It''s been only four months since he began training with her, but Zycor¡¯s progress has been incredibly rapid,¡± Clyde responded, leaning back in his chair.


    Mylon hailed a server for some mead and added, ¡°That may be true, but there are limits to what improving his physical abilities will do. He still has the issue of his magic reserves being non-existent.¡±


    Barroo nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, though learning proper hand to hand combat is a great boon for his fighting style, but there is a limit. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing we can really do to help at this point.¡±


    The server, an unusually bulky woman, slammed their drinks on the table and collected the thirty-two Solium coins from the group and left. After taking a swig from the mug, Clyde asked the group, ¡°Speaking about Zycor and his magic, does anyone else find it¡­ odd?¡±


    Baz raised an eyebrow at the statement and curiously responded, ¡°What do you mean ¡®odd¡¯?¡±


    As he looked at the mead slosh softly in his mug, Clyde continued, ¡°Well, sure his mana capacity being so low is out of the ordinary by itself, but I am talking about the magic he is able to use.¡±


    Mylon, continuing Clyde''s thought, said, ¡°You are talking about how he has only been using his lightning attribute, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Clyde made a ¡®sort of¡¯ gesture with his hand and responded, ¡°Sort of, but that is not all. He mainly uses lightning magic for pretty much everything, but while I thought about it more, I remembered something I cannot explain.¡± Clyde looked over at Barroo and further inquired, ¡°You remember that manabear we fought with the kid?¡±


    Barroo nodded, ¡°Yeah, there were four of the bastards if I remember correctly. It took everything we had just to kill the first three. That was a rough day¡­ but why bring it up?¡±


    Clyde continued his explanation, ¡°Well, towards the end of that fight against the last one, when it charged everyone it suddenly stopped.¡±


    Mylon, in an effort to provide an explanation, offered up a suggestion, ¡°Well, when a mana creature uses its trump card, it depletes its reserves of mana and energy. So didn¡¯t it stop because it ran out of steam?


    Clyde shook his head, ¡°No, by the looks of it that thing still had enough fight in it to take out the injured at the very least. I was focused on the opening that had presented itself, but as I looked back on it, the bear ceased moving after Zycor shouted. It got me thinking, is it possible Zycor has acquired a new magic type?¡±


    The whole table went silent for a moment, to allow Clyde¡¯s words to sink in. Baz threw back the rest of his mead and slammed the mug onto the table. A large grin covered his face as he bellowed, ¡°Well, ain¡¯t that interesting! Now I am curious to know what will become of that! HA, now THAT is fun!¡± The rest of the group began to laugh. Through his laughter, Clyde agreed with Baz as he exclaimed, ¡°Well said Baz!¡±


    Mylon nodded in agreement, ¡°I am now far more curious to see the results of his training. We can¡¯t fall behind either lads!¡±


    As the group cheered, further annoying the other tavern patrons, Mylon thought to himself, ¡°If he really does have a new type of magic, it¡¯s important he does not let anyone from the church know. It may result in trouble none of us want.¡±


    Epilogue 2


    ¡°Another splendid day, you two! You both have come so far, it brings a tear to my eye. To think only a year and a half ago you two could barely hold a conversation!¡± Silvan excitedly exclaimed.


    Aisha stood up and politely replied, ¡°Thank you for helping us, Ms Silvan. Despite how grueling practicing with this socially inept fool was, we are both better for it.¡±


    Zycor followed Aisha¡¯s example and offered his own thanks, ¡°As Aisha said, thank you for everything. It truly was a tiresome experience, dealing with such a spoiled child, but surviving it only made me stronger.¡±


    His comment only served to drive Aisha¡¯s annoyance through the roof as she exclaimed,¡°Excuse me!?¡±


    ¡°Now now you two, I believe that is enough learning for today. Aisha, you may depart for the day. My dear Zycor and I have other things to do. I will see you later, darling~.¡± Silvan said in her typical bubbly tone.


    As she walked off, Aisha wondered what she would do with the remaining time she had until she was picked up. She settled on heading to the guild¡¯s bar area. After taking a seat, she put her head down onto the table. Aislin, who was working behind the bar, nonchalantly asked, ¡°Rough day?¡±


    Not wanting to look at anything but the table, Aisha exhaustedly retorted, ¡°That is the understatement of the year. I am fairly sure I upset Zycor again and further damaged our relationship.¡±


    Aislin let out a slight chuckle, ¡°Heh, that seems to be a normal occurrence, don¡¯tcha think? Hell, it might be odder to hear your relationship improving at this point.¡±


    Aisha lifted her head up and looked at Aislin with an annoyed look, ¡°It¡¯s not like I am trying to sabotage our relationship! It just sort of happens, and I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps taking a moment to relax and talk about it would help,¡± Adria commented, suddenly sitting next to Aisha.


    ¡°GOOD GODDESS, ADRIA, WHAT THE HELL!¡± Aisha exclaimed, startled by Adria¡¯s sudden appearance.


    Adria smiled as she apologized, ¡°Sorry deary, I did not mean to scare you that bad. I was merely offering you a chance to relax and vent your frustrations. There is a spot I go to occasionally to relax, would you like to come?¡±


    Aislin giddily chimed in, ¡°Oh! Oh! Are we going there tonight!? Aisha you have to come!¡±


    Unfortunately for Aisha, she had not been taught how to deal with peer pressure as of yet. Succumbing to said pressure, Aisha sighed, ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    Adria smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, deary. Just meet Aislin and I out front in a few minutes.¡±


    Aisha nodded and returned to sulking until it was time. Aislin tapped on her shoulder about ten minutes later and told her it was time. The two of them headed out front to meet with Adria. ¡°Are you two ready?¡± Adria asked.


    As Aislin wrapped her arm around Aisha she happily responded, ¡°Yep, we are good to go!¡±


    Adria nodded and had them follow her around back. She then tapped her foot on the ground, causing the chunk of earth beneath them to begin to sink as one large rock. After descending two-hundred or so feet, Aisha looked around in amazement as there was a tunnel reinforced with iron to keep it from collapsing. As they all walked forward a few steps, Adria tapped her foot again and raised her lower right hand. The earth then rose back to the surface as Adria and Aislin used fire magic to illuminate their path. ¡°Where are we?¡± Aisha asked as she looked around.


    ¡°We are in one of the many secret passages I constructed so I could move around more freely without being noticed. This particular one brings us out into the forest area. I have something special set up there.¡± Adria explained.


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    Adria had them all stop as she began to imbue magic into the ground beneath them. As she did, loose dirt began to fall off of the metal being raised up. It was revealed to be an iron platform that locked into slits at the bottom of the walls. The slits extended through the rest of the passage, runes carved into them at set intervals. Adria poured mana through the rails to activate the runes and the platform began to accelerate.


    After eight minutes of travel, the platform slowed to a stop. It descended into a slot beneath it as loose dirt recovered it. Adria put her hand on the wall in front of them. The wall began to descend in the same fashion as the block of earth they rode down prior. Ascending to the surface, the trio were met with stone circles that had relatively clean and seemingly polished floors in the middle. Adria created a water bubble right above the circle and heated it using fire magic, before she finally dropped it into the circle. She looked over at Aislin and Aisha and happily chimed, ¡°Ta-da! This is a hot spring created by yours truly so I could relax! Especially when I get anxious thinking about what that conniving arachnid is doing to my Zycor.¡±


    As they all got in, Aislin let out a huge sigh, ¡°Ah~, now this is some good shit. It always feels awesome to soak in here.¡±


    While Aisha settled in and she began to relax, her ears suddenly popped out. Though, considering her surroundings, she did not pay it any mind. ¡°You guys have been coming out here to do this, and have not even thought to invite me? You guys suck for that.¡± Aisha complained as she sunk deeper into relaxation.


    Adria chuckled, ¡°Well, I am glad to hear you are enjoying it.¡± Shifting her tone slightly, she continued, ¡°Now, I would like to hear about how Zycor is doing. Is he well? Is he causing trouble?¡±


    Aisha laughed, ¡°Ha, you really care about that idiot, don¡¯t you Ms. Adria? Well, you will be happy to hear he is doing just fine. Although I must admit, I don¡¯t know if I like him better now, or before he was able to quip back.¡±


    Adria leaned against the bath¡¯s wall. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So, he is doing fine,¡± She sighed with relief. Changing the topic of the conversation, Adria continued, ¡° So, Aisha, what has been bothering you? I can tell something is going on.¡±


    Aisha, embarrassed, replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing.¡±


    Adria reassured Aisha, ¡°Oh my dear, no need to worry about such things here! In all honesty, despite my best efforts I can¡¯t help myself from enjoying this kind of talk.¡±


    Aisha awkwardly began to explain, ¡°It¡¯s just, I continuously damage the relationships that I have with people. I just don¡¯t know how to¡­ not do that.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried not being an asshole when you talk to people, specifically Zycor?¡± Aislin asked


    Aisha began to blush hard as she stammered, ¡°W-w-what does this have to do with that d-dumbass!?¡±


    Aislin pointed at Aisha, ¡°My point exactly.¡±


    Aisha snapped back, ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not like I am actively being mean for the hell of it! It¡¯s just, my dad always told me that I need to always talk with my status in mind. And that talking as such along with being mean to others, specifically boys, was the best way to make a connection.¡±


    Aislin, after recovering from the utter stupidity of her fathers¡¯ advice, asked, ¡°And you believed that bullshit?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I asked the maids and butlers about it and they all said so as well.¡± Aisha replied


    Aislin leaned back, ¡°Well, I suppose if I had a daughter, I may also spout such nonsense as well.¡±


    Adria interjected, ¡°I feel that I should mention that most people are not a fan of that type of treatment. It makes sense now why you tend to be so overly aggressive towards the people you like. So a good first step would be to tone said aggression down. I am sure Zycor would like you more if you did that.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s ears stuck up as her face grew even redder while she yelled, ¡°What is that supposed to mean!? I-it¡¯s not like I like him!¡±


    Aislin chuckled, ¡°Do you even hear yourself? Everyone and their mother at the guild knows, the only one in the dark is that emotionally challenged moron. We can¡¯t help you if you won¡¯t even be honest with yourself.¡±


    Aisha remained silent as her ears drooped down. Breaking the silence, Adria commented, ¡°Well, I do remember he told me there was someone he liked a while ago.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s ears perked up and Aislin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well!? Don¡¯t just stop there, I wanna know!¡± Aislin exclaimed as Aisha leaned in while she nodded in agreement


    Adria thought for a moment, then spoke, ¡°Apparently, there was a girl he grew up with before¡­ the incident. Anyways, he mentioned how he had a crush on her. He always talked about how he loved that she could and would play with him and his friends despite being a girl. But what he really liked about her was how kind she was. There is more to it than that, but for our purposes, I believe that this explanation is sufficient.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s ears drooped down again as she looked into the twilight sky. She felt a pain in her heart as she slumped into the bath. As Aislin pestered Adria for more information about what Zycor said about the girl, Aisha became lost in her own thoughts.


    After a moment, she sat up and slapped her face with both hands. Filled with resolve, she stated, ¡°Alright! It¡¯s decided! I am going to try and not be as mean and insulting to other people! B-but don¡¯t misunderstand, this has nothing to do with that bumbling idiot!¡±


    Adria and Aislin looked at her in silence for a moment, before Aislin burst into laughter while Adria smiled gently, ¡°Of course dearie. I think that is a wonderful idea.¡±


    Epilogue 3


    As he packed the last of what he would need into his bag, Zycor called out to Novos, ¡°Hey buddy, time to get up. We¡¯re heading out.¡±


    Novos began to stir on Zycors bed as he wobbled to his feet. Rolling off the bed and hitting the floor, Novos stood up and stretched. Zycor chuckled as he motioned for Novos to follow. Leaving his room and peering over the railing down into the empty guild hall, Zycor smiled as he reminisced upon all that had happened in this hall. He thought about when he and Adria first got the guild house, meeting Clyde, Baroo and the other adventurers. Finding Aislin, Meeting Aisha, growing closer with Baz and Mylon. The good laughs they shared, and the fights they had. Thinking back on it, Zycor thought about how he couldn¡¯t have asked for a better group of people to call his family and friends. He began to make his way down the stairs and outside before stopping one final time in front of the main doors. As he gave one final glance back, a somber feeling set in as he thought about how it would be a while until he saw this again.


    Exiting the building, Zycor and Novos were illuminated in the light of the dawn. Adria, Silvan, and Aislin were waiting at the entrance to the barren fields. Aislin, arms crossed, grinned as she chuckled, ¡°About time, I almost thought you decided to not go because you would miss us too much!¡±


    Zycor let out his own chuckle as he responded, ¡°I will miss all of you, don¡¯t get me wrong, but this is something I have to do.¡±


    Aislin was flustered by his reply and embarrassingly retorted, ¡°Yeah, well, of course I know all that. What do you take me for?¡±


    As Zycor approached Adria, she smiled as she saw how big he had grown. She began to reminisce as she spoke, ¡°My, it seems as though it was just last week I found you. And now look at you, you¡¯re so big now!¡±


    Without a word, Zycor embraced Adria and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you mom, for everything. You have done so much for me and words could never properly express my feelings. I love you.¡±


    Adria returned his embrace two fold as a single tear escaped her eye as she replied, ¡°Oh my dear boy, it is I who should be thanking you! I never thought I would ever care about someone else, and yet here I am. I love you too, my dear.¡±


    After their hug ended, Zycor turned to Silvan. Her eye twitching, Silvan stuttered, ¡°N-now darling, you know I am not much of a hugger. L-let¡¯s settle down now.¡±


    Ignoring her pleas, Zycor used some of his lightning magic to dash over to Silvan and give her a massive bear hug. As he did, he thanked her, ¡°And to you as well, thank you for all of your help. It means so much to me that you would go out of your way to help me. Thank you, Auntie Silvan.¡±


    Hearing Zycor call her his aunt finally got her to crack under the pressure. The bond they had spent the last three years building appeared for all to see in the form of her blushing and returning the embrace. Adria grinned mockingly at Silvan while she made a poor attempt at hiding it. Silvan immediately ended the embrace and, upset, responded, ¡°Well, darling, I must admit I had more fun than I had initially thought I would. So¡­thank you as well, Zycor.¡±


    Adria let out a giggle as those words left Silvan¡¯s mouth, the latter of whom snapped, ¡°Oh you be quiet! Gloat about your victory later!¡±


    Zycor, confused about what they were talking about, thought about asking, but decided it was better left a mystery. Novos came up next to Zycor and nudged him. Zycor looked down at him and saw he was now awake and ready to go. Zycor nodded and said, ¡°Well, I suppose it is time for me to head out.¡±


    Adria reminded Zycor one final time, ¡°Remember, you are going to be on your own for this journey. I gave you some funds and you have the account Dreiford set up for you. I know you are eighteen already, but you are still going to a rank C dungeon, alone. I can¡¯t help but worry.¡±


    Aislin chimed in, ¡°Aw don¡¯t be like that Ms. Mori, the kid will do just fine! And he won¡¯t be alone, he has Novos with him!¡±


    Novos chirped in reply, most likely in an attempt to reassure Adria that they would be fine. Adria sighed as she continued, ¡°I know that, but still, it¡¯s nearly an eight month trip one way, on top of the time to clear the dungeon! I¡¯m not sure I am ok with him being gone that long.¡±


    Zycor smiled at Adri and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom, I won¡¯t do anything crazy I promise. I also promise to write you letters to let you know how I am doing.¡±


    Silvan gave Adria a pat on the back as she snarked, ¡°My my, I didn¡¯t think anything could get to the great Adria Mori! Well~, isn¡¯t this interesting!¡±


    Adria grabbed Silvan by her shirt as she threatened, ¡°Oh yeah? Well then, maybe I should have spider for dinner, wonder how it would taste well-done!¡±


    Zycor saved Silvan as he began to walk away while he said, ¡°I love you guys! Try not to burn the guild down while I¡¯m gone!¡±


    Aislin raised a questioning eyebrow at Zycors statement. As they all watched him walk off into the wastelands and towards the dungeon, Silvan commented, ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He is pretty talented for having such a limited mana pool. Honestly, that may have ended up being a blessing, forcing him to think outside the box to fight.¡±


    Adria responded with a smile, ¡°Yeah, he really is incredible. I¡¯m glad you openly admitted that, because it makes what comes next easier.¡±


    Silvan, knowing what she meant, reached into her pocket and pulled out five gold coins. She held her hand out as she complained, ¡°Just take the five vols and say nothing more, I don¡¯t want to hear the gloating¡­¡±


    Adria chuckled as she took her reward, turning to open the guild for the day.

 Volume 2; Chapter 1: His Return

    In the forest to the north of Abros, a party of three rookie adventurers were running for their lives. As they ran as fast as they could, the sound of trees being toppled and crushed could be heard behind them. The female mage yelled in panic and frustration, ¡°Why on the goddess¡¯s green earth did you not listen to me Leo! You knew going further into the forest was more than we could handle!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I was wrong and stupid, but could we save the lecturing for after we make it out of here, Vala!?¡± Leo shouted, more focused on living than a lecture.


    The third party member, a male rogue, gritted his teeth and exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought, making out of here alive and all, but can we really escape something like that!?¡±


    Finally catching up to the party, a massive mana bear tore through the trees as it roared fiercely. It swiped at the Vala, but the rogue managed to pull her out of the way as the slash tore through the foliage. Vala had lost all coherent thought as her fear took over after seeing such a display. The rogue grabbed both of Vala¡¯s shoulders and jostled her as he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Hey, we are not out of this yet! Get up Vala!¡±


    Getting a hold of herself, Vala shakingly responded, ¡°R-right, thanks for that Sorin.¡±


    Sorin chuckled, ¡°You can thank me later by treating me to a meal. Now, let¡¯s go help our muscle headed warrior out!¡±


    As the two of them got to their feet, Leo continued running around the bear trying to divert its attention. Dodging the massive animal attacks was proving to be extraordinarily challenging, more so than he ever thought possible. ¡°Damn!,¡± Leo thought to himself as he tried to keep from tripping while he dodged, ¡°This is insane! What are we supposed to do here? It¡¯s taking everything I have to narrowly dodge these attacks. Sooner or later, I¡¯m going to slip up. The question is, how long can I hold out?¡±


    Vala frantically screamed, ¡°Leo, watch out!¡±


    Instantly stopping his thoughts, Leo glanced to his left as he saw the bear wind up for a massive swipe. Lacking time to move with his weapon, Leo tossed his sword towards the bear and jumped to the ground. He landed right as the bear''s hand whiffed over him, shattering his sword and the surrounding trees. Rolling onto his back, Leo looked up at the bear that stared back down at him. As Leo began to give up, knives flew through the air, piercing the bear¡¯s chest, diverting its attention. ¡°That¡¯s right you over-sized rug, over here!¡± Sorin shouted as he brandished his main dagger in his left hand and throwing knives in his right.


    Leo regained some semblance of hope and rolled away from the bear before jumping to his feet. ¡°There is no way I am letting Instructor Baz¡¯s training be for nothing!¡± Leo exclaimed as he grabbed the hilt of his now shattered sword.


    The blade was shattered, Though the remaining jagged metal was more than enough for his plan. As the mana bear turned its back on Leo to face Sorin and Vala, Leo let out a roar and charged the bear from behind. Baz had told him that in times of panic or fear, to roar as loud as he could and find strength within it. And that is what he did, as he got right on top of the bear, Leo jumped on its back and drove what was left of the blade into its back before being thrown off.


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    As he fell, he heard Vala chanting command words as Sorin covered her, ¡°Sear. Ignition. Bolt.¡±


    As she spoke, fire began to engulf and fluctuate around the tip of her staff. As she fired the bolt of fire Vala shouted, ¡°Taste the results of my training with Master Aislin!¡±


    The bolt made a small shockwave of fire around the staff as it soared towards the bear. Leo landed on the ground and instantly lunged away, making as much room as possible between him and the beast. The bolt connected with the bear causing a fiery explosion that engulfed the bear.


    ¡°Did we get him?¡± Sorin questioned.


    Vala and Leo both yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t say that you idiot!¡±


    Sure enough, the mana bear shook its body and dispelled the fire. At this point Sorin was out of throwing knives, Vala was out of a reliable amount of mana, and Leo was exhausted and without a weapon. Leo lamented the fact that his own actions were about to lead to both of his friends¡¯ deaths. The mana bear stood on its hind legs to finish off Vala and Sorin, the sound of another creature rang out from the forest.


    The party looked around the forest, terrified at the sound. Even the mana bear had ceased its attack. Sorin chuckled as he stuttered, ¡°I-I don¡¯t suppose either o-of you know w-what that was?¡±


    Both Vala and Leo remained silent as they shook their heads. The faint beating of wings gradually grew louder and louder. Before long the shadow of a massive creature flew right over the trio and bear. All of the remaining life drained from Leo as he began sweating and muttered, ¡°A-a wyvern? N-no a dragon? But why here?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you muttering over there?¡± Sorin shouted.


    Leo, still reeling from shock, replied loud enough for Sorin to hear, ¡°I-its a dragon, though it¡¯s not big enough to be an adult.¡±


    Sorin instantly fell to his knees as he now muttered in disbelief, ¡°A dragon? What the hell is this, a cruel joke?¡±


    As Sorin and Leo sat in disbelief, Vala heard the sound of someone running through the forest from where they had come from. ¡°What the hell? Was someone actually deeper into the forest than us? But who?¡± Vala thought to herself, completely confused.


    Unfortunately for the group, the mana bear was done with being sidetracked and began its final attack to finish off Sorin and Vala. As the beast wound up, someone launched from the brush behind it, the sound of metal sliding against metal before the bear''s arm was cleaved from its body. As it fell, a cloaked man landed in front of the two before sparks of electricity crackled around him and he vanished. As Vala looked for where he went, she saw him airborne above the bear as he shouted the commands, ¡°Converge! Amp! Surge!¡±


    The blade seemingly mounted on the man''s wrist began to crackle and surge with lightning as he plunged it into the mana bear''s skull. As the blade entered, the bear cried out in pain while electricity erupted from its body, causing multiple patches of fur and skin to be scorched off. As the electricity dissipated, the man removed the blade from its head and landed as the bear''s now lifeless corpse collapsed. As blood dripped from the blade, it seemed to suddenly disappear into the man¡¯s wrist. The dragon had wrapped around above them and began to shrink itself. Once small enough, it wrapped itself around the man¡¯s neck and dozed off.


    Leo and Sorin sat absolutely dumbfounded just staring at the man. Vala, being the only one not currently verbally challenged, asked, ¡°Excuse me, but who are you sir?¡±


    The man turned to face Vala as he removed his hood to reveal long blonde hair that had clearly not been properly cut in some time. His green eyes shimmered in the sunlight as he gave a warm smile and responded, ¡°My name Is Zycor, the pleasure is mine.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 2: Fruits of His Training

    As Zycor butchered the mana bear¡¯s remains, the trio of adventurers watched on in horror. As he finished, Zycor lit a fire and began to roast the meat. Leo, with an expression of disgust, inquired, ¡°S-sir, are you really going to eat that? IS it even edible?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought I read something about how mana corrupted creatures were toxic.¡± Sorin elaborated, filled with intense aversion.


    Zycor sat down on a log he rolled near the fire and responded frankly, ¡°If you are not hungry, you don¡¯t have to have any.¡±


    He glanced over at the three of them with a smirk, ¡°So, what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    Before either Leo or Sorin could respond, Vala walked over and sat on the log with Zycor. After a small chuckle, Zycor looked back towards the boys. Leo clenched his fists and went to grab his own seat as Sorin tried to stop him to no avail. With a heavy sigh, Sorin gave in and followed suit.


    ¡°So,¡± Vala began to inquire, ¡°What were you doing so deep in the forest?¡±


    Stoking the fire, Zycor responded, ¡°I was traveling back to the guild in Abros.¡±


    Vala jumped out of her seat and exclaimed, ¡°Then, does that mean you are the Zycor!? The guild master''s son?!¡±


    Zycor, momentarily shocked, chuckled, ¡°Yeah, I suppose it does. Though, I am not certain I am that popular¡­¡±


    Pausing, Zycor¡¯s expression shifted to one with mild concern as he continued, ¡°Unless mom decided to spread rumors about me.¡±


    Leo chimed in, remarking, ¡°Well, if you are that Zycor, I heard about you from master Baz.¡±


    Zycor stared at Leo, stunned. After an awkward few seconds of silence, Zycor began to chortle aloud, ¡°Haha! Master Baz?! Ha! Now that is funny.¡±


    Becoming irritated, Leo angrily retorted, ¡°Hey, what is that supposed to mean? You think I¡¯m lying? That I¡¯m not good enough?¡±


    Doing his best to calm himself down, Zycor wiped a tear from his eye as he explained, ¡°No, no, it has nothing to do with you or your ability. I just cannot for the life of me see that oversized brute taking on an apprentice.¡±


    Zycor looked over at Sorin for an answer, but he just shook his head. Removing a piece of bear meat from the fire and began eating it. He tossed another chunk to Novos who was lying away from the fire.


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    Sorin, breaking the silence, asked Zycor, ¡°So, what were you doing so far north?¡±


    Zycor gulped down his food and, while he dug through his pack for some water, replied nonchalantly, ¡°I had traveled rather far north to clear a dungeon on my own.¡±


    Dumbfounded, Vala questioned, ¡°When you say you cleared a dungeon on your own, what rank was it?¡±


    Finally finding the water and undoing the top, Zycor candidly said, ¡°It was a D rank. I think I heard from people who lived around there that it was about to experience a dungeon break.¡±


    In unison Leo, Sorin and Vala, terrified, cried, ¡°A dungeon break!?¡±


    Sorin continued the thought as he hurriedly asked for clarification, ¡°When you say dungeon break, you mean when a dungeon gets so overcrowded that the barrier sealing them inside breaks, releasing a horde?¡±


    Swallowing a large gulp of water, Zycor shrugged, ¡°Maybe? I think that¡¯s what Aisha told me it was.¡±


    Sorin sat down speechless next to Leo who was in the same state. Vala, uncertain as to if Zycor really understood what that meant, inquired, ¡°Sir Zycor, if I may ask, are you aware of what a dungeon break means for a dungeon?¡±


    Zycor shrugged again and replied, ¡°Honestly, no. All I know is apparently it¡¯s a big deal. Not that it matters to me, it only means I get to fight more monsters and gain more experience and practice.¡±


    ¡°My goddess, master Aislin was right, you have absolutely no clue about the wider world, do you?¡± Vala murmured under her breath.


    Upon hearing the mention of ¡®master Aislin,¡¯ Zycor did a spit-take as he exclaimed, ¡°Wait, big sis got an apprentice as well?! Is the world ending?!¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would refrain from insulting my master.¡± Valla, with great irritation, requested.


    ¡°My apologies. After hearing about Baz I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Zycor apologetically responded.


    Sighing, Vala continued her explanation about a dungeon breaks effect, ¡°From what master Aislin has told me, a dungeon about to experience a dungeon break can actually go up a rank temporarily. Although the monsters don¡¯t increase to the strength of the next rank of dungeon, their numbers make up for it. That means if you cleared a D-ranked dungeon about to experience a dungeon break¡­¡±


    Vala paused as she realized the gravity of what the situation meant. ¡°Sir Zycor,¡± Vala re-iterated, ¡°You clearing a D-rank dungeon experiencing a near dungeon break means¡­ you cleared the equivalent of a C-rank dungeon. On your own.¡±


    ¡°Huh, neat. You hear that Novos? Guess we cleared a C-rank dungeon instead, you think mom will be angry?¡± Zycor explained, looking over at Novos who gave a dismissive chirp as he continued to try and nap.


    Sorin and Leo sat quietly as they ate, far too shocked to recall what it belonged to. Polishing off the meat, Zycor stood up and expressed his gratitude, ¡°Well, it has been a pleasure, but it is time for me to head back to town. I want to thank you all for spending time chatting with me, it was entertaining. You have also given me some ammo to harass Baz and big sis with. If you want to head back now, I will walk with you.¡±


    Exhausted, Leo, Sorin and Vala looked at each other and nodded. They gathered their things, or what was left, and packed it up. Zycor whistled and Novos got up with a stretch and walked to Zycor and wrapped himself around his neck. Once everything was in order, the group began their trek back to the city, a smile on Zycor¡¯s face.


    ¡°It sure has been a while huh?¡± Zweicor commented.


    Zycor closed his eyes and excitedly responded, ¡°It sure has! I cannot wait to see everyone!¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 3: His Friends and Family

    Arriving at the guild hall, Zycor stopped and began scanning the building¡¯s slightly different, yet still nostalgic, look. The most notable difference was the first floor appearing to have been expanded.


    ¡°Are you coming?¡± Leo questioned, giving a curious look towards Zycor.


    Grinning, Zycor responded, ¡°Yeah, I was just thinking about how much I missed this place.¡±


    As the group entered the guild hall, Zycor looked around and saw that the building had gotten bigger. Newer tables replaced the old ones that he had come to know. There were plenty of adventurers he had never seen before, much like Leo, Sorin and Vala.


    As they approached the reception counter so the trio could turn in their quest material, Zycor continued to scan the room for familiar faces. He eventually did notice something familiar, though he would have preferred not to. Zycor noticed some of the adventurers were wearing Velathrian insignias. As his blood began to boil, Novos¡¯ eyes shot open as he began to let out a deep growl. Before Zycor had a chance to do anything, Vala tugged on his sleeve, snapping him out of it.


    Worried about who was essentially her master''s brother, Vala asked, ¡°Hey, are you ok Mister Zycor?¡±


    Looking at Vala with surprise, Zycor quickly switched his expression to a warm smile and replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright Val.¡±


    Leo whipped around to look at the two of them and loudly stated, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s MY nickname for her, find your own!¡±


    Vala began to blush as Zycor stood confused about the situation. Sorin tripped Leo and apologized for his friend''s conduct. Zycor chuckled at the situation, only able to think about how Aisha, Baz, Mylon and him would interact.


    Their good vibes were cut short as two of the adventurers with Velathrian insignias walked over. Ignoring Zycor as just some stray kid, the duo began harassing the trio. They both carried swords on their hips, though one of them was bulkier than the other.


    Getting onto his feet, Leo scoffed, ¡°Kron. Bron. What do you two want?¡±


    The bulkier one, Bron, laughed, ¡°Now now, is that any way to speak to your betters? Two of you are rank sixes and only one of you is rank five, and barely at that!¡±


    Sorin narrowed his eyes, his calm demeanor broken, and commented, ¡°I don¡¯t think you guys have much room to talk. You guys may be rank fours, but you have done nothing to earn it.¡±


    Infuriated by Sorins insult, Kron drew his sword and held it at the boy''s neck as he scowled, ¡°You want to say that again?¡±


    The whole guild hall was now watching the scene, a few groaning about how the two men were ¡®at it again.¡¯ As Kron smirked maliciously at Sorin, his sword was grabbed by a gauntlet. He traced it, attempting to find out who it belonged to, and was met with an infuriated Zycor.


    Kron scoffed at this, from his point of view, random person, ¡°And who are you supposed to be? Scram kid.¡±


    Being called a kid seemingly triggered something within Zycor, causing him to crush the blade within his gauntlet''s grasp. Kron staggered back, dumbfounded.


    ¡°You know,¡± Zycor began to angrily state, ¡°I was taught to not judge someone based solely on appearance, profession, or affiliation. But, again and again, all of you Velathrian rats continue to reinforce that you are all nothing but scum to be eradicated.¡±


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    Bron laughed hard as he exclaimed, ¡°And what are YOU going to do about it?¡±


    A single streak of lightning ripped across Zycors gauntlet. But before he could respond or retaliate, two doors were thrown open from the second floor. Everyone looked up as Bron and Kron both began sweating bullets. Out of the doors walked the guild master, Adria.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Adria agitatedly inquired. ¡°I have important work to do and refuse to be interrupted because of some meaningless squabbling!¡±


    As she scanned the scene, she saw Zycor looking up at her. He gave her a smile filled with a mix of emotions, most of which was happiness. Adria instantly shifted gears and vaulted over the railing, landing softly on her feet. She pulled Zycor in close and smiled with all of her heart.


    ¡°Oh my sweet boy! You¡¯re back! Safe and sound, just like I told you!¡± Adria cheerfully exclaimed. Pushing him back, but continuing to hold onto his arms, she continued, ¡°And look at how much you have grown in just six months! I am never letting you go again!¡±


    Pulled back into her embrace, Zycor began tapping on Adria¡¯s back in a plea for her to release him. She finally complied and freed him from a rather dire situation. Catching his breath, Zycor commented, ¡°I missed you a lot too mom, but you have to tone down your strength! I would rather embrace you back than have you hugging a corpse.¡±


    A heavy silence full of shock and surprise enveloped the guild hall. Bron and Kron both began to inch back to their table. Before they made it far, Adria looked over at them as she emitted an immense amount of mana. She furiously questioned, ¡°Did you two plan to hurt my precious boy?!¡±


    The two of them, without a word, fell to their knees and passed out. She then turned her attention to Leo, Sorin and Vala, all of whom visibly shuddered. Before Adria could do anything more, Zycor stepped in front of them and explained, ¡°It¡¯s ok mom, these three are actually acquaintances of mine, we met while I was in the forest. They were no trouble at all, I promise.¡±


    Adria glanced back at the trio then back at Zycor before letting out a deep exhale, ¡°Very well, I trust you. As much as I want to continue this reunion, unfortunately there are other people that care about you as well. Why don¡¯t you head around back.¡±


    Zycor, doing everything he can to contain his excitement, nodded and quickly walked out of the guild hall. Everyone was still silent, completely dumbfounded and staring at Adria. ¡°What are you all looking at!? As you were, I have things to attend to in my office.¡±


    Zycor rounded the corner to the back of the guild and stopped in his tracks. In front of him stood Aisha with her back turned practicing her magic. She seemed completely different from when he left. She had her hair tied up, wore standard adventurer gear and was notably taller than before.


    Aisha wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned around to get some water. As she did, Aisha saw Zycor standing there. They both stood frozen like deer in a headlight. Breaking the awkwardness, Zycor warmly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    Aisha ran over and embraced him with a huge smile of her own plastered across her face as she happily responded, ¡°Welcome back, you idiot.¡±


    Suddenly hearing a cough, Aisha¡¯s expression instantly soured as she scanned the area for its source. She noticed Baz, Mylon and Aislin peeking around the corner of the guild. Aisha pushed Zycor aside as she began to blush heavily.


    ¡°Anyways, I think there are a couple of other pricks that want to say hi to you as well.¡± Aisha commented as she looked away to try and calm down.


    Zycor looked behind him and saw Baz, Mylon and Aislin now standing in the open as Mylon put his hand up and said, ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Zycor gave a relaxed smile. Now having seen them all ok, it felt as though some sinking feeling had finally been lifted from him. ¡°It sure has.¡± Zycor replied.


    ¡°You know, I really won¡¯t ever get used to this ¡®new¡¯ you!¡± Baz chortled, ¡°Far too close to a normal person for my liking!¡±


    Aislin berated Baz, ¡°Shut it war-for-brains, be nice to Zy!¡±


    Immediately infuriated by her comment Baz looked at her and retorted, ¡°Yeah, little miss maid? And what are you gonna do if I¡¯m not?¡±


    Both of them seemingly getting ready to fight, Aislin cracked her knuckles as she violently said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come here and find out!?¡±


    ¡°My pleasure!¡± Baz bellowed back.


    Before the situation could escalate further, Zycor burst into laughter. Looking at him stunned Baz, Mylon and Aislin looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh themselves.

 Volume 2; Chapter 4: His Outing

    As the sun rose upon a peaceful morning, Zycor began to stir. He had a smile of comfort upon his face as he enjoyed lying in his bed. Trying to enjoy the silence and peace, Zycor kept his eyes closed as he muttered, ¡°It really is nice to have our own bed.¡±


    Zweicor let out a relaxed sigh as he responded, ¡°Agreed. An inn¡¯s bed never could compare.¡±


    This peace and silence was abruptly shattered with Aislin throwing his bedroom door open. As she did so, she loudly announced, ¡°Time to get up! The time for sleep has passed, now is the time to help your big sis!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s smile faded from his face as he sat up and muttered, ¡°So much for a peaceful wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hey now, I heard that!¡± Aislin exclaimed. ¡°Well, whatever, Aisha is downstairs waiting for you. I want you to go with her into town and grab some things for me.¡±


    As she inspected Zycor closer, Aislin sighed, ¡°But first, we need to do something about that hair. It¡¯s reaching below your shoulders now, how long has it been since you cut it?¡±


    Zycor thought for a moment before shrugging, ¡°I don¡¯t remember, maybe around eight months ago or so?¡±


    Aislin¡¯s left eye visibly twitched at his response. ¡°Yeah, that is not gonna fly. Sit down, I am cutting it.¡± Aislin directed.


    ¡°But-.¡± Zycor began to protest.


    Aislin cut him off as she retorted, ¡°No ¡®buts¡¯ aside from yours getting in that chair! I will be back with a hair knife.¡±


    Aislin returned with a knife enchanted with a minor offensive wind rune engraved. As she channeled a small amount of magic into the knife, the air around the blade began to vibrate rapidly. She gave Zycor his long overdue haircut, the knife effortlessly cutting through his hair.


    After about ten minutes, Aislin took a step back as she admired her work, commenting, ¡°Well, not too shabby if I do say so myself!¡±


    Zycor examined his reflection in the large mirror within his room as a soft smirk leaked onto his face. His once long hair now mostly lay upon the floor. The remainder was styled in a fashion reminiscent of how he wore it before his journey.


    Leaving the room to meet up with Aisha, she sat at a table waiting for him. Making his way down the stairs he called out to her, ¡°Hey Aisha, you ready?¡±


    She glanced over at Zycor before she swiftly stood up and cheekily responded, ¡°I should be the one asking you that!¡±


    She saw Zycor¡¯s haircut and smiled, ¡°Though, I suppose I can let it slide since you were taking care of that mess of hair. Honestly, had I not been so happy to see you yesterday, I would have scolded you about it then and there!¡±


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    Zycor rolled his eyes at her comment as he grinned and began to leave. ¡°H-hey! I am talking to you! Don¡¯t just walk away from me!¡±


    ¡°Then you better keep up princess! We can¡¯t talk if I get too far ahead!¡± Zycor teased back.


    Aisha, fuming, began to follow as she muttered, ¡°Jeez~ when did you get so good at banter?¡±


    Before they left the Guild hall, Zycor called for Novos, who swiftly exited the bedroom, hopped over the railing and glided down to Zycor. Novos made himself slightly smaller to wrap himself around Zycor¡¯s neck, his favorite spot.


    The trio, after arriving at the market section of the city''s district, began browsing shops. Aisha was walking a fine line of staying on task and goofing off by looking at clothes and accessories. Despite Aisha enjoying her time, Zycor remained on edge the entire time. He was constantly scanning their surroundings while trying to contain himself. There was the makings of an infestation of Velathrian knights within the city. Aisha, taking notice of his growing frustrations, asked Zycor, ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±


    Zycor had completely shut Aisha out, continuing to glare at the Velathrian knights that continued to roam the streets. Aisha, following his glare, noticed the knights. Although she did not have the full story, Aisha knew that Zycor had major issues with Velathria. She grabbed his hand, snapping him out of his trance, and dragged him into an alley.


    ¡°What is going on with you? I know that something went down between you and Velathria, but you cannot go staring daggers at them like that!¡± Aisha questioned as she scolded him.


    Zycor looked at her, his eyes now narrowed, and asked, ¡°How long have these pests been here?¡±


    Aisha took a moment to think and replied, ¡°About a year and a half now? Velathria made a treaty or something with the kingdom of Muthgrad. Though, with how the current ruling family is, I assume they were paid an exorbitant amount of money to hand over ruling authority over to Velathria. They have been warmongering as of late, so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°I see. So the ones I slaughtered up North were raiding for war purposes.¡± Zycor muttered to himself.


    Aisha, not letting his comment slide, irritatedly requested, ¡°Do you mind repeating that?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What part?¡± Zycor responded, cocking his head in confusion.


    ¡°The part about you killing Velathrian knights!?¡± Aisha angrily reiterated, trying to keep her voice down.


    Zycor only returned a stare filled with even more confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem Ai, they were bad guys about to do bad things, so I stopped them.¡± Zycor explained matter of factly.


    ¡°And your first thought was not to subdue them, but to kill them!?¡± Aisha questioned even more ferociously.


    With a slight amount of unease, Zycor hesitantly responded, ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    Aisha stood looking at him, completely stunned. She was lost for words. Despite how mature he had seemed to have gotten, it seemed as though this one aspect of him refused to mature with him. She let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°I cannot believe you can be so mature and have grown so much, and yet not see the issue with your actions.¡± There was a brief pause before she continued, ¡°Well, I will deal with that problem later. For now, let''s head back. I really do not want to deal with any trouble the day after you get back.¡±


    As the two of them slipped out of the alley, two Velathrian knights watched them. As the pair left, one of the knights sternly ordered, ¡°Go inform the boss. He¡¯s here.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 5: Their Encounter

    Coming upon a small encampment outside of the main city as the sun set behind the mountains, the knight tasked with delivering the information arrived. He quickly made his way into the main tent to inform ¡®the boss.¡¯ ¡°Vice Commander Volnir, I have news regarding the kid you are looking for! Just as you said, he returned to the city!¡± the knight exclaimed.


    Volnir chuckled as he held out a letter towards the knight. ¡°He did take slightly longer than I had intended, I must admit. However, it matters not in the end, for he is here now. I want you to take this letter and deliver it directly to the boy.¡± Volnir shifted his tone to a far more serious one as he explained, ¡°You must not allow Adria Mori to get her hands on that letter. If that happens all of my planning and preparing will have been for nothing. Are we clear?¡±


    The knight nodded and took the letter. ¡°Good, then you are dismissed. Get some rest and be up and ready to go early in the morning.¡± Volnir said as he dismissed the knight.


    Now alone in his tent, Volnir grinned sadistically as he chuckled, ¡°This should be fun, I have not had a chance to slaughter something other than soldiers in a while.¡±


    - - -


    The sun made its round trip and rose over the horizon, bleeding into Zycors room. Sitting up to stretch, he noticed a dagger right by his window outside. It appeared to be pinning an envelope addressed to him to the wall. Curiosity overtaking him, Zycor opened his window and retrieved the envelope. Upon opening it he found the letter enclosed and began to read it. As he read through it, his eyes widened as small sparks of electricity began to lightly arc around his body. Novos began to do the same as he opened his eyes full of ferocity. Zycor slammed the letter down on his desk and immediately geared up. He called for Novos who jumped onto his shoulder. Zycor rushed out of his room and out of the guild hall without encountering Adria.


    As he rushed across the wastelands all he could do was allow his anger, rage and hatred fester as he thought about the contents of the letter. ¡°I honestly did not think I could hate that damn vice commander anymore than I already did!¡± Zweicor shouted within their head.


    Zycor remained completely silent, solely focused on finding this bastard. Making certain Zycor remained grounded and would think straight during the fight, Zweicor reminded, ¡°Remember, this bastard is strong. As unfortunate as it is, we cannot fight him with sheer force alone.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Zycor replied with a calm fury.


    Back at the guild, Aisha arrived early to try and scare Zycor as payback for the previous day''s shenanigans. As she entered the guild, Aislin greeted her. ¡°Now to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here this early?¡± She asked before she raised her eyebrows knowingly.


    Aisha shook her head as she explained, ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not it at all! We aren¡¯t like that yet!¡±


    Smirking, Aislin reiterated, ¡°¡®yet,¡¯ you say.¡±


    Taking a moment to remind herself how Aislin is, Aisha ignored the comment as she continued, ¡°Anyways, I wanted to scare him awake as payback for yesterday.¡±


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    Aislin let out a disappointed sigh and gestured for Aisha to proceed. Aisha burst into Zycor¡¯s room as she shouted, ¡°Wake up idiot, we got stuff to do!¡±


    She scanned the room and quickly noticed that Zycor was nowhere to be found. His bed was uncharacteristically disheveled and his pajamas were thrown in front of the bookshelf. Aisha noticed the letter sitting on the table and contemplated whether or not she should read it. She eventually decided that, under the pretense of supervising Zycor, she would read it:


    -


    Hello Zycor,


    You have taken quite good care of my men over the past few years. As much as it pains me to know I have lost so much man-power, at least I can rest easy knowing that many of the weak links have been cut loose. I thought, to return the favor, I would take some of your friends and respond in the same fashion. Never would have imagined a half-orc and a human would be buddy buddy, but hey the world can be crazy! Look at us, helping each other out like this, it reminds me of when we first met, back at that small village. Just think about how much I have helped you with! Well, if you decide you wish to watch those close to you die again, we will be to the north of the city by the mountains.


    Your friend,


    Vice Commander Volnir


    -


    Finishing the letter, she set it back on the desk. As she shook from anxiety, fear, and anger she ran out of the room. The main hall coming into view she caught sight of Baz and Mylon entering, most likely to see Zycor. She stopped instantly and stared at them as she realized Zycor had been tricked. Baz and Mylon noticed Aisha staring at them and as they were about to inquire as to why she shouted, ¡°You two, we have to go stop that impulsive fool! He was baited into a trap!¡±


    Baz and Mylon¡¯s expressions instantly shifted to ones of panic. As the three of them darted out of the guild hall Aisha called back to Aislin, ¡°Hey, make sure Adria goes and reads the letter up in Zycor¡¯s room! We are heading out first!¡±


    After nearly thirty minutes, Zycor finally reached the base of the mountain range. As the pillars of rock towered over him, he began to look around and saw the encampment further down the mountain range to the right. After catching his breath, he began the final leg of the journey.


    As Zycor approached the entrance of the encampment, he stopped. Although they were not visible, Zycor still felt their presence. He was surrounded. Before he could make a judgment call, he heard clapping coming from the encampment. From within, Volnir emerged with a sadistic and condescending smile.


    ¡°Well now, I must give you credit, I thought for certain it would have taken you longer to get here!¡± Volnir chirped before he taunted, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you used some of the small amount of magic you have to get here! Now that would be just terrible!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s irritation was visibly plastered across his face. His anger and hatred grew more and more palpable by the second. Zycor, with an expression of contorted rage, growled, ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Volnir, putting on a confused look, asked, ¡°Now, who are you talking about?¡±


    Unable to contain himself any longer Zycor stuck out his finger as he said, ¡°Converge.¡± and instantly shot out a bolt of condensed lightning. Volnir cocked his head to the side as the bolt streamed by his face, piercing through one of the encampment''s guards chests. The guard fell back dead with a gaping wound through his sternum. Neither Zycor nor Volnir took their eyes off of each other. Volnir now had a serious expression while Zycor¡¯s glare intensified with his rising fury.


    Breaking the silence, Volnir smirked as he drew his sword, ¡°Well, I would consider that first blood. And with that, I must retaliate to protect Velathria.¡±


    Zycor clutched his gauntlets as he responded threateningly, ¡°Give it your best shot.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 6: Their Fight

    Zycor and Volnir stood their ground, Volnir¡¯s claymore drawn while Zycor clutched his gauntlets. The tension in the air grew thicker and thicker the longer their stand-off lasted. Zycor, having reached the limits of his patience, made the first move. He suddenly threw one of the small gauntlets towards Volnir as he readied the other one. As the gauntlet soared through the air, it began to return to its normal size. Immediately after, Zycor began to charge at Volnir as he enlarged and equipped his remaining gauntlet.


    Despite the unorthodox opener confusing him, Volnir stood firm as he moved his claymore to parry the projectile. His sword collided with the gauntlet as he threw it upwards. Volnir, now no longer distracted, immediately re-focused on Zycor who had vanished into thin air. Rapidly scanning the area in an attempt to locate him, He was struck with a sudden realization. Volnir quickly shifted his attention to the gauntlet he had just parried upwards. Sure enough, Zycor had equipped it and was rocketing down towards him. Coating his claymore with mana, Volnir grinned as he readied himself to parry the attack. As Zycor made contact with his sword, Volnir¡¯s smile instantly vanished as he began to grit his teeth. Volnir, struggling as he let out a ferocious shout, repelled Zycor¡¯s initial attack.


    ¡°Well, it seems you might actually be worth some-.¡± Volnir continued to taunt for a brief moment before Zycor swiftly resumed his assault.


    Zycor extended his blades and coated them with lightning. Now in front of Volnir, Zycor unleashed a barrage of targeted attacks aimed at every vital point he could find. Volnir was defending well, but as the barrage continued he noticed the attacks accelerated with each strike. In order to free himself from the onslaught of blows, Volnir decisively chanted, ¡°Fracture.¡± With this, the earth beneath both his and Zycor¡¯s feet cracked and broke, throwing them off balance. Volnir seized this opportunity and kicked Zycor as hard as he could in the stomach, creating some distance.


    Zycor winced at the pain, but the flood of adrenaline coursing through his body abated the pain. Without skipping a beat, Zycor retracted his right blade and gathered lightning in his palm as he spat out, ¡°Converge. Splinter. Surge. Seek.¡± The lightning in his hand began to swirl violently with each word before he finally thrust his hand forward, discharging the lightning in a single sharp shot. The lightning bolt shot through the air at an incredible speed. As Volnir raised his sword in preparation to defend against it, the single bolt splintered into six smaller ones that accelerated to even greater speeds. Each bolt began to make rigid, sharp adjustments as they ripped through the air towards Volnir. With little time to react, Volnir did his best to cover himself with as much mana as he could before impact.


    ¡°If it is only one or two of these stray shots, I should be ok.¡± Volnir thought as he braced himself.


    Suddenly, the beams that were flying erratically course corrected. Without the option to dodge the seeking bolts, Volnir was now faced with taking all six directly. Volnir managed to parry two of the bolts into the ground, kicking up dust that removed all visibility of him. Zycor stood observant and ready as he took deep, heavy breaths. ¡°Zy, you have to calm down! You can¡¯t tear through our mana supply like that!¡± Zweicor began to scold.


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    Through his labored breaths Zycor responded, ¡°Well¡­ it¡­ worked¡­ didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®it worked¡¯? Remember what happened last time we thought we won without seeing the body?¡± Zweicor retorted.


    Controlling his breathing, Zycor looked around at the other soldiers and admitted, ¡°Well, I do agree with you that going through my mana like that may not have been the greatest idea. Especially surrounded like this.¡±


    ¡°Now, I am not sure if I kicked you too hard, or if the lack of mana is making you delirious, but talking to yourself? I must admit friend, I am kind of worried about you! It¡¯s no fun executing someone who is not all there, I don¡¯t get to hear their true screams!¡± Volnir taunted as the dust settled.


    Zycor stood stunned as he questioned, ¡°Did I miss!?¡±


    Volnir chuckled as sparks of residual electricity zapped across his armor, ¡°No, my dear boy, you most certainly did not. However, I am afraid you do not pack enough of a punch to fell me.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s shock and surprise quickly turned into a twisted amalgamation of anger, hatred and enjoyment. ¡°Honestly I am glad you didn¡¯t go down that easily, now I get to prolong your suffering.¡± He smugly declared.


    Volnir cackled as he retorted, ¡°Are you now?! I must admit, it is heartwarming to know we are in agreement, but I am afraid our one on one duel has come to an end. You will now have to deal with myself along with the other seven knights here.¡±


    After Volnir finished his statement, the other knights encircled Zycor. His eye began to twitch in frustration as he realized what Volnir was attempting to do. Zycor began to contemplate his options. Novos was still here and could serve as not only a second fighter but also a way to replenish some of his mana through their contract. Alternatively, he could let Novos go wild with his true form, but that would leave Zycor with no way to defend himself. Novos¡¯ transformation would end up increasing the amount of mana he would need to fire attacks. This would mean Zycor would have to make do with the small reserve of mana remaining.


    Zycor smirked as he chuckled, ¡°Any ideas, Zwei?¡±


    Zweicor chuckled back, ¡°Your thoughts are pretty much the same as mine. We either rely completely on Novos, or we tag team with him. Both have their pros and cons. But honestly, I think we are kind of screwed. It might be for the best to let Novos escape all together, seeing as it is our fault he is in this mess.¡±


    Zycor looked towards Novos, who was now guarding his rear, and asked, ¡°Well partner, what do you think? Do you want to run or fight?¡±


    Novos grew slightly bigger and he fired a bolt of lightning through one of the knights¡¯ chests, roaring as the knight collapsed. Zycor, agreeing with his partner''s answer, smiled as he shouted, ¡°Well said!¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 7: Dead Men Be We

    Having been transferred some mana from Novos, Zycor extended his gauntlet blades and prepared for the up-hill battle ahead. As Volnir sat back and watched, the knight surrounding the two of them began their assault. Novos began his attack on the three knights to their rear, slamming his tail into them and swiping at them with his claws and teeth. Meanwhile, Zycor was dealing with the four remaining ones coming from the front. He would parry and kick one knight away as he chained it into another counter against another knight. It was a relentless onslaught that left no room for error or rest.


    Novos was being pelted by various spells and blades, his strength being chipped away. At the same time Zycor was beginning to tire at an alarming rate, taking grazes and impacts occasionally. Unfortunately for him, Zycor¡¯s left leg temporarily gave out making him stagger during a counter. He got hit hard and was thrown back, caught by Novos¡¯ back and tail. As Zycor stared up at his impending death he could only think about how reckless he was.


    As one of the knights brought their sword down on Zycor, A fire bolt collided with the knight. As he staggered back, all of the knights trained their attention on its source. Standing with her hand outstretched was Aisha with Baz and Mylon prepared to engage. Glancing over towards them, Zycor could not help but chuckle. ¡°Sorry guys, looks like I am causing trouble again,¡± he apologized.


    Mylon grinned as he sighed, ¡°Yeah well, I think we are used to it at this point.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t mind it! Seeing as how when you get into trouble I get to let loose!¡± Baz chortled.


    ¡°Save your breath, I would much rather have you apologize through your wallet. It¡¯s the least you can do for me being forced to deal with you,¡± Aisha complained.


    Volnir, agitated about this interruption to his plans, commanded, ¡°What are you all doing? You have your orders, finish off the boy quickly! We can deal with the rest of these fools after!¡±


    The knights turned their attention back to Zycor and readied their attack. ¡°Not on my watch chuckle-fucks!¡± Baz exclaimed as he threw his massive axe.


    The axe spun through the air and nearly killed a few of the knights, though they were able to duck in time. The axe spun ferociously towards Volnir, his eyes trained on it. Volnir brought his sword up and parried the massive weapon away. This proved to be enough of a distraction for Mylon and Aisha to get to Zycor. ¡°You seem to be having a rough day, huh? Can you move?¡± Mylon began questioning.


    Zycor nodded as he stumbled to his feet with the help of Novos. Mylon tossed a vial to Zycor as he said, ¡°Drink up, it¡¯s a potion to help restore some of your stamina and a small amount of mana.¡±


    Zycor did as instructed and, although still cut up and bruised, was able to stand more stably. Focusing his attention on Volnir, Zycor asked Mylon and Aisha, ¡°You think you guys can deal with this trash?¡±


    Mylon nodded and Aisha smirked as she boasted, ¡°Of course we can, especially considering we have a magnificent creature and an uncouth beast on our side!!¡±


    Baz grabbed one of the knights by the head and threw him at another knight as he shouted angrily, ¡°I heard that pipsqueak!¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Zycor began to explain, ¡°Then I will deal with the Big Bad until you guys finish up. I may not be able to beat him by myself, but together we should be able to.¡±


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    ¡°As much as I hate to leave such a role to you, especially when you¡¯re injured, your speed is probably the only thing that could distract him long enough. Go for it, we will finish soon!¡± Mylon encouraged as he fended off two of the knights.


    Aisha erected a stone wall angled towards one of her attackers, knocking him back, as she exclaimed, ¡°If you die, I swear I will kill you!¡±


    Zycor smirked as he chuckled, ¡°Right!¡±


    He then spoke to Zweicor, ¡°Are you ready for round two?¡±


    Zweicor smiled intensely as he laughed with anticipation, ¡°Are you kidding?! I have been waiting for this!¡±


    Zycor closed his eyes for a moment before they shot open suddenly, his eye color now different. Instead of Zycor¡¯s evergreen, they were now gray. He smiled with Zweicor¡¯s anticipation and excitement as he shouted, ¡°Aw hell yeah! Here I come, round two you rat bastard!¡±


    He rushed towards Volnir who readied himself to parry the telegraphed left feint into right thrust. As the attack came out and Volnir went to parry it, Zycor quickly spun himself around and roundhouse kicked Volnir in the back of his head. Dazed, Volnir was trying to figure out what happened, but before he could properly organize his thoughts Zycor had begun his next attack.


    Throwing an attack or two, then repositioning before firing off one or two more and repeating. This pattern was entirely different from the barrage onslaught style Zycor had been using up to this point. ¡°What the hell happened?! Someone doesn¡¯t just change up their style THIS dramatically! It¡¯s almost as if I am fighting a different person!¡± Volnir thought to himself.


    Launching a strong strike, Zycor knocked Volnir back, creating some distance. Panting while he grinned Zycor said under his breath, ¡°It feels so good to have the reins again. Thanks for the switch, Zy.¡±


    ¡°You are better at these precise, quick movements than I am. I tend to get far too tunnel visioned to think about repositioning.¡± Zycor responded from within his own head.


    Zycor and Zweicor had swapped who was in control, thus vastly deviating from the fighting style Volnir had grown accustomed to. To make matters worse for Volnir, the four others had managed to defeat all but two of the knights. Having lost interest due to the collapse of his plan, Volnir shouted in anger and annoyance, ¡°Okay, that is it! I am done playing with you kids!¡±


    Fire engulfed Volnir¡¯s sword as he began to speak commands, ¡°Congregate. Blaze. Ignite.¡± As he spoke these commands the fire condensed and became more controlled, then became more intense before finally burning hotter and turning blue. He then reinforced his legs with mana and lunged at Zweicor with incredible speed. Completely caught off guard by his opponent''s sudden increase in speed, Zweicor put up his gauntlets to block the attack. As the sword collided with them, they cracked slightly as Zweicor was sent flying back. Mylon dug his feet in and caught him, sliding back a little.


    Volnir began to approach them and angrily stated, ¡°I cannot believe how much grief one brat has caused me. In the future I won¡¯t be making the same mistake. So, as a first step, I think it is time I fix my mistake and finish you.¡±


    He suddenly stopped in his tracks, the magic around his sword going out. A look of dread consumed Volnir¡¯s face as he looked at the ground between himself and Zycor¡¯s party. A black sludge began to seep out of the ground and rise up, eventually taking the form of a person. He was dressed in a gray suit with a black undershirt and wore a white top hat. As his form fully materialized, he opened his eyes and looked at Volnir. ¡°Now now, Vice Commander, I believe I¡­ told you to¡­ not kill the boy.¡± He questioned, pausing in places there should be none.


    Volnir knelt down as he sweat bullets, responding, ¡°Y-yes, you did. I just got carried away, Mister X, sir.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I tend to forget how terribly emotional¡­ humans tend to¡­ be. I ask that you¡­ remember who is in charge, unless you¡­ wish to end up like the late commander¡­ Zeddicus. It truly was¡­ a shame. He also went against my¡­ order. I really hated what¡­ I had to do, but¡­ examples must be¡­ made.¡± Mister X reminded through his broken speech.


    Volnir¡¯s blood ran cold at the mention of the previous Commander, the image of his corpse still fresh in his mind.


    Hearing Mister X¡¯s name, Zweicor¡¯s eyes widened as the man turned to look at him. Mister X smiled and said, ¡°Hello my dear¡­ Zycor.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 8: Do or Die

    Panic consumed Zweicor as he recalled their previous encounter. As he turned to run, Zycor shouted at his friends, ¡°Everyone, run away! This guy is too much!¡±


    Zweicor was promptly stopped in his tracks by black ooze forming in front of him, Mister X¡¯s figure rising from the bubbling puddle. Zweicor reflexively stumbled back, only stopped by Aisha, Mylon and Baz. Mylon, sweating from Mr. X¡¯s presence alone, questioned, ¡°So, I take it you two are acquainted?¡±


    ¡°Heh, hardly. He invaded my dreams a while back and tried to consume me from within it.¡± Zweicor nervously chuckled. His gallows humor was only met with silence.


    ¡°So, any trump cards someone has yet to play?¡± Baz rhetorically asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I have one but I don¡¯t have enough mana to make use of it.¡± Zweicor responded.


    Not expecting his question to receive an actual answer, Baz could not help but chortle, ¡°It¡¯s alright buddy, I wasn¡¯t being serious anyhow! The fact you actually have something at all is hilarious!¡±


    Aisha, having been deep in thought, asked, ¡°What if you could replenish your mana to an extent? Would this trump card work?¡±


    Zweicor shrugged, ¡°Honestly, I am not sure. But this is sort of a ¡®do-or-die¡¯ situation, so I don¡¯t think it matters too much.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, then smash your gauntlets.¡± Aisha suggested.


    Mortified, Zweicor questioned, ¡°You want me to destroy my only weapons? How would that help at all?!¡±


    ¡°Hear me out, your gauntlets are made of magnecite, right? Well, aside from channeling magic and adjusting its size, magnecite also stores mana. If you shatter it, the mana will return to its owner. You have used them for a while, so there should be enough mana stored in them to restore a reasonable amount of your mana pool.¡± Aisha explained as quickly as she could.


    Mister X, who was tapping his foot, interjected, ¡°Are you quite¡­ done with your¡­ farewells?¡±


    Out of time to think about it any further, Zweicor shouted, ¡°Well, it¡¯s do-or-die! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zweicors eyes shifted to Zycors¡¯ evergreen, followed by Zycor throwing his gauntlets on the ground and yelling, ¡°Baz, smash the gauntlets with all your might!¡±


    Baz grinned as Aisha and Mylon moved out of the way. He brought his mighty axe down as hard as he could, shattering the gauntlets and partially fracturing the ground. Mana flowed from the shattered pieces of magnecite back to Zycor. With his restored mana, he faced Mister X who stood grinning, fully enjoying the group''s desperate struggles. Zycor cried out, ¡°Novos, I invoke our contract! Come forth and grant me your power!¡±


    Novos began to glow intensely, shooting into the sky in a spear of light. He shot back down and through Zycors chest from behind. The spear of light was absorbed into Zycors body as the ground began to shake violently. Beneath his feet, the ground began to fracture as Zycor roared. He hunched forward as two massive, blue dragon wings sprouted from his back along with a dragon''s tail. He sprouted fangs and his pupils dilated and changed to that of a lizard. His hands, arms, feet and legs became covered in the same blue scales as Novos. His fingernails grew long and turned to claws as a pair of horns sprouted from his head. Lightning began to arc across his body as Zycor breathed heavily. For the first time in the planet''s history, a dragon demi-human was born. He inhaled deeply and let out a deafening roar that pushed everyone but himself and Mister X back.


    Zycor blitzed forward with speed incomparable to what he was capable of before. Coating his fist in lightning, he plunged it into Mister X. Unfortunately, his punch passed through Mister X¡¯s body that quickly mended itself by reconnecting using black ooze. Undeterred, Zycor pivoted on his right foot and exclaimed, ¡°Engulf!¡± His body was instantly covered in lightning and he ripped through air even faster than before. But this time, he covered his fist with gravity magic. As his fist made contact with Mister X, the latter realized that his form was not breaking apart. For the first time in nearly a millennium, Mister X was hit and sent flying into the mountain beside them.


    Through his labored breathing, Zycor yelled, ¡°Now¡¯s your chance everyone, get out of here! I will catch up shortly! I can¡¯t use that attack too many times due to the mana consumption!¡±


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    Mylon and Aisha began to run as Baz hesitated for a moment looking at what Zycor had become. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me kid.¡±


    He then turned to escape with Mylon and Aisha. Unfortunately for them Volnir stepped in front of them, thoroughly pissed. ¡°Well, I may not have been able to have my fun with that child, but I will be damned if I don¡¯t kill someone today!¡± he exclaimed, ¡°But that can wait, why don¡¯t you all stay and watch as your companion dies?!¡±


    Mylon and Baz both charged him with everything they had as they shouted, ¡°Move out of our way!¡±


    Volnir brought his sword, covered in intense mana like before, as he grinned sadistically and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Making contact with Volnir¡¯s sword, both Mylon and Baz stopped dead in their tracks. Volnir pushed the duo back as he chuckled, ¡°Well would you look at that, if that was your best I must say the child has poor taste in comrades!¡±


    As they were preparing to face off, massive shockwaves could be felt behind them. Turning around, the trio saw Mister X decimating Zycor easily. Zycor was able to dodge one of his punches and went in for another gravity punch and connected yet again. Unfortunately, this time it had little effect due to him running on mana fumes yet again. ¡°I must admit, you surprised¡­me, dear Zycor. It has been a very¡­ long time since someone has¡­ hit me. But, as are most things, it¡­ was meaningless in¡­ the end. If you want to¡­ kill me then you will have to accept¡­ my gift.¡±


    Zycor remained defiant, standing tall despite how injured he now was. As he went to respond he suddenly stopped and clutched his chest. With a shout of pain, Novos was ejected from his body as he went to his knees. ¡°How unfortunate that¡­ this is the end of our fun. Perhaps a little¡­ nudge will help you embrace my¡­gift.¡± Mister X pondered aloud.


    He looked at Volnir and nodded, giving him the go ahead to begin killing his opponents. Volnir¡¯s eyes lit up at this and he began to walk towards the trio. As he raised his sword, there was a massive impact right behind him. As if the goddess was going out of her way to stop Volnir specifically, he found himself face to face with Adria yet again.


    She looked around the area to get a rudimentary understanding of what was going on. As she did, Adira saw Zycor and what had happened to him. Her eyes widened as she realized what he had done, then narrowed in unfiltered and unrestrained fury directed towards the finely dressed man and Volnir. Volnir sighed, ¡°I just cannot catch a break, can I?¡±


    Finishing his sentence he was sent flying through the camp and beyond by Adria. Locking eyes with Mister X, she used her Status personal skill and instantly realized how large of a threat he was. Adria was one of the most powerful people in the entire world without question. Entire nations cowered in fear of her raw power, never mind her schemes and connections. However, the man standing before her was something not of this world, neither dead nor alive, with power unquantifiable even to Adria¡¯s transcendent personal skill. Not missing a beat nor breaking eye contact, Adria commanded, ¡°Aisha, Mylon, Baz, grab Zycor and leave this place. Don¡¯t go back to the city either, you have to leave here entirely. I will buy you all time, so go.¡±


    Unable and unwilling to refuse her while she was in her current state, they all nodded and went to retrieve Zycor. Zycor looked at Adria with panicked eyes as he exclaimed, ¡°But what about you?! I won¡¯t just leave you! I can¡¯t!¡±


    Mister X interjected, ¡°I agree with¡­ Zycor. Although it may be for a¡­ different reason, I will not¡­ allow him to leave. Especially not when¡­ he is so¡­ close.¡±


    Adria seemingly teleported between him and Zycor. She threw a fire coated fist through his face, removing it and cracking the mountain behind. After a moment, Mister X¡¯s head reformed, cocked his head, and threw his own punch in return. Adria ducked under it, confused at the lack of force behind it. But when she looked back, she saw the soldiers that were in the way begin to decay into dust along with their armor, the dirt and rocks.


    At this moment, Adria saw the danger the man before her posed and tossed Zycor towards Aisha, Mylon and Baz. After he was caught, Zycor questioned, ¡°Wait, mom!¡±


    ¡°My idiot child, do you really think I am that weak? I just need you to be far away enough to not be caught in the crossfire. In this case, that would be nowhere close to this city. Besides, Abros is overrun with Velathrian knights now, so there really is no point to return there at the moment.¡± Adria explained.


    She glared at Baz who promptly threw Zycor over his shoulder and began to leave. Zycor shouted back in a panic, ¡°But mom, he is extremely dangerous! You can¡¯t fight him alone!¡±


    Adria chortled, ¡°Oh please, sure he has power, but not as much as myself! Now get out of here!¡±


    As the group high-tailed it out of earshot, Mister X questioned, ¡°Are you certain your last words should have been lies?¡±


    ¡°They are only lies if I am proven wrong, care to try?¡± Adria quipped back.


    ¡°I do hope that¡­ you keep that¡­ bravado. It should serve you¡­ well during your stay in¡­ the afterlife.¡± Mister X threateningly expressed.


    Adria sighed through her chuckles, ¡°Hohoho~boy, I am going to enjoy killing you far more than I should.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed as she got serious. ¡°All of that aside, those stats of his could prove troublesome. Especially considering all of them were question marks. Just what in the world is he? Well.Questions for after I put him six feet under.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 9: True Display of Magic

    As Adria and Mister X¡¯s stare down continued, the latter broke the silence, ¡°So, is your plan¡­ to bore me to death? I once¡­ had someone actually try that¡­ it was quite possibly¡­ one of the worst experiences of my¡­existence.¡±


    ¡°If that is the worst, then I am about to rip your world asunder.¡± Adria retorted.


    Mister X dawned an unnaturally large smile and taunted, ¡°Come then, show me¡­ what an insect can do¡­ to a continent.¡±


    Without a moment more of hesitation, Adria began to launch a barrage of fireballs towards him. Mister X took each shot head on, the fireballs ripping and burning his body. Adria ceased her attack as she put all four palms together as she gathered an incredible amount of fire. She then calmly stated ¡°Congregate. Blaze. Ignite. Inferno.¡± The mass of fire condensed into a swirling ball, then had plumes of fire explode from certain parts that arced back into the intense fire. The fire and arcs then sped up until the red ball of heat turned to a bright yellow until it finally began to radiate an intense heat that began to melt the surroundings.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try this on for size!¡± Adria shouted as she fired the raging, balled inferno akin to a miniature sun at him.


    Mister X watched on, his body oozing black slime to cover the holes, gaps, and burns left from Adria¡¯s prior barrage. He held out his hand and the same black ooze coated it as the artificial star barreled towards him. Colliding with his hand, Mister X¡¯s expression instantly changed, realizing there was far more power behind it than he originally anticipated. He rotated his hand and reflected the attack towards the mountain beside him.


    The attack collided with the mountain and instantly detonated, creating a continuously expanding inferno dome. Adria cried ¡°Fortification! Solidify!¡± as she raised her hands, dropping to one knee. A bunker made of rock and earth surrounded her and hardened to something akin to steel. Mister X held his hand out once again towards the inferno rushing to consume him. Black ooze began to come from his eyes, almost as if he was crying it, and a mass of it encased him. The inferno dome engulfed the entire mountain, then the others around it. It grew until it swallowed everything within a two mile radius.


    Adria was constantly pouring mana into the bunker to prevent it from giving way until the dome finally subsided. Bringing the bunker down and standing up she found herself nearly at the center of a massive crater, the mountains that were once right next to her were now nothing but ash. She scanned the area to see if Mister X succumbed but as she locked onto the pulsing mass of black ooze an immense amount of disappointment overcame her. ¡°I knew you were tough, but I was expecting that to do something¡­¡±  Adria complained


    ¡°To be fair¡­ it did do something.¡± Mister X replied as the ooze fell to the ground.


    There he stood, but missing an arm, his right leg burned to what appeared charcoal while his left leg was also gone. His face was half burned off and there were multiple holes burned through his body.


    Adria stood mortified as she asked, ¡°What the hell are you? How are you still alive with those wounds?¡±


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    Mister X chuckled, ¡°Wounds? What wounds?¡±


    Upon saying that, the ooze that fell to the ground crawled up his body, regenerating his missing leg and healing the other. Going further up, it filled and healed the holes in his torso and reconstituted his arm before finally covering and healing his face.


    Adria stood in complete disbelief for a moment before she finally said with terror, ¡°Oh, fuck this.¡±


    Mister X dusted himself off and proclaimed, ¡°Now that you have¡­ had your fun, I do believe it¡­ is my turn.¡±


    Mister X vanished from sight and seemingly teleported behind Adria, blasting her with corrupted magic, sending her flying. Soaring through the air, Adria unfurled her wings which caught the wind and slowed her down. She flipped herself around and began to fire a rotation of fire, lightning, water, and earth. Each one tearing through Mister X¡¯s body as he walked towards her, the wounds closing as soon as they were made. Planting her feet into the ground and grinding to a halt, Adria began breathing heavily.


    Through gritted teeth she spat out, ¡°Well if normal magic won¡¯t work, how¡¯s about some superior magic!¡±


    Adria wound up her upper right hand that had begun to generate an increasingly hotter ball of fire. It continued to burn hotter, turning blue then to white until it ceased to be fire and became condensed plasma. ¡°Try this on for size!¡± Adria cried as she thrust her hand forward. The plasma beam rocketed forward, melting the ground as it traveled.


    Mister X smirked as he stood completely still, allowing the attack to rip through his torso. He continued to stare at Adria as the gaping wound was closed. However, Adria had already begun her next attack by the time it had. She combined fire and earth magic to create a combo magma spell, firing the massive ball of magma towards Mister X. Growing annoyed, Mister X complained aloud, ¡°Dear me, could this be anymore¡­ sad. It feels as though I¡­ Am kicking a puppy. Though, I suppose I have¡­ done worse.¡±


    He then created a curved barrier of ooze, the magma sliding across it with little to no resistance. As it collided with the ground behind Mister X, the magma began to burn a hole into the earth, causing even the dirt to combust into fire.


    ¡°Well.. if magic won¡¯t work, then what about physical attacks?¡± Adria muttered to herself, trying to figure something out, ¡°The issue is, status is not showing any weak points to exploit physically. I do have that, but there is no telling how much destruction would be caused due to it. Though, I don¡¯t think I have much of a choice at this point.¡±


    Mister X began to taunt Adria, ¡°Oh dear, what could¡­ be wrong? Do not tell me that you have gone¡­ insane like your dear son. I did not think that schizophrenia could be¡­ taught.¡±


    Adria took a deep breath and shouted ¡°Flash!¡± and lightning coated her body. She rushed towards Mister X who parried the initial attack, grabbed her wrist and plunged his other fist into her abdomen in rapid succession. He threw her into the air and flipped over above her, driving his foot into her back and rocketing both of them to the ground. The dust from the impact began to dissipate and Mister X slowly stepped off of her.


    As he looked down at her, Mister X commended Adria, ¡°I must admit, although you may not have done¡­ meaningful damage to me, you are quite strong. It has been a good¡­ while since I have encountered someone with¡­ such strength. I will say this, had I still been¡­ bound by the shackles of mortality, I would have¡­ been in a great deal of danger. You did well, for an¡­insect.¡±


    He then turned his attention towards where Zycor had been hauled off to. ¡°Now that this is¡­ done, I believe it is time for our¡­ reunion, dear Zycor.¡± Mister X commented to himself aloud.

 Volume 2; Chapter 10: If He Bleeds

    Mister X began his march forward, but stopped before making it too far. ¡°I must say you have¡­ Impressed me. Getting up after that could not¡­ have been easy.¡± Mister X commended before he continued, ¡°But you must have realized¡­ our difference in strength. Do you truly wish to die¡­ that bad?¡±


    Adria stood completely silent, her arms hung at her sides. She forced herself upright and shouted as she gathered all four basic magics in her four hands. She howled at the top of her lungs in an attempt to numb the pain as she slammed all four of her palms together. All of the different magic began to fuse into a mass of white magic with a faint tint of blue.


    Mister X¡¯s eyes widened as he questioned, ¡°Now what is that?¡±


    Adria¡¯s entire body trembled and creaked under the immense force being exerted upon it. With a shout Adria fired the attack towards Mister X, falling back right after. Due to the speed of the magic, Mister X was unable to dodge the entire attack. He cried out in pain due to the attack taking his right arm.


    Mister X stood completely dumbfounded, grasping his right shoulder. His eyes filled with rage and pain. Dropping all pretenses, he demanded, ¡°What the HELL did you do!? How did YOU hurt ME!?! You are nothing but filth, dirt beneath my boots! How! HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO USE ARCANE MAGIC!?¡±


    Adria had managed to stand up, her head facing the sky as she panted. She was covered in dirt, cuts, bruises, and blood. Her body trembled under its own weight; and yet, despite her situation, she was smiling. It was not full of sadism nor sarcasm, not full of enjoyment or adrenaline. It was full of fulfillment and acceptance.


    She brought her head down to face Mister X who was beyond furious, a warm smile across her face as blood seeped from her left eye. Adria, without a hint of anger or hatred, ignored Mister X¡¯s question and began, ¡°You know, even now, despite the humongous gap in power between us, I cannot seem to despair. You crying out just now told me everything I needed to know, you can be hurt. If you can be hurt, then you can be killed, am I wrong?¡±


    Mister X gritted his teeth as he saw a chance to mock Adria, replying, ¡°So what I can?! You are probably the only person who has figured out what can actually hurt me, and it was at the very end! Do you think I am going to let you live?! To teach or tell other people like that brat you call your son!? You''re delusional! Once I am finished here, I am going to have Zycor fall into complete despair until he succumbs to his own dark thoughts and becomes corrupted, just like me!¡±


    Adria simply continued to smile as she closed her eyes, ¡°I see, so I was right, You can be killed.¡± Adria opened her eyes and continued, ¡°Rest assured, you will die. It may not be by my hands, but I have faith that my dear child can. Because I believe in him with every fiber of my being. He was dealt such a crap hand, and yet he has managed to overcome challenges far above himself. It is only a matter of time before he also overcomes you.¡±


    Mister X, whose anger and frustration was palpable, questioned ferociously, ¡°Why on the goddess''s green Earth do you believe in some child you found in a backwater village?!¡±


    ¡°Why? Because he is my child whom I love, something I thought I would never feel. I suppose this is what is meant by ¡®a parents unconditional love.¡¯¡±


    Mister X, visibly recoiling from the statement, replied with disgust, ¡°What the fuck? Are you REALLY trying to spout some nonsense about how ¡®love will triumph over all¡¯?¡±


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    Adria chuckled, ¡°Perhaps, in all honesty I too would have thrown up if I had heard someone say the same thing to me before I took Zycor in.¡±


    Mister X composed himself and sighed, ¡°You know what? Whatever, I do not care anymore, just die.¡±


    He started to walk towards Adria who was far too damaged to move. She closed her eyes and began to communicate telepathically, ¡°Hey, are you awake you lazy sack of scales?¡±


    Somewhere deep in a cave, nestled within an unimaginable amount of gold a true dragon stirred. It opened its eyes halfway and a grumbly and coarse voice responded, ¡°Adria, it has been quite a while. To what do I owe the pleasure of conversing with the protector of my peaceful life?¡±


    Adria opened her eyes and answered, ¡°I need to invoke our contract and then immediately un-invoke it. I need you to deny the latter request.¡±


    Frowning slightly, the dragon asked, ¡°You are aware of what would happen if I did that, no?¡±


    ¡°I am, and I am counting on it. I am fighting someone who requires the resulting blast to defeat.¡± Adria explained.


    The dragon remained silent for a moment before it solemnly said, ¡°I see, that is truly a shame. I will miss the one compatriot who has had my back like I had theirs. But I shall abide by your wishes.¡±


    As Mister X approached ever closer, Adria wrapped up their conversation, ¡°I would love to chat with you more, but I seem to be out of time. But before I go, I will say this, if you ever want another compatriot you could trust then I do know someone. If you run across my son, Zycor, then try talking to him about it.¡±


    The dragon chuckled, ¡°You have a kid? Now that is a story I would love to hear, but perhaps I will have to ask him directly. Thank you Adria, for helping me out so much.¡±


    With one final response, Adria replied, ¡°You are welcome old friend, and thank you for the funds to live my life comfortably. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Tell me you walking blob, do you fear death?¡± Adria asked.


    Mister X stopped in his tracks, feeling like something was off. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He replied completely lost and confused.


    Adria¡¯s smile turned to a smirk. She then shouted ¡°Argonon of the Dragon race, I invoke our contract! Lend me your full power!¡±


    Argonon responded to the call, ¡°Adria of the Mothraki race, I accept your evocation.¡±


    Adria began to swell with power, forcing Mister X back. Before he could move too far, she locked his feet in place with ice and earth coated with intense mana. She then cried out, ¡°Argonon, I un-invoke our contract.¡±


    Argonon closed his eyes and with a heavy heart responded, ¡°Adria¡­ I do not accept your request.¡±


    The magic around and within Adria began to go haywire, bolts of arcane magic shooting out everywhere as the contract backflowed mana into her and out again. This process repeated over and over again until it became too much for Adria¡¯s body. Mister X looked at her in disbelief as he said, ¡°You are crazy¡­ certifiably insane¡­ what the hell are you doing!?¡±


    Through gritted teeth, she exclaimed, ¡°Sending a message set to be delivered from beyond the grave! See you in hell!¡±


    With those as her final words her body gave way to the immense mana being forced into her until something finally gave. Her body burst apart in a spectacular ball of pure arcane magic that rapidly grew in size, engulfing an area even larger than her initial attack. Nearly a six mile radius was consumed along with her and Mister X.

 Volume 2; Chapter 11: His Pain

    Having put distance between themselves and the battlefield; Baz, carrying Zycor, Mylon, carrying Novos, and Aisha ran into Aislin who was accompanied by Nalea. ¡°Over here guys! There should be a cave nearby we can take refuge in!¡± Aislin shouted.


    Getting closer Mylon questioned, ¡°And you are sure about that?¡±


    Nalea, interjecting, replied, ¡°Yes. It is a place Lady Adria herself ¡®repurposed¡¯ for a variety of situations, one of those being a worst case scenario. We will certainly be safe there, at least for a while.¡±


    Mylon, Baz, and Aisha looked at Nalea confused. ¡°Who are you again?¡± Aisha inquired, voicing the question all of them had.


    Before she could answer, Baz had a moment of recollection as he blurted out, ¡°Oh wait! Guys, I remember her! She is the woman from the alleyway that bailed us out of the situation with the Velathrian knights a few years back!¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I recall that as well. She was standing in front of quite a pile of corpses if I remember correctly.¡± Mylon added, rubbing his chin as he tried to recall.


    Nalea nodded to confirm their suspicions, ¡°Yes, that was me. My name Is Nalea Valmar. I am¡­ was employed by Lady Adria as her personal assistant and assassin. I have kept a close eye on all of you as per her request.¡±


    Baz¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Now, exactly how close have you been watching?¡±


    Nalea, her expression remaining stagnant, replied, ¡°Do not worry, Mr. Dragonaxe, I have a rule to not divulge information about anyone without express orders from my employer.¡±


    Baz continued to stare at her for a while longer before he finally relented, sighing, ¡°This is acceptable.¡±


    Nalea gestured behind her as she explained, ¡°This way will lead us to the cave in question. It is a bit of a hike from here, but we must not stop until we arrive. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow ourselves to be captured. If we do then Lady Adria¡¯s¡­¡±


    She paused, pursing her lips briefly, then continued, ¡°Well, we just can¡¯t be caught. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Without another word, the rest of the party followed while Nalea led the way. There was a somber aura that permeated the group. Though no one spoke, the weight of knowing what Adria had done hung above them all.


    -


    Groaning, Zycor began to open his eyes and take note of his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a cave illuminated by a faint blue glow and a fire. It was unclear how long he had been out, but it seemed to have been for a substantial amount of time. Attempting to move, he noticed Novos lying on his lap. For a moment Zycor slightly grinned and went to pet Novos. He stopped right above him, Zycor having taken notice of his hand. While he stared at the alarmingly different hand, he recalled what had happened prior to his forced ¡®nap.¡¯


    He sighed in a brief moment of relief. This relief nearly instantly vanished as he shot up, causing Novos to fall off. Breaking out in a cold sweat and holding his head, Zycor began to panic due to recalling what happened with Adria. Attempting to move forward, he stumbled to the ground. Zycor¡¯s body was covered in injuries, exhausted, and no longer balanced how he was used too. He tried to get back on his feet, but tripped over his new tail. His wings did not make anything easier either, moving erratically and clearly not under proper control.


    Far too exhausted to make another attempt to stand, Zycor remained on his hands and knees beginning to weep. A hand reached out and came to rest on Zycor¡¯s shoulder. He looked up and was met with Mylon kneeling down in front of him. He had a warm smile, comforting Zycor, ¡°It¡¯s ok Zy, we are safe now thanks to you and Adria.¡±


    Zycor, stumbling into a sitting position, asked, ¡°Where is mom?¡±


    Mylon remained silent, unable to find the words. Zycor looked around the cave at Aisha, Aislin, Baz, and Nalea, hoping one of them would say something. A range of emotion swept across Zycor¡¯s face before his head finally dropped as he muttered, ¡°There is no way. She isn¡¯t dead¡­ she can¡¯t be.¡±


    Aislin walked over and knelt down next to Mylon and brought Zycor in for a hug. ¡°I am so sorry Zycor. I wish there was more I could do than this, but there is not. It is ok to cry, Zycor. We all feel the same way.¡±


    Her words touched Zycor deeper than he thought they would. He was unable to hold himself back any longer and began to weep uncontrollably. Mylon, Aisha, and Nalea watched on with somber and pained looks. The feeling of knowing there was nothing more anyone could do than be there for Zycor tore at them.


    Baz remained silent at the back with a stoic expression. He watched on with everyone else before he finally closed his eyes and turned to walk out. Aisha, noticing this, chastised, ¡°Where are you going? Are you really just going to leave Zy at a time like this?!¡±


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    ¡°Aisha!¡± Mylon exclaimed, startling her.


    She looked over at him to see him shaking his head slowly. Baz didn¡¯t stop at any point, nor did he look back.


    Mylon walked over to meet Aisha, the latter of whom questioned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to stop him too?!¡±


    Mylon looked towards the route to the exit of the cave as he explained, ¡°I have known that big oaf far longer than anyone else. Trust me, he cares, possibly more than any of us here, not that we will ever know for certain. I know we have not talked much about our past, but just know, we have lost our fair share of people too. At a certain point, Baz stopped expressing any ¡®sad¡¯ emotion around others. He won¡¯t comfort anyone nor baby them; that sort of thing is beyond him at this point. Him walking out was his way of being considerate. He probably also needs to deal with his own emotions.¡±


    Aisha, accepting most of the reasoning, voiced her objections, ¡°Well, despite that I think he should have stayed. He can¡¯t be of any help outside right now.¡±


    ¡°I promise you, Aisha, when the time to fight comes, he will do everything he can for Zycor. His way of helping others has always been through fighting.¡± Mylon assured Aisha.


    Turning their attention back to Zycor, who had begun to calm down, Aisha inquired, ¡°Well, what do we do now? Not like we can just rush back out there. Plus, we have Zycor¡¯s ¡®situation¡¯ going on.¡±


    Mylon nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah, who knew Contracts could allow both parties to fuse. Although there is clearly a cost for the power it gives.¡±


    Nalea cut into their conversation, ¡°There is a vault of sorts Lady Adira repurposed to house equipment meant for all of you.¡±


    Aisha and Mylon both recoiled, completely forgetting she was there.


    Nalea, unaffected, continued, ¡°Said equipment was intended to be presented to all of you as gifts for having been there for Zycor. That was supposed to happen today in celebration of Zycor¡¯s return. However, that plan has clearly changed. Showing all of you there should be alright though.¡± Nalea paused briefly before she commented, ¡°With the loss of Lady Adria, I suppose that would make her son my new ¡®employer.¡¯ Perhaps I should address him as ¡®Master Zycor¡¯ from now on¡­¡±


    Aisha and Mylon both stared at Nalea with palpable disapproval. With a confused look, Aisha questioned, ¡°Why would you do that? Adria was your employer, that should not have anything to do with lineage, right? Unless you are a maid of sorts?¡±


    Nalea pondered this notion for a moment before responding, ¡°No, I do not think I would be considered employed as a ¡®maid.¡¯ I served Lady Adria for¡­ personal reasons. I would prefer not to go into them at this time. Putting that aside, I would like to continue to repay my debt to her through her son.¡±


    Mylon shook his head as he reiterated, ¡°No, no, no, that is not the issue. Why would you call him ¡®master Zycor¡¯ instead of just ¡®Zycor?¡¯¡±


    Nalea, not seeing anything wrong, retorted, ¡°Well, I addressed Lady Adria as, well, ¡®Lady Adria.¡¯ So, since I would be under the employment of a new, male employer, why should I not address them the same way?¡±


    Mylon went to respond but stopped, realizing she had a point¡­ to an extent. After thinking about it, he suggested, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Zycor will like that all too much. ¡®Master¡¯ might be too much, so what about ¡®sir?¡¯¡±


    Nalea contemplated the proposal and decided to accept it, ¡°Sir Zycor it is then.¡±


    Aisha and Mylon both let out a sigh of relief, glad that ordeal is over. ¡°So, about that equipment¡­¡± Aisha asked, attempting to re-align the conversation.


    Nalea nodded, ¡°Yes, it is because of the equipment that I guided us here.¡±


    ¡°Is this ¡®The Tomb?¡¯¡± Aislin chimed in, Zycor next to her.


    Nalea nodded again and walked about ten paces along the wall and put her hand against it. Pouring magic into it, Nalea said, ¡°Zycor Mori.¡±


    The wall began to shudder and shift as blue fractures formed along a portion of the wall. After a moment, the wall shattered inwards, the fragments of the wall being suspended in the air. Behind it was a ramp leading to a room filled with gold, artifacts and an assortment of other objects. Towards the back of the room were four pedestals, each with different equipment floating above them. Sitting at the head of the pedestals was what appeared to be an altar with what looked to be ingots.


    Baz walked back in to be greeted with the sight of the shattered wall. Completely out of the loop, he questioned with his booming voice, ¡°What the hell is that?!¡±


    Nalea smirked as she responded, ¡°It is part of the legacy Lady Adria has left to Sir Zycor and the rest of you. This is ¡®The Tomb of Heroes.¡¯¡±


    -


    With the wind howling and picking of dust, the landscape around Abros was forever changed. Mountains missing, craters, scorched earth and a massive crater. From within this crater were particles of mana so dense they could be seen visibly settling into the ground. This natural process was disturbed around a small area where black ooze began to bubble and converge. Building itself back up into a humanoid shape, it fell apart multiple times, appearing to struggle horribly.


    After a few attempts, the ooze successfully reformed into Mr. X, whose face and hair were both a mess. Visibly frustrated and clearly struggling to hold himself together, he held the upper part of his right arm. The rest of his arm was still missing and Mr. X was seemingly incapable of regenerating it. Staggering slightly, Mr. X mumbled, ¡°I cannot believe that low-life mortal nearly killed me. No matter, she is gone now, which means I can continue with my plan¡­¡± He paused momentarily as he held what remained of his right arm. Filled with rage and anger he snarled, ¡°Albeit down a fucking arm.¡±


    Taking a deep breath to compose himself, his eyes went black as he said, ¡°First, I need to deal¡­ with the boy.¡±


    Having said that, Mr. X took his leave of the crater, clutching what was left of his right arm all the while.

 Volume 2; Chapter 12: The Tomb

    Descending down the ramp, the group looked around the room. Illuminated by the same blue light as the cave prior, the gold shimmered and glistened. ¡°This is truly a sight to behold.¡± Mylon commented, awestruck.


    ¡°No kidding. There is more than enough gold and jewels here to allow all of us to live comfortably, possibly for the rest of our lives.¡± Aisha pointed out.


    The group made it to the bottom of the ramp, now fully inside of the tomb. As they pressed forward, they approached the pedestals. Upon closer inspection, each pedestal had a name engraved onto it. Baz stopped at the pedestal with his name and looked up at what was suspended above it. A massive Zweih?nder floated before him, made of a Mythril and Adamantite alloy, the two strongest materials native to their world. This made the massive sword both nearly unbreakable and extremely sharp. It would never dull, nor would it break from anything less than Super magic, Arcane magic, or three dragons attacking all at once. Reaching out and grasping it, the blade felt as though it resonated with him. A weapon made specifically for him and no one else. Baz looked at it with a stoic expression, then mumbled somberly, ¡°Hell of a parting gift, Guild master.¡±


    As everyone else went to check out their own pedestals, Nalea motioned for Zycor to approach her. Walking towards the head altar, shaped more like a coffin, he got a closer look at what lay on it. There were four ingots that oscillated a rainbow pattern across their surface. It was unlike anything he had ever seen or heard of. Nalea cleared her through and extended an envelope to Zycor, ¡°Sir Zycor, this was left by Lady Adria for you, just in case something unforeseen happened.¡±


    Zycor took the envelope and opened it, removing a letter from Adria. He felt a sharp pain in his heart as he held it. He almost couldn¡¯t bring himself to read it, feeling as if doing so would make what he already knew more real. It would make her death more real. Despite this, he proceeded to read the letter, perhaps hoping it would instead help bring some form of closure:


    -


    To my dear Zycor,


    If you are reading this, then something I could not account for has come to pass and I have perished. I apologize for leaving you so soon. I wanted to spend the rest of my life caring for you, watching you grow up, starting a family, and even beyond that. But it would seem life had other plans for me. I know you are hurting, and I again apologize for being unable to hold you until you feel better. But I know you can continue to forge ahead. You have continued to fight despite being constantly outclassed and beat down. Yet, no matter how many times you are, you keep getting back up, stronger for it. I leave this tomb and its contents to you and your friends. It was originally constructed to pay homage to the bloodline of heroes who upheld peace prior to the age of war. Perhaps you may find strength within it. Although, that may just be my own selfish wish, that you find something more important than revenge to push you forward.


    Well, enough of this sentimental stuff. I have left you more than enough capital to live as comfortably as you wish. Use it as you please. On top of this, I procured and commissioned weapons and artifacts to help boost your parties overall combat capabilities. For Baz, a massive, indestructible two-handed sword befitting of his orcish size and desire for fighting.


    For Mylon, a Mythril sword and a shield artifact recovered from the era prior to the age of war. Everyone I brought it to told me it was not possible to replicate nor make anything remotely close. It apparently has magic engraved into it, though it appears someone with a wind affinity is needed to use it.


    For Aisha, gloves made of cloth and magnecite. They will adjust to fit her hands no matter what form she takes. They are extremely sturdy and the tips of the gloves will coat her claws with magnecite, allowing her to concentrate magic onto them.


    And for you, my dear child, I leave you these ingots. They are made of something foreign to this world. Every craftsman, blacksmith, merchant, lord and alchemist I brought them to could neither recognize nor work with them to make something with current methods. As a result, I have taken the liberty of naming the material ¡®unobtainium.¡¯ However, I would never leave you something that might not be useful. If you head north to the capital of Muthgrad, Vestrana, I have an informant there who goes by Viral. He has been working on finding a rumored hidden village that may have knowledge on how to forge the unobtainium. Just let them know that Adria sent you and they should be cooperative, though you should bring some gold just in case.


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    I know that whatever you decide to do, you will do it well. I believe in you and pray that you will be safe, strong and healthy.


    I love you, my son,


    Adria Mori


    -


    Zycor set the letter down on the coffin, his face contorting into one of sadness and pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom.¡± He lamented under his breath.


    His attitude took a sharp turn, filled with new determination. He raised his head and stuffed the pain and sorrow deep down and focused himself on a new, but similar goal. Mylon walked over, curious, and inquired, ¡°So, what was in the letter?¡±


    ¡°Some information about the weaponry and equipment left to us, along with her farewell.¡± Zycor responded confidently.


    He turned around suddenly to face Mylon and everyone else. He took a deep breath and began to explain his new goal. ¡°Everyone, there will be a slight change of plans.¡± Zycor began, ¡°I want to head to Vestrana, the capital, to meet with someone. Mom said they might be able to do something with the ingots behind me. After I get my hands on some new gauntlets, I am going to be taking a slight detour from destroying the Velathrian knights who killed my family.¡±


    Zycor paused as he looked at his open hand, clenching it, then continuing, ¡°It is clear Mr. X poses a greater threat to everyone I have left. I will make him pay. For mom, for going after all of you. And something tells me he had something to do with the death of my original family as well. This may turn into a suicide mission rather quickly, so if you don¡¯t want to come-.¡±


    Aisha cut him off and exclaimed, ¡°Are you stupid?! Are you really going to say that after all this time!? We¡¯re practically family, so we¡¯re all in this together, right?¡±


    Baz, Mylon, Aislin and Nalea all nodded. ¡°You think I would miss an opportunity to cave some skulls in? You¡¯re out of your mind!¡± Baz chortled.


    Mylon put a hand on Zycors shoulder and chuckled, ¡°Aisha said it best; did you really think any of us would leave?¡±


    A smirk crept onto Zycor''s face. Part of him knew this is what would end up happening, but actually seeing it happen made him happier than he thought it would. He felt a huge wave of motivation wash over him. ¡°Alright then, next stop, Vestrana!¡± Zycor exclaimed.


    Turning back to the ingots and Nalea, the latter held out a satchel towards Zycor. ¡°This is to hold the ingots, Sir.¡± Nalea said in a respectful tone.


    Zycor gratefully took the satchel and thanked Nalea. He proceeded to collect the ingots. While he did this, Aisha was stuffing her own satchel with gold and jewels. Zycor slung the satchel over his shoulder as he turned around. He looked at everyone and nodded for confirmation that everyone was ready to head out. After getting the green light from everyone, they began to leave the tomb. As they made their way out, a voice behind Zycor whispered, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Zycor whipped his head around, but was met with nothing. Though, it appeared as though the mana had become more visible around the coffins towards the back of the tomb. Not thinking much of it, Zycor shook it off and continued on his way.


    ¡°Hey Nalea, why are you calling me ¡®Sir Zycor?¡¯¡± Zycor inquired.


    Mylon and Aisha sighed while Nalea began to explain her reasoning again.


    After they left the tomb, multiple voices began conversing from within the tomb:


    ¡°So, that was our descendant?¡±


    ¡°He was smaller than I expected a descendant of ours to be.¡±


    ¡°It is not his fault, his potential was all locked up deep inside of him.¡±


    ¡°And? What does that mean? Doesn¡¯t that just mean he won¡¯t end up as strong as any of us?¡±


    ¡°You are partially correct. He will not be able to achieve our level of strength, but it may turn out he could end up doing something we could not.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to that spell? None of us were able to get it to work, so why would it work for him?¡±


    ¡°Because he is different from us. Unlike us, the boy seems to resemble more closely what the spell requires.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you make a good point. Still, I wonder why he made the spell have such a condition.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he knew something we did not. Although, they are no longer here, so we will most likely never know.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 13: Vestrana

    The group had begun their several days of travel to Vestrana, the first two days spent hiding and avoiding the influx of Velathrian knights. Once past that point, the concentration of knights diminished significantly. If they had waited much longer to move out, it may have proved an impossible task. Hitching a ride on a caravan bound for Vestrana, Zycor covered up as best he could, the group began to discuss the current situation.


    ¡°It is ludicrous for that many knights, regardless of their origin, to converge like that. The only reason I can think of that would cause them to mobilize that quickly would be if they were ordered to.¡± Mylon theorized aloud.


    ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t just due to the guild masters'' battle?¡± Baz countered.


    Mylon shook his head, ¡°If that was the case, why would they send enough soldiers to surround escape routes two days out? Wouldn¡¯t they focus on Abros, the source of the commotion?¡±


    Baz nodded his head while Zycor jumped in, asking, ¡°So you think that Mr. X guy is pulling the strings of Velathria?¡±


    ¡°Correct. And by the looks of how quickly the knights mobilized, and the loyalty of the ones we have ¡®dealt with¡¯ prior, I think it is safe to say he has been in control for a long time.¡± Mylon explained.


    A feeling of unease set upon the group with this revelation. If his theory proved to be correct, their goal of stopping Velathria just became vastly more difficult. The rest of the group continued to converse while Zycor began to tune them out as he thought, ¡°Do, you think Mr. X was the one behind the destruction of our village?¡±


    ¡°I think it is pretty obvious at this point. For better or for worse, nothing worth doing is ever easy. And seeing how the difficulty of this mission just jumped several hundred levels, it would appear it is extraordinarily worth doing.¡± Zweicor retorted, floating upside-down, arms crossed, within their mind as he watched on.


    -


    Their travels continued for a few more days until they finally arrived at Vestrana. As they made the final approach into town, Aisha looked at Zycor and began, ¡°The rest of us know this, but considering your sheltered upbringing, allow me to educate you on the city. It is a hot bed for criminal activity. It is one of the underworlds¡¯ hubs and there are plenty of black market slavers, traders, and assassins. In addition to all of that, there are also mass murderers who kill for the fun of it. And considering your current¡­ situation, it will be far worse for you. Whatever you do, do not leave the group, understood?¡±


    Nalea outstretched her left palm, revealing a ring. ¡°This is a prototype of the complete demi-suppression ring. It may not fully suppress your new features, but it should make it far easier to hide them. Be careful though, if you become too emotional, the ring will break.¡± She explained.


    Zycor grabbed the ring and examined it. Although his ¡®features¡¯ had lost their severity once Novos had left him, they were still pretty prevalent. He wondered if the ring would really work, but he ran out of time to think about it. Arriving at the City''s entrance, he quickly put the ring on, his wings and tail retracting fully. His horns shrunk, but were still visible. His scales turned back to skin, but the patterns were still visible in some areas. His claws retracted mostly until they were the size of normal fingernails, though still pointed and as durable as the claws. His pupils retained the lizard dilation. Once the suppression finished, both Zycor shuddered. Whether out of sympathy or some form of link, Novos shuddered along with him. Seeing that, Baz chuckled, ¡°Well, it seems you two are as close as ever, two peas in a pod, haha!¡±


    The entrance guard performed his inspection of the caravan and made his way to the group. As he inspected them all, he noticed Zycors eyes, and smirked maliciously. He quickly recomposed himself and cleared the caravan to proceed into the city. Passing through the entrance archway, Zycor was filled with awe and shock. It was nothing like what Aisha had described. The streets were clean, the buildings were nice and the citizens appeared to be happy.


    Confused Zycor questioned, ¡°Is this city really as dangerous as you said it was?¡±


    Mylon answered his question, scanning their surroundings, ¡°Yeah, it is. I know it looks like a great place, but that is just for a front, so other nations and people cannot find fault with the city or pinpoint the black market. And even though everyone knows what happens here, there is no hard proof to be found.¡±


    ¡°I heard it was actually a pretty decent place to live at one point, but that ended when the current royal family took power. There are plenty of unsavory rumors about them, specifically that they murdered the previous royal family, framing it as an accident, and forging royal decrees handing the kingdom over to them.¡± Aisha explained.


    Mylon suddenly tapped Baz on the shoulder and nodded to their right. Baz glanced over and nodded. Right after, Mylon said, ¡°Alright guys and gals, time to go.¡±


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    Without a word more, Baz grabbed Aisha and Zycor, jumping from the caravan. Mylon, Aislin, Nalea, and Novos followed right after. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they began to run, Zycor, annoyed at being carried again, aggressively questioned, ¡°What the hell is going on now?! And will you put me down?!¡±


    Baz shook his head, ¡°Not this time kid, we are already being targeted.¡±


    The group ran deeper into the city, weaving through the crowds and alleyways. Mylon snapped, ¡°Hey, Nalea, where will we meet this Viral person?¡±


    Jumping off of a wall and into the air, Nalea fired some brittle rocks at the ground to create a cloud of dust. Landing, she began to run again and responded, ¡°There is a tavern we always use to meet up, The Yearning Drunkard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know where that is! I frequented that place when I visited here! Some of the best booze! Follow me!¡± Baz exclaimed.


    They weaved through a few main roads and back alleys. After some time, they made it to the tavern and entered. Feeling the danger having passed, Baz put Aisha and Zycor down. Nalea went off into the bar, saying she would search for Viral.


    ¡°Can we stop with the carrying, Baz?¡± Zycor asked, annoyed.


    Baz chortled, ¡°Haha, sorry kid, it was an emergency and you didn¡¯t know the city well. If I had let you run on your own, it is very possible you would have gotten lost.¡±


    Zycor threw his hands up playfully in surrender. ¡°You may be understanding, Zycor, but I am not. That is no way to treat a lady.¡± Aisha huffed.


    Baz smirked and retorted, ¡°Of course I know that, but please tell me, where on earth is this ¡®lady¡¯ I supposedly mistreated?¡±


    Aisha, infuriated, began to argue with Baz, who continued to poke at her with his words. Novos hopped onto Zycor¡¯s shoulder and posted up in his favorite spot around Zycor¡¯s neck and began to nap. Zycor chuckled and pet Novos¡¯ head.


    After some time, Nalea returned to the group, informing them that she had found Viral and they would meet with them. As they walked over, everyone was discussing what kind of person Viral was, Baz and Mylon even placing bets on whether they were male or female. Everyone except for Zycor, that is. For some reason, the closer they got to Viral, the more uneasy he began to feel. He couldn¡¯t really explain it, but it wasn¡¯t a dangerous sense of unease, more of a nostalgic kind.


    Sitting down at a table in the back corner, Viral had a hood covering their head, similarly to Zycor. Nalea introduced them, ¡°Everyone, this is Viral. Adria and her have worked together for quite some time.¡±


    Hearing Nalea say ¡®her,¡¯ Baz groaned and handed Mylon twenty Solium coins. Viral re-introduced herself, ¡°Hello everyone, it is nice to meet you, I am Viral. Adria has been very kind with her financial support.¡± She soon noticed Novos and shot out of her chair while exclaiming, ¡°Is that a dragon!? Can I hold it!? This is insane, I thought they were just myths!¡±


    Zycor, caught off guard, just looked on in a state of befuddlement. The way she talks is nothing like anyone he knows, and yet he still felt like he knew this person.


    Nalea cleared her throat, ¡°ahem, Miss Viral, please try to contain yourself.¡±


    Viral sat down and apologized for her outburst, ¡°Sorry, I got a little carried away there. I have been researching new magic and old era technology recently, and dragons came up quite a few times. Anyways, what brings all of you here?¡±


    Zycor, still filled with a sense of unease, explained, ¡°I have some ingots that I would like forged into new gauntlet weapons. However, I was told that no known blacksmiths have any techniques that can work with the metal. However, we were told of a hidden village where there may be someone who can help. Would you happen to know anything about that?¡±


    Her interest piqued, Viral replied, ¡°I mean, I might. But, I don¡¯t talk for free. If you are truly friends of Adria, then you should know money talks.¡±


    Aisha reached into her bag and pulled out a few coins of solid gold and put them on the table discreetly. ¡°Will this do?¡± She asked.


    Viral¡¯s eyes lit up, swiping the coins off the table and into her own bag. With enthusiasm stemming from her newly acquired funds, Viral began elaborating, ¡°I suppose that will do. It should be more than enough to fund some more of my research. To answer your question, I do know of a village that may be able to help. And if you are as close with Adria as you appear to be, it should be ok to show you there.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it, when and where should we meet?¡± Mylon inquired, acting as the responsible one.


    ¡°We can leave tomorrow at dawn. Meet me by the South-Western gate.¡± Viral responded.


    Their conversation now concluded, everyone readied themselves to leave for the night. Before anyone had made too much progress, Zycor suddenly asked, ¡°Excuse me, Viral, if it is not too personal, may I ask for your real name?¡±


    Becoming confused and a bit defensive, she hesitantly replied, ¡°Why would you want to know that?¡±


    Zycor, with a somber tone, replied, ¡°Sorry if it is too personal. I just get the feeling I know you. There is just something nostalgic about you that reminds me of someone else.¡±


    Her curiosity piqued, she asked, ¡°And what happened to this person? Did you lose them? Or perhaps they died?¡±


    Zycor froze for a moment. He finally shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to them. I lost all of my friends and family in a raid on my village years ago. I don¡¯t know if she made it out.¡±


    Viral remained quiet for an extended period of time. Zycor went to apologize, but before he could, Viral asked with a shaky voice, ¡°Zy?¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes widened. He removed his hood and shakily replied, ¡°Liz?¡±


    She followed suit and pulled her hood down, revealing blond hair tied up, blue eyes, and a hair pin with a silver clip and a small, sky blue flower design. After nearly a decade and a half, the two of them were reunited.

 Volume 2; Chapter 14: Lizali

    Zycor and Lizali stared at each other in silence. The rest of the group gave silent glances at one another, attempting to figure out what was going on and what they should do. Baz glanced over at Mylon and grinned. Mylon shook his head violently, but his pleading fell upon deaf ears as Baz opened his mouth. Mylon swiftly maneuvered behind Baz, and kneed his legs¡¯ joint, causing Baz to fall down. Mylon caught him and covered his mouth with his hand. Aislin grabbed Baz¡¯s otherside and helped Mylon drag him out of the bar. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us, you two seem to need some time to talk. We will meet up with you after Zycor.¡± Mylon grunted, dragging a struggling Baz outside with Aislin.


    Lizali chuckled, ¡°You certainly made some interesting friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are an interesting group, especially those two.¡± Zycor chuckled along.


    Aisha cleared her throat loudly as she irritatedly asked, ¡°Excuse me, but there are still others here.¡±


    Turning her attention to Aisha, Lizali smiled and grabbed her hand, shaking it, and apologizing, ¡°Sorry, I kind of forgot after seeing Zy! My actual name is Lizali Regali, but feel free to call me Liz!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know who you are¡­¡± Aisha muttered under her breath.


    Nalea picked Aisha up with one hand and gave a slight bow, ¡°I do believe you two have some things to talk about, so we shall take our leave for now. Sir Zycor, I will wait for you outside.¡±


    Aisha, struggling similarly to Baz shouted, ¡°Hey! Put me down! I refuse to leave these two alone!¡±


    ¡°Apologies Aisha, but you do not have a say in this matter.¡± Nalea apologized monotonously while she walked towards the exit.


    Zycor and Lizali looked at each other in silence for a moment. She burst into laughter while Zycor only chuckled. ¡°Sorry about that, she can be¡­ emotional.¡± Zycor explained.


    Lizali waved her hand with a large smile plastered on her face, chortling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Zy! She seems to be quite over the top, it must be rough to deal with her!¡±


    Smiling, Zycor responded, ¡°At times, yeah. But when it matters the most, she pulls through. She has saved my life quite a few times now.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Then I suppose I should thank her next time I see her!¡± Lizali exclaimed.


    With a soft smile, Zycor thought aloud, ¡°You really have changed quite a lot.¡±


    Lizali began to laugh, ¡°Me?! Haha, look at you! I see those horn stubs and the unusual pattern on your skin, what happened?¡±


    Zycor remained silent as he pondered on what he should say. Trusting that she would keep his secret, Zycor explained what happened. He left out the parts about Mr. X and Adria feeling they would complicate things. He told her a little about Novos, the invocation of their pact, the results, and the aftermath. Raising his hand, he revealed the Demi-human suppression ring. Upon seeing the ring Lizali¡¯s eyes lit up as she excitedly inquired, ¡°Wait, does that mean you have more pronounced features?! Can I see?!¡±


    Zycor chuckled, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind, but not here. When we are traveling, I will show you.¡±


    A little disappointed, but understanding, Lizali calmed herself down. The two continued to talk about what they had been up to. Zycor talked about his adventuring profession, leaving out certain details. Lizali talked about how she got really into tinkering with old technology with her teacher. She seemed to be deeply invested in research, though she was clearly avoiding certain subjects and information.


    It was clear that both of them had decided to avoid asking or talking about anything that happened following their separation. The two of them chatted further and laughed until they both realized they could probably not go any further, at least not without talking about that time. The laughter died down until they sat in an awkward silence.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Zweicor questioned in an irritated tone.


    ¡°Why does everyone seem to be irritated with me tonight?¡± Zycor questioned.


    Zweicor, raising his voice, yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what is up with Aisha, but as for me, I want to know why the hell you are just sitting there, allowing this deafening silence!¡±


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    ¡°What am I supposed to say then?¡± Zycor asked, becoming upset.


    Zweicor exasperatedly sighed, ¡°I sometimes wonder how we are the same person. We literally trained our social skills for situations similar to this! And you pick now to revert to socially awkward?!¡± Taking a breath, Zweicor, now calmer, continued, ¡°Listen, we know what needs to be said, or rather, asked. And look at her, she does too.¡±


    Zycor looked at Lizali a bit closer and realized she was just as, if not more, uncomfortable with the current situation. He took a deep breath followed by a heavy exhale. This caught Lizali¡¯s attention, causing her to question if he was alright.


    Zycor answered, then threw the question right back at her, ¡°I am fine, but are you? After the village was attacked, I thought you were killed as well. But I see now that I was completely wrong. But just because you are alive doesn¡¯t mean you are OK. What happened?¡±


    Lizali, clasping her hands together and twiddling her thumbs, looked down at the table as she thought. She looked back up at Zycor and responded, ¡°It is a long story, so I will not go into great detail right now. But at the very least, you deserve some explanation; I only ask that you do the same afterwards.¡±


    Zycor nodded in agreement and Lizali began to talk about what happened, albeit summarized rather heavily, ¡°After I had left the village with my dad, we got a good distance from the village. I noticed fire and smoke rising into the sky when I looked back. I told my father and he looked back in surprise and horror. Despite my pleas to go back, he ordered the wagon driver to go faster. I wasn¡¯t able to understand why at the time, but later, I was able to. My relationship with my father became strained for a time, I blamed him for whatever may have happened to you and everyone else. I threw myself into reading to try and escape everything.¡±


    She paused for a moment, choking back some tears, and then continued, ¡°One of the books I read was about technology from the era before the great war. It was more advanced than anything we have today and they utilized magic far more efficiently. I was instantly hooked on researching more about it. After about three years, I had read through everything that was publicly available. I told my father about my desire to know more and he told me about an acquaintance he had that might be able to help. He talked to them and told me about a hidden village that dealt in technology from that era, but were all deemed heretics and outcasts. As a result, I would have to change my name and head there in secret, never talking about the village while using my true name. I also had to cast aside my old life. When I said it was fine, he only nodded silently. I still don¡¯t know what he was thinking at that time, and part of me regrets making the decision so quickly.¡±


    Lizali paused again, struggling far more with this than she implied. After recomposing herself, she explained further, ¡°A few days after, I met up with his acquaintance, a demi-human lady named Adria.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of his adoptive mothers name, but he remained silent while Lizali continued, ¡°We left immediately after a final goodbye. We traveled for some time, truth be told I don¡¯t really know how long it was. But she would periodically switch out with her assistant Nalea. Once we made it to the village, she introduced me to the village¡¯s leader, a dwarven researcher named Borghild. He took me under his wing and I began to study, learn, tinker, and build technology similar to what I had researched. Although, it admittedly looked nothing like how it was described, though that may be a result of differing building techniques. Anyways, I would periodically meet with Adria and exchange some items she would ask for, and in return she would supply me with funds for my own research. And that is pretty much all of the important bits relevant at the moment.¡±


    Zycor remained deep in thought, processing everything he was just told. After a few minutes, he finally spoke, asking the burning question, ¡°You met M-¡­Adria, Liz?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I am surprised you know her as well. Actually, now that I am thinking about it, why do you know Nalea, and why are you two so close?¡± Lizali began to question.


    Zycor answered with a somber smile, ¡°She was the person who saved my life after the raid. Had I not met or been taken in by her, I probably would not be sitting here right now. She ended up becoming my second mother.¡±


    Lizali¡¯s eyes widened as she exclaimed, ¡°You were adopted by her!? Do you have any idea how dangerous that information is?!¡±


    Zycor cocked his head and inquired, confused, ¡°Why would that be dangerous?¡±


    Lizali stared at Zycor in befuddlement, softly stating, ¡°Oh my goddess, you don¡¯t know do you?¡±


    ¡°...Know what?¡± Zycor asked, growing concerned.


    Lizali gave a thousand yard stare, looking straight through Zycor, as she commented, ¡°Oh goddess, I don¡¯t know if I am qualified to open this can of worms.¡±


    ¡°LIZ!¡± Zycor shouted, now both concerned and irritated.


    Lizali refocused on Zycor and struggled to say anything. Finally, she stood up and said, ¡°I will tell you on our trip, after you tell me about your story.¡±


    She began to walk away, turning around and asking, ¡°Well, are you coming, Zy?¡±


    Zycor chuckled and stood up, ¡°Yeah, let''s get going. But you are not off the hook.¡±


    ¡°Neither are you!¡± Lizali chortled, a big smile on her face.

 Volume 2; Chapter 15: Discussing the New Face

    Leaving the bar, Aislin and Mylon released Baz. Standing up Baz grumbled, ¡°You two really need to lighten up, dragging me out of there was uncalled for.¡±


    ¡°Uncalled for? I think you need to have your brain checked, you moron! You were clearly interrupting something important!¡± Aislin angrily scolded.


    ¡°What was that?! How about you try saying that again!¡± Baz antagonistically shouted.


    Mylon, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, put his hands between the two of them and said, ¡°Now now, let¡¯s all calm down. We still have to find a place to stay the night.¡±


    Aislin and Baz, in unison, both shouted, ¡°Stay out of this!¡±


    Mylon threw his hands up, sighed, and walked over to Aisha who appeared to be lost in her own thoughts. Aislin began to continue her rant but relented, groaning, ¡°As much as being told to calm down does the opposite, Mylon is unfortunately right. Let us put this ¡®discussion¡¯ on hold, at least until we find a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, we are going to settle this here and now!¡± Baz shouted back.


    By the time he had finished, Aislin had already begun to walk off. ¡°Well, I am going to go check elsewhere. Knowing Nalea, she will find the ones still looking and reunite us. Have fun with the vomit skinned monster.¡±


    ¡°What was that you walking, untreatable rash?!¡± Baz scowled, beginning to give chase.


    Mylon stuck his sheathed sword in front of Baz¡¯s legs, tripping him. By the time he stood back up Aislin was gone. Mylon holstered his sword back on his hip and turned to walk away. ¡°Alright Baz, let¡¯s get moving. The sun is setting relatively quickly and I would like to sleep on a bed tonight.¡± Mylon exasperatedly explained.


    Baz, Mylon and Aisha began to walk around the city, bathed by the setting sun¡¯s rays, searching for a place to stay. After exhausting a few options, Baz nonchalantly asked, ¡°Hey Mylon, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Think about what? You and Aislin¡¯s behavior?¡± Mylon responded provocatively.


    ¡°No not that. You know, that Lizali girl. I think Zycor mentioned her once or twice, but always steered away from providing much information other than ¡®she was a good friend.¡¯¡± Baz clarified.


    Mylon raised an eyebrow, asking, ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°The way he reacted and was talking to her was beyond ¡®a good friend.¡¯ They seemed really happy to see each other.¡± Baz explained further.


    ¡°I mean, they both thought the other was dead this entire time. So it would only make sense for them to be over the moon to find out they were both alive. Besides, it seems rather pointless to speculate when we have such little information to go on.¡± Mylon retorted.


    Baz sarcastically sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know man, they seemed like they might have some history if you know what I mean. Back me up, miss wolf.¡±


    Aisha remained silent, ignoring Baz¡¯s attempt to irritate her. She recalled the conversation she had with Adria about Lizali and how much she meant to Zycor. The conversation loomed over her as she grappled with her own emotions.


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other, uncertain what to make of Aisha¡¯s current attitude. ¡°Normally, she would be furious at me. In an adorable way, like an angry toddler, so what gives?¡± Baz asked Mylon in a hushed voice.


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    Mylon shrugged, responding, ¡°I am just as lost as you are here.¡±


    Aisha contemplated the idea of Zycor being taken away by his childhood friend. She quickly pushed the thought aside, thinking, ¡°I can¡¯t think like that. And besides, she is not the only ¡®childhood friend¡¯ he has! I may have been second, but I have spent more time with him than her! So there is nothing to worry about¡­ right?... I suppose there is no point in worrying about that for the moment though. I can figure something out later.¡±


    Finishing her thought, Aisha nodded in agreement with herself. Mylon and Baz looked on in utter confusion, the latter inquiring, ¡°D-do you think we should find a clinic?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we should just leave her be. Besides, none would be open at this time.¡± Mylon replied, seemingly more concerned about the money.


    They walked around for a bit longer and finally found an inn to stay at. After the trio entered, Nalea, who had been watching them from a distance, returned to the tavern. Upon arriving, she saw Zycor and Lizali exit the tavern. Seeming to appear from out of thin air from Zycor and Lizali¡¯s perspective, Nalea said, ¡°Sir Zycor, Miss Regali, the rest of the group has found a place to stay for the night. I will escort you there. We shall head for the hidden village early in the morning.¡±


    As Lizali began to look around Nalea and question how she appeared from nowhere, Zycor, recovering his breath, asked, ¡°Nalea, could you try and not randomly pop into existence? It cannot be good for my heart.¡±


    Nalea cocked her head in confusion and retorted, ¡°But I do not cease to exist at any point, so how could I ¡®pop into existence¡¯ as you have put it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­ Listen, Nalea, could you please make an attempt to not show up suddenly?¡± Zycor sighed.


    Nalea thought for a moment before she replied, ¡°I believe I am able to do that, Although it may take me a while to do consistently. Breaking a habit can prove troublesome.¡±


    Zycor thanked Nalea, the latter of whom brought Zycor and Lizali to the inn. They were greeted by Baz, Mylon and Aisha who were surprised to see them. When Zycor and Lizali were questioned on how they found the inn, the two of them pointed at Nalea. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. She seems to know where everyone is at all times, so I suppose it should not surprise me.¡± Mylon commented aloud.


    In response, Nalea explained, ¡°Well, considering my duties under Lady Adria, it is only natural I am good at it.¡±


    Interjecting, Zycor inquired, ¡°That¡¯s right Nalea, you worked with mom. Will you tell me what exactly she did, and why it might be dangerous for me?¡±


    Nalea, confused as to what would have brought this line of questioning up, looked at Lizali. She instantly looked away as she began to sweat bullets. Nalea¡¯s eyes narrowed as she began staring daggers at her. She finally sighed, ¡°Unfortunately, I have sworn to Lady Adria that I would not tell you about her work. It was one of, if not the most enforced rules and¡­ requests. She was ok if you found out yourself through other means or people, but I was to never tell you anything you did not already know about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s infuriating. Though, I do have one other person here who seems to have the information I am seeking.¡± Zycor insinuated.


    Lizali shivered as she mumbled about how Adria should have told him herself. Zycor paused his line of questioning and looked around at everyone in the room. ¡°Hey, has anyone seen Aislin?¡±


    With that one question, Mylon, Baz, Aisha and Nalea¡¯s expressions suddenly changed to one of realization. Mylon, in a stunned tone, commented, ¡°I think we forgot about her¡­¡±


    Nalea vanished from the room, heading out to find their missing comrade. Baz could not stop himself from chortling, ¡°Haha, serves her right! Karma¡¯s a bitch!¡±


    ¡°If this is her karma, then I really don¡¯t want to be around when it comes for you.¡± Mylon muttered.


    ¡°What was that buddy?¡± Baz questioned, too busy relishing in his own laughter to have heard.


    Mylon shook his head saying it was nothing.


    Meanwhile, in the middle of the city, Aislin sat on a bench, her leg rapidly bouncing up and down. The longer this continued, the more intense her irritation and anger built. She had begun to mutter to herself, ¡°I cannot believe they forgot about me. No, it wasn¡¯t that they forgot about me, he remembered me, and it is because he remembered he made sure no one else did. He probably steered the conversation away to divert their thoughts away from me. This is your idea of revenge? Then I hope you are ready for what comes next, Baz.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 16: Clashing Morals

    Having already hit the road in Lizali¡¯s wagon, the group had finally begun their journey to the hidden village. Aislin, Lizali, Zycor and Novos sat up front while Mylon, Aisha, Nalea and Baz sat in the back. Baz sat as far from Aislin as he could, making sure to have Mylon be in between them as a last line of defense. ¡°She really ripped into you, huh?¡± Mylon lightly taunted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, hear about it, or think about it. Just sit there and be my buffer.¡± Baz explained, looking out of the rear of the wagon.


    ¡°And you think Mr. ¡°Reflective Armor¡± will save you from me? I think you have received one too many concussions.¡± Aislin chortled.


    Giggling, Lizali asked, ¡°Are your friends always like this?¡±


    ¡°Ha, yeah, they are a handful, but a riot to be around.¡± Zycor chuckled in response.


    Lizali and Zycor continued to converse while Aislin and Baz continued to bicker with each other. They talked about things they were not able to the night before. Favorite foods, hobbies, jokes, and an assortment of other things.


    Meanwhile, in the back of the wagon, Mylon, worried about Aisha, asked, ¡°Hey, are you feeling better?¡±


    Aisha nodded, sighing, ¡°Yeah, I am alright. Just have some things on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Does it have something to do with how close Lizali is to Zycor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s fine, I think he needed this.¡±


    Mylon shrugged, ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    The group was able to make quite a bit of progress on their journey, mostly smooth sailing the entire time. Though, there has never been a time where that has remained true with Zycor around. The wagon came to a sudden halt as a group of three Velathrian knights blocked their path. ¡°We got company guys.¡± Zycor told those in the back.


    Baz, Mylon, Aisha, and Nalea all began to stand up and hop out of the cart, gearing up and chatting.


    ¡°Hoho, fresh meat!¡±


    ¡°Baz, we talked about this, you cannot eat them.¡±


    ¡°But they will just be corpses, who¡¯s gonna care?¡±


    ¡°Shut up you vomit skinned idiot, we got a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Wanna say that again, miss doggy? Did Aislin tell you to say that!?¡±


    ¡°I will say it as many times as I have to, not that you would ever end up fully understanding.¡±


    Lizali and Aislin began to stand up, but were stopped by Zycor. He shook his head, ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, but I refuse to expose you to danger. Besides, this will be over shortly.¡±


    Lizali, visibly upset, began to rummage through her bags while she angrily mumbled, ¡°¡®You don¡¯t want to expose me to danger¡¯ my butt, you just don¡¯t want to share the fun!¡±


    The Velathrian knights drew their swords and exclaimed, ¡°For crimes against Velathria and its people, Zycor Mori, son of the former black market lord Adria Mori, are under arrest!¡±


    Hearing the information about his mother, Zycor whipped his head towards Nalea who, just as quickly, looked away. Refocusing on the knights, Zycor¡¯s rage began to grow. ¡°For the crimes I have committed? Funny, considering everything you have done!¡± Zycor shouted.


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    ¡°Enough of your lies! En garde!¡± The knights roared in response, beginning their charge.


    As Zycor and the group readied themselves, Lizali screamed, ¡°If you want to live, get down!¡±


    Looking back at her, they saw Lizali kneeling with a massive, metal pipe looking object on her shoulder. With an almost crazed look in her eyes and voice, she shouted, ¡°You were warned! Firing!¡±


    An ear deafening ¡®boom¡¯ came from the rod as a condensed fireball was launched into the air. The knights stopped in their tracks and looked up, completely bewildered by it. After traveling for a few seconds, the fireball split with another ¡®boom¡¯ and smaller fireballs rained down on the knights like artillery fire. As the explosions went off, everyone turned to look at Lizali who was cackling at the destruction she had wrought.


    The explosions subsiding, Lizali recomposed herself. Clearing her throat, she apologized, ¡°Sorry, I may have gotten a tad overzealous field testing my new toy.¡±


    Baz immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter, Mylon covering his own mouth in an attempt to remain composed. Aisha gave her a thumbs up and Nalea became lost in thought figuring out if there was a way to replicate it herself.


    Zycor¡¯s focus had already shifted back to the clearing smoke. As it did, he noticed the knights were still squirming and groaning. He let out a hefty sigh, ¡°Jeez Liz, all that firepower, but you missed.¡±


    ¡°Missed, what do you mean? They are down and out, are they not?¡±


    ¡°But they are still alive. Though, I suppose that is fine, I will take care of it.¡±


    Zycor started walking towards the downed knights, electricity sparking along his body. He raised his hand, but before he could go any further, Lizali stood between him and the knights. Confronting him with confusion and anger, Lizali exclaimed, ¡°Zy, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Finishing them off? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Several! For one, they can¡¯t fight anymore! There is no reason to kill them!¡±


    ¡°What do you know!¡± Zycor shouted with primal anger, ¡°They took everything from me! They killed everyone close to me, both of my moms, my dad, my siblings, my friends, everything! Then have the audacity to get upset when I begin to settle the score?! What utter bullshit.¡±


    ¡°They took everything from you? Do you truly believe that?¡± Lizali retorted back to Zycor.


    ¡°What do you mean?! I watched them kill everyone with my own eyes! Of course I am sure!¡±


    ¡°Then you need to get your eyes checked, along with your definition of ¡®everything.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What are you on about?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M STILL HERE!¡± Lizali cried at the top of her lungs.


    Zycor fell silent. He had no response to that. While he remained silent, Lizali continued to rip into him, ¡°On top of it all, did you ever think about the knights you were killing?! A lot of them probably had kids that were just like you, and just like you, their dad was taken from them. By you. Through your own actions, you have possibly created a multitude of other ¡®Zycor¡¯s.¡¯ Is that really what you want to do?! Put kids through what you went through?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Zycor coldly said through gritted teeth, ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±


    Giving one last glare at the Velathrian knights, Zycor turned around and walked back to the wagon silently. Lizali watched on with a pained look. ¡°Oh Zy¡­¡± she lamented, a severe feeling of pity and sorrow filling her heart.


    Baz slightly leaned towards the rest of the group and asked, ¡°Has anyone actually heard Zycor cuss before?¡±


    Aisha, Nalea and Aislin looked at him, then silently walked back to the wagon. Mylon put a hand on Baz¡¯s shoulder and sighed, ¡°There is a time and place for those comments, old friend¡­ This was not one of them.¡±


    He then followed suit and headed back to the wagon. Baz threw his hands up and silently mouthed ¡®What the hell¡¯ before he also headed for the wagon.


    Everyone loaded back onto the wagon and, without any further words, hit the road again. The only difference was Zycor sat in the very back of the wagon, staring out of the rear with a contemplative gaze.

 Volume 2; Chapter 17: Inner Turmoil

    The party managed to make up for the time spent dealing with the Velathrian knights. The sun began to set, prompting the party to use the last bit of light to set up a camp. The sun having fully set and the stars beginning to show themselves, everyone sat around the campfire that Mylon and Baz made. While the meat cooked above the flames, Baz and Mylon began to talk about some of the more lighthearted, stupid, and frankly absurd situations they found themselves in prior to meeting everyone.


    Baz chortled about how Mylon managed to get himself tied up and hanging from a church tower. Only to have Mylon chuckle about how he was up there with him. And, With the occasional retort and brief verbal jab thrown between Aislin and Baz, it appeared nearly everyone was having a great time. However, Zycor sat alone, staring into the flames, lost deep in his own thoughts. Softly speaking under his breath, Zycor asked, ¡°What do you think, is what we have been doing really so wrong?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is a matter of perspective. I am certain Liz also felt the pain of losing everyone, just not as severely as we felt it.¡± Zweicor answered.


    ¡°I agree with you¡­ but,¡± Zycor paused momentarily, tightly interlocking his fingers he continued, ¡°I had never once considered how others may have been affected by my killing. How many¡­ how many fathers did I kill? How many mothers?¡±


    ¡°Zy, there is no point in thinking about it now. We can¡¯t change the past. Besides, it¡¯s not like they were ignorant of the risks when they began a fight to the death. It is certainly a tragedy for those that are left behind, but they were trying to kill us! What, were we supposed to just sit back and let it happen?¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Zycor whinged, ¡°But that¡¯s just it! In the beginning it was life or death considering the disparity in our strength. But what about now!? What about on our journey!? Every knight we either went out of our way to find or were faced with, how many were actually strong enough to warrant a life or death response?!¡±


    Zweicor remained silent, unable or, perhaps, unwilling to answer. Zycor¡¯s head drooped down into his hands, his palms covering his eyes as he continued to grapple with his own actions. Liz could feel the inner turmoil he was going through, but knew there was nothing she could do. She had said what she needed to, and it was up to Zycor at this point to come to terms with it. ¡°Are you really just going to sit here and not do or say anything to him?¡± Aisha queried.


    ¡°There is unfortunately nothing for me to say. This is something he will have to work through on his own.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes really. Of course I want to comfort him and tell him everything is and will be alright, but that would be wrong. As his¡­ as someone who cares about him deeply, it would be irresponsible to get in the way of his development. Intervening now would only serve to lessen the realization that his actions were wrong, or at the very least excessive.¡±


    Aisha, clenching her fist, protested as quietly as she could, ¡°I think that is a load of crap! I understand that you may have known him longer, but you have not actually been around him nearly as long as any of us, especially me! You have a sound argument, I grant you that, but it is not applicable to Zycor! If you knew the current him and how he has developed to deal with things, you would understand that what you are doing will have the opposite effect! He will shut himself off from everything and everyone until¡­ until he won¡¯t accept help from anyone. He will decide to shoulder every burden himself. Every. Single. One.¡±


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    Lizali went to defend herself, but no words came out. She had lost his battle. Smirking, Lizali conceded, ¡°You have got me there. He always did try to take everything on himself to save everyone else the trouble. It is both comforting and disconcerting to know that part of him is the same.¡±


    ¡°If you understand, then you should get off your butt and do something!¡±


    Shaking her head, Lizali remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t think it is right for me to be the one to comfort him at the moment. As much as I would love to, I think you should do it.¡±


    Aisha, upset, went to chastise Lizali for not taking responsibility, but stopped short. Catching a glimpse of Zycor slumped over and on the verge of another mental breakdown, Aisha stood up and began to walk over to him. As she passed Lizali, Aisha huffed, ¡°Coward.¡±


    Lizali, still with a slight grin on her face, looked towards the now twinkling night sky and sighed, ¡°Coward, huh? I suppose you would not be too far off of the mark.¡±


    Aisha stood in front of Zycor, who had not noticed her yet. After some deliberation on the best course of action, she decided to take a seat next to him. Looking towards the night sky, she wondered, ¡°Hey, Zy, do you remember when we were younger and you ran away to the top of that cliff overlooking the city?¡±


    Zycor remained silent, showing no signs of either listening or not. Aisha continued, ¡°I asked you if you had family and, after some perspective sharing, you agreed. I know I hadn¡¯t included myself in that question, but to me you are just as important to me as my own family. And as such, I want you to know this pain you feel, it is not something you have to shoulder alone. Family is supposed to help each other, especially when a member is going through a really rough patch.¡±


    Finally saying something, Zycor said, ¡°But neither you, nor anyone else, should be forced to bear the weight of my own guilt.¡±


    ¡°But we are not being forced to.¡± Aisha stated.


    Zycor¡¯s head raised slightly, his hands no longer touching. Aisha put her hand on Zycor¡¯s back and continued, ¡°Remember when I had my suppression ring taken from me and all of the townspeople surrounded me? If I remember correctly, that happened because I ran away from you, not wanting to share my burden. And if I, again, remember correctly, it was you who showed up despite my wishes to save me. You took on my burden not because you had to, but because you wanted to, so it would be even just a little easier for me.¡±


    Zycor shakily chuckled, ¡°Heh, yeah, I seem to remember you crying at the end.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s face went red as she recoiled and spluttered, ¡°I-I think you need your memory checked, I a-absolutely did not cry!¡±


    His hand now on his knees, Zycor chuckled, ¡°Yeah, yeah, I think you are right, won¡¯t you check my memory more thoroughly, Professor Aisha.¡±


    Both Zycor and Aisha remained silent for a few seconds. Finally, both of them began to laugh softly. ¡°Thanks, Aisha.¡± Zycor said with a refreshed tone.


    Lizali watched the two of them talk and get along with a pained smile on her face. ¡°Are you sure this is what you wanted?¡± Nalea questioned.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what I wanted. But, I believe it is for the best. Aisha was right, she knows the current Zy far better than I do.¡±


    Briefly pausing, Lizali affirmed her resolve, ¡°But she is out of her mind if she thinks that will continue to be the case!¡±


    Nalea nodded and returned to patrolling the campsite. After making it to a place she could oversee the entire camp, Nalea watched as everyone came together to share their meal and stories. Focusing in on Zycor, Nalea gave a soft smile and muttered, ¡°Well, Lady Adria, it¡¯s as you had hoped. You would always go on and on about how worried you were about him. ¡®What if he doesn¡¯t find people he can trust?¡¯ ¡®What if he is unable to come to terms with what he will do?¡¯ Heh, you always did worry far too much on the ¡®what if¡¯s¡­¡¯ But look at him now, he is surrounded by people who care so deeply for him.¡±


    She paused, as even she had to take a moment to recompose herself, overwhelmed by emotion. She continued, ¡°Please rest easy, my only friend, your child is in good hands.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 18: The Hidden Village

    Four more days of their arduous journey passed by with only a few minor delays. Their travels led them in between a mountain range covered in mist. As they continued further in, the mist continued to get heavier and thicker. ¡°Hey, are you sure this is the right way?¡± Aislin questioned, her eyes squinting in an attempt to increase visibility.


    ¡°Yeah, we should be coming up to it shortly. Be careful though, there is a drop that leads into the village. We will have to take the road that circles down into it.¡± Lizali explained.


    A minute after this comment, the fog rapidly thinned, and Aislin brought the carriage to an abrupt halt. Stunned, Aislin¡¯s eyes grew wide as she softly chuckled, ¡°Damn, what a sight.¡±


    Everyone clamored to the front of the carriage to see what stopped Aislin and they all had the same reaction. In front of them was a massive crater with a village set up within it. The village appeared to be far more advanced than anything they had seen previously. Houses and buildings made from a material other than wood, some even had signs that appeared to glow. There was a bustling population and the sounds of the happy citizens softly echoed through the chasm.


    Baz, amazed at the sight before him, asked, ¡°What the hell is this place?¡±


    Lizali smirked as she responded, ¡°This place? This is my home, the hidden village you were all looking for. Welcome to the Village of the Forgotten Crater!¡±


    The party descended down the chasm walls, following the winding road that circled down into the village. Finally pulling up to the village entrance, two guards armed with weapons engraved with strange symbols stopped them. One of the guards roughly shouted, ¡°Halt! Who goes there, and what business do you have here?!¡±


    His partner bumped his helmet with the pommel of his sword and scolded, ¡°You idiot, that is not how we treat guests who are very clearly not here to do harm!¡± Turning to face the party, he then apologized, ¡°Sorry about him, he is still new to this. He is having a hard time understanding how difficult it is to even find this place, let alone for someone to plan a raid.¡±


    Popping her head out from the back of the carriage, Lizali shouted, ¡°BOO!¡±


    The first guard screamed, stumbled back, and ended up falling down. The second guard sighed, ¡°Lizali, could you please refrain from scaring the newbies?¡±


    Giggling, Lizali responded, ¡°But Jera, it¡¯s too much fun! I can¡¯t just not do it!¡±


    Rolling his eyes, Jera nonchalantly threw his thumb over his shoulder and explained, ¡°We can talk about that later. But for now, it may be best for you to head back to Old Man Pon¡¯s place; he seemed rather agitated that his helper ¡®vanished¡¯ without a word.¡±


    Wincing slightly, Lizali put her hand on Aislin¡¯s shoulder and pointed straight ahead as she exclaimed, ¡°Now, onwards! Quickly, before he decides to cut my research funds again!¡±


    Jera put his hand up to stop them and reminded, ¡°Now Lizali, you know carriages are not allowed within the city. I am not supposed to do this, but leave it here, I will take care of it. In exchange, you owe myself and the newbie Kiv here a round of drinks.¡±


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    Liz thanked him as sincerely as she could and then turned her attention towards the town. ¡°Now, without further delay! Onwards, for the sake of my funds!¡± She reiterated before taking off


    Everyone else gave chase. As they ran through the village Zycor began to slow down, coming to a stop. Taking some deep breaths, he began to look around at everyone walking by. It wasn¡¯t just humans, but demi-humans as well. There were human-human and demi-demi relationships of course, but also human-demi relationships as well. There were even human and demi-human children running around together, seemingly great friends.


    Not once in his wildest dreams did Zycor even consider a place like this existed. He saw how humans would treat demi-humans. He believed Baz and Mylon to be an oddity, a glitch. But here he was, surrounded by an entire population just like them. His mind thought of Aisha and the incident in the city when they were younger. He then remembered the situation they were just in when they entered Vestrana. His own form was now that of a demi-human.


    Grinding his thoughts to a halt, Nalea appeared next to him. ¡°Is everything alright, Sir Zycor? Everyone else has already arrived at the destination.¡±


    Zycor, lost in thought, replied, ¡°Y-yeah, I am fine. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Nalea nodded her head and led him to the shop. Arriving, Zycor heard the yelling of an old man, who he assumed was this ¡®Pon¡¯ guy, ¡°...And I believe I specifically told you to not get involved any further with that woman! She does nothing but cause us trouble!¡±


    Attempting to defend her actions, Lizali quietly responded, ¡°Adria has not given me any trouble though¡­¡±


    ¡°ME,¡± Pon shouted back, ¡°she gives ME nothing but trouble! Are you happy now? Regardless, you know what I told you. Therefore, your research funding is cut by 30% for the next two months.¡±


    An instant expression of shock appeared on Lizali¡¯s face, slumping down onto the ground in utter depression. ¡°Is there any way you could be lenient with her?¡± Zycor interjected.


    Pon looked over at Zycor and scoffed, ¡°Oh great another one, what do you want?¡±


    Zycor briefly inspected the man. He had a white-gray beard and minimal hair on his head. What really stuck out was how short the man was. Zycor couldn¡¯t help but compare him to Jorvaal, the dwarven blacksmith he knew in Abros. Zycor introduced himself, ¡°Hello sir, my name is Zycor. Liz is a very dear friend of mine who I have known for a long time. We recently were able to meet again due to her leaving. So if you do decide to punish her, I ask that you split it between the both of us.¡±


    Pon¡¯s expression changed upon hearing Zycor¡¯s name. ¡°Ah, so you are the boy! I can¡¯t tell you how much this one has talked about you. Once she started, she wouldn¡¯t stop! Talking about how much she missed you and all that!¡± Pon chortled.


    Lizali shot up and stuttered, ¡°H-h-hey, Old Man Pon! Don¡¯t tell him that!¡±


    His anger instantly returning, Pon exploded, ¡°Who are you calling an ¡®old man¡¯!? I will have you know I am only one-hundred and forty! That is still rather young for a dwarf!¡±


    Lizali recoiled behind Aislin. Letting out a hefty sigh, Pon apologized, ¡°Sorry you had to bear witness to that. It would appear we must continue to work on her manners.¡±


    Zycor gave a soft smile, ¡°No need for an apology. In fact, I should apologize to you. It would seem I have indirectly caused you trouble.¡±


    Pon chuckled, ¡°Hoho, what a well mannered and kind young man you are! I feel sort of bad about how I initially treated you. I¡¯ll tell ya what, if you have any questions, I won¡¯t charge ya for answering them, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Zycor nodded and the two gave each other a firm handshake. Baz leaned over to Mylon and whispered, ¡°Do you really think he charges people for answering their questions?¡±


    Mylon thought for a moment, then leaned over and whispered back, ¡°He is a dwarf¡­ so probably.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 19: Pon and the Unobtanium

    ¡°So, what brings you to the village lad?¡± Pon curiously asked.


    In response, Zycor reached into his bag and pulled out two of the swirling, rainbow ingots of Unobtanium. He went on to explain, ¡°I was looking for someone who may be able to forge these for me. I was told that everyone else who was asked outside this place was unable to do anything. Would you happen to be able to or know someone who could forge it for me?¡±


    Pon reached out his hands and Zycor handed the ingots over to him. As Pon inspected them, his eyes shifted between fascination, surprise, awe and slight terror a few times. Pon grinned, ¡°Well lad, it just so happens I am quite familiar with these ingots. In other words, it may be possible for me to forge them into a weapon.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s response was interrupted by Lizali frantically shouting, ¡°You know what those things are!?


    ¡°Shout at me again and any explanation you might be hoping for will be lost to you!¡± Pon angrily shouted back.


    Lizali instantly went silent, though the sparkle of fascination and curiosity in her eyes spoke for her. ¡°I would also like to hear about these ingots Mr. Pon. My mom left them to me after her¡­ death, so I would like to know what they are as well.¡± Zycor inquired.


    Pon let out a hefty sigh before beginning his explanation, ¡°Well, since you are asking, I suppose I should up-hold my offer, so I won¡¯t be charging you. I was actually the one who originally sold these ingots. Many decades ago, a man was walking through the city where I had my initial smithing shop set up. He was walking around and collapsed in front of my store. I quickly grabbed some water and rushed over to him. He inhaled that water faster than I had ever seen before. He jumped up from the ground and started screaming something along the lines of ¡®I feel alive again!¡¯ Honestly, he was certainly a character. Anyways, when he calmed down a bit, he thanked me and reached into his pockets. I still don¡¯t know how he pulled these ingots out of his coats¡¯ pocket, especially when they were so big, but it happened. He handed them to me, saying to accept it as payment and apologizing that he didn¡¯t have any actual money. He then stood up and seemingly vanished, the only thing remaining being a soft swirl of dust around where his feet were. I never did catch his name, but that white hair was unforgettable. I didn¡¯t think children as young as he was got hair like that. I digress, I then spent the next few years trying to forge and work with the ingots, but never could get anything to make them work. I eventually sold them to a merchant for a high price. After that, I discovered some ancient smithing techniques and began to study them, but was shunned by the world for it. Apparently, those techniques were a part of the ¡®old era,¡¯ the study of which has been outlawed in nearly all nations. I soon left and ended up at this village. It was a few years later I came across this one on one of my expeditions outside the village to obtain some more materials.¡±


    Pon pointed over at Lizali whom everyone looked over at. She nervously waved back to everyone. Pon continued his story, ¡°She said she was looking for some place to study and become stronger. Since I had been studying a great deal of matters concerning old era technologies, crafting techniques and smithing techniques, I figured I could use an apprentice to help with it all. Well, that is a story for another time. Perhaps it was fate or maybe destiny that these ingots found their way back to me.¡±


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    ¡°Thank you for the information, but I still do not believe my initial question has been answered. Can you forge them?¡±


    Pon chuckled, ¡°Lad, if I can¡¯t forge them, no one can. Time to push our imitations of the old era¡¯s technology to the limit!¡±


    Zycor nodded and pulled out the other two ingots along with a piece of paper. It had a rough idea for the new gauntlets he had been working on drawn on it. There were even notes on what Zycor wanted the gauntlets to do and personal improvements. Taking everything from Zycor, Pon examined the crude blueprint outline and thought for a moment, his foot tapping every other second. He finally spoke up, ¡°I will need at least three days to sketch out proper blueprints, and around an additional nine or so days to work on it.¡±


    Remembering how long the initial gauntlets took to construct, Zycor voiced his concerns, ¡°Are you sure? That seems like an absurdly short amount of time.¡±


    Pon grinned, ¡°Lad, the functions you asked for are common day items here, unlike outside. Honestly, most of the time is going to be spent trying to figure out which method would best fit forging this material. Not to mention you already have said material, so that saves me the time and trouble to go and procure it myself.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes lit up as he thanked Pon. The latter chuckled, ¡°No need to thank me lad! Now, I can get started as soon as I have my payment!¡±


    Everyone but Zycor went eerily silent, now staring at him. Pon grumpily questioned, ¡°What? I am running a business here, and I already waived the fee for his questions. What more do you want from me?¡±


    Zycor reached into the bag Aisha had given him while he chuckled, ¡°Alright, Mr. Pon, how much will it cost?¡±


    With an all too happy expression, Pon replied, ¡°Ah, and you know how to properly do business, great qualities lad! For you, it will be only 2 Volnium!¡±


    Aisha cried out, ¡°What the hell is that?! We could buy a house to house all of us for that!¡±


    ¡°I assure you, it is a reasonable price for what is being asked, not that I owe you an explanation missy. I also discounted the cost because the lad has been so respectful, now shut yer yapper!¡± Pon snapped back.


    With Aisha now silent, Zycor pulled out the coins from his bag and handed them over to Pon. The latter questioned, ¡°You have been chuckling for a while now, is there something funny I am unaware of?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s just, the way you conduct yourself in terms of business reminds me of how my mom did things.¡±


    ¡°Ho? Then I suppose your mother and I would get along! Who is she anyway?¡± Pon inquired further, his curiosity now piqued.


    When Zycor went to answer, Mylon and Baz, who had been paying close attention, covered his mouth. They began to drag him out of the store, Mylon nervously chuckled, ¡°Sorry, I just remembered there was a time sensitive matter we needed to attend to. Please keep us updated on your progress, and if you need anything just ask! Anyways, have a good day!¡±


    Aisha and Aislin clamored after them, confused. Nalea apologized for their unprofessional exit and left as well. Pon asked, perplexed, ¡°Liz, are you aware of why they left in such a hurry?¡±


    Lizali remained silent, knowing why, sweat bullets while she thought, ¡°Why do they always do this to me? I am not good with stressful situations at all! What on earth do I do?!¡±


    Pon shrugged as he turned to walk into the forge room, ¡°Ah well, not like I need to know that stuff anyways. Time to get to work!¡±


    With a sigh heavy enough to be heard through the village, Lizali thought, ¡°Oh my goddess, I survived¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 20: Progress Check 2

    Nalea, Aisha and Aislin broke from the boys, claiming they heard about a few nice stores they could spend some of the money they had at. Before anyone could object, the female trio disappeared into the crowd.


    Zycor, Mylon and Baz walked through town as they talked about what they were going to do. ¡°So, we have about twelve days to kill and have been abandoned by the girls¡­ Any ideas?¡± Baz queried.


    ¡°We could look for a decent tavern and set up there.¡± Mylon mused.


    ¡°That will work, but I am looking for something a bit more active right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Then, praytell, what will you do?¡±


    Baz furled his eyebrows and looked around. He saw a passing human wearing adventuring gear and grinned. He grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Hey, you seem like an adventurer, where¡¯s the guild hall? My friends and I are looking for something to do.¡±


    The man, startled to be grabbed by such a massive half orc, sputtered, ¡°Apologies sir orc, but there is no adventurers guild here. Everyone who comes here typically is looking for a place to either retire or relax.¡±


    Baz let the man go with a slight toss and scoffed, ¡°Well there goes that idea, what the hell are we going to do now?¡±


    The man, nursing his shoulder lightly, remarked, ¡°If you are looking for something to do that involves other adventurers, there is a dedicated sparring arena where many adventurers gather. We occasionally have unofficial tournaments, place bets, etc. Its other use is to settle disputes or to let off steam with comrades.¡±


    Baz thought for a moment, then remembered something. He grinned maliciously and called over to Zycor, ¡°Hey, Zy, want to head over to the sparring area and have a go?¡±


    Hearing the offer Zycor visibly got excited, but he composed himself and responded, ¡°I may, perhaps, be willing to oblige your request.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well the arena is towards the eastern side of the village.¡± The man explained briefly before making a swift exit.


    Zycor immediately began heading towards the arena while Baz and Mylon trailed a little behind him. ¡°Baz, why did you ask Zycor to spar with you?¡± Mylon inquired, his suspicion clearly audible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, am I not allowed to have a friendly match with my little sparky buddy?¡± Baz retorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. I saw the grin you gave right before asking.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°¡®And¡¯ I know you far too well¡­ this wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with that incident that happened on our first quest together, would it?¡±


    Baz remained silent, refusing to answer. Mylon pressed Baz a little harder, ¡°Baz, this isn¡¯t for some petty revenge, is it?¡±


    Baz maintained his silence, but looked directly at Mylon with a knowing look and gave a slight shrug. Mylon let out a heavy, disapproving sigh, ¡°Oh my goddess Baz.¡±


    After a few more minutes of walking, the trio made it to the arena area. There were three designated areas, surrounded with short, ground level pieces of wood laid out in a circle.


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    ¡°This is less of an arena and more a simple circle outlined with some wood.¡± Mylon pointed out, unimpressed.


    Baz and Zycor looked at each other and nodded, both of them smiling. Baz drove his massive sword into the ground by Mylon and walked over to the arena with his battleax. Zycor asked Mylon to hold his small satchel for him. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Mylon asked, wanting confirmation from Zycor.


    ¡°Yeah, this is fine. It¡¯s actually perfect timing; I had something I wanted to try out.¡±


    As Zycor left to enter the crude arena, Mylon was left wondering what he could be thinking. Both Baz and Zycor had entered the arena and readied themselves at either end of it. Baz began to explain, ¡°As far as rules go, let''s say; no lethal blows, no attacks that could permanently cripple the other and the battle ends when a person gives up, runs out of mana, or is forced out of bounds. Are you ok with all of that?¡±


    Zycor reached into his pocket, then fiddled with his left hand, responding, ¡°Yeah, no objections here. How should we start?¡±


    Baz gave a slight nod towards Mylon, who sighed, ¡°Always have to involve me in your stupid endeavors don¡¯t you. Fine, I will give the signal to start the fight.¡±


    A crowd began to gather to spectate the half orc and a seemingly human boy square off. ¡°This is getting slightly out of hand. I just hope they keep things to a minimum¡­ although that may be asking too much of these two.¡±


    Clearing his throat, Mylon gave a countdown, the tension in the air growing thicker with every number, ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    With a shout from Mylon the battle started, Zycor began to run and quickly exclaimed, ¡°Flash!¡± His body was covered in lightning and he ripped forward towards Baz. The latter grinned and tossed his battleax to the side and braced himself for impact. Zycor grinned as he saw the display. Honoring his resolve, Zycor rammed right into Baz, the latter digging his heels in and being pushed back through the dirt. With a roar from the half orc, he spun Zycor 360 degrees and back to his side of the arena. Releasing him, Baz shouted, ¡°You are going to have to try harder than that!¡±


    Zycor landed, his feet sliding until they lightly tapped the edge of the ring. His smile growing even larger, Zycor began to advance once again. Baz mirrored his movement, advancing himself. Zycor, realizing it could end badly if he took Baz head on, decided to begin his plan. He came to an almost instant halt. Baz, confused but curious, continued his charge. Zycor rapidly threw his left hand out as it began to shine. Focusing in on it, Baz saw it was a jade ring. A massive wall of thick ice erupted from the ground, but Baz rammed into it full force, fracturing the wall.


    Using this time, Zycor instantly began to concentrate. As he held his right wrist, sparks flew around it a few times, followed up with a massive surge of electricity erupting forth. Zycor¡¯s eyes became strained as the space around his hand appeared to warp slightly. Baz smashed through the wall with one incredible punch. He saw Zycor trying to do something and instantly had danger signals go off. He tore through the rest of the wall and shouted, ¡°You think I am kind enough to just sit back and let you just try something new? Sorry, I am not that kind!¡±


    Zycor took what he had and made a fist with his right hand. ¡°It might be incomplete, but let¡¯s see if this works!¡± He cried as the electricity condensed around his fist and part of his wrist, becoming seemingly solid with minor fluctuations of electricity. He threw his arm back and took a heavy step forward, the ground slightly warping and cracking. He fired a punch at Baz with all of his might. As a show of respect, Baz returned the sentiment, throwing a punch at Zycors¡¯ so they would collide. Mylon cried out from the sidelines, ¡°Stop you two! Baz, if your punches collide, you are going to break his arm! He doesn¡¯t have any protection!¡±


    Lizali rounded the corner of a building and loudly questioned, ¡°I heard Zy and Baz were fighting, what¡¯s going-.¡± Being cut off, Baz and Zycor¡¯s fists collided with a massive screech of electricity. Mylon and Lizali looked on with astonishment as Zycor¡¯s arm was not only intact, but was actually on par with Baz¡¯s. Their stalemate lasted a few seconds more, until the electricity around Zycor¡¯s fist began to dissipate and he was overpowered by Baz, sending him out of the arena.


    Zycor¡¯s back hit the ground, as everyone looked on. Baz stood up straight and looked at his right fist. It was slightly scarred with small lightning streaks and was shaking slightly. With a chuckle, he looked over at Zycor who was still lying on the ground. Zycor put his hand into the air with a thumbs up and began to chuckle, ¡°That was pretty fun Baz, let¡¯s do it again!¡±


    Baz couldn¡¯t help but to burst into laughter himself, replying, ¡°HAHA! Yeah, let¡¯s!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, you two!¡± Lizali shouted, running over to Zycor.


    She knelt down and asked, ¡°Hey, Zy, where are you hurt?¡±


    Zycor, ignoring the question, very meekly groaned, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Aisha¡­¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 21: A Path Forward

    The crowd that had been watching the fight was in an uproar, talking amongst themselves about the results. There were some arguments about paying up on the bets they had made on the match as well. Out of the whole crowd, there was one man who remained silent, staring at Zycor. He began to walk towards the boy who still laid on the ground.


    Zycor finally managed to sit up, still being scolded by Liz while Baz was being scolded by Mylon. They were interrupted by the man clearing his throat before he spoke, ¡°Pardon me for interrupting, but I have something I would like to ask.¡±


    He seemed to be on the older side, maybe in his late fifties or early sixties. He was missing his right leg and walked with a cane. His black hair had begun to become lighter in color, with streaks of gray already visible. With mounting curiosity, Zycor replied, ¡°You may¡­¡±


    The man adjusted his unique coat that sported a gray and white plaid pattern and began, ¡°I wish to start by saying how much I enjoyed your fight. But something you did caught my attention. After you put up that ice wall, I saw you coat your hand with lightning. Could you perhaps have been trying to mimic a glove or gauntlet?¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You know what I was trying to do?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I know.¡± The man chuckled, fire erupting where his leg should have been, solidifying into a leg made of fire, ¡°That is something I know how to do as well.¡±


    He then removed his cane from the ground and stood on the artificial leg of fire.


    Baz was taken aback while Mylon and Liz looked on with fascination. ¡°How does that work?!¡± Liz questioned enthusiastically.


    The man brought his cane back to the ground while the fire dissipated. He began to explain, ¡°It is an application of combination magic. Those who can use it call it ¡®hard magic¡¯ due to the magic solidifying into something that rivals some of the stronger materials in the world.¡±


    ¡°Combination magic? Do you know what that is, Mylon?¡± Baz asked.


    Mylon, who expected that response, replied, ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you ignored me every time we talked about it. Put simply, it is using two different magics together to create a different magic that is not naturally accessible.¡±


    Liz interjected, posing, ¡°But if that is the case, then what magic would combine with fire or lightning to give that effect?¡±


    The man smirked, looking at Zycor, and answered, ¡°Gravity magic, young lass.¡±


    Baz put his hand up, confidently saying, ¡°Now I know I have not heard of that before.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ would be correct, specifically because that is the stuff of legend, like healing magic. The only reason anyone even knows about either of those is because of the national artifacts the strongest nations employ. No one has been able to use those magics since ¡®the Calamity¡¯.¡± Mylon commented in disbelief.


    Baz sighed, ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like magic, it is so complicated. The complete opposite of muscle and strength, something you can always count to be consistent.¡±


    Zycor, losing the conversation, asked, ¡°What is this ¡®Calamity¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You really are hopelessly lost without me around to explain these things to you, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Aisha exclaimed.


    Zycor felt a shiver go down his spine as he questioned, ¡°H-hey Aisha, how long have you been there?¡±


    Aisha slightly cocked her head and said, ¡°I just got here, why?¡±


    ¡°NO REASON!¡± Zycor cried, unable to contain his anxiety and worry.


    Aisha was taken aback a bit, but brushed it off as typical ¡®Zycor shenanigans¡¯ and moved on. She took a deep breath and began, ¡°To answer your question, the Calamity, in short, was an event where the evil god Itzal broke free temporarily of the seal put on him by the goddess Alice. When he broke free, he cursed Alice and sent a wave of corruption over the land which caused the massive Hundred Year War, created the demi-humans, and, pertinent to this conversation, erased a handful of magics from the world.¡±


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    ¡°That is the official record at least.¡± The man interjected.


    Aisha looked back at him then back to the group and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the old guy?¡±


    Zycor shrugged, ¡°Not sure, he seems to know something about my gravity magic.¡±


    Aisha did a double take, and making sure she was not losing her mind, asked for clarification, ¡°Wait, did you say gravity magic?!¡±


    Mylon jumped in, ¡°You knew you had it!? AND DIDN¡¯T SAY ANYTHING?!¡±


    Zycor shrugged again, ¡°It didn¡¯t seem relevant?¡±


    Liz, Mylon and Aisha stared at him in utter shock. The man chortled, ¡°Haha, it is always funny to see the world view of people shattered when presented with the fact that the written history is not all there! Anyways, I do suppose introductions are in order.¡± He rested both of his hands on the cane he centered in front of him, continuing, ¡°My name is Lathal, I am a former rank one adventurer and another wielder of gravity magic and practitioner of hard magic.¡±


    Aisha, nearly having her heart stop, blurted, ¡°There are two people with gravity magic!?¡±


    ¡°My dear, there are more others than just me. We actually formed a little group of people who can use gravity magic. We all use, practice and develop hard magic.¡± Lathal chuckled again, finding the situation hilarious.


    Aisha began to laugh hysterically until she finally passed out, her body caught by Mylon. Setting her down, Mylon asked, ¡°So, you made it to rank one, so that means you are incredibly strong, right?¡±


    Lathal grinned intimidatingly and queried, ¡°Well, what do you think?¡±


    Mylon visibly began to sweat and nodded, ¡°I-I think my assumption is correct. I meant no disrespect, I was just curious what someone like you was doing out here.¡±


    Lathal eased his presence and let out a soft chuckle, ¡°No need to be so nervous boy! To answer your question, I am out here because I was looking for a place to live a peaceful life to practice and have fun with my magic. Being an adventurer was fun, but it lost its charm after some time.


    Zycor¡¯s eyes lit up and bubbled, ¡°Hey hey, Mr. Lathal, could you maybe teach me how to use hard magic and maybe some ways to better use my magic?!¡±


    Lathal began to muse, ¡°It has been quite some time since I have met someone so eager and enthusiastic to learn about magic. I am also surprised to see someone so young having gravity magic. I suppose I could spare some time to help you while you are here, it might be fun to have an apprentice.¡±


    Zycor stumbled to his feet and gave a proper thank you, ¡°It is and honor to learn from you, Mr. Lathal!¡±


    Lathal cackled, ¡°My oh my, in all my years I do not think I have had anyone be this formal about thanking me for my assistance!¡±


    Nalea, watching from a distance as she typically does, comments to Aislin, ¡°It seems Sir Zycor is about to grow even stronger.¡±


    Aislin rolled her eyes, ¡°When isn¡¯t he. Honestly, he never did comprehend the phrase ¡®take a break.¡¯¡±


    -


    In the very south-eastern part of the continent lies the kingdom of Swebia, a heavily militaristic kingdom with a great emphasis on knightly honor and high society customs. At the very southern end of Swebia lies a massive gate with massive walls acting as the dividing line between the major kingdoms and the lost continent. Many abominations more vile and corrupt than those of the standard monster one would normally encounter live there. This is believed to be due to the influence of Itzal¡¯s power seeping through the seal that lay out in the lost continent.


    Overlooking the seal on a high cliff was a cathedral. Those who are stationed there are the strongest members of the church, named ¡®Arch-humans,¡¯ tasked with overseeing the protection of the seal. However, they are currently faced with a being even they are incapable of dealing with.


    ¡°W-why are you doing this!? Don¡¯t you know what we are doing here?!¡± One of the Arch-humans shouted in confusion.


    The man walked to the Arch-human and looked down at him. Dressed well and missing his right arm, Mr. X sadistically responded, ¡°Why of¡­course I know.¡±


    After his answer, multiple black spikes sprang up out of the ground, impaling the Arch-human numerous times. The spikes, dripping with blood and black ooze, began to retract slowly as he turned his attention to the leader of the church as a whole, the pope. He was injured, but refused to give in to Mr. X.


    ¡°There is no winning for you, especially if you open that seal!¡± The pope exclaimed.


    Mr. X raised his left hand as he began to channel death magic. ¡°What a waste¡­ of final words.¡±


    The pope, defeated, lamented, ¡°How unfortunate the world is, that someone as blind as you is marching down a path as dangerous as this.¡±


    Before he could say more, Mr. X ended his life. He chuckled, ¡°Now that is¡­ more like it.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 22: A Brewing Situation

    Walking through the church towards the open doors, Mr. X looked over the edge of the cliff it was built upon, marveling at the seal. It was an obelisk that appeared to be made of Magnecite that had cracked and been discolored due to the mana it had absorbed. He chuckled softly to himself, ¡°After so many years, the¡­time to fulfill my ambition is nearly at¡­ hand.¡±


    While Mr. X mused to himself, one of the arch-humans, barely clinging to life, dragged himself carefully and quietly to the lectern at the head of the lobby. He removed a wooden panel and reached inside until he felt the magic crystal inside. He then channeled as much mana as he could into it. Luck still on his side, he had enough in the tank to activate the item. The church began to shake, grabbing the attention of Mr. X. His expression changed to that of pure anger. He walked furiously towards the remaining arch-human, grabbing him by his shirt and lifting him up.


    ¡°What did you do!?¡± Mr. X roared.


    The arch-human smirked as a massive amount of mana could be felt gathering at the top of the church. Mr. X snarled and decapitated the man¡¯s head, swiftly making his way outside. He arrived on the roof to see a pillar of magnecite with multiple carving and symbols engraved into it, all of which were glowing. It radiated with a great deal of mana it was absorbing from the environment. Attempting to halt whatever it was doing, Mr. X fired a bolt of death magic at it. To his surprise, his magic dissipated. He grew more angry and fired a stronger blast at the pillar, only to be met with the same result. The density of pure mana around and within the pillar being converted into whatever spell was engraved was too great. Any external magic attack would just be converted into energy for the spell.


    Without further delay, the pillar fired a beam of light that soared through the sky. Mr. X knew it could only be going to one place, the head cathedral. It would not be long until they dispatched their full force. Although he doubted any of them could truly defeat or kill him, they would certainly be a pain to deal with, and delay his plans further. He exploded in fury, cursing the world and its inhabitants, always getting in his way.


    Mr. X managed to get a hold of his emotions and composed himself soon after. He scowled under his breath, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ this just means I have to get this done on a stricter schedule than what I had originally intended. Why can nothing ever go according to plan¡­¡±


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    Approaching the seething Mr. X, Volnir spoke up, ¡°Pardon me sir, but what was that light?¡±


    Mr. X sighed, ¡°Something to arouse¡­ a minor inconvenience . It is nothing¡­ of concern.¡±


    ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡­ checking in on how our¡­ little boy is doing couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°But sir, we don¡¯t know where he is at the moment, how will we find him?¡±


    Mr. X chuckled, ¡°Leave that¡­ to me. I gave him a¡­ gift that will help with that.¡±


    He then walked past Volnir, headed towards the carriage. Volnir stood completely frozen, not daring to move a muscle. Despite how he was talking, Volnir could feel the absolute hatred and anger swelling within Mr. X. ¡°Ah yes, Commander Volnir¡­¡± Mr. X began.


    Volnir began to sweat bullets, in complete terror of what he may say. Mr. X continued, ¡°Please send some of¡­ your men to retrieve the box left in my throne room. I will need¡­it for what will happen here. Will you also go inside the church and¡­ retrieve the device left in the lectern? I would like to¡­ examine it.¡±


    With that, Mr. X continued on to the carriage, leaving Volnir alone to compose himself. He made his way to the entrance and was greeted with the horrific scene left by Mr. X. The once clean and tidy church building was now in disarray. Blood covered the walls, bodies lay strewn across the floor. Some of the corpses were torn open and leaned against a few of the walls. It was a sight that, under other circumstances, may have delighted the sadistically twisted Commander. But with the knowledge that this could very well be his own fate should he ever cross Mr. X ruined it for him. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, taking his first step into the church. He kept his eyes fixated on the lectern as he walked through the blood soaked floor, stepping over the occasional body.


    He reached the lectern and looked inside of it. He saw a rounded crystal that seemed to have dulled and cracked. He reached in and took hold of it, carefully removing it. Bringing it out into the open, Volnir inspected the crystal and the engravings on it. The item seemed to be made using techniques that died out with the old era. Volnir remained silent, turning to walk out of the church. He began to walk, stopping abruptly as his foot stepped on something. Looking down, he saw the decapitated head of one of the arch-humans. He gently massaged his neck before looking up and moving on. The only thought in his head being that ¡®he would not allow that to happen to himself.¡¯

 Volume 2; Chapter 23: Tales from the Hidden Village (Part 1)

    For the next few days, Zycor trained intensely while he waited for his new gauntlets to be finished. While he did that, the rest of the group decided to kill some time by exploring the village in groups.


    -


    ¡°It truly is fascinating how much different this village is set up from the standard.¡± Mylon spoke as he inspected the different architectural design choices with the village''s buildings.


    Liz giggled, ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think you were the type to act like a child when seeing something new and cool.¡±


    ¡°What can I say, no matter how old I get, seeing something as neat as a building with a glowing sign will of course fascinate me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then I suppose you shouldn¡¯t go inside, you may really flip out~.¡±


    Mylon quickly looked at the entrance to the building and back at Liz. He looked at the sign, it read ¡®Magic Tool Convenience.¡¯ He took a breath and mumbled, ¡°I see now what my destiny is.¡±


    While he stood in thought and preparation, Liz walked past him and towards the door. When she approached, it automatically slid open. She pivoted around and smiled, ¡°Pretty awesome, right?¡±


    Mylon nodded, following her inside the shop, though taking a moment to admire the magical sliding door. When he finally pried his eyes away and began to look around the shop, his eyes widened like a kid in a candy store. He began to look at multiple items displayed throughout the shop. A metallic, portable surface that was able to heat things placed on it, an object with blades hidden within a cage that spun rapidly to produce a refreshing breeze. Each object appeared to utilize magic and technology to function in inconceivable ways.


    The shopkeep came out from the back to greet the customers, then saw Liz. Noticing she was carrying a backpack, the shopkeep shouted, ¡°Lizali! I thought I told you to keep that bag of yours outside the shop! I don¡¯t want to deal with any more ''misfires.¡¯¡±


    Liz shuddered, yelping in response, ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    She went to put her bag outside and secure it. Before leaving she explained, ¡°Hey Mylon, you can look around, just be careful not to break anything, or else the old bag will get upset.¡±


    An object flew past Liz¡¯s head hitting the wall while the shopkeeper yelled, ¡°Who are you calling old?!¡±


    Liz quickly fled out the door. Mylon chuckled as he returned to browsing the store. He looked for a while, examining multiple items, until he stumbled across an orb. He picked it up to inspect it, curious as to how it works and what it does. ¡°Wanna know what it does?¡± Liz asked, having returned from securing her backpack.


    ¡°Very much so.¡± Mylon responded with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well, when you add mana into it, the orb can show you memories of your past.¡±


    Mylon¡¯s enthusiasm instantly vanished. He stared at the orb silently with great intensity.


    Concerned, Liz inquired, ¡°H-hey, are you ok?¡±


    Mylon put the orb down gently and solemnly replied, ¡°Yeah, I just would rather not accidentally use that item.¡±


    ¡°Not even if you could use it to see the good memories?¡±


    ¡°With the bad ones outweighing the good ones so heavily, I think it best to not.¡±


    Liz tried to think of something to say, but thought it best to leave that conversation alone for now.


    The two of them exited the shop in silence until the doors slid shut behind them. As Liz picked up her backpack, Mylon asked, ¡°So, you and Zy have known each other for quite some time, is that right?¡±


    She chuckled, undoing the different locks on her backpack, ¡°Yeah, although it¡¯s been quite sometime since we actually have seen each other. Hell, we both thought the other was dead it seems.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy to see him again?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, what sort of question is that?!¡± She paused for a moment, continuing, ¡°However, after traveling with him for a while, I realized things were not the same as they were before, nor could we go back to them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there were certainly some better times in the past.¡±


    Picking up her backpack and slinging it onto her back, she began to continue their exploration. Mylon, out of curiosity, inquired, ¡°So, what exactly have you been doing? I gathered that you were a blacksmith or something, but I think there is more to it than that, am I right?¡±


    Liz nodded, ¡°Yeah, I am what you may call a ¡®tinkerer.¡¯ I learn about magic, technology, and combining the two, then trying to make something using those skills. When apprenticing, we are to assist our teachers with their tasks to learn and get some experience. In our free time we are to work on a functioning creation that is all our own. Once that is complete, we get to graduate from apprentice to novice assistant. The main difference is you are paid more and are allowed to give input on certain ideas.¡±


    ¡°I am guessing that bag on your back that fires out all of that high powered magic is your original creation?¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s still only in its experimental phase. Just because it functions does not mean it is efficient nor complete. I have had much trouble with it, honestly I am surprised I, along with everyone else, was not blown sky high. Truthfully, that was the first practical field test against others.¡±


    Mylon remained silent for a moment as he processed what Liz had just said. Mylon began to question, ¡°Hey Liz, when you said we would all be blown sky high¡­¡±


    ¡°Well hey, look over there! More things to look at! Let¡¯s go over there and forget about the conversation!¡±


    Mylon sighed, mumbling, ¡°She really is a chaotic individual, isn¡¯t she. I can¡¯t tell if that is because of the life she lived, Zycor¡¯s influence on her, or both.¡±


    He shrugged, chuckling, ¡°Ah well, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter right now, I can always pry it out of her later.¡±


    -


    While Liz and Mylon enjoyed their day, elsewhere in the city Aisha and Baz had been left to their own devices. A circumstance with an ending no one could predict.


    ¡°How did I get stuck hanging out with a walking slab of talking meat?¡± Aisha huffed, dissatisfied with her situation.


    ¡°Listen here ya bratty dog, no one is forcing you to follow me. Why don¡¯t you go hang out with Aislin or Nalea?¡± Baz retorted, attempting to ignore the ¡®hindrance.¡¯


    Aisha rolled her eyes and sighed, ¡°You bet I would love to go do that, but Aislin said she was on dragon sitting duty. She also mentioned something about wanting to see if she could ¡®beat a dragon,¡¯ so I am uncertain if it would be a good idea to try and interfere. As for Nalea, you and I both know she is only findable if she wants to be.¡±


    ¡°Then if you are going to be a complaining mess, you can go do it on your own.¡±


    ¡°Ok fine, maybe I will!¡± Aisha shouted.


    She turned away in a huff and proceeded to head off on her own. Baz took a few steps, enjoying the reprieve from her nagging. He came to a stop and sighed, ¡°I cannot believe I am actually going to do this, and after I was finally freed.¡±


    Baz turned around and stomped off after Aisha. He walked for a bit, grumbling about how annoying she was for actually walking away. Baz eventually stumbled across Aisha looking at a building, completely entranced. ¡°Hey, Ai, what the hell are you doing just standing there?¡± he shouted.


    Aisha¡¯s enamored expression quickly soured. She looked over at Baz approaching her, mocking, ¡°What happened to the whole ¡®go complain on your own¡¯ thing, huh? You didn¡¯t have to come after me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I had to come after you. What happens if-... when you get into trouble? Someone has to be there to hel-, bail you out.¡±


    Aisha raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh~? What¡¯s this, do you actually care about this ¡®bratty dog?¡¯¡±


    Baz put his hand on her head and roughly pet her, ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. Anyways, what are you looking at?¡±


    She pointed at the building, ¡°This place. The sign is glowing somehow and is advertising something I have never heard of before.¡±


    Baz squinted and did his best to read aloud, ¡°The hell is ¡®bo-well-ing?¡¯¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t an ¡®e¡¯ there moron, it says ¡®bowling.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Potato, potato, doesn¡¯t change the fact I don¡¯t know what the hell that is.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    Aisha and Baz stood in front of the building, passerby¡¯s watching as they walked, some questioning what they were doing. Aisha eventually piped up, ¡°So¡­ wanna go check it out?¡±


    Baz nodded affirmatively, and the two of them entered the building. Inside they were greeted with a desk off to the right and a large room ahead of them. There were multiple paths that all had oddly shaped sticks at the end. Observing the other patrons, they noticed they were rolling a ball down the path and hitting the sticks that fell over. After they fell, some runes would make the fallen sticks float slightly above the path.


    ¡°That is so cool! I really want to do that!¡± Aisha gushed, her tail slipping out and wagging.


    Baz nudged her and pointed behind her while he asked the gentlemen behind the counter, ¡°So, what exactly is the objective here?¡±


    The man explained how the sticks were called pins and the paths were called lanes. The objective is to knock as many pins down as possible with a maximum of two attempts on a single set of pins. Based on how many pins you knock over you get a certain amount of points. You play a set amount of rounds and the person with more points wins


    Aisha and Baz looked at each other and smirked. In unison they said to each other, ¡°I bet that I could beat you!¡±


    Baz gave the man forty Solium, the price for a ten round game, and picked a lane for them to play in. Baz went first and wound up to hurl the ball at the pins before being stopped by the man at the desk and Aisha. They both pointed at everyone else rolling the ball. He nodded and wound up, releasing the ball down the lane and crashing through the pins, missing the leftmost one. He missed it the second time.


    Aisha smugly waved him out of the way and sent her ball down the lane, hitting a perfect strike. She flipped her hair as she moved aside. Baz¡¯s eye started to twitch as he took the next ball. He sent it down again, only for the same situation to happen. This continued for the next eight rounds. Aisha came out as the victor, rolling strikes every time.


    She boasted, ¡°Haha, kneel before me! I am the queen of bowling, haha!¡±


    Baz, angered, cried out, ¡°That was just a learning attempt! We are going again, for real this time!¡±


    Aisha giggled, ¡°Whatever you say~, but you lost so you are paying again.¡±


    Baz grumbled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an additional forty Solium and handed it to the man at the desk. They played another game, this time Baz only missed the left pin in half of the games, though he still lost to Aisha.


    ¡°WE GO AGAIN!¡± he shouted, putting another forty Solium down.


    They ended up playing three more games before Baz finally beat Aisha on account of her messing up slightly.


    Baz looked down at Aisha with a huge grin on his face, boasting, ¡°Well well well, looks like what they say is true, no ruler rules forever!¡±


    Aisha looked up at him with embarrassment and frustration. The two of them left the building to be greeted with the setting sun. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t realize how long we were there.¡± Baz commented.


    Suddenly, Aisha jumped onto his back, climbing up onto his shoulders. ¡°The hell are you doing¡­¡± Baz asked, unamused.


    Aisha sniffled, ¡°You made me feel bad, so now you have to make it up to me by carrying me back to the inn.¡±


    Baz, slightly annoyed, mumbled, ¡°What the hell are you on about, YOU were the one who beat me four out of five times¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing miss former ¡®queen of bowling.¡¯¡±


    Aisha pinched his cheeks as he walked, ¡°Uncalled for, ya damn orc.¡±


    She released his cheeks and the two remained silent momentarily before they both began to laugh.

 Volume 2; Chapter 24: Tales from the Hidden Village (Part 2)

    ¡°Come on Aisha~, just try it, I promise it¡¯s good!¡±


    Aisha glared at Lizali then back at the plate set in front of her, ¡°You see, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just¡­ I really don¡¯t trust you¡­¡±


    Lizali pressed further, raising her voice slightly, ¡°I know the food here is vastly different from the outside world, but that¡¯s only because it is a recreation of lost recipes that the outside world doesn¡¯t know about. We found them in books that survived from the old era. Out of all of the recipes we recovered, this ¡®pizza¡¯ one is by far my favorite.¡±


    Feeling mounting pressure, Aisha asserted her stance, ¡°Liz, I am NOT eating that with that yellow demon fruit on it.¡±


    ¡°YES, you are! It is objectively the correct way to eat it!¡±


    ¡°NO I AM NOT! THAT FRUIT IS EVIL INCARNATE¡±


    ¡°Why do you hate it so much?!¡±


    Aisha, frustrated, exclaimed, ¡°I don¡¯t have to justify myself to you! So quit asking!¡±


    Lizali relented slightly, proposing, ¡°Alright, fine! Then in exchange for me ceasing to pester you about it, let me touch your tail and ears!¡±


    ¡°ABSOLUTELY NOT! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU!¡± Aisha raged.


    The two of them were now standing, staring daggers at each other, waiting for the other to say something so they could counter. Interrupting their standoff, Aislin came running down the street shouting to them, ¡°Hey! Can you two help me out?!¡±


    The two of them shouted furiously, ¡°WHAT DO YOU WANT!?¡±


    Aislin slowed her approach, and threatened, ¡°Oh? It seems like the children have forgotten their manners when speaking to their elders¡­? Perhaps I should re-educate them?¡±


    Lizali and Aisha instantly straightened up. Liz nudged Aisha, prompting her to blurt out, ¡°W-what¡¯s going on Aislin?¡±


    Aisha sneered at Lizali. Aislin ignored it and explained, ¡°You see, I was watching Novos when out of the blue, it seemed he decided he wanted to go exploring.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Aislin, you didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! Not like it was on purpose!¡± Aislin interjected, defending herself.


    ¡°You lost a dragon in the middle of a town!¡±


    Lizali, feeling a bit lost, asked, ¡°Why is it such a big deal? Novos is rather small, so it''s not like he would be able to do major damage, right?¡±


    Aisha grabbed Lizali by the shoulders as she panicked, ¡°You don¡¯t understand! That ¡®small¡¯ dragon can change its size at will! He likes to stay smaller so he can sit on Zycor''s shoulders, for whatever reason, but his actual size is pretty big now!¡±


    Lizali imagined Novos growing bigger suddenly on top of a building and crushing it along with the people inside. Her face went white. Panicked, Lizali said in a calm tone, ¡°We have to find that dragon¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright then, have fun finding him, you two!¡± Aisha sarcastically exclaimed, walking away.


    ¡°Woah, where are you going? Are you not gonna help me?¡±


    Aisha shrugged, ¡°Listen, this is your blunder Aislin. I don¡¯t really feel like running all over town looking for Novos.¡±


    Aislin stressed, ¡°Why does she have to choose now to be stubborn and stuck up?! I swear, I hate rich kids!¡±


    Lizali thought for a moment, then had a malicious smile creep upon her face. She sighed antagonistically, ¡°Oh well~, I suppose that is to be expected. I guess what Baz said about Aisha was right after all~.¡±


    Aisha instantly froze in her tracks, turning her head back slightly. Aislin, whispering, inquired, ¡°What did he say this time?¡±


    Lizali, with the same hushed volume, responded, ¡°Hell if I know, I am just making something up on the spot.¡±


    Aislin covered her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. Seeing that, Aisha assumed what Baz had said was either really bad or embarrassing. She marched over to Lizali and Aislin, grabbing the former¡¯s shirt, and demanded, ¡°Tell me what that green mass of useless flesh said!¡±


    Lizali shrugged, smirking, ¡°Who knows? I might be inclined to tell you IF you are able to catch Novos before I do~.¡±


    Aisha released Lizali and asked, ¡°And what happens if you catch him first then?¡±


    Lizali fixed her shirt as best she could in an attempt to appear composed, responding, ¡°Oh, nothing major~. I just want what I have been asking for, the chance to touch your tail and ears.¡±


    Aisha turned to walk away again, stating, ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    Liz shrugged again, ¡°Then I guess Baz was right.¡±


    Aisha fumed at the thought of whatever Baz might have said. Seeing her stopping yet again, now furious, Lizali knew she had won. She slung her backpack onto her back while she goaded further, ¡°It¡¯s ok, I will go catch Novos on my own.¡±


    Aisha grabbed her shoulder to stop Lizali, a terrifying look in her eye. Aisha seethed, ¡°No way. I will be getting that damned dragon long before you.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Lizali excitedly clapped her hands together and enthusiastically proclaimed, ¡°Awesome! Then let¡¯s get started!¡±


    Lizali pulled one of the cords on her backpack, opening up the bottom portion of it. The faint sound of gears and the glow of runes could be seen and heard coming from the backpack. A large gust of wind magic spewed forth from it, launching her into the sky. By the time Aisha managed to open her eyes again, Lizali was already on the rooftops, hopping between them with her backpack.


    Refusing to lose at this point, Aisha removed her suppression ring and tossed it to Aislin, shouting, ¡°Hold this for me!¡±


    Aisha began running after Lizali, transforming gradually, and getting faster and faster. Fully transformed, she leaped onto the rooftops and began to run on all fours. She quickly caught up and passed Lizali, who was smirking. Aisha scoffed and barreled ahead, far too angry to consider any approach other than brute forcing it.


    Lizali slowed down, and began to think. Where would a dragon run off to in the town? While she pondered about where Novos could have gone, she had an epiphany. Most of the time she would see Novos, he would be around Zycor¡¯s neck, napping. So, it would stand to reason that he might be looking for a place to nap with sufficient heat. Lizali immediately began looking around the city when she spotted one of the more brass and copper covered roofs, belonging to one of the local forges. She giggled, assuming she had the win in the bag.


    Aisha ran across the rooftops, one after the other, finally hopping down to catch her breath. Panting, she thought to herself, ¡°D-damn it! Where¡­ where could that damn¡­ damn dragon be! Ah, my feet and hands are killing me as well! Those rooftops are so freakin¡¯ hot!¡±


    After thinking about the heat of the rooftops, Aisha soon came to the same conclusion as Lizali had. And because she did, Aisha realized there was zero chance Lizali didn¡¯t figure it out as well. Panicked, she quickly hopped back onto the rooftops and looked around. Sure enough, she spotted Lizali hopping towards a brass and copper roof that had steam pouring out from a chimney made of the same. Aisha snapped, ¡°I AM NOT LOSING!¡±


    Lizali landed on the forge¡¯s rooftop and, as she had thought, saw Novos taking a nap. When she approached him, Novos opened his eyes slightly. Lizali stopped to think about what to do in order to prevent him from running away. She remembered how the party would always talk to Novos and he seemed to understand them. Taking this into account, she made an assumption that Novos could understand her. Lizali took a deep breath and calmly began, ¡°Hey there Novos, are you having a good nap?¡±


    Novos opened his eyes fully and lifted his head to look at Lizali. She gave her best effort to keep her excitement of winning under wraps as she continued, ¡°Well, I just so happen to have a way better spot I know of~. If you come with me, I could let you hang out there. You just have to come over here!¡±


    Lizali and Novos had a silent stand off for a few seconds while the latter pondered the proposal. Novos eventually stood up and began making his way over to Lizali, seemingly having decided to accept her offer. Right before he made it to her, Aisha cried out, ¡°LIZALI, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE LIZARD!¡±


    This startled both Lizali and Novos, the latter retreating slightly. ¡°Oh come on Aisha, I was THIS close!¡±


    Novos¡¯ head darted towards Lizali and stared at her. Lizali, remembering Novos could understand her, bluntly mumbled, ¡°Oh crap¡­¡±


    Novos, with attitude, turned, spread his wings, and began his escape. Aisha crashed into the roof, just missing Novos and nearly knocking Lizali off.


    ¡°Hey! Watch where you are going! You nearly knocked me off! Not to mention you are causing property damage!¡±


    Moving some of the rubble off of her, Aisha stood up and scoffed, ¡°First off, with that backpack of yours, you and I both know you would have been fine. Secondly, I don¡¯t want to hear the walking artillery corps lecture me on ¡®property damage.¡¯¡±


    While the two of them argued, Novos watched on a few rooftops away. When Lizali and Aisha noticed him watching, Novos made a smug expression. ¡°Is he mocking us?¡± Lizali asked.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely. He is Zycor¡¯s partner¡­¡± Aisha grumbled in response.


    Novos turned to fly away, but made sure to smack his rear with his tail before he did. Aisha and Lizali, in unison, exploded, ¡°I AM SO GOING TO CATCH YOU!¡±


    The two of them proceeded to chase Novos around the city for hours on end, being outsmarted and toyed with the entire time. They finally managed to corner him in an alley, both Aisha and Lizali ready to pounce on him. As they did, Novos¡¯ body sparked with electricity, and he zapped their legs, causing them to lose their footing and slam into the alley¡¯s wall. Having jumped above them, Novos landed on their backs and walked to the exit of the alley. He looked back at the two fools who had tried to catch him, then looked ahead and danced off, happy with himself.


    Aisha and Lizali sat on the ground catching their breath, both fuming. ¡°I say we make a truce and get something to drink.¡± Lizali suggested.


    Aisha nodded, ¡°Sure, anything for a break¡­¡±


    Lizali helped Aisha up and brought her to a smaller store that sells custom fruit drinks. The two of them spent a few minutes deciding on what to buy, finding a place to sit afterwards.


    Sipping on her assorted fruit blend drink, Aisha beamed, ¡°Wow! What is this, and why is it SO good?!¡±


    Lizali, setting down her citrus blend drink, giggled, ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®smoothie.¡¯ There are similar drinks elsewhere in the world, but this specific technique was found along with the ¡®pizza¡¯ recipe and others. They really are awesome.¡±


    Aisha set her drink down and sighed exhaustedly, ¡°Sheesh~... I cannot believe we were bamboozled by a five year old.¡±


    ¡°Novos is five?!¡±


    ¡°Oh right, I sometimes forget you haven¡¯t been around that long. I swear, sometimes it feels like you have always been a part of the party, and other times it feels like you just joined. Anyways, Zycor got Novos when he was around fifteen, and seeing as how the former is now twenty, that would make Novos five.¡±


    Lizali made a serious expression, interlacing her hands and resting her forehead on them. ¡°Aisha¡­ are you really telling me that both you and I got outsmarted and lost to a child?¡±


    Aisha leaned back in her chair and sighed once more, ¡°It would seem s-.¡±


    Stopping mid sentence, Aisha stared across the street, still leaning back in her chair. On the roof of the opposing building lay Novos, watching the two of them, his tail swaying back and forth.


    Refusing to rip her eyes off of that ¡®stupid dragon,¡¯ Aisha calmly stated, ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill him¡­¡±


    ¡°Aisha, you can¡¯t kill him, think about how upset Zycor would be!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to the dragon¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I want to tell you that it¡¯s wrong¡­ but after today, gotta say I agree.¡±


    Aisha suddenly sat up straight and, in a whisper, declared, ¡°Wait, Liz! I just had an idea!¡±


    She immediately got up and went to the owner of the smoothie shop and asked if they had something sweet. After a few minutes of discussing and forking over more than what she probably should have, Aisha came out of the shop with a circular piece of soft bread with a hole in the middle.


    She raised it towards Novos and urged, ¡°Come over here, Novos~. If you do, I will give you this bread circle with sugar on it~.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®donut.¡¯¡± Lizali corrected.


    Aisha slowly moved her head to face Lizali and, through gritted teeth, chastised, ¡°Not now ¡®miss know-it-all.¡¯¡±


    Novos, curious, hopped off the rooftop and made his way cautiously over to Aisha. He accepted the gift from her and began consuming it. Aisha slowly reached for Novos to pick him up when he suddenly dodged, jumping over her, using her back as a springboard, and landing on Lizali¡¯s lap. He patted her lap a few times and then laid down to nap.


    Aisha stood up, fuming. She turned around and saw where Novos had ended up, followed by noticing the smug look on Lizali¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I win¡­¡±


    ¡°NO WAY THIS COUNTS!¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 25: Tales from the Hidden Village (Part 3)

    Four days off of Zycor¡¯s gauntlets being completed, Mylon awoke to find himself alone in his room. He slid out of bed and looked over at the room¡¯s only table. He walked over and picked up the note lying on it. It was from Baz letting him know that ¡®the arena calls for its champion.¡¯ With a sigh, Mylon got dressed in light clothing and decided to explore the village to investigate all of the technology and magic used in it. He went to multiple shops learning about the different intricacies that go on in making the technology used in the village.


    Looking into the street lamps, he learned about the whole process. The blacksmith makes the posts¡¯ base and the vents and pipes in them. There is a rune smith, a practically extinct profession that the village is trying to revive, that installs various runes of fire, water, and light. Then it is sent to a glassblower who makes the glass for the lamps. Then they are sent back to the blacksmith to be put up.


    While Mylon wandered around, he heard a commotion going on in the center of the village. As he made his way towards it, he stopped a passerby and asked, ¡°Excuse me sir, do you happen to know what is going on over there?¡±


    The man cheerfully answered, ¡°Oh, you must be a traveler! You see, every once in a while here our scholars will go to the middle of town and begin to discuss magic, magical phenomena, along with theories and hypotheses regarding them. There is a lecture portion where the speaker will teach about these concepts and add in his own thoughts towards the end. When he is finished with the lecture, it becomes an open discussion meant to encourage others to ask or even attempt to refute some of the lecturer''s claims. This is all in an attempt to further our potential understanding of magic. If you are interested in magic, then you should go check it out!¡±


    Mylon¡¯s eyes lit up. He thanked the man and hurried off towards the center of town. Approaching he couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear what they are talking about! Maybe I can learn something about wind magic! Or maybe something even more interesting!¡±


    With the open town center now in full view, he noticed a crowd standing around a slightly raised podium. The man standing at said podium seemed to be the one leading the discussion. As he got closer, he saw a familiar face. ¡°Is that Aisha? What is she doing here?¡±


    He approached her and inquired, ¡°Now what are you doing here?¡±


    Without breaking her attention from the lecturer, she responded, ¡°I heard the current lecturer was going to talk about awakening. I have always been super curious about it, especially considering there are few documents on it.¡±


    ¡°And you think the people here will know more about it?¡±


    ¡°You of all people should have noticed the advanced state of this place, Mylon. Surely they could know more about the phenomenon than we do!¡±


    Mylon turned his attention to the lecturer, an older man, who had finished his preparations for the lecture. He began to speak, ¡°Alright, well, I suppose we should start now, yes? I am sure most of us are familiar with awakening to some degree, but seeing as how there are quite a few travelers here, I shall refresh. Awakening is the phenomenon that occurs when a person is in extreme danger. However, the conditions go beyond this. The body, both the conscious and subconscious mind, along with a person''s soul shard must all be in a state where they collectively agree on this extreme danger. A person¡¯s death is not enough, it must go beyond this to qualify. Although it is not clear at what point the conditions are met, we know from those who have awakened that a situation akin to the world, or their own metaphorical world, was in danger. The estimated chances of meeting the requirements are, conservatively, 1/10,000,000. Assuming the conditions are met, a person''s body will be enveloped in pure, divine mana as their body is torn apart, their soul shard fractures into pieces and their mind is temporarily seized by the goddess. There are three endings that can result from this point. The first is death, which is the most common result. The second is survival, but through a failed awakening. The individual has to go on living, crippled and with a cracked soul shard, preventing them from ever using mana again, and slowly being poisoned by the leaking mana. The third result is survival through a successful awakening. According to those who have bore witness to this event, ¡®there is no known force aside from the goddess that could stand against a newly awakened individual.¡¯¡±


    The man paused as the crowd murmured and talked quietly.


    ¡°This is actually pretty interesting, huh Aisha?¡± Mylon whispered.


    Aisha, seemingly annoyed, replied, ¡°Sure, but this is all basic information.¡±


    Mylon remained silent. Aisha glanced over at him and sighed. She gave him a pat on his back, ¡°Hey, sorry. Honestly, it might just be me who could call this ¡®basic information.¡¯ I sometimes forget how good of an education I got.¡±


    Mylon smirked and wrapped his arm around her neck, ¡°Apology accepted, ya squirt.¡±


    The lecturer flipped through his notes a few pages and began again with a cough, ¡°Ahem, continuing on, awakening increases a person¡¯s magic capacity tremendously. This is due to the body no longer containing a soul shard to convert mana, but instead using the entire body to convert and house mana. According to the information we have obtained from awakened, there were also extreme increases in their magic affinities, proficiencies, and potency of their magic. And to top it off, all awakened receive a personalized skill from the goddess. It is unclear how this ability is chosen, however, what is known is that they do not conform to the system of magic. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to classify these skills in a system all their own. But enough of the explanation, now for the part I am sure most of you have been waiting for, my own theories and thoughts.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The man flipped through his notes again, giving another moment of thought to the audience. Once he found what he was looking for he began, ¡°Right then, I was looking into the restrictions and conditions to awakening. As I did, I searched for any similarities between previous awakening initiations. I sifted through countless eyewitness accounts, as well as accounts from successful awakened individuals. The more I read, the more I thought about a possible way to trigger an awakening. From what I read, high stress situations seem to be the condition required for the mind requirement. Severe bodily injury of the body seems to be the condition required for the body. And for the soul shard, it seemed as though it needed to reach its limit or be sufficiently damaged. So, in theory, should someone be able to replicate all three of these conditions, they should be able to trigger the awakening phenomenon.¡±


    Aisha spoke up and asked, ¡°In that case, should someone be able to meet these criteria, would their success rate go up at all?¡±


    The lecturer thought for a moment, answering, ¡°That is a good question, lass. It is possible that the failures that occur during awakening may occur due to one of these conditions not remaining within a threshold. In that case, it is possible that this method could increase a person¡¯s chances. However, it is also possible, the person¡¯s body just couldn¡¯t handle the immense strain placed on the body. If that is the case, then I do not think this method would go the way you want it to.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating¡­ Thank you for the lecture.¡± Aisha responded, deep in thought.


    The lecturer chuckled, ¡°No, thank you for asking such an excellent question!¡±


    Aisha and Mylon stuck around for a little while longer, but the conversation soon spiraled way off topic. At that point, the two of them left together.


    ¡°Well that was interesting. Certainly got more out of it than I thought I would.¡± Aisha mused.


    Mylon concurred, ¡°Yeah, I learned quite a bit from him. I am curious to know what else he may know.¡±


    Aisha pouted, ¡°Hey, you have a wealth of information right here, you don¡¯t need to ask some old geezer¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, I suppose you are right! So tell me, what do you know about wind magic, professor Aisha.¡±


    Aisha stumbled over herself, nearly falling down, upon hearing his comment, ¡°Who told you about that?! Wait¡­ I¡¯m gonna kill that idiot, I think all that lightning fried his brain!¡±


    Mylon chortled, ¡°Go easy on the kid, Baz and I are the ones that pressed him about it!¡±


    ¡°Baz knows!?!¡±


    Mylon laughed harder, Aisha following suit soon after. As the two caught their breath, Aisha commented, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever seen you laugh that much, if at all.¡±


    Mylon¡¯s face was slowly overcome with an intense look of sadness. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s been hard to do so for some time.¡±


    He turned to Aisha. He looked as though he might break at any moment. He continued, ¡°So thank you for always keeping my spirits high, even if it doesn¡¯t seem like you do.¡±


    Aisha felt a twinge of pain in her heart, but composed herself to be strong for her friend. She lightly pushed on his chest and giggled, ¡°Woah there you walking armor stand, I thought not showing emotions was a part of your self assigned, inanimate character!¡±


    Mylon chuckled, lightly pushing her back, ¡°Are your eyes working today, miss wolf girl? I am not wearing my armor today!¡±


    The two continued to laugh, Aisha chuckled, ¡°And here I thought we were the mature ones holding this group of idiots together, haha!¡±


    Mylon joked, ¡°Well, we are traveling with those ¡®idiots¡¯ out of our own free will, so we were bound to pick up on a little of their immaturity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they are our idiots.¡±


    ¡°They sure are, and I wouldn¡¯t have them any other way.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of them, where is our half orc friend?¡±


    Mylon sighed, ¡°Ah, him. Probably off at the arena. Again. Winning. Again.¡±


    Aisha cocked her head in confusion, ¡°Why do you say that like it¡¯s a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Because it is a bad thing. He hasn¡¯t lost a match yet. They even gave him the nickname ¡®The Orc Typhoon.¡¯ I swear this is going to go to his head¡­¡±


    Aisha began laughing at the nickname, ¡°What a ridiculous name!¡±


    ¡°And what about our zappy friend?¡±


    Aisha¡¯s laughter slowly tapered off. She too sighed heavily, ¡°Still training with that Lathal guy.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling lonely since he is spending time with someone else?¡± Mylon teased.


    Aisha blushed and looked at the ground. She then nodded her head. This act caught Mylon off guard, ¡°Oh wow, you actually admitted it. So¡­ have you come to terms with how you feel finally?¡±


    Her blush deepened further, ¡°Was I that obvious?!¡±


    Mylon chuckled, ¡°With how long we have traveled together, I think it would be stranger for me to not have noticed. One of the ¡®mature¡¯ ones, remember?¡±


    He let out a light sigh and put his hand on her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t be so embarrassed, unlike Baz, I won¡¯t tease you about it, much. Plus, you know I got your back, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Aisha silently nodded, pressing her head against Mylon¡¯s abdomen. Surprised at first, Mylon chuckled as he comforted her, ¡°You can¡¯t hide forever. But for now, I suppose big bro Mylon can make an exception.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 26: Heartache

    Lathal looked on at Zycor who managed to wrap lightning around his right arm and begin to solidify it. ¡°Good. Now, give the form more definition. The more clear the manifestation, the stronger your hard magic will be.¡± Lathal coached.


    Zycor, strained due to using both gravity and lightning magic simultaneously, took a deep breath. Then, with a shout from deep within him, he gave the unrefined lightning a defined and clarified form. As lightning surged forth from it, Zycor asked as he caught his breath, ¡°So¡­ what now?¡±


    Lathal smirked as he put his hand up. ¡°I want you to throw the strongest punch you can with that fist.¡±


    Zycor looked down at the gauntlet, then back at Lathal. His breathing got heavier, his eyes changed back to slits and he roared, lunging forward with all the strength he could muster. Lathal¡¯s smirk turned into a massive smile. Right before Zycor made impact with his hand, he instantly manifested a blazing gauntlet of his own. Zycor¡¯s fist impacted Lathal¡¯s, lightning and fire intertwining and being thrown around the arena. Lathal¡¯s smile shifted to a frown. He closed his grasp around Zycor¡¯s fist and dragged the boy forward, forcing him to follow his attack through to the ground.


    Struggling to his feet, sweat dripping from his face, Zycor stammered, ¡°I-I can still¡­ go on¡­¡±


    Lathal dispelled his magic and replied, ¡°No, that will be all for today. You should rest up anyways. Your new gauntlets should be ready tomorrow, right? You still have to decide what you are going to do.¡±


    Panting, Zycor inquired, ¡°What do¡­ you mean?¡±


    Lathal rolled his eyes, ¡°It is clear to a toddler that you don¡¯t really have a true destination at this point. You need to think about what you are going to do specifically. But before any of that, you need to sort out your own thoughts and emotions.¡±


    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I have been around for quite some time boy, I can tell rather easily when someone is troubled by something. This is especially true when I train them everyday as I have with you.¡±


    Zycor winced at his comment. Lathal sighed, ¡°Well, you have the basics down now at least. All that¡¯s left is for you to get practical experience and fine tune your hard magic. So this will conclude our training.¡±


    He walked off, mumbling something about ¡®needing a drink¡¯ while Zycor stood alone in the arena area with his own thoughts. The sun¡¯s setting rays shone over the edge of the cliff, illuminating the empty space Zycor found himself standing. The more he thought about Lathal¡¯s words, the more irritated he got. ¡°What the hell is he talking about? I am fine, nothing at all is wrong with me. For being such an experienced adventurer, he doesn¡¯t can¡¯t read people at all¡­¡± He mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Lying is wrong, you know? You and I both know he wasn¡¯t blowing hot air.¡± Zweicor remarked.


    Zycor remained silent, refusing to respond.


    ¡°Telling yourself ¡®everything is fine¡¯ and ¡®nothing is wrong¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true, no matter how much you want it to be. I feel your pain, OUR pain. You threw yourself into training to try and forget and shove those painful and conflicting feelings deep inside. You had hoped that if you trained enough, told yourself those lies enough, they would become reality. But you know they won¡¯t, and trying to bury those feelings just makes you a fool. Though, I am no better because I said nothing to stop you. A part of me also hoped that it would work as well.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Frustrated, Zycor shouted, ¡°And what was I supposed to do, then!? Talk to Baz or Mylon about it!? They probably would have pushed me to go this route anyways! I could have talked to Aisha about it, sure, but that would do nothing but place more unnecessary burden on her!¡± Mid-way through his rant, he began to tear up, ¡°Aislin might be a good option, but she wouldn¡¯t know what to do! Talking to her would only make her feel frustrated! And Lizali¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡­ wouldn¡¯t understand. She means well, but is far too naive.¡±


    Zycor chuckled as a tear rolled down his face, ¡°Yeah? And so what does that make us for listening to her?¡±


    ¡°A fool to say the very least, Sir Zycor.¡±


    Zycor looked behind him and saw Nalea standing there. ¡°But, a fool Lady Adria loved dearly.¡±


    Trying to hide his tears as he dried his eyes, Zycor uttered, ¡°How is it possible to have the best and worst timing simultaneously, Nalea?¡±


    She closed her eyes and gave a slight, sarcastic bow, ¡°A goddess given talent I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Zycor chuckled at her comment, though the pained expression never left. ¡°Sir Zycor, would you mind if we had a chat?¡±


    Zycor shook his head and Nalea picked him up under her arm. She readied herself for what appeared to be a jump, Zycor inquiring, ¡°Uh, Nalea, what are you-.¡±


    ¡°I thought heading to a place to watch the setting sun would be better. You did seem to always make time to go somewhere to watch it when you felt down.¡± She interjected.


    Without further hesitation, Nalea muttered, ¡°Cave. Bulge.¡± The ground then rumbled and caved in, the excess dirt coming up over the edge of the hole. The excess dirt then quickly snapped back down, launching them into the air, towards one of the closer edges of the chasm. Nalea tapped on Zycor¡¯s head, stating, ¡°You can open your eyes now, we landed.¡±


    Being set down and opening his eyes, they widened at the sight. The setting sun¡¯s rays cut through the fog, making for a breathtaking sight. ¡°You know, Lady Adria would often come and look at this sight herself, even before she found you. I asked her about why she did it once, and you know what she said? ¡®I wanted something to share with someone. Of course, I would have to find someone first however, haha!¡¯¡±


    Zycor stared at the rays of light, refracted through the fog, as he listened silently. Nalea continued, ¡°I have been with her for many years. I have seen many expressions, and heard many of her thoughts. However, in all my years serving under her, I had never seen her truly happy until she met you. I am certain that, if she was here, she would have brought you here herself to view this scene with you.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s head slowly sunk down. Tears began to fall as he wept, ¡°What am I supposed to do, Nalea. I miss her so much, and yet I know this feeling won¡¯t bring her back. I have tried to bury this feeling so as to not burden those I have left, but it feels like I have only done the opposite. I feel like I have lost my purpose¡­ I should be angry, furious! And yet, why is it that I can only seem to weep?¡±


    Nalea, for the first time in many years, felt empathy for his plight. He was twenty-one years of age, well past being a ¡®young adult,¡¯ and yet the person sat in front of her was nothing more than a boy. A boy who had been in tremendous pain for years. The wounds of his past never healed, simply covered enough to ignore. But now that it has happened again, he is unable to hold back the pain.


    She sat down next to him and put her arm around him, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the pain you are in right now, and for that I am sorry. I wish there was something I could say to ease your suffering. But what you need right now, more than vengeance, more than anger, is to allow yourself to be sad. To let yourself cry, to truly mourn the loss of not only Lady Adria, but the rest of the family you lost. The time that the Velathrian¡¯s and Mr. X pay for their crimes will come. But for now, You have to allow yourself to heal.¡±


    Zycor leaned on Nalea, putting his hand on her back. He gripped her shirt as he listened to her advice and allowed himself to truly feel the weight of his losses. As he cried, he could only repeatedly say how much he missed them all. How he wished he could have introduced them to each other one day.


    Although he did not notice it, Nalea had shed a tear herself. Perhaps it was simply her own empathy for Zycor, or maybe she had allowed herself a small amount of the same relief, mourning for Adria in her own way.


    They remained this way until the sun had set. Zycor had fallen asleep, his eyes red. Nalea picked him up and carried him down as gently as she could, bringing him back to the inn they were staying at. Silently and undetected, Nalea brought him into his room and laid him onto his bed. She stroked his hair in a comforting manner, then swiftly disappeared into the shadows.

 Volume 2; Chapter 27: Departure

    Waking in the morning, Zycor sat up in his bed, nursing his head. He opened his eyes and saw Novos Lying next to him, sound asleep. Zycor softly chuckled and gently pet Novos. He slipped out of bed and stretched his arms. He felt a lot better after having been allowed to tell someone exactly how he felt. Someone who was able to relate to his pain.


    With a clap of his hands, Novos jumped into the air, landing on the bed and bouncing onto the floor. Zycor looked over and asked, ¡°Oops, Sorry Novos!¡±


    Novos poked his head up above the bed and gave a huff, quickly retreating back behind the bed. ¡°Oh come on buddy, I apologized. Besides, today is the day my gauntlets are supposed to be done!¡±


    Zycor was only met with a puff of smoke from the opposite side of the bed. ¡°Tell ya what,¡± He began, ¡°we are going to have a big dinner tonight, I promise to treat you to something good.¡±


    Novos swiftly plopped his head onto the bed, staring at Zycor, his eyes narrowed. Zycor rolled his eyes and chuckled, ¡°What, you heard me say I promised. You know I wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    Novos hopped on the bed and approached Zycor, growing smaller. He jumped on Zycor¡¯s shoulder then draped himself around Zycor¡¯s neck, his tail slightly wagging. Zycor chuckled, giving Novos a pet on the head and left the room. He was greeted by Baz, Mylon and Aisha who were waiting for him.


    ¡°About time ya woke up sleeping beauty!¡± Baz chortled.


    Mylon hit him on the head, scolding, ¡°Keep the jokes to yourself until after we have woken up properly.¡±


    ¡°Make me, magic for brains!¡±


    ¡°Gladly¡­¡±


    Baz and Mylon stared daggers at each other, both ready to start a brawl. Aisha stepped between the two of them trying to diffuse the situation, ¡°Yes yes, you are both very big, strong guys, now can we go? I think Zy¡¯s growing impatient.¡±


    The two of them looked over at Zycor who was fidgeting a bit, excited about his new weapons. They looked back at each other and began to laugh. The party left to head towards Pon¡¯s shop. While Aisha, Baz and Mylon bantered and bickered, Zycor was lost in his own thoughts.


    ¡°Are you going to tell them?¡± Zweicor inquired.


    ¡°I am going to wait for us all to be together. Then I will let them know.¡± Zycor thought in response, a tinge of unease in his tone.


    Finally making it to Pons place, Lizali waved out front with a smile on her face, ¡°Guys, over here! They look awesome!¡±


    Zycor put his thoughts on hold as he picked up the pace, eager to see his new weapons. Turning the corner into the doorway, his eyes widened. Pon, with a massive grin, stood behind the two gauntlets resting on the table. ¡°Feast your eyes on my masterpiece!¡± He began, beside himself with pride, ¡°I doubt I will ever make something better than these. Then again, I doubt I will ever get my hands on a material better than that Unobtainium. I fused magnecite with the Unobtainium to make larger ingots, incorporating the properties of both materials. The sleek silver finish may look plain, but once you put them on and supply them with magic power, that silver begins to shimmer with the multi-colored look of the Unobtainium! Of course, I made sure to use that same alloy with the blades. That material made it super easy to configure everything too! I was even able to hide all of the fragile components of the mechanisms within the gauntlet, so no exposed parts to be exploited.¡±


    Zycor walked to the counter and picked one of the gauntlets up and asked, ¡°Can I still make them smaller?¡±


    ¡°Of course! The properties of Unobtanium seem to mimic much of what is put into it, so it should mimic the properties of the magnecite.¡± Pon explained.


    Zycor passed some mana into the gauntlets to shrink them. As he did, a spark was felt and it felt like time stopped. The world around him went black, leaving him in a void. He began to frantically look around, eventually seeing someone, something in the distance. Focusing on it, he saw that it was a humanoid figure bound in chains and unable to move. Despite it being restrained, Zycor still felt something sinister and dangerous coming from it. ¡°What is that?¡± Zycor asked aloud.


    The chained beings'' head lifted up and its eyes slowly opened. It looked at Zycor and its smile tore straight through to its ears as its mouth began to open. ¡°Zycor! Drop the gauntlet, now!¡±


    The chains began to rattle and the being began to try and wrestle itself free. Zycor dropped the gauntlet, staggering backwards. His heart beating out of his chest, Zycor took deep breaths as he stared at the gauntlet.


    ¡°The hell was that!?¡± Zweicor cried, surprise and terror in his voice


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But it felt like something was drawing it to us¡­ or us to him?¡± Zycor responded, equally as shaken and baffled.


    ¡°This has X written all over it.¡±


    ¡°You think he could do something like this?¡±


    ¡°I mean, he was able to beat mom.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Mylon grabbed Zycor¡¯s shoulders and shook him, ¡°Hey, Zy! You ok?!¡±


    Snapping out of his daze Zycor looked around the room, everyone with expressions of concern and worry on their faces. Composing himself the best he could, Zycor replied, ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m good. Just thought I saw something.¡±


    He reached down cautiously and picked the gauntlet up, but that feeling didn¡¯t return. Taking a deep breath, he poured some mana into it to try and shrink it one more time and it worked without issue. Assuming it was just his nerves getting the better of him, he swept the thought to the back of his mind. Although, he was unable to shake the feeling that something was coming, something far more dangerous than anything he had encountered so far.


    Silently, he walked over and retrieved the other gauntlet. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Pon, they feel and look great. I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into making these. But please excuse me.¡± Zycor hurriedly thanked.


    Zycor turned and exited the shop with a determined look on his face. Pon raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did somethin¡¯ happen with the lad?¡±


    Everyone save from Nalea shook their head no, While the latter¡¯s eyes softened momentarily. Her expression quickly returned to normal and she quickly and quietly vanished from the shop as well, following Zycor.


    ¡°Headed to Lathal?¡± Zweicor asked.


    Zycor responded, explaining, ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know whether that vision was fake or a premonition, but I have a bad feeling. He had mentioned something about a powerful magic locked away. Maybe if I ask him, I can get some information about it.¡±


    He soon arrived at Lathal¡¯s residence and Zycor knocked on the door. When Lathal answered it, he was clearly hungover and in a grouchy mood, ¡°Huh? Kid? The hell are you doing here so early? What are you doing here at all? Our training ended because you were leaving, right?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Mr. Lathal, I remember you had mentioned briefly about a magic you learned about with incredible power. Could you teach it to me?¡±


    Holding his head as he thought, Lathal recalled the conversation Zycor was referring to, ¡°Ah, apologies kid, I never got my hands on it. It¡¯s only a rumor among those who study the pre-age of war era.¡±


    Observing the concern and worry in Zycor¡¯s body language, Lathal let out a sigh, ¡°Oh boy. Come inside kid, I¡¯ll tell you what I know, though it¡¯s not much.¡±


    Zycor nodded confidently and entered his abode. They both took a seat, Lathal with some medicine for the hangover, ¡°Alright, first things first, take what I am about to tell you with a grain of salt. Again, this is mere conjecture between pre-age of war scholars I happened to be privy to listening in on. Are you aware of the massive city that lies in the middle of the continent?¡±


    Zycor thought for a moment, ¡°I think my friend Aisha told me about it, Tavilla or something right?¡±


    ¡°¡®Torvalla¡¯ actually. That city is protected by a magical barrier devised from technology and magic that our current society could never hope to replicate. This is most likely due to it being the culmination of both the elf''s magic and the human¡¯s technology and knowledge. The city is in pristine condition, free of any corruption. However, there are horrors that surround the city, almost like they are guarding it. After many years of research and discussion, the general consensus among those scholars is that contained within the city are powerful, lost magics. And according to the very few, illegal to own documents, there is a magic meant for emergency use only. The ancient documents are written in a very complex script that is still being deciphered, but due to the scarcity and hard to acquire nature of the texts, building a complete translation proves to be difficult. But from what they were able to decipher, the magic''s purpose is to ¡®stop the end¡¯ whatever that means. I heard them talk about there being more information in one of Itzal¡¯s dungeons. There¡¯s one not too far from here you could delve into if you really wanted to. However, it has been about fifty years since the last Itzal dungeon was cleared. Those things are vicious, even put me into a few situations where I was nearly killed.¡±


    Zycor was about to respond dismissively about the claims as well, but then stopped when he thought of Mr. X and the creature in his vision that bore the same feeling as the former. Zycor asked hastily, ¡°So what, are the so-called ¡®horrors¡¯ the only thing keeping people out?¡±


    Lathal could see that Zycor was thinking he could dash past the horrors and make it to the city. He sighed as he asked, ¡°Were you listening kid? There are the horrors and a barrier. That barrier is the main problem. The horrors cannot enter the city, sure, but neither can anyone else. And you can¡¯t clear out the horrors and then try to test things on the barrier. Those abominations regenerate and come back regardless of how you kill them.¡±


    As Zycor¡¯s mind raced, he fixed onto one point Lathal made, ¡°You said ¡®most¡¯ people, right? That implies there are some people who can.¡±


    Lathal shook his head, ¡°That is true, but it¡¯s just a rumor, legend, a myth if you will. Supposedly the bloodline of the first hero is still around and the descendents of that person should be able to gain entry. But, to my knowledge, the people thought to be his descendants were killed off some years ago. Apparently, after saving their nation from many catastrophes and traveling the world quelling the wars of many demi-human tribes to prevent them from wreaking havoc, they were given the title of ¡®heroes.¡¯ And after that, they settled down in a remote village of no notable worth or mention. I guess someone was not too keen on letting them live, and they were killed along with their family. But man, the stories I heard about the heroes, I heard they trained regularly by fighting the horrors around Torvalla.¡±


    Lathal stood up to bring his now empty cup to his sink and began to wash it, ¡°But hey, if you''re lucky, maybe the rumors floating around about one of their kids getting away is true and you¡¯ll find him. You could probably make him help ya if you really wanted.¡±


    Zycor, his eyes wide, sat stunned. He stammered, ¡°E-excuse me¡­ D-do you know the n-names of those heroes?¡±


    Lathal looked back puzzled, ¡°You don¡¯t? I thought for certain everyone knew. Their names were Mira and Barlo.¡±


    Zycor stood up slowly, extraordinarily unnerved. As he shambled out of the house, Zycor said, ¡°Thanks for the info, Mr. Lathal.¡±


    The door quickly shut behind him while Lathal responded, ¡°No prob¡­ lem. Huh, that seemed to rattle him a bit. I suppose it was all pretty shocking though.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Zy.¡±


    Zycor, bubbling anger in his voice, responded aloud, ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna kill every Velathrian we see, agreed?¡±


    ¡°No exceptions.¡±


    ¡°Then you know we have to leave her behind.¡±


    ¡°I am aware, Zwei. I am headed to take care of it now.¡±


    Zycor saw his friends standing outside Pon¡¯s shop talking and arguing. As he approached, he had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Hey Zy, where¡¯d you run off too?¡± Mylon inquired.


    ¡°Yeah, you sort of left us hanging.¡± Aisha chimed in.


    Zycor walked past them and explained, ¡°I was gathering information about something I need to end Mr. X. I have it now, so we are leaving.¡±


    Baz and Mylon looked at each other, feeling something was off as they began to follow. Aisha caught up and matched Zycor¡¯s pace asking, ¡°Hey, why are you so serious?¡±


    Lizali did the same, ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t like you. You should be smiling more!¡±


    With the wagon in view, Zycor stopped suddenly, putting his arm out to stop Lizali. When everyone else had passed, he slightly pushed her back a bit and, his back turned to her, said, ¡°Lizali, you are going to stay here. I can¡¯t have you coming with us.¡±


    Everyone stopped in shock. Lizali, stunned, chuckled as she asked, ¡°W-what do you mean, Zy? Would I be intruding?¡±


    Zycor grit his teeth as he forced the words he disagreed with out, ¡°Yes, you would be. I¡¯m sorry to say, but having you with us would be nothing but a hindrance.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zycor, what the hell are you saying!?¡± Aisha shouted.


    ¡°Zycor, calm down and talk to us. What¡¯s going on?¡± Mylon asked, just as shocked.


    Baz looked at Zycor and sighed, ¡°Zycor, I am going to wait in the wagon. You do what you have to.¡±


    ¡°Z-Zy, why would you say that? A-and why are you using my full name?¡± Lizali questioned, shaken and hurt to her core.


    ¡°Lizali, I have come to realize something crucial. I care for you immensely. More than words can describe. More than I had even realized myself. This was made evident when you told me to spare those Velathrian knights. I place an immense amount of trust in you and your words, which is probably why I had listened to you.¡± Zycor began to explain, his head drooping down slightly.


    ¡°And that is why I have to come with you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t come with me!¡± Zycor shouted, his voice pained, ¡°That boy you remember, he isn¡¯t here. I am not him anymore. If you came with us, the memory of that boy would be forever lost, replaced with the monster I have become. My mission, what I have to do, I can¡¯t have you coming along only to make me second guess myself.¡±


    Zycor paused, tears falling to the ground, ¡°If you come with us, you might die, and I couldn¡¯t handle that. I need you to preserve the memory of that innocent boy, so when I come back, I may be able to revive him.¡±


    Mylon, understanding, put his hand on Aisha¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We need to head to the wagon.¡±


    Aisha tried to struggle, ¡°N-no, Mylon! We have to stop this! We-.¡±


    Mylon put his hand over her mouth and took her to the wagon by force. With Lizali and Zycor alone now, the former asked, ¡°Zy, you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Lizali, please¡­ Stay here.¡± Zycor said, tears continuing to fall, ¡°I have to kill these people, or else it will never end. I can¡¯t have you getting in the way of that and having that decision end up with someone getting hurt¡­¡± Zycor turned to look at Lizali, ¡°I can¡¯t have that person be you.¡±


    Both of them remained silent as Lizali began to cry. Zycor turned around and began to head towards the wagon, ¡°Good-bye Lizali. Please, even if I don¡¯t return, live a long and happy life.¡±


    As Zycor passed the threshold of the village, Lizali grit her teeth and, tears streaming down her face yelled, ¡°Do you really think I was going to accept that!?¡±


    She pulled on a cord on her backpack and a rod popped out. She caught it and put mana into it as it began to glow. She then threw it above Zycor. It exploded above his head. He stopped and looked back at her, his eyes now resolute and dead, his heart locked away until the mission was complete.


    Lizali smiled as tears rolled down her face, ¡°If you want to leave me behind, then you will have to prove you are right! That I don¡¯t have what it takes to take care of myself! Fight me!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s eye color shifted from green to gray as he extended his finger towards Lizali. Aisha cried, ¡°Zycor, what are you doing?! Stop!¡±


    Ignoring her pleas, Zweicor, now in control, somberly uttered, ¡°Converge.¡± As lightning swirled around his pointer finger a blast of lightning erupted forth, ripping through the air and striking Lizali¡¯s backpack, obliterating it.


    As it crumbled off her back, Lizali fell to her knees as Zweicor looked coldly at her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liz. This is reality, cruel and unforgiving.¡±


    He turns to resume walking towards the wagon, his eyes reverting to Zycor¡¯s evergreen color. He boards the wagon, Baz driving, and they set off. As the wagon trails up the winding road out of the cavern, Lizali watches on, tears streaming down her face. She reaches out towards it, a vision of the happy young boy she remembered flashing in her mind, ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t go.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 28: Where They Stand

    Staring at the top of the mountain where she lost sight of Zycor¡¯s carriage, Lizali stood in a daze. She was trying to process what had happened. She looked down at the shattered remnants of her backpack. Leaning down Lizali took a shard of it into her hand, staring at it. She slowly closed her hand around it, bringing it to her chest. As the tears fell, a familiar, older man''s voice commented, ¡°Wow, he really went through with it.¡±


    Lizali looked up and saw Lathal gazing up at the ridge. He continued, ¡°With how fondly he spoke of you, I am both amazed that he managed to leave you and disappointed this is the path he chose.¡±


    Her eyes widened at Lathal''s statement as she scowled, ¡°You knew he was planning this, didn¡¯t you? And you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my place to say anything. He has only done what he thought was the right thing to do.¡±


    Jumping to her feet, Lizali¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger and frustration while her tears continued to fall, she grabbed his shirt and cried, ¡°You bastard! You should have talked to him! I am certain he would have listened to you!¡±


    Lathal looked down at her with pity, replying, ¡°Zycor was far more likely to listen to you among anyone else in my opinion. From our talks, everytime he mentioned you it was with warmth and trust. If he went this far against you, there was no way he would have listened to me.¡±


    Lizali¡¯s expression faltered, her grip on Lathal¡¯s shirt loosening. As she continued crying, Lizali complained, ¡°That idiot¡­ he just won¡¯t listen to reason. He is only thinking about himself and his own ambitions. He doesn¡¯t care about those he is hurting, the families he is tearing apart due to his crusade. Not every Velathrian is a terrible demon who deserves to be wiped out¡­ we are all different¡­ he can¡¯t just judge every Velathrian knight as guilty, it doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    Lathal, fixing his shirt, questioned, ¡°And you voiced this to him properly, right?¡±


    Lizali adamantly exclaimed, ¡°Of course I did! But he just walked away from me!¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Lathal flicked Lizali on the forehead with a moderate amount of force. While she nursed her forehead, he called her out, ¡°You know, Liz, out of most of the people I know, you make pretty solid arguments. There are few people I am willing to admit you couldn¡¯t convince. But from what I have heard from the boy, you didn¡¯t make a decent argument that mirrored what you just told me.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s not true¡­ I-I explained it to him! At least¡­ I think I did?¡± Lizali tried to recall exactly what she had told Zycor. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how poorly she worded her argument.


    ¡°There it is, the look of realization. Similarly to Zycor, you care about him a great deal. And just like he seems to have done to you, it seems you have treated him as the same young boy you once knew. You talked to him as though you were the adult and he was the child who was supposed to listen to you.¡±


    Trying to defend herself, Lizali stammered through her sobs, ¡°N-no¡­ I wasn¡¯t¡­ I mean¡­ I might have been¡­ but it¡¯s not like I am wrong, right?! K-killing every knight¡­ s-simply because they are V-Velathrian¡­ it¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    Lathal retorted flatly, ¡°Yes, from your point of view. Like I said earlier, Zycor has done what he believes to be right. You have to understand exactly what that boy has gone through. He had his family taken from him right in front of him when he was nothing more than an actual child. He was picked up and raised by probably the most unqualified person to be a parent, and raised to embrace his own ambitions and ideals. He made friends only to have them repeatedly nearly ripped away from him. He is constantly faced with the cruel reality of his own limitations, especially so when his adoptive mother was killed as well. He blames himself for the death of his birth family, for the death of his adoptive mother as well as the countless lives of the innocent bystanders that were constantly caught in the crossfire of his fights.¡±


    Lizali fell to her knees, a mortified expression on her face. ¡°H-he never¡­ said anything about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably because he felt it was something you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about. After all, just like you treated him as the same young boy you remembered, he treated you as the young lass he believed he had lost.¡±


    Lizali remained on her knees, looking at the remains of her backpack. She replayed the argument Zycor and her just had, using the knowledge she was just given to explain Zycor¡¯s actions. Her hands gripped her knees tightly, gritting her teeth. Lizali quickly stood up and stormed off to her workshop.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lathal raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°And where are you headed?¡±


    Her pace never slowing, Lizali adamantly replied, ¡°I am going after that idiot. If he really thinks I am that easy to get rid of, he really does see me as a child.¡±


    Lathal chuckled to himself, looking back at the ridge, ¡°Heh. Well Zycor, what will you do? It looks like you have one determined lass coming after you. I am curious to know how you will handle this coming storm. I can only hope you don¡¯t break¡­¡±


    -


    The rumble of the wagon¡¯s wheels provided little distraction from the deafening silence that hung upon the group. Zycor stared out the back, wondering if he would come to regret his choice. Everytime that thought crossed his mind, his thoughts drifted to the little girl he played with in the village, then to the village burning around him. He didn¡¯t know whether or not he would come to regret it, but he believed he made the right choice.


    Aisha¡¯s foot bounced on the floor of the wagon, her arms crossed as she seethed. Baz and Mylon looked out the front of the wagon as Nalea drove. Her irritation finally getting the best of her, Aisha grumbled, ¡°So, you gonna explain what the hell that was about, Zy?¡±


    Zycor remained silent, continuing to stare out the back which only served to anger Aisha more. She raised her voice as she chastised Zycor, ¡°Listen here you idiot, you don¡¯t get to just kick someone out of the party without talking to the rest of us! We are in this together, ya know?!¡±


    Zycor maintained his stare, replying with a question, ¡°Then, should I have left you back there as well? It seems you may not be up to what comes next as well.¡±


    His comment serving to exacerbate her growing rage, Aisha stood up and shouted, ¡°The hell is that supposed to mean!? I get that you are probably torn up inside by what you did, and you should be! But you don¡¯t get to treat me poorly just because you are hurting!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not treating you poorly. I am merely questioning whether or not it would have been safer for you to remain with Lizali. I don¡¯t want you to die either, but I feel I have a good grasp of what you can handle and decided you could handle this.¡±


    Mylon put his hands up as he nervously laughed, ¡°Now now, let¡¯s settle down. We are all heartbroken over having to leave Lizali behind, but let¡¯s not allow that to tear us apart.¡±


    ¡°But Mylon, I know you agree with-.¡±


    Cutting her off, Mylon coldly states, ¡°That is not the point here, Aisha.¡±


    Feeling chills run down her spine, Aisha sat back down and went silent. Mylon continued, ¡°Zy, I don¡¯t know your exact reasons, but I have a feeling it has to do with her view on Velathrian¡¯s, is that right?¡±


    Zycor kept quiet for a moment, considering how he should respond. He gripped the trunk, replying, ¡°What we are about to do¡­ there can be no mercy. Having such thoughts will only cost you your life, and I refuse to allow Liz-... Lizali to die that way. She doesn¡¯t understand that Velathria deserves no mercy whatsoever, they are a cancer that needs to be cut out. And I will be the knife that carves them out.¡±


    The pain, anger, resentment and sadness in his voice was palpable. Baz, looking out the front, mirroring Zycor, spoke up, ¡°Oftentimes, when someone tries to force another to avoid a path they believe would lead the other to their destruction, it usually leads the person down that road. I can only hope you do not have to learn this the way¡­¡±


    Baz went silent as Mylon placed a hand on his shoulder. With a somber tone, Zycor¡¯s grip grew soft as he replied, ¡°Yeah¡­ I do too¡­¡±


    Aisha, torn between being furious with the way Zycor handled the situation with Lizali, and wanting to comfort her friend, clutched her knees. She held her breath, her chest tensing in rage and then let it all out with a heavy exhale. She walked to the back of the wagon and sat down next to Zycor. She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him, ¡°I heavily disagree with how you handled things¡­ but, we are in this together. You don¡¯t have to feel like you must go through all of this alone. We all care about you¡­ I care about you.¡±


    Aisha caught sight of a solitary tear shed by Zycor. His hand came to rest on hers on his shoulder as he softly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Nalea smiled, happy to hear they had made up. She continued steering the wagon forward, on to their destination, Itzal¡¯s dungeon. Everything continued relatively smoothly for a while longer. However, without warning, Nalea¡¯s eyes narrowed as she shouted, ¡°Brace yourselves!¡±


    Suddenly, the earth around them began to rise up, massive stones rising up in front and beside the wagon, making a large, enclosed space. Nalea stopped the wagon while the horses began going crazy. Their hysteria did not last long, though, for two spikes of a black substance pierced through them, instantly killing the horses. Zycor looked at the floor of the wagon and cried, ¡°Everyone get off!¡±


    As the party swiftly abandoned the wagon, a larger spike burst from the ground and destroyed the wagon completely. Zycor¡¯s eyes narrowed as the black spikes retracted, leaving a viscous, black goop behind.


    An opening was created across from the party as four Velathrian knights and a well dressed man walked in. Zycor, Baz, Mylon, Nalea, and Aisha all prepared for the inevitable fight. The light from the sun seeped in from the various gaps of the man-made enclosure.


    The well dressed man, Mr. X, grinned as he addressed Zycor and the party, ¡°Hello my dear¡­ acquaintances. What a pleasant¡­ surprise to meet¡­ here.¡±


    Zycor grabbed his gauntlets from his waist, enlarging and equipping them. He slammed his fists together, lightning crackling from the impact while he grinned maliciously, ¡°Yeah, for once we agree, you bastard. I¡¯ve got some shit to work through. So, who¡¯s up first?¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 29: Another Death

    One of the Velthrian knights stepped forward, drawing his sword. The knight turned out to be Volnir who cackled, ¡°Well kid, you aren¡¯t getting away this time! No one to come save you now! It¡¯s a shame I wasn¡¯t able to be the one to kill your new mother myself though, I would have adored watching your face twist into anguish!¡±


    Zycor narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, seething with intense anger and hatred. He shouted with great fury, ¡°Killing someone will never feel as good as it will to kill you! I¡¯m going full throttle!¡±


    He cried out, ¡°Novos! I invoke our contract, come forth and grant me your power!¡±


    Novos¡¯ body glowed as he jumped from Zycor¡¯s neck and began to turn into pure mana, piercing through his chest. The dragon was absorbed into Zycor¡¯s body as a surge of magic swirled around him. The suppression ring shattered, Zycor¡¯s wings growing more pronounced and sprouting a tail. Across his body, even more blue scales sprouted and covered him, sprouting a pair of draconic horns, his pupils turning to slits. Zycor let out a deafening roar, his head coming down to focus on Volnir. He blitzed the knight in a reckless, almost animalistic fashion.


    Volnir, caught off guard by the straightforward approach, brought his sword up to counter. His eyes widen the moment he feels Zycor make contact with his blade, opting to dodge. Zycor continued forward, impacting the ground and tossing up dirt and dust. Out of the dust screen came a gauntlet that grasped Volnir¡¯s sword, another one coming from below and impacting the knight¡¯s stomach. Volnir staggered back, glaring at Zycor.


    Zweicor yelled with urgency, ¡°Get a hold of yourself! Don¡¯t allow yourself to be consumed!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s movements halted, his eyes growing wide for a moment then returning to normal. He let out a sigh, ¡°Thanks, I nearly lost it there.¡±


    Volnir, pissed beyond belief, stood up and coated his sword in mana and sneered, ¡°You brat¡­ you think you have time to talk to yourself? Are you looking down on me!?¡±


    He lunged at Zycor with his sword, bringing it down as hard and fast as he could. And yet, something he never thought he would see happened. Instead of cutting through Zycor like paper, Zycor had caught the sword, his own gauntlet crackling and engulfed by electricity that seemed to have a physical form stronger than his own sword. Zycor stared him down and coldly remarked, ¡°Did you think fighting me when I was at full power was going to end the same as when you fought me on empty?¡±


    The half dragon put his free hand on Volnir¡¯s stomach and spun his own body, prying the sword out of his grasp and slamming his heavy tail into the knight. Volnir cried out in pain as he was thrown into one of the massive artificial cave walls. Zycor glanced back at Volnir and crushed the sword in his hand. The other Velathrian knights surrounded Zycor. He looked at the three of them and narrowed his eyes. Zycor recognized them as the knights he let go at the behest of Lizali, now here to kill him. He scowled, ¡°I should have killed you all back then. It¡¯s fine, I can fix that right now.¡±


    The three knight¡¯s stared at him blankly, almost as if they weren¡¯t all there. Zycor moved to strike down the knights, but as he did, Mr. X created a smoke screen. He cackled, ¡°It seems you have¡­ grown dear Zycor. But our¡­ encounter would prove¡­ meaningless if it ended so¡­ clean.¡±


    His vision obscured, Zycor let out another roar, dispelling the smoke. When he began to track the knights, he found them scattered. They had mixed in with Aisha, Mylon, Baz and Nalea and began to fight with them. Zycor sneered at Mr. X, ¡°You coward, leave them alone!¡±


    Mr. X didn¡¯t respond, opting to remain airborne, watching with a wicked smile. Zycor grit his teeth, torn between fighting Mr. X, or helping his friends. Almost making the decision for him, Volnir booked it towards the group to assist the knights in their fight. Instantly, Zycor turned and flapped his wings that crackled with lightning and bolted towards the fight.


    Zycor began fighting one of the knights. As he fought and overwhelmed them, one of the other knights and Aisha shouted, ¡°Zycor, stop, what are you doing?!¡±


    Taken aback that Aisha would say such a thing, Zycor didn¡¯t notice Baz swinging his axe at him and hitting him. Zycor brushed the strike off, it having little effect on him. He looked on in shock and confusion. As his rage boiled over, he shouted at Mr. X ¡°What did you do to them during that smokescreen!? Give them back!¡±


    Mr. X chortled, ¡°Oh my dear¡­ Zycor, I have done nothing to¡­ them.¡±


    Fed up with his lies, Zycor kicked Volnir, who was charging him, as hard as possible then turned and plunged his fist clean through one of the other knights. As soon as he did, one of the knights stared in disbelief while Aisha and Mylon cried out, ¡°Zycor, stop!¡±


    Zycor looked over at them with confusion, then he heard a snap coming from Mr. X. The knight staring at him became a haze and morphed into Baz, while the Baz who attacked him turned into a knight. Then Nalea became a haze, turning into the third knight, and the knight he had plunged his fist through turned into Nalea. Zycor had been played by an illusion. Blood dripped from the would as Nalea coughed up blood. Zycor quickly removed his fist and held Nalea in his arms, bringing her to the ground.


    The knights went to attack, but Mr. X stopped them, ordering them to wait. The intense inner turmoil forced Novos out of his body, ending the fusion, his features retreating only slightly. Zycor began crying as he held Nalea, ¡°No no no! Y-you can¡¯t die! I¡­ I need you to live! You are a part of our family here!¡±


    Nalea, breathing slowly, her life fading quickly, raised her hand to Zycor¡¯s face and gave a genuine smile, ¡°Thank you¡­ for including me in your¡­ family. I haven¡¯t felt¡­ truly happy in all my years¡­ until Miss Mori brought you home. Than¡­k you¡­¡±


    Her hand fell limp, falling onto her chest, her eyes closing as she shed a solitary tear, her life slipped away. Zycor held her close as he cried out in pain. Aisha and Mylon stood baffled, uncertain of what to do. Baz, on the other hand, gripped his axe as hard as he could with great fury and hurled it as hard as he could at Mr. X. It spinned furiously through the air towards the demon of a man. But, he simply raised his one good hand and shattered the axe. Baz finally brought out the zweihander and sneered, ¡°All of you bastards will die, here and now.¡±


    Mylon looked at Baz, the latter of whom charged Volnir bringing the massive sword down on him. Volnir grabbed one of the knights and used him as a human shield, reinforcing his body with mana. Baz¡¯s sword cleaved about half-way through the man before getting lodged. Volnir grinned sinisterly at Baz, ¡°Why are you attacking me? Zycor is the one who killed your friend~.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Baz pressed forward, pushing Volnir back as he angrily retorted, ¡°That is only because you bastards did something to him!¡±


    Mr. X let loose a torrent of hysterical laughter laced with malice, ¡°Come now dear Zycor, look at what you have done! You killed the last person who connected you to your dear mother! I wonder, did you do that on purpose?!¡±


    His tone changed to one of condescension and superiority, ¡°Did you really¡­ think you could stop me? Your entire¡­ life was dedicated to my¡­ death. And yet, you are no¡­ closer than you were at the¡­ start. Are you beginning to see the¡­ reality of your endeavor? You have lost¡­ before even starting. You lost your first family, and now your¡­ new family is dying one¡­ by one. And there is no one¡­ to blame but yourself. You don¡¯t have¡­ any talent, nor do you excel at¡­ anything but mindless fighting.¡±


    He begins to point at each of the remaining party members and drops his act, ¡°First, the orc will die after his arms are ripped from his body. Then the paladin will be stripped of his armor, his tongue ripped out and gutted left to bleed out. And finally, the girl will be beaten, pierced, thrown and slammed into the ground and walls until she finally dies through blunt force trauma. And the best part? You will try to stop me, and you will fail, just like you failed to protect that elf girl you just killed.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s mind is a torrent of emotions, on the verge of breaking entirely, his anger and resolve holding him together barely. He grits his teeth and opens his mouth to speak. As he did, Zweicor shouted at him, ¡°Don¡¯t! If you fuse again so soon, we don¡¯t know what that will do to the progression of the fusion¡¯s corruption!¡±


    Zycor glared at Mr. X and remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I have to do something!¡±


    He raised his hand and invoked the contract again. Novos himself wanted to deny the contract request, his hesitation the proof. But he ultimately decided to listen and fused again. Zycor¡¯s size grew bigger, the wings and tail growing as well. The horns became larger and more draconic and more of his body was covered in scales. He began to look more like a dragon than a human at this point. His breathing was heavy, each one releasing sparks of electricity. Zycor took a deep breath and let out a viscous roar that cracked the ground and the walls of the cave. His eyes were consumed by an animalistic instinct to tear and devour.


    In an instant, two of the knights were thrown at incredible speeds into a wall. Upon impact, blood drained from their armor as they lifelessly remained lodged in the wall. Volnir remained as the last knight standing, his fear evident. He chuckled nervously, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not dying to a brat!¡±


    He pulled out a spherical device and threw it at Zycor who swatted it, breaking it and letting out a gas that causes coughing. He used that chance to run away, Mr. X allowing it, seeing him as having ceased being useful for the moment. Zycor took a deep breath, inhaling an immense amount of mana it became visible. He held his breath for a moment before bellowing forth in a roar a powerful blast of lightning that ripped through Mr. X and gouged a huge hole through the artificial wall.


    As Zycor stood panting searching for Mr. X, Aisha asked, ¡°Zycor, are you ok?¡±


    Zycor quickly whipped his head around and went to lethally strike Aisha. Baz and Mylon blocked his attack, their legs nearly buckling under the power, the latter theorizing, ¡°I think this fusion of his is not as harmless as we may have thought! He might be losing himself!¡±


    A distorted voice echoed through the chamber, ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that, I won¡¯t be able to plunge him into complete despair and force him to use the power I gave him if his very ego is erased.¡±


    A black sludge spike sprouted forth from the ground aiming to sever Baz¡¯s right arm. He narrowly dodged, the spike still gashing his arm. Mr. X reformed and chuckled, ¡°Now now, why did you dodge? It would have been easier if you simply accepted it.¡±


    Zycor swiftly shifted his attention back towards Mr. X launching a flurry of attacks, each one dodged or connecting and regenerated. He bellowed forth two more breath attacks, the first one missing and the other taking out his right leg that regenerated quickly.


    Mr. X, growing irritated, vanished and appeared in front of Zycor point blank and placed his left hand on his chest and scowled, ¡°That dragon is being a nuisance, let¡¯s get rid of that.¡±


    He flooded Zycor¡¯s body with death magic that resonated with the already-present seed and forced Novos out. Zycor shrunk back to normal and fell to his knees, panting heavily. Mr. X grabbed Novos and threw him to the opposite side of the cave and encased him in black sludge.


    Dusting himself off, Mr. X complained, ¡°If that creature was directly from that damn goddess I would kill it right now¡­ but doing such a thing might give her a reason to personally interfere¡­¡±


    He turned his attention to Zycor who was still trying to catch his breath. Mr. X stepped onto his back, forcing the boy fully prone as he coldly chastised, ¡°You truly are pathetic. Your biological parents were heroes, your adoptive mother was strong enough to actually hurt me, and you were given access to all of her connections. Despite being blessed and spoon fed everything you could possibly need or want, this is all you amount to. It truly is a pity that the other girl isn¡¯t around, I would have loved to kill her in front of you. But, killing these three should be enough.¡±


    A spike burst forth from the ground aiming for Baz¡¯s heart. Mylon reacted quick enough to push him out of the way of an instantly fatal strike, but the half orc was still pierced through his bicep. Mylon¡¯s shield was promptly shattered by another spike, piercing through his forearm as well. Zycor shouted, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    He managed to grab Mr. X¡¯s other leg with his gauntlet, coating it with his hard lighting. When Mr. X tried to simply turn his leg to ooze, he failed. His eyes went wide as Zycor pulled, causing Mr. X to fall onto his back. Not missing a beat, Zycor stood up and brought Mr. X into the air with a swift motion, letting go of his leg. He wound up the strongest punch he could manage and threw a punch at Mr. X¡¯s abdomen. Before he made contact, Mr. X forcibly made a hole in his chest, causing Zycor¡¯s punch to go right through him. He then closed round his arm and broke Zycor¡¯s arm as he scowled, ¡°Did you honestly think I would let you hit me again?¡±


    Mr. X released him and Zycor fell to his knees. The former walked past him and towards the three remaining members. Zycor turned and watched with horror at what was about to happen. He couldn¡¯t do anything. Novos was out of reach, his arm was broken, and he was completely outmatched. This was not mentioning the immense amount of mana expended when he went berserk and when he used his hard lightning. He was running on empty as well. A heavy, ominous throbbing began to emanate from deep within himself. It began to circulate through his body as Zweicor cried out in pain, ¡°H-hey, Zy, you gotta calm down! S-something''s not right!¡±


    Zycor had completely tuned him and everything else out. His eyes and focus fixated on Mr. X raising his hand as black tendrils sprouted from his back ready to kill his friends. As he brought his hands down, nothing happened. This confused even Mr. X. When he turned around, his face expressed elation at what he saw. His black tendrils had been severed and taken by the black tendrils that now hold them sprouted from Zycor¡¯s back. The boy¡¯s left eye had turned black and a stream of black ooze began to stream down it like a tear. He began to stand up, the ooze covering his right arm and, with a few unsettling cracks and twists, healed Zycor¡¯s arm.


    Zycor now stood again facing Mr. X down with the same power that had caused him so much harm. Mr. X burst out, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Fall into that pit of despair! Realize there is nothing you can do except use my power!¡±


    Zycor stared Mr. X down with an intense glare. Filled with sadness, anger, hatred and a slew of other emotions, Zycor snarled with a distorted voice, ¡°Even if I should be lost to this power, I will take your life.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 30: Dance with Death

    A horse rushed towards the giant, artificial cave, its female rider groaning at the thought of what happened, ¡°That moron. I swear, if you leave him alone for more than ten minutes something will go horribly wrong.¡±


    The rider, Lizali, came to a stop outside of one of the cave walls and hopped off commenting, ¡°Although, he isn¡¯t a kid anymore, so perhaps my judgment is wrong.¡±


    She pulled out a disc-like object from her satchel and placed it against the wall, grumbling, ¡°Still though, I can¡¯t believe he went and destroyed my backpack, I worked hard on that thing. I¡¯ll be sure to chastise him thoroughly!¡±


    -


    Zycor stares Mr. X down with furious anger, his new tendrils swaying and wiping around. Mr. X can¡¯t contain his joy and amusement at the development and goads the boy, ¡°That¡¯s right! Rage, hate, despair! Let it consume you as you try to kill me! If you don''t, your friends are going to die!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s tendrils darted towards Mr. X with incredible speed, but were deflected by the latter¡¯s own. Zycor roared with a slightly distorted voice and charged Mr. X. His fist missed and plunged into the ground in front of his friends, sending them flying back as the ground fractured. Zycor whipped his head around to face Mr. X again and charged him again, extending his tendrils to strike ahead first. Mr. X met the ferocity of the boy''s attacks with his own, smiling ear to ear as he watched Zycor¡¯s body slowly ooze more and more black sludge.


    Zycor began firing bolts of lightning wildly, too focused on Mr. X to care about anything else. Aisha watched stunned as a stray bolt ripped towards her. She closed her eyes, but when nothing happened, she opened them and saw Mylon standing in front of her, his shield raised. A hand rested on her shoulder, startling her. When she looked back, she saw Baz crouched behind her and Mylon. Baz¡¯s eyes narrowed, looking on at the spectacle and asked, ¡°Any idea what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Another stray bolt crashed against Mylon¡¯s shield, pushing him back slightly. Regaining his footing, Mylon responded, ¡°Nothing concrete, looking at the situation though, I would have to assume Zy is being corrupted by the bastard.¡±


    Baz clicked his tongue, ¡°Yeah, that X guy seemed really happy about it, so it¡¯s probably what he was going for. Mylon, can¡¯t you call on your goddess to do something? I thought you were a paladin of the church.¡±


    Mylon sighed with annoyance and spoke with a tone that suggested he has had this conversation before, ¡°Baz, it doesn¡¯t work that way. Plus, I left the church so I¡¯m not too sure she would even give me the time of day anyways.¡±


    Zycor let out another cry, producing a massive black tendril and slamming it on the ground where Mr. X stood. He finally managed to hit him, but he quickly reformed himself laughing hysterically, ¡°Good! Now further! Go further into the power, come and kill me!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s other eye began to slowly turn black as the battle dragged on. While the trio thought of what to do, an explosion behind them drew their attention. From the rubble, stepping into the cave, came Lizali with a grin on her face as she saw Mylon, Baz and Aisha, ¡°Ha! Caught you idiots!¡±


    A stray lightning bolt struck the wall next to her, causing her to stumble down the rubble and to the ground. Baz darted out and grabbed her right as another bolt struck the ground. Retreating behind Mylon¡¯s shield, Aisha shouted, ¡°What the hell are you doing here Liz?!¡±


    Baz seconded the question with his own, ¡°Yeah, I thought you and Zy had a falling out?¡±


    Lizali chuckled, ¡°I couldn¡¯t just leave things like that. Someone helped me see the problem both Zy and I had. So, I am here to talk some sense into him!¡±


    Another bolt struck Mylon¡¯s shield. He grit his teeth and grunted, ¡°Yeah well, I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the best time for a chat!¡±


    Aisha racked her brain for an answer, some way they could save Zycor from Mr. X and himself. A sudden, morbid idea came to mind as she spoke, ¡°I think I have an idea¡­ but it¡¯s a huge gamble.¡±


    Mylon glanced back at her momentarily, then refocused to blocking, ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep us waiting! I am open to any idea, considering I don¡¯t know how many more direct hits my shield and I can take!¡±


    Aisha swallowed as she began to explain, ¡°Remember what the lecturer said about awakening, Mylon? The body is torn apart and rebuilt? Maybe if we can trigger an awakening in Zy, his body could be ¡®reset¡¯ and free him.¡±


    Baz and Liz stared at her in horror, Mylon chuckling, ¡°Well, it might work in theory¡­¡± He peeked around his shield at Zycor roaring with black ooze and tendrils whipping around him and assaulting Mr. X along with bolts of lightning, ¡°...But how do you propose we do it?¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Aisha nervously chuckled in response, ¡°We¡­ stab or cut him mortally, but not severe enough to instantly kill him?¡±


    Mylon slowly turned his head to look at Aisha in astonishment. Aisha began to justify her idea, ¡°Think about it a second! He is probably already in extreme pain and his body is most likely keenly aware of the danger along with his subconscious! So all we would have to do is, in theory, get him to be coherent long enough to process the situation, and that should be enough!¡±


    Lizali grabs Aisha by the shoulders and stares daggers into her eyes, angrily exclaiming, ¡°And what if you''re wrong and one of those conditions aren¡¯t met?! I won¡¯t let you kill my-...¡± Lizali pauses, teeth grit, and continues, ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill our friend.¡±


    Mylon, facing ahead again, responds, ¡°Right then, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Lizali looks up at Mylon and shouts, ¡°Mylon, come on!¡±


    Baz places a hand on her shoulder, standing up with his zweihander, ¡°You got a better idea, girl? We probably don¡¯t have much time until Zy¡¯s body turns into that same ooze and we really won¡¯t be able to save him.¡±


    Lizali clenched her hands into fists, her knuckles turning white, relenting reluctantly, ¡°Fine, but if he dies, I am holding all of you accountable!¡±


    Mylon smirks, asking, ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan to get close enough Aisha?¡±


    Aisha freezes for a moment then responds, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Lizali sighs angrily, ¡°See! You didn¡¯t think this through!¡±


    Mr. X notices the group get up, his eyes immediately drawn to Lizali. He hadn¡¯t thought his day could get any better. Yet, here he is, being served the perfect sacrifice to send Zycor over the edge completely. He swiftly rushes the group while Mylon readies his shield as he cries, ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    Mr. X stops abruptly, his face plummeting to the floor. Zycor grabbed his leg and jumped on his back., his right eye halfway black now. A wild tendril whipped out and slammed into Mylon¡¯s shield shattering it and sending him flying. Baz catches him with a grunt. Realizing the perfect position he is in, Mr. X spits some ooze at Zycor¡¯s eyes, temporarily blinding him. He staggered back while the former cast illusion magic on Zycor¡¯s eyes.


    Removing the obstruction to his vision, Zycor looked back at the ground to see Lizali, who he didn¡¯t recognize. All that mattered is they weren¡¯t Mr. X. Zycor looked up and saw his target standing next to Aisha and blitzed them, a tendril piercing through their stomach. Blood spilled forth and Zycor smiled with euphoria. He had finally dealt impactful damage.


    But, with a snap of his fingers, Mr. X released the illusion with a smile that ripped his face to become wider. Zycor¡¯s eyes widened as the illusion faded and in his grasp was Lizali. His mind went into overdrive, overcome with grief, confusion and sadness. The tendril that pierced her dissipated as he brought her to the ground in his arms. Mr. X stood back, admiring his work and reveling in what was to come.


    Zycor¡¯s mouth was agape, words trying to escape, struggling to form a sentence. Anything would have sufficed, but nothing would come out. The tears of his right eye and the ooze mimicking them from his left rolled down his face. Lizali¡¯s hand came up to rest upon Zycor¡¯s face. Her touch was weak and probably took a great deal of her remaining strength. She gently caressed his cheek, smiling. She, weakly, managed to speak, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Zy, it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s heart broke completely as he began to sob, his head falling forward. He couldn¡¯t find any words other than ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Lizali brought her other hand up and placed it on his other cheek, guiding his face weakly to hers, ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, it wasn¡¯t your fault. I want to ask that¡­ you don¡¯t remember me like this¡­ dying. Please, remember the good memories we had together¡­ Good memories¡­ like this.¡±


    She guided his face closer to hers and brought her head up slightly, kissing him. Mr. X raised an eyebrow and sarcastically cooed, ¡°Oh~? Isn¡¯t that just the sweetest thing~.¡±


    Breaking the kiss, Lizali¡¯s eyes began to go blank. She managed to weakly and quietly chuckle, ¡°Ha¡­ looks like¡­ I beat Aisha¡­ at the end¡­¡±


    Her arms went limp, falling to the ground. Zycor let out a pained scream as his tears rolled down his face. Mylon grit his teeth and shouted at Baz, ¡°Now! This is the one chance we are going to get! There is no chance he will come back after this if we don¡¯t do something now!¡±


    Baz gripped the handle of his sword tightly, furious at the position Mr. X put him in. Forced to stab his friend after he lost someone so important. He steeled his resolve and rushed at Zycor, plunging the blade through his chest. As the blade sinks in, Baz shouts, ¡°I know it hurts! To lose someone that close, trust me I understand! You can¡¯t give up! Fight on, because if you die, the memories of Lizali will be lost to time!¡±


    Mr. X, enraged, slammed a tendril into Baz¡¯s side, fracturing a few bones and sent him tumbling away. He scowled, ¡°You bastard, what did you do to my new battery!¡±


    Mr. X pulled the sword out of Zycor with haste, hoping to trigger the transformation. Zycor felt the blade slide out of him. He knew this was the end, there was nothing to be done. He had killed two of his friends. He lost Adria, he lost his village. He just couldn¡¯t seem to win. On the brink of giving up, Baz¡¯s words echoed in his head. He realized Baz was right. If he died, their memories would be lost. He wouldn¡¯t let that happen, he wanted to live.


    The sword removed, Mr. X took a step back tossing it towards the trio, ¡°Take your scrap back, you wretches.¡±


    The sword clanged on the ground as Zycor¡¯s body slumped forward. The wind in the cave suddenly went still, and everything went quiet, as if nothing animate or inanimate dared to move. Mr. X looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what was happening. In the next instant, a massive pillar of light descended from the sky, ripping the cave¡¯s top asunder and enveloping Zycor and sending waves of powerful mana outwards, forcing Mr. X back along with Baz, Mylon and Aisha.


    While Mr. X stared at the pillar of light with a mix of confusion, horror, and fury, the group looked on in awe. Aisha couldn¡¯t help but smirk, chuckling, ¡°Here it is¡­ we did it.¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 31: Awakening Defense

    Mr. X launched a multitude of attacks towards the pillar, each one fizzling on their approach. ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± he scowled.


    He clenched his fists tight, black ooze dripping from his palms mimicking blood. Gritting his teeth, Mr. X shouted with great fury, ¡°Volnir! Get your ass over here!¡±


    Rubble on the other side of the cave shifted as Volnir rose from it and mumbled, ¡°Damn it, I was hoping I could just ride this out. Kid hit harder than I thought he would.¡±


    Mr. X barked further orders at Volnir, ¡°Use your magic to finish these children off! I am going to try and stop the awakening.¡±


    A wicked smile formed on Volnir¡¯s face. He responded enthusiastically, ¡°You want me to put the wounded dogs who can¡¯t fight anymore down? I wonder just what I did to deserve such an honor!¡±


    Baz clutched his arm and sneered, ¡°You just try it, ya cowardly sadist!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Cowardly? At least I will be alive in the end. Well you can go and insult me however you want, not like I care what a corpse has to say anyways.¡±


    Mylon staggered to his feet, worn out from defending against Zycor¡¯s stray bolts and fighting against the pressure from the waves of mana. Aisha stood up with Mylon and asked, ¡°Are you sure you can fight Mylon? You look exhausted,¡±


    He chuckled with a pained tone, ¡°Do I really have a choice? This Volnir guy is seriously bad news.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s eyes narrowed, staring pensively at Volnir. Each of his steps seemed heavy, and he was nursing his chest pretty heavily. She placed a hand on Mylon''s shoulder and insisted, ¡°Let me fight him. In his current state, I doubt he can muster up much of mana. On top of that, he is clearly still reeling from the hits he received from Zycor.¡±


    Mylon went to protest, but he fell to his knee, his left leg giving out. He cursed under his breath and reluctantly relented, ¡°Fine, I doubt I could do much anyways. I will join you as soon as my legs start cooperating with me again.¡±


    While Aisha readied herself to confront Volnir, Mr. X faced down the pillar of mana. He cursed under his breath, ¡°What bullshit is this?!¡± He took a deep breath and composed himself, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just have to interrupt the process. This sucks. I will have to use some of the mana reserves I set aside, but it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    He raised his hand towards the pillar, multiple tentacles pointing their tips to the center of it. A dark mass of magic swelled in his palm, increasing in size then suddenly collapsing into itself over and over. Mr. X couldn¡¯t help but smirk, happy to know this thorn in his side was about to be dealt with. Looking back on it, Zycor was far more trouble to corrupt than it was worth.


    His concentration was cut short when the prison containing Novos broke in a flash of light. Mr. X slowly looked back with a furiously annoyed expression. When he laid eyes on Novos, his eyes widened in shock and concern. His face contorted into hatred, with a hint of fear, and seethed, ¡°I should have realized you and that damn dragonkin who stopped me all those years ago were related.¡±


    Standing with a faint, white glow emanating from his body was Novos. He was clad in blue and gray draconic armor, his wings violently unfurled with a heavy gust of wind. His humanlike face bore the expression of a warrior on a mission. His blazing yellow eyes narrowed, silently staring Mr. X down, almost daring him to try it. Novos snarled, ¡°I wonder how you came across information on my race, especially considering we have never existed on this planet. Though, I suppose I can just beat it out of you, I am certain Alice will be curious to know as well.¡±


    Clicking his tongue, Mr. X returned his focus to the pillar, ¡°You damned religious zealot, following the false god must truly be painful.¡±


    He flexed his forearms and began to fire the mass of concentrated death magic at the pillar. His hand was forced towards the sky, missing completely. Novos glared down at him, the dragon¡¯s grip crushing his arm. It was at that moment, Mr. X realized how dangerous this being was. He was emitting pure mana from his body like it was natural, allowing the dragon to harm him. Novos growled, ¡°The goddess is keenly interested in that magic you are wielding. It is not of this universe, so the question is, where did you get a hold of it?¡±


    Mr. X was overcome with a mixture of dread and pure anger. He fired a wild blast of death magic from his mouth, connecting with Novos¡¯ face. He then had one of his tentacles lash out against the dragonkin¡¯s hand. Finally released, Mr. X put distance between himself and Novos. He glared with unfiltered hatred while Novos stood unharmed and stalwart, the pillar of mana pulsing behind him. Mr. X, overcome with primal fury, raged, ¡°What the hell is happening!? This entire situation is utter garbage! It¡¯s ridiculous! I have planned every step, each move! There is no way, now that I am at the finish line, that I can fail now! Not because of some angsty human that can¡¯t even control his own emotions!¡±


    He clutched his head and roughly ruffled his hair, continuing his tirade, ¡°I am so close! There is no way it can all just collapse in on itself like this!¡±


    Mr. X abruptly stopped, raising his head with a look of realization fueled either by actual logic, or his own madness. He chuckled in a crazed tone, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ it can¡¯t collapse. Sure I may be set back a bit, but I have more than enough power to wipe out an entire continent¡­ no, the whole world stored up! What¡¯s it matter if I use some of it?! I just have to kill everyone here!¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A sudden burst of a black aura surrounds Mr. X as he begins to cackle hysterically. Black ooze leaked from his eyes while Novos watched on with an expression full of pity. This only served to anger Mr. X further as he roared, ¡°I will tear you asunder, you damn slave!¡±


    He rushed Novos, who easily swatted him away. The dragonkin crossed his arms, his tail slamming the ground. Mr. X quickly recovered and fired multiple balls of concentrated death magic, each of which were wiped out by a pulse of mana from the pillar. Mr. X was completely outmatched.


    Meanwhile, Aisha launched fireball after fireball at Volnir as she ran around him. Volnir blocked them all, only having trouble because of the periodic pulses of mana throwing him slightly off balance. He clutched his chest tightly, grunting, ¡°You brat¡­ you are lucky I am in rough shape. I will give it to you though, you are much faster than I thought you would be.¡±


    Aisha, breathing heavily, felt she had finally gotten a solid grasp of Volnir¡¯s current fighting capabilities. She goaded, ¡°I sure hope the only thing you can do isn¡¯t just block the attacks of little ol¡¯ me~.¡±


    Instantly, Volnir furiously exploded, ¡°You brat, what was that!? I see you have a death wish!¡±


    He removed his arm from his chest and began to cast a fireball of his own. Utilizing the opening she had created, Aisha removed her ring and rushed him. Her speed exploded throughout the dash as she transformed, catching the egotistical narcissist off guard. She kicked him in the chest, right where he was nursing, with all of her might. Volnir coughed up blood, staggering back while his fireball fizzled out.


    Volnir glared up at her and growled, ¡°You damn demi-human¡­ that was dirty¡­¡±


    Aisha, appalled, chided, ¡°You total hypocrite! There is no way you said that with a straight face!¡±


    Volnir, however, didn¡¯t care what she had to say. All that mattered was her guard was low enough to criticize him. He placed a hand on the ground, and a moment later, the ground underneath Aisha ruptured as a stone spike pierced through it. Aisha barely reacted in time to dodge the pointed tip. However, she was grazed by the lateral surface of the coned attack and knocked away.


    Her feet skidded across the ground, managing to steady herself. A line of blood from her forehead ran down her face. Aisha wiped it away, glancing over at the pillar of mana and thought, ¡°How long is this supposed to take?!¡±


    -


    Zycor opened his eyes slowly, his cheeks still wet from the tears. He looked around at his surroundings and saw he was kneeling on top of calm waters. Raising his head, he saw a seemingly endless ocean that spanned across the horizon. Blue skies with clouds spread sparsely. The water suddenly rippling caught his attention, turning around slowly to see what happened. A woman stood in a white and light blue dress with a smile on her face.


    Zycor recognized her as the goddess, Alice, though appearing older. He wore a somber expression, remarking, ¡°You''re older than I remember.¡±


    Annoyed, Alice puffed out her cheeks and began scolding, ¡°You stupid boy! How in the world did you find out about contract fusion?! I was certain I made sure that knowledge was lost to time! Do you understand how reckless and moronic it is to use that!? I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you do it the first time, and you went and did it twice in quick succession?!¡±


    Zycor rose to his feet, drying his tears with his sleeve. He turned to face her and questioned, ¡°So, am I here strictly to be scolded?¡±


    Alice let out a heavy sigh, ¡°You know, most people who are faced with the literal goddess tend to speak with a bit more tack. Though, considering what you have been through and who raised you, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too shocked.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on right now? I remember Baz stabbed me¡­ after¡­¡±


    Zycor¡¯s silence was met with Alice placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, a calming smile on her face, as she consoled, ¡°I know, you don¡¯t have to say it. You have been through a lot, far more than most others. You have lost much, and for not being able to step in and stop it from happening, I apologize.¡±


    ¡°And why couldn¡¯t you? You are a being of pure power, so why not?¡±


    ¡°Because doing so would interfere with the free will of others. You were all created with the incredible blessing of being able to make your own choices. It is lamentable that many abuse that gift to cause harm to others. However, if I was to interfere with that free will, it would strip away the concept of free will. You would never truly know whether or not your choice was all your own.¡±


    Zycor¡¯s head lowered, his fists clenching as he shouts, ¡°So are you just saying that I need to suck it up and move on?!¡±


    ¡°No, moving on or not is up to you. Or maybe you can find another path forward using that free will of yours.¡±


    His body was suddenly enveloped in a white aura as Alice stepped back, ¡°My dear child, you have suffered and lost much. And despite it all, you still wish to live on. For that I grant you a new body and a skill, defying the concept known as magic, born from deep within you. A skill personal and unique to yourself, one I am sure will serve you well. I pray that upon our next meeting, you shall have lived a life you will be happy to share with me.¡±


    Zycor reached out towards her as he cried out in confusion, ¡°What do you mean by that all that!?¡±


    Alice simply smiled as the aura completely consumed him and he felt himself crash to the ground. The pillar of magic had collapsed, revealing Zycor standing silently, his body returned to human and glowing white. All noise ceased yet again, the eerie silence returning as everyone looked on in a mixture of awe, confusion, fear, and anger for some.


    Zycor looked over towards Aisha and Volnir and raised his hand slightly. A great burst of wind spewed forth and shot Volnir into the wall behind at ludicrous speeds. While everyone looked at the smoke and rubble from the impact, Zycor looked down at his hand, trying to wrap his head around his new power.


    Mr. X used the commotion as a distraction and launched a furious attack at Zycor. The latter glanced at the attack and vanished. In the same instant, an impact was heard from behind Mr. X. When what happened finally registered, Mr. X¡¯s expression went pale with fear. He couldn¡¯t see what happened. Novos grinned, cackling, ¡°Welcome back, Zycor. Not a bad awakening if I say so myself.¡±


    Mr. X turned to face the smoke and rubble as Zycor stepped out, unharmed. Dusting himself off a bit, Zycor commented, ¡°Wow, I am way faster and stronger than I thought. This might take some getting used to¡­¡±


    He clenched his fist and locked eyes with Mr. X and smiled determinedly, ¡°Well then, shall we start the next round?¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 32: Awakened Assault

    Mr. X and Zycor stared each other down, the former''s rage plastered across his contorted face. Zycor extended his palm towards Mr. X, never breaking eye contact, firing a bolt of white lightning at him. Mr. X put his arms up to protect himself, but still took the bolt head on. He howled in pain as the lightning coursed through his body, electrocuting him. He fell to one knee as he panted, his face cracking and black ooze seeping from them. As he rose to his feet, Mr. X snarled, ¡°You are nothing, boy. So what if you awakened? I am still stronger¡­ better than you.¡±


    An ominous, red glow shrouded in an additional black aura formed in his hand. Mr. X smirked, a red and black flame igniting from it and winding up a throw, ¡°You foolish, ignorant, despicable human! You will not stand between me and the resurrection of the god Itzal! He has granted me this power, so no mortal could hope to stand against me alone!¡±


    He grit his teeth and threw the small flame as hard as he could. After traveling a few feet, the flame expanded into a consuming, blazing fireball. As it approached Zycor, Aisha cried out, ¡°You have to move! Dodge it Zy!¡±


    Instead of listening to Aisha, he stared down the ball of fire that was nearly three times his size as it grew closer. He extended his hand once again, palm up, and a mild distortion formed around the consuming blaze. Zycor assured Aisha with confidence, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aisha. Right now, I don¡¯t think I can lose to this bastard.¡±


    Zycor closed his hand and the distortion forced the fireball to implode into itself. As Mr. X¡¯s eyes widened, Zycor pointed his pointer finger towards the ceiling, rocketing the condensed fireball towards it, finally exploding in a brilliant flash of red and ripping the ceiling of the cave to pieces. Aisha, Baz and Mylon looked up with shock and awe, while Mr. X quickly refocused his vision onto Zycor who was taunting him to come and fight. Enraged, the self proclaimed apostle of Itzal charged with a dark aura covering his body. He swung his fist and missed, crashing into the ground, black spikes erupting forth. Mr. X continued his assault, increasing the frequency and quantity of attacks by making additional appendages with his ooze.


    Zycor blocked and dodged, but it became apparent that fighting Mr. X alone was not something he could do while still getting used to his new body. A black spike came up from the ground behind Zycor and shot towards him while he was occupied. The attack was blocked by Novos who swatted it away with his electrified claws.


    Mr. X forced some distance between Zycor and Novos panting and started to mentally break under his own anger. He ruffled his hair violently, black ooze in the place of blood flying out as his nails dug into his skull, shouting, ¡°No no no! Why does everyone stand in my way?! It¡¯s because none of you know what I do! I have seen the truth! Itzal will bring order to this chaotic world! And through him, everyone will no longer have to contend with dying! Just as I have shed my mortality, so shall everyone else! So why do you stand in my way?!¡±


    With a final shout to punctuate his monologue, over thirty black tendrils shot from his body, aimed at Zycor and Novos. In addition, multiple spikes erupted from behind the duo as well. Zycor stood completely still as a word flashed in his mind. Whether by feeling or intuition, he believed it was his personal skill. With Mr. X¡¯s attack closing in, Zycor took a deep breath in and roared out, ¡°Phantasm!¡±


    Zycor instantly turned around to dismantle the spikes coming from behind them with Novos as a white aura gathered at his back and began to take form. The being fired four elements from each of her four arms in rapid succession, destroying the tendrils. As their shape solidified, Mr. X¡¯s eyes widened in terror, clutching the remnants of his right arm and sneering with a tone of fear, ¡°Y-you¡¯re dead¡­ I killed you!¡±


    As the being made of pure mana opened her eyes, Adria smirked silent, threateningly. Zycor turned back to face Mr. X and see what happened with his personal skill. When he saw Adria, a swell of emotions pumped through him, but he restrained himself. The enemy they faced wouldn¡¯t sit by and let them have a moment, so it would have to wait for later. Volnir watched on through the rubble in sheer horror at the seemingly resurrected Adria. He quickly and quietly snuck through the hole behind him and made his escape.


    Zycor stepped forward to stand beside Adria, unable to keep a smile from his face, as he retorted to one of Mr. X¡¯s earlier comments, ¡°You had said I couldn¡¯t hope to beat you alone, right? Well, looks like I don¡¯t have to fight you alone.¡±


    Mr. X began shaking as his fingers dug into his right shoulder. His power suddenly swelled as he exclaimed, ¡°How dare you force me to dip into the power reserves meant for resurrecting lord Itzal! I will be sure your death is painful!¡±


    Two clones of Mr. X sprouted from the ground, made entirely out of ooze, as he cackled, ¡°So what if that witch is back?! One extra person won¡¯t save you from me¡­ no, from us!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The two clones both silently extended their hands towards the trio. They both fired a single bolt of black energy aimed at Zycor, but Adria stepped in front to take the attack. The area¡¯s hit instantly decayed and began to spread. Mr. X¡¯s sanity continued to unravel as he laughed hysterically, ¡°I hope you like pain and death! Because that magic will administer both with a single touch!¡±


    His laughter began to subside as Adria stood unfazed, the decay ceasing and her body reforming. More cracks began to form across Mr. X¡¯s body as his fury and madness begin to meld together. He lets out a distorted, inhuman shout, numerous tentacles attacking wildly. Zycor, Adria and Novos are able to fend off the stray tentacles slamming towards them. However, a few of the tentacles descend upon Aisha, Mylon and Baz who are too injured to dodge in time. Zycor grits his teeth in preparation to launch himself towards them to put himself between the tentacles and his friends. Unfortunately, he is stopped by a handful of said tentacles crashing down towards him. He coats his gauntlets in white lightning and roars, his fists colliding with the tentacles, knocking them aside, but also staggering Zycor himself.


    He looks towards his friends trying their best to move and reaches out a hand and cries out, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Two additional flashes of white light form in front of the injured trio and parry the tentacles. As their forms solidify, it is a man and woman, both rippling with incredible mana reserves. The man cloaked in a wreath of fire and the woman in water. Feeling the sudden surge of power, Mr. X looks back at the scene, his eyes going wide yet again. He takes a step in retreat, clenching his teeth in anger, ¡°No no no¡­ I spent so much time killing you two, so how¡­ How have you come back, heroes?!¡±


    Zycor¡¯s heart stops as he takes in the visages that stand as a shield for his friends. The woman glances over at him and gives him a wink accompanied by a smirk. Zycor took a tentative step towards her and asked, ¡°I-is that you, mom? Dad?¡±


    Mr. X¡¯s head whips towards Zycor and exclaims, ¡°A child of the heroes survived?!¡±


    With little warning, Mr. X¡¯s clones jumped in front of him, getting cut down by a sword made of ice wielded by Zycor¡¯s mother, Mira. The clones¡¯ wounds froze and shattered, defeating them. She quickly ducked, revealing Zycor¡¯s father, Barlo, extending his hand out. His fire accumulated until it became plasma and he fired it at Mr. X. The latter put his hands up, but it was in vain. The beam of plasma pierced straight through him, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. He smiled sinisterly and cackled, his wound closing, ¡°You morons! An attack like that can¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    His bravado was short lived as Mira, whom he had lost track of early, appeared at his side, swinging her ice blade. Mr. X drew upon more of his stockpiled power to dodge upward, thinking back on what happened to his clones. Mira followed through with her slash, missing Mr. X, but freezing the ground in front of her in a cone. Mr. X grit his teeth, cracking some of them as he glared furiously at the two. He moved out of the way quickly sensing danger from behind, but his left leg was still grazed. Looking down in pain, he saw actual blood had been drawn.


    Scanning the room to find who it was, he saw Adria, all four of her hands together and aimed at him. She smirked, firing another beam of arcane magic at his head. He managed to move in time, yet again drawing upon more power, but still getting grazed on his cheek.


    Mr. X began to prepare another attack, but before he could, he heard from behind him both Novos and Zycor say, ¡°Converge!¡±


    He whipped his head around and saw a condensed mass of lightning crackling between Zycor and Novos¡¯ hands. Together, they fired the lighting bolt that knocked Mr. X out of the sky. Landing on the ground, Mr. X¡¯s mind raced, considering his options. He finally stood up, staggering a bit on his left leg and mending the wounds he could, ¡°As fun as it would be to eradicate you fools again, I have more important matters to attend to. Thanks to you bastards, I must now spend six months to recharge the stockpile of mana I was forced to use. Once I have broken the seal and released lord Itzal, I promise to use everything leftover to finish this.¡±


    Mr. X began to melt into black ooze as he finished condescendingly, ¡°But do try your best to stop me~, crushing pests is no fun if they don¡¯t at least try and fight back~.¡±


    Zycor raised his hands to try and stop him but suddenly fell to one knee. The white aura surrounding him faded as his body cooled, returning to normal. Novos caught Zycor, preventing him from falling down completely. The dragonkin chuckled, ¡°Well, that was certainly fun, wasn¡¯t it master?¡±


    Zycor panted heavily, glancing towards Novos who began to revert to being a dragon. He looked down at himself and huffed contentedly, ¡°Looks like the goddesses mana has run out. The mortal plane cannot sustain my true form. I won¡¯t remember much of my time in this form as those memories are locked within this current form. I hope to one day speak with you again, until then¡­ try to not be so suicidal.¡±


    Novos reverted to normal and passed out, acting as a cushion for Zycor in the process. Adria watched Zycor with a smile on her face. She turned to face Mira and Barlo. Mira gave a small bow of thanks for watching over their son, and Barlo gave a thumbs up. Barlo¡¯s form dissipated while Mira turned back to face Aisha, Mylon and Baz. She knelt down and hugged all three of them before she also dissipated. Adria closed her eyes and followed suit, fading away and returning to the afterlife.


    As Mylon and Aisha sat at a loss for words, Baz exclaimed in confusion, ¡°What the hell just happened?!¡±

 Volume 2; Chapter 33: Road to the Dungeon

    The sound of wagon wheels rolling across the unkempt dirt road began to stir Zycor from his unconscious state. The sound of the breeze and wildlife mixed with the rattle of the carriage, an incredibly soothing combination. However, the intense quarreling of Baz, Mylon and Aisha drowned out any sense of peace. Drifting into a more conscious state, Zycor began to be able to make out what they were bickering about.


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why we should have taken a break in the town!¡± Aisha exclaimed with an intense amount of irritation and frustration in her voice.


    Baz argued back, snorting, ¡°Yeah doggy? Well that just shows you don¡¯t know anything about senior sparky over there. He would have been fumin¡¯ if we had delayed those three days.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the ¡®dog¡¯ stuff you brutish pig! And I¡¯m a wolf!¡±


    Baz leaned in aggressively and retorted, ¡°Yeah? And I ain¡¯t a pig neither!¡±


    Mylon chimed in, hoping to diffuse the situation, ¡°Yes yes, you both are very close, we get it, but I don¡¯t think fighting about this is the right thing to be doing.¡±


    Aisha and Baz, in unison, snapped back, ¡°We aren¡¯t close!¡±


    Mylon couldn¡¯t help but to chuckle, sighing at the end, wishing the two of them would stop being so difficult. While the two trouble makers continued hurling increasingly ridiculous insults at each other, Mylon took notice of Zycor¡¯s eyes opening. He smiled and said loud enough to interrupt Baz and Aisha, ¡°Well, look who finally decided to wake up! Glad to see we weren¡¯t hauling around a corpse!¡±


    Aisha and Baz¡¯s heads jerked to look at Zycor, the former lunging for him, hugging him as she cried out, ¡°You¡¯re alive, thank the goddess! I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you had died!¡±


    Baz snickered, remarking, ¡°Yeah? Wasn¡¯t it your idea to kill him during the fight?¡±


    Aisha fumed, ¡°That was literally the only option open to us and you know it!¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°Yeah yeah, whatever you say. You humans care too much if someone lives or dies anyways.¡±


    ¡°Oh~? I seem to remember a certain brutish pig angry enough about the potential loss of his friend to tear down an entire city.¡±


    Baz twitched and turned to face away from her and Zycor, mumbling, ¡°Ya got no proof that happened, ya damn dog¡­¡±


    Mylon patted Aisha on the shoulder and commented, ¡°I am very happy that you are happy Zy survived¡­ but he might not for much longer if you don¡¯t let him breathe.¡±


    Aisha looked back at Zycor who was weakly tapping on her arm, struggling to breath in her vice grip of an embrace. She quickly released him, his head landing on Novos who had been acting as a pillow for him pretty much the entire time. Catching his breath, Zycor looks around at the wagon, finally comprehending he was in one. He attempted to force himself up as he asked, strained, ¡°Where are we? I thought our wagon was destroyed.¡±


    Mylon nodded, explaining, ¡°That¡¯s right, the wagon and the horses were killed. When everything had finally calmed down, we had to haul you and Novos to the nearest town to pick up another wagon.¡±


    ¡°And it wasn¡¯t an easy thing ta¡¯ do ya know.¡± Baz interjected.


    Aisha chastised him, ¡°Oh hush, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, especially since Novos woke up after only a few hours and gave us a lift.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but the ride with attitude over there immediately went back to sleep as soon as we landed.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Mylon let out a sigh filled with a slight, lingering irritation, ¡°Ah yes, that incident. It was certainly fun explaining that to the guards¡­ a whole hour wasted on convincing them we weren¡¯t terrorists¡­¡±


    He cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Anyways, once we got inside, we found an inn for you to stay at while we looked around for a wagon, or someone who would take us the rest of the way to the dungeon. It took a while, and some negotiation with the local guild hall, but we were able to be cleared for a dungeon expedition officially and we were even given a ride to the outskirts of the dungeon. Apparently it¡¯s a great place to get really good materials for armor, weapons and just to sell for profit.¡±


    ¡°I said we should have waited for you to wake up before we set off so you could rest properly.¡± Aisha added.


    ¡°And I told her doing that would have upset you,¡± Baz retorted.


    Zycor nodded towards Baz, ¡°That was a good call, I appreciate you know me so well.¡±


    Aisha¡¯s mouth dropped as Baz chortled, ¡°Ha! Ya hear that?! I was right!¡±


    Zycor let out a chuckle and reassured Aisha, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright. I do appreciate you thinking about me but we are really on a time crunch. After all, you heard what Mr. X said¡­¡±


    His eyes widen as he scans the wagon, taking a mental headcount. There was Baz, Mylon, Aisha, Novos, himself and, temporarily, the wagon driver. But not Nalea, and no Lizali.


    Zycor opened his mouth to speak, then quickly shut it, closing his eyes as he held back tears, unsuccessfully. Mylon lowered his head, placing a hand on Zycor¡¯s back. Aisha reached out towards him, but hesitated, uncertain of what she would even say to him. Baz, catching on to what was going on, remarked plainly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Zy.¡±


    Aisha kicked him in the back and shouted, ¡°What the hell is that?! You have to be more delicate with these things!¡±


    Baz huffed, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, girl¡­ there¡¯s nothing else we can say or do other than make sure he knows what happened¡­ wasn¡¯t his fault.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree! You can give him words of comfort!¡±


    ¡°Words of comfort won¡¯t bring the dead back to life.¡± Baz coldly retorted.


    Aisha held her tongue, unsure pushing the matter further was a good idea. She clicked her tongue and turned her attention back to Zycor, placing a hand on his leg while she reassured him, ¡°Hey now Zy, it¡¯s going to be alright. We are still here, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Zycor reached out and took her hand, holding it tight as he replied with a shaky voice, ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re dead¡­ Nalea¡­ Liz¡­ a-and I killed Liz myself¡­¡±


    On the verge of breaking down, a giant, rough hand started to pet Zycor¡¯s head. Baz increased the roughness and intensity of his stroking, letting out a huff, ¡°Don¡¯t start with that ¡®woah is me¡¯ crap. I told ya, it ain¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s that bastard X¡¯s fault, he clearly did somethin¡¯ to mess with your head. This isn¡¯t the time to break down, we have to focus on clearing this dungeon. It has information on killin¡¯ that freak, right?¡±


    Zycor smacked his face and nodded, ¡°Right, thanks Baz. So, how far out from the dungeon are we?¡±


    Having been listening, though not by choice, the driver called back, ¡°It¡¯s up ahead, we are practically there.¡±


    Aisha and Zycor scooted to the front of the wagon and looked out the front while Baz and Mylon sat towards the back. Aisha¡¯s eyes widened as they came over the hill and saw the massive operation set up outside the dungeon. The flag of various adventurer parties were being flown, base camps set up, recruiting flyers, and even a dedicated first aid tent. In addition, there were even area¡¯s where adventurers were dueling each other in makeshift arena¡¯s. Crowds shouted and hollered while sacks of coins were passed around, clearly payouts for lost bets.


    Aisha got excited watching the spells being thrown around. Zycor, on the other hand, didn¡¯t give the spectacle more than a glance. His sights were set on the dungeon itself, seeking the information he required. The wagon made its final approach and stopped on the outskirts of the encampment. Everyone disembarked, Mylon handing the driver a small sack of coins. Zycor, stood staring at the entrance to the dungeon. It felt far different from the few he had encountered previously. The dungeon itself seemed to give off a threatening air.


    Aisha came up behind him, Novos asleep belly up in her arms, giving him a nudge, ¡°Are you really okay, Zy? The way you¡¯re staring at the dungeon''s entrance, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Interrupting her, Baz gave Zycor a rough pat on the back, causing him to stumble forward slightly. He chuckled, ¡°Loosen up kid, save the frustration and anger for when it will be needed. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think you will have to wait too much longer. Just don¡¯t let it consume you.¡±


    Fixing his posture, the air around Zycor crackled with white lightning as he chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Baz, Aisha, I will keep my emotions in check. Right now, I don¡¯t feel like I can lose. I want to clear this dungeon, get this extra power as a contingency, and then go work through these emotions. Physically.¡±